Tommy.. Nat.. Lyla

11 months

2012-01-17T21:52:00.000-08:00

My princess is almost a whole year old. 11 months! Where did the time go..seriously. Lyla is so fun. I am so blessed to be her mommy. I couldn't imagine my life without this sweet girl. I must have done something right for Heavenly Father to trust me to raise such a sweet spirit of his! We love our baby girl more than anything!!!

at 11 months:

-eats all sorts of solid foods

-crawls like a crazy woman

-loves to swing..would be out there all day if I let her!

-loves to be outside

-loves to go for walks

-getting her 4 top front teeth all at once

-still sleeps in till 8:30 or 9 and takes 2 1 1/2-2 hr naps a day!

-still wears size 3 diapers

-still in 12 month clothes

-reaches for people to pick her up and hold her

-claps her hands anytime you say yay!

-signs "more" and "all done" :)

-had her first big bonk and goose egg :(

Love you princess! Can't believe how fast you are growing up. You are the best thing that has ever happened to your daddy and I!

10

2012-01-06T23:53:00.000-08:00

10 months.. yikes! these months just keep flying by.. what the heck!

at 10 months my baby girl is..

-CRAWLING! woot woot :) finally..unless she really wants something fast she still army styles it

-walks like crazy if shes holding onto something

-claps her hands!

-waves bye

-gives high 5's

-wears 12 month clothes

-wears size 3 diapers

-Eats all day long! LOVES snacks and her sippy cup of water or juice!

I love this little girl more than anything. I can't believe she is already almost 1 :( a whole year almost gone by! I love watching her grow and learn and can't wait to see what the next year holds!! Love you baby!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas was super busy this year! Seems like everything is busier with a baby :) But so much more fun! We had lots of family parties..lots! It was so great seeing everyone. Lyla still wasn't sure what to do with the presents :) but had fun none the less! I love having her around now..she seriously makes everything so much better..I am so grateful for her..I can't imagine not having her in our lives! Here are a few fun pictures from our craziness!.. I also got some 9 month pictures of lyla taken and since it was right around christmas we did a little christmas shoot..thanks marc!!

her new swing from santa..LOVES it!

cute christmas church dress!
not a fan!
christmas eve :)

whats goin on..

2011-12-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Friday after Thanksgiving my good friend Christina and her boyfriend Jeff invited us to his family cabin in Pinetop. It was COLD! but so much fun! So we loaded up (even Tolly got to come!) and spent the weekend in Pinetop. It was so nice to relax and snuggle up near the fire..make smores!..go on walks..ride around in the golf cart..and watch too many episodes of storage wars..ha! Thats when Lyla first started walking along the furniture! scary :)

other than that..Tommy got into the paramedic program through Southwest and starts on Dec 12th! which means its gonna be a LONG year... oh well :) sacrifice brings blessings right?! :) Im looking into going back to school in January..I really wanna do dental hygeine..so we will see! wish us luck!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-12-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

passed her bedtime so she would NOT smile for any pictures! but had to get one of her cute outfit! :)

This year for Thanksgiving we had a lot to be thankful for. Im so grateful Lyla is with us this year! On Thanksgiving day we did the whole eat at both family things.. yikes! WAY too much food.. I think next year we may have to do one or the other :) But we had a wonderful day with lots of family! All growing up on Thanksgiving night we would have a sleepover at my aunt Debbies house. Us sisters and mom decided to carry on the tradition within our little family now! So we went to Mels for the evening and watched a sad movie (Sarah's key), ate treats, crafted (kinda!) and stayed up late cyber black friday shopping! Thanks Smelly for the fun night!

Nine..nueve..nove..9..

2011-12-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

NINE..
my baby is 9 months old. I think i say the same things every month post..where did the time go..i can't believe it.. but its so true! 9 months! WHAT!? Lyla is seriously the best thing that has ever happened to me. She is fun, energetic, easy-going, silly, content..chubby :).. She is the cutest! I love her so much.

at 9 months..
weight: 19 1/4lbs -50%
height: 27 3/4in -50%
*eats everything!
*still just army crawls :).. silly girl
*pulls herself up
*cruises around the furniture!
*eats table food
* still loves her jumper
*loves other kids!
*talks ALL the time
*wears size 3 diapers
*wears 9-12 month clothes
*says da-da
*throws fits when you say no or take something away!..seriously?! already?!

Lyla is the happiest, most content baby seriously 99% of the time. She hardly ever cries, I love it! I love this little girl more than anything in the entire world and am so grateful I was chosen to be her mommy!

at the Dr. for her check up :)
playing on the trampoline with mommy

on the swing for the 1st time..loved it!

Halloween 2011

2011-12-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween was so fun! It was our baby girls 1st! We dressed her up, and took her to both grandma's houses to "trick-or-treat!" She was so cute! Cutest kitty cat I've ever seen! :) I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stage Lyla is in right now. I totally miss my little baby but she is just so fun. Its like I can literally watch her learn about new things. We had so much fun showing her off to everyone and can't wait for next year when she will enjoy it a little more! :)

8 months-

2011-11-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

now that my baby is almost 9 months..guess i should update about her being 8 months..i swear every month she grows up so much more! i love love love this stage shes in! although i do miss my baby!

at 8 months she..

-eats everything! and a ton!!

-weighs about 19lbs

-still just army crawls but is super fast :)

-stands up holding onto things

-walks with assistance

-LOVES her cousins!

-says dada...all.day.long.

-gets so happy when daddy comes home from work

-sleeps from 8pm till anywhere from 8-10am! then takes 2 about 2hr naps

we love miss Lyla so much and are so grateful for her sweet spirit she brings to our home!

6...1/2... month pics!

2011-10-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

My good friend Marci that took her 3 month pics took some 6 month and family pics for us too...freaking cute! I love them! enough said.. (sorry for the picture overload)

Catch up

2011-10-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Ive been MIA lately... sorry! But seriously I turn around for a second and my baby grows an inch..or learns a new trick..or gains another pound.. and I can't stand to miss it. So because of that I've failed to post about some major events. first..

Happy Birthday to my love! He turned the big 2-5 this year on August 7th :) We went to dinner with a few friends..swam..and just had a relaxing night. I am so grateful for him and the man he is. He is the most amazing husband I could've asked for and an equally amazing daddy. Lyla loves him so much and gets so excited when he walks in the door from work! He works so hard for us so I can stay home with our baby girl everyday and I will forever be grateful to him! I love you toe-mas! Happy birthday hunny!
second... Miss Lyla turned 7 months on the 17th!
SEVEN! are you kidding me? Its completely ridiculous that my baby is closer to a year than not! So sad but so fun! at 7 months her stats are..

weight:18lbs

height: 25in

-wears size 3 diapers

-just started wearing size 6-9 clothes

-eats 3 solid meals a day

-LOVES food :) has eaten every fruit and veggie ive put in front of her with no issues

-army crawls and rolls to anywhere she wants to go..ALMOST crawling

-has her 2 bottom teeth but the top 2 are comin in

-can sometimes feed herself puffs

-gives kisses

-growls.. ha!

-makes like a fishy face and moves her lips back and forth all the time! its kinda weird :)

-knows what she wants and is determined to get whatever it is

We love this little diva of ours and are so excited she made us her parents! I love watching her grow and develop and her personality that gets stronger and stronger everyday!

third..my birthday! I turned 24 on September 29th..and I feel old! ha.. It was such a nice relaxing day of crafting, eating too much junk..drinking too much dew.. snuggling with my sweet girl and just relaxing! Then the hubs took me to dinner and then played some games with some friends and had pazookies! Perfect :)

now the latest... I got a new niece!! Miss Khloe Jenn made her debut October 6th and is perfect! She is so tiny and has so much dark hair and is just the cutest thing ever. I cannot believe Lyla was ever that small! smaller actually!.. Congrats Kim, J, Kinsley and Kamri!

6 months?!

2011-08-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

My baby is 6 Months.. really? I don't even know or understand where these last 6 months of my life went. Lyla has gotten So fun! She is so much more happy and playful! It seriously breaks my heart to see how big she is and how much she is growing out of being a "baby." But each stage has seriously gotten more and more fun! We go to her 6 month check up on the 31st so I don't have her stats yet but a few things she has been doing at 6 months include..

-rolls EVERYWHERE!

