Dan's Discovery

Dan has really started noticing things around him. He loves to have toys in front of him. He just laughs and giggles at them. It's so cute. I had to get a hanging toy for his car seat so he could be entertained and I got out the boat toy which he just loves. He kicks at the fish and tries to grab at the toys. He also has developed a special love for his swing and is always laughing at and trying to grab the toys on it. It's just so cute, I had to share.

In Remembrance. . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXsXmhcrA_Y

Okay, I can't quite figure out how to put the actual video on my page, but follow this link for the Testimony of the Prophet, if it doesn't show up. It's an amazing video for me. I love to hear this great man bear his testimony. His testimony stirs something in me that noise around my house and the stress of raising kids mutes most of the time. My mind is ever reflecting on this great man; he truly was a prophet of God. How could anyone doubt? I think of him as a great example, not just as an individual, but I reflect at this time on his great relationship with his sweet wife Marjorie. I think of how he must have rejoiced as he crossed the veil at seeing her again and being able to embrace her once more. Oh, how I hope and pray to have a marriage that wonderful.

Pres. Hinckley's death has made me reflect on my own sweet companion. I truly am so blessed. He is such an amazing man, a wonderful father, and a blessed companion. I am so grateful to know that we were married for not only this life but for all eternity. People have been looking at me like I am some sort of hero lately, what with Joe's deployment and all and I feel so ashamed. I am no hero. I struggle with it every day. I loose my patience with my children way too often. I miss Joe desperately, but I can honestly say that it is my testimony of the eternal nature of our marriage that gets me through missing him. I know that a year of time on this earth is but a moment of time really.

I thank Pres. Hinckley for the gift of temples in abundance on this earth. If it weren't for the temple, Joe and I wouldn't have become such good friends. Not to mention that it is just amazing to look through the pictures of temples and think of them truly dotting the earth.

Lately we have improved greatly on remembering to read the scriptures and saying prayers as a family at night, but after learning of Pres. Hinckley's passing last night, I really felt the stirring to get moving on other goals. It is so hard as a mom to find a moment of peace to read the scriptures and focus on my own spiritual development. It's even harder as a couple. Joe and I never seem to get to go to the temple anymore and now he won't be here for over a year. I miss getting to go all the time. I am declaring my goal and hopefully in declaring it I will be able to keep it, to go to the temple at least every other month while he is gone and then when he gets back to make sure to go every month at least. Now all I have to do is go and get the Stake President to sign my new reccommend (you know the scanning ones, I just wish that he met with people at a reasonable hour instead of at my kids' bedtime, oh well.).

I do want to take the time to bear my testimony. . .

I do know that this gospel is true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. The prophet Joseph Smith truly did see the Lord Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father in a vision and through him they restored the true and everlasting and complete gospel to this earth again. He truly was a prophet of God. I know that Gordon B Hinckley was a prophet of God as well and that we have an amazing set of standards that lays out the path for the ordination of the new prophet, and he truly will be a prophet called of God. I know that through the restoration of this great gospel, we have been greatly blessed as a people. We have a glorious opportunity to be together forever as families. I am so thankful for my own family and the gospel that stands as our center. I am so thankful for my amazing husband. I am so thankful for my four beautiful children.

President Hinckley has passed away

I just found out a moment ago that President Hinckley has passed away. I cannot believe it. That man is the most amazing example of our time. He is the prophet of my life really. This saddens me so much. Many people who know me know that I spent a time away from the church. When I moved to Illinois, I fell in love with Nauvoo. I would visit the temple site and wish beyond wish that the temple still stood there. The day I decided that I would return to church and finally had a witness that the gospel, the whole gospel, was true was the very day that President Hinckley announced that the Nauvoo Temple would be rebuilt. It was an amazing moment in my life. I admit that I still struggle alot but that one moment has always stuck with me. It is because of that moment, that one amazing witness and prayer being answered, that I will never turn my back on the truth of the gospel. President Hinckley truly has done more than any other prophet for the advancement of the church save Joseph Smith Jr., at least that I can think of. Just think of all the temples that have popped up everywhere because of him. Because of him, my son has over 130 temples to skip through, memorize, and idealize.

