The last five days before Christmas...

I got more than a little sidetracked on my Days Of Christmas scrapbook, but I finally finished the last five pages!

*Just a sidenote- the Merrill family has been sick. Not just c little sick, but alota sick! Throwing up, headaches, yuck! So, if you don't hear from me for a couple of days, you now know why!

P.S. The kit used for the last page is from Tangie!

Finally- some Christmas!

OK- so I finally gave up on the idea that I would actually get these pics scrapped some time before Easter!

We had a few scheduling differences, so we ended up having our traditional Christmas Morning Breakfast Christmas Eve Morning. We ate scones, fried mush, bacon... smells like Christmas!

We then played our Ornament Exchange game (a lot like a White Elephant exchange, but with ornaments) and opened our gifts.



Whitney & Christopher



We even got to play with Katelynn for a few minutes!



Dad opening his token toy present!

Merrill Party

OK- I promise that I do have some actual Christmas photos of my family, I'm just trying to get them scrapped! Here are some photos of the Merrill Family Christmas Party (held last night- there were some scheduling difficulties thanks to us!)... we had the party at Lindy's new house, so you can scope out her decorating (she got so much done)!

By the way- Piper started her new Sunbeams class today... that was way too hard on me! She did perfectly, in fact she loved it. I, however, just can't believe that my baby girl isn't in nursery anymore! Adi started her CTR5 class... she informed that her teacher said it makes you feel sad when you eat someone elses cookie and that she can still choose the right even though she can't find her CTR ring. Porter learned that throwing fits gets him out of class and crawling around the building!

Stay tuned for mre Christmas Pics!

Family Days...

In OP's family, they had a long-running tradition of making a scrapbook page that summed up your family's year and then they would exchange them at their big (and when I say big, I mean big) Merrill Family Party. This year there was no BIG Merrill Party, but we made them for our Branchs' Pary and we exchanged them in my family (OK, only Whit and I actually made them). I love this tradition!

Six years, baby!

I almost forgot to post this little page I'd made to commemorate mine & OP's big day! Luckily, Emily and Seth share our anniversary and her memory was better than mine!

We actually got to go out alone this year (it's been a long time since that had happened). The kiddies stayed with Nana, Papa, Whitney & Chris while we went and had the best steak that I've ever had (I'm a total carnivore). After that, we argued about which movie to see (I wanted to go with a romantic comedy and OP wanted a shoot-em-up action movie), so we meet in the middle (kind of) and saw Juno. It was really good- not really romantic, but I guess neither of us really are!

Love ya, Merrill!

Some of what we've been doin'...

No, I Am NOT Dead!

To put all the speculation to rest; I am still alive and kickin'- I have just been a bit busy with family, holidays and a vacation squeezed in there somewhere! I promise to post pics and pages soon- I just need to finish unpacking first!


I'd like to leave you with a clip my sis took on Christmas Eve...

Questions

I turned on the movie Eight Below yesterday before nap. BIG mistake. You see, the girls have to know everything about what they are watching before they'll actually watch it. The coversation went a little like this:

A: Mom, is this real?

M: Um, it is a movie, but it is based on someting that really happened

(confused stare)

A: Some of my cartoons are real

M: No, sweetheart, cartoons are just drawings

A: No, but some are real.

P: Are those wolves? Why are they nice? Are they nice?

M: Those aren't wolves they're dogs

A: Nope, they're wolves

M: No, they are actually siberian huskies

P: Oh. Why are they being nice?

M: Because they were trained to be.

**Part where the Doc breaks through the ice and falls into freezing cold water**

A: What happened?

M: The ice was too thin so he fell through

A: Will he die?

M: Probably not, but they have to hurry and get him out of the water

P: Is there ice in Utah? (her eyes are huge at this point and I can just see her thinking about falling through ice)

M: No

A: uh-ha Mom, there is ice in Utah

(Piper is almost crying by now)

M: No honey, not like this

P: Can our floor break?

M: No, sweetie

P: Can the tile break?

M: No sweetie

A: Uh-hu, if a giant came and stepped on it.

I turned off the movie and declared it to be naptime.

Here Comes Christmas...

