Melcher Madness

slide show 2010

2010-06-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

slide show 2010
Click this link to view some photos of Anna and her Second Grade class. Her teacher made it and I think it is so cute!

Ben's Birthday

2010-02-24T11:34:00.001-08:00

Ben turned 35 on the 21st of February.

He got to be "Queen" for a day!

I can't believe he possed for this picture!

What a good sport,

let's just hope he is as good natured about this showing up on our blog

and quite possible Facebook as well!

I think these pictures should become his new profile pic.

What do you think?
I love you honey!
You are the best!
Of course no birthday is complete without cake!

We tried another Big Top Cupcake.

This time it was carrot cake with No Bake Cheesecake filling.

It was pretty good, but my cake decorating skills need work!

More Baptism Pics

2010-02-24T11:26:00.001-08:00

I wish we had taken more pictures of Anna with all who came to support her!

Some how we missed photos with the Melcher grandparents and Aunt Kim and Emily.

Here are some of the rest of the pictures we did get.

Black Grandma came down from Tacoma, but Wisker Grandpa got stuck working at the hospital.

Anna was baptized with one of her friends, Christian Ortega.

Here is a picture of them with their Primary Teacher, Sister McGlohn.

Anna's Baptism

2010-02-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

Anna was baptized on February 13th 2010.
It was an exciting and special day for her.
All the kids were involved.
Ivy and Nora sang I love to See the Temple and
Nick even tried to stand in the confirmation circle!
I am so proud of Anna for her excellent choice to be baptized.

Ben baptized her,

and when she came up out of the water,

she told me she heard music.

Once she was dressed we went out to watch a video

and wait for the confirmations.

The video was The Restoration.

The music for Joseph Smith's First Prayer was playing.

Anna leaned over to me and said,

"Mom! That was the music I heard when I came out of the water!"

The Spirit was so strong that day,

and I am so proud of Anna.

When I am 90...

2010-02-12T14:50:00.001-08:00

Anna's class celebrated the 90th day of school

by dressing up like they were 90 years old.

They also wrote a paragraph about what they

thought they would be like at 90.

Here is what Anna had to say.

I would be very old when I am 90. When I grow up, I will have white curly hair and it would be short. I would have wrinkles and an old voice. All day I would sleep and read. My children would be all grown up and have children. I would sit and wait until they come to visit me. I would cuddle up in a blanket and wait and wait and wait until they come. The banket would be small and short and show my feet. I would wear glasses. I would say hello when my children come to visit. I would be very very happy when I see them and I come to them and say hi. I think my life will be easy.

Presents and Cake!

2010-02-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

Anna is so animated!

Especially when she is excited.

So between birthday excitement and gift opening anticipation,

I got some really cute pictures!
We bought one of those Big Top cupcake molds for her cake
and filled it with ice cream.
We sang and she blew out all 8 candles in one shot!

Now we prepare for the Baptism party.

February 13 2010

Get ready for more pictures of Anna!

Anna Turns 8!!!

2010-02-12T08:26:00.001-08:00

I don't think that anyone on this planet

loves their birthday more than Anna!

She was up bright and early like it was Christmas morning.

She had dressed herself in an outfit of her choosing,

that she had layed out the night before.

She even found an old tank top to write on!
So if the big crown on her head wasn't enough,
all you had to do was read her shirt.

Then you would know to wish her a "Happy Brithday!"

You know you live in Camas when.....

2010-01-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

We were heading back to Camas from a raod trip

and someone passed gas in the car.

I won't name any names,

but when the person was questioned,

they denied it and Nick says,

"It's the paper mill!"

ITS NOT IN MY CONTRACT!

2010-01-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

I have a very silly boy on my hands!

Here he is trying on a pair of my boots

and loving every minute of the laughs he is getting.

But listen to this!

On December 30th we went to the movies.

While we were waiting for the movie to start,

I asked Nick for a kiss, which he sweetly gave me.

Then in what I thought was a rare request for affection he said,

"Give me a kiss on the lips mommy!"

I lean in to get my slobbery wet one and he pulles away at the last second and says,

"Sorry! Its not in my contract!"

Where do they get this stuff?!

Winter Fun

2010-01-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

As you can see from the Header on my blog,

one of our Winter Break activities was sledding.

My kids got some sleds for my parent's house in the mountains

as a Christmas present.

They couldn't wait to use them,

so we just went out to the back of my parent's property.

There are a couple of drainage ditches that my parents weren't thrilled about

until we discovered what fun sledding hills they could be.

Everyone got in on the act;

Grandma, Grandpa, Uncles Mike and Matt, Melanie, My Family, as well as 4 dogs!

I wish we had video of my mom, AKA Black Grandma, sledding!

She was screaming like she was on a roller coaster ride as she went down the hill/slope.

Every time she went down it was the same.

I figured screaming must make it more fun, so I tried it out.
Yep, it does!

