Merrill Family

mandy.MPG

2010-11-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

Pictures by Ashley Curtis

2010-06-20T17:17:00.001-07:00

Life in General

2010-05-21T04:04:00.001-07:00

Again I must apologize for having not written in WAY too long. Life gets away from you at times (especially being an army wife with two kiddos!)

Where to start...

Matt's parents drove to Texas and surprised us. Well, I knew about 24 hours before, but no one else did. :) Matt got a phone call from Andrea, his mom, and she sounded concerned so he was startled awake and then she told him she was at the front door and she couldn't get in! He was so shocked and the look on his face was priceless. They stayed for about ten days and we mostly hung around the house playing with kids. Andrea and I both love Target, so we had to make that trip. Matt was working crazy long hours (as is typical right now) so he missed the trip to the Waco Park Zoo. Grace loved the animals and the little playground in the "Asian Jungle". I didn't bring my camera, my Father-in-Law has all of the pictures. I forgot to download them while they were here. Sorry! We crafted, read books, played with the dog, and just enjoyed one another's company. So great to have them come visit.

Shortly after they returned home, our little dog got sick. Wyatt got Parvo and went downhill fast. By the time he showed symptoms and we got to the vet, there really wasn't any chance for him. I tried to offer at home care for him for three days, all the while watching him slowly slip away. He was such a sweet little guy and our family will really miss him. Especially his BFF, Grace. They ran all over the backyard and dug in the garden... It was pretty traumatic for Matt and I to have our little Wyatt gone so suddenly. Matt wants another dog, I'm not so sure.

Our family has been sick a lot lately as well. We all had a cough which kept most of us up at night. Matt got sick first and struggled for a few weeks before Ella and I joined him in the cough fest 2010. Poor Ella would cough so hard she would wake up gagging and screaming three or four times a night. Eventually her doc came around and gave her antibiotics. She's healthy now, but I was sure worried there for a while. I was the last to recover, and I'm happy to say we are all healthy again!

Breaking news! Ella is crawling! She started at about 9 months and has not slowed down one bit. She is always going. Her favorite places to play are her big sister's room, for obvious reasons, and the bathroom. She likes to hear her voice echo, so when it's bathtime she squeaks and giggles. She loves water! She splashes and plays. The girls love to take baths together.

Grace is growing like a weed. One day she was firmly in a size 5 shoe and the following week she barely fits in her size 6's! Crazy! She can wear all of her size 2T clothes without them looking baggy, which is a relief since she'll be 3 in August! Maybe they'll end up like me and my sisters. They were both taller than me while in grade school. Oh well!

Grace loves to take center stage. She stands up on the fireplace hearth and sings as loud as she can. Her songs usually consist of "I love you....Heavenly Father...I love you someday!" Her lyrics crack me up! They bring a smile to my face, and who wouldn't? She has a smile and personality that can light up any room. Everywhere we go, people are drawn to her. It's those big blue eyes and bright smile. Oh, and the pigtails, and her little shoulder shrug, oh....and .... you get the drill. She's too cute for her own good!

I have been receiving "messages" from Grace lately. She has a mini notebook that she carries around and draws on with a tiny yellow crayon. Then she folds them up, licking her finger in between each fold (who knows where she learned that?) and then folds them as small as she can. When she gives them to me, she smiles and looks at me saying, "Here's a message for you." So quirky and sweet. Gotta love that kid of mine!

Matt just completed what is called a "Spur Ride." It is two days of pure torture! He had to take a PT (Phys. Train.) test and qualify with a high score and then they started at 4 am and made them do outrageous things while carrying all of their equipment, and often times carry other soldiers as well. They did blindfolded gun assembly, grenade and tank firing ranges, they had a simulated battle segment where they tended to the wounded, they had two CRAZY Ruck (Sp?) marches, all this and more! It ended the following day at 1 pm when he received his silver spurs. In 1 CAV they receive their gold spurs for deploying. So now he has BOTH! Thank goodness, because I saw his wounds this last week and I don't ever want to see him go through that again! Poor guy, he slept a ton and soaked up countless applications of Bag Balm and Neosporin. So proud of my Matty! There are pics on Facebook under Pictures of Me.

Our garden is growing! More pics to come on that!

As for me, I'm just crazy busy all of the time. My business is booming and I have two beautiful girls that I get to spend quality time with every day. We read, color, sing, dance, and all the while have fun. It is quite stressful at times, but I know the end goal and I'm determined to get there! We are about the finish the Book of Mormon with Grace and it has been such a blessing to read it with her. We are all learning from that time together.

Won't Aunt Lacey be so proud of me!

2010-03-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

I'm finally updating my bloggy, won't Aunt Lacey be so proud of me! :) Thanks for giving me a kick in the pants for never writing!

LOTS has happened but it would take weeks to get it all written on here. So I will just write about the recent things.

Daddy has been home for THREE WHOLE MONTHS already and I can't even believe it. I swear I blinked and it is March already! Ahh!

Matt's unit put a marriage retreat together for all of the returning soldiers. We went to Great Wolf Lodge near Fort Worth, TX and the hotel was AMAZING! Everything was interactive and there were so many things for kids of all ages. Grace loved the story time, the arcade, the water! It has the world's largest indoor waterpark! No joke! Daddy took her in the wave pool, down pint sized waterslides and she had the time of her life. I think this summer she will live in a bathing suit, just like her Auntie Mistie did when she was a youngen. I wish I had taken more pictures, but the water is an enemy to my DSLR camera. I didn't want to take the risk. But we had a great time and it was most definitely a retreat!

Grace, Matt and I were all sick a few weeks ago...and it lasted for what seemed like forever. Then we all got healthy and Grace got Strep! Poor thing, she was fine one minute and then had a temp of 102 the next. We had her in the doctor's office then the ER then the docs office again. She was so sad and tired and mopey. I have never seen her that sick before. She threw up for the first time in her life (beside the reflux of her babyhood). Her fever was crazy! When we took her to the ER, they gave her more ibuprofen, tylenol, popsicles, stripped her to her diaper and it stayed at 103.9 for hours! Talk about a scare. Then Tuesday of this week we took her to doc again because she wasn't drinking, eating and she was sleeping about 2/3 of the day. She wouldn't talk, only mumble...definitely not a happy Gracie girl. They tried to give her an IV, but the nurse accidentally pulled it out just as it was finally in. (It took 20 minutes to get in and 1 sec to fall out!) She was so traumatized that she drank two full cups of water within minutes of it all being over. They gave her a book of stickers, a stuffed bear, and SIX suckers because they felt so bad for her.

She is now 100% better!

We started our own little indoor garden and Grace has her own little watering can to help tend to it. Matt put in some garden boxes in our backyard so we grow a great garden this year. I am so excited! Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, pumpkins, brocolli, beans, onions, you name it!