Oh boy- it is prett much here, and I am not ready! I still need to wrap a bunch of gifts, get s few family presents, stocking stuffers, oh my! And I am trying to get my house in perfect shape for my parents when they come to stay on Saturday (I am no longer aiming for perfet- trying to get to just plain acceptable- wish me luck). I need some help!

P.S. You need to check out this blog. A bunch of my fav designers got together and did a 12 Days of Christmas freebie give- away! Just click on each can to get to that designer's site and download them (just a warning: most are heavy on the number of downloads).

Let Him In...

Yesterday, after Whit & I took the kiddies pics in The Pecans (thanks for the idea, Delanie!), we got to go to Michael McLean's Forgotten Carols. If you haven't seen this- you need to! Buy ticketes next year!

It's been a family traditon to go see this every year since I was a teen, but I haven't gone since Adi was 10 months. It has changed a lot (there's a different woman playing Constance- not sure if I like that), but it is still so wonderful! It really puts the Christmas Spirit in your heart and gives you those tingly-tanglys! I was trying to find some of the music to put on here, but I just couldn't find any! Check it out here- my fav songs (well, I love all of them) are: Three Kings Found the Lord, Arise and What I Need. So beautiful!

What- Two Santas?

Yep, we went and saw the Big Guy today at Aunt Whitney's work. Adi was a little reticent, but she climbed up (the idea of toys from him got her there), but she still had a hard time telling him about the Hannah Montana doll that she wants. Porter-boy had no problems sitting on his lap (he found his beard quite interesting), but Piper refused to even go near him, even after he tried to bribe her with a candy cane. I had to drag her over to be near him and ended up having to pose with them, hold her tight, and try to position my body so that she couldn't see the jolly old elf.

He was an awesome Santa- he even curled his beard! A little skinny, but his suit was nice and so was he! I'm pretty sure that he was LDS too, he noticed the CTR ring Pipes was sporting and explained to her what it meant (of course she already knew, but she was way too scared to tell him that). Oh, and he came with his very own elves!

Afterwards, the kiddies and I went to Chick-Fil-A (the best place ever), and as we were leaving, guess who shows up there? Yep, St. Nick! A different one- he had a fake beard, but still looked nice- but I was burned out, Porter was crying for a bottle, and I just honestly wanted to go home. So in the true spirit of Ebenezer, I told the kids that Santa wanted a chicken sandwich and we should let him eat. I know, so mean! When Piper said she still wanted to see him (why, you may ask), Adi looked at her like she was crazy and said, "Why? He already knows what we want. We told him already!" We told the kids that Santa brings only one present and Mom & Dad will provide the rest. So glad Adison actually listens to us- can't really say the same for Miss Piper, she marches to her own mini drummer.

Wondering where I got the awesome alpha? Check it out here! It's free!

These, Our Little Ones

Anyone else a little late on reading their Ensign this month? I kept putting off reading it, justifying this by thinking that I has way too many Christmas things to do. Yesterday, Adi was sick with a fever, Piper was coughing like a seal, and Porter was up all night (nope, no real reason that I could tell), so we stayed home from Church. I decided that it was perfect time to read. President Hinckley's message, These, Our Little Ones was amazing! I was crying half way through it! It really made me look at my parenting style and realize what I need to fix, and where I might actually be doing ok. Please read it!

Good Quote:

“A child loves the smiles of its mother, but hates her frowns."

-Brigham Young

A night off...

No new pics to scrapbook for my Christmas Days Calendar. I ran around town this morning & afternoon, went to my local Walmart tonight, and had Adi throw up again tonight. Not much time for a Christmas activity in there!

I Believe...

We have deemed Friday nights as movie nights in our family (right now the only rule I enforce is that it has to be a Christmas movie... nothing like forced Holiday Cheer). Last night, Adi chose to watch The Polar Express. We ate pizza and danced with "Hot Chocolate". Fun, Fun!

Adi, however, woke up last night and threw up again twice- once on the couch (I was asleep so OP cleaned that up) and once on our bed (on OP's side, hee hee). Stomach flu stinks! Poor little Adi :(

Is your Christmas shopping done yet? I have a few tiny details I need to take care of (what do you give an 8 month old for stocking stuffers anyway), and then I'll be ready to celebrate this great Holiday! Wish me luck against the crazy crowds!

**everything is in this page is from Tangie**

Thanks for the stockings, Mom!