Last but not least, my dad, AKA Whisker Grandpa,
was trying to show the kids how to slide down without sleds.
He took a running start and biffed his face into the snow.
As he continued down the hill, Nick saw him and jumped on his back.
Nick started yelling, "Snot Rocket!" as they flew down the hill.
When my dad stood up, his nose was bleeding from a small scratch,
and Nick had boogers that stretched to his chin.
Snot Rocket was right!
I wonder if we can make that an amusement park ride? :-)

What a great vacation!

Christmas Morning

2010-01-02T13:45:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas was great!

The kids were up early.

I got a new coat!

It is very warm and cozy,
complete with faux fur hood.
Nora, our little elf/imp, as pictured here...

...and here!

Decided that she could not wait to open presents.
At 6:40 am the herd of elephants ran down the stairs shouting,

"It's Christmas!"

10 minutes later the herd came up the stairs to our room with Nora shouting,
"I got a really funny movie from Santa!"
I asked how she knew, and I was informed that she accidentally opened it.
My response was, "You opened presents without US?!"
Without hesitation Nora's reply was,
"Well you should have gotten up!"

We laughed and then took a picture of the kids with their Santa presents.
As you can see, Nora's is already unwrapped!

Thanksgiving 2009

2010-01-01T11:52:00.001-08:00

I meant to post these images a month ago!

Time just got away from me.

We spent our Thanksgiving at my parents home in Suncadia.

It is a resort just west of Cle Elum, Washington.

We went ice skating while we were there.

Ivy was pretty good and enjoyed herself.
Anna was the one who really loved it.
This was her second time skating that day!

Nora tried really hard, but she just couldn't get her balance.

Eventually we just took off her skates, and she walked with me while I skated.

After that she started to have fun.

Here Ivy, Anna, and I are zooming around the rink.

Ben watched while the rest of us skated.

Nick stayed home with grandma and kept warm.

Eventually we all took a break and drank hot cider by the bon fire.

We had a great time!

Party Time!

2009-11-23T08:47:00.001-08:00

Nick's birthday party started bright and early

with pancakes shaped like the number 3

(I am more of an impressionist with my food art).

Then it was on to building the birthday bike with dad.

According to Nick, he had to fix the "broken bike."
Later, mom revealed the cake she made.
Remember I am an impressionist!
Nick would not let these cars from his cake go.
He even slept with them!
Once the candles were lit,
it was time to sing Happy Birthday.

Nick had lots of trouble blowing out his candles.

I think they were put out by spit rather than air!

It was a fun day, and I can't believe my baby boy is 3!

NICK TURNS 3!

2009-11-23T08:33:00.000-08:00

3 years ago on November 21st 2006,

Nicholas Benjamin Melcher was born.

Can you believe that this cutie...

Has turned into this mischief maker!

What a goof!

Happy Halloween

2009-11-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

Ivy is a PEACEful Lady Bug
Anna as a dog

Nora is a Butterfly Fairy

Nick is a Spooky Pirate,

at least that is what he called it.

He is into posing for pictures,

and this is his idea of a face a pirate makes.

It's a party!

2009-11-13T12:08:00.000-08:00

The gang's all here!

Let's go trick-or-treating.

But wait...

Who are these 2 crazy dudes?!

It's Ben and Mike as Chancho and Pedro.
Two Mexican Banditos!

Sauvie Island 2009

2009-11-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

No Halloween would be complete without a trip to The Pumkin Patch.
It is a great place to have fun with family and create lasting memories.

Kids large and small will have a ball!

Finding the Perfect Pumpkins

2009-11-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

The race is on to see who can find the best pumpkins!
It is all fun and games at Sauvey Island!

Adam and Emily joined the fun at The Pumpkin Patch.

We found our pumpkins!

We found one pumpkin that looked like a head, and another with 6 pack abs!

Once carved we had a pretty cool pumpkin man complete with arms and legs.

Too bad no one got any pictures! It was awesome.

Bi-Zi Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

Nora got to go on her first field trip for pre-school.

We went to a pumpkin patch and they climbed the hay pyramid...
got lost in a hay maze...

and visited the petting zoo.

Unfortunately my camera ran out of battery life by the time we got to pick out our pumpkins
but these were the best pics anyway!

ZING! ZANG! ZOOM!

2009-11-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

Ben was able to get 4 tickets to the circus through work.

He was out of town on business, but Mike babysat Nick while I took the 3 girls.
We had a great time.
It was a magical show!
Unfortunately, due to lighting, I had a hard time getting good photos.

This is the best of the bunch, thankfully the elephants were the coolest event anyway.
I have some video too, but it wouldn't post.

60th Surprise!

2009-11-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

Wally turned 60 in September, and we surprised him over Labor Day Weekend.
We ambushed him at the Helena IHOP on a Saturday morning.
Nick made a mess of his Chocolate Chip Pancake.

Anna loves her dad!

Ivy poses

All of the cousins together!
It was a fun weekend full of love and laughter.

First Day of School

2009-11-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

The first day of school make a mom's heart cry/rejoice.

My kids are growing up!
This is the last year Ivy will be getting on the Elementary School bus.
Next year she will be too cool for me to get a picture of her!