-eats solids 2 or 3 times a day..and has tried sweet potatoes, green beans, and banans and LOVES oatmeal!

-giggles a lot more

-now sleeps with NO swaddle blanket!

-takes 2 naps a day between 1 1/2-2 1/2 hrs!

-loves going on walks in her stroller

-LOVES her puppies

-sits up for a couple minutes by herself

-still wears 3-6 month clothes

-still in size 2 diapers

-Loves to play on the floor with her toys

-talks all the time!!! now can make the da sound :)

-blows spit bubbles ALL DAY LONG! and thinks its hilarious

We love Lyla to pieces and can't believe its only been 6 months of our lives that she has been here..it feels like this is how its always been! She constantly makes us laugh and thinks its great! We are so blessed to have such a sweet spirit in our home! We are so grateful to be her parents! We love her more than anything in the world!!!!!

Lyla's 4 & 5 Months

2011-07-28T12:10:00.001-07:00

Yes..I have not blogged in awhile. I am having too much fun with my baby girl and never wanna waste a minute by sitting on the computer. I decided during nap time today that it needed to be done! Lyla has gotten so so big and time just wont slow down :(

at 4 months:

Weight: 15.1lbs

Height: 24.5in

-got her first haircut (buzzed off the thickness in back so she wouldn't have a mullet!)

-Had rice cereal for the 1st time..didn't love it..neither did her belly..so we held off for another month!

-got croup cough and had to go to urgent care for a steroid shot :(

-Went swimming for the very first time which she LOVED!

-held on to a toy for the first time..and wouldn't let go :)

-Had her first real babysitter.. (gma!) while we went to dinner. (I'm sure it was much harder on me than her!)

at 5 months:
-Finally rolled over :) from her belly to her back. She never really loved tummy time anyway and now I can't get her to stay on her tummy for more than a minute.

-Giggled for me! I have to really work at it but she will! Although the other night we let Tolly in and she was full on laughing at the dang dog! I gotta make every stupid noise in the book and Tol just sat there and she laughed!

-got her 2nd haircut. She just had this little patch right on top that was kept getting thinner and thinner the chubbier she got! So I decided to buzz her whole head so hopefully her hair will grow in nice and thick and even!

-had BOTH of her bottom teeth cut through! (that's been fun!) she actually hasn't been grouchy at all...just doesn't sleep good! She was sleeping SO good! from like 7:30-6:30 or 7..and the last week she has woken up like 2-4 times! son of a....

-Has found her toesies and thinks they are great. If I lay her on her back she holds her feet up and grabs onto them with her hands and will lay like that forever! :)

-Got nasty pink eye :( Poor girl! (dang cousins! he he..)

-Eats rice cereal after she nurses for one meal a day! Still a battle cuz she always has something better to look at or yell at me for which makes it messy but were getting there..

This last one cracks me up. I gave her some water from my straw one day and now anytime I have a cup with a straw she ATTACKS it..full force. So Tommy let her go to town on the straw..she can't suck it up through the straw yet don't worry..and it was only water! but she loved trying!

2011-06-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

So apparently even with a computer I'm not the best blogger! We haven't been up to too much lately. I've been doing hair like crazy and Tommy started a new job but thats it :) He is now working for southwest ambulance as an EMT. crazy boy.. I couldn't do it! So he works long hours for 3 or 4 days straight then I get him to myself for 3 or 4 days! Lyla and I have been hanging out and playing all day and I am so grateful for a hard working husband that lets me stay home with our baby girl all day! She is almost 4 months old now and its so crazy how fast it has gone.. (now if I could only work off this flabby belly..thanks Ly!) Other than that were still boring! :)

just a few cute pictures :)

Lyla's 3 months

2011-06-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well since we officially JUST got a computer, I can now finally stay updated on my blog. Now that Lyla is almost 4 months, I'm doing her 3 month post. At 3 months Lyla is..

-consistantly sleeping through the night

-not rolling over :)

-LOVES her baths

-LOVES the jumparoo.. (I have to put a board game under her feet cuz they don't reach the floor!)

-holds her head up so good and likes to sit in her bumbo like a big girl

-Only takes about 7 minutes from start to finish to eat :)

-smiles ALL the time! If you leave the room for 1 second then come back she greets you with the biggest smile like she hasn't seen you in days

-talks ALL the time.. mostly complains :)

-Has found her hands and loves loves loves to eat them. She will go cross eyed staring at them all the way into her mouth :)

-still not a huge fan of tummy time

-Likes to watch the dogs run around outside from her swing

Lyla has seriously become the sweetest most easy going baby. She has the best personality and brings such a sweet spirit to our home. We absolutely love being parents and can't imagine l ife without her!

My friend Marci (thevintagelemon.blogspot.com) took some 3 month pictures of her a few days ago and they turned out SO DANG CUTE! i am in complete love :)

just because...

2011-05-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

her little feets kill me
first time in the bumbo!

she LOVES her bath time! and looks like this the entire time :)

These pictures were just too cute not to post!

Mothers Day

2011-05-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

This was my first Mothers Day. Words cannot express how grateful I am for my baby girl. She is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I am so grateful she came to us and has given me the chance to be a mother. I am so grateful for my mother and the amazing woman and example she has been to me. I only hope I can follow in her footsteps and be that kind of mother to Lyla. I love waking up to this face everyday.. and getting to stay home with her and watch her grow :) I love you baby girl!I wasn't sure I knew how to be a mother. Last year was not a fun Mothers day for me.. we had recently lost our 2nd pregnancy and I longed for my baby..and for the feeling of motherhood. Then February 17th came, and the most beautiful baby girl entered the world and filled that emptiness in my heart. I knew I could be a mother, and raise this baby girl the best I could.. because I had a wonderful mom to teach me.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

Miss Maci..

2011-04-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

Yep..I REALLY am officially crazy. After we had to put our poor Trigger down Tommy was pretty heartbroken. He loves queensland heelers and swore he would have another one (with 4 good legs!) So really beyond my much better judgement I agreed and now we have Maci. So I now have a 9 week old baby and an 8 week old puppy.. WHAT?! But Tolly is so good with her so we can leave her out back with no worries and I don't have to worry about her going potty in my house (yes I know I need to post pics of the house too..) She is a feisty one but Tommy loves her and she LOVES Lyla. Anytime she sees her she tries everything to get to her, its pretty cute!

And really just becuase I had to post this picture! Its seriously my favorite ever :)

2 Months.. 4 Shots.. and EARRINGS!

2011-04-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

holy moly.. my baby is 2 months old! well.. 9 weeks now but still.. She is so much fun! She smiles all the time & coo's at us :) Shes gotten really good on her schedule..and last night I put her to bed at 8:30, woke her up at 10:30 to eat then she only woke up once, I put her paci back in and she went right back to sleep till 7! it was wonderful! She sleeps in her own room now :( Shes getting so big! She went to the dr on thursday for her 2 month check up and got 4 shots. She cried for about 45 seconds then was done and good to go! her stats are:

weight: 12.5 pounds!

height: 22 inches!

so shes apparently short and chubby :) Cuz she was in the 84% for weight and 31% for height..yikes! She also got her ears pierced! She looks so dang cute! She seriously did so good and cried for about a minute then stopped and went to sleep! We love our baby girl so much and are so glad she decided to come to our family! I couldn't even imagine life without her.

Lyla's Blessing

2011-04-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we blessed our princess! Yesterday was perfect. Lyla was wide awake during her whole blessing and didn't make a peep.. we were surrounded by tons of family and friends that came..and the weather was wonderful! Tommy did such an amazing job and gave her the most beautiful blessing. Afterwards we had everyone come over to our house for some yummy food! It was such a great day and I am so grateful to have such a big loving supportive family..and to be a member of this church! I couldn't imagine life without the gospel. Thank you for everyone who came and helped make our baby girls day so special!

7 weeks!

2011-04-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Yep.. my baby is already 7 weeks :( The song Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney now means so much more to me! Lyla was doing better through the night..going in 5-6 hour stretches! Until the last week.. I think shes going through a growth spurt, and possibly has allergies but man oh man.. every 2 or 3 hours of her waking up is killing me! It helps that she finally started smiling! Her little smile seriously makes my day. They are the best! Here are a few cute pictures of our little girl! She seriously has got the chubbiest cheeks ever and they just keep growing! She has started crying real tears now though and its probably the saddest thing in the whole world... It breaks my heart. We are having so much fun with her and can't wait to see what the next few weeks bring!

