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.