Thankfully Anna has a few more years of elementary school left.

Next year I will have a photo of Nora getting on the bus too!

She starts Kindergarten next year, can you believe it?!

Here is Nora on her first day of Preschool.

She absolutely loves it, and she has the best teachers in the world!

Last but not least, I had to get at least one picture of Nick so that he wouldn't feel left out.

I only have one non-school age kid! I never thought I would get here,

and now it has come all too fast!

We have a good time just the two of us on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Nora is at school.

Let's Paint the House

2009-11-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Our home improvement project this year was painting our house. I had the kids take pictures so I could blog about it, but then they decided to have some fun with the camera!

Klineline Park

2009-09-16T09:24:00.001-07:00

The following photos were taken at Emily's(my niece) Birthday party.

We met them at a great park in Salmon Creek, WA.

For $2 you get to swim in a large pond with Lifeguards on duty,

picnic, run through sprinklers, and play on the play equipment!

Nora and Emily played in the sand...
Nick ran through the sprinklers ...

We all had a great time!

Happy Birthday Emily!!!

Vacation to Utah

2009-09-15T19:19:00.001-07:00

We went to Utah for our summer vacation this year.

We left the day the kids got out of school

and spent a week visiting with family and friends

in Utah County and up in the Ogden area.

The highlight of the trip for Nora

(other than seeing her aunt and uncles of course)

was playing with this kitten in Eagle Mountain.

We spent the morning tromping through our old neighborhood

and knocking on random doors just to see who was home.

Anna hooked up with her best bud Cierra and her kitten.

Here's a photo of all 3 girls.

Nora is sad because it is time to go.

She is having an allergy/asthma attack.

Apparently she is very allergic to cats!

Good thing Leo (our cat) ran away before the move to Washington.

One last hug good-bye for best buds.

No it was not windy!

Anna just wanted a mohawk, and it was falling apart.

Ivy managed to find her good friend Victoria at home too!

Here they are on the swings at her house posing for the camera.
The only thing I wish we could've changed about our trip
was the amount of time spent in Eagle Mountain.
I didn't get to spend any time visiting with old friends.
I guess that is what blogging and Facebook is for right?!

"Holy Pajamas Batman!"

2009-09-15T18:55:00.001-07:00

While staying at Tony and Jamie's on our vacation to Utah,

we discovered that both Nick and Isaac have Batman Jammies.

Can you say, "Photo op?!"

They look so cute, ready to save the world!

I can't wait to see these 2 team up in white shirts and ties,
with Books of Mormon and missionary tags to match.
Here come the future Elders Melcher!

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

2009-09-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

The following pictures have been stuck on my phone.

I am technologically illiterate, but a few comments

about how I needed to update my blog

led me to try and add the photos.

This is a photo of Ivy with her 2008 soccer coaches.

Gary and Caitlin coached Ivy on the Sunshine Girls.
They presented Ivy with a ball as an award,
but Anna felt it made a nice hat.

Nora needed to get in on the act as well!

These photos of Anna were taken when we went to an activity

at the Mt Norway Ward in Washougal, WA March of 2009.

Anna entered her very first pie eating contest!

The pies were made of chocolate pudding, and she tried her best.

Anna didn't win, but she sure made a mess!

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER II

2009-09-15T18:11:00.001-07:00

These are more pictures of Ivy on her 10th birthday in May.

I make the girls switch off party years.

This year was Anna's turn so Ivy got to do something special with just one friend.

Here she is goofing off wit her friend Taylor at Red Robin.

We went to eat here after the 3 of us went to see the movie UP.

Great movie by the way even though I had to sit by myself!

The girls informed me that I could sit close enough to see them, but I couldn't sit with them.

Apparently I am embarrassing, who would of thought?!

I am thinking about suing Disney though

because the character of Young Ellie

is just Anna animated (jk)!

Taylor spent the night and they were up super late.

I hope they had a good time

because they sure didn't sleep!

Irish Ivy

2009-06-08T09:51:00.001-07:00

Ivy competed this weekend in the Oregon State Feis.

It was her first Irish Dance competition and she did so well.

She dances for Yeates Academy of Irish Dance in Protland, OR.

She competed in the First Feis U10 division.

She won a gold medal in her reel and a silver medal in the single jig.

She also did a light jig, but she made a small mistake and didn't place.

I was so proud of her though, because she just kept going and never lost the smile on her face!

Ivy also competed in a dance called the Trophy Reel.

Here she is receiveing her first place trophy in the U10 First Feis division.

It was an exciting moment for both of us.

My mom (Black Grandma) was also there and she yelled, "Oh Ivy!" when her name was announced as first place.

Ivy loved every minute of it and truly has a passion for Irish dance.

You can see it on her face when she dances how much she loves it.

Just ask her to dance and she will perform for you right then and there!

Hiking Hood 2009

2009-06-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Ben gathered a group of people to hike Mt. Hood on June 5th and 6th 2009.

They made it to the top and here are some pictures of the trek.

Ivy Turns 10!