I bought the girls Easter dresses from Gymboree and they have got the be the cutest things I have EVER seen! Tulips! Matt even thought they were pretty cute so I splurged and got them matching everything from hairbows to socks...shoes and dresses! Then I saw the little outfit for Ella Bella that was so cute I just about died! See pictures below:

When I put Grace in her dress she spun around and said, "I'm a princess girl!" So funny. She refused to take it off for her nap, but I insisted.

He's HOME!!!

2009-12-09T13:00:00.001-08:00

To see pictures of our reunion go to my facebook page and scroll down until you see Kacy Bowe's entry with all of the pictures! She did an amazing job!

Iraq NO MORE!!

2009-12-02T12:57:00.001-08:00

Matt will be home from Iraq tomorrow at 9:15 am!!!!!

Pictures

2009-08-23T18:11:00.001-07:00

It has been nearly a month and I haven't posted anything! So much has happened. Matt's parents came a few days after I had Ella and then a few days after Matt arrived home for R & R. We packed up and went to a fun little tourist town named Fredricksburg and stayed in a rustic bed and breakfast. We played horseshoes and dominoes and let Grace stay up WAY too late! It was a lot of fun..stray cats and donkeys were also guests at the inn. (No joke!) Matt blessed Ella on Fast Sunday and we took some new family pictures with Ella.

Matt and his dad did some projects to clean up the outdoors and organize the house and we celebrated Grace's birthday a bit early so Grams and Gramps could watch her open their presents. She was given a two week long birthday this year! Crazy, but she had a lot of fun. Matt took her on an official Daddy-Daughter date to lunch and WalMart to pick out some birthday presents. She came home loaded with sugar, chicken nuggets and toys! He bought her a cool swimming pool, nail polish, books and clothes.

We had a lot of great family time while Matt was home and Grace's imagination grew about a million times over. (Daddy is the imaginative/creative play parent!) She now enjoys being chased by the "Monster", putting on imaginary make-up (sound effects and all!) and she misses her daddy like crazy all over again. Can't say I blame her. They played in the sprinklers (see below) and built an art table together. Daddy is just so much more fun!

Matt left and my mom came again. We didn't do house projects this time...instead we made baby announcements and played with the kiddos. We watched movies and had a lot of great conversation. A great time for all. Grace misses Grandma now, too.

Lots of changes...now we're about to enter the last three months without Matty and I am trying my best not to countdown and make it seem longer. I will try to post more often, but I am not going to make promises...I don't need another item on my weekly "To Do" list right now! :)

Ella Sofia

2009-07-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ella Sofia joined our family on Wednesday, July 22nd at 5:56 am. She weighed 7 Lb 5 oz and was 20 inches long. She was in a rush to get here...I was only at the hospital for just over 2 1/2 hours before she was born. What a wonder! I'm in love again!

This is short because I have found myself with much more to do these past few days...but I promise I will elaborate and share my "unfortunate" yet fortunate birthing story with all of you.

Visitors and New Pics

2009-07-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

My mom just went back to Phoenix on Wednesday. She was here for 8 days and we kept busy the entire time! I can't post pictures of the projects we did, because they are a surprise for Matty when he gets home in a few weeks. But we did a LOT!

Grace started Kindermusik last week and it is so much fun to see her in class. She dances and loves to watch the older kids. I can't wait for Daddy to take her to the class. She loves the musical instruments!

I finally have a few pics of me with the "Ella Addition." I haven't had many opportunities to have my picture taken during this pregnancy...being alone in TX and all. But, my mom took a few, so I thought I'd share the pregnancy glory. Ha ha ha.

This is us getting ready for Jazzercise!

July 4th Pictures!

2009-07-04T13:36:00.001-07:00

Out with the Old

2009-06-19T03:50:00.001-07:00

It has been too long since my last post, but life has been CRAZY! My business, swim lessons, Jazzercise, Grace, Ella, house, planning for the inevitable! (The list could go on forever!!!)

Anyhow, a few fun things have been going on lately. Grace took two weeks of Mom and Tot swim lessons and finished them yesterday. She is pretty good about being in the pool for a bit, then she wants to get out and run around. Scares me to death. We spent a lot of time in the 1 ft pool. Of course, I had to be in the pool with her, so that meant an 8 month pregnant woman in a bathing suit...not one of my best looks :)I avoided the camera and took pictures with her swim instructor helping her instead.

I was able to dunk her under and she didn't cry...she will kick her legs ferociously and she loves to try and blow bubbles. We'll be working on that in the bathtub from now on until the skill is mastered. She loves to splash. Though, like every kid her age, she refused to put her head back in the water. She won't even do it in the tub, so I knew it was going to happen. But, overall she loves the water and she can't wait to show Daddy all her new big girl skills.

As for the title of the blog... My friends in Texas already know that we purchased all new appliances, but I thought I would post the pics! I was Lowe's on Memorial Day and saw the insane sale they were having on Energy Star rated appliances and then they were giving a MILITARY DISCOUNT on top of it! Talk about crazy good prices. We saved over $500 on our appliances and they installed them for free! (Even the dishwasher!) I used my dishwasher for the first time tonight and could not believe that it actually washed AND dried the entire load and it didn't sound like it was going to catch fire like the last one. The fridge has 2 cubic feet more space and an ice maker...going to do wonders for me this summer! The stove heats so fast and I can't wait to bake cookies and make yummy Sunday dinner casseroles when Matty comes home.

Old Fridge

New Fridge

Old Dishwasher

New Dishwasher

Old Stove

New Stove

New Additions

2009-05-26T20:57:00.001-07:00

This is her new playset I bought last week. She now has her very own slide, though she is scared to go down at times. She likes when we go down the big slide at the playground (as long as I'm sitting beside her!) She loves to go in the backyard. Thanks goodness for craigslist!

This is Grace's new "big girl bed." She has a hard time staying in it! She doesn't sleep well yet, so we are taking it slow. Some nights she sleeps in her crib.

Grace has a new found love for her blocks. We sit and build towers and then take them apart every day. It's funny because I have taught her the "Clean Up" song and she always says "Clean up, clean up, clean up the blocks" when I sing it. Future architect?

Recently...

2009-05-16T18:07:00.001-07:00

Our Ella

Our little family has been changing a lot this past few months. Grace is suddenly seeking complete autonomy in public, Ella is growing stronger each and every day, I am growing larger each and every day, and Matt is being worked to death!

I mentioned in a previous post that Grace is really starting to talk more. Her new favorite words are outside, lips, yes, and help. Of course, there are the most prominent words which are always Mommy and Daddy. But, I must say that she will repeat just about anything I say. Funny how you become a whole lot more aware of saying "crap" when there are little ears listening. Granted, people say a whole lot worse things, but I don't want mine picking anything up from ME.

