Tender Moments of 2008 tag

It was so fun to look back at all of my pictures from 2008. You'd think with as many pictures that I take that I would have a lot of tender moments to choose from and your right I do, and almost all of them include my kids.
However, this is one of my all time favorite moments of 2008. For my 32nd birthday my cute husband threw me a suprise party. This is a picture of me opening our laundry room door to find a group of our friends waiting for us. I was COMPLETELY SUPRISED, overwhelmed and felt very special! It was a wonderful moment. Cort is always doing stuff like this. I am one lucky girl. I know this is a little late; I meant to get to this a couple weeks ago, but so goes it...anyways, I tag anyone and everyone to choose their favorite tender moment of 2008.

ROAD TRIP

That's right me and my kids (Cort had to work) went on a roadtrip a few weekends ago, 60 hours later, there and back, 11 hours each way, and there for about a day and a half. Good times! Go ahead, call me crazy, I know your thinking it...but after thinking we weren't going, to we are going, to Talan getting sick, and deciding not to go, to Talan waking up Friday morning just fine, and Taylor waking up in tears cause we weren't going...Friday morning around 10:00 am on a whim, I decided even though we needed to come back on Sunday we were going. And GO WE DID! 11+ hours that is, all the way to see our dear family in Arizona.
I must brag a bit, the kids did AMAZING! I couldn't believe it, I'll I can say is thank goodness for DVD players in the car. We had sooo much fun and I am so glad we went. It was so good to see everyone. Unfortunately, I didn't take a lot of pictures while we were there. In fact, there was several times in the car where the kids were being so darn cute that I wanted to take some pictures so bad to remember it, like when Taylor and Chase were sleeping and Talan was GLUED to and so into watching High School Musical (go figure) the entire time it played, (EACH TIME) or when they all started dancing like mad in their car seats, but unfortunately for me, since I was driving no pics of that. However, here's some of what I did get.

Here we all are at the amazingly good time VanEpps White Elephant party....my brother Tyson got a keepsake (click on the picture to see his treasure...Logan I just know it's already on his wall). Some of the other fun gifts that were given was a wheat grinder, maxi pad slippers, and a fur coat. I ended up getting a box full of wrapping paper and ribbon, which I have already used.

Here's the kids at their part of the party. My grandparents on my mom's side have I believe 29 great grandkids, and 3 on the way, so needless to say lots of fun friends for everyone.


I didn't get a picture of this, but my aunt had one of those popper things that you push around. Talan fell in love with it. He carried that thing around with him practically the entire time and he was very protective of it. He didn't even let it go when we put him in the highchair to eat. I just know he's going to be so excited to see it again on Christmas morning.

And here's Chasers asleep Saturday night with his present right next to him.


I came home and told Cort that we will NEVER miss another White Elephant party again. We had such a good time. Family, good food, and fun, it just doesn't get better than that!!

Photo TAG

Photo tag (courtesy of Tiffany)

1) Go to your pictures.

2) Upload the 4th picture from the 4th folder.

3) Explain.

This is Chase on his 2nd birthday. I can't believe how much he's changed in just a year! He was REALLY into Diego at that time, still is a little bit, but not quite as much. He's moved on. We love our CHASERS!!
Now I tag...Angie B., Tori, Diane, Sandy B., Leone, Carrie, and Carla and anyone and everyone else who wants to do it.

Couldn't resist

I saw this on someone else's blog that I know and I couldn't resist sharing it with everyone else I know, so here ya go...

My wife nagged me to put up the Christmas lights. Well, I finally got them up and NOW she won't talk to me!




haha Maybe it's late, but I sure got a kick out of this!
Merry Christmas Everyone!

What have the Welker's been up too lately???

Honestly, not a whole heck of a lot! But here's a couple of highlights of us from the month.

"Chase the builder"




Chase has always loved to build, but these days he is taking it to a whole new level! He is constantly building something. Today he showed me this airplane (see pic) that he built all by himself and the other night during his late night me and him made this house together. (see pic)

And here's Talan trying to take Chase's airplane away and just in case you didn't notice...Chase is not happy about it.



Decorating the tree





Yes, we already have our tree up. I guess I got caught up in the excitment of Chiristmas coming. So, as a result, for our last FHE we talked about all the different symbols of Christmas and what each symbol represents. We all learned a lot. As we were talking about all the symbols we decorated the tree. We all just enjoyed being together.

