Merritt Memories

the other day my friend Tami came by and asked if we wanted to go with her cute little family to the pet store. They had just gotten a cute little puppy and were going to buy some necessities for the cute guy. I couldn't believe how hard of a decision it was for me to make. I know my kids wanted to go, they were already putting their shoes on. I needed to shower, the kids had not had baths. The thought of going to the store stinky terrified me! She talked me into it though. Thanks Tami. It took me awhile to get everyone ready. Tami waited patiently. We got to the store and the kids were so excited! My kids have wanted a dog for a long time. They took turns holding the little puppy. It was fun to see how happy the kids would get when they found something they thought he needed. Tami is a mom of 7 children. I was in awe because I probably would have chosen to venture the store by myself. I wouldn't have wanted to risk a fight over collars, leashes, and toys. Not her. She had all...

We just have to have the faith to find it and rely on it. I was driving in my car after exchanging some shoes. It was nice to be by myself. I love it because I get to listen to my music and not Tuppertunes . It's nice to have some quiet to reflect and just be able to think clearly without screaming in the background. We all have struggles. They come in different ways, none the less we all have them. Maybe it's self-esteem, marriage issues, concerns about children, or maybe just the daily grind. I think a lot of times they leave us overwhelmed, not sure of what to do, and with a feeling of hopelessness. I have felt this many times. I seem to wind up having a pity me party. I would say right now the daily grind is getting to me. I don't know if it is because of summer, or what. I have just had a feeling of being overwhelmed and not being able to keep up. So, I was listening to a song (I love Batdorf and McLean). Here's how the lyrics went: It's too heavy what I ca...

apparently she has allergies!! My little Kate is a funny little girl. She comes up with some pretty crazy stuff. A couple of weeks ago a few of us in the family were suffering from allergies. I thought nothing of it til lately. Kate seems to think "allergies" are a little something that influences your choices. I asked, " Who colored with pencil on the bathroom counter? Kate replied, "Oh that was me. Sorry mom, my allergies made me do it." A few days later I found wallpaper torn off her wall. "Kate, did you do this?" I asked. " Uh , yeah, my allergies made me do it." she answered. I'm getting a little tired of this allergy stuff. Today she colored on Becca's shirt with bright blue crayon. Guess what made her do it? Yep, her allergies. I guess next time your child has done something you don't approve of, stop and think... he/she might be suffering from "allergies."

We took a quick trip to Vernal, UT. It is the dinosaur capital of the world. It supplies most d ino museums with their large skeletons. We had a fun time. We stayed at a KOA . They had a lot of fun things to do to keep us busy. We enjoyed swimming, mini golf, and the fun little bikes they had. We traveled to the quarry. There they have part of the mountain exposed in the building. You can see see the fossils in the rock. We were so bummed that it was closed for renovations, but you could hike and see them. We chose not to. It was quite a hike. The next day we went to the field house. The kids had a lot of fun. Ryan really loved the Native American exhibits. They all loved the life size models. It was extremely interesting to learn about our earth. We went back to the the camp ground and went swimming. There Dustin and I have decided to enroll our kids in swimming lessons. Ever since becoming a mom I worry. Because of this, I am scared to take the kids swimming. It was pretty sad to ...

Have you ever had one of those, "I'm just ugly today" days? Well, I've had a few since I've allowed my hair to grow out. I pull it back just for the sake of time, least attractive style. My face has also become a dot-to-dot puzzle. The oil around the face is terrible! I feel like I have re-entered high school. Needless to say, I've just been feeling awful. Thankfully I was given 5 little angels to make me feel better. They can really boost your self- esteem! I have mentioned how Kate loves to sing her own songs, well lately they have been about how beautiful her mom is. She looked right at me the other evening and said, "Mom, you're so pretty (I was in jogging pants, t-shirt, and yes hair pulled back, not to mention my skin problem)! She made me smile. As I was getting ready to go outside with the kids and prepare for battle in our water balloon fight the other day, Grace happily said, "Mom, you look awesome !" I guess I should tell you, I ...

Have you ever noticed when you lose your perspective, you lose EVERYTHING! I say this because I have recently realized my ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE was askew . I had let every detail of my life boil down to the moment . You know when you you want to watch What Not to Wear instead of reading your scriptures. Or maybe, you rationalize not being a very good visiting teacher due to your overwhelming schedule (if you have time for TV , then you have time for VT). I have found myself in this situation. I have tunnel vision at the moment. I'm trying to expand that view, but I realize how hard that can be. I once owned a cassette tape (yep, I said it) titled, You Only Live Once, but if You Live Right Once is Enough (this quote will find a permanent spot on my blog for a reminder). The speaker put things in an eternal perspective. He started out adding up the time that we have waited to come to Earth. 1,000 years to us is 1 day to God. It took 7 days to create the Earth, so to us 7,000 years. ...

We were able to go to the parade this year. We really do have a sad little parade, but the kids are always so excited. We sat at the very front of the route this year. It was nice because the kids SCORED in the CANDY department. We went with our friends the Corderos . Later that night we had a BBQ and FIREWORKS. The kids loved the SPARKLERS . Later in the weekend we were able to go north to KAYSVILLE , and spend time with some of my family. Jeff and Staci live there. Alan and Natalie were visiting. We ate pizza at a park. The kids loved it! It sat next to a hollow, or the "forest" as grace calls it. They liked hiking through it. It reminded me of the park I used to play at in Lee's Summitt, MO. when I was little. I wish I had remebered my camera. They had succh fun with the cousins. I am so grateful to live in a country of FREEDOMS . We truly live in a blessed land!