"Dead Animal" Zoo

 That is what the kids call the Bean Museum. I like the idea of the animals being dead(I'm not pro animal slaughter or anything!) for several reasons. Zoos and the enclosures make me feel bad for the poor animals who have to live there, gawked at and forced to listen to screaming children all day. The other reason I like the dead ones is that you can get a much closer view. Yes sometimes it is a view of half of an elk but that is better than a whole elk so many yards away you cant tell what it really is.

 S. took a good look at this reindeer. She was trying to figure out if we were joking or not about it being what that famous guy Santa uses at the North Pole. It doesnt look magical enough to fly, just looks like a big Bambi.

 The whole Family with the Liger, a favorite of ours and of Napoleon D's.

 Philip acting like beetles are cool.

 N. happily standing with a Tiger.

 

Z has adopted Zebras because of the Z they share.

 

Big Bear, Run!!!

T. proudly pointed out that he could tell which ones were boys. Great. Not exactly the things I was hoping they would learn at the museum. I was hoping for more like Habitat, Diet, that kind of thing. 

Wonderful Winter Lights

 We are blessed to live in a beautiful county here in Utah. We typically visit the Salt Lake City Temple Square lights but opted for a version that is much closer to home and is lit as magically, just without the Temple and the traffic.

 Our winter has been so mild that a jacket is all that is required to stay warm, even in the evenings.

 The Shops area we visited had these great gas fires, well, great if you are 6 or older and like to play with fire.

One of moms favorite spots was the arbor, stage area with lights strung around and across the roof. Beautiful!

  

Mom and Dad looking so chill for the camera but wondering where the kids had run off to after the flash.

There is fire here, remember? Big reason to worry.

 

If you are a Merrill you know that no evening is perfect until Ice Cream is served. Can we get kid cones next time so that the kids aren't covered with sticky from head to toe please?!

How the rest of us spent the Vacation days

 Z. and friends create their own "Air- benders" and "Fire- benders" out of Barbies and Z.'s favorite item: ribbon(!).

 Mini Golf.

 Rock Wall.

 Mustaches. No vacation is complete without a mustache( just ask D.)!

 More Mini Golf.

More friends and more mini golf.  Much needed time off of school. Good Times. Good Memories.

Teachers get 2 weeks of vacation in December!

 Guess what D. did during his entire vaca. Snowboard? Nope. T.V.? Nope. Gift shopping? Nope.
He did choose to do it by the way. Wife pressure had little to do with it. I swear.
Did you guess PLUMBING? If you did you win.
He shopped, measured, cut, destroyed, nailed, siliconed, tiled, textured, painted, and even cleaned up after it was done.
I am personally highly impressed.
This guy has SKILLS!
(the wood in the above picture isn't part of his project, my dad needed a cold garage:) to create some Christmas gifts in and his table turned out handy for plumbing as well)

 

How awesome to find an afghan in the wall pretending to be insulation or  just pretending to hold up the insulation. Maybe the builder and his crew were sitting up there in the attic on a cold morning with their blankies and one of them forgot to take his home. Maybe. We can just add it to the growing list of strange things found in the walls/ceilings of this house.

 Although our new place has a big, good condition, blue tub, it didn't have a shower. Come to find out exchange students expect to shower. Actually we knew that, we just didn't feel comfortable sending him down to the basement shower. I shiver just thinking about it. D. figured a week or two off would give him time to rip out the walls and install a shower, turns out he was right.

 N.  liked getting in on the tiling action. T. was the only kid who didn't dare to help daddy with the cool new tiles, he was afraid of doing it wrong, that was my excuse too. No one wants to live with a beautiful bathroom containing  just one strip of tiles(that would be my strip) all slightly off whack.

And yes, he did have a little time to spare and enjoy his favorite activity: WRESTLING!!!!

The Merry Christmas post (even if it was over a month ago!)

Purple Sunglasses. Check.

Giant Gumball Machine. Check.

Monster High Dolls. Check.

Legos, Ninjago specifically. Check.

Remembering the reason for the Toys, Noise, Treats and new Jammies. Check!

Even Harley scored big-time this year. Indestructible dog toys. Check.

Dear Santa,

We need more kids in our family but Mom and Dad won't let us. Could we maybe borrow one?

Wish granted.
HO HO HO!
FYI:  Philip,13 years old, from Beijing China, great English skills, Funny, Happy, Smart, and here for the duration of the school year.

A good reason to Blog more often...

..... is so that I don't waste my" blogging time" looking at iphoto instead of creating an actual post. That will have to wait until I get another free hour, or ten.
This little clip of T. I ran across was just too funny to pass by though. He is a riot!