Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!

These pictures are out of order but oh well.

Merry Christmas everyone.

This year we chose to open gifts on Christmas Eve. I made dinner, and Joe's parents came up to join us which the kids just LOVED. Dinner was very yummy and the kids loved everything they got.
Danny got a big floor pad and some special crayons, some new jammies and socks. He was very happy with his haul. In fact, I think he colored on almost every page last night.

Emma wasn't content with getting only one thing in the picture, she had to show off everything. She got a backpack full of art supplies, a big pack of construction paper, socks, and new undies. She has declared that when she grows up she is going to be a professional artist. This girl lives to draw, paint, whatever she can.
Porter got new socks, undies, and of course BLOCKS!!! This boy builds with legos ALL day long. I wish that was an exaggeration, but it really isn't. He popped that thing open and went to town. He was alot happier than last year.
Hyrum got an ipod (actually he got mom's old one, since mom got an iphone for Christmas this year) with itunes gift card, undies, and socks. He hasn't stopped listening to the music since. In fact, I've finally become the mom that has to yell, "turn your music down!!!" My theory is if I can hear it out your headphones when I'm in the other room, it's too freaking loud!! Dork, woke me up this morning singing along to his music in his room at 6:30 this morning. Oh well, guess that means he's pretty happy with his gifts this year.
They fought all day long, but when it comes to gift time, they love one another.
Presents under the tree. We really tried to reduce Christmas this year, and for once, I actually stayed on budget. That in and of itself was a Christmas miracle.

A few days before, the kids got to open presents from Oma and Opa. Hyrum of course got a Thomas movie, that he was VERY happy about.
Porter got Tom and Jerry, his favorite cartoon ever. I think this is the movie that has been watched the most since it was received.
Emma got the third season of Scooby-Doo, which she was very thrilled about.
Dan got "Up." We had to watch this one as soon as he opened it.
All four. Yup, Porter is building away, and Hyrum is sporting his newest obsession--chess!! I sure love these kids!!!

Merry Christmas

Joe's Work Christmas Party

Emma sure had fun. She just. keeps collecting lays. Silly goose. Yummy food, but I'm not feeling well so I can't wait to go home. At least all the kids have had fun. Danny especially loved the bouncy house.


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Putting Up the Tree

Well we finally put up the tree. Yes, I know, most everyone I know has had theirs up for weeks, but me, I can't stand to do it right after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is like my most favoritest holidays, and quite frankly, I really hate Christmas. I don't even enjoy that I have to endure two weeks of "DON'T TOUCH THE TREE!!!!!" All day long. I hate that everyone is determined to get the biggest and best gifts for everyone just so they can prove how much they "love" so and so. If more people truly revealed in the "spirit" of Christmas, perhaps I could get my enthusiasm back, but I digress.

This is for my kids, because they are what matter most.

Joe and I put it in the stand and the kids decorated. Can you tell?? Of course, at the rate Dan is going on breaking ornaments, it will be bare by Christmas, but oh well.
They were so proud of themselves and their tree. I love these kids. May we all revel in the spirit of Christmas just like innocent children. Merry Christmas.

The English Language

Okay, I find English humor to be very funny. Afterall, I was an English major and there is nothing more ridiculous than the English language. This was posted on a friend's Facebook status, and it was just too funny not to record for posterity.

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility...

as part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k".. This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter. ... See More

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

Dan's 2 Year Well-Baby Appointment

So the squirt is good and healthy, aside from a really bad case of eczema--for which he is now on four different medications. He weighs in at 27.8 lbs and is 33 inches tall. So about the 20% for height and the 50% for weight. Yup, short and fat!!! But oh so cute. He also got his H1N1 shot. He was a very good boy for all of it. He loves going to the doctor and getting all that attention.

Ogden Christmas Village

Just so you know, bad idea to be outside when it is 10 degrees out and the wind is whipping up a storm, especially if you don't own a nice thick winter coat (that would be me), and let's face it, during the day in Utah, even in the winter a thick sweatshirt is fine for running to the car and going places. Generally I don't canter about outside, but the kids have been begging to go and so we went. It was really pretty and a lot of fun besides, but we will have to go back when it is a little warmer and Santa is there for them to see.
Dad and his little ones. Emma was so cold and we had to take Dan out of the stroller because it was colder in there for him then he was running around, so Porter stole his seat.
Mom freezing her butt off. Hyrum thought it appropriate to block his sister from the picture.
So you are subjected to two pictures with me in them so that you can see Emma. Can you tell I'm freezing??

