Softball and Oklahoma

Alyssa and her 'traveling' summer softball team planned, fundraised and traveled to Oklahoma City to play in a softball tournament the weekend after school let out for the summer. They also got to watch a couple of the Women's College World Series' games. This picture is one of her coach, several teammates and their parents in front of the College World Series' bracket.

It may not be noticeable so much in this photo but look at the rest for Alyssa's winning smile! I think the only time she isn't smiling is in the mornings. (Although that is not really her fault, it is sort of a family trait.)

These photos are of several members of the D'Backs softball team (and Alyssa's friends). Just look for that smile and you will find Alyssa! Another great thing, AMAZING really (especially for teenage girls), is that Alyssa and her friends (and her teammates) is that they have very little drama, if any. They are all polite and respectful towards each other. It is so AWESOME! Crazy that teenaged girls could be more courteous and respectful than many adults. They truly are AMAZING girls!

And finally (below) is another photo of Alyssa-still smiling. Can you even look at a picture of her without smiling yourself. It is definitely contagious!

And even though I have no pictures to prove it, they did play 4 softball games so it wasn't ALL fun. (ha ha) Alyssa's hitting has improved a lot, so much so, that one of the seniors on the team (probably their best player) told her that she was definitely the most improved player. She is and has been good at fielding but I am told that she had an AMAZING catch in one of the Oklahoma games and was nominated by the umpires as Player of the Game. With this nomination, she received an invitation to play softball for one week in New York next summer. She will get to room with players from all over the US, play softball, and see a broadway show, among other things. It will be a fairly expensive trip but probably a good experience, a great opportunity and tons of fun! She has definitely earned it! We are very proud of her and her dedication to her team.

So, hopefully, you all need or want some more cookie dough, fries or whatever else they have her sell. LOL We really appreciate everybody's support and know that you probably want to run the other direction when you see us coming but it really means a lot to Alyssa and for that, we thank you!

17 Years Old Already???

It seems like just yesterday she looked like the picture on the cake. Hard to believe that 17 years have passed! We celebrated Alyssa's birthday with a few of her friends, Grandma and Ted, Amanda, Lane and Rylan, Heather, Shawn, Connor and Lexi. Alyssa had softball practice so she was late to her OWN birthday party! But she is so carefree and easy going that it didn't even phase her. Just look at that smile! How can you NOT love that smile? Alyssa is so NOT big on being the center of attention. It almost seems to embarrass her but that is a parent's goal in life anyway. She just makes it easier for us.

Alyssa never really lets us know what she wants for her birthday so it is a challenge to shop for her. This year she received Alpine speakers for her car since about 1 week after receiving her car she blew out a speaker in the back. :) However, she is always happy with whatever she gets. I might try and get her a box of rocks next year just to see the reaction on her face. She would probably just laugh! That's just the kind of person she is and we truly love her for that. Unfortunately though, because she is so easy going, she probably gets less attention than her sister sometimes but ONLY because she is less demanding than her sister. Alyssa is so low maintenance and Kylie is so, well, so Kylie! 'Nuf said.

Alyssa??? Alyssa who?

Yes, Alyssa does still live here and we love her lots! She is just not into letting me take her picture. I am hoping to get one soon of her and her car to post. Both are still doing well. I just have to be patient because she does NOT like her picture being taken nor does she fall for my pathetic attempts to trick her into taking her picture. She's smarter than me most of the time but I will not admit that to her so PLEASE keep it a secret.

Alyssa is leaving us on Saturday to go play softball in Oklahoma and to watch the softball World Series. I didn't know there was such a thing but she is excited and it should be fun for her. Wish we could go with her but we can't so she'll have to have fun without her family. We (well, mostly Alyssa) have been busy raising money so she can go to Oklahoma. She sold fries and tater tots (donated by Simplots-thank you everybody who bought some or donated!) and had a yard sale last weekend so I think she is ready to go. She is still working at Mickey D's but has not had many hours because of softball. She has plans to play softball through the summer so she will stay busy. I PROMISE to post pictures of her soon-She is AWESOME!!!

