Walch Family

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T22:38:00.002-06:00

This is a day that we honor those that we love who served and who gave their all for our freedom. It is a day that is special to my heart as there are so many in my family who have served. Gary's Dad served in the Navy in WWII and we miss him so much. We honor is memory and can't wait to see him again!

After decoarting the graves, we went for a spur of the moment picnic in the canyons. Here I am with my best friend, my companion, my sweetheart, my soulmate Gary. We make a pretty cute couple still after 32 years, huh?

And speaking of pretty cute... here is my daughter and I ... I love her and I think that she is just about the most beautiful young lady that I have ever seen!

Here is Justin ( under protest ) smiling for me so that I can take his picture. Thanks Justin for humoring your mom... I loved it!

And last of all... my hottie movie star daughter... She's darling!

Thanks for the wonderful day! I loved every second and this will be time well spent in my memory bank. I can't wait to make more wonderful memories... I was missing Josh and Jared. Maybe next time we will all be together!

Happy Birthday My Sweet 16 Beauty... !

2010-06-01T22:19:00.003-06:00

Jenna's sweet 16 balloons that were sent to school for a surprise!

Jenna and her balloons

What is this??? Yes!!! A tinkerbelle key chain for what???? Her first set of car keys!

Her Tinkerbelle seat covers!

Her Tink steering wheel cover!
I can't believe that my baby girl is 16 all ready! And ... gulp... driving! She got a new ( very used ) car. Her brother Justin has been building this car from the ground up and now we only need to have a paint job on her Saturn. We've asked her if she wanted to have her picture taken by her new car... and she said... um.. not till it's painted! Happy Birthday baby girl.... Happy Sweet 16!!
more to come... in part 2!

Here you go Jill~

2010-05-22T23:48:00.002-06:00

So, my friend Jill saw my post about my first 5K. She was there with me but I didn't get any photos taken with her. However, I did take one of her team and posted it with my others on facebook. She gave me a load of crap for not putting her photo on my blog... So here it is Jill!!! For all of you who want to know which one she is, she's the one in the pink sweater!!! You are officially on my blog now....

My Special Mother's Day

2010-05-10T19:31:00.003-06:00

So, this year has been such a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. I ran my first 5K ( see post below). But my real Mother's Day began even before that. It began on Wednesday night. I had my RS presidency meeting and Gary wouldn't let me go. He was stalling and wouldn't give me my keys, etc... Justin and him were trying to get me to skip my meeting. Finally, I was getting angry and he told me that Jared had a special gift for me and that I had to stay there for it. A little while later, this darling girl comes to our door. Gary asks her in and she comes to ask me if I am Jared's MaMa... I told her that I was.... She said that she had a special gift for me. She lives in Metz, France, where Jared is serving right now. Her family feeds the missionaries weekly, and she got the opportunity to be a foreign exchange student and come to America..... She is staying with a family , where??? Tooele!!! Of all of the places in America that she could have came to, it was Tooele Utah. When Jared found out that she was coming here, he wrote a special Mother's Day letter for me in French and had her translate it for me. It was just beautiful. I cried the whole time she was reading it. I could not believe that this beautiful young lady would take time out of her schedule and do this for a missionary's family, especially his mom. She told me that Jared told her that I would cry when I saw her... and he was right!!! She told me that he is so good and that he is wonderful and that he loves me so much. I loved her visit with us. She stayed almost 2 hours. I want her to come back. She likes to scrapbook, and says that it's so expensive in France. You can be sure that before she goes home, I will fill her bag with lots of supplies to scrapbook with. We even gave her Mountain Dew ( Jared said that she needed to experience that and Root Beer!) She really liked the Mtn Dew. She was just darling.

On Sunday, we had a wonderful day. Gary made me my fav breakfast snack, and that was followed by my all new favorite items, Willow Tree figurines. Then church, and we left after Sacrament to get our phone call. Justin and Jenna made sure that I had a wonderful lunch, and Josh had to work all night and he called wished me a Happy Mother's Day and gave me a wonderful facebook greeting before he went to sleep. The long awaited phone call was amazing and I loved every second of our hour and 15 minute phone call. Jared sounded so good. It was wonderful to hear his voice. It was the best possible medicine for my heart. Then we watched a great movie and I had a scrumptious dinner. I was full, happy and satisfied. And isn't that what it's all about??? Being a mom is the best job that I've ever had. It's the only thing that I've ever wanted to do... and I'm in love with all of my kids. It's the best job in the whole world!

My First 5K!!

2010-05-10T19:03:00.004-06:00

I did my first 5K for Race for the Cure last Saturday... I loved it!!! I did it for a special Mother's Day gift for my mom... I hope that she loved it.... I know she was watching from Heaven. We ate breakfast first. Thanks Patti and Tyma for your support!!! Patti (middle) is a breast cancer survivor herself. Way To Go Patti! My goal was to finish... not try to be first or even in the middle... just to finish... And I Did It!!!!!

This is my friend Lynne and I before the race. I was still cold - hence the jacket.

Tyma and I.

Patti and I

Our director Amie was there to support us as well. It was an experience that I will never forget. I am so excited that I got to have that experience. I had my mom's picture with me and when I crossed the finish line, it was very emotional for me. I loved every second of it. To think that I've never done this before... it was qute an accomplishment for me. It was a wonderful way to honor my mom and I hope that she was proud of me finishing! Happy Mother's Day Mom... I love and miss you!!

Catchng Up

2010-04-10T09:08:00.007-06:00

So many things have been going on lately... I think it's called LIFE! My blog, however, has suffered. So I will try to catch up on the news that has been happening to the Walch Family!

First off......

Hunter Adam Walch is going to join the Walch clan on or around August 30th. We are so excited to have a new member of our family and we are so excited to be Nana and Papa. We can't wait to get to hold this little angel from Heaven and he will be one of our greatest blessings. I am sure that he will be one of the cutest babies that have ever come down from Heaven ( okay... I may be a little bit biased.. but that is my opinion!!)

Second....

We have less than 300 days before I get to hug my missionary son. I can't wait for that day. The first year seemed to drag by, but the second one has been going faster. I am excited that he has been out for 15 months and we will be able to talk to him next month for Mother's Day. I look forward to the day when he is home for good.

Third....

So, my Twilight Lovin , Team Edward Fan Daughter who can't STAND Jacob. LOVES NEW MOON and is going to be 16 in a few weeks and that means dating! Ugh!! I am not sure that I am ready for that to happen. She's so cute... ( here I go with the biased opinions again...sorry, can't help it!) And so I think that the boys will be knocking down the door. She all ready has them in line I think. Her newest 'beau' is David and she thinks that he is just the best thing ever!!! Another thing that I am very proud of her for is this.......
She has earned her Young Women's Medallion. Actually, both JENNA AND I have earned our medallion. She was finished long before I was and she waitied for me so that we could get it together in Sacrament meeting. I love her for achieving that objective. She is now working on getting her honor bee. We do, however, have both of our medallions in silver instead of gold. I am very proud of her... just like when Jared got his Duty To God. It was a nice day... And it was one of the paydays of being a mom.

Fourth...
We have finished Jenna's room. It looks so pretty in brown and pink. Her giant bed takes us most of the room but it is totally her and she is very excited to have all of this space to spread out! I will post pics later when she has her bed made and her room straightened. She went to the temple today with her Young Womens for baptisms. What a good girl....!

Fifth....
Jared has been promoted to District Leader and is over the missionaries ( Elders and Sisters) in his district. We are loving hearing about all of his successes and adventures ... and we can't wait to go pick him up in 9 months!

Well, I think that I have updated everything that has gone on I think in our family. I will try to be better at keeping this up to date. Until next time my friends......

She's SOOO Happy... Me... not so much!

2010-02-07T20:38:00.002-07:00

So, after much persuading on her part, Jenna finally convinced me to let her cut her hair. She was so excited, but I had to leave the salon ecause I cried when she cut 14 more inches off her hair! She is so happy and I do have to say that she looks just darling. She made me a deal that she won't cut her hair again until after she graduates, so we will see if we stick to the deal. I want her hair to be long for her Senior pictures!
Here is the finished product... she's adorable if I do say so myself! I am excited to see her so happy with her braces off and her contacts in and her hair cut. She's such a darling girl !!!I love her alot!

Jared's First Year Mark !

2010-02-07T20:07:00.004-07:00

Jared has been out for one whole year. It has been the best and the hardest thing that I have ever done. My friends have been there for me through thick and thin. On January 28th, I sent out an email thanking everyone for being there for me. I also brought a cake to work that said.... Hip Hip Horray! 1 Year today!! Everyone enjoyed the cake, but I loved being able to thank everyone and giving hugs and such. It was a wonderful day, but a hard day. I didn't think that it would be hard, but it was! Jared was on my mind every second of the day, and there were more tears. My sweet friend, who is also a missionary mom, left this on my desk.

It said, "Happy Hump Year! You are one half way there Mom!" She gave me half a snickers bar, one half pkg of M & M's, one half pkg Starburst, one half Granny's pink sugar cookie, and one half coke. It was co cute and it made me laugh! She made my day and it made it better. She helped me to get thru the day. It was a great day and I am so proud of Jared for making it a year and even more. I am glad to see the changes that have happened to Jared. I am very proud of who he is becoming. He is an amazing young man and I am proud to be his mom! We have 11 fast Sundays and counting!!!

