Christmas

It is so sad to me that Christmas is already over. But the girls have been so happy, and keep saying this is the best Christmas they have ever had, so I am happy!
Alexis asked for a I-pod, a CD player, and glasses. (her friend Ashlynn had to get glasses and I guess some kids at school have made fun of her, so she said that is she got some fake glasses she could wear them with her and then maybe no one would say anything) (I thought it was very cute of her to think) So Alexis did get everything on her list and then some extra's and she was so happy.
Elizabeth asked for a Barbie and a Mermaid tale doll, and a American Girl doll. She also got what she wanted and then other things with it.
Brytlee didn't know what she wanted and didn't really ask for anything, but was very happy with the presents she got.
Ryan and I both said that we had the best present ever (THE HOUSE) and we didn't need to get anything for each other. I was happy because Ryan is the hardest person in the world to shop for. But the little stinker went and bought presents anyway......
We also had a lot of fun with our friends and family at our yearly party's. The girls loved all the party's and had so much fun running around with all the cousins.
I am a little sad that it is over, and just wish that it could last longer. I love getting together with the people that I love most, and playing fun games together. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family, on my side and on Ryan's side. They are always looking out for us and take such great care of us and our kids.
Now from months of preparing, and it only taking minutes to open all the presents, I get to clean everything up for day's and day's. I already have the tree down, but there is so much to catch up on. (laundry, dusting, kitchen, floors, getting ride of all the boxes, ect....) My girls are so busy playing with all the new toy's and having so much fun together I don't dare ask them to help me out today. It makes me feel so happy when they are happy and getting along together and just being kids.
(just as I wrote this, they started to fight..... I guess that teaches me to ever say anything good about my kids.... without knocking on wood first) Time to get to work!!!!

more family pictures

Cute funny picture! I love my family so much they are so much fun, and so good to us.

Upside down cheesecake

This week I was being so nice and making Ryan a cheesecake. Alexis could hardly wait and was so excited to try it that when no one was looking she tried to grab it and when the pan was still very hot she dropped it on the floor....
I heard the noise and walked in the room and when I saw it I could see that she felt horrible about it and was just very sad.... Then when Ryan walked in and saw it Alexis said..."What happened"... I kinda laughed but Ryan got mad and sent her to her room.
A few minutes latter this is what I found him doing.... It was a good thing the floor was clean!
Alexis just felt so bad (as you can see she had been crying in this picture) so we had to just let her know it was no big deal and we could still eat it anyway.... it was just upside down cheesecake.
Now we can all just laugh about it!

Family pictures

While Sara and brad came home this fall we took some family pictures. I just took a few with my camera that is not the best... but I thought a few of them turned out alright.
Alexis really knows how to take a cute picture!
So does Brad!!!

All the girls!
Our family pictures didn't turn out so well.... I don't know why but when I am prego I become picture retarded and can not take a good picture to save my life. Brytlee is hard to get to take a picture while she is not moving or doing a funny smile.....


My mom and dad! They are so wonderful!
All the girl grandkids!
All of the grand-kids with grandma and grandpa

Elizabeth turns 6

We had a great birthday party for Elizabeth this year. She invited all her family and a couple of friends along, and she had a great day! She wanted to back swimming to Riverdale and go down the slide. We were in luck that the slide didn't break down this day and they went down in more than 100 times.
Elizabeth helped make her cake this year and was able to decorate it all by herself. She wanted it to look like a mermaid castle!
Elizabeth is such a sweet girl, and I just love her so much. Ryan gets mad at me for being to soft of her for a lot of things, but I have the hardest time being mad or mean to this little angel of mine. She has the cutest voice and has such a soft heart. She loves her sisters very much and always shares whatever she has with them, and is a great friend to anyone she meets.
Elizabeth is loosing teeth faster than she can grow them. She was so sad because as our corn was ready to eat this year... she had no teeth to eat it.
She is such a beautiful girl on the inside and out and I love her with all my heart!

First day of School

Yea first day of School, and Elizabeth lost one of her front teeth! She is in Kindergarten this year and is so excited to be in school and be a big girl. She gets to go to school all day every other day two times a week, and she really wishes she could go every day!
The girls are so cute in their new school clothes waiting to ride the bus. Alexis is in Third grade this year and is doing so well. The school went to a four day week this year and it is very nice. The girls don't get home until about 4 but they would stay all day long if they could.

Riverdale

The girls got a free pass to a swim place that is very close to our house so before the summer was over we went and took one of Alexis's friends and one for lizzy.

The best part about this swim place is the slide... and what do you know, right when we get there... it broke down for the rest of the day! But the girls still had a ton of fun playing in the water and going of the diving board.

Brytlee was two times as safe this time swimming with her tube and arm floaty s. The last time we went swimming she tried to dive in with her tube around her and it didn't go so well..... she just got stuck upside down until I had to dive in with all my clothes on to save her.
The girls really love to play with their cousin Conner so this summer we were very lucky to have him come and stay with us for a whole week. He is such a good boy and I could have just kept him forever.

Merrill Family Reunion

The girls and I went to the family reunion this year and had a lot of fun. They love to go and see all the cousins, ride the horses, play on the slide and stay up very late!



It was not very warm at all, and they had to play in the water. After they put their feet in Alexis ran inside and a few minutes later came out in her swimming suit..... she is so funny
Ryan stayed home working on the house but ended up surprising me and everyone else by riding his motorcycle up that night! He is such a great guy!
The day after the reunion we went to my grandma and grandpa's cabin and just hung out and looked around. Ryan had never been there so it was so nice to get to go with him. And the girls loved it!

I can cut my hair

Brytlee was being way to good, and very quiet one day until we discovered that she had found a pair of scissors and played beauty shop on herself..... She had three pony tails and and had two of them just about cut all the way off when we found her....
good thing she looks cute with short hair....

I love....

I love my new house! I love my new washer and dryer, I love my new fridge, I love my fireplace, I love my shower and the fact that I can shower all day without running out of hot water, I love my family size bathtub, I love love my dishwasher, ( I have never seen my dishes so clean) I love my new oven, and new stove, I love that my new toilets are so good at flushing and don't go in circles!!! I love my bathroom that I have makeup station to get ready, I love how cool my stairs turned out, I love that we have a place for everything, and a toy room for toys, I love my new vacuum that cleans our wood floors so well, and I love my wood floors and our carpets!!! I love having a garage, I love that the cabinets don't slam, and I think I could keep going all day, but most of all I love love love my wonderful husband who has been working sooooo hard for the last year and a few months to build this home that I LOVE!!!!