2009-06-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

Ivy turned 10 on May 24th 2009.

We went to Cle Elum, WA to have a party in my Mom's new house at Suncadia.

It was a fun time for all and a special birthday for Ivy.

Presents!!!

2009-06-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

It's time for presents!

My mom always has a gift for everyone when it is some one's birthday!

The kids can't wait,
but Ivy as the birthday girl gets to open hers first.

What could be in this big box?

A coffee maker! Just what she wanted!

Oh wait! Its clothes for a 10 year old!

Punching Balloons

2009-06-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

No party is complete without balloons!

These are some of my favorite (Thanks mom)!

Here is a GREAT picture of me blowing up Nick's balloon.
Ben and Uncle Mike are having a contest to see who can keep going the longest.
Nick is loving trying to not get hit by the balloons.

Here I am trying to show Nick how to use his punching balloon.

Yet another flattering picture! Keep in mind that my parents just built this house and I do not have access to a mirror.

Parachute Races

2009-06-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

Party Favors are always fun at a birthday!

My mom found army men with parachutes and all the kids (including some big ones) dropped them off the balcony at my mom's house at Suncadia in Cle Elum, Wa.
Ben and Melanie (Mike's girlfriend) had a race.
Which parachute stayed airborne the longest?

Melanie's did!

But only because she held on to it longer.

Here is the picture to prove it!

Oops!

2009-05-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Looks like Ben waited too long to use the potty...

or maybe we just have a dog that piddles whenever Ben pets him!

Scraps jumped up on Ben's lap, and naturally Ben went to pat him, and he got peed on.

I was laughing so hard I almost wet MY pants!

Good Boy Scraps. :D

Happy 4th Birthday Nora!

2009-05-14T13:26:00.001-07:00

Nora is our princess and so we had a castle built for her.
The Disney Princesses adorned this sweet confection
and made it the perfect cake for our new 4 year old!

Here she is blowing out her 4 candles with Nick trying to help and snitch frosting.
She was a lucky girl and so many were there to share in her special day. Tony and Jamie were visiting from Utah, Kim was there, Black Grandma and Whisker Grandpa, Uncle Mike and his girlfriend Melanie, mom, dad, Ivy, Anna, and Nick. Other family was with us in spirit as we celebrated this special day.

Party Time!

2009-05-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

Let's open some presents!
Grandma brought us party favors and Nick couldn't figure out how to use them.
He stuck the wrong end in his mouth and tried to use it as a straw!
Anna and Nora showed him how it was done though.

Nora loves presents and couldn't wait to tear into them.

She got a cash register, clothes, a jewelry box, jewelry, shoes, money, a swimsuit, Ariel merchandise, and a barbie. She raked it in, and everything was "just what she always wanted."

Take Your Daughter To Work Day

2009-04-24T09:55:00.001-07:00

April 23, 2009 was National Take Your Child To Work Day.

Ben took Anna to his office at Toyota Motor Sales.

She had fun doodling on paper.

Sitting in Her Dad's chair.

And goofing around on the computer.
She even sent me an E-mail!

People at the office kept giving her stuff:

Scion bags, water bottles, sunscreen, cookies, hot cocoa, Rice Crispy Treats, soda etc.

She even went to a dealership in the Dalles with her dad and played chess with the Service Manager!

When it was time for lunch she could pick any restaurant and Toyota would pay.

She picked McDonald's!

She was pooped when the day was over and fell asleep in the car on the way home.

She loved every minute of it, and Ivy will have her turn later once school is out. She didn't want to miss school to go to work with her dad. I thought every kid wanted to skip school?!

Go Figure!

Playing With Food

2009-04-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

My kids love fruit snacks!
I purchased these at the store hoping Nick would like them.

Love them he did!
He ate them for breakfast and I found the empty package on the floor.
When I went to throw them away this is what I found...

Video

2009-04-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

He had eaten all but two and was playing with them on the floor! He had a grand time racing and crashing the cars. This kid takes after his daddy!

Weekend Warriors

2009-04-20T09:01:00.001-07:00

This past week I decided to paint Ivy's room.

She has been waiting forever to have her room painted!

I finally decided to bite the bullet and do it.

She picked the colors and told me how she wanted it painted.

This room is designed by Ivy and Mommy did all the work.

It looks so much better than the dusty rose that was there before!

In addition to painting Ivy's room, she had a dance recital.

Here she is in her beginners Irish Dance costume.

Ivy did a great job at the recital. I love to watch her dance!

This is the view from the back.
I rag tied her hair so that it looked like she was wearing the ringlet wigs.
Someone even asked her if it was a wig! Yay me!

Handyman Nick here saw me using a screwdriver to put the outlet covers back on the wall.
He ran and got his own so he could help.

Isn't he precious?

I am just glad that it was plastic!

Otherwise the experience could have been shocking for him.

Easter

2009-04-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

The Saturday before Easter, the Neumen's and Holly came over to our house for an Easter egg hunt and to celebrate Kim's 30th birthday.

It was a fun time for all, especially the kids.

Enjoy the slide show!