11 days to our year mark

2010-01-17T23:05:00.002-07:00

Hello everyone!
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I have had so many things that have gone on and something had to give, so it was this. Work has been crazy busy and things have been hectic at home as well, so hopefully it will be better soon!
Christmas was just wonderful. We got the best gift ever.... an hour and 20 minute phone call from Jared. He is doing just amazing and he couldnt' be happier. I am so proud of him. He is loving his mission and is still in France, but hopes to be transferred back to Switzerland soon. He has such a great attitude and is loving every second. He says that he doesn't know how this time has gone so fast. He can't believe that it's been a whole year almost. 51 weeks and counting. I can't wait till we get to start doing down on our mountain on our calendar. It's been such a blessing to have him serve the Lord is this capacity. We are so proud of him. It's so amazing to see him grow and learn. We all got to talk to him on the speaker phone. It was terrific!!
Next, Jenna asked for a bedroom redo for her gift. She got a new bedroom set with a Queen Cherry sleigh bed. It is so pretty. Her room is pink and brown and her bedding is really pretty. I will post photos when it gets all completed. It has been postponed a bit because she had surgery in the middle of this. She had her tonsils and her adenoids out and it was a bit harder than we had expected. She is doing better now, but one side still hasn't healed yet. She has been out of school for 6 days and will go back on Wednesday. We are excited that she gets to go back to school. It will be nice to get back into our routine.
Grandma is still hanging in there but we wish that she would be able to go home soon. I know that she is waiting for Jared to come home but I don't know if she ( or we ) can make it another whole year. I know that she is trying to keep her promise to Jared. He wishes that she will get to go home and be with Grandpa soon. My Dad is also having a hard time being alone without Mary. I wish that I was closer (in distance) to him so that we could visit him more often.
Also, things with Relief Society have been keeping me hopping! This week I have 3 nights .... Tuesday visitng, Wednesday our meeting, and Thursday, a Stake training. I love being in the presdiency with such great ladies.... Sometimes it just overwhelming. But I can take some time and serve the Lord with gratitude!!!
Jared is supposed to let us know if he is staying in France or is getting transferred. I will post his next letter soon. Until next time my friends..... take care.

How cute is this?

2009-11-17T09:57:00.001-07:00

And with all of the returned missionaries that I know... this MUST be true! I just had to post it as I was so thinking about Jared!!! Too much fun!

I figured it out!!!

2009-11-03T11:14:00.002-07:00

For some reason, my posts aren't showing up. I figured it out when I updated Jenna's blog ( with my address.) I deleted it and then added it again and it worked. Please do that so that all of my updated will show up! Thanks everyone!!!

Posts not showing up

2009-11-02T12:37:00.002-07:00

I think that there is something wrong with my blog. My new posts aren't showing up. I am writing this little post to see if it will update automatically and catch up. Sorry guys, I've been posting, promise!!! Let's see if this remedies the problem!

And the winner is..... Education

2009-10-26T11:13:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, I was set apart as the Education Counselor in our Relief Society. I am so excited to be serving with this group of sisters! Two of them I know and love and the other one, I am excited to get to know. It will be a great adventure for sure and I am super happy about beginning this journey. I love our ward and I am so grateful for our last presidency. They were amazing! Treasa is my visiting teaching partner and she has taught me so much! And she is my next door neighbor and wonderful friend! Our sweet Michelle just moved to begin her new adventure with her family, (we will miss her so much! ) and Suzanne was the first one to congratulate me on my new position! Thanks Laurie, Sandy and LaRay! I can't wait to start working together with you in our new presidency!!!

It's Only So Long For Now

2009-10-23T09:12:00.003-06:00

Mary, my Dad's dear wife, just passed away this last weekend. Our house has been in turmoil since we heard the news. I am so worried about my Dad. He has been widowed twice now. Not fair!

I decided to post this picture of Jared and My Dad... just to be a reminder that Families ARE Forever and that Jared is out helping others realize that. Although I have sad feelings about Mary's passing, I want to seal my Mom and Dad together for our forever family. I know that is something that I don't have to worry about.... Heavenly Father is in charge!! Thank Goodness and I am so grateful that all things will be right in Heaven.

Rest in Peace Mary: no more pain, no more sickness. God Be With You Until We Meet Again!

Jared's last letter

2009-10-19T09:35:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone! We haven't had a letter from Jared in over 2 weeks and I was beginning to get a little worried!! You know that I would have so called the mission home for sure! But, alas, he redeemed himself with a nice long letter in my inbox this morning. It was his 20th birthday on Saturday and so we sent him a 'party in a box' and he had a good celebration anyway! Read on friends:

Dear Family
What is this??? You said that I haven't written in two weeks? I have written every week! Did you change your work email or were there some other problems with the computer?

Thank you for the package. I had Elder Williams take some pictures of me opening my presents. We made the cake, and I had him video me blowing out the candles. It was pretty fun. I bought myself a couple of gorgeous ties the other day. They are really shiny.

This week has been good. There were a few weird things that kind of happened to our ami's. Jackie, the Brazilian wife of our less active, had a huge fight with her husband and she was thinking about divorce. We went over there and prayed with them and kind of helped to calm her down. She is much more calm now, so we will see what happens. We are going to help them move into their new appartment on Wednesday.

I cant believe that you haven't got my package yet!!!! I sent that clear back at the end of September. I hope it gets there soon. If not, I suppose I can just do it again.

We found out that starting on November 4th, our preparation days will be on Wednesday. I really like that, because there will be alot more things to do on Wednesdays. More museums and businesses are open. Except for transfer weeks, they will be on Tuesday.

How is everybody doing? I hear the weather is good.

It has been getting alot cooler here. For a while, it was pretty cold and we didn't have heating in our appartment!! But they turned it on on my birthday! What a sweet present huh?!!

Transfers are next week. I will let you know what happens.

We went over to a members house for lunch on Sunday, the day after my birthday. I was a little worried that they were going to start singing to me. It was fine, until they brought out the dessert. They had made tons of brownies and had trick candles and such. After the second time of trying to blow them out, I thought ''Well, this is lame''! But it was fun anyway.

Dont worry, I am fine!
I love and miss you all!!
Love
Jared
P.S. Tell Chris Happy Birthday for me.

So there you have it folks! My son turned 20 out in the mission field and is having the time of his life. I can't wait to talk to him on Christmas. That will be my best gift ever!!!
Until next post my friends....
Colleen

90 Days And Counting!!!

2009-09-25T09:53:00.002-06:00

So, a couple of posts ago ( actually one month exactly) my friend at work announced how long it was until Christmas! She's back at it today and I got really excited that in exactly 90 days... 3 short months ( my favorite months of the year ) we get to have our phone call from Jared. I can hardly wait. My coworker started talking about Christmas shopping and I thought about our sub for Santa family... ( No answers yet on who that should be... any suggestions????) and our phone call from Jared. Last month went so fast... I can hardly wait for these 3 to go too. Come on Christmas!!! I want to hear from my boy!!!! :)

Chambe'ry Anyone??

2009-09-17T15:12:00.006-06:00

So, we received an email from Jared and he is being transferred to Chambe'ry France. He has been in beautiful Fribourg since he arrived in Switzerland, so we knew that this transfer was coming. While this is not as picturesque as there, it is still very beautiful there.

It is in the French countryside... we are not sure where he will be exactly, but this is what I googled . He will send me real photos soon, I'm sure, once he is settled.

You hear of the canals over in Europe, but this is so amazingly beautiful. I can't wait until we get to see it in person... of course, everything will probably be frozen then.

This photo actually reminds me of where I grew up in California. Not the beautiful old house in the background, just the grape vines. They surrounded our house. I'm sure ( not from personal experience though) that this is why the French wine is so popular. I can't wait to hear how he is and how he is liking it. His French teacher, Bill, who served in the very same mission as Jared, said that Switzerland was heaven and France was H E double hockey sticks. We'll see it he agrees!

Please Pray For Devin!

2009-09-14T12:56:00.002-06:00

Hello all...
I have a request that I am trying to get out to as many people as I can. My friend, Cathy, who lives in Florida, had a heartbreak this past weekend. Her son, Devin, who is 26 or 27 ( I'm not sure... he's in law school ) was in a horrible car accident and he is in a coma right now. Please pray that he will recover if it be God's will. She is not a member of our church, but I've felt so helpless so far away. I am amazed at Heavenly Father's church... She is far away from their home in Tallahassee ( about 400 miles away from West Palm Beach) and knows no one there. I asked my friend at work, Lynne, who used to live in Florida where she lived. She said Orlando, and I thought that I was done. I told her that I needed to have someone in Tallahassee. She was so cute, and said, "Oh! My husband's best friend lives there. Let me give him a call!" She called him and 10 minutes later, he was on his way to the hospital with the missionaries. They gave both of them a blessing and she said that it brought her such peace. I'm praying for Devin and for their whole family. Please join me to give this family some peace and comfort. All prayers are good that lead to God. Until next post my friends...
Colleen

I can wait 4 months!

2009-08-25T14:07:00.003-06:00

I was at work today and my friend casually mentioned that 4 months from today will be Christmas, and then she let out a big.... UGH! I, on the other hand, rejoiced! You all know how much I love the holidays but this year especially, I will be looking forward to December 25th. I get to have my phone call from Switzerland and talk to my Jared!!! I have been missing him a lot lately, and for some odd reason, 4 months didn't sound like a very long time before I get to speak with him. Also, after Christmas, another HUGE day that I will be looking forward to is January 28th, which officially makes the ONE YEAR MARK, and then we start counting down. Just for the record, as of today, Jared has been out in the mission field for a total of 210 days. I am very proud of him and get to talk to him in 4 short months! Hopefully they will fly by...... come on Christmas..... I can't wait to see you!