November Books Read

This month was great, and I got to read alot of books I really enjoyed.

I finished the Mysterious Benedict Society Series. I really enjoyed this series. No magic involved, not really. Only the power of exceptional minds. I really enjoyed as these children learned that being smart individually gave them an advantage against most, but it wasn't until they learned how to truly work together that they found their real potential. Just a really good story.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey - 440
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma - 391

Then I needed a break from new stuff and since the new movie was coming out, I reread the Twilight Series. I love this series for very personal reasons, that don't need to be put here. It's sufficient to say that when I'm really bogged down in crap, I enjoy reading these.

Twilight - 498
New Moon - 563
Eclipse - 629
Breaking Dawn - 754

It's been a long time coming, and I guess I've finally just figured I have nothing to loose anymore, but I am on a road to put into words the things that I believe. I've always inherently had a problem with religion, a problem I've never really been able to find the right words to express, not exactly anyway. The best way I can put it is to say that all "organized religions" place everything in a box and hand it out saying, "here, this is truth. It's all contained here. Put aside logic, embrace faith, listen to this or that higher power, they know more than you. Sure you can question for yourself, but if you find an answer that is contrary to what is in this box then you are merely being influenced by 'Evil.'" I believe truth is in all of us, if we just have the forthwith and the strength to seek after it, and then to not be afraid to pursue those things we know to be right. It's just easier to be told and follow, then to truly seek. Anyway, in this seeking, I've decided to learn as much about all other "religions"/belief systems that I can. I began with Wicca because it is something that I've always wanted to learn more about, so you will probably find that I read more on the subject. I really believe that much of what they believe is truth; my main problem is that pledging yourself to Wicca, you must first caste off your former religion. I find that personally offensive, because I believe that we do not have to caste off the past in order to embrace the future. No matter how much we claim to want to change our own pasts (and I don't think I know of a single person who doesn't wish they could change something), then we wouldn't be who we are today. There will always be something we wish we could change, but it is only in truly embracing who we have been, that we can be what we want to be.

Wicca 101 - 213

The next book by Steve Berry, I read because Joe had read it in Afghanistan and thought I would enjoy it. I really enjoyed the history it contained. This is a book alot like Dan Brown writes. I will give Berry that he is not arrogant in the way that he writes like Brown, but there are things about their characters that just really get on my nerves. I guess I get frustrated because of how I read. I literally place myself in whatever I read. I live it, I expound on everything--creating my own story lines from that current book. I've always read that way. I don't know how to do it any other way, so when I am irritated with a character, I get very irritated. It's like that person is truly a living, breathing, being and not just a figment of someone's imagination that does what he does because that's the way it's written. If you like Dan Brown, you'd enjoy this book, we'll leave it at that. If you kind of like Dan Brown but find him offensive, I think you would enjoy this book better.

The Templar Legacy - 480

This would be another "religious exploration" book for me. It SUCKED!! Leave it at that. (But at least it only took an hour to read)

The Sixth Book of Moses and the Seventh Book of Moses - 101

The next series by James Owen, is one that's been on my wish list for awhile. It was nice to finally get to read them, especially because I absolutely LOVED them!!! I was truly amazed at how they were put together. The skill and the knowledge base that it took this author to write this was exceptional and extraordinary. It takes famous authors, places them as caretakers of an "imaginary geography," an atlas of maps of places that apart but part of our world all the same. In this world, they find the seeds for much of what they will write throughout their lives--in essence "fictionalizing" non-fiction so that the world doesn't find out too much but needing a way to express all they have lived. The amount of authors involved is extensive, and in that I find myself wholly impressed. The fact that the book in and of itself is a really great story only makes it better.

Here, There Be Dragons - 324
The Search for the Red Dragon - 368
The Indigo King - 372
The Shadow Dragons - 414

**Now, as always if you have any questions, just ask. If I don't have your email, put it down so that I can respond to you personally. And Happy Reading!!!

Total for November - 5547 pages
Total for 2009 - 38,241 pages

Aquarium

For Dan's birthday we went out to eat at the Olive Garden, where since Emma told them it was Dan's birthday, he was sung to. He thought that was pretty cool. Then we went to the "fishy place." Dan loves the frogs, so he got to sit on one and we bought him a stuffed frog for his birthday. All in all, not a bad 2nd birthday. He was sure proud of himself for turning 2. Every time someone wished him a happy birthday, he would get the biggest grin on his face. It was so cute.