New Ride :)

2011-04-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

We actually sold my lancer.. after almost 6 years :( I miss it!! but LOVE my new car! We decided with having Lyla we wanted something a little bigger and safer for our family car :)

My Big Girl!

2011-03-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my baby is 1 month old today :( 1 month old and graduated to size 1 diapers on the same day.. i cried! :) ...Its SO fun seeing her grow and develop but breaks my heart at the same time that time is going by so unbelievably fast. She is such a good fun baby and has brought us so much joy! Our family now feels complete with her :) She has started sleeping a little better at night..only wakes up 2 times to eat then goes right back to bed. I have been so lucky so far that we haven't had a REAL bad night where she hasn't gone to bed at all! Lyla is the greatest thing that has ever happened to us and we can't wait to see what the next month brings!

Hair Anyone??

2011-03-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

So not that I'm bored sitting at home with my precious baby girl! But I just have some extra time so if anyone needs their hair done let me know!!

I've had this blog forever but never did anything with it till now so you can visit my blog too!
Rootsnrumors.blogspot.com :)

My Beauty..

2011-03-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

...just a sneak peek of a couple of Lyla's newborn pics we got done...

My friend Laura took them and they turned out so cute! These are just a couple she has edited so I'll post the rest when I get them!

My cute thumb sucker!...

2011-03-01T17:32:00.001-08:00

One Week...

2011-02-25T08:54:00.000-08:00

I'm so sad my little sugar is already a week old. I can't wait to see her little personality and when she starts smiling at us but it seems like the days just fly by right now and i absolutely hate it. Being a mommy is the most amazing thing in the whole world. No words could express my love and gratitude for my heavvenly father for trusting me with this sweet baby girl.... I get so emotional just watching her sleep its kinda ridiculous! Tommy got 2 weeks off work and has been home with us and he will have to go back soon which makes it even harder for time to pass. I love love love spending time with my little family :) Lyla was most definitely worth the wait and trials we went through to get her here! We love you pumpkin!!!!

Lyla Mae Merrill

2011-02-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

born: February 17, 2011
time: 4:38 p.m
weight: 7 pounds 11 ounces

length: 20 1/2 inches

(super flattering pic, i know!)

Well.. she's here!!! 10 days early and completely perfect! Wedensday night I started having contractions so I woke Tommy up and we headed to the hospital about 10:30. By 11 I was hooked up to the machines in triage to monitor my contractions when at about 11:30 my water broke! (glad it was in the hospital bed and not in mine!!) I was at a 1 1/2 and 90% effaced. They admitted us and went ahead and gave me my epidural so I could sleep! At about noon I was still only at a 4 so they went ahead and started me on pitocin. By 2:00 I was at a 6, by 3 an 8, by 4 I was ready to push! And with about 5 pushes and 30 minutes the most beautiful baby came out! :) We had so many visitors in the hospital and now that we have been home..so many people love her so much already! We already couldn't imagine life without her. I'm sad she will already be a week old tommorrow..time is already going by way too fast. So far she has been an amazing baby and a pretty good sleeper! She only wakes up once MAYBE twice a night and usually I have to wake her up to feed her :) Hopefully things stay that way... but I won't hold my breath! My favorite thing to do is sit and watch her and her daddy. Tommy is so good with her and shes already got him so tightly wound around her finger! She loves him :)

daddy holding her for the first time

coming home :)

Baby Shower!

2011-02-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago My mom, sisters and wonderful aunt threw me my baby shower! It was so much fun and turned out so so cute! I did a little owl theme so my sister Stephanie made the cutest owl cake pops and my aunt had the tables decorated so cute! We had delicious salads, and a CREPE bar!! umm.. YUM!!! My sister Kim did some fun games and Miss Lyla got so so so much stuff! I don't understand how a little girl who is not even here yet can have so much stuff! :) Thank you everyone who came and especially those who helped out!

homeless....NO MORE!!

2011-01-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

Thats right, we got our keys!!!!! We are so excited to finally have our own house again.. and at least have SOME time before miss Lyla makes her arrival! Hopefully I can get it all done :) I'll post pictures once were in and its cute but just wanted to share the good news!

3 Years

2011-01-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

I love this man...

But really who couldn't love that face :) .. January 4, 2008. I entered the temple with my very best friend.. and came out his wife and so much more. These Last 3 years have been the most exciting, best, funnest, trying years of my life. We have had our struggles as every couple has but I could never have got through them if it weren't for Tommy being by my side 100% of the time. I love him!!

Some people don't know how we met so I'll break it down real quick... Tommy and my cousin Chad were best friends. Chad and I hung out a bit when Tommy was on his mission (I had never met Tommy before his mission).. So he got home Wednesday August 15, 2007.. That Friday I had some friends over for games and whatever and Chad ended up calling, said his friend Tommy was home from his mission and they were bored.. I said come on over! We met that night.. Tommy was still in his awkward phase where he wouldn't talk or look at me so I thought he was a little strange.. but apparently I left an impression becuase they called me saturday to see a movie and hang out which turned into all day.. then Sunday the 18th they came over to hang out and watch a movie and Tommy went in for the kill and kissed me! I turned into jello and it was all over from there :) (yes, he had only been home 4 days ..so!) We spent everyday together after that and on October 14, 2007 he proposed! ...Then January 4, 2008 I got sealed to him forever and ever and I have never looked back! I love you babe!

engagement

wedding day at the receptionand I had to throw one of Chad in there since he made it all happen :)

New Years

2011-01-07T08:36:00.001-08:00

This year for New Years our friends Justin and Abby invited us out to their house WAY our in Queen Creek :) Its like 5 minutes from our old house.. now I know why people hated coming over! We ate lots of yummy food, watched the ball drop, drank WAY too much martinellis and stayed up too late playing ridiculous games! :) It was so much fun! Unfortunately I have no pictures of that either.. just some videos of the games but without knowing the game they wouldn't be funny to you so I wont post :) Plus Abby would probably kill me.. hmm :)

Christmas 2010!

2011-01-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas is always a busy time of year for us! We've got so many different parties between our 2 families and all the extended family! I love love love christmas time and can't wait till next Christmas when Lyla will be here to spend it with us!! :) We managed to get in christmas lights multiple times, biscuits and gravy, seeing santa, lots of food at both parents and lots of time with family! This year Tommy got me some nice running shoes, a VIDEO CAMERA!!! and roller blades! ha :) Yes, I asked for them and I'm so excited for when I can actually use them! (around my parents kitchen doesn't exactly count!) I got Tommy his very first deer tag and license which his hunt is next weekend! Lots of camo for his hunt and some nice work out shoes. Hope everyone had an amazing Christmas!!
Yes these are the only pictures I have from Christmas..I suck! But this is Tommy showing you his camo beenie :)

30 weeks

2011-01-02T16:08:00.001-08:00

I'm a little late since I'm now 32 weeks but here's the baby bump at 30 weeks!

yes..I took the pics with my crappy phone in the bathroom at work :)

Lyla Mae.. 28 weeks 2 days... ish :)

2010-12-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

We had a dr. appointment today and got to get another ultrasound! Its so fun seeing our baby girl! It seriously never gets old, I could watch her move around all day if he'd let me! She was kicking and punching like crazy! He kept trying to get a profile shot but she would NOT move her hands away from her face long enough to take the picture! We got one of her sucking her thumb though... umm SO CUTE! She was measuring perfect and weighed an estimated 2 pounds 7 ounces :) I can't believe our little punkin will be here in about 12 short weeks! We love her so much already!

Ok, I know they are way hard to see and your probably wont be able to tell what the picture is of even with my explanation but since the scanner is broken I had to take a picture of the picture so... good enough!

This one is of her sucking her thumb :).. The big circle on the right is her head then just to the left is her arm coming up then you can see her little 4 fingers bent over and her thumb missing in her mouth!

This one is her head on the right looking down then her spine runs all along the top of the picture!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving = Lots of family, Lots of football, Lots of staying up late, Lots of shopping and WAY too much food!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

yes I have gotten huge.. I know! :) 26 weeks 4 days

drive-ins!

