Merritt Memories

When I was in second grade, I wanted to be a teacher. My teacher, Mrs. Bock, I loved her! I could honestly say that about all my elementary teachers. Even Mrs. Eschenheimer who I was warned was a terrible, mean lady with bad breath because she smoked; I ended up really liking her. Teachers have the opportunity to make a difference on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. It is an underappreciated job, but I don't think it matters once you see what can be accomplished. I know I never went to school to be a teacher. Most of what I know I have learned by being a mom, or read in a book. I know I could do so much more if I went to school, but I no longer think being a teacher the rest of my life is what I want to do. That said, I dedicate this post to the kids I teach everyday at the daycare. They are mostly 5 and 6. I get a few who are off track from their year-round school. The daycare is located in a lower income area. Because of this, these kids experience things that most kids do...

We had a fun Easter day. We had a special Easter egg hunt from the Easter Bunny, went to church, came home and finished our egg hunt, and then went to G & G Merritt's for dinner and another egg hunt. We only had church for an hour because they had redone our gym floor and the chemicals were quite overwhelming. It was nice to come home and do our Christ centered Easter egg hunt. I had written a little poem from the Easter Bunny and he left eggs that told the real Easter story. It was a nice change to not focus on the commercial part of the holiday. Before church I was lucky to squeeze in a few camera moments. Oh they were so happy to take a picture...not! I don't know why my family struggles to smile for a camera - one day they'll thank me. We were able to get a couple. The one of Dustin and I...ehh. We tried. Happy Spring!

I have been wanting to change Grace's room for a while. She is growing up so fast and I wanted her room to be something she could grow into. She decided long ago that she liked black and pink. I thought it would be fun to add white and gray. We had this bedroom set for almost eight years. It used to be a white and gold marble laminate. I am certain it was from the 70's, but I loved the feel and look of it. I knew i would eventually paint it. I think it turned out nice. There is also a little nightstand. Her bed was given to us from my sister-in-law. It was a plain brown bed with some flowers painted on the headboard. It's unbelievable what a coat of paint can do. It looks so different! The carpet will be changed and I still have to convince Dustin to let me accessorize the room. We are in the hopes of moving and he doesn't want any holes in the wall. I'm pretty sure once the newness wears off I'll have curtains and pictures up. I really enjoy making something ol...

I am currently trying to collect stories to make a book for my kids. It will be full of the stories of their ancestors. What a neat journey it has been! I have realized, though, how much I don't really know of my own parents' stories, and grand parents' as well. I think it is important to know where I came from. I think I can learn a lot from those who came before me. After all, I'm made up of little bits of them. I have learned of some great people, people I would've loved to know personally. They were strong, faithful, determined souls. I plan on sharing their stories and pictures. I hope you enjoy them too!