No more middle school????? Aaaagggghhhhh!!!

What happened to my baby girl? She is all grown up...almost. Tonight was Kylie's "promotion" ceremony from middle school to high school. Fortunately for me, the so-called ceremony was not too long nor was it very sappy so I did not cry. I was worried all day that I would cry tonight as it is sad realizing that I will now have 2 girls in high school. I'm still wondering where the time has gone since the girls were babies just yesterday-I swear. Okay, enough about me being an emotional mess right now. Kylie was not at all excited for the ceremony but she did NOT fall and that is a good thing since she was wearing her BFF's stilettos. She may have been a little wobbly but she did not fall. Kylie was mainly concerned about the dance after the ceremony. Jim and I went to find her afterwards and she shoved her 'certificate' into my hands and said they (Jordan, Steffi and Merenci) were going to practice telling the boys "NO" they did not want to dance. As if NO was not bad enough, they added a little foot stomp to the end. Of course, I secretly laughed but told them that was not nice and they should just dance if asked.

When I picked Kylie up afterwards and asked her if she turned down any requests, she said that she didn't. It turns out that the only boy that asked her to dance (slow dance) was a boy that she likes anyway. I cannot divulge his name or I would lose her trust so hopefully you will understand. This special boy asked her to dance not once but TWICE. I think it is safe to say that she had a great time.

Jim wants to sneak her phone away from her and leave a message on her voicemail letting the boys know that they should stop calling because her dad is not afraid to go back to prison.

Here are just a few more pics from this evening...

No More "Brace Faces" in this house...

Yeah! Kylie and I both had our braces removed yesterday! It was an exciting day for us. We both went to the orthodontist and knew that it could happen but were prepared to keep them on another couple of months IF we had to. Kylie wore hers for 2 years and I wore mine 2 months shy of 2 years. We were competing near the end to see who would get theirs off first. That kept us wearing our rubber bands like we were supposed to. Of course, I had the age thing against me. WAH!!!

Kylie is so excited to have them off before the last day of middle school and BEFORE big time high school. Me, I was just excited to be able to floss again like a regular person-not as though I was sewing the biggest project of my life! She thinks I'm completely whacked for being excited about flossing. Funny how we take for granted the "simple" things in life. 'Nuf said for now...hopefully more exciting post next time.

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

Thought I should take a moment and make a quick post as I have been slacking with the updates. I wanted to share a recipe that I made and LOVED. It is actually a recipe I found from Pampered Chef but I made a few changes. It is so easy, yummy and fast to make even for a weeknight dinner. Try it!

1/2 cup lightly packed, fresh cilantro leaves
2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, Co-Jack or whatever cheese you like
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz) enchilada sauce
12 (6-in.) corn tortillas
1 rotisserie chicken (deboned & shredded)

Place cream cheese in microwave for 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Chop cilantro leaves and add to cream cheese. Add 3 cups of the shredded cheese and mix well. Chop onion; set aside. Spread enchilado sauce over bottom of 13"x9" pan. Pour remaining enchilada sauce in mixing bowl; set aside.

To assemble lasagna, dip four tortillas (or enough to cover bottom of pan) in the enchilada sauce and place on bottom of pan, overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over the tortillas (small ice cream scoop works well) and spread. Top with 1/3 of chicken and one-third of the chopped onions. Repeat layer one time. Dip remaining four tortillas into sauce and arrange over second layrer. Top with remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Enjoy!

WE WILL MISS YOU PEEK!!!

Well, the day finally came for us to say, "Good-bye for now" to Grandma Peek. Last Wednesday, February 18, all four of us took Peek to the vet. We hugged her and kissed her as she left this earth to wait for us at the Rainbow Bridge. If you are a pet lover (and who couldn't be?), this is the poem about the Rainbow Bridge:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor.
Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance.
His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers.
Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.
The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

STEELERS WIN 6TH SUPER BOWL!!!