Captain Underpants

2009-04-10T19:42:00.001-07:00

"Hooray for underpants!"

Is what Nick shouts as I take this picture.

He loves the Disney movie, Cars.

I recently purchased him Cars underwear in the hope of encouraging the use of the potty.
As you can see he prefers to wear the undies exposed for all to see!

He shakes his booty as he prances around in his Cachow/Lightning McQueen slippers,

proudly wearing his underwear over his pants!

He has yet to use the potty.

Spring Break at the Beach

2009-04-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

We decided to take a day trip to the beach.

We wanted to see Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach.

When Nick stepped on the beach he loved the Sea Gulls.

He started calling to them, and chasing them when they didn't come.

He is waving them over!

I love the rocks at the beach!

It is so peaceful to watch the waves crash against them.

Nora loved exploring the beach.
We got a little cold and wet though.

We found starfish and sea anemonies in the tidal pools.

Ivy and Anna collected lots of "treasures" aka broken shells and rocks.

Here they are at the base of Haystack Rock hunting for sea creatures in the tide pools.

Building in the Sand

2009-04-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

After we explored at Cannon Beach we went to Seaside.

Anna found a family that was building a giant Sand castle and asked to help.

Here she is building a wall and later she added horse tracks on the inside.
She loved every minute of "helping" and spent at least an hour on it!

Nora, Nick, and Ivy wanted to help too, so we decided to build our own!
Nora called it a "ball-cayno."

Nick tried to eat the sand.

Delicious!

Here is our finished volcano.

We added seaweed for hot lava.

We call it Mount Melcher!

Seaside Swings

2009-04-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

Seaside beach has swings that look out toward the ocean.

The kids love them and it really is an idyllic spot.
Ivy loves to swing.

Anna is flying high.

Nora is learning how to pump.

Nick is leaning forward and dragging his feet.

What a goof!

My Indiana Jones

2009-04-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

Seaweed makes a great whip!
Here is Ben's impression of Indiana Jones.
Isn't he sexy?!

Seaside Carousel

2009-04-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

Nora is hanging on for dear life!
Anna is riding her magical Sea Horse.

Ivy is hopping on the Easter Bunny.

Ben is holding Nick because Nick refused to ride alone. He screamed when Ben tried to put him on the bear, but he didn't want to ride the horse either!

Anna's Dance Recital

2009-03-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Anna takes ballet, tap, and tumbling through the East County Community Education program in Camas and Washougal. She has a great time and tries her best. In the Ballet she does some adjusting of her tights, and has a near run in with another dancer in the tap portion. Anna has a style that is all her own, and we lover her for it!

NORA'S DANCE RECITAL

2009-03-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

These are video clips of Nora at her dance recital on March 25th 2009. She takes a combination, ballet, tap, and tumbling class through the East County Community Education program. Watch her shimmie, hop, and itch her nose like crazy! The itching wasn't part of the dances, but she was having issues, or maybe it was a nervous twitch.

Nick's Suit

2009-03-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

Doesn't he look handsome? So sweet and grown up? What a little gentleman! Or so we thought...

This boy has a little green monster inside of him that explodes with BITING vengeance if pushed to far. He left his mark on a little boy in nursery this past Sunday!

7 Deadly Health Sins

2009-03-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

This is great info for all women! The stuff I found most interesting were sins 6, 4, 3, and 1.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Church Talk 3-15-09

2009-03-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

I gave a talk last Suday at church. I was nervous, but I shared a story about my family, that I would like to share with all of you.

My name is Jessica Melcher and the topic that I have been asked to speak on today is how the Gospel blesses families. I immediately turned to The Family: A Proclamation to the World, issued in September of 1995 by the First Presidency and Quorum of the 12 Apostles. It states, “The family is central to the Creator’s plan… Each of us is a beloved spirit son or daughter of our Heavenly Father.”

To me, that means that God, as our Father, loves us and want us to be happy. The proclamation then states that, “Happiness in the family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The teachings of Jesus Christ are the Gospel, and our families are blessed with happiness when we live the teachings of the Lord. Also Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles gave a talk in 1999 and said, “As we teach our children the Gospel through word and example, our families are spiritually strengthened and fortified. We can strengthen our families as we follow the council given by prophets.” To this statement I would like to add, not only prophets, but also our inspired local leaders such as the Bishop and Stake President.

My family has been blessed with strength and happiness as we have strived to live the Gospel and follow the counsel of our inspired leaders. Just last year the Stake Presidency asked us to read the Book of Mormon and our family took the challenge. At the time we were struggling to adjust to life here in Camas. We moved here from Utah a year and a half ago. It was a stressful time and a difficult emotional adjustment for my kids, as they had to get used to a new school and make new friends. Consequently my kids were struggling in school. Ivy and Anna were placed in tutoring programs to help them catch up to curriculum standards, but as a mother I felt like I had failed them in some way. I began to pray that the Lord would guide me in their education so that I could help ease the stress of the move and help them learn. The answer to my prayer was the challenge to read the Book of Mormon.