Happy Birthday Mom and Grandma!!

2009-08-05T07:29:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to make a post wishing Gary's sweet mom, my mother in law and my kids' Grandma a wonderful birthday. She is 94 today and her only wish is to go back home to be with Heavenly Father and her sweet husband Jack. We miss him so much and we know that it would be her greatest wish to celebrate today with him. We love her with all of our hearts and we hope that her wish comes true that she will be able to go home soon. We love you Mom!!! Happy Birthday and May your wish come true!

More Suisse Pics

2009-07-27T15:03:00.010-06:00

Hello Everyone!
We got a package from Jared and he sent home a photo card ( along with gifts for everyone and the world's best chocolate ) and I thought that I would post some pictures. I haven't done that in awhile, and these are just gorgeous. Enjoy !

So Long Elder Spence! It's been nice serving with you! I'll miss you~

I know that this is something of the church but I'm not sure what the sign says.

Jared standing on the edge of the castle. The drop is far down and he's so afraid of heights. But a dang good photo for sure!

Jared said this is one of his favorite places to shop... It's prounced Mee-grows.

Jared on one of his P Days touring a castle. They had gone hiking that day and his pants were really dirty!

Elder Man to the rescue!!!

One of the beautiful cathedrals in Switzerland!

Hiking up Moleson mountain. It's a real feat for Jared as he is afraid of heights like his mom. He did a great job setting up this shot!

Beautiful Garden area of Gruyere Castle.

Another garden shot.

And yet another garden shot.

I wish my yard looks like this with all of the beautiful flower gardens!

A front shot of the castle where the gardens are.

So there you have it. It's so beautiful over there. I can't wait to go and see all of this when we are able to pick him up in 2011. I will leave you with a funny picture. He's taken a bunch of photos of cows... I guess they are big over there with all of the cheese you know! I have a scrapbook page all ready in the works. I just need to find the right 'cow' paper... The title will be ... Real Switzerland Cheese... Happy Cows Come From Switzerland!!

Until next post my friends! Love to you all!

Colleen

Two Of My Favorite Guys!

2009-07-21T08:55:00.007-06:00

Two of My Most Favorite Guys In the Whole World!!!

I just wanted to post about 2 of my all time favorite guys... It would be my husband Gary and my son Justin. I haven't posted anything about them for awhile (or ever maybe? Man... I'm a rotten wife and mom!!! ) Anyway, I just wanted to list a few of my favorite things about these two. First off, they are such good friends. They love to spend time together with each other and they will do anything for anyone ( they so have that in common!!! ) They have amazingly contagious laughs and you just can't help but be in a good mood around either of them.

I want to write a minute about my husband. He standing in front of a Veteran's memorial in Las Vegas here. He served for 6 years in the US Navy and is very proud to be a veteran. He honored his Dad by joining and serving in the same branch of the military that Jack did. He is very proud that he fought for our country. He even just got new license plates that stated that he was a Navy vet. He is also very patriotic and a wonderful Dad and a great husband. I've always said that I am so grateful to be married to my best friend and it's still so true today. I love you Gary!

Next comes my Justin. What can I say about him? He is the most unselfish person that I have ever met in my whole life. He is always there if you need him whether you are his friend, his family or even a stranger on the street. He helps everyone all of the time. He has the most kind heart... he has since he was a little guy... and cares so much about everyone. He spoils his sister just rotten and will give her anything that she asks for. He will drop everything to help out someone in need and even cancel the plans that he had for the day if need be. I am grateful that he is my son. His most recent act of selflessness is that he moved back home in order to help support Jared on his mission. Jared doesn't know that he did this for him but he will when he comes home. I am so very blessed to have him as my son. I hope that he will find the right girl for him soon. I love you very much Justin!

Random Questions

2009-07-15T12:16:00.003-06:00

My sweet niece, Stephanie, in St. George has this tag on her blog, and I was one of the lucky recipiants to be tagged. If you know Steph, you know how awesome she is. I love her very much and am very grateful to have her as a member of our family. So... here are my random ???'s.

MY RANDOM QUESTIONS:

What is your current obsession?
I would have to say trying to stay on top of Jared's scrapbook. I've gotten almost all of the photos that he has sent us along with his letters in his book. I have only a few more to be completed, and then the last letter stated that he has 200+ more photos. I love seeing him in the pictures and seeing how he is growing and progressing. I surely know that my Jared won't be a little boy when he returns from his Switzerland Mission, but more over, a man with an even stronger testimony.

What do you hate the most that everybody else seems to love?
I would have to say seafood. I really can't stand it and everyone just loves fish and shrimp and crab, etc. Give me a good old chicken breast any day... and leave the fish in the ocean!!! :)

What are you wearing today?
White shirt, black capris and white sandals. Comfort before style is my motto!

What would you eat for your last meal?
I agree with Steph. I would wish that I could have anything made by my mom or my sweet mother in law. They added wonderful ingriedients and even though I seem to do the same thing, it never turns out the same. Also, for dessert, I would ask for Melb's cinnamon rolls. They were ... in her words.... DELISH!

What's the last thing you bought?
More scrapbook supplies for world travel for Jared's mission book.

What are you listening to right now?
Actually, me just typing. Nothing else really.

What do you think of the person who tagged you?
My niece, Steph??? I love her immensely. She was just a baby when I joined the Walch clan, and I've watched her blossom from a tiny little girl ( who was the biggest Tom Boy that you ever saw) to such a beautiful young wife and mother. I am very proud of who she has become. I know her mom is so proud of her and so are we. We LOVE YOU Stephie Ree!!!!

If you could have a house, fully paid for, and totally furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be?
So, while I might enjoy the warmth of St George or Arizona, or some exotic place like Hawaii or Tahaiti, or even some romantic place like Rome or Paris, I would still want to be close to my family... my kids. I don't think that I could be happy living far away from them. I don't know how my Dad ever survived me moving far away from home as it would kill me to be away from them. They are my life and there is no where that I would rather be than close to them. I don't even have grandbabies yet... I don't even know what I'll do then!!!! :)

What is one of your hobbies?
Of course, anyone who knows me know that I love crafts and scrapbooking. However, my Yaya Chris is an amazing photographer. I have learned from watching her some different techniques and I would like to think of myself as a budding photog. I even did a family reunion of my neighbor when all of her family was here. I took about 200 photos and got such great shots. They were so happy. I just copied things I have seen done before, and I think that I really want to learn more. I drool each time I see a nice camera with a big zoom lens. I can't wait until I can have one of those play toys to experiment with. I want a rapid speed shutter so that I can take several shots in just a couple of seconds.

What are 3 things that annoy you most?
1) Spend all day cleaning your house and then by the next morning, it's back to it's original state. It happens most often with my scrapbook room. I get it all neat and tidy and then everything that my family doesn't know where to put, ends up in there with the door closed. From Jenna's shoes to Gary's tools and everything else in between. They always leave a mess of food and garbage by my computer too. AARRGGHH !
2) Wastefulness... if there is such a word. Leaving the lights on when leaving a room, leaving the water on while brushing your teeth, the air conditioning on all day when no one is home, the car idling forever, stuff like that.
3) Annoying sounds, like nose whistles or snoring, random tapping, pen clicking, etc.. drives me absolutely crazy.

What is your favorite color?
Love green, all shades! Ditto Steph..... I concur!

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?
I would have to say my pj's and my robe for comfort... While I like to look nice, my motto as stated in Question #3 still stands!

What are you most looking forward to?
I guess I should say a Christmas phone call from Jared, but really, it is to give him a hug. In church on Sunday, we had a newly returned missionary and his mom was just beaming. I asked her if I could hug him because I couldn't hug my missionary! I know that he probably thought that I was nuts, but he complied and even hugged me back!

What is your dream job?
I would have to concur with Steph on this one too. I would love to get paid to make scrapbook pages, or cards etc for someone. That would make me so happy to be able to create some place to store their memories.

What is for dinner tonight?
Well, since Jenna is gone for girls camp, we may go out to dinner, or just have left overs. Gary grilled a bunch of chicken breasts last night and they were so yummy and we still have a bunch in the fridge. I guess I'm leaning towards the latter, with maybe a salad.

Describe your personal style...
I would say comfy and cozy. Homey... and casual. I like to decorate with items that remind me of people or memories that are close to my heart. I love to have photos of my family around me. Makes me so happy!

What are you going to do after this?
We just bought a new sectional for our family room downstairs and since our carpet has been cleaned, I'd say move the furniture down there and try it out! We've been rearranging our rooms and moving furniture from one to the other. I can't wait to have my new stuff downstairs. I'll post pics when we are done.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
My all time favorite is boring chocolate chip. I like others but if I could choose, this would be the one.

Who was the last person you kissed?
I guess since Jenna is out of town, it would have to be my best friend, my husband, Gary.

What are you currently reading?
I just got finished reading 3 books, but I am now re-reading My Sister's Keeper. I want to finish the book again before I see the movie. I am a slacker at reading my scriptures, but I try.

By what criteria do you judge a person?
Honesty. I want others to be real around me and not try to be 'what they think I'd like them to be'... that really drives me crazy when you act one way around one person and then a totally different way around another one. Just be who you are and be okay with that. I have friends from all walks of life, some church members and some not, and I respect them for the kind of people that they are.