I can think of only a couple of other great times for me right now. One, I got to be at President Hinckley's birthday celebration in Salt Lake the first year I was here. That was so awesome. Also, the BYU football game in which the stadium was renamed, I was there and as I was walking in the stadium, I turned around and there was Pres. Hinckley standing only a few feet from me. I almost passed out. Those are the fun memories I have of him. Everything else is deeply spiritual and emotional. I shared one of my greates up above, but I can't begin to express my love and adoration of that man. He has had so great an influence on my life. I just don't know how it will feel without him. Thankfully, I do have a great testimony of the prophet, in large part thanks to Pres. Hinckley, so I know that our next prophet is indeed called of God. He will lead us and guide us, and besides it's Pres. Monson, of all people to follow someone like Pres. Hinckley, we definitely got a great one. Peace be with Pres. Hinckley and God smile upon his family. Farewell sweet prophet. I love you.

BELOW IS THE NEWS STORY FOUND ON THE CHURCH WEBSITE:

Beloved Church President, Gordon B. Hinckley, Dies at 97

SALT LAKE CITY 27 January 2008 President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through twelve years of global expansion, has died at the age of 97.
President Hinckley was the 15th president in the 177-year history of the Church and had served as its president since 12 March 1995.
The Church president died at his apartment in downtown Salt Lake City at 7:00 p.m. Sunday night from cause’s incident to age. Member of his family were at his bedside. A successor is not expected to be formally chosen by the Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles until after President Hinckley’s funeral within the next few days.
President Hinckley was known, even at the age of 95, as a tireless leader who always put in a full day at the office and traveled extensively around the world to mix with Church members, now numbering nearly 13 million in 171 nations.
His quick wit and humor, combined with an eloquent style at the pulpit, made him one of the most loved of modern Church leaders. A profoundly spiritual man, he had a great fondness for history and often peppered his sermons with stories from the Church’s pioneer past.
He was a popular interview subject with journalists, appearing on 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace and on CNN’s Larry King Live, as well as being quoted and featured in hundreds of newspapers and magazines over the years. During the Salt Lake Olympics of 2002, his request that the Church refrain from proselytizing visitors was credited by media with generating much of the goodwill that flowed to the Church from the international event.
In recent years, a number of major developments in the Church reflected President Hinckley’s personal drive and direction. In calling for 100 temples to be in operation before the end of the year 2000, the Church president committed the Church to a massive temple-building program.
In 1999 — 169 years after the Church was organized by its founder, Joseph Smith — the Church had 56 operating temples. Three years later that number had doubled, largely because of a smaller, highly practical temple architectural plan that delivered these sacred buildings to Church members in far-flung parts of the world. Many more Church members can now experience the sacred ceremonies that occur only in temples, including marriages for eternity and the sealing of families in eternal units.
President Hinckley was the most traveled president in the Church’s history. His duties took him around the world many times to meet with Latter-day Saints in more than 60 countries. He was the first Church president to travel to Spain, where in 1996 he broke ground for a temple in Madrid; and to the African nations of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Cape Verde, where he met with thousands of Latter-day Saints in 1998. In 2005, he traveled nearly 25,000 miles on a seven-nation, nine-day tour to Russia, South Korea, China, Taiwan, India, Kenya, and Nigeria.
At a general conference of Church members in April 2001, President Hinckley initiated the Perpetual Education Fund — an ambitious program to help young members of the Church (mainly returning missionaries from developing countries) receive higher education and work-related training that they would otherwise likely never receive.
Closer to his Salt Lake City home, President Hinckley announced the construction of a new Conference Center in 1996 and dedicated it four years later. Seating 21,000 people, it is believed to be the largest religious and theater auditorium in the world and has become the hub for the Church’s general conference messages to the world, broadcast in 54 languages.
Even before his term as president, President Hinckley’s extensive Church service included 14 years as a counselor in the First Presidency, the highest presiding body in the government of the Church, and 20 years before that as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