I am now 30 weeks pregnant! And as I mentioned, Ella is growing stronger. I have an aweful lot of Braxton Hicks contractions and it seems she is always kicking a foot out so I have an assymetrical stomach. I'm the only one who seems to notice, of course.

Matt is doing as well as can be expected. Usually exhausted when we talk to him, but I am so incredibly happy we are able to Skype with him. Grace still knows him and they play and she gives him kisses all the time. She's pretty blessed to have a daddy like Matty. I can't wait until they get to go on Daddy-Daughter dates to get ice cream. I know he's looking forward to it also.

Other than that, life is filled with a whole lot of hodgepodge days that seem to escape me at times. The days when time stands still prove difficult, because my mind wanders to how far away our Matty/Daddy is. Sure love that guy.

Grace is growing up!

2009-05-03T18:09:00.001-07:00

I have been so crazy busy getting back into my life here in Texas and I have so much to say! Grace has really been learning a lot lately and saying so much more. She has a few new favorite words, which include: mess, vaccuum, rain, morning, cookie, and the list goes on! She started talking more in Utah, but since we have been home she has nearly doubled her vocabulary. Sometimes I can tell she is trying to say an entire sentence and I can't understand a word of it...all in good time.

I took her on the "big girl" slide yesterday at the park and she giggled and squealed so much it was hilarious! Every time her feet hit the ground, she took off to go up the stairs for another turn. I could hardly keep up with her...this belly is really starting to change how fast I move!

She also had her hair in a ponytail for the first time yesterday. Even though her hairstyles last about ten minutes it was adorable. Her hair is finally getting long enough to try new things. Matt insists that I keep trying to do her hair so she'll get used to it...I think he's right. She looks a bit like a boy when her hair is down.

Matt is doing as well as can be expected. He is often very tired and calls pretty late in Iraq time, but he is always so happy to see us as we are him. These five months have really had ups and downs for me emotionally, but since I've been home and we have seen and talked to him a bit more, I have felt a lot better. I truly love him more than I did when he left. What a guy, my Matty! He puts up with my whining a lot and still loves me! He can't get enough of Grace when he calls, either. She lights up and runs to the office when he calls.

I am now 28 weeks pregnant and Ella is kicking my gut! She is incredibly active and I have Braxton Hicks contractions so often that I am usually short of breath. But I'm still going to Jazzercise and loving every minute of it. Maybe I'll be an instructor when all my kids are in school. That's a bit down the road...

The Texas heat and humidity are rapidly approaching and I am not looking forward to watering the lawn this summer. I think I'll be waking up at 5 am to avoid the heat. I have finally hired someone to take care of the yardwork and I am sad to see the extra money go, but being pregnant and having Matt gone has brought this decision to the forefront of my mind. I had a hard time mowing the entire thing BEFORE I got pregnant...not really a good idea while in my 3rd trimester. Oh well.

Matt and I decided it is soon time for Potty Training to begin. I don't want two in diapers while he is away and she is excited when she sees the potty in the bathroom. Crossing my fingers that once she catches on, when Ella is born she won't revert back to diapers.

Home again

2009-04-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to say that yes indeed, we are in Texas once again. I will post more once I catch up on sleep and unpacking.

Long Time no Post

2009-04-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

Just a little hello from Utah. Grace and I have been making the rounds of staying with family and friends for nearly a month now and I am EXHAUSTED! Grace has absolutely loved being around all of our family and especially being the center of attention.

We were able to hide that we are expecting our second daughter until we arrived here in Utah. So, we had a lot of fun letting everyone in on our big secret. Ella is due July 28th, only a few months to go! It was so hard not to slip up about doctor appointments, morning sickness, growing bigger every day... but Matt and I pulled it off. I'll post a video a bit later.

We stayed in Brigham City with Matt's parents first and Grace warmed up to Grandma and Grandpa Merrill very fast. She is Grandpa's girl, no doubt about it. We went shopping, made cards, played with cousins, and helped Grandma get around with a bad knee. She had surgery last week. Grace was showered with kisses and we both enjoyed our time there a lot.

We spent a few days in Idaho with our good friends, the Allen family. We met them at Utah State while living in our cinderblock palace. Abigail and Grace are a few months apart, and they have been friends ever since. They followed each other around and Grace learned how to maneuver the stairs. We went to JCPenney and had adorable pictures taken, shopped, and watched movies. Grace and I really hope we live near the Allen's again soon.

Then we went to my grandparents house (Dad's parents). Grace loved discovering all of the kitchen drawers and throwing everything down the stairs. She showed off all of her dance moves and she sang songs for them. She grew very attached to Aunt Toni who lives across the street. Often chasing her down when she went to leave. She also enjoyed playing with all of my cousins. We also shopped a lot and enjoyed our time there very much.

We are now at my other Grandma's house (who lives with Uncle Rexy, who adores Grace!). My sister Mistie and mom from Phoenix flew in this weekend and we cooked up a storm the past few days to get ready for an Easter picnic in Logan with my other sister Crystal (whose baby was blessed today). It was the first time all of us were together (minus Matty, of course) since May last year. It was a beautiful day and it made me homesick for Logan all over again. Matty and I really loved living in Cache Valley. Maybe we'll end up there again someday.

Grace is going to have a hard time going home with just me around to play with. She loves the family and I will definitely miss all of the help and fun I've had, too. Being nearly 6 months pregnant with an active 20 month old is tougher than I thought. Especially since Matty is so far away.

By the way, Matty is still doing pretty well. He's a platoon leader now and works just as hard as he did before. He calls at all hours of the night (Iraq time) and I worry that he'll work himself sick. But, he is always so excited to hear about Gracie's new talents and hearing her talk in the background. We haven't been able to see him through Skype for weeks now...problems with computer compatibility and webcams. But hopefully she'll be able to see her Daddy soon. We miss him terribly.

Ode to the Brown Album

2009-02-26T19:56:00.001-08:00

This post is for Matty.

When we met, (oh so long ago!), Matt owned a brown '95 Subaru Legacy which he absolutely loved. He often took it up the mountains to go camping, fishing, hunting, and on road trips from Oregon, Georgia, Kentucky, and now Texas. Honestly, he and I have a lot of memories that involve that car. Even some which involve push-starting it! He has loved and adored that car for over 10 years, but when he left we made the decision to either donate it or sell it. Matt had a hard time coming to that decision, but we both knew it was best for our family. It has been started regularly for the past few months, and Matt cared for it well while it was in our care.

When there came on opportunity for someone to benefit from our beloved Brown Album, (also known as Donkey to our other Sub, Shrek)...we were prompted to hand over the keys. So Wednesday afternoon it became another family's cherished car. A good family, at that. So this is a sort of epitaph for Matthew's beloved Subaru. Thank you for being so reliable and for keeping memories alive of our early dating life. We have appreciated your companionship as we started our family and now we wish you the best with your next family.