What is on your agenda for tomorrow?
We have been taking advantage of an empty house by cleaning our carpets and rearranging furniture. I'd say, starting to put everything back in it's place. I've got to get into Jenna's closet before she comes back from camp... that girl is a pack rat and doesn't get rid of anything even if it's 2 sizes too small!

What delighted you most today?
When I told a patient at work that she no longer had a bill with us. That I had pulled in some favors and got it taken care of. She started to cry and told me that I was an angel. Made me feel so wonderful!

What inspires you?
I would truly say unconditional love. I can't express how I feel when I hear the prophet speak (or my favorite, President Hinckley). I miss how Gary's Dad used to tease me until he made me scream and then laugh and hug me so hard. I love it when I see my kids do things for other people without expecting material gain of any sort. Jared serving our Heavenly Father for 2 years of his life is truly unconditional love. Justin giving anything he can to anyone who needs it, be it money or effort or friendship. Jenna seeing that her little neighbor friends who aren't as blessed as her and sharing her clothes that she 'no longer likes or that really doesn't fit her that well'. My sweet mother in law whose only wish is to go home to be with her family again, she inspires me tremendously. I love it when I see my friends at work do things for others just because it will make them happy. That's why we are here I truly believe and that is what inspires me the most.

The rules: Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.

Tag eight other people! Ashlee, Jill, Stephanie L, Lisa G, Kami E, Deb Brown, Becky and Tyma!

HAVE FUN!!!!!

Annual Girls Camp "Do"

2009-07-14T08:08:00.007-06:00

So, it's that time again! Girls camp for Jenna!!!!! She so looks forward to this experience and so do I as she grows so much each year. This is her 4th year and her last year to certify, and then next year, she will be able to be a Junior Leader. She leaves today and is very excited. However, there is one part of girls camp that we both dread with a passion. I thought that we were safe when she said that she just wanted me to French braid her hair... Yes! I thought.... Well, sadly I was mistaken. All of the other girls have now followed her lead and have decided to braid their hair. Doesn't sound so bad, right? Well, after 3 hours we were done!!!! First photo after one hour.First hour progress... 21 braids down. Notice the Teddy Grahams... as she needed a snack to sit there that long!

Hour 2 progress. 37 braids, and now we have moved on the Gator Aide to add to the Teddy Grahams!

And finally, the finished product. 63 braids in all! We are done after 3 hours of braiding! It's so easy for her to have her hair like this for camp . Too bad she has started a tradition that all of the other girls have followed, but I have to admit that she does look cute in them! Have a safe girls camp Jenna. I will miss my girl a ton! I love you soooo much!

Our newest addition to our family!

2009-06-18T15:11:00.014-06:00

We have a brand new addition to our family. She is beautiful and wonderful and we are so glad that she is with us now. Our son, Josh, got married to his sweetheart, Jessica, on June 13th, 2009. Here are some photos of the happy day!

Mr and Mrs Joshua Michael Walch

Jessica and Josh sharing a sweet kiss.

Candle Lighting Ceremony

Exchanging Rings

After the ceremony... All smiles!

Our big happy family ... minus Jared our missionary!

Mom, Josh and Dad

Josh and his Best Man, Best Friend, Best Brother Justin

Jenna Finally Has a Sister!!!

Our Beautiful Bride and New Daughter In Law Jessica! Welcome to our family Sweetheart!!! We are so happy that you are officially a 'Walch" now!

Jared's Amazing Letter!

2009-05-26T10:10:00.005-06:00

We got an incredible letter from Jared. It's amazing how the Lord is guiding him to his ami's (which is what they call their investigators ). He's having much success and is just loving serving the Lord. Read on:

Dear Family,
Ok, this week has been incredible! We had a ton of success!! Last Monday (the 11th) we only had 1 lesson, and that was at Family Home Evening. It wasn't the best day for numbers.

Tuesday, we wanted to work in this other newer area, and we did, but we didn't have a very good day. It started out so slow and it didn't get better during the day.

Wednesday, we had some success! We did some porting and got let in. We taught this girl about the B.O.M and added her as a new ami. She seemed like she was pretty interested. Then that night, we had an activity with the Young Women and Young Men, and we did a missionary activity to help them know how to talk to their friends and answer their questions. It was fun.

Thursday, we saw some huge miracles! We had district meeting up in Neuchatel, and that was fun as always. Then we had a lesson scheduled for that night with a Muslim theology student that lives with a pastor. We tried to call him and confirm our meeting, but they wouldn't answer. So we decided to head back out to Bulle, and we met with another one of our ami's. We watched the restoration dvd with them and they liked it. The wife says that she is interested and so we have an appointment to come back this week. Then we were heading towards the bus stop, and Elder Spence says, "Why dont we just port this one building?" So we did, and we got let in! He was an older guy. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said that he was going to read it. So we are going back tomorrow. After we did that, went to the bus stop, and got on the bus back to Fribourg. We sat in the back, and this guy in front of us says, " Hey, are you the Mormons?" So we told him yes, and we taught him a first lesson and gave him a restoration brochure. He gave us his information and he wanted to meet with us again.

On Friday, we went back to Bulle, and kept working. We ported this building and found 4 new investigators!!! Then we had a lesson with this family, the Djukic family. They are progressing really well. They are Orthodox but the Dad is like struggling against himself. He wants to find the truth, but then he is like, Well, I am Orthodox? But they are an awesome family!

On Saturday, we went back to Bulle to teach an old ami. She had 2 friends that were there and they were interested in learning more. Then as we left there, we walked by this park, and this lady from a bench which was probably 40 yards away yells, "Hey... Are you the mormons?" So we went and taught her too. Then we had a lesson in Romont, and we get there, and we get out of the train station and walk down the street, and this car stops in front of us. This lady gets out and starts talking to us. She told us she was a member from Portugal but she hadnt been able to find the church here. So we gave her the address and she said she would come.

It was so cool to see the Lord help us find people and how everything was just timed so exactly perfect! The work here is going really well. I hope that helps describe some of the things that are happening here. I know this church is true and the gospel is just amazing. It's cool to see the Lord work through us! Ok, I have to run. I love and miss you all!
Love,
Jared ( Elder Walch )

So, we loved getting this letter. It was incredible to hear how he is affecting others lives. To have people come up to them is just amazing! I love hearing him so happy and well. He's doing a fantastic job. Until next post....
Take Care
Colleen

Mother's Day Phone Call

2009-05-11T11:02:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone! What a terrific day I had yesterday at 11:00 am Mountain Standard Time. I got to talk to Jared for a whole hour! It was an amazing phone call. He sounded so good. We were so excited to hear from him He's doing so well and he is loving it in Switzerland. He said that everything there is so beautiful but so different. We talked and lauged and had just a wonderful day. He has been out in the field for 104 days today. We sent him a 100 day box and we were so excited for him to get it. He said that he got it and is having fun seeing what surprises his sister has included for him. It was an amazing gift to be able to speak with him. I loved it! He stated that he has sent home a package for us with Switzerland tshirts for the entire family along with his photo card and some other things. I'm hoping for chocolate myself!!! I can't wait to taste some Swiss chocolate. Jared said that they have fast food places there but it's different than here. It's like Mom and Pop stands. His favorite is a Kabob. Basically, Jared said, it is a giant meat ball on a stick! He said that he always tells them no vegetables ( yep! that's my son! ) so he just eats the plain meat. He will be with this companion for another 6 weeks or so and then will get a new one. He will stay in Fribourg for approximately 12 more weeks. He told us that he has been sight seeing a ton and will have fun things to take us to when we pick him up. He also told us that he has been cooking... For example, last night they were going to make crepe tacos... with a pork roast that they had made a couple of nights ago? What??? Jared cooking? Spaghetti was a huge stretch for him and now pork roasts and crepes?Yes indeed, folks! He said that he is learning a lot of things and will be able to make us an 'incredible dinner' when we get there. I am so proud of him. He is learning so many things and will return a man instead of a little boy. I love and miss him so much. I will post new photos of him as soon as I get the card. Until next time faithful readers...

Take Care

Colleen

Tastes Like Pepperoni???

2009-04-14T13:15:00.005-06:00

So we just got this email from Jared today. I was so worried about him yesterday since I knew that he had Mondays for his P day. I felt good though, and after we prayed, I knew he was okay. And then this nice surprise this morning. You have to know Jared. He is a very picky eater and he will never try new things. So this experience is so new for him. Keep reading and you will get the title of this post.... Tastes like pepperoni?

Dear Family,

So things here in Switzerland are way different. I am definately gaining a testimony of America. I was just thinking about how lucky we are that we have a car, and that we live in a house. Most everybody here lives in apartments. No banks will give loans to people, and lots of people are out of work here. Still, I hear that it is better than France.

Ok, lets see what has happened.....
We had our first zone conference in Yverdon (E-ver-done) and that was pretty fun. Oh, I think you and Dad will be happy to know that I have been trying lots of new food. I actually had cow tongue yesterday. I took pictures to prove it too. It actually tastes like pepperoni, only a little bit more tender. Swiss cheese like they have at home doesn't exist here. The basic staple cheese here is called Gruyere (Gwee-Air) It is some type of cow cheese. Not bad. A little bit strong at first, but it gets better after a while.