President Hinckley was born 23 June 1910 in Salt Lake City, a son of Bryant Stringham and Ada Bitner Hinckley. One of his forebears, Stephen Hopkins, came to America on the Mayflower. Another, Thomas Hinckley, served as governor of the Plymouth Colony from 1680 to 1692.
President Hinckley’s first job was as a newspaper carrier for the Deseret News, a Salt Lake City daily. After attending public schools in Salt Lake City, he earned a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Utah and then served two years as a full-time missionary for the Church in Great Britain. He served with distinction and ultimately was appointed as an assistant to the Church apostle who presided over all the European missions.
Upon successfully completing his missionary service in the mid-1930s, he was asked by Heber J. Grant, then president of the Church, to organize what has become the Church's Public Affairs Department.
President Hinckley began serving as a member of the Sunday School general board in 1937, two years after returning home from missionary service in Great Britain. For 20 years he directed all Church public communications. In 1951 he was named executive secretary of the General Missionary Committee, managing the entire missionary program of the Church, and served in this capacity for seven years.
On 6 April 1958, while serving as president of the East Millcreek Stake in Salt Lake City (a stake is similar to a diocese), President Hinckley was appointed as a general authority, or senior full-time leader of the Church. In this capacity he served as an assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles before being appointed to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on 5 October 1961.
President Hinckley received a number of educational honors, including the Distinguished Citizen Award from Southern Utah University; the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Utah; and honorary doctorates from Westminster College, Utah State University, University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Southern Utah University, Utah Valley State College and Salt Lake Community College. The Gordon B. Hinckley Endowment for British Studies, a program focused on the arts, literature and history of the United Kingdom, was established at the University of Utah.
President Hinckley was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award by the Boy Scouts of America; was honored by the National Conference for Community and Justice (formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews) for his contributions to tolerance and understanding in the world; and received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 2004, President Hinckley was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in the White House.
In March 2000 President Hinckley addressed the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. He also addressed the Religion Newswriters Association and the U.S. Conference of Mayors and twice addressed the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.
President Hinckley wrote and edited several books and numerous manuals, pamphlets and scripts, including a best-selling book, Standing for Something, aimed at a general audience. In it he championed the virtues of love, honesty, morality, civility, learning, forgiveness, mercy, thrift and industry, gratitude, optimism and faith. He also testified of what he called the “guardians of virtue,” namely traditional marriage and family.
President Hinckley married Majorie Pay in the Salt Lake Temple in 1937. They have five children, 25 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren. Sister Hinckley passed away 6 April 2004.

Thanks Mom

My Mom just spent the week here helping me out. This week was crazy with having to bring Joe down to Camp Williams and Dan's 2 month appointment, etc. so she came out to help. It was great. Hyrum got to have his Oma here for his birthday which is indeed a rare event. She helped me rearrange my whole house and patch up some things and even get the garage moved around enough that I could barely fit the car in there. At least I got it in. Still have ALOT of organization in there to do but that will have to wait until the Spring when I can stand to be out there. I was so scared with this storm that was suppose to hit this Sunday and Monday. I didn't want to have to dig my car out again like I had to the last storm so I was thrilled the car fit. I can even walk around it to get the kids in. I was so excited!!! The house looks alot different but it looks good. We really got alot done but I think she really pooped me out. The kids loved having her here though. So did I. Can't thank her enough.

Well, anyway, she left early this morning and we are all exhausted. Had to be up before the butt crack of dawn to take her to the airport, so I am thankful the kids are finally asleep and I may hit the sack early tonight. Just waiting to see if Joe calls again tonight and dealing with Danny of course. Such a sweet little boy. Man, I have to say that my kids can really annoy me and drive me batty to the point where I have to yell just to get out the frustration, but I love them so much. I love being their mom more than anything. They are my life and light. They give me hope and purpose every day. I can't thank the Lord enough for them.