Now our Green Outback, so appropriately named Shrek, is without a sidekick. But not for long, because I have since decided that Matt's motorcycle will be named Princess Fiona! (He just doesn't know it yet!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T09:41:00.001-08:00

This is the "I Love Lucy" dress! I think it is about the cutest thing she has ever worn! It is also very cute for V-Day!

Just a quick family update-

Grace is still exploring all sorts of new things. Yesterday it was warm enough to go to the park, so she got to enjoy the swings and she giggled the whole time. (She's going to be an adrenaline junkie one day!) She got a little too close to a little girl and was bumped over...can't even really call it knocked over. She cried a little too long so we left and came home to take a nap.

She is currently testing boundaries. She tends to get upset quickly and screams for no apparent reason at times. I have no idea how long this phase lasts...but I usually have a headache from the screaming. I'm learning patience!

Matt is still doing pretty good. He will be changing areas soon and we don't know what that will mean for him and our ability to communicate with him. We pray daily that we'll be able to at least have some sort of contact. Mostly to ease my mind and let me know he's safe and sound.

I am still going to Jazzercise and my business has actually picked up quite a bit lately. Lots of parties coming up before my big month-long trip to Utah in March/April. I month and 2 days away! I have been counting down since I bought my ticket last month.

Other than that...not a whole lot of news. I'll write more later!

(My new haircut!)

Missing Matty.

2009-02-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

I have been a little down lately, no real mystery as to why. He has been gone for 2 months now. Though I will probably not mention his absence often, (due to security reasons for our family), I feel it is important to talk about trials and our everyday dealings as both Grace and I miss him terribly.

I have always been in love with my husband. Now that he is worlds away from us, I love him more. I appreciate the things he does for me. He is the only one to truly save me from myself when I have a breakdown. He is the one who adds life and laughter to my otherwise quiet life. He appreciates the things I do on a daily basis for our family. Dishes, laundry, caring for Grace, cooking, cleaning, yadda yadda yadda. Grace hardly says three words clearly so she hardly says "Thanks". He is my favorite person to be with. Simple conversations before settling in for bed... Kisses hello and goodbye... I just miss it all too much. Now I know that distance can make some things harder, but I also know how my love and admiration for him has increased as he has been away. We are able to talk to/see him through Skype most days for a while before he goes to bed. Which is usually so late for him that I feel bad for keeping him up any later. But I know that he needs time with us just as much as we do with him.

I miss my Matty.

As for Grace- she has been a little sick today. Wimpery and lethargic... I think she'll be better tomorrow. She has been on a vegetable strike lately. When she first started eating solids, I couldn't get fruit to stay in her mouth and now it is reversed. But at least I can feed her plenty of fruit to make up for it. She loves apples, bananas, oranges, raisins, and dried cranberries. Then there's her favorite food which is cheese! She eats a string cheese a day and if she sees me slicing some for myself, she is at my feet begging! She is trying to say a few more things lately. (i.e. cookie, milk, dog, car, star) I can catch a few of them, but she gets pretty mad when I don't do it quickly. She turns 18 months tomorrow. She has already started nursery and loves it. The teacher adores her, too.

Myself- I have been working out a lot lately. I joined Jazzercise with my friend Jana and it is getting me into pretty good shape. I have a lot more endurance than I used to and am toning up. I used to work out all the time, but I stopped for a long time after I had Grace. Never again. I was in pretty bad shape when I started up again.

My Scentsy business is still trucking along. I have lots of parties booked and hope it keeps me a little distracted until Matt comes home. Between Grace, the house, my job and Jazzercise...I think that should shave off a few hours a day! :) (By the way, if any of my friends need anything...Feb is 10% off month so just e-mail/call me. It only happens twice a year!)

Matt is hanging in there. He is being worked to the bone and is often completely worn out when I talk to him. He is changing jobs in about a month and we'll have to see how it works out for him. He is safe, and that's my biggest concern right now. We are hoping he can be home for both his and Grace's birthday this year during R & R. We have to be apart for our Anniversary and V-Day for the second year in a row...so if he can come celebrate at least a little, I will be satisfied.

Webcam ROCKS!!!

2009-01-22T17:58:00.000-08:00

I just had to share my excitement over getting to SEE Matthew today for the first time in nearly 2 months. I always knew I loved the Internet, but now I can't imagine my life without it! Matt was able to see Grace and how much bigger she is getting. She kept trying to give him kisses and danced for him a whole lot. The best part was her enthusiasm when she saw him come up on the screen. She yelled "Daddy!" as clear as day and he was so happy to see that she remembers him. I love my husband! Grace and I are so blessed to have him to call our own.

Dexter

2009-01-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

While Matt and I were in Utah in November we took Grace to Build-a-Bear and we picked out a monkey for her. Matt was able to record a little message for her so she could hear his voice and he could tell her he loves her every day while he is away. This is a short video of Grace with Dexter, as named by Matt!

To see the pics better....

2008-12-12T12:36:00.000-08:00

Just click on the "View Photos" on the bottom and watch it that way. I have never been able to get my slideshows to be centered. It must be my layout, but I don't feel like adding all of my widgets again on the side one by one, so it is staying for a while until I do!

I hope you like the pics!

Family Photos!!! (With Sandi Linder!)

2008-12-12T12:27:00.001-08:00

Cabin Stairs and Hellos

2008-12-09T16:21:00.001-08:00

Christmas Surprise

2008-12-05T19:51:00.001-08:00

Home Again

2008-11-30T18:39:00.000-08:00

Hey, all....yes, it really is Mandy! I am finally posting after a few weeks of silence. We had a great trip to Utah and Idaho. However, it went by way too fast and now we are hurriedly organizing our house and avoiding the holiday rush so we can enjoy what time we have together as a family.

In Utah, we spent most of our time with Matt's family in Brigham City and a little time in Idaho with his dad and brother and then our favorite college friends the Allen family. (If you want to see some really cute pics of our girls, be sure to check out the Allen Family blog!). Lacey and I went fabric shopping and to one of my favorite places- Costco! We visited and ate lots of yummy food and then I oogled over her food storage. You wouldn't believe how awesome it is! Way to go, Lac!

We were able to spend a day up at Matt's family cabin in Island Park and that was very cozy and relaxing. Grace continually climbed the stairs and was told "No" due to the gas fireplace. She left there with another word in her vocabulary...you guessed it- "NO!" She's too cute when she does it! (I'll get sick of it one day I'm sure, but for now I find in adorable).

We played a lot of dominoes with Matt's mom. She loves to play games, even more than we do if that's even possible! We often were up until midnight playing Mexican Train. Even though we were exhausted....we had way too much fun to complain.

