Spring is here!

To start off I saw this and loved it instantly but then I secretly wish I could look like this right now or even do this right now oh well next spring! Until then Happy Spring!

this is one of my favorite times of the year I spent an hour working in the yard today all by myself it was great.

We do have a few things going on lately but here are a few of my favorite pictures of the events in the Merrill family  in the past few weeks.

#1 Colton and preschool he is loving it! Bob asked him last night "is this a arts and craft school or preschool?"

 Colton's favorite thing in the world is coloring so he is in heaven 4 times a week for 2 hours. This is his door he can put all his art work on. And this is only about a week's worth of work. Minus the kite in the middle that would be Thayne's art for 2nd grade.

 #2 I signed up for fresh fruits and veggies 2x's a month. In hope of trying new veggies, and making us eat more of them. it's working for me! I love it. It is just what is in season and from local farms. the only thing is no one really like leeks I 've tried to sub them for onion and everyone complained oops.

 #3 Carissa went to Mormon Prom last Saturday night. She looked great and did a pretty good job of

pinning on the flowers.

We took a few pictures a few pictures out front. We had to get those sparkly high heels

Morgan, Carissa & thier dates @ the March's

Pool side at the March's

And then we let the kids have a silly picture with them. Thayne is MIA as always he wanted no part of all this stuff, and Colton hugged the heck out of this guy. Then they went off to pick up the other couple off to dinner at the Blotters, dance in Oakland, and Fentons. I never remember prom being so fun and full of parties. Bob and I got to go check kids in at the front door so we got to see all the pretty dresses and dates.

we still have another one of theses next week ....

#4 check this out a week ago I went to get gas at the new Safeway gas station, its across town and i was returning stuff so I thought I'd stop and get gas. I needed it. to my surprise it was only $4.19 wow pretty good same as Costco. then i got to the pump...put in my club card # and it asked me if i wanted to use my rewards? of coarse what the heck....I got gas for $3.69 a gallon it felt like my lucky day it kind of made my week.

As for spring I am loving all the rain for the new grass and yard but Saturday it was too muddy to work More pictures to come on the yard next week. maybe then we will have a few more beds planted. We did find the pavers we want and pergala's but now we have to wait, for some more money to fall from heaven! 

February happenings

February has brought on new projects ....lots of them... besides all the fun regular stuff , we have began the transformation of our backyard. We started with the putting green last month, then we order bark, gravel, top soil, we have loaded free top soil into the Suburban  once, had 300plus pounds of rock delivered and made many trips to Lowe's, Home depot, & Ashby lumber. Every Saturday for a month our kids ask what we are doing on Saturday? I thought they would just know and start to enjoy yard work. We make them work but  they all complain, and fight. Once in a while we have a few good family moment in between. Like the one  here....WILD TURKEY"S! oh yes a whole bunch of them and Bob let the dog out front and we didn't see Cooper for a  little while. He loved it! He Chased all the turkeys till they flew up into a tree.

Here"s 2 beds ready for flowers and plants, we added two flowering plum trees up in the pebble area.

a view from the other side of the yard slowly we will have a beautiful yard again. Before pictures are always good for when the project is done it makes us feel so accomplished.

 Yesterday was Colton's first day of Preschool. He was so happy to be there, He loved his first day, I asked him about all the things he did, he said they ate fishy, read the Hungry Caterpillar book, painted his hand red, and sang songs. I said to him" What do you do if you have to go potty?" Hoping he'd tell me where the bathroom was, but Colton said, "Don't pee your pants!"

Addie took spring pictures at school...8th grade is half way over. Can't believe she'll be a freshmen at the end of summer.

 We finished the basketball season with the Hawks! Thayne was a super star, he loved all of it. He really has a competitive side to him he gets fired up when they lose. 5 in 6 they got better as the season progressed.

Thayne and Will  at the pizza party to celebrate. I think these two made the most points each game.



Here is today!

Colton went to school and I spent all morning tiring to fix the washing machine with a tech guy from LG all to find out I have to pay for it and have a service man come out. Cooper is beginning to show signs of being a good dog he just hung out next to me and got a little tired YEAH!



Good News my washer should be fixed by the end of today and the grass should be in too.



Think PINK!

Here is the first official baby picture of our little girl !
Isn't she so cute?


As you can see we have been busy growing a baby girl raising 5 other kids and remembering to feed and love the dog "Cooper". He is so much more clam without his sister. But not too many pictures have been taken, just lots of  homework, science projects, basketball games, valentines day activities,  making dinner, and  making fun family memories:)

and here she is sucking her thumb... oh no! We have done this 5 times before no thumb sucking little lady... time to buy some binkies.

Good bye putting green!

This past week we had the putting green taken out....a 1 to 2 day project turned into a beast! It was a 6 day project. We hired a guy to haul it and he was great! worked hard everyday and got the job done. We found out that this putting green was meant to stay for life. The project killed the bobcat 3 times and lots of dump trailer's full of dirt ,gravel, and rock. We will hire this guy anytime he was GREAT!

Here is the front yard aftermath. They made a mess of the gopher mansions.

But it didn't rain which was great!

DONE! now we have a blank canvas to put a back yard in.

Cooper and Sally

They had to stay on the side yard all week that created lots of work for everyone. Lots of walks we went to a whole Costco bag of bully sticks and filling up the hole they dug under the gate about 3 times.

After all of this work i realized our family of 7 with a baby on the way can not handle 2 puppies so Sally is going to live with Kristine's parents in Dayton Nevada. We all are a bit sad but this is what "Happy Meals" are for. Addie is  the one torn up the most. It will give her some thicker skin, I hope,or she'll need therapy in her 20's. This girl loves dogs!

Rubber ducky's

I know this has nothing to do with the great outdoors but we have had prom drama around here. Carissa got asked to Mormon prom and Junior Prom this last month. the first boy brought a  tub full of rubber ducky's with water saying " I'd be a lucky ducky if you'd go to Mormon prom with me" sooo cute. And her best of friend asked her to go to the school prom! Bob and I were thrilled two great Young Men! There is more to this story but I am forbidden to write about ...but our family will have wonderful memories of Carissa's Junior year of high school. tee hee hee. Boys...we sure love them!

 Colton has now taken all the ducks for himself and insists on making them clean with soapy water. They have been wheeled around the house for a few weeks, but have made their way to the bath tub.