2010-11-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

I've decided I really love spending time with my husband. I always knew this..but I think with the work and now school schedules which cause a lack of being able to see him often enough for my liking has made me REALLY realize this! So Tuesday night I decided to take him on a date! I picked him up after work, went and got a pizza from spinato's (umm.. delish!!) and headed to the drive-ins :) We made a bed in the back of the truck, ate pizza then cream puffs and snuggled up to watch megamind! It was such nice weather and so fun to spend the evening with just my hubby and I! I highly recommend it :)

And the winner is...

2010-11-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Lyla Mae Merrill :)

A quilt, a name and the bump!

2010-10-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

I decided I wanted to make a blanket for the baby a long time ago. So the day we found out it was a girl I was off to find material! I made one of those rag quilts for one of my nieces a few years ago and loved the way it turned out so I decided to go that route again. I have to say, I'm quite pleased with myself and the result!

Tommy and I knew the name of our baby whether it be a boy or girl before we even knew we were pregnant but I've decided to go ahead and share and get your opinions!

Lylah Mae Merrill :)

but we can't quite seem to agree on spelling... I've always liked Lilah.. Tommy likes Lyla.. I've decided I like the Y well enough but still like the H on the end and he's not so sure. So what do you all think?!

and last but not least... the bump! Here I am in all my prego glory at 21 weeks! sorry not the best picture.. but thats what you get when you ask the hubs to take a picture of the belly!

Jack Johnson!!

2010-10-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

Jack Johnson is one of Tommy's all time favorite musicians. Tommy also loves concerts. Jack hardly ever comes here in concert. Till now!! We found out we were expecting 2 days before fathers day.. so being the awesome wife I am, I got him tickets for Jack! (I got him 2 but let him know right away the other was definitely for me and no one else!) It was a long few months waiting but it finally came and was so amazing! Jack Johnson is such an amazing artist and I loved spending the evening out with Tommy, just us! I love you babe! Happy fathers day daddy :)

Yuma

2010-10-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was able to make a quick trip to Yuma a couple weekends ago for a boutique Kim and Mel were doing at Mels house. (well.. i went to help vacuum, set up, rub on vinyl, babysit kids, yada yada yada... :) jk!) But while I was there I got to watch one of Reddens football games! He did so good and we had so much fun even though his team lost. This was also the first time I'VE left overnight without my hunny :( I missed him!! Yes, its almost been 3 years and we still act like newlyweds but why not?!

Bacher-boo in his uniform!

me and the kiddos at the game

Weenieless!

2010-09-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

That's right.. Were having a girl!!!!! We were totally convinced it was a boy but nope! We are so excited and are so glad we can finally say hers or she instead of ITS! She was measuring pretty much right on our due date give or take a couple days.. hopefully take! :) She will be the 12th grandbaby on my families side (last 5 will be girls now!) and the 18th on tommy's side! We can't wait to meet our little princess!!

yes...that just happened!

2010-09-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

Blame it on the baby... its my excuse!

Speaking of baby.. we had another Dr's appointment this past Tuesday. Got measured, which was right on for our due date.. then... we got to hear babys heartbeat!!! We have gotten to see it on an ultrasound twice becuase with his doppler we weren't able to hear it from being so early so to make sure there was one, he did a quick look.. well this time we didn't need to look, it was loud and clear!!! We are so excited things are still going ok! We have an appointment on the 27th for an ultrasound and get to find out what were having!!! We can't wait! Any guesses?!

Happy Birthday Daddy-o!

2010-08-28T08:49:00.001-07:00

Dad's birthday was August 25th! Since Mom abandoned him and went up to my aunt Debbies cabin I had the privelage of waking up and making him a delicious breakfast of eggs on toast! Then Dad and I, Kim and her girls, and steph and curt and their kiddos all went to Joe's bbq for dinner.. delish! Thanks for everything you do dad, you are the greatest dad anyone could ask for! I love you!!!!

Happy Birthday Toe-Mas!

2010-08-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Tommy is now the big 2-4! He had his birthday while we were camping so we decided thats the day we would go fishing. (I won't tell you he was the only one that DIDN'T catch anything.. poor guy!) But we had moms yummy pancakes and buttermilk syrup for breakfast, and dad made shrimp the size of a small lobster for dinner! which made up for the lack of fish caught for Tommy :) Tommy is such a great man! He is the first to jump if someone needs help, He works so hard so we can be buying our 2nd house! And he recently just started his last semester of school for firefighting and he has school 3 days a week including ALL DAY SATURDAY! boo.. He is so dedicated and is going to be the best Daddy ever! He talks to and listens to my belly every night already and his face lights up everytime we see our little one on that ultrasound machine :) He can't wait to meet him/her! I love you Tommy! Happy late Birthday!

I found my camera!

2010-08-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

You probably didn't know it was missing! But it was.. which is cause for the lack of posting! So Here's what you've missed :) .. We went camping! It was so much fun! My parents and a bunch of their friends took their toy haulers and went up around Big Lake so after work one Thursday Tommy and I headed up. Well, we were about an hour away from the campsite and it was about 8:30 when an ELK JUMPED IN FRONT OF OUR TRUCK!!! are you kidding me!? nope! .. So we had to pry the bumper off the tire so we could drive the truck which is a miracle we even still could drive it! She just jumped right in front of the passenger front (my side, nice!) and knocked out the headlight, broke part of the grille, pushed our bumper back into our tire and cracked our radiator overflow bottle. So we turned around, headed back to show low for the night, then got the truck working in the morning and headed up to camp! We ate way too much, shot guns, went fishing, played lots of games and just had fun! Thanks mom and dad!

by the way, what we thought was not much damage to the truck ended up costing 4300 dollars!! Thank you insurance!

Emotions

2010-07-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

So I know everyone says how emotional you can get with being pregnant. And now that I am 10 weeks tomorrow (YAY!!!) I thought I had been doing pretty good... until this week! Goodness gracious this kid is killing me :) I don't know who of you are country fans but it is by far my favorite type of music. So for those of you who are, the house that built me by Miranda Lambert came on as I was driving home from work the other day. I've heard this song many many times and love it. This same line tugs at my heart every time I hear the song but this time I lost it.. "I bet you didn't know, under that old oak, my favorite dog is buried in the yard." I miss my Chedder :( I'll leave it at that. But then TODAY I heard the song I saw God today by good old George Strait and I balled like a baby throughout the whole song! Tommy thinks I'm crazy.. he's probably right! :) Anyway I just wanted to write down a few things I guess more for journaling purposes about how this pregnancy has been so far. Other than still being pretty dang sick everything else is going ok! We go to the Dr tomorrow and will see how our little pumpkin is doing!

2010-07-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

SYMPTOMS:

exhaustion
nausea
heartburn
nausea
throwing up
tired
......

DIAGNOSIS:

almost 8 weeks PREGNANT :)

YAY!!!!!! surprise! Tommy and I are expecting! I have been on progestrone and some other meds and on Monday we were able to go to the Dr and we saw a heartbeat! Words cannot express our gratitude and happiness for this sweet blessing in our lives! We wanted to wait till after the first trimester but we were too excited so we are just praying this is the one :) We are due Feb 27th!! Dr. Holmes says since this is the furthest we have gotten and with seeing a heartbeat, (and not to mention the 2-3 times of visiting the porcelain throne a day!) we have a 95% chance of holding onto this baby till we can hold it in our arms! We will keep you posted after our next appointment in a couple weeks to make sure things are still going good!

So long.. farewell

2010-07-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well its been awhile so heres the latest... we moved! It's a Bitter sweet feeling.. we hated the drive out to our house but LOVED our home! It was our first home :( But we found a renter, packed up our house.. and moved it into a bedroom at my mom and dads! :) We have an offer on another home on Recker and Williamsfield but are playing the waiting game with the bank.. Dang short sales!..

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving... :)

2010-06-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

Happy 30th Birthday Steph and Bri!
Yes, their birthday was June 2nd so yes im 5 days late... but better late then never! We had a little party at mom and dads last night to celebrate! Did I mention they are 30?! :) Love you guys!

My own EMT!

2010-05-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

After lots of school, lots of studying, and a couple attempts....Tommy got his EMT!

Merrill De Mayo!