Lots and lots of pictures have been made



The kids love to make me and Cort stuff. We have pictures hanging up all over our house from the fridge to the bathroom door to the wall in our room. Here they are with a "cake" that they made me one day last week. They were so cute, I heard them knocking on the back door and when I opened it this what I found. Oh, and Chase has decided that pictures are now sometimes ok, as long as he is making a silly face in it.

Finally the leaves have started to fall....



This was our third attempt going to Grandpa Bryce to jump in all the leaves from his humongous trees. The kids love this and thought the best part was when I let them bury me in the leaves. Sorry no picture of that. However, Tally was not a fan of any of it. Maybe next year.

Twilight the movie



I went to see TWILIGHT with some friends at midnight the night of the premiere. It was so fun. (Although I paid for it the next day, I was seriously dragging!) We did dinner and then the movie. I thought the movie was great, (especially the second part of it, from when Edward rescues Bella from the bad guys in the city to the end) and I will definitely see it again. Maybe even own it, that's saying a lot for me cause I am not a movie buyer, unless it's a kid movie. Anyways, when I got home at 3:00 AM, this is what I found. Cort and Tally fast asleep in our bed. Of course, I took a picture.

Tagged

I have been such a bad taggee lately and I love reading them, so I decided that I would join the fun once again and particpate in the latest tag! Thanks Ang!

5 things I was doing 10 years ago...
Ten years ago my life was so different, hard to believe it's only been ten years! Seems like a lifetime ago....
*Moving from Provo to Salt Lake for school
*Starting school at the U (GO UTES!)
*Trying to figure life out
*Playing way too much

5 things on today's to-do list...
*Run
*make dinner for a friend who just had a baby
*read scriptures
*play with kids
*Watch Intervention (it's only on on Mondays)

5 things I would do if I was a millionaire...
*Build a pool
*Travel the world
*Buy everyone I love something super cool that they have always wanted
*Go on the hugest bargain shopping spree ever! That's right, I think that even if I did have endless amounts of money I would still bargain shop! I just loving knowing that I got a good deal.
*Help people in need (I hope I would do this)

5 places I have lived...
*WJ, Utah
*Provo, Utah
*Ephraim, Utah
*Salt Lake City, Utah
That's it!

5 places I have worked...
ONLY 5?? Maybe I should name five places I haven't worked.....
*Dillards
*Franklin Covey
*Art City Trolley
*David O. McKay events center (got to go to concerts for FREE!!)
*49 St. Galleria

5 people I TAG...
*Whitney
*Brittany W.
*Jenny M.
*Kristine A.
*Sarah S.

Absolute Cuteness

Obviously I am a little bias, but I swear this kid just oozes cuteness! Our little Talan is now 14 and a half months! Hard to believe, but in 3 and a half months he is nursery bound! We got him this new little highchair a couple of days ago so he could sit at the big table with us and he looks so big in it! At dinner tonite we looked over at him and he was just sitting there grinning with his hand under his chin (see pic) and we all laughed and told him to do it again, which he did over and over and over again. He really knows how to work a crowd. Every morning when the carpool comes to pick Tay up both boys run to the front door so they can say their goodbyes before she goes, she is definitely the ring leader around here, they both totally follow her lead. Tay usually makes sure she hugs and kisses them both before she goes. This morning the boys where standing at the door as she drove away, Chase screamed out "bye Tay" and then I heard Tally copy him with a "by ay!" He is starting to understand so much. Lately, he'll try my patience when I tell him not do something by looking back at me with a smile and mocking me by pretending he's going to do it anyway. A couple weeks ago he said ball for the first time and a couple days ago he said MAMA! I love this age. He is so curious about everything. He's now starting to climb on everything, which makes me nervous, he just seems too small to be doing that. I can hardly keep up. He carries random things around the house with him too, just like Chase use to, (big wooden spoons seem to be a favorite of his) and he loves to sword fight with his brother, as long as mom's there to keep things in control. He's very affection with all of us. When Cort gets home he runs to him DEMANDING his attention. He is still very cuddly especially at night and he's all about giving us all lots of kisses. He is very strong willed and not shy about letting you know when he wants something. He is truly changing right before our eyes. I need to savor these moments because I feel like they are slipping right through my fingers. Our very sweet and lovable Tally Wally.




This is how I found him a few days ago when I went to check on him during his nap. His sword is another thing that he loves to carry around the house.