Oh, normally Mondays are my preparation days, but there will be sometimes when the email place wont be open. Like this week. They actually do Easter pretty big here. People get the Friday before and the Monday after off of work. So everything was closed.

Elder Spence and I went to this monstrous cathedral down the street from our appartment. It was pretty cool. I took a ton of pictures. I think that I have something like over 200 pictures on my camera right now. I will send it home pretty soon.

If you want to give other people my email, you can. But I only get an hour a week, so if I get a ton of emails, it will take a little while to write back to all of them.

Ok, I will keep you posted. Tell everybody hi for me.
Love,

Jared

So he sounds wonderful and he is growing by leaps and bounds. I can't wait to see the photos that he sends back. I will definitely share when I get them.

Until next post my friends....

Take Care!

Colleen

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T08:47:00.001-06:00

I saw this picture on a friends blog and I loved it. How very appropriate. Hope that we can all remember the real reason that we celebrate.

Our First Letter From Jared From Switzerland!

2009-04-06T11:47:00.005-06:00

Dear Family,
I am here in Switzerland. Finally! This is one of the greenest places that I've ever seen in my life! I can't believe how beautiful this land is. It's amazing. I'm sincerely in awe of the beauty all around me. So far, I've only met the people in the mission home and my companion and other missionaries. I'm excited to get out and start spreading the good news!

My first ville is Fribourg. It is a pretty cool place of about 40,000 people. So basically the size of Tooele or maybe a little bit bigger. I will probably end up staying here until August. That will be my third transfer. President and Sister Peterson said that a strange thing happens here every 2 years. Almost 1/2 of their senior missionaries go home so that means that 7 of the 12 of us that came over at the same time will be the Senior Companion after just 2 or 3 transfers. That is crazy, huh? We'll see if it affects me! I like it here. Everything is really different though. As for our apartment, the bathroom in the apartment is small. Really small! So is the kitchen. But the main room and the bedroom are pretty big, so that is nice. I got to meet some of the members over conference. They are pretty nice. I like it here. I miss some things from home, but this is not bad either.

We went on this hike for preparation day up this canyon. I have a ton of pictures that I took. I think I've taken over 100 since I arrived. The food is definitely different. There are some good things and some bad things to eat here as well. But I am slowly learning how NOT to be a picky eater.

Elder Spence is a pretty cool guy. He is my trainer and companion. He only has 2 transfers left, so he will probably stay in Fribourg with me. I think it will be nice, because I could use the help with the language. I am actually understanding quite a bit more than I thought I would. But it is still pretty hard.

So how did you like conference? We went to Neuchatel to watch it. It was pretty cool. I learned a lot. Elder Holland is pretty much amazing. I could feel the spirit so strong. Also, we decided that Teancum from the Book of Mormon is basically the Nephite James Bond. It was cool.

We went window shopping today also. Elder Spence wanted to buy a French suit, but we just looked. We didn't actually buy anything. But everything here is good. I actually didn't have very bad jet lag. I slept great. Things here are a lot of fun. So many new experiences for me every day!

How is everyone in the ward? Pretty good? Things here are just really different. It is a little bit of a culture shock to be here, but it is still fun and I am learning a lot.

We are 8 hours ahead of you here for the time difference. I think it's strange that I am eating dinner and you are just starting the day!

I love you and miss you all,
Love,
Elder Jared Marc Walch

P.S. I thought that I would end my letter with my testimony ….in French!

Je voudrais porter mon témoignage. Je sais que c'est la véritable Eglise de Jésus-Christ. Je suis très reconnaissant d'être au service d'une mission de ses enfants en Suisse. Je sais que le Président Thomas S. Monson est un vrai prophète de Dieu. Je sais que Joseph Smith est un vrai prophète de Dieu et qu'il a vu Dieu le Père et Son fils Jésus-Christ. Je veux que mon Père céleste pour savoir combien je l'aime et je veux que ma famille de savoir à quel point je les aime. Je suis reconnaissant pour leur sacrifice pour moi d'être ici. Je m'ennuie de tout le monde et je pense à vous souvent. Au nom de Jésus Christ. Amen.

Elder Jared Marc Walch
10 Rud Des Bouchers
1700 Fribourg
Suisse

Jaredwalch@myldsmail.net

Destination: Fribourg Switzerland

2009-04-03T08:46:00.016-06:00

Jared arrived safely.. but very tired, in Geneva. This is his first official photo with his new companion and trainer, Elder Spence. His Mission President and Mission Mom are President and Sister Peterson. I was worried about him so I emailed the Mission Mom. Here is her response.

Dear Sister Walch,

Yes, your son arrived safely on Tuesday. We kept them awake until bedtime so they could adjust to the new time, so they were very sleepy by the end of the day. You should be receiving a picture in the next day or so.

Love, Sister Peterson

So today, I received his first photo with this email:

Dear Brother and Sister Walch,

Yes, Elder Walch has indeed arrived safely. His companion and trainer is Elder Spence and they are serving in beautiful Fribourg, Switzerland. On day 2 this photo was taken of the two of them with President and Sister Peterson. He has written a letter to you which should arrive shortly.
Switzerland Geneva Mission Office

You can bet that I have a perma grin on my face because I know that he is safe and well. He looks very excited to get started. I googled Fribourg and wait until you see the beautiful place he will be serving on his mission. It's so beautiful, I can't believe it.

This looks like a little village out of a story book. It is amazingly beautiful !

This is a view of the Alps in the springtime, of course! How beautiful , huh? Another view of Fribourg. I can't believe how quaint and how amazing this is. And my Jared is here !!!
How great would it be to have your first district out in a place like this? He has been waiting so very long to serve the Lord and I think this is a huge blessing that he will get to see up close and personal the majesty of some of His creations!

I can't believe how much he has been blessed. And this is a dream come true for him. I know that our family has been blessed by his service. I look forward to posting his first letter from Switzerland and photos from him. Until next post...

Love to you all !

Colleen

Dedication, Expo, Flight Plans and 8 more ( or less!) Plus 30!

2009-03-23T15:24:00.016-06:00

Hello Everyone

It's been awhile since I made my last post so I guess that I should get everyone caught up on what is happening in our lives. First...

The Draper Temple Dedication

Gary, Jenna and I were priviledged to attend the dedication of the Draper Temple. It is a very beautiful temple and it was so cool to be able to participate in that. When the Nauvoo temple was re-dedicated, Jenna had just been baptized and it was her first one. She loved it! Last night brought memories back to her of that event in her life. She even wrote down her feelings on a page and I scrapbooked for her. I should have done that last night as well, but maybe it's still not too late to have that memory preserved. I'll have her do it tonight!

Scrapbook USA Expo !

Okay! To be perfectly honest, this is a photo from last year. But you couldn't tell except that the wristband was another color. I wore my favorite comfy clothes and we had a ball. My friend, Mel, that I work with, came with her Mom and the 3 of us had a blast. I wasn't feeling very well, so I didn't bring a lot to scrap. I just enjoyed shopping and laughing with them and then, of course, our traditional lunch at Crown Burger... Yummm. We had such a great time and I have now restocked my scrapbook room with the essentials that I will need for yet another 6 months of RS Scrapbook class and my own personal scrappin. I also got a killer deal on my Christmas gifts! Yes, Christmas!

Flight Plans

So, we finally have Jared's flight plans. Yes... Ladies and Gentlemen... He is leaving to go to Switzerland on Monday, March 30th. He will fly to Chicago and then have a 7 hour layover there. He stated that he will fly through the night to England and then take a .... and I quote... " A puddle jumper over to Geneva! I know that he is so excited to have this finally become a reality. He said that the MTC has felt like one long EFY trip that never ends! He's excited and I get to talk to him. How awesome will that be... My birthday is a couple of days after he leaves so I am grateful for a chance to get to talk to my baby boy. What a wonderful birthday gift that I will remember forever, I'm sure.

8 more... ( or less ! )

Okay... so 8 more... or actually 8 less. Inches we are talking here. Off of Jenna's hair. She cut her hair 8 more inches. I couldn't get my phone to work to take a picture in the Salon but I will post one soon. She didn't have to go to school today for teacher work day so I let her sleep in and she didn't want to get up and do her hair I am sure for my blog photo. It's very cute. It's below her shoulders and she has side bangs. She looks darling with her top braces off... Oh ! I don't think that I've mentioned that either. What a slacker I am! Jenna got her top braces off and she is lovin life! Her smile is very beautiful... I'm envious of that for sure. She is just beautiful... not that I have any prejudice. And Man ! Is she a Twilight Junkie. She has watched that dang movie about 15 times since she got it on Saturday. She loves Edward and I even brought her back..Essence of Twilight from the Expo. She has loved that too. I'll post a photo of her sporting her new new and her new smile wearing her Edward Shirt. She'll be in 7th heaven !

Plus 30 years!

So, for your 30th anniversary, Pearls are the big thing. We just celebrated our 30th a few days ago, and we decided to break tradition. I have been aching for a new dining room table and chairs and I am now the proud owner of a beautiful set. I will post some pics as I've told a couple of people and they want to see. Also, count me as the spoiled gal that I am, but I have also wanted a pub table and chairs for our family room downstairs. Yes.... I was lucky enough to have that too. Now, before you start feeling sorry for Gary.... I asked him what he wanted. Nothing was the normal and expected answer.. right? Well, it just so happened that our old television set decided to depart company from us. I really am not a tv watcher except for a few things, but Gary loves it. So... we went TV shopping and Gary picked out a 52" television. It looks so nice downstairs. He told Jared that I got this for him and Jared freaked! He even 'swore' in French! "Que Le Fetch???" What the fetch! I just laughed. Anyway, I have my precious pearls in my jewelry box, and my beautiful dining room ( and Pub table set ), but my real jewel is my hubby... I love him so much ! He's one of the most amazing guys that I have ever met and I am lucky to be married to my best friend.