We went on a date night to see Quantum of Solace, which we both very much enjoyed. That's only the second date night we've been on in the last 6 months. Yikes!

We also got to go to Maddox and have a nice quiet dinner with his family. Then we went to Salty and spent a bit of time with my family. We had a great family home evening with my Dad's family and spent the next day with my grandparents learning about their trip to Mexico and my grandma also sat down and taught me how to Index names for family history. Very cool!

My mom's family came next and we had a FULL T-day dinner and were able to spend some time scrapbooking, visiting and most of all watch Grace climb the stairs and show all of her "tricks" to the family who haven't seen her since she was crawling. Again, so stinkin' cute I could bite her.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving...I know we did. Matt cooked all but one side dish for us! What a chef. He's the greatest....and he's all mine!

This has already been a pretty long post and we did a whole lot more while we were away, but I think I'll stop there. I will try to post more regularly.

Great Sunday

2008-11-02T16:55:00.000-08:00

Today was a really great Sunday. I usually enjoy Sundays, but today we all had a very uplifting day. We had touching and inspired lessons in Relief Society and Elders Quorum. Jana, my good friend and Relief Society Pres. gave a lesson about gratitude and how the right attitude and focus on our blessings can change our lives. I truly felt the spirit during the lesson. Thank you, Jana.

Matt's lesson was about the simpleness of the way to live with our Father in Heaven again. We had a good talk about what we learned and then we had a guest to dinner. There was a younger gentleman in our ward visiting whom we invited over and we were able to discuss how gospel principles have given our lives purpose and direction in the latter days, especially since we are all Active Duty Army. I really appreciated the time we were able to visit with this brother, Spencer Taylor from Ft. Huachuca (I probably spelled that wrong!).

He shared with us some great experiences he has had and what helped him survive his time away during deployments. I think Matt and I both benefited from having an LDS perspective on deployment. He introduced us to a great web site with free downloadable LDS music called liahona.net. I encourage all of my readers to check it out. It is truly a gift from God to have this uplifting and wholesome music at our fingertips.

We are very blessed.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T19:19:00.001-07:00

In God I Trust

2008-10-30T10:36:00.001-07:00

Last night Matt and I had an honest conversation about the Election and we are on edge because the future of our country is at stake as well as the future of our family. We ARE an active duty military family. I want to be sure that correct steps are taken to ensure the safety of every American life and not only that...the QUALITY of each American life. Therefor, I will be voting for the candidate who chooses LIFE.

To see what I mean, follow the link below. I think this link is informative. However, I do not think people will be "damned" for voting for either candidate. Just to clarify!

http://www.americaschoicenow.com/

Empty House

2008-10-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

After having been alone with Grace for over a month...then all of a sudden having 3 more adults here at all times for over a week...now I'm alone with Grace during the day again...I forgot for a second how quiet my house is at times. Of course, there's the constant babbling and growling provided by Grace, but I don't ever watch TV and I don't own a stereo anymore; so other than my own voice or phone ringing I don't hear many other noises while Matt is at work. Hard to adjust to.

Anyhow, on a different note. My business is doing pretty good right now. I have parties lined up for the next few weeks and then the holiday shopping will REALLY hit! I have been putting ever penny of my commission into the bank and I have been in the black for a bit now. Feels good because I have accomplished a goal. I have a successful home business that I love. My husband enjoys that our house always smells good, too! A win-win! Grace is still my ultimate-tester-smelling-champion. She knows if the doorbell rings during the day that we are getting a package from Scentsy and she hovers around me until I open it. So cute.

Anyway, I hadn't posted for a week so I thought I'd write whatever came to mind. There you have it.

Daddy's Home Pictures

2008-10-14T14:15:00.001-07:00

Nose Push Giggler

2008-10-09T12:36:00.001-07:00

October Pictures

2008-10-09T12:30:00.001-07:00

Warning!!! The world may end tomorrow.....Matt is actually posting a message!!!

2008-10-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a short message from Mateo...the one Mandy has been prodding for months now, feebly attempting to create some sense of obligation to contribute to the family blog. I hate to break it to her that the begging, pleading, and fluttering of eyelashes have not paid off....it's actually the foot rubs, car washes, and seven-course meals that have led to my fall!
Actually, I am quite ashamed that I have hidden for so long from all of you, my family, friends, and blog-o-mites. I beg for your forgiveness and hope that you will accept me into the fold with few, if any, tongue lashings. I promise to contribute more than the.....well..... no times that I have contributed in the past...wow....I am quite pathetic!
Anyway, to give an update of sorts, I am keeping quite busy with work. A lot is coming up and sparing the boring details I have simply been helping in the planning side of things which will effect what we actually do once we hit our area of operation. My influence is little, but I hope that I will soon be able to make a difference in the life of at least one person out there in the world where we do business.
Being able to spend time with Mandy and Grace is without a doubt the most important thing to me. I love them both so much and each memory we create brings us closer together and closer to our ultimate goal. Grace is amazing, I love discovering something new in her personality every day. I am so blessed to call these two girls my own!
Grandma and Grandpa Merrill are here visiting Grace right now; it is nice to have them here and to watch how Gracie attaches herself to them as if Mandy and I no longer exist....we love it! We miss family a lot and hope that we will not miss out on your lives as we are apart. Please keep in touch as we will make better efforts to do the same. We love each of you, family and friends, and hope all is going well in your lives! Until next time, (probably around Mandy's 72nd Birthday) Love Matt

Home!!!

2008-10-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let all of you know that Matt is home and safe! His parents are here for the week and we have Matt all to ourselves for a 3 day weekend! Watching conference at home is a blessing...something I took for granted in Utah. Though paying a ton for cable to do it is hurting the wallet a little.... :)

Thanks for your prayers and concern for our little family. We have truly been blessed to have friends and family like you!

Long Time Gone

2008-10-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

My Matty is still gone. He has been away for nearly a month and will most likely be sent home on Friday. The worst part of it all is that I had been building myself up for his homecoming on this past Sunday and now it is Wednesday...then come Thursday...THEN comes Friday. The Army life is not for us for the longterm...we decided that together this month. Matt and I want to spend time as a family with our children and not apart for 12-15 months at a time at the whim of the United States Army. So, in five years when the contract is up and we have had all of our biological children, we will be moving to a small city in the West closer to family and living a simple, yet more stable life. Let the countdown begin. Again.

Unless a miracle occurs and the world is peaceful and there are no more deployments and Matt enjoys his job in Military Intelligence a whole lot more than his job in Armor. I heard a few of Matt's fellow officers say their units motto is, "First in, last out." Yee Haw.

Butter Pecan, anyone?