2010-05-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

This year for cinco de mayo tommy and i decided to get back to our mexican roots and throw a party :) ... (or we just used it as an excuse to have a party..either way!) there was lots of food, games and friends and the night was pretty fun!

Tommy hand painted this awesome face board! impressed yet?!

Tommy and Brent playing soda pong.. (i think they were losing!)

going going back back to Cali Cali.. :)

2010-05-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

This last weekend Tommy and I decided to take a trip to Disneyland! After the few months we've had we decided we needed a break! So we headed up to Yuma Wednesday to stay the night with the Rojas fam! Then thursday we headed up to LA, checked into the hotel then headed down to Bubba Gumps! (any of you that read my Hawaii post knows how much we love Bubba!) then Friday was Disneyland all day then Saturday we hit the beach, and did some shopping before we headed back to Yuma to spend the night with the kiddos again! Swimming & ping pong! :) We had so much fun! lots of pics below!

This guy was outside of Bubbas and had the torch from the china olympics..pretty cool

seriously Tommy got a pound and a half of shrimp....and ate the WHOLE BUCKET

Indiana Jones!

in action spinning the tea cups! All the other cups were slowly spinning..then there was ours!

Tommy getting dizzy on the tea cups!

I work at Gunnells...it was a must

Tommy and the FIRE pole at the disneyland fire dept :)....

p.s. I've been working on some projects lately! pics to come!!!

Hair Anyone?!

2010-04-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

Anyone need their hair did?! Let me know!!

How many men?....

2010-04-10T17:19:00.001-07:00

Does it take to start a lawn mower?!

Driving range

2010-04-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to the driving range with Aaron and Laura :) While the boys actually hit balls me and Laura posed for pictures!

it took her like 5 minutes to get the ball on the tee!

Knight FHE

2010-04-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

The monday before Easter we had FHE at my parents house. They were going to be in Utah over Easter so they wanted to get everyone togehter before.. We had egg hunts, a lesson, lasagna and lemon bundt cake.. DEE-LISH!

...some pictures from the night!...

Looking on the bright side

2010-03-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to write about this but today I read a family friends blog that really touched me and I decided to go ahead. So most of you that read my blog know about the miscarriage we had back in November. It was devastating..it was the hardest thing i've ever been through and it broke my heart. Well on March 8th after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, we found out we were expecting once again. We were so excited, it felt like things were going to start looking up again. Then saturday came. I started having some cramping and bleeding and all the worry came back.

My dr. got me in Monday morning for an ultrasound. He couldn't see anything which led him to 3 options.
A-I was pregnant just not far enough along to see yet.
B-I was miscarrying again.
C-it was ectopic
Well at this point I was obviously devasted once again. 2 of the 3 options were not good news..and the other didn't seem promising since that still didn't explain the bleeding.

So I went and had blood work done to see what my number levels read. They came back low which shows once again, we lost the beginnings of our sweet baby. I was sad, discouraged, angry, and at peace all at once. I had my time and days to cry, to sulk, to take lots of bubble baths and cry some more.. then I decided I'm going to do my best to be happy. To look on the brighter side of things. Maybe that baby would've had a complication, not been able to live a normal life..Maybe this was heavenly fathers way of avoiding a lifetime of trial by giving us this one? So we are moving forward. We are having fun together and loving spending time just us. Our baby will come. Its hard to be patient and sometimes understand, but were trying :)

Easter Pageant

2010-03-26T14:45:00.001-07:00

Me and Tommy went to the Easter Pageant last night with our friends Aaron and Laura. Its the same every year but I still get so touched seeing it! It was beautiful! We grilled some burgers from Aj's then headed down to the temple to save seats and eat some delicious DQ!

Me and Laura at the pageant!

And this is what happens when I try to take a picture of me and Tommy...

attempt #1

Attempt #2

Attempt #3 ... :)

I've found a new love....

2010-03-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

for SEWING! :) I really have been wanting to learn how to sew for awhile now. So for my birthday back in September Tommy bought me a sewing machine! Then...it sat... and sat...and sat... till NOW! I decided to be crafty :) In our master bedroom we dont have a door on the bathroom, just the "poop closet" as Tommy refers to it... so when Tommy wakes up super early the light shines right in my face while im still snoozing away! So I decided to get some curtains for convenience and cuteness. Well I bought some, and they were about half the door length TOO SHORT! (oops!..) So I decided I was going to get some cute fabric, cut the black ones in half, add the fabric and some cute trim in the middle! Easy enough right? I got out my machine and trusty little manual and went to town! Im quite impressed with how they turned out!!

BEFORE:
AFTER:

k and yes I know everyone and their mom has made curtains before, but this was my very first time sewing ALL BY MYSELF! so humor me :)

And Trigger makes 4.. :)

2010-03-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

Well we went against our better judgement and got another pooch! :) Tommy didn't want another male Boxer just becuase that would be too hard. So instead we got a blue Queensland Heeler. His name is Trigger and he is the cutest little thing :) Hes about 9 weeks now and him and Tolly have so much fun together.. yes even considering the size difference! So.. Meet Tommys new buddy Trig!

They like to chew on rawhide sticks together :)

Tolly Pop

2010-02-27T07:24:00.000-08:00

Me and Tolly girl have become buds :) She is such a sweet dog but has always just been very hyper.. Lately ive been giving her a lot of one on one time and its been very helpful to the both of us! even tommy has been showing her attention :) shh dont tell him I told you though! Yesterday Tolly got pampered. She got a bath, ears cleaned, nails clipped and painted .. he he! .. a new and improved collar, and a 5 star meal. She hasnt been eating too well since the incident and I fed her yesterday morning before work and when I got home it was still completely full :( So she got some chopped up salami and warm water with chicken bouillon in it poured on top... spoiled?! yep! But thats nothing compared to my mamas pups! Now we just need to work on the hyper-ness! any tips??

Our sweet Ched..

2010-02-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

our poor sweet chedder past away Sunday. We miss him so much... Him and Tolly were play wrestling when her bottom jaw got stuck in his collar and they twisted them up so much he couldn't breathe... He was our baby. We got him at 7 weeks and have had him for a year and a half. He became a daddy in November and was just the best dog ever. He had such a fun, unique personality and everyone loved him. I feel like I lost a huge part of my family. We dont have kids yet so we treated our pups like they were our babies. They went with us everywhere and were truly part of our family. We were so attached to him and this has been really hard on us :( We will miss him... We love you Chedder

this is my favorite picture...

Me and my buddy

Ched and one of his babies

he hog tied himself to this log while we were camping :)

see his smile? :)

We miss you buddy... :(

catch up

2010-02-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

February is already here and I've got some catching up to do! With such a big family on both sides there is always a birthday! its only the 4th and we've already got 4! so 1st...

Happy Birthday Miss Karsyn!

i can't believe you are already 1 years old :) Happy 13th! Birthday Corey!

Happy 4th! Birthday Reanna!!!

Happy 4th! Birthday Matthew Paul-a Walker :)

We love you all and hope you have a wonderful birthday!!!!

Next, Happy Anniversary to my wonderful in-laws! I don't remember how many years.. i think 37?! But I am so lucky to have such great in-laws! I hope you had a wonderful anniversary! We love you!!

January 4th 2008

2010-01-15T17:38:00.001-08:00

That is the day I got sealed to My best Friend... FOREVER! and now its been 2 whole years! can you believe it?! Me either! Tommy is the greatest husband, friend, companion ever! He always makes me smile and laugh.. he treats me better then I couldve ever asked for and he makes me a better person. I am still as crazy for him as I was the day I said we do :) We have this tradition of "dates to remember" by celebrationg them at monti's! So we continued the tradition and went this year too. We also went snowboarding! We used our christmas presents and went up to sunrise after new years! We had so much fun and once again, no broken bones! only sore bums, arms, legs, necks, and every other part possible I didn't even know I had a muscle in! :) We stayed in a very pretty hotel room with a jacuzzi and fireplace (thanks to my friend Nicole!) and had a great anniversary! I love you babes!!!
:)

a little excited for snowboarding?!

at Montis! .. yum!Happy 2 year anniversary thomas!

I just had to put this picture in :) It was on the way to Show Low and no i did not positiong them like that! They are just cute!

christmas eve, christmas, and new years eve!