On another note, we've had hardly any water pressure for the last couple of days thanks to the water main break, but like to announce that we have water again and it is wonderful!!! Finally could do laundry and the dishes and give the kids a bath. It was really annoying because Hyrum ended up not having school on his birthday because there was no water at the school. No one let us know so I went with his cake and the poster they wanted me to make of pictures of him and drove up to the school only to find only two cars in the parking lot. Needless to say, I was pissed!!! Not just for the inconvenience but also because I know how much it meant to Hyrum to get to go that day and I don't know how on earth I am going to get all that stuff into the school by myself with my four kids. With my Mom here it was managable but without her I have no idea what I am going to do, not to mention the cake is taking up half my fridge. Plus, with the storm brewing, I don't know what Monday will bring.

Okay, Danny's crying so I have to stop ranting. Talk to you all later. Love you all.

Happy Birthday Mern

Today Mern is 6 years old. He is an amazing little boy. We are so happy to have him in our family. Today we wish him a very happy birthday. We love him so much. He is an extraordinary big brother and son. What more can one ask for?

P.S. Check out his spotlight in my archives for more pictures of this amazing little boy.

Gone Again

Joe left today. In Utah still but gone. Emma is really having a tough time. She woke up this morning crying just as we were about to leave. She didn't want me to go. She's so afraid that I'm going to leave her too. This is why she has decided she doesn't want to go to Sunbeams. She won't leave my side. Unfortunately though she won't even let me take her and stay with her in Primary; I guess she thinks I'll leave her anyway. I don't know. I wish there was something I could do because it's nigh impossible for me to have her and Dan in Sunday School and Relief Society. I honestly have no idea what to do. Does anyone have any suggestions? I was really hoping that Joe could take her this past Sunday because he was home but he was so stressed out that it made him sick and he couldn't go to church, hence, Emma didn't go to Primary. I just don't know how to comfort them any more than I already do. They have stuffed animals with Joe's voice, they have picture books with like fifty pics of Daddy to keep them company, they get to talk to him on the phone and while he's gone we will have a cam so that we can see each other, and yet I know that it really isn't enough. I miss him so much. I know they miss him too. I just wish there was a magic pill to deal with the heartache. I am so proud to be a soldier's wife. To serve my country right along side him really. Our children are so proud of their dad. But all that doesn't ease the pain of separation. All the kids know is that Dad is gone and they want him home. I just want to hug my husband. All I can do is depend on family and on God. But I'll take any suggestions. . .

Waiting. . .

Today I'm a little apprehensive. A wonderful sister in our ward has offered to pick Hyrum up from school since she has to pick up her kids anyway for me while Joe is away. Although this is wonderful, I'm nervous because they aren't home yet and it's getting a bit late. I know she has other kids to pick up too so it's not overly surprising that they are late but it makes me nervous. I just hope he found her at the school and that everything went alright and he didn't have any problems. I actually miss my son.

Things have been going alright I guess. Danny has been fussy though. Emma has been demanding every moment of my attention and just saying you are isn't enough. She has to have direct eye contact or she doesn't think that you are actually paying attention. It's very frustrating.

Porter hasn't been bad at all. In fact he has graduated to his big boy bed!!!!!! It was great. The other night he just got into the toddler bed and actually stayed there and went to sleep. Now he will only sleep there. No more crib which is absolutely wonderful because his pack n play has definitely seen better days. I am so proud of him.

Hyrum hasn't been too bad but last night wasn't good at all. He was up all night long. He claimed he was having bad dreams. Then Emma woke up this morning having wet her bed which is fine but after being up all night with Hyrum I was so tired I couldn't stand it anymore.

Okay, Hyrum just got home. I better get back to my kids.