Until next post my friends

All my love

Colleen

Sad Day

2009-03-05T13:28:00.006-07:00

So today was a sad day for our little family. Our little Petie dog (who was rescued by Gary out at the Great Salt Lake) left our family today to go to that big dog park in the sky. I've cried all afternoon and I've been thinking about him all the time. Makes me really sad to think about. He had a good run, though. He was 15 years old and that's 105 for you and I. We had him for a long time and it was his time to leave. We will miss him for being the great companion that he always was. You were such a Good Boy, Petie! We know we'll see you again someday.

Missionary Antics Along With Photos !

2009-02-24T09:26:00.010-07:00

I thought that I would share some of the first photos that Jared has sent to us..... Enjoy!

Jared ~ MTC on P day ( went to the Provo temple)

Jared's First Companion... Elder Spicer... Notice
the same hair? I asked him if that's why they

were companions !

Missionaries in his District.. Nice Looking Bunch!

Same Missionaries ... great up shot !!!

Jared in Class !

My Poor Baby ... Exhausted at the end of the day

And now for the coolest photo of all..... Elder Man !!!!

Hopefully you've enjoyed these photos. It was so fun to see him ( okay and well ! What can I say? I'm the Mom !!! ) He is enjoying this experience and has loved studying ... we've been getting part of our letters in French now... ( And then he has to translate! ) I know that you have all asked about him and I just wanted to share a quick post .... He sent me photos of San Francisco when he went to get his Visa approved along with other Missionaries. I'll post those next. Thanks again for all of your thoughts. He'd love to hear from you... So please write ! Braden and Chris!! You both rock... He loved your letters and is working on writing you back ! Until Next Post...
Colleen

Another Jared Email !

2009-02-18T09:08:00.002-07:00

Dear Family,

Mom, in regards to your e-mail question, You can e-mail me back, but I would prefer that you don't because I only get 30 minutes, so I don't want to have to spend all that extra time reading emails and then having only a few minutes to write one. Just have people send me a letter or the whole dearelder thing. I think that would be much easier.

We got to go to San Francisco on Tuesday. It was cool because there was nobody else there and so we got that done and over with relatively fast. Chinatown was right down the street. So we went to Subway down the street, but other people wanted to eat at Chinatown. So we went there. Sorry mom, I didn't get pictures of Chinatown. There were too many people around and I didn't want to seem touristy. But the place we went to said that they had the best ice cream in S.F. So I got a picture of that! And then right across the street, was the first Catholic Cathedral built in S.F. so I took one of that too. Then we still had almost another hour and a half, so our driver took us to this stone lighthouse called Coit Tower. From there we had an awesome view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz.

I sent you a letter earlier today, so you should be expecting one within the next couple of days. I didn't have to give a talk last Sunday, I just had to prepare one in case they called on me. They had everyone do it and they didn't say who had to give their talk until it was time. But I do have to give a lesson in district meeting on Sunday about the power of the spirit in conversion. So I am just studying up for that.

So pretty much everyone in our zone is leaving on Monday, which means that there will only be 3 districts now, and all of us came in at the same time, so we'll be the oldest. I'm still a greenie though. Ok, that is what has been happening to me here. If you talk to Christina and Chris by any chance, tell them to write me or something because I have only heard from Christina once and none from Chris.

Love,
Elder Walch ( I still think that's so cool ! )

Such a bad week... and then this !

2009-02-16T08:37:00.007-07:00

This week was so bad for me. Lots of problems at work and I was missing Jared terrible, and I came home to find this ! Our sweet little 8 year old activity girls and their leaders came over and gave me a 'heart attack', complete with frosted heart sugar cookies decorated with candy hearts. Jenna called me at work and said that I had a surprise on our door when I came home. I couldn't have imagined anything like this. It was so darling and I loved the fact that they thought of me.

OUR 1ST EMAIL FROM JARED !

2009-02-06T13:51:00.002-07:00

Hurray ! Today is the day that I have been waiting for since he got in the MTC! He's written me another letter, but I got my first official email from Jared this morning. It's pretty amazing. I see how much he's grown in only 10 days. The MTC is doing marvelous things for him. Read on....

Dear Family,
This is my first official e-mail from the MTC!! Yay!! Well, what can I say? Things here at the MTC are always pretty routine. We are either in class or we are eating in the cafeteria. It seems like we eat alot here! I think I've actually gained some weight. Oh well. I'll work it off during gym anyway. So in class, we are still learning French, (we've already passed what I've learned in my high school years.) It's crazy, the class is going so fast!! I am picking up on most of it but not all. Yesterday, our teacher Frére Lyman was teaching us about the house of etre. Basically it's just this way of learning how to use words in the past tense with the verb etre. So we had to draw this big house looking thingy, and Elder Mason (The district clown basically) said "Hey let's make it into "the Dojo of etre" So we did. We had these ninja ropes and a zen garden and a dojo master. And we had to use these verbs that describe a physical change in action like To descend, To be born, or To Return. It was pretty cool, I'll have to admit.
Elder Spicer and I got to go to the TRC (teaching resource center) and we had to make 3 contacts in French, and then we had to teach the first lesson in English. I think we did pretty well, but we will definately do better next week.We also got to go to the RC (refferal center) where we got to make a bunch of phone calls to people. It was cool. I want to go back, but I have to wait until Monday. The MTC is freaking crazy. We always have meetings and class and meals and we are always somewhere all the time. The days are so scheduled out for you here. It's crazy. We've been going over how to contact people and we've been trying (With not much success) to learn how to do the passe composé. It's all really confusing. My first official week and a half here at the MTC was pretty fun.
Oh have to tell you about our district. We have two sisters in it, one from Ireland, and the other one from Germany. They've been teaching us a little bit of their language too. It's cool cause they have all these different sayings for things, like for schetchy, or mysterious, they say "dodgy" so that has pretty much become our whole district saying now! Elder Zarate (Say KA-RA-TE like an Asian person would say it.) is crazy good at French. He can speak for like minutes at a time!!Elder Mason is always happy or smiling, and he's way funny too.
What else???? I've been getting every one of your letters Mom. I don't really have a whole lot of time during the day to write anything back, so sorry if I haven't sent very many yet. I just sent one today, and another one just a couple of days ago. Life here at the MTC goes on.I miss you all. I love you. Thanks for all the support.
Love,
Elder Walch

Ta-daa! Do I have an awesome son or what??? We were so excited to get this first email. How crazy that some words on a page can make your heart hurt and burst with pride at the same time? He's having the time of his life. I, on the other hand, have been writing every day and have been trying to cope with him being gone. Tears still come quite easily, and not just for me. Gary has been welling up himself when I get emotional or when he reads one of his letters. What can I say? We just miss our baby boy! Anyway, thru the tears and all, today has been such a good day as we got this terrific email from him. He'd love to hear from any of you that would like to write to him. So please do...

My friend Lindsay at work asked me if she should buy stock in Kleenex...I told her absolutely...! We've been using alot at our house !
Until next post... Love to all
Colleen

MOM.... How Old Is Too Old?

2009-02-04T10:08:00.008-07:00

I need to start out by giving you some history. When Jenna was born, Jared's nose was a little bit bent out of shape. He was 4 years old at the time and didn't want that new baby sister taking his place. He was very clingy to me and one day... He said.. "Mommy? How old is too old to sit on your lap? Is 5 too old?" So, of course, I scooped him up and put him on my lap and gave him the biggest hug he's ever had. I told him he would never be too old to do that. He asked the same question at 8, and then at 10, with the same reaction from me, but I haven't heard anything like that since. Well, a few weeks before he was going to leave on his mission, I was sitting in the living room trying to unwind with some peace and quiet. He came in and asked me what was wrong. I told him nothing, and he got this huge smile on his face. He said... "Mom... how old is too old to sit on your lap? Is 19 too old?" Well, you know that the tears streamed down my face as this HUGE young man sat down on my lap and let his mommy hug him and remember him being so little. Jenna, being such the smart gal that she is, grabbed my camera and took these pictures so that we will have this for all posterity. I'm not sure that my Jared would want everyone to see these photos, but this tells what kind of young man I've been privileged to raise and call my son. I love you so much Jared.

OUR 1ST LETTER !!!

2009-02-03T07:43:00.003-07:00

We received our first letter from Jared. I think I've read it 50 times ! It was good to hear from him:

Dear Family
Today was really long. I still can't believe or get used to the fact that I am actually on my mission! The MTC is really cool. The spirit here is so strong. My first companion, well... other than Dad, is Elder Spicer. He is from Pocatello, Idaho and he is a year older than me. He's going to Belgium, so he won't exactly be in my same mission, but in my same area.

My other roommates are pretty cool too. Elder Christiansen is from Centerville, Ut and Elder Jolley is from Fresno, Ca. I told him that's where you grew up Mom ! The meetings here are pretty long. Tomorrow ( Thursday, Jan 29th) we will be in class for 14 hours ! Our P-day is normally on Fridays, but this week, it will be on Saturday.