2010-01-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas is my very favorite time ever! Its a busy busy time, but my favorite! We had mel, gabe and the boys... and RUBY in town! which is always so fun! We had lots of parties between the 2 sides and lots of game night get togethers :) For christmas me and tommy got BIKES! (beach cruisers to be exact!) and snowboarding clothes for the trip we took for our anniversary! (later post!) I have lots of pictures from the fun holidays so beware :)

-We had our first real christmas together as in living in our own house with our own tree and decorations and everything! here are a few pics from the fun of decorating :)

the lights for the tree Tommy picked out .... as you can see, they were bush lights! dork

decorating our tree!

the finished product :)

Christmas Eve consisted of going to my parents and eating delicious potato soup and playing games! (i kicked their butts!!)

Kinsley and Grandma dancing to the christmas music :)

This year for Christmas me and Tommy got bikes and snowboarding clothes! GANGSTAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

For New Years Eve this year we first went to Tommys parents house for a Merrill Family reunion. It was so good seeing everyone! We ate yummy hamburgers and steves beans which were delightful! Then we headed over to Kim and Jasons for more games, rockband, headband making, and Martinellis!! While everyone was playing Emma took the liberty of going around and getting everyones close-ups :) proceed with caution!

mom looking fabulous... he he

yum right?!

Mims

yes, i still claim him as my hubby!

pure perfection

and durty curt!

Happy New Year! Hope everyones new years was as great as ours! (yes, tommy purposely rocked the drunk face....)

by the way... I started this post over a week ago but my computer would only cooperate and let me upload like 2 photos a day so it took awhile!

2009-12-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

So the last few days have been a rough few for me. For some reason I have felt very lonely and sad for myself. My best friend Holly had her baby. He is adorable and I am so happy for her. But then another friend had her baby.. a sis-in-law is due any day.. and another friend found out what they are having.. and it continues and continues.. I want my baby. I want to be having all the experiences of being pregnant with all my friends. I want to be finding out what Im having in the next couple weeks like i shouldve been. I want that amazing connection you and your spouse get with feeling the baby kick and going to dr appointments and all the other fun things that happen. I have been edgy and grumpy lately and I feel I have taken most of it out on my husband which is the last person who deserves it. Tommy is amazing. He is an amazing person and an even more amazing husband. He brings me home roses almost every week.. he cleans the house.. he does the laundry.. he tells me more in one day how special I am and how much he loves me then some wives hear in a week. I love him so much and can't even remember what my life was like before he was in it. And i dont want to! I feel like in some ways this couldve been a secret blessing becuase I have come to appreciate my husband much more and absolutely LOVE the time I get to spend with just him!! We have so much fun even when were just sitting at home cooking dinner together or watching a movie together or taking our dogs on a walk :) We have a beautiful house, 2 running vehicles, jobs, 2 special pups, wonderful families that are all mostly close.. I have been blessed in so many ways and .sometimes need to sit back and look at them all when im feeling sorry for myself. Thank you for everyone making our trials lately much easier.. our families are amazing

2009-11-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post in case everyone hasn't heard, Tommy and I lost the baby. I went in for a d&c yesterday. Thank you everyone for your love, support, and prayers. We love and appreciate all of you.

Maui 09'

2009-11-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

This summer we had the amazing opportunity to go to Maui! We went with our good friends (tommys cousin and wife!) Chase and Nicole. We stayed in a beautiful hotel and had so much fun!! We did lots of site seeing, ocean swimming, shopping, EATING (way more then needed!! and Snorkeling! That was by far my favorite part! (well that and bubba gumps! :) ) we went on a boat out to molokini which is a 1/2 sunken crater and they let you snorkel with the most amazing looking fish, then they feed you and take you to a place they call turtle town where we got to swim and snorkel with sea turtles!!! it was AWESOME!!! We had so much fun and I cant wait to go back. here are some random pics of the adventure! pics are in no order!

the cool aquarium
falls at the hana

my goofball tommy!

gorgeous view at a stop off on hana

on the road to hana

on the snorkeling boat

getting ready to snorkel!

our waitor and us the 2nd night i believe :)

one of the 2 nights we went there in a row! heck yeah we did!!

our homemade hot tub! :) (the one for the hotel was always packed!)

shopping at lahaina

yum!

the bedroom

living room cute little kitchen

our amazing bathroom

my cute hubby making fresh fruit smoothies!

my hearty breakfast that included mt dew (duh!) golden grahams, toast with peanut butter, banana bread, and pineapple :)

the cutest and YUMMIEST shaved ice stand we found

SEVEN....Seriously?!

2009-11-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

So remember my last post about puppies and having a week or 2..yeah well i lied. THEY'RE HERE!!! All 7 of the little monsters! -she had 8 but one didn't make it :( - They are cute as can be! Well, kinda :) they are in the newborn rodent looking phase but are so tiny cant help but to be cute! They will be adorable in a week or 2 when their eyes are open and they grow into their heads and are more mobile :) but i promised pictures so here you are!

look at them all sleep in a row :)

tired mama and her pups!

look how small they are :) isn't he cute?!

puppies anyone?!

2009-11-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

Thats right, things are busy here at the Merrill house! Babies, and now puppies!! Our boxers are having puppies :) My babies are having babies.. now I feel like mom! ha :) Shes huge and about to pop! Were thinking she will have them in a week or 2! So if anyone is interested (brian!)... :) Ill post pictures when the little monsters are here!

mama
mama being huge!

papa :)

Happy birthday Steph and Bri

2009-06-15T10:39:00.001-07:00

My twin siblings Steph and Brian's birthday was on June 2nd! (they are 29!!!!) ha! although if you ask Bri he might tell you 30 cuz he can't remember with his old age! dorkus :) I love you guys and hope you had a wonderful birthday!
typical Brian face!
and typical steph face :) he he

Kamri Leigh Carroll

2009-06-15T10:16:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am way late! who gives... :) I had the most amazing opportunity of watching this sweet little girl be born. Thanks Kim! yes, at first I was not so sure I wanted to go through this myself, adoption WAS looking like a fabulous choice...but it would just not be the same! I am so excited to have my own when the time comes. Kim did such a good job and was so strong even though her epidural had worn off. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I think I will forever have a special bond with little Kamri. She is the cutest little girl! Thanks for letting me be in the room mims! Love you both!... (these pictures are out of order cuz this computer is being retarded!)

Tawni and Ballard Ballard! :)

2009-06-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

So I never posted about one of my best friends wedding. I am the worst I know :( But my very good friends Tawni and Daniel finally tied the knot on March 14th! They are perfect for each other and I am so glad they found one another. Tawni looked absolutely beautiful! I love you guys!

MIRACLE workers...i promise!

2009-05-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

So Tommy says I spend too much on hair products... psh! WHATEVER! a girl can NEVER have too many products.. thats like saying they have too many shoes or purses... :) Anyway, I have a few products that I LIVE by and thought I would share with YOU how my hair is always so beautiful! HA!! just kidding, really!!

UNO:

PUREOLOGY = AmA za zing!!! kinda expensive, which is why you ask the hubby for it on a little holiday/occasion :) works everytime!

DOS:

Chi silk infusion!... works great as a leave in conditioner type /a thermal protectant PLUS put a tad on after your hair is styled and it smoothes down the fly-aways!

TRES:

I love Bed Head.. not your hair when you first wake up bed head :) But the product line bed head.. my favorite of all favorites! This mousse is by far my favorite!

CUATRO:

And last but DEFINITELY not least... rockaholic DRY shampoo! I want to kiss whoever invited this genious stuff. It is my new favorite product of all time... (now thats saying a lot!) Its for the days you just dont want to wake up extra early to wash your hair (which is pretty much everyday for me!).. you spray it in, fluff and go! It refreshes in between washes and takes the grease right away! I told you... Amazing!

Good things come to those who wait.....

2009-04-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

PICTURES! you wanted them... you got them! lots of them... so quit bugging me :) jk

living room/ great room

another angle of living room

yes my kitchen is GREEN!

my cute hair room/ salon!... yes green also :)

hallway/ guest bathroom

the exciting hallway!

master bath

our cute bedroom :)

other angle of our bedroom

There ya have it! The Merrill's crib-dizzle :)

My Sweet Husband..

