Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam!

 Daisy said goodbye to nursery on Sunday. She is now a sunbeam! She got to go into Primary on Sunday and get a little certificate and sucker. She picked her nose the whole time she was up there. 

She is getting so big. Just turning into a little girl more and more.

Our sunbeam!

Santa

This year Santa was in full glory at our house. Well kind of. I think Santa really sunk in for Daisy after she got to sit on his lap. She asked for a Piggy bank. Too cute right?

I know that I just posted 5 picture of the same thing. But I love her face in each one. I love her talking to Santa and looking at him, then just sitting there. 

On Christmas Eve she put out cookies and mild for Santa and it was serious work. She helped me make the cookies earlier that day. All week she kept telling me that we needed to make cookies for Santa. It was too fun!

Christmas 2013

The last few years of Christmas I have enjoyed but I have to admit that I have felt kind of disappointed. Maybe I set the bar too high or maybe I was just missing Christmas with my parents up in Pinetop. I don't know. Anyway I decided that I was just going to be happy with Christmas the way it came even if it didn't live up to the hype in my head. I don't know if anyone else ever thinks like that, probably just me. Well it worked. I enjoyed this Christmas season so much. I loved having Daisy be old enough to want to drive through our neighborhood every time we came home at night to look at lights. I loved Christmas shopping. I loved the Christmas Devotional and singing carols at church. I loved being with our family. I enjoyed this Christmas season and everything it brought.

We spent Christmas Eve with Aaron's parents and Grandparents at his parents home. It was a nice relaxing evening. We played a few games of ladder ball and all the grand kids were lucky because Grandma Rena got a bounce house to play in. Daisy loved it. Even though it was there all Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day I neglected to get one picture of kids bouncing in it. Oh well.

Our kids got Christmas jammies this year. Daisy was super excited.

                                               

Aaron and I must have been more excited for Christmas Morning than our kids because we woke up an hour before they did. Once Daisy got up she shot out to the tree but Aaron grabbed her and we all got Rockwell then walked out to see what Santa brought us. I hope I never forget what my children's faces look like on Christmas morning. Its just magical and so sweet. She didn't run and open gift she sat and looked at everything, taking it all in.

Opening up our stalkings.

Christmas day was so busy I didn't take many pictures, but here are Rockwell and Boston. They were both busy and moving so I didn't get a good picture but they were both cute.

We spent the morning at Grandma Rena's and opened presents with Aaron family, where we found out that Aunt Heather and Uncle Jared will be having a little girl and that Aunt Kim and Uncle Nathan are having baby number four. Very fun Christmas surprises. Neither Aaron or I won the pickle this year. Next year...

Then we had our annual meal at Grandma Melba's, then back over to Grandma Rena's for the Brooks family Christmas get together. It was a good day. Went by to fast.

Kids...

I just think these are cute pictures. I love my kids they make me laugh.

Growing...

Rockwell is growing up little by little each day. The other day he figured out the window stickers could come off and then be put back on. He was so proud of himself for figuring this out and spent the next few minutes playing with them. He couldn't put them back on once he took them off, but I could tell he was pleased.

I LOVE his little body!

Temple Lights

This year our Merrill Christmas gathering happened on my Dad's 60th Birthday on the 20th. We all met at the Mesa Temple to see the beautiful lights and then went back to my parents hotel to celebrate with Barro's Pizza and Wings.

Some of my favorite people in the world. Missing the Papa's though!

Piper was excited to see Daisy and kept trying to giver her hugs, but Daisy was having none of it. 

Glad these girls are close in age and can be friends.

I was glad Daisy got to see the nativity at the temple it was so well done.

Grandma and Daisy.

We have been together for 5 years now and I love him more and more all the time. Its funny how the Lord points us to the person that is so well matched for us.

             I don't know what game they were playing but these cousins played together all night. And my new little niece Lotte. So cute!

It was a good night!

Chocolate Face

He enjoys thin mints just like me.

First Birthday Party

 We had a little party for Rockwell's first birthday. Just cupcakes and presents. I would say his favorite part of the party were the balloons. He chased them around all night. 

 We love this boy and am grateful to have so much family that loves him too!

He did enjoy his cupcake as well :) but I think that is obvious.

Christmas Preparations

Last year around Christmas time I had Rockwell. I don't recommend having a baby around the holidays. I was tired and unenthusiastic about Christmas and I felt kind of guilty that I didn't do more. I know Daisy was only two but the holidays should be magical for kids even if they won't really remember it right? Any I saved up a bit so when Christmas came this year I could do some fun things. I had fun. I decorated more, made lots of treats, sent out cards, did Christmas crafts, and read Daisy a new Christmas book every night. 

Daisy and I decorated the tree then when Dad got home from work him and Daisy put on the star. That was always my favorite thing to do when I was very little. I loved getting lifted up by my Dad and  putting on the star. 

On my birthday this year Heidi found a volleyball ornament at Hobby Lobby and of course we both got one. Its my favorite. I also started a new tradition this year of each of us getting to pick out an ornament. I got an ornament every year from my grandma Beverly and appreciated having real ornaments to put on my tree after I got married and had my own tree. So someday when my kids leave home they can have their own to take with them that we have collected over the years.

I made these. I think they are cute. I also got a nativity this year. I was going to do the 12 days of Christmas for Daisy but it didn't happen, oh well.

I love the glow of the tree.

And here is our card. I didn't send out many. Next year we may send out more, we'll see if I feel like paying for postage.

Thanksgiving 2013

This year for Thanksgiving we went up to my parents house to celebrate. This was the first time since we have been married that we have been up there for Thanksgiving. I loved it. We have been up there around the holidays but always after. It was nice to remember what all my Thanksgiving were like growing up. We ate a lot of yummy food and relaxed. Aaron got a little bug during our visit and Rockwell was teething but other than that it was great. Aaron and I even got to do a session in the temple then see Catching Fire.

This year Daisy's birthday landed on Thanksgiving so we have a double celebration.

3 years old!

Such a pretty picture...

After we ate our Thanksgiving meal we all went and saw Frozen, which was very cute. This was the third movie I have taken Daisy too and she did pretty good. About halfway through though she asked to go back to Grandma Boo's house. She did like the movie very much though. She has been singing Let it Go and wanting to watch it on You Tube every day.

When we got back to Grandma's house we opened presents and ate pie and ice cream. I think she had a good birthday. I hope she never feels ripped off for having a holiday birthday and having pie instead of cake.

She is in the 30th percentile for weight and 75th for height. Just thought I should write that down.

Grandma and Grandpa.

These lucky girls got special princess pj's from Aunt Brittany and Uncle Pete for their birthdays. Daisy loves her princess jammies. She also picks her nose all the time! As seen in this picture.

We stayed up in Pinetop for the whole weekend and we were able to meet up with my good friend Ashley. It was fun catching up. She is really one of the only people I still talk to from time to time from high school. I still have so much fun with her :).