When we began our study of the Book of Mormon an immediate peace and comfort filled our home. Ivy and Anna took turns reading one verse at a time with Ben and myself. It was time consuming, but never tedious and the girls made immediate improvement in their school work. By March both girls no longer needed the tutoring programs they were in! It was a miracle in our family. The progress we saw in Ivy and Anna’s ability to read and write after we began our study of the Book of Mormon was amazing. Our family was blessed with happiness and strengthened by following the council of Church leaders.

I want to close my talk by bearing my testimony. I know that God loves us just as a parent loves a child. He is our Father and He answers our prayers. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God’s true Church restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. Thomas S. Monson is God’s prophet on earth today, and the Book of Mormon is true. By following the teachings of Jesus Christ we can find true happiness, our families will be blessed, and we can live together forever with our loving Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

In Memory of Lucy 2004-2009

2009-03-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

Thursday February 26th 2009 Lucy's back gave out and she was paralyzed. We were hoping she would snap out of it but no such luck. By Friday she was in tremendous pain, and we made the choice to put her down on Saturday February 28th. It happened so suddenly and we were totally unprepared. The only way to fix her back was expensive surgery and therapy. Even then there are no guarantees and we felt it was best to end her misery. Below are pictures of the kids with Lucy in the last few days of her life.

Lucy was a great dog. She was loyal, loving, and protective. She was also loud and annoying. We really miss her, both the good and the bad. Lucy was family.

The Life of Lucy

2009-03-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

We bought Lucy as a Christmas present for Ivy and Anna in November of 2004. We fell in love with dachshunds after Andrew and Melinda got their little Howard. Ivy and Anna loved him so much and they wanted a dog of their own. She was born Sept. 4th 2004 in Fillmore, Utah. She was the cutest thing we ever saw. She had 1 brown eye and one blue eye. In this photo, Ben went to Petsmart for puppy supplies and the kids had their picture taken with Lucy and Santa.

Lucy quickly became Ivy's dog. She slept with her and followed her everywhere. Here they are lounging on the couch together. What great memories!

In June 2005 we went to visit family in Seattle and left Lucy at Andrew and Melinda's. She wasn't very old, but apparently she was in heat and Howard got her pregnant. We were so nervous because she should have been at least a year before she had puppies. We took her to the vet and we were all surprised that she was going to have 7 babies! Normally they only have 3 or 4 in a litter. They were born in August happy and healthy. We sold them all.

A year after the puppies left we started missing them, and decided to breed Lucy so we could do it again and keep one. This time Lucy had 8 babies, but only 6 survived. We kept one little boy who looked just like Lucy and named him Srcaps.

Lucy and Scraps have been a big part of our family. They show up in most of our birthday and holiday pictures. Lucy is survived by her son, Scraps. We miss her so much, but we know that she is no longer in pain. Love ya, Luce!

Anna Lost Her First Tooth!

2009-02-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

Anna has been dying to loose teeth ever since Ivy has. She has always wanted a special visit from the Tooth Fairy. She worked and worked at wiggling her loose tooth. The dentist tried to pull it for her, but it just didn't work. She persisted on her own and then...

On Sunday morning Feb. 21st 2009 she said she could feel her tooth sticking out. I told her to have her dad look at it. They went to the bathroom and Anna came back holding her tooth.

I got very excited and told her the Tooth Fairy was coming that night to give her money for her tooth. She got upset and said that she didn't want the TF to come and take her tooth. Anna wanted to keep it! I said that was fine and I got her a Ziploc bag to keep it in.

She couldn't stop playing with her tooth and when trying to take it out of the bag to show her Uncle Brian she dropped it. We have looked all over the place. The TF even tried but to no avail. Her tooth is lost forever. Thankfully the TF had pity on Anna and left her a dollar anyway!

Big Birthday Weekend

2009-02-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

Ben and his brother Brian are 1yr 364 days apart. Last year we flew Brian out for his birthday and decided to do it again this year. Here is a picture of them in their younger years. Ben was born February 21st, 1975 and Brian was born February 22nd, 1973. What handsome boys!

The weekend started Friday night with Toyota Suite tickets to a Trail Blazers game. It was awesome! The Rose Garden is so full of energy and of course we won. We even got free Chalupas from Taco Bell because they scored over 100 points. Ben's co-workers brought a cake to help us celebrate the birthday. Thanks Brian and Jamie!

Saturday we went to see the 3D movie Coraline. It was a good movie and Anna loved it. She is a huge fan of the Nightmare Before Christmas and was dying to see this. We all had a good time.

Sunday we ended the weekend with more cake, singing, and of course, candles. Brian got Cherry Cheesecake and Ben got Rainbow chip cake. Both were delicious and Kim and her kids came over to join in the fun. Enjoy being 34 and 36 guys, 40 is right around the corner!

My Honk!

2009-02-25T08:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Nick woke up from his nap crying, which is not normal. He usually gets up and plays. I went in to get him and asked what was wrong and he said, "My honk!" Nick calls his nose a honk because we used to grab his nose and say, "Honk!" He was obviously miserable with a cold and can't breathe through his nose to suck his thumb, hence when I asked him what was wrong he told me.