2009-04-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

I know everyone says they have the best husband..but you area all mistaken. Cuz you see, I have the BEST husband ever! Tommy is such a goof and always tries to do anything to make me laugh or smile. He is my best friend and I am so lucky to have him. We have so much fun whatever we are doing..even if we are sitting at home making dinner or redboxin it up.. we are constantly laughing! He is so thoughtful and suprises me everyday. Every other week or so when we make our walmart trips (its the only thing out by us and has become a pretty exciting endeavor!).. he goes missing for a few minutes then shows up with the prettiest tulips (which are my absolute favorite flower!) that they had that day! He is so hard working and jumps at the chance to help anyone. My dad went out of town and Tommy did a whole watering system for his garden for him (thought of the idea all on his own!) ..Then this weekend his parents went out of town and we all pitched in and painted and decorated and cleaned their house for them! He recently just got a 2nd job part time after he gets off Town of Queen Creek at a tree nursery out here in QC. ( see what I mean about hard working!) He is going to try going back to school for his fire fighting in the fall and he just signed up to take his state EMT test. Anyway, just wanted to brag a little about how much fun I have with my husband and how much I love him!! :) I love you Thomas!!!

just a few pictures of the many faces of Tommy :)

Knight Fam Camping!

2009-04-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

Last friday night we were able to go camping with my whole fam.. well almost! We missed you steph and sammy and bri, jess and annie! We had so much fun though! We rode quads, ate indian fry bread, roasted marshmallows, and crammed 12 people in the toy hauler! Whats not to love about camping?! :) We were only able to go up for friday night but loved every minute of it! Thanks mom and dad!!!!!

Im only 21!

2009-04-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

ok so we just moved into our new ward like 2 1/2 - 3 months ago. So still brand new! I've met a few families and members but not many. No one has even come to welcome us yet so we thought we were in the clear :)... wrong! We get a call the other night asking if we could meet with bishop before church sunday...oh dang... I say yes and we head down to the church 30 minutes early. We go into bishops office, meet the bishopric then sit down. Bishop talks to Tommy for a few minutes and asks if hes nervous and what not. He then says well brother Merrill, we called you in here today to issue your wife a calling! WHAT!!! NO! So of course Tommy has a grin on his face from ear to ear while they call me to the position of "compassionate service LEADER." Your kidding right?! I'm only 21, isn't that a job for the older more established ladies in the ward?! I don't know whether to take it as a compliment on they think I have lots of compassion to do this job, or they think I dont have enough and need lots more! hmm.... Well I accepted and headed off. I then call my mom and sisters to tell them the news when they all inform me of how big of job that is... suck... I guess I should've known when I founf out there has been 13 babies born in our ward since january! yes I said 13.... well, I'm hoping its a blessing in disguise :) jk..I am excited and hope I can fulfill my calling how I am expected to! If anyone has any pointers feel free to comment! wish me luck :)

Hair!

2009-04-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

In my new house we turned our den into a cute little salon room for me with my station and chair and everything. only thing is, I dont have a steady amount of clients yet. I would like to do a lot more hair than I do now! So if anyone is needing their hair done, let me know! Yes we are out in BFE now...but ill work with ya! :) I do color, cuts, extensions! , and lots more...so leave me a comment and we will work something out!

Sammy Jewel

2009-04-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

Samantha Jewel Walker has arrived! I know im like 3 late but better late than never! ( its because my computer is lame spice!) We are so excited to welcome samantha to our family. Shes just as cute as Emma and Matthew! :) Congrats Steph and Curt! We love yoU!

The Merrill Fire Dept.

2009-04-08T21:22:00.000-07:00

One Saturday we had a brilliant idea to go to Lowes and buy some wood and make our pups a dog house. So we (mostly Tommy!) started building in our garage so the dogs wouldn't bug us out in the yard. Well we got it all done except for paint and the shingles and decided to move it to the backyard. Small problem....it didn't fit throught the house doorway OR the gate! and it weighed a thousand pounds! So at like 9 o clock at night we had to have our neighbor and his son and our friend brent that lives down the street come over to help. 2 of them were on our neghbors side of the fence and 2 on our side lifting it over the fence :) It was quite the ordeal but worth it! The dogs love it and we think it turned out pretty dang cute!

date night!

2009-04-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

My cousin Chad who is also Tommys best friend came into town last weekend (he lives in Washington now!) So we decided to set him up on a date with one of my good friends Christina who I went to beauty school with. We went and ate at Yc's Mongolian grill (YUM!) then went bowling. It was so fun :)

Birthdays Bithdays Birthdays... :)

2009-03-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

So March is full of birthdays for our families... But My sister in law Sandi's birthday was Monday (once again, sorry its late I don't have the net!! ahhh) and my sister in law Natalie's is today! So ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATE!!!

you are an amazing sister! and mother and friend :) I am so glad to be part of your family :) Hope you have a wonderful birthday! and hopefully we will get to see more of ya :)

And....

HAPPY (late) BIRTHDAY SANDI!!!

you are so amazing!! I love hanging out with you and having another best friend! You are such a great mom to Tate and Karsyn and Im grateful to have you as an example in my life! I hope you had a wonderful birthday! :)

2009-03-18T12:19:00.001-07:00

This has to be the cutest song I've heard in a long time! :)

Brad Paisley: Then

I remember trying not to stare
the night that I first met you,
you had me mesmerized,
And three weeks later, in the front porch light,
taking 45 minutes just to kiss goodnight.
I hadnt told you then,
that I loved you then

And now youre my whole life,
And now youre my whole world,
And I just cant believe the way I feel about you girl,
Like a river needs the sea, Stronger than its ever been,
We've come so far since that day,
And I thought I loved you then.

I remember taking you back to where I first met you,
You were so surprised
There were people around, but I didnt care,
I got down on one knee right there,
and once again
I thought I loved you then,

And now youre my whole life,
And now youre my whole world,
And I just cant believe the way I feel about you girl,
Like a river needs the sea, Stronger than its ever been,
We've come so far since that day,
And I thought I loved you then

I can just see you, with a baby on the way
I can just see you, when your hair is turning gray
What I cant see is how Im ever gonna love you more
But Ive said that before

Now your my whole life
Now your my whole world
I just cant believe the way I feel about you girl,
We'll look back someday at this moment
And ill look at you and say
And I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then

Happy Birthday Shawn!

2009-03-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my sister-in-law Shawnie's birthday! Sorry im late, we still don't have internet at home! :( ... I am so lucky to have such a wonderful sister in law and so close in age! I'm excited to have kids that will grow up together :) hope you had a wonderful birthday! We love you!!

3rd times a charm???

2009-03-09T16:10:00.001-07:00

Do you still use this phrase if its for something negative? I'm not sure.... well let me just tell you about my husband and his LEAD foot. He got pulled over once probably 5 or 6 months ago for not signaling while he changed lanes (apparently the cop had NOTHING better to do!) but got away with a warning... THEN he got pulled over a few months later going criminal speed on ironwood but somehow managed to get away with ANOTHER warning! Lucky? I think so... but then!... Sunday we were driving northbound down Higley almost to Queen creek (my husband going ONLY 17 over..ha) and got pulled over AGAIN! this time was Not so lucky.... he got a ticket! a $270 dollar ticket. Just what we need... And on top of that we didn't have a current insurance card so he wrote us up for that! Wanna know how much that little detail costs us... $976 buckaroos!!! Good thing we can get it waved if we take proof of insurance to the courthouse. Moral of the story...dont let your husband drive a bright red truck if he likes to speed! Maybe he will have to start driving my cute girly little lancer.. we'll see!

Ms. Kinsley!

2009-03-04T09:20:00.000-08:00

Happy (late :( ) bithday Kinsley! My beautiful niece turned 2 yesterday! I can't believe how big she is! She is so fun and has such the cutest little personality! We got to live with them for a few months and so it was fun to see her everyday and watch her little stages we went through. She is one spoiled little girl :) he he- Shes gonna be such a big sister, we can't wait till Kamri finally arrives! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KINSLEY!!! we love you!!

Kinsley RAWR! :)

My Valentine..