Happy Birthday Dan!!!!

Two years ago today, I was induced and after a very hard labor and a couple of hours of pushing, I had my third little boy. When Dan was born, he had a lot of problems breathing which put him in the NICU for four days. Scared the hell out of his mother. His chest xray was so bad, they thought he had pneumonia, but four days later the xray was fine. Thank goodness for that because there was no way I was going to be able to leave my baby in the hospital; I bow down to all who have done so.
7 lbs 10 ozs. (I have Dan looking at the picture and he says the baby has ickys all over him and needs a bath---had to include that, it was funny) I only got to hold him for a minute, and he wouldn't nurse for 18 hours after he was born, not for lack of trying on my part.

Shortly after Dan was born, Joe was deployed for a year, so Danny is my little comfort. When I first found out I was having a boy, I cried forever. I never had wanted girls but since I already had Emma, I really wanted her to have a sister, but I sure didn't want anymore than four kids (have a hard enough time with 4), so I was pretty upset--damn Merkley genes. No, I would never send Dan back. He's the sweetest child. He is so loving. He always makes his mom laugh, he never hesitates to give a hug, and he is the most playful little one we've had. He truly is a mighty blessing, and the exact child I needed at the time.

My blue eyed, (dark) blond haired boy. I prayed for a blue eyed girl, so I guess we call the glass half full because FINALLY one of them is mine!!!! He got his mom's blue eyes. Man, I love this kid.

Happy 2nd Birthday Dan Paul!!!!

Books Read in October

Delved in and finished up the series. I LOVE Obert Skye. He has this great knack of making me bust out laughing whenever I read his books. Sadly, this series is at an end. Luckily he's going to continue the story of one of the main characters in the series, so I'm really excited to see how he continues.

Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret - 396
Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want - 389
Leven Thumps and the Wrath of Ezra - 389
Leven Thumps and The Ruins of Alder - 356

Dan Brown's latest installment of his great professor, was okay. It gave me a good list of nonfiction to read, and other than that, all I can say is "is Robert Langston just the dumbest man alive or what??" The only time the character ever gets going in the right way is once a really smart woman comes to his aid; I guess I've got to give Dan Brown his due, at least he knows men can't do a thing without a good woman at their side ;) I also find that Dan Brown has this knack of criticizing and being rude; I find that one can criticize without being rude and not take away anything from a story. Oh, well. It wasn't a horrible story, and it definitely made me more curious about the Masons and their history. I will say that Dan Brown has a knack for making me curious and that is to his credit.

Lost Symbol - 509

M. L. Forman is the author of the next book. Now, I read this book mainly because Joe is friends with the author's brother (I should be too, seeing as we are suppose to be in a writing club, but I am so horrible and haven't really gotten involved yet. I really need to get over myself and be more involved!!! Oh well, hopefully I can get my act together.) Anyway, to the book. I LOVED it and can't wait for the next. It's so fun to read a book by someone I sort of know; it makes it all more tangible. I use to want to write when I was young and had so much to write. I could never get past fear to really figure out how to publish, plus, I don't deal with criticism very well. When I write, I put so much of myself into it, it's like someone is standing over my child and abusing them. It's cool to see someone successfully achieve their dreams of writing a story that is not only good but worth publishing. This story is alot like Lord of the Rings without all the sitting around and eating and drinking until they are 100. Sorry, I love Lord of the Rings, but I've always found all the sitting and wandering around really boring. Anyway, this has gotten off topic which I guess is usual for me, especially since I can't concentrate because my kids are driving me completely and utterly FRUITY right now, but the point of this all is, this is a book worth reading!!

Adventurer's Wanted Slathbog's Gold - 382

Mitch Horowitz--this is a nonfiction book. Now, not as many people may be completely and utterly fascinated by the "occult" as I am, now if you don't know what that word really is referring to, find a dictionary. Not to be rude, but I've become irritated with people who assume something just because others have taken a long time to condemn it. Hence the word occult meaning some wacky people who think that drinking poison takes them on a wild ride to the cosmos, when in fact it means "hidden." The book even discusses the development of "Mormonism" because at the time it fit into the category of an occult. Anyway, I am completely obsessed right now with learning about religion--ALL religion!! But most especially, ancient religions and paganism. So this book was great in gathering a massive list of MUST READS for me, and also for some really fascinating facts about how occultism helped to shape our nation's history.