It was a good game. A close game but fortunately for us and Steeler fans everywhere, it ended well! This is a BIG day for the Pocatello Welkers, especially Jim! He is sooooo happy that I cannot even describe his happiness, almost annoying really. (Doesn't LULU look thrilled?) Heather, Shawn, Lexie, Connor, Mom and Ted came over to join in the fun. Heather and family left before the game was over though because Shawn had to go to work. They left when the Steelers were up big and it looked as though they would easily win. But that changed rather quickly! Alyssa, Mom and I were all nervous upstairs while Jim was yelling downstairs with Ted. Poor Ted. We could hear the screaming upstairs so I can only imagine what it was like sitting in the same room with Jim. Kylie was also downstairs on the computer updating her MY SPACE to annoy her former "boyfriend."

I think of all us had our doubts that the Steelers would win at that point but Jim said he never stopped believing! Jim and Ted celebrated the win with shots of tequila and then Ted left us with Jim. We all have to go to work and/or school tomorrow except Jim. Tomorrow will be a holiday for him and I will be surprised if he can even speak because right now, he will not SHUT UP! Yes, I know, the Steelers have won their 6th Super Bowl. I guess he thinks we missed the game or something??? Alyssa needed to run to Walgreens to buy computer paper for her homework that she just now started so I made Jim go along. He might stop in at Randy's to gloat a little to his co-workers. I HOPE by the time they return, his voice is gone or at the very least, he is ready to go to bed. I am THANKFUL for ear plugs and GLAD the Super Bowl is only once a year...I don't know if my heart could take much more.

Thank you and congrats STEELERS, World Champions 2008-2009!

Here we go STEELERS!

And the football season keeps going and going and going...You cannot even imagine how obsessed Jim is with football and of course, the Pittsburgh Steelers! (unless you know him, of course) The STEELERS ARE GOING TO YET ANOTHER SUPER BOWL!!! This will be the 3rd Super Bowl for them since he and I have been together. Their current Super Bowl record since 1987 is 1 and 1. Let's hope this one will make it 2 and 1. After all they should be able to take the Arizona Cardinals. I just hope it is a good game! And while I will enjoy watching the game, it is not do or die for me. I will most definitely have my earplugs ready as I already know there will be much screaming. Each game they win, the screaming gets louder and louder. Hopefully the outcome will be good but either way, it will be a successful football season.

"Grandma" Peekaboo

Here is our old friend Peekaboo. She is at least 15 years old. We adopted her before Alyssa turned 2! So, of course, she and Alyssa are the best of friends.


While we are well aware of the fact that she is getting old. We had quite a scare on Sunday, January 4, 2009. The girls and I had gone to see the movie, Marley and Me. Now, I have read the book and was very familiar with the fact that it was about Marley's life. All of her life, if you know what I mean. And while it was after all, just a movie AND I knew the story, I was still unprepared for that sad and empty feeling I had when we left the theatre. Later that evening, about 11:30 pm, Alyssa rushed into our bedroom, very upset, and said that Peek's stomach was all "big." In the past few years, she has lost weight even though her appetite is pretty much the same. I got up to see and sure enough, her stomach was large and very tight. Peek was obviously in pain as she would not lay down (which is mostly all she does these days.) I called the vet but was told that a vet (whom I do not particularly care for, or trust) was on call and that she could be called in but it would cost $120 to $130 just to have her come in. We discussed our options and decided to try and make it until morning. Alyssa slept in the living room on the couch while Peek slept on her bed on the living room floor. Alyssa said that Peek finally went to sleep around 2:00 am. Her stomach had returned to its normal size and she was obviously more comfortable than the night before but I decided to take her in to the vet anyway. Jim was trying to stand her up and she was pretty weak and/or lethargic and did not want to stand up. So, all 3 of us took her into the vet. We were prepared to make her comfortable, no matter what it took. I did not want her to be in pain.