2009-02-27T12:04:00.000-08:00

So yes, I'm pretty lame and haven't posted much lately. There is a valid reason though! We FINALLY moved into our house! yay!! Well, now we can't pick up our neighbors wi-fi :) he he- so we don't have internet at out house yet! So I post these awesome blurbs from work which means no pictures sadly :( plus im lame and forget to take pictures when I really should! so much for buying a new camera when I soaked mine in the lovely salty ocean water huh?! :) Anyway.. my valentines was so good! I had the day off so me and tommy got to sleep in.. then he made me a wonderful breakfast of eggs and bacon and toast and everything else you can imagine! Then we cleaned the house TOGETHER went shopping TOGETHER, cooked treats (ok that was just me!) while he played wii...boys!... then we had some friends over for a valentines/house warming get together for games and food! It was amusing and I had a wonderful day! but the BEST part... my amazing husband bought me gallons of PUREOLOGY shampoo and conditioner! how amazing is he! about amazing as the conditioner feels on my head :) if you havent tried it, you should! its pretty pricey though which is why it was a gift for a special occasion.. my husbands so thoughtful! I hope all of your valentines was as blissful as mine! Happy be-lated Valentines Day!

-next post WILL have pictures, I promise! (ok i dont promise, but ill try real hard!) ... and house pictures coming soon FOR SURE!

Pay it Forward!

2009-02-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a gift (Maybe handmade) from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. There's a small catch though...Post this same thing on your own blog and then come back and leave a comment telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift!

Grandma Jo

2009-02-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Grandma Jo's birthday! I had the privelage of meeting grandma a few times before she passed away and feel very blessed to know her. She was an amazing woman who had a huge impact on her kids and grandkids lives. I wish I could have got to know her more! We love and miss you Grandma Jo!

Happy Anniversay Mom and Dad Merrill!

2009-02-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

Happy 30(something!) i cant remember :) Anniversary! I hope you went out and celebrated and that it was as good as Mine and Tommys! :) but i hope steve was nicer than my husband and didn't decorate your car to tell the world you were prego! We love you!

Happy BE-lated Birthday!... sorry :(

2009-02-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

Corey and Reanna! our nephew Corey celebrated his birthday February 2nd and Nanna's was on the 3rd! We hope you guys had a wonderful birthday! :) I can't believe how old everyone is getting! We love you guys!!

Matthew Paul... Awalker!

2009-02-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

Happy 3rd Birthday bug! Today Is our nephew Matthews 3rd birthday! I can't believe he's already 3! steph you are getting old! :) he he.. poor Samantha has an old mommy! ...Matthew is the funniest little stinker ever! He is either really sweet or a real booger! But whatever his mood is, he says the funniest things I have ever heard! One in particular me and Tommy find funny is his name. His name is Matthew PAUL Walker. Well the other day he kept saying his name was matthew paulA walker. So Steph tried to say it slow and broken up so he would hear each individual name and she says Matthew... Paul... and then Matthew chimes in and says Awalker!!! :) He is the sweetest little boy and we love you matthew Paul Awalker! :)

and steph I expect to see this cake made by YOU at peter piper tonight!

Tolly girl!... :)

2009-01-26T08:29:00.001-08:00

We have yet another edition to the Merrill Fam! TOLLY!!! :) Ever since we got Ched we decided we wanted to get another puppy so they would have someone to play with and because well.. 2 is just better! I really like Boston Terriers but Tommy says they look to much like pugs which he thinks are the ugliest creature ever (sorry mom!...and stitch!). Well we started looking for puppies we both liked when we thought of boxers. I always thought they were cute but came from a family that had mostly smaller inside dogs so never dreamed of owning one. Well tommy had other plans... he convinced me. So HE picked out boxers and then got to pick out Ched AND named him! So I told him I get to pick out MY dog next and he agreed. So I was getting my boston. :) well then I got to thinking Ched really is the cutest dog EVER and would probably make some dang cute puppies if we got another girl boxer. Which led us to Tolly! I found her on craigslist.. she is already 6 months old but so is ched and the guy just couldn't take care of her anymore so I convinced Tommy she needed a good home with another puppy and that Ched was lonely. So we got her! Shes way super cute too! A little hyper which is a big difference from Ched since he is the most calm relxed laid-back dog I've ever met! especially since hes only 6 months! But they have so much fun together and are so fun to watch play :) so introducing ms. Tolly... :)

our 2 babies :) .....oh I mean PUPPIES!

I don't think Tol was too fond of riding in the back of the truck at first cuz she lept going under chedders legs and making him stand over her :)

Happy 1 year anniversary! ... baby on board :)

2009-01-05T14:17:00.000-08:00

Sunday was mine and Tommy's 1 year anniversary! crazy huh!! it seems like yesterday everyone came to our reception and watched my mom get crazy and throw her clothes on people! :) Well we celebrated it Saturday and to celebrate we ate dinner at Monti's...yum!!! then spent the night at the same hotel we did our wedding night. ( we also saw seven pounds, AMAZING!!!) But it was a very fun year and a very nice evening with my husband!

As for the baby on board part..... NO, im not pregnant! :( We were talking about kids one night and since I am a woman, I of course said when he's ready I would not be opposed becuase of course I want a baby! Well... Saturday he had my car for half the day then decided to switch me at my work. He took me outside to my car with my eyes closed and revealed my decorated car to me. Cute?? not really! All the windows had shoe polish on them that said things like Hurray, baby on board, congrats mommy, welcome to earth! and in my backseat... a carseat With a baby doll in it WITH a bib that says I love my mom With a bottle AND a baby balloon! How mean is my husband!!! He thinks he's pretty funny!!! as you can all guess though, I didn't think it was too funny :(

Me and my "baby" ...hints the frownie face!
family photo :)

my awesome car

New Years Eve

2009-01-05T14:02:00.001-08:00

This year for New Years Eve, we didn't really have any big plans so we decided last minute to stop off at Steph and Curts house! We had some snacks, played some games, but mostly watched many awesome disney movies with the kiddos! :) woo hoo so fun! (no offense steph!) ha ha.. jk! Hope everyones 2009 is good to them! Happy New Year!

celebrating the new year!
the sisters

I finally got her hands off her face!

kims famous pose...again

wow... not much more to say than that!

now for Gabe's famous pose

Christmas 2008

2009-01-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was very fun and hectic! It being the first year of marriage, we of course tried to juggle both sides of the family..which isn't as easy as you think it would be! :) We had our Jennings family get together Tuesday night, then spent christmas eve at my parents where my mom made yummy brocolli soup and bread bowls! Then we spent Christmas morning with my family and then went to grandma and pa knights for the biscuits & gravy get together :) it was delicious as always! Then it was off to the Merrill's for some family fun as well! We were so glad to spend so much time together with family this holiday season! We love all of you!!

Me and tommy at the Jennings get together

Annie was real excited about Elmo :)
moms new cricut!

dads sweet digital camerMel on christmas morning! ... she tried to hide! look where it got you!

attempt of all the kiddos minus matthew who wouldnt sit still!

peppy and matthew

Ryder and Santa!

oh gabe... :) he's special!

Knight bowling

2009-01-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Bowling has always been a competitve sport within our family. Especially between mom and dad! Well then Melanie decided she was the best..then Gabe thought HE was the best... and now Brian thinks HE is the best... so we had to test it out! We went bowling twice while Mel and the boys were here and I have to say, things got a little ugly! :) I wont name names... (MELANIE!!!) ... he he.. the fist go around, Mom whooped us all! Then the second go around I think Brian took the cake, maybe Gabe. I dont remember! oh well! anyway, it was a lot of fun.. and to prove what a bunch of dorks my family really is, enjoy the pics!
Kims famous pose.. and her weirdo husband :)

my 1/2 retarded sister ... AND brother-in-law

momacita!

Ronaldo

Bri and Jess

Redden-bacher

ryder genie wenie

Annie bananie

camping!

2009-01-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

So some of our good friends Chase and Nicole and us decided to go camping! Tommy had not been camping since he got hom from his mission, and I dont remember the last time I went either. So us and Ched, and them and Fiona and Lilly loaded up and took a quick weekend camp trip! It was so much fun! Except it rained all night! :) It didnt start till after we all got in bed but still, all our stuff got soaked!!! But besides that, we had lots of fun with you guys and need to do it again soon!!
Chedder in his sweater :)

Chase and Nicole
my awesome dog that wrapped himself around the stump, then rested his head on it instead of fighting it!

the boys

the girls!

the 3 dogs trying to eat and drink all at the same time, all out of the same dish!