Spotlight: Emma Sheryl-Ann Merkley

Emma was born on the 11th of February 2004 at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT. She was 7 lbs. 7 ozs. at birth. Emma was our little surprise. She was suppose to be a boy. When she was born the doctor didn't even notice at first that she was a girl. After about a minute or two, he looks at her and says "I think something is missing." Joe wasn't present at her birth because at the time he was stationed at Ft. Huachuca in Arizona and couldn't come home for her birth. I had to call him down there and leave a message for him at the desk. They put up a sign that said "It's a Girl!" and he couldn't believe it. I never wanted to have a little girl until Emma came along. She was also suppose to be named Sheryl Ann, that was the girl's name we always had picked out, but when I held her in my arms, I knew her name was Emma. We just took her original name and made it her middle names. Sheryl for Joe's mom who died when he was a boy and Ann for his Stepmother who raised him. We honor them both with her name. Plus we got the added bonus that my Mom's middle name is Ann.

Emma was the easiest baby. She started sucking her thumb almost immediately and slept through the night when she was only three weeks old. The only issue with her is that she absolutely refused to sleep unless she was laid on her stomach. It use to scare me to no end but if I didn't put her on her tummy she wouldn't sleep.

Hyrum loved his sister from the moment he saw her. He would always put out his arms and say "hold it." He wanted to hold and love her every minute. They've been best friends ever since.

Just a note on her slideshow: I would have pictures of her as a baby but unfortunately I didn't have a digital camara at the time and so I don't have any of her as a baby on the computer, they are all in my scrapbooks.

Emma is an amazing little girl. She's been a daddy's girl since the moment she met him at 6 weeks old. She's a bit high maintanance but we don't mind. She's our only curly headed little one too. Most of the time, her hair is totally out of control but even that can't take away from how beautiful she is. She is so smart. She plays school with her big brother and learns everything she can from him about what he is learning in Kindergarten. She loves to dance and play with Hyrum. She loves her two little brother as well and is a wonderful big sister. She loves to give Dan kisses and hold him. With Porter she colors all day long. She is quite the little artist. We all love her and are so blessed to have our little surprise with us every day. This February we celebrate her 4th birthday and so to her, her mom says, "I love you and Happy number 4!"

Spotlight: Emma Sheryl-Ann Merkley

Spotlight: Hyrum Wilhelm Merkley

Hyrum Wilhelm Merkley was born the 25 January 2002 in Provo, UT. He was 7 lbs. 15 ozs. at birth and took 30 hours of labor on his mother's part to come into this world. Hyrum started Kindergarten this year and is a literal sponge for knowledge. He surprises his parents every day with how smart he is.

Hyrum has always been independant. He's not the best sleeper and and never has been. He never slept as a baby, I use to think there was something wrong. When he was three, he had to have his tonsils and adenoids removed because of sleep apnea and his sleeping habits have vastly improved since then. That's his only major surgery so far, thankfully.

Hyrum LOVES being an older brother. He LOVES babies and if we did things his way around here all mom would do is pop out babies one right after another. Thankful we have paced them somewhat. He loves playing with his brothers and sister. They are all best friends which is so wonderful.

He's definitely an inquisitive child and has taken to asking about fifty questions a second. It can get quite annoying, I admit, but on the other hand I just love how much he loves to learn. He tends to get obsessive about things: first it was trains, then it's switched around: temples, calendars, birthdates (he knows the birthdates and ages of everyone in his immediate and immediate extended family by heart), geography (that's his big one right now-that includes: places and languages spoken there), and so on. . . He tries to soak up everything anyone knows about those things and then he memorizes everything and shares with everyone. He could read before he went to school, and is actually reading at a second or third grade level already. In fact, we are trying to get him into a charter school because his educational needs cannot be met at a public school. We are so proud of him.

Hyrum has been a wonderful addition to our family. He is an amazing boy, a spectacular son, and an extraordinary brother. This month we wish him a very Happy Birthday. Happy number 6.