Oh Anna!

2009-02-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday Anna's CTR 7 Teacher called me and asked if I would mind bearing my testimony about the Savior in her class. I said that I would be happy to, and after I taught my class I went into Anna's. I told the kids a story about Abraham and the sacrifice he was asked to make of Isaac, his only son, but an angel stopped Abraham. I said that this is what happened to Jesus. Heavenly Father had to sacrifice His only son so that we could return and live with Him some day. I bore testimony of how much Jesus loves us that he was willing to suffer and die for us so that we can return to Heavenly Father again some day. God was sad that he had to sacrifice His Son, but it was the only way we could have Eternal Life. I thought that I had said things in a way that the kids could understand, but when I asked Anna what she remembered about my testimony she said, "That Jesus was like Abraham Lincoln?" I guess I have some more teaching to do!

Yucky Love Stuff

2009-02-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is tomorrow and I am so excited. February 14th has special significance to me because Ben and I met for the first time on this day in 1997. Whether you want to call it an act of God or Airline error, my plane to Helena, MT was delayed and instead of arriving on Feb. 13th, we met the morning of the 14th instead. It was a romantic start to a happily ever after ( are you gagging yet?). Lately I have been reminiscing about how I came to know Ben, and thought I would post it on our blog. This is our story.

2009-02-13T13:44:00.000-08:00

My relationship with Ben started at Carroll College in 1996, and in the most unconventional way at the time. I was Catholic and questioning my religion. I have always been fascinated by religious beliefs and the passion that faith stirs up in people. I was looking for a faith that stirred that same passion in me. My friend April invited me to church and I went. It was the very first time I attended a Mormon Church. I felt at home instantly and decided to stay for Sunday School. I met the ward mission leader, Wally Melcher. I liked him instantly and enjoyed his lesson. I enjoyed that Sunday so much, that I decided to listen to the missionary lessons. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was what I had been searching for, but the choice to convert was a difficult one. How could I turn my back on everything I had been taught all my life? I was confused, but I received a letter in the mail form a missionary in California named Ben Melcher that gave me some clarity. This young man explained that he was the son of Wally Melcher, the ward mission leader. Wally had thought it would help me if someone who didn't know me bore testimony about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ(thank you Wally!). Elder Melcher bore a sweet testimony and I found peace and comfort in his words. He also sent a picture so I would know what he looked like. I thought he was kind of geeky looking(sorry honey), and for some reason I wrote him back saying thanks, but don't write again.

2009-02-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

I immediately regretted that first letter, but Ben wrote me back anyway. We wrote letters back and forth once a week for a little over a year. He quickly became my best friend and I told him everything. His letters helped me through some rough and lonely patches after I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Here is another picture and he is no longer geeky, but totally hot and I am completely in love with a man I've never met!

2009-02-13T13:29:00.001-08:00

Ben returned home from his mission on February 4th 1997, and I flew into Montana for his missionary homecoming on February 14th. I felt like I was meeting an old friend I hadn't seen in a really long time. We knew each other so well, and our friendship quickly progressed into something more. We were engaged in April married September 20th 1997 and I have never regretted a day since. I love you Ben! You are my soul mate, my eternal companion, my everything. Love, Jess

Melcher Dance Party

2009-02-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

Ivy recently started Irish dancing again. She was taught the basics of Irish dancing in Utah by our friend Holly Ballard. She fell in love with it and was sad to leave it behind when we moved to Washington. One year later she was still pining for it. I have found her listening to Irish music and dancing the steps she knew so well many times. I finally found the Yeates Irish Dance Company in Portland and signed her up. On Saturday we purchased her some poodle socks and they inspired her to dance the reel she is learning. I captured it on video and that led to each one of my kids wanting a dance video posted on the blog. I apologize for my horrendous voice as a few times I can't help myself from singing along with a few songs, but enjoy our dance party!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2009-02-08T22:14:00.000-08:00

Nora requested that I film her dancing and this is the song she chose. Girls really do want to have fun. Especially in our house!

Footloose

2009-02-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

Nick has some smooth moves just like Wren, aka Kevin Bacon, in Footloose.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

2009-02-08T19:24:00.000-08:00

Anna needed a video where she was the star. Check out a cameo of Nick's chicken wing guitar playing.

Big Boy Bed

2009-02-08T19:11:00.000-08:00

This Weekend we decided it was time for Nick to move from his crib to a toddler bed. I have to say I wondered that if the bars were taken away would he ever sleep again? Today while we were all getting ready for Church, I was looking for Nick. His bedroom door was closed and so I took a peek. This is what I found. Nick decided it was nap time and put himself to bed! The dude really likes his sleep. I am the luckiest mom in the whole world!