2008-09-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered that I have been worshipping the wrong flavor of ice cream. You see, Rocky Road has been my "favorite" since I was pint sized and now that I am grown and can fully appreciate many flavors of ice cream I have found that Butter Pecan is ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY THE BEST FLAVOR ON EARTH!!! I was visiting with a friend who shared her fascination with Dairy Queen Blizards and I couldn't stop thinking about ice cream thereafter. So, I went to Wally World and bought myself some Butter Pecan ice cream, and now I am having a hard time staying away from the freezer! I swear, if I didn't have both my hands full with Grace I would walk around with a spoon in my hand all day long! But no worries, because as soon as Matt returns home (and his sweet tooth with him) the ice cream will "vanish." Lets just hope I have the willpower to resist the frozen desserts aisle... Pray for me. :)

Fever!

2008-09-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Grace is still sick. Fever really scared me last night. I called my sister in law and she calmed me down. Then I went to check on her an hour later and even though I had given her some meds, it was still rising. So, to the ER we went at midnight and got home around 6 am. They poked and prodded her all morning and she refused to sleep. Anyhow, we're doing okay now. Just exhausted and Grace is doped up on Tylenol and Motrin as per the doctors orders. Poor thing. If it continues for too much longer they told me to bring her in to see her PCM.

Good news, Matt is safe and healthy. He should be home sometime on Sunday. Though, the Army always has the right to surprise us. I'm hoping he gets to come home at a normal hour and doesn't have to be picked up at 2 am. That's when I had to drop him off to leave. Can you believe it? Crazyness.

First Tag ever!

2008-09-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

What is his name: Matt (But to me he's Matty)
What is her name: Mandy
How long have you been together: Married for 3 1/2 years, dated off and on before that
How long did you date: a bit when we were "young", then 8 months before we were married.
How old is he:33
How old is she: 26, 27 in a few short weeks
Who eats more: Matt
Who said I love you first: Who knows! Too long ago to say.
Who is taller: Matt by a bit
Who sings better: Me
Who is smarter: Toss-up Matt has too many "realms" of knowledge, I have fewer but I think it all balances out
Who does the laundry: ME
Who pays the bills: ME
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed: Matt
Who mows the lawn: We take turns, but it takes Matt half the time! We don't have a self-propelled mower so I huff and puff the whole time!
Who cooks the dinner: Mostly me, Matt surprises me here and there on weekends
Who drives: Matt
Who is more stubborn:We both share this trait.
Who kissed who first: It was a mutual thing. We kissed each-other. However, Matt asked me first! Our VERY first kiss was simple, but very romantic in the parking lot of his apartment over 9 years ago. The NEWEST first kiss was even better. We danced in the moonlight to Dave Matthews and stole little kisses every few minutes after!
Who has more friends: Matt, definitely Matt
Who is more sensitive: We both have our moments.

Tag: Christina, Cari and Crystal.

Heart Attacks and the Croup

2008-09-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

Grace woke up this morning really late and I was sure that she was just tired because of the playgroup and all of the days festivities. But, from the moment I walked into her room, I could tell she was sick. She had an AWEFUL cough and was wheezing. I was shocked to hear such a sound coming from her sweet little mouth. I rushed her to the doctor and he said she has the Croup. She has cough syrup, a humidifier and even an inhaler now. For a few days, anyway. She is sad and wimpery, but doing good.

As for the heart attack...I had the sister missionaries over for dinner on Tuesday and I went into the bathroom to bathe Grace yesterday and there were hearts and colored crate paper everywhere! Even the ceiling! I have spent a lot of time with them recently (going on exchanges and feeding them) so they decided to surprise me.

Spaghettios, Peaches & Ginger Snaps!

2008-09-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

These are three of Grace's favorite foods. I can't believe how much she ate when I fed her these new foods. She couldn't get enough... I left Grace with a babysitter for the first time (meaning someone beside family). She had a blast, too. I was happy to see that she didn't get upset when I left and she ran into my arms when I returned home. I think I might do that more often! She seems to appreciate having me around when I'm gone for a few hours.

She has been a bit ornery the last few days. Teething again. This time she is EXTRA irritable at night, though. I'm starting to wonder if she has an ear infection. I'll take her in to the doctor if the supsicion continues...

Oh, my first Scentsy Party was last night at my friend Jana's house and I would like to nominate her as the Hostess of the Century! Jana is so good at getting people excited and making them feel welcome. She made TONS of great food...Spinach twists, Lemon Cheesecake Tarts, Bree and baguettes...it was over the top! Not to mention that there were over 15 women there!!! The party sales far exceeded what I had ever expected of my first party and now I am even more hyped for the next one. She is even going to give me feedback about how she thinks I could improve the presentation portion. Right on, Jana! I love being your friend and neighbor. If any of you ever knew or live near Jana you'll know what a great woman and mom she is. Thank goodness she is here in Texas!

Change of Scenery

2008-09-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

My mom was not happy when she couldn't see ALL of Gracie in her video and pictures because the trees were in the way. I love the new background...reminds me of Halloween! It isn't even mid-September and I am already itching to decorate for Halloween. Matt and I have been talking about what we want to dress up as. Definitely dressing up this year....any ideas?

Anyhow, I haven't actually WRITTEN anything for a while so I thought I would catch up. Texas has been good to us so far. I have made some friends at church and others at barbecues and so forth. One of my favorite people is one of Matt's classmates wives (From Fort Knox). Her name is Shannon and she is always fun to talk to.

I have been keeping busy with missionary work. I have been on more exchanges in the last week than I have in all of my adult life. We were stood up twice....sad. But, it's the willingness to go and share the gospel that earns brownie points, right? Ha ha.... I have also been feeding the missionaries a lot while Matt has been away. I signed up to feed them once a week. I hope they don't mind my cooking; they are going to get a lot of it this month!

Grace is still destroying anything and everything she can get her hands on. Luckily, we have very few boxes left in the house. But, she discovered the garbage can this week and has been "putting her toys away" in it. She just stares at me while I put her toys away in her room...but the garbage can is so much more interesting to her.

Any time I open the front door, she makes a B-line for it. She absolutely LOVES to be outside. She loves to run down the driveway...adrenaline junkie in the making.

Matt is working himself to death at the NTC. He calls every day for about 5 minutes and every day his voice is more gruff from exhaustion. He has a long way to go...keep him in your prayers. I know he'll do just fine...but it doesn't hurt to have a little extra help.

My Scentsy business is at a bit of a standstill. I had two parties cancel on me this week. Busy moms trying to get organized and all... BUT, I have one scheduled for this Friday night and I am told that about 15 people have sworn to be there. (Crossing my fingers!) I'm trying to make a certain sales goal and I am depending on this party to carry me there. Come on Jana, I'm counting on you!

