Happy Birthday Jill!

 Joke Maker. Diaper changer. Yummy cook.

Clever. Common sence giver. Good conversationalist. Creative. Cute handwritting. Hiker. Sign Maker. Bad knees : )

 Wife. Mother. Friend. Thoughtful sister.

Happy Birthday!



Christmas Catch up....

For the past few years the Merrill family Christmas party is held a week after Christmas. This year it was at Heidi's house. We have mexican food and a white elephant party, its fun to gather together every year as family.

Daisy getting ready for the party.

I am not sure what we're doing here... just adoring the baby I guess.

Daisy has enough hair that it can be clipped, although it isn't an easy task to put it in her hair.

hmmmm.... : )

This was the kids Christmas game. They passed gifts around and when the music stopped they got to keep the gift in their lap.

Pete, Mel, and Daisy.

This is sad but this one of the only pictures of Aaron, me and Daisy... I should probable do something about that.

And sisters....

Daisy's Blessing...

This post is a little behind, but Daisy was blessed a few Sunday's ago. It was a good day. Aaron gave a very sweet blessing and we had a lot of family come to support Daisy.

Cousins on the Merrill side.

Great Grandma & Grandpa Brooks

Aunt Heather and Daisy.

Great Grandma & Grandpa Davis.

Four generations.

Grandpa Steve & and Grandma Rena.

And all the Merrill side except John, but he was there in spirit : )

Yummy Whole Wheat Pancakes....

WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES

2 c. whole wheat flour

3 tbsp. sugar/Splenda mixture
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk (skim works fine)
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
6 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (optional)

Preheat griddle to medium heat, spray with Pam or equivalent, use 1/3 cup measuring cup to dispense evenly. Cook until bubbles appear on top, flip.

This is really good.

Happy Birthay Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom! This post may be a few days late, but better late then never. I am thankful for this great lady. She is a great friend, mom, grandma, wife, and example.

Here are some of my memories of my mom growing up.

I always loved coming through the door after school and smelling fresh home made bread. All through school starting in the first grade till graduation, the best days were the days when I got to eat homemade bread with butter and honey with my mom after school.

She loves books and loves learning from books. But one of my favorite things about my mom's love for books is her knowledge of the best children's books. One of my favorite things about my mom growing up was she always read us a book before bedtime... and I not ashamed to say that it even occasionally happened through jr. high. She was and still is a very good book reader as I am sure her grand kids would agree.

My mom is a very good seamstress. I had some very cool Halloween costumes growing up. My two favorite were the 4th and 5th grade costumes. For the 4th grade she made me a Harry Potter costume out of purple velvet and put sparkly stars all over it. I even got second in a costume contest. The 5th grade was my Ever After dress like the movie with Drew Barrymore. It was lovely, and my last real Halloween costume. As I got older she made my homecoming dress my junior year (she had by this point also made two prom dresses for Heidi and Jill's wedding dress, not to shabby ) I loved the expression on everyone's faces when I told them my Mom made my dress and they couldn't believe it because she had done such a good job... because most homemade formal dresses never really look that good, but mine and my sisters did : )

My Mom always grows a garden. Every spring when it came time for everyone to do the yard work that had collected over the past year, planting the garden was always on top of the list of things to do. It was fun to help my Mom grow her garden (except pull weeds...) and learn about gardening. She always said her Mom had a green thumb, and I think she does too, if the frost doesn't get the sprouts first. And when harvest time came in August through October it was fun to eat from that garden, even if that meant weeks and weeks of green beans and squash : )

My Mom always made Sunday a special day. In the morning she always played church music and I always felt that set the mood for the day and invited the spirit into our home. When everyone was at home we usually had a big Sunday breakfast with biscuits and gravy... so good. Then after church we would come home to the smell of the Sunday roast. That will forever be one of my favorite smells. However sadly Aaron is not a fan of having a roast every Sunday as I have come to learn...

Every year when I was at home during the first week of December we would go over the the Christmas tree lighting at the park. One year one of my Mom's friend that worked for the city asked her if she would paint children on wooden cut outs for some decorations. My mom is very creative and is a good painter, something she got from her Mom. Anyway these children to my knowledge are still used as decorations every year at the tree lighting.

 

Scout...

Jean Louise "Scout" Merrill 

1999-2011

Goodbye Scout......

You may have been neurotic, dirty, and not very cute, but I liked you.

Smiles : ) .....

She may only be 6 weeks old but she is smiling and has been smiling for a while now. Some may say its just gas but I don't think so : )

Not the Baby Anymore...

Aaron and I were a little bit worried about how Finch our cat would react to Daisy. So far he has only sniffed her a few times and doesn't seem to notice her to much. He has noticed that he is no longer our baby... he is just our pet. Poor cat, he doesn't get to sleep with us anymore because Daisy's bassinet is in our room for now and there is no way I want him in there when she sleeps. So he has been down graded from our bed to sleep outside our bedroom door. Everynight when I get up to feed Daisy I open the door and there he is just waiting for us to let him in. Oh well : )

Daisy

Daisy's first month of life has been a busy one. Daisy will be six weeks old this Sunday. I have taken way too many pictures of her and can't possibly post them all, but I will post some of my favorites so far in no particular order....

 About 3 weeks



 With cousins Hannah and Hailey... not sure which one is which in this picture though.

 Such a good Dad, lets hope he is as willing to change a diaper when she gets to eat yummy solid food : )

 With Santa at the Flemming Family Christmas Party.

 I think the shirt says it all...

 I love the back of her head! Its just so cute, and I wanted to take a picture of it before she rubs a bald spot... maybe we'll get lucky and she won't.

                                                                          5 Weeks

                                                                          First Bath

Don't they look so much alike? I think so.

Last Day at the Hospital.

Snuggles....

Backyard...

We recently were able to landscape our backyard. It was pretty ugly looking back there. Just dirt, rocks, and weeds high enough to peek over our five foot fence to been seen by all of our neighbors. Aaron and his cousin Tanner who knows how to landscape spent a few days spreading dirt and rock, laying grass, planting bushes, and building a little garden. They did an awesome job! I love having a real backyard, its like having another room added to my house and now I am not ashamed to open the widows facing it. I am also looking forward to planting a little garden... maybe I will make some salsa if I manage to grow anything : ).

 Before

 In the procces...

 Yay! So pretty!

We will be planting a peach tree in this corner soon....