2009-02-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

I took Nick and Anna to the dentist yesterday for check-ups. This is the picture they took because we are in the No Cavities Club, hooray! It was an adventure to say the least. I take them to a pediatric dentist's office which is decorated as a child's wonderland. There is so much visual stimulation even I like being there! Nick cannot stop watching the trains that travel all around the office on tracks hung from the ceiling. Nora loves to stop and start the train from the giant button in the Lobby that controls the power. Anna loves the toy room, but in this picture she is mad at me because I wouldn't let her get a new Rubik's Cube after she had mixed her's up and couldn't get the colors back in order. Nick, of course, screamed bloody murder as they tried to touch his teeth, but he still came out with 3 new cars. Then all of the kids were rewarded with popsicles. I get to go back to this magical place in 2 weeks with Ivy and Nora!

2009-02-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

Anna's 7th birthday was January 23rd. The time sure flies! I can't believe she is 7 already. She wanted a Tinkerbell party, but she had some boys come to her birthday too, so we added Sponge Bob. No birthday would be complete without a pinata so before we beat him apart, we took our picture with Sponge Bob in the garage. The kids had fun whacking him with a bat, but the real hit of the party was the individual ice cream cups. I will not even bother with cake next time. We will just blow candles out of ice crem cups. The kids loved them!

2009-01-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

January 4 2009 was the Fast and Testimony meeting in our ward. It is a meeting where members of our church get up and talk about how they feel about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whoever wants to say something can and this weekend Ivy and Anna chose to share their testimonies by themselves. Anna went first and said, "I know this Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) is true, " very long pause and then, "Parents can have fun with their kids, and kids should always obey their parents, " then she sat down. She didn't say, "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen, " or anything. The whole congregation laughed and I breathed a complete sigh of relief that she didn't say anything embarrassing. It was a sweet moment. Ivy's testimony was a standard testimony, but very heartfelt. I had a proud parent moment that brought tears to my eyes. Ben got up a bore a powerful testimony as well. It was a great meeting!

2009-01-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

It snowed the week before school let out for Christmas Vacation. The schools closed and all the neighborhood kids got together to play in the snow. Here are a bunch of pictures that I took and put in a slide show (Thanks Emily for all the cool links on your blog! I hope you don't mind my using them.). Nora couldn't stop making snow angels, Ivy kept throwing snowballs at me, Anna wanted to build stuff, and Nick just thought it was cool to make footprints. The snow kept coming all the way through Christmas and there was a Washington White Christmas this year. We went to Montana for the holiday though and had a great time with the entire Melcher Clan.

2009-01-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

2008-12-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

The following videos are of Nick and Nora. They were playing in the family room and Nora was pretending to be Dora the Explorer. She started saying, "Swiper no Swiping," to Nick and out of the blue he began saying, "Oh Man, " just like Swiper the Fox. It was so cute I had to get it on video. It took 3 takes because in the first one I cut off Nick's, "Oh Man!" In the second take Nora was laughing so hard you couldn't hear Nick. The Third time was the charm, but all the videos are cute, so watch them.

2008-12-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

2008-12-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

2008-12-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

Nora Secrets

2008-12-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

There is a Holiday commercial for Swanson chicken broth. The mother tells her little girl that the secret to great stuffing is Swanson Chicken Broth. The grandma comes in and says that it is an old family secret and don't share it with anyone. The next shot you see is the little girl going to a cousin or brother and saying, "Do you want to know a secret?" Whenever Nora watches this commercial she gets so mad and says, "She wasn't supposed to tell! It was a secret!" It is very cute.

Holiday House

2008-12-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

Our Neighbors have informed us that our house is the one to beat for light displays. One neighbor called it the "House of Bling." Ben was in the garage getting ready to put up more lights, and 2 different neighbors said, "You're putting up more lights?" The way they said this made Ben change his mind about adding more lights. I still think we need a glowing Frosty or Santa. Let us know what you think!

2008-12-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

This is more video of Nick playing football. As you

will see he cannot catch and doesn't seem to mind

being hit in the head, or throwing the ball to mommy

and hitting her in the head. He loves being on camera!

2008-12-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

Nick and Ben were playing Football last night

and Nick has the funniest reverse hike.

I finally caught him in the act, but it took awhile.

2008-12-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

My uncle John just sent me this picutre from Thanksgiving at my other uncle Steve's house. We had a great time and ate delicious food. In fact Ivy thought the food was so great she couldn't stop eating it and that night her body decided to purge some of it on Grandma's new carpet! I have never in my life seen her eat that much. It reminded me of when she was a baby and would nurse and then spit up all she just ate, and then eat some more. What great memories!

2008-12-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

We went to a Pumpkin Patch this Halloween and it was so much fun. We went to Sauvey Island in Oregon. It is a beautiful place and I hope that we can go back next year.

2008-12-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

Nick was Batman and had more fun with his flashlight than Trick or Treating.

2008-12-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

Halloween was fun. Ivy was a Devil, Anna was Tinkerbell, and Nora was Ariel.

2008-12-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

Nick turned 2 on November 21st. He loves Cars! I attempted to make him a Lightning McQueen cake. It wasn't very pretty, but he loved it. If you look closely he is holding a miniature version of Lightning McQueen.