The Vet, Dr. Matt Dredge was awesome. He was very patient and gentle with her and us. He asked us a lot of questions and explained some options to us. He drew some blood and urine, neither of which showed anything out of the ordinary for a dog her age. He gave us some arthritis tablets to give her to see if that would help her getting up and down and told us to update him on her status. Fortunately, she is doing much better. The medication seems to have helped her old bones and we get to have her around for a while longer. It is unclear how much longer as her kidneys are in the early stages of renal failure but we will enjoy having her as long as we can. She has been a great pet and friend.

Ms. Abercrombie

To many of us, this is just a coat. Okay, maybe a cute coat. But to Kylie, aka Ms. Abercrombie, this is a dream come true! She purchased this coat with Christmas money given to her by her grandparents. I am proud of the fact that she purchased something from the clearance section at Abercrombie. That in itself is nearly a miracle but she would much rather nobody knew that part. After all, she is 13!

We have had many discussions about name brand clothing and their status. Obviously, like many other parents, I am ignored. Although Kylie doesn't believe it, I do remember how important name brand clothing is to a teenager. I mean, after all, everybody who is anybody has Abercrombie. But, while I sympathize with her, I also know that money does not grow on trees. I am especially aware of this fact, having worked TWO jobs for nearly 3 years. I will say that anything she or we have purchased for her from Abercrombie, definitely is worth the money because she will wear it until it no longer fits. My only complaint is trying to get the clothing off of her in order to wash it occasionally. I am just glad that something so simple can make her sooo happy! And while we tease her often, we do love our little fashionista!

I just found this picture on a cd I had before I learned how to upload my photos straight from my camera. (Actually I was not uploading them because I thought it would slow down our computer but I have since had it worked on and more memory added so hopefully it will continue to work well.) This is Alyssa and her best friend, Kona Mocha. She is almost 2 years old and she is a great dog/member of our family.

My best friend, Lulu Belle is in our family pictured posted above. Kona thinks she is a lap dog but didn't quite fit into our picture. We have another 4-legged family member, Peek-a-boo. She has been in our family nearly 15 years! She is a black lab mix and was a stray that we adopted when some friends of ours had to move for work. I am sad today because I am facing reality that I will have to call the vet tomorrow and get Peek in for a visit. I realize she is old and we have been fortunate to have her for such a long time. I also know that I have been in denial regarding her health. She has been having a hard time getting up and she no longer does the stairs but there are times when she still acts like a puppy. She went out in the front yard while the girls were sledding and was running around like she was still a young thing BUT she has been urinating in her sleep AND has even pooped while walking as though she had no idea she was even doing this. Well, obviously I will see if the vet can do something for her but I am also facing the reality that her life with us may soon be over. I cannot leave her outside all night during the winter but I cannot have her going all over our house either. We went through this about 2 years ago with a 17 or 18 year old cat, Sam. Unfortunately, just like people, organs stop working the way they should. Sam was in kidney failure. And while we tried to save her (they put her on an IV-dialysis for cats), it did not work.

My greatest fear is how Alyssa will react to the inevitable news that will come sooner or later. Alyssa is 16 1/2 years old so Peek has been a HUGE part of her life. While we will all be sad, it is Alyssa I worry about the most. Alyssa's best friend has always been one with 4 legs. Apparently she learned earlier than most that a dog's love (or other pet) is unconditional...unlike some people in this life. Alyssa is also dog's best friend! She absolutely loves animals. When she was in grade school at Indian Hills, dogs would actually follow her home. They just knew that she would take them in or at the very least, pet them. We have kept several dogs in our home for a night or two until we found the rightful owner. EVERY time though, Alyssa would ask if we could keep them if nobody claimed them. Fortunately for us, they were always claimed. We have told her many times that she will need to have several acres outside the city limits to have room for the all of the pets she will inevitably adopt.

Alyssa's big heart for animals is just as large with humans. Although she could have done better in grade school (with regards to her school work and grades), she was a friend to everyone. In fact, I asked her one day after school how her day was and who she played with, etc. She answered that she played with ...(can't remember his name) because he had nobody to play with. How many young children actually notice things like that? Let's just say that as a parent, I could not have been more proud of her. If we had more people like that in this world, it would definitely be a better place in which to live!