We have to prepare a 3 to 5 minute talk for next Sunday ( Feb 8th ) and we have to prepare it in French ! I hope I can do that. I just wanted to let you know that I am okay. Things here are so great ! I 'll write again soon. I love you all and I miss you all!

Love
Jared
( Elder Walch ) Isn't that cool???

So there you have it. His first official correspondence as a full time missionary. I've discovered a website that you can write to him in the MTC for free. They will print out and deliver your letter while he is in the mission home. It is dearelder.com. I know lots of people knew about this but this is my very first time of writing a missionary ! You will need to know a couple of things. His name, of course, and then his MTC mailbox is #104 and his mission code is SWI-GEN and he will be leaving the MTC on March 30th. Other than that, you can just log on and create a free acct and write him for no cost at all to you. It's really pretty handy. Sister Jones in our ward said that her son told her that the saddest thing for a missionary is an empty mailbox. So write to him. He'd love it !

Elder Jared Walch

MTC Mailbox #104

SWI-GEN 0330

2005 N 900 East

Provo, UT 84604-1793

MTC ! The Big Day ! January 28th

2009-02-02T12:51:00.010-07:00

Jared Getting Ready with All of His Suitcases !

Jared and Jenna right before we left for the MTC!

Here is Jared pulling his 'train' of luggage as they called it to his spot. There were 311 other missionaries that day, so imagine 3 suitcases each x 311 missionaries! That's a whole lot of luggage ! And of course, most of them black ! Gary put tape around the handles so that he would recognize which ones were his.

So when you go to the MTC, the missionaries go thru one door and the families and friends go thru another door. This is him right before he entered inside the building. Can't tell that he is happy or anything, huh?

When they first walked into the MTC, this cute little sister gave them their 'lifeline' as she put it along with their tag. The card was to use for laundry and other expenses at the MTC. It even works on the candy machine ! I think I need one of those !

When he got his tag, he came straight to me and asked me to put it on him. I totally lost it at that point. I started shaking and my whole body kind of went into convulsions. I couldn't calm myself down. He just hugged me and said, "Mom, it will be fine. I love you. Put on my tag." I did just as he asked... well, except for the calming down part ! ( The little orange dot is on there so that they can identify themselves as newbies and if lost, and I quote.... "The other missionaries can tell them where to go ! ")

So this was our last photo taken before we had to shut off our camera. Inside is dedicated like a chapel and there are not any photos allowed. A kind sister who was waiting for her grandson took this shot. Notice the red eyes and swollen faces of Mom and Dad, but the missionary is fine !

So, I guess, now comes the 'endure to the end' part of this journey. I will keep this site updated more often. Sorry, but it's taken me this long to be able to actually look at these photos without crying my eyes out. Thanks so much for all of the support that you've been to me. I so appreciate all of the kind words and hugs and prayers on our behalf. I've been counting down by fast Sundays, and since we just had one yesterday... I only have 23 more to go ! YIPEE !!!! Now... where are those darned Kleenex !

Packing, Packing and More Packing

2009-01-26T13:50:00.002-07:00

So we are down to the wire ladies and gentlemen... He leaves in exactly 47 hours... at least that's what he told me ! He has the time figured out in hours that he will be gone. I almost had a heart attach because it was something like 17,000 something hours. YIKES ! I like 24 Fast Sundays better... And this Sunday, Feb 1, I get to mark off my first one !! We are trying to get everything for him for 2 years into 2 suitcases and one carry on besides his missionary bag... Oh, what did he call it? Oh yes... His man purse ! Made me laugh. We are going to be finishing this up tonight and we will get his taxes done. Tomorrow night he gets set apart, with Gary as his first companion. He said that he couldn't have a better companion than his Dad. Made Gary pretty weepy ! Anyway, we are on the last leg of this journey. He's been waiting sooo long and we are happy ( we are??? ") .... ) that he is leaving and getting to start his next adventure. Offer me a tissue if you see me... I'm sure I'll need it !

10 days and counting... Plus 10!

2009-01-08T11:35:00.003-07:00

Well, it's 10 days and counting until Jared's farewell, Sunday the 18th. He will be speaking at 2:50 pm in the Grantsville 8th ward. I have an announcement that I will post but I don't have the ability to do so at work without my disk. I will get that done. And then 10 days after that, he enters the MTC. I can't believe that it has come so soon, but to Jared, it seems like it's been forever. He was a little sad thinking that he could have had almost 4 months done on his mission by now. But he's very excited none the less. We would love to have any of you join us if you haven't gotten an announcement, or if you have been missed by my oversight. I've cancelled all of my extra curricular activities until after he leaves. I can only concentrate on one thing at a time. More to follow soon.

Ho Ho Ho... .Happy Helpers !

2008-12-15T11:11:00.003-07:00

So, as most of you know, my FAVORITE time of the year is now. However, I have been in a slump or something because I haven't been happy about any of this. I'd been wishing that it was all ready over! I know that this will be my last Christmas wtih Jared for a couple of years and that has made me really sad. As the old addage goes, Tis better to give than to receive. So we put that into action. Our neighborhood has sponsored 3 families in our community to help out with Christmas, and our family was priviledged to get to fill stockings for 8 children. We had been buying necessities, toys, treats and little surprises for them. Last night, I spent 2 hours wrapping and filling the stockings. Gary sat across from me on the couch ( I was curled up by my favorite place.... the fireplace on the floor !! ) and as he watched me, he said... 'Thank you for doing this. It's such a good thing that you are doing. Your Mom and Dad would be proud of you!".... well, you know that the tears just streamed down my face as I expressed what helping out means to me. I can't stand to think of a child on Christmas morning being disappointed. It breaks my heart. We have this tradition each year since my kids were little and we always try to help out where we can and give back some of the blessings that have been given to us. I wanted to thank my friend Cherri at work who also helped me out ... she makes a great elf !!! I want you to know that this morning, I have the best Christmas spirit around and am so excited for the holidays. I'm excited to get to spend time with the loves of my life ~ my family, my Yaya's, my friends and those that I am priviledged to see each day. Merry Christmas to all of you !

Thanksgiving !

2008-12-01T08:31:00.002-07:00

So, I know that it's been a little while since I've made a post. We've been getting our house ready for the holidays / Jared's farewell. We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with my family as well as Christina and her mom, and Josh's gal pal, Jessica came as well. It was so nice to have everyone together. I wanted to take this opportunity to list some things that I am grateful for. Being married to my best friend... and how hard he works for our family.
Having 4 wonderful kids that I love with all of my heart.
Being a member of the Church with all of the blessings that that entales.
Having friends know when you need a hug. And be willing to just listen.
My Yaya's that are my sisters in my heart.... who needs blood????
Having wonderful jobs that enable us to take care of our family.
Being able to send Jared to Switzerland for 2 years... tears and all ~
Watching home movies and missing those tiny babies to hold in my arms.
Knowing that we are no farther away from our families than just a phone call.
This wonderful time of the year.
Well, those are a few things that I am totally grateful for... the list goes on and on. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and my love goes out to all of you.

January 18th Farewell January 28th MTC

2008-11-04T14:50:00.006-07:00

Hello everyone..... So, after much ado, Jared's farewell has been finally scheduled for January 18th. He will have 10 days after that before he enters the MTC. He is very excited. I am very stressed. I have so much to do still to be ready. He will make a wonderful missionary and he will be greatly missed. We have all of his travel documents submitted along with his passport and visas, etc... I'm excited and dreading it at the same time. I just better buy stock in Kleenex as I will be using a ton and a half I am sure ! More info to come as it gets closer.....

Who Knew????

2008-10-27T07:58:00.002-06:00

So, gals, fellow cricut owners... I found out this new way to make your cutting mats for your cricuts last longer ! My neighbor sells Close To My Heart and she said that the Spritz that they sell to clean their clear stamps will clean the cutting mat. I was skeptical, but tried it on some old ones. She said to spray it on the mat, let it sit for 5 minutes, (( I let mine sit for about 10 because they were really bad )), and then wipe it off with a baby wipe. I wiped it clean. She said to let it dry and it will be as sticky as new. I didn't believe her, but MAN ~ It works !!! I had 2 old ones that I was going to toss... I cleaned them up and they are as sticky as new. I'm wondering if there is something in the spritz that is different than my Stampin Up cleaner. Remember, the Close To My Heart stamps are all clear and acrylic, and when you clean them, it makes them sticky again as well. Anyway, I just thought that I would pass on this little tip because it will save a bunch of $$$$ that you can use to purchase other doo dad scrappy items. There you go gals... tip of the week !

Jordan River Temple is the place !

2008-10-13T10:23:00.002-06:00

So, Jared has an appointment to get his endowments this Saturday, Oct 18th for the 10:20 session. He is so dang excited and we can't wait for that day. We were shopping this weekend for some of his clothing and when he was trying on one of his suits in the mirror, I glanced over and started to cry. Yes... I know that you can't believe that, but it happened. He looked so handsome and so grown up in all of his missionary apparel. It was a nice day that we got to spend together. He got a temporary calling in church, and he's going to be a ward missionary. How appropriate, huh? His companion ( is that what they call them?? ) is a returned missionary who just got home a couple of months ago. I thought that that was cool so that he could get some practice time in. He is also reading the French Book of Mormon ( thank you Lindsay for the suggestion! ) and preparing everyday. We wanted to post this so that if we missed anyone with an invitation, please come and share this special day with us.