Occult America - 258

New series for me to tackle. Written by Trenton Lee Stewart. This is so far a fun series of the power children have. I love that it's a fun adventure that shows me just how becoming an adult can take things away from us. We can learn so much from children. I'm looking forward to reading the two others that I have in this series.

The Mysterious Benedict Society - 485


Total for October -- 3164
Total for 2009 --32, 694

Well, I've met my goal for the year!!! 30,000 for the year. I guess I can stop now ;) Okay, so that's not likely to happen, so it will be fun to see how many pages I will actually read this year. As, always, if you have a question about a book I've read, I will be happy to answer anything you want to know.

Boo At The Zoo

Today we ventured to the Boo at the Zoo. I had to go alone because Joe had drill, which by the way--totally SUCKS!!!! I will never go alone again. It's just too busy to corral four kids by yourself. However, the kids had a blast.
All decked out. This was the best one, with the most kids looking at me.
The baby elephant made her debut this past week and so we got to see her. Isn't she SOOOOO cute. They named her Zuri, which was the name I had hoped for.
Hyrum the vampire.
Emma, my good witch.
Porter Potter, aka, Harry Potter.
I just thought this was so cute!!!
Dan my little frog, or as he says, he's an "yibbit."

They are all too cute.

Jackson Family Trip

***You are forewarned. . .this is a VERY LONG post!!!
Since the kids had UEA break, we headed to Jackson, WY, so that we could enjoy Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. There's nothing we like more then getting away from it all, and I can tell you, I absolutely fell in love with Jackson. I could have stayed there forever.
Watch Old Faithful blow. Porter was so scared, but I finally got him to sit down and watch it and then it started "raining" on us, and he just thought that was so cool.
Dan eating a sucker and watching TV in the bedroom.
Emma posing on her bed, which she shared with Dan.
Porter and Hyrum going nuts on their bed.

Joe and I slept on the pull out couch in our living area, so that we didn't have to sleep in the same room with the kids. They drive us nuts!!!
This is the cabin was stayed it. It was so nice.
Walking around the geysers. Dan was so mad, he wanted to walk but he was being naughty so I had him on my shoulders for a little while.
Dad trying to get Dan to stop for a picture.
Emma had to get in on this one and Porter wouldn't let me go. In fact, when we were walking and all the steam started coming across the walkway, he wigged out and made me carry him, but once he realized that it wasn't anything to be scared of, he walked through it on the way back, but he sure made sure he had my hand tight.
Hiking in the Grand Tetons. Porter and Dan actually were in the backpacks but at the end we let them walk a bit which they LOVED.
Hyrum hiking.
Emma hiking, she always has to pose.
Porter riding in the backpack with Dad.
And mom sported Danny. We had so much fun. I would stop and let him feel the trees which he loved so much he wanted me to stop for every single one.
Emma and Mom in the museum.
Hyrum and Porter at the Grand Teton Museum.
Emma, Dad, and Dan at the Museum. That first day was really nippy, but at least it was sunny.
The Grand Tetons.

This was just a great trip. It would be so nice to live somewhere like that. I loved it so much, I didn't want to leave.

On a side note, we sure thought this was funny. We were playing the capitals game and Joe asked Hyrum what the capital of Montana was. Hyrum thought about it and declares "I know it's HANNAH!!" I laughed so hard I cried.

Happy Birthday Porter!!!

I meant to post this yesterday. So sorry.

Porter Joseph Merkley
Born 30 September 2005
That was then. . .
This is now (well actually this was taken almost a year ago, but it's such a good show of his little personality). My big boy is 4 years old!!!

He's finally potty trained, completely. He's such a laid back little one. However, he can definitely let his anger be known as in when he pulls his sister's hair because she won't stop bossing him around or hitting his brother when he gets a knock on the head from him as well. Oh and the screaming contests that he and his little brother have been into has made for a wonderful prelude to 4. No, really, he is a great kid and his mom and daddy love him so much. I am so thankful to have had Porter. He was my first mommy's boy and I love that he loves to give his mom snuggles. I love watching him play all his pretend games--he's got quite the imagination on him. He's just a wonderful and sweet addition to our family, and I am so thankful for that.