Hyrum Wilhelm Merkley Slideshow

Spotlight: Porter Joseph Merkley

Spotlight: Porter Joseph Merkley-biography

Porter Joseph was born on the 30th of September 2005. Our third little one, our second little boy. He was born with one very solid head of hair and was as calm as calm can be. He was 8 lbs. 8ozs. at birth which thoroughly shocked his mother. I really thought he would be the littlest but he has turned out to be the biggest baby so far.

Porter is definitely a chilled child. He is so mellow. He still sleeps in his crib because he knows he's not suppose to get out of it and hasn't even made the effort. He loves his bed and we are content to let him have it. He also is the only one who doesn't wake up the world when he wakes up. He is content to play where he is and not bother anyone. He LOVES to play. He could content himself all day long. He also LOVES to color. He's rarely seen around the house without a crayon in one hand. He is so cute and he definitely has added many smiles to our family.

He has proven to be a very loving and affectionate child and has shown alot of love for his new baby brother. He is just a wonderful little addition to our family. He is so smart and good and kind. He's our little sweet pea. Our "little Joe", our snugglebug. I love him so much and am so grateful for his presence in our family.

Gone

Well Joe has now gone off for some training for the next couple of weeks. Then he gets the lovely priviledge of being home for two days before they send him off again. The kids have gone crazy already. Of course, I think the first night is usually the worst because the hurt is so fresh in their minds. I got home late thanks to rush hour and both Dan and Porter were screaming their little heads off. Since I was cuddling them to calm them down, Emma started crocodile tearing it so that she could get attention, when that didn't work, her and Hyrum started going buzerk around the house and spilling food everywhere. Man, I am very thankful that they are all tired and seem to be going to sleep alright for me tonight so that I can get a bit of a breather after that, not to mention the horrible time of sitting around Camp Williams just waiting for Joe's paperwork to show up and then waiting while it took forever for him to check in. Whenever I leave my DS at home I need it and if I bring it I don't. Today would have been those days of need and not have. I was bounce off the ceiling of the car and so were the kids. I was ready to have myself committed. I am so proud of my husband's service in the military but sometimes I really wish they could get their act together and be more organized and actually have a real plan, you know, one they actually can stick to. Oh well, here goes the next couple of weeks. Practice time for the whole year thing, but I tell you what I'm actually looking forward to the year, because then it's done, I don't have to have the wound opened over and over again like I will for the next couple of months. Of course, at this rate by the time he actually goes for the year, I'll be so numb that maybe it will be easier. I tell you though, I hate to admit it, this deployment terrifies me to the very center of my being. How on earth does anyone be a single mom of four kids? Especially, four kids who love their dad. The task before me is so terrifingly daunting. I know I can do it because I have a wonderful family support system and then I have a wonderful Heavenly Father that will help me through everything, but the idea of taking care of my kids and my home and everything all by myself for a whole year and then some is just terrrifing. It's like standing on top of a cliff where you can't see the bottom. You know someone is about to push you off the cliff, you know you can't do anything to stop them, all you can do is hope and pray as hard as you can that God will give you wings. Pray for us all.

Spotlight: Dan Paul Merkley

Dan Paul Merkley was born on the 21 November 2007 at McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, UT. He is our fourth child and third little boy. He was blessed on the 23 December 2007 (Joseph Smith Jr.'s birthday by the way). It was a wonderful blessing and we are so happy that his father was here to do it. His daddy is being deployed and so it really was a great blessing. He is full of smiles and we all love having him as our newest addition. He makes us laugh. He's a cuddlebug and still refuses to sleep in his own bed; he'd rather sleep with mom and dad. He's always trying to move which makes his mom a little apprehensive. I fear once he is capable, I'll never get him to stop. He loves to talk and get kisses. He LOVES attention. His brothers and sister have really taken to him and love to give him kisses and hold him. He has really added alot to our little family.