When The Saints Meet, The Angels Weep

2008-10-07T11:29:00.002-06:00

So much for getting our pictures taken. It rained all day Saturday, and Sunday, the boys were sleeping as they had to go to work graveyards. So, we shall try again. Gary's mom, my sweet little mother in law, used to always say, "When The Saints Meet, The Angels Weep! " I guess that I should have taken her advice and not planned it for that day. Oh well...
Update on Jared's mission prep
We've been buying his clothes and necessities. He's gotten all of his shots... ( OUCH ! ) and his passport and visa applications are done and in process. He has been to the Stake President's office twice to get his recommend signed but hasn't been able to make that happen yet. Hopefully this Thursday, it will. He's very excited to attend the temple for the first time. We will post his date and time for the session so if you would like to attend, you may. His birthday is on the 17th and I thought that it would be fun to go the next day, but the temple won't assign a spot until his recommend has been signed. So we will keep this updated and let you all know. I can't believe that October is all ready here. Christmas will be here before we know it. And then, January 28th is right around the corner. Someone give me another tissue !

Fall Family Fotos

2008-10-02T12:22:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone!

So, I've had this idea in my brain that I wanted to take our photo up in the canyon this weekend because we won't have another chance for a couple of years. I just heard on the news that it's going to be yucky, but I'm hoping for one bright spot that we can do it. I'm excited to post some pics with my whole clan. I know that they aren't real excited to go, but hopefully they will all show up and we will get this done. I want a new photo to place on the piano that I can look at when Jared is away. Maybe it will make me miss him less..... or maybe even more ! I'll post when I get them done. Wish me luck !!!

12 Things That I'm Excited For !

2008-10-01T09:54:00.003-06:00

So my darling great neice Kylee tagged me... So here goes
1. Going to the temple with Jared for the first time.
2. Jared's Farewell
3. Jared's first letter from the mission field.
4. Christmas Morning
5. Painting my house.
6. Finishing all of my Christmas projects.
7. Zoe and Ali having puppies.
8. Picking Jared up in Switzerland in 2011 !
9. Seeing Jenna go to her first real high school dance.
10. Our little family expanding.
11. Getting 3 new daughters and 1 new son!
12. Grandbabies !

12 People that I'm Tagging:
1. Ashlee
2. Debbie Brown
3. Stephanie Lancaster
4. Jill
5. Ginger
6. Marci
7. Jaime
8. Stephanie
9. Becky
10. Jenna
11. Kirk
12. Jared

Drum Roll Please

2008-09-25T20:08:00.003-06:00

So, ladies and gentlemen, after much ado, we finally have Jared's mission call. When it came in the mail, my heart was beating so hard. We gathered as a family and he ripped it open. Many tears later, the words sunk into my head and my heart..... Geneva Switzerland. He's going to Switzerland to serve a French speaking mission ! I can't believe it. His dream has been realized. His mission is huge !!! It emcompasses Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Luxembourge. He will report to the MTC on January 28th to begin. He has taken 4 years of French and I'm sure that that had a little bit to do with the fact that he was called over there. I told Gary that we have to start saving now, as I WILL be going to pick him up. I'm so proud of him. I don't think that his feet have touched the ground yet. They probably won't for awhile. I was so praying for him to stay in the states, but he has always wanted to go foreign. I guess if he has to go overseas, this isn't a bad place to be at all.

Terrific Thursday

2008-09-25T12:45:00.002-06:00

So, everyone, I just got a call from Jared and the papers are in the mailbox. He told me that he would wait for all of us to be there ... ( okay, real story... he knows that I have threatened him within an inch of his life if he opened them without us being there !!! ) ... I can't wait to go home today. I've been sick and was planning on leaving early anyway, now there is a real reason to go home. I will post later when we all find out where he is going. Thank you for the kind words and the prayers on our behalf. I'm a missionary mom now....Wow !

Wednesday Worries

2008-09-24T08:20:00.003-06:00

So, here it is ... Wednesday again... and we all have the same thing on our mind at our house. Will it be today? For Jared's sake, I hope that his papers come today and that we will finally have one hurdle down and over with . We are at a standstill as far as getting him ready as we have done all that we can with the info that we have. We now need to wait until we have his actual call to complete our purchases for him. I'm praying really hard that it comes today. I will update this as soon as I have any info.

8 is GREAT !

2008-09-22T16:15:00.004-06:00

I was tagged by my sweet neice Jaime... so here goes:

8 TV shows that I love to watch....
1. King Of Queens
2. Everyone Loves Raymond
3. Clean House
4. Designed to Sell
5. Forensic Files
6. House Hunters
7. Dancing with the Stars
8. Biggest Loser

8 Places that I love to eat......
1. PF Changs
2. Chili's
3. Cafe Rio
4. Olive Garden
5. La Frontera
6. Tucci's
7. Macaroni Grill
8. Mandarin

8 things that happened yesterday.....
1. Jared was ordained to an Elder.
2. We talked with Christina's mom.
3. We went to church.
4. We had Christina and Justin over for dinner.
5. I cried.
6. Jenna made cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
7. Our YW presidency was changed.
8. Skipped Sunday school to turn on dinner.

8 things that I look most forward to....
1. Jared getting his mission call.
2. Jared coming home from his mission.
3. Christmas morning
4. Seeing Jenna turn into a beautiful young woman.
5. Josh and Justin getting married.
6. Grandbabies!
7. Fridays
8. Seeing my Yayas

8 things I love about Fall....
1. Crisp morning air
2. Taking a ride to see the leaves changing colors.
3. Thanksgiving dinner.
4. Cute trick or treaters!
5. Pumpkin spice candles
6. Grandma's famous pumpkin chiffon pie!
7. Snuggly Sweaters
8. Fires in the fireplace

8 things on my wishlist....
1. Getting out of debt sooner
2. Lasix
3. A new car when Jared comes home
4. Shelves for my paper in my scrapbook room
5. Grandma getting to go home to see Grandpa again soon
6. Knowing where Jared will spend his 2 years
7. A new living room couch
8. Painting my bedroom and getting new bedding

8 People I am tagging
1. Ashlee
2. Jill
3. Marci
4. Ginger
5. Becky
6. Stephanie
7. Jenna
8. Tricia

Okay Jaime! I did it ! Now it's your turn gals! It IS harder than it looks !!!

Jenna After !

2008-09-20T21:03:00.002-06:00

Ta Daaaaa ! Here is our beauty after her gift of love to someone who is struggling with cancer. I was amazed at how unselfish she was and the gift made me cry and her smile! I told her that I miss her really long hair, and she said, "Mom~ Think of how happy YOU would be if I was in that position and someone else gave it to ME! Wow... she had me. And a child shall lead them, right? Well, she may be young in years, but she is a very good teacher to this poor student, her mom. I am priviledged to be her mom. Hence my opening song... In My Daughter's Eyes. Every word of the song is true, and it speaks to my heart each time I hear it. I am so very proud of my beautiful Jenna, however, on this occasion, I believe that she may be even more beautiful on the inside. I love you sweet girl !

Jenna Before !

2008-09-20T20:31:00.004-06:00

I wanted to post Jenna's huge gift of love on our blog. Her hair was an amazing length... Over 3 feet long ! She graciously decided to cut her hair and send it in to locks of love. She learned of this in school and was so sad the whole day. She couldn't image anyone, especially a little girl, not being able to have beautiful long hair like she does. When we were getting ready to cut 10 inches off ~ the minimum required length ~ she said, "No Mom ! More... So I went to 12 inches, and she said, "More Mom ! I was amazed. When I got to 14 inches, I asked her to not cut anymore. I still wanted her to have long enough hair to put up for her.

Three Weeks and Counting ~

2008-09-17T09:57:00.005-06:00

So, Jared's Mission papers have been in for 3 weeks and we are all so excited that we can't stand it. As each Wednesday approaches, I'm on pins and needles until the mail has been checked. He is so excited to go on his mission and we are so proud of him. He will be such a good missionary. He received his Duty to God award this month and he worked so hard on it. The program was started after he was all ready in Young Men's and he went back and did all of the requirements that he needed to do for not only the Teacher but also the Deacon as well. He is such an awesome young man and he will be an amazing missionary. He has such a strong testimony of the Gospel and can't wait to share the Good News with everyone that he meets. It's harder than I thought it would be to see him prepare to go. I just usually go in my room and cry !!! But this will be such a great experience for him and many people will benefit from his service. I'll keep this updated when we get his call.

Sick of Scrapbooking ?

2008-09-13T20:33:00.000-06:00

Now... How could I be sick of scrapbooking? I love it... It's my passion... I have a room dedicated to it in my basement that I love. But today, believe it or not, I am sick of scrapbooking. I started this scrapbooking class at church and once a month, I teach a layout class. I chose Disneyland as a favor to one of my friends, with Mickey and Minnie and several delicatally small pieces to put on the page. Well, my page was a hit and over 30 people signed up. Holy cow ! I had to cut out so many things... thank goodness for my cricut! It will be a long time before I make a Disneyland page again or any other page that I have to duplicate over 30 times! :)

On a side note, our 2 baby girls, Zoe and Ali went to the 'beauty shop' today and got groomed. They look absolutely darling. Ali was very scared... it's only her second time to the groomers and she is just worn out ! She's been the sweetest little lap dog ever tonight! Zoe is still running around licking everything in sight !!!

We finally did it !!!

2008-09-12T09:45:00.002-06:00

Welcome to our blog. This is our first post. Thanks so much to Ashlee who helped me set this up. I could have never done it without her. You Rock Ashlee !