I am currently working on finishing the last decorative touches on my living room. We were able to buy "adult furniture" for the first time! No more Love Sac and Futon!!! Woo Woo! I will post pictures when it is finished. Promise.

That's about it. Hope you enjoyed reading my ramblings.

Grouchy Giggles

2008-09-10T10:18:00.001-07:00

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-05T22:28:00.001-07:00

Walking Gracie

2008-08-20T08:48:00.001-07:00

Look out world! Here she comes!

2008-08-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

Grace started taking a few steps last week. It looked more like she was falling into things rather than walking so I didn't want to get too hyped up. Then, on Sunday she stood up in the middle of the floor without holding onto anything. Then she continued to do it all day and ever since then she has been standing up and taking a few steps. She is still shakey and takes it slow, but she is definitely walking.

Birthday Girl!

2008-08-10T16:59:00.001-07:00

Birthday Girl!!!

2008-08-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

Grace turned one last Wednesday...but we weren't able to celebrate until Friday. She had WAY too much fun with her cake. I have video, but I'm not sure if I can get it to work. I will work on it.

Our family is enjoying Mom Merrill here this week, too. She flew down to celebrate Matt and Grace's birthdays and see our new house. We have been pretty busy. I am finally hosting an open house for Scentsy this week on Tuesday so everyone cross your fingers! I really hope it goes well. It could make or break my business start-up.

Matt is still working extremely hard. He works very late and is hardly ever home. He is still training himself in his job and is doing really well. He got a new calling....Exec Secretary again. I got a calling, too but I haven't been sustained yet. I will fill you in once I am.

Here are some pictures of Grace's birthday party!

Signing Baby!

2008-07-29T19:27:00.001-07:00

I just thought I would share that I am still trying to teach Grace a few basic signs. She knows how to sign please, all done and more. Of course, I'm not quite sure if she knows exactly what she is saying...but about 75% of the time she does it on cue. I am working on Thank You right now. I'll let you know how that goes later on.

She is still cutting her fourth tooth, which is proving to be a bear. As if 3 weeks isn't long enough, right? Crossing my fingers and monitoring her continuous fever...

Sick Baby

2008-07-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

Grace woke up from an extraordinarily long nap today with a fever of 101 degrees! (That's high for her because she is usually about 96 degrees!) She has been wimpery and laying down on the floor all day. I feel so bad for her. She has only ever had a mild fever while teething, but this is something more. So far, no pulling of ears...but I have a feeling she and I will be staying home from church this week. I wish her daddy were here to help comfort her. You can tell she misses him a lot.

Oh, I guess I didn't blog about that yet. Matt is officially active in his unit here on Fort Hood. He is in the field and won't be back until Tuesday. He has a big learning curve ahead of him to learn the politics, strengths and weaknesses of the guys around him (so he says). He also found out that he will be working the Reconaissance side of Armor instead of working with tanks. Which he actually enjoyed more in Kentucky and it will be easier to transition to Military Intelligence in three years.

Matt also found out he will be deploying for 12 months on Dec 18th. He is a bit nervous, but he wants to go serve his country and the people of Iraq. I am proud of him for being brave enough to go. He is definitely a family guy and it will be hard for him to be away from "his girls." I love him so much it's sick!

That's all for now. I am going to go comfort Grace all I can while she is wimpery and enjoy how cuddly she is right now. (The only good thing is the cuddling! She is NEVER cuddly!)

Scentsy Consultant!

2008-07-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about having my own business for quite some time now. I hadn't fallen in love with any particular product until I was introduced to Scentsy through Matt's family. I have been thinking of all of the possibilities for me in Texas and how it would push me to make new friends and venture out a little more often. I am so excited to get started and I have so many ideas for my Scentsy business. If you haven't heard of it yet, you will! Especially if you are reading my blog! Scentsy is offering 10% off this month, on everything but the Double the Scentsy set. This is a rare occassion, so if you want to get started... go to my site and check out the product. www.scentsy.com/mandym If you do want to order, e-mail me at mandyscentsy@yahoo.com and give me your info.

Trust me, if I fell in love with it (and I am pretty skeptical) you will, too! Feel free to ask me any questions, because right now there is a fire inside me just bursting to tell you about it!

Family Time

2008-07-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Our little family arrived home just the other day from a trip to visit Matt's family. He hadn't seen most of them since January, and since I had just spent some time with my family we spent every waking moment with them. (My apologies to my family since we drove straight through town).

Anyhow, we went up to Island Park, ID and spent time with his sisters family, his parents and his brother Mark. Eventually we caught up with everyone in the Merrill family. We had a great time. We lounged a bit, Matt did a few projects at the cabin, we cooked dutch oven style, Matt started HUGE campfires, we played in the creek, went to West Yellowstone, ate ice cream... The list goes on and on.

We also saw a few movies. Matt's parents babysat for us so we could go on a date. We hadn't been on one since Christmas! Thanks a million, Mom Merrill! We saw King Fu Panda, which we both loved. We also saw Wall-E while we were home. We played a lot of dominoes, too.

I must say the highlight of the trip was seeing Matt play with Grace in the pool in Brigham City. She hadn't ever been in a pool before, and we had bought her a big floaty toy. He dunked her under a few times and splashed with her. They had an enormous amount of fun. I am so glad he was able to be there for her first time in the water. I could tell it meant a lot to him.

So, now we are home in Texas. It is blasted hot and humid. We are still trying to get all of our projects done. I spent most of the day cleaning doors and baseboards. Matt has been working on the lawn and planting a tree in our front yard. Grace has been keeping us busy by constantly climbing on the fireplace. We are one busy family. We don't have any of our household goods yet. They will be delivered next Wednesday. I can't wait! Christmas in July! We have so many things we got as gifts for our wedding that we have yet to open. I am so excited to finally use our fancy towels and hang my pictures on the wall.

I am going to wait to post pics until we have everything in place, because the house doesn't really look like a home yet. Just empty square rooms with little personality.

Still alive!

2008-07-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

We are still breathing. However, we are waiting to get our internet access set up in Texas. Soon enough we will be in contact with the outside world again. I will write more later. Don't worry, I will post pictures of everything! The house, the baby, etc...

Moving to Texas

2008-06-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

Matt came home on Saturday with good news and bad news. Fortunately for me, both ended up being pretty good news! He passed his BIG test, but his Airborne training was cancelled. So, what that means is that he will driving to Texas with us, and he won't have to leave to go to training! I would have been down there alone with Grace for nearly a month before seeing him again. But, I know Matt is a little disappointed because he has always wanted to do Airborne training...his time will come.

That is all that's new with us. I will post pictures of his graduation when we get everything set up at home. We leave this Friday afternoon. I am so excited! My mom is flying in this Wednesday, too. She is driving down with us and gets to see our house! Hopefully they both like it as much as I do.

