Merritt Memories

 I'm getting less children in the home, but they are still dressing up for Halloween. It helps with the heartache. Britten was a knight. The gilrs dressed up as Pohh, Eyore, and Tigger. Matched their personalities perfectly!

 The first snow started falling today. I'm not a fan of snow. I don't like the cold. But it is so pretty to watch falling from the sky...

 i love watching my kids create. Way better than watching TV! Today Britten scupled me out of Play-dough. Can yo guess which one I am?

  My kids are getting so big!!  Grace is a senior. Kate is a sophmore. Becca is in 8th grade. Britten is in 1st grade.

 Dustin has always taken the boys hunting. But, we have never had a girl's trip. We changed that this year!!! Me and the girls decided to skip the cooler weather and head south to St George. We checked into the hotel and then headed another 30 minutes south to visit my mom and Robyn. We toured the home she is builindg there in Mesquite. I'm so excited for them!  We had dinner with them and then made the trip back to the hotel.  The next day we went shopping, toured the Perry Homes model there- super gorgeous! The went back to the hotel to squish some swimming in before we went out for dinner. After dinner, we went to Tuachan and saw the Little Mirmaid! So great and so needed! We were able to have fun and make some memories. We have found a new tradition!! 

  I feel I've been slacking as a mom lately. Work, home, responsabilities, distractionss...sometimes, I just get so overwhelmed, so I hide.  Whenmy kids were little, it seemed so much easier to be there for all their needs. Life is a balancing act. I know that. I just don't like the feelig that I'm dropping everything I'm balancing, and watching it all smash to the floor. I'm just so grateful my kids are so forgiving. BEing a mom is hard!

 I have some great friends in my neighborhood. They love me and I love them! We decided it was time to get away together and make some memories. Rachel booked us a hotel at the Trump Tower, and we piled into her car and drove south for 6 hours.  We shopped, we played. But I also took them on a little tour of the part of Las Vegas I grew up in. I dodn't grow up in Henderson, NV. Nope! Vegas. Downtown Las Vegas. My home was about a 5-7 minute drive to the strip. The Stratasphere is at the end of my road, St Louis Ave. I showed them my home, my school, where our seminary building was. And I showed then a spot that was sacred to me. We all have our Holy Places. Mine happens to be on Eastern Ave., between Sahara and St Louis Ave.  We drove to the spot and I told them of how my sister and I witnessed a friend of ours being protected from a group of girls whose intent was to hurt her. 3 girls vs 1 girl, all because her shirt was red (gang affiliation colors were a real thing in ...

  Her plan is falling into place! She's headed to Snow next fall.  This girl has always had a plan! At 5 it was that she was never leaving home, she'd live with me forever. At 12, she was going to cullinary school and would move to Paris to open her own doughnut shop. Now, she plans on going to Snow and then transferring to SUU to graduate with a degree as a LCSW (licensed clinical social worker). She's my planner!

  He tries so hard! He's a perfectionist-just like his daddy- with a little naughty thrown in!! We always say it's a good thing he's so cute! And those dimples? They've saved him many times! 

 Homecoming 2019. Grace's senior year. She's pretty much outgrown school and can't wait to be done. Hang in there, Lady! Pretty soon you'll be off, and before you know it, you'' be ironing you spouse's pants (total inside joke)!