Why I love Arizona

This will grow all winter long in my backyard!

Fresh salad city!

swiss chard

carrots

sugar snap peas

lettuce, lettuce, lettuce

A sandal, a tea cup, a baby rattle, a burp cloth, a used napkin, a necklace, a sour cream container, and a baby's dress shoe...

Who decorated YOUR Christmas tree?

October Review

JoLynn turns 4!!!a "beautiful pink sparkley magical unicorn cake"

per JoLynn's request

I love you my sweet Jo!

Halloween!!!

November Review

Hailey Turns 6!

I love you sweet Hailey!

cupcakes with her kindergarten class
JoLynn and 5 other classmates pose as candles for Hailey to blow out

a "really super pretty butterfly cake" per Hailey's requestmaking a wish

Grandma Merrell with Shae

While I take a bath, JoLynn takes a peanut butter bath...

and then gets to clean up!

Look at these juicy cheeks!

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot Triumph!

Woo-hoo! Yesterday marked the 1/2 way point for my goal to run the 1/2 marathon in January. My awesome running buddy, Michelle, and I ran the 10k Turkey Trot in Mesa. (Yes, an actual man dressed as a turkey runs the race) It was so fun! We were stuck in line for the bathroom when the race started (we've both had 3 kids - what do you expect!?) so we were about 5 min. behind everyone else, but I tell you, once we started, we didn't stop, and we were passing people left and right! We finished in 64 minutes. We tore it up!
(If JoLynn was reading this right now, she would be reminding me, "Mom, remember, it isn't nice to brag." But this has been a huge personal feat for me in so many ways, so I feel I have the right to be proud of myself...sorry for being so "puffed up".) A shout out to my girl Michelle, who kept me going at the end - I totally would have given up if it weren't for her! Joel and the girls were lined up near the finish line cheering us on. Thanks Joel - you're the best!
And it all made feasting on the Thanksgiving pleasures of the day that much more enjoyable.

Highlights of our Thanksgiving table:
*Mom's famous dinner rolls (so light, so fluffy, SOOOOO GOOD!)
*Grandma Merrell's cranberry relish (my favorite!)
*Joel's candied yams - YUMMO!
*Megans' green bean casserole
*Cindy's relish tray fit for royalty
*Pie: bannana cream, chocolate cream, lemon mirengue, key lime, apple, pumkin, blueberry, and pumkin carmel.
Sigh...I think I need to go running again!

Joke of the day:
Blake: (with a look of disapointment as he surveyed his plate still half full) "Ugh, I feel like my stomache shrunk..."
Erin: "Did you put it in the dryer?"
(Merrell humor)

Proud Mom Moment

Yesterday on our way home from the park, I stopped to chit-chat with our neighbor Leona. It was the first time she had seen Shae, and in her excitement over the baby she kept saying, "Oh my G_ _! She is so cute!...Oh my G_ _, you are so blessed!...Oh my G_ _, look at that smile!..."
Not wanting to offend her, I refrained from covering my girls' ears and just smiled and pretended I didn't notice her repetedly taking the Lord's name in vain.

Then Hailey tapped her on the arm and in a VERY sweet and meek but confident voice said (and I quote), "Um, excuse me, but you gotta remember this: when you say 'Oh my God' you're really taking Heavenly Father's name in vain." Leona paused with her mouth open then her eyes flashed to me for a second and then back to Hailey and she said with a smile, "Oh, you're right. Thank you for teaching me that. You are a very smart girl." She was so sweet about it. I was so proud of Hailey for standing up for what she knew was right (as I should have done). I think Hailey could kind of sense that what she said may have offended Leona, because right after that she said, "Is there anything you want? I have some really pretty rocks I collected at the park in my treasure bag here. You can have one." So innocent! That's exactly what the Savior would have done. Rebuke the sin, but show love to the sinner. It reminded me of Robert D. Hales conference talk on Christian Courage. "Meekness is not weakness. It is the badge of Christian Courage...We do not feel we are better than they are. Rather, we desire with our love to show them a better way - the way of Jesus Christ...To help them, to be an example for them is not for the weak. It is for the strong."

I am so proud of my children. I am so blessed to have them as my examples!

My Little "Fairy Pearl"

Shae: Gaelic: meaning fairy or leprechaun

Margaret: Greek: meaning Pearl

Family Portrait

Isn't it precious to watch those natural mothering attributes come out of your little daughters? As I got out of the shower the other day, JoLynn came in and asked me to come in the play room to take a picture of her family. I felt a gush of endearment as she rattled off the names and needs of each of her "family members". Do you ever wonder if Heavenly Father has those same adoring feelings as He watches us, his daughters, do our best as we draw from those femine qualities unique to women to tenderly care for our little ones?

Cabin Trip

So remember how Old Boy is tempermental? Old Boy really has a hard time with pictures, so most of the pictures I post on here are a month or so outdated, but hey, we take what we can get.

We went up to the cabin in Prescott mid-October. Cindy and Ben came with Claire. It was loads of fun! (Besides the trip to the ER with JoLynn and my bee sting.)

Anyhoo, enjoy the slew of random pictures from that trip!

we ate spagetti...
and smores!

This will be a good one of Hailey

to ward off future suitors.
I love blackmail pictures!

Celebrated Joel's Bday!

Joel with his Harem

(and yes, that is a G.I.Joe gun that JoLynn is sticking in the baby's ear)

I talked this black bear into...

...babysitting my kids for a few hours.

We went for walks

and collected acorns and flowers

The End