2012 is starting out just wonderful

Science projects

 Sickness (ugly, painful, sleepless, ear infections) which is the opposite of wonderful but isn't unexpected either.

 Daddy turned 35!!!! (and then he reminded me that he is 36. Yah, I knew that, I just cant remember it long enough to type it)

6th grade play "Annie".

N. did a fabulous job singing and stage crewing and messing around with friends.

Did I mention how awesome it is that we live by the Grandparents? 

Both sets! 

Lucky! 

Now I just need to remember to give them some advanced notice when we have special events.

S. is taking skating lessons from self taught, highly dangerous T.

She figured out the best way to keep the bruising down, if only the pillow would stay on easier.

And last but not least, Trafalga, again. We just cant get enough mini golf, 4D movie, laser tag and rock wall climbing fit into our schedule. The kids would go every day if I took them!

Dreams do come true

If you are Z. at least.
Her favorite cousin of all time came finally spent the day at our house.
I can't tell you how many times she has asked when TA. would come, but it has been going on for at least 5 years that I can remember.

Watching the girls play in the yard while I spied on them out the kitchen window brought back wonderful memories of my own best friend-Aunt and I at that same age.
I watched them collect random heavy bricks, carry them across the yard, pile them up and then pretend it was all for a great cause.
Something magical.
It seems like we were blessed to live in a time and place to be less supervised than my kids are now, and that was part of the magic.
Without adults around we were easily under the belief that we were orphans, sisters, horses.
You name it.
Although I never want to revisit a time when I couldnt drive myself around it was good to think back to the "old days", which really dont seem so far removed until I remember I am in my mid thirties!
Those good old days really were good!

I have a strong testimony of Family.
Our Father in Heaven gave us something better than we could imagine when he allowed us to be brought up in families.
I am so grateful for it and the best part is that I know I can see these people Forever.
Cool.
Forever!

Genesis 49: 33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

Make some noise, it's a New Year!

 Aunt A. let us crash her party. Wooo Hooo. Wake up her neighbors, not ours!

T. wasn't sure the pan banging was making enough noise at midnight, he went for the car horn. 

 Z. and Gma K. snuggle up after some kid friendly fireworks outside.

 S. didn't quite make it till midnight, she got close though.

This is where the kids could be found when they weren't scavanging thru the snacks on the cupboard. Video Games.
Thanks to A. and her family for the great party. The perfect start to the New Year.

This is my happy face because it Finally Snowed!!

 And then, even better, the sun came out so that it was beautiful and enjoyable to play in!

"z"now man.

 Making Snowmen. We had plenty of sticks from the back yard to use as arms.

 Hog, staring out the window at the fun times. She is so jealous of us when we go out front. She paces and whines but I know that if I let her out she would just head straight across the street, 100 mph, for the neighbors dog Oso.

 

One side of the house is without gutters and happens to drain onto the steep cement driveway for a short space. It makes for a wonderful ice slide apparently. 

 

T. finds sliding downhill on ice a lot more satisfying than rolling a snowball.

 This has been such a wonderful winter so far. Enough cold days to remember the season and enough snow on the mountains to get a "look at that gorgeous mountain!!"  exclamation out of me every day.

 We are blessed to live in such a beautiful place! I hope I never get over it.

"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.