Bye all! I probably won't have time or news to post until Texas.

Hallelujah!

2008-06-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I should let all of you know that Grace has been sleeping through the night for the last 6 days! I started putting her on a strict schedule. Feeding times are not negotiable, PJ time is not negotiable, and now scripture time is not negotiable either. I took the advice of two people...my Grandma Barlow and my friend Chelsea. I was nursing Grace just before bed, but I switched it up a bit and now feed her full of cereal and fruit before bed. She sleeps like a tank! (Her Daddy would love that metaphor!)

As for Matthew...I haven't seen or heard from him in over a week now and the time for him to return home is inching closer every hour. I can't wait to see him and find out what our future holds. I will, as promised, fill you all in as soon as I know anything.

P.S. Here is another picture of Grace. She is starting to let go and stand on her own for a split second before falling onto her caboose. (Or, as Lacey calls it, her Tookus...not quite sure I spelled that right!)

Winding Down

2008-06-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

Our time here is coming to a close and it is kind of bittersweet. I have met so many amazing moms and families here in Kentucky. I have picked up ideas about what family scripture study will be like when our family gets a little older and so many other fun ideas for decorating, crafting and developing talents. I will miss all of my friends here.

Matt is gone for his last field training and I am so anxious I can hardly sleep. He left a few days ago and won't be back until the 14th. When this phase ends, we will know what the game plan is for the next 6 months. He has the opportunity to go to Airborne school in Fort Benning, GA after we leave Kentucky. Luckily, it is only three weeks long. Grace and I will be in Texas setting up the house and trying to familiarize ourselves to our new city, church and so forth.

Grace is starting to walk around the furniture and falls quite often when she can't figure out which foot moves next. She is such a handful, but I love her to pieces ( as her Great Grandma Barlow says). She still doesn't sleep at night. She wakes up two times usually lasting about an hour each time. Last night I decided to let her cry herself to sleep at 5 in the morning, because I had already been up for two hours with no relief. It took her 45 minutes to do so, but she slept the rest of the morning afterward. The only good thing about the "field time" Matt has is that all of the tenants around us are also out there. Needless to say, she can cry and make all sorts of noise and I don't feel guilty for her waking everyone up.

Not much new with me. I haven't been working out lately and I am starting to feel it. I have no energy or desire to do anything aerobic when I haven't slept and I have a killer headache. If anyone has tips about helping babies sleep better at night, I am all ears. I have tried everything her doctor and other moms have recommended...but I am still open to suggestions. You can call it the Save Mandy's Sanity Project.

Kentucky

2008-05-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

When we moved to Kentucky, I didn't know what to expect. I had heard it would be green and lush and humid in summer...but I still wasn't prepared for the beauty of it. I changed my blog background to show all of you what Kentucky looks like right now. During the three weeks Grace and I were away, the entire state blossomed into a green wonderland. I know Texas will have green areas as well, but I will really miss looking out my front windows and seeing nothing but my favorite color carpeting the earth. It makes me happy to see the wonders God has created here.

I decided to start reading the books and authors I have always wanted to. C.S. Lewis is first on the list. I borrowed some books from my friend Tami to get started and Mere Christianity is what I picked first. He was such a wise and persuasive man. I know of a sureity with every fiber in my being that there is a God and that his hand guides all things...but in case I had any doubt all I needed to do was read this book. He approaches the existence of deity from a logical perspective and it just seems to reaffirm my testimony. So, thank you to C.S. Lewis for strengthening my resolve to make it to the end.

Our family has been tried lately. Both individually and as a whole. We are in no way weaker than before, in fact, we are stronger. We have bound our little family to our Savior and the gospel in order to overcome our "road humps" (as they call them in Kentucky). Matt is trying his hardest to be the best Tank Commander he can be and he has now reached the point of being tested on his capability. He is stressed and tired. He has 2 weeks of almost pure testing in the field and classroom in order to determine if he graduates or if he needs a bit more practice. I will keep you all posted as to our progress.

P.S. Grace pulls herself up to absolutely everything...may be walking soon.
Matt and I have been trying to get in touch more with our spiritual selves.
Matt is working very hard to meet the requirements for BOLC III.
We are still in the homebuying process...

Success!

2008-05-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

The seller counteroffered and we accepted. We close on June 19th and we will be the proud owners of our first home. We can't wait to make it our own. We can paint walls, decorate a nursery for Grace and plant whatever we want in our garden! If only we weren't moving there in the hottest month of the year!

Househunting

2008-05-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

Grace and I have been in Texas for the past week. We looked at nearly 30 houses and were getting a bit tired and discouraged. Then we found two viable options and starting the bidding on Saturday. We were so excited to start the paperwork when we met with our realtor...but sadly the house we had decided on was under contract since that morning. Turns out they were negotiating the whole time we had been looking at it. Talk about ridiculous! Luckily we had a backup house in mind and we put an offer on it instead. Now we are playing the waiting game, which I have to admit is absolute torture! I leave on Tuesday morning, and I desperately want to have this all figured out before I go home to Kentucky. The house is cute, but could definitely use some Matt Merrill inspired curb appeal. It has 3 bedrooms and a simple backyard. The best part of the house is actually the neighborhood that it's in. It's called Morse Valley and houses typically sell for quite a bit more there (they are typically much bigger and lavish than the one we have bid on). The house is also located within a mile of the LDS church, which is the only one for miles around.

I wish I could read minds and know what the seller is thinking....

Homeward Bound!

2008-04-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

Grace and I will be in Utah as of April 30th. We will be gone for 3 weeks, including the week we will be in Texas house hunting. We will greatly miss Matt, but he will be incredibly busy. In fact, he is currently out in "the field" (which means he gets hands on training, hardly sleeps, gets real dirty and doesn't get to come home for days at a time).

Matt is almost halfway done with his training here and it is getting more intense every day. It will be good for him to have a quiet place to study while we're gone. Hopefully he'll sleep better without Grace waking him up. (Although we do have nocturnal neighbors!)

Grace is still pulling herself along and occassionally crawling. She is just brimming with personality. In fact, today at church was the first time she reached out for me to hold her. It was so cute and it felt really great. I wasn't just some caretaker...she actually missed me!

There isn't much else to report. We're trucking along and anticipating the next big step for our family; homeownership! Soon enough... I'll be sure to update often about that process. Until then, this is Mandy signing off. I'm not sure if I'll have any internet access while in Utah. SO LONG FOR NOW!

Jedi Grace!

2008-04-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

The other day Matt brought a glow stick home from his Armor Training and he activated it so he could show Grace. She loved watching it as he spun it around and once she got her hands on it, she didn't want to let go. Here's a short clip of her playing the role of Jedi Grace!

Reading Time for Grace

2008-04-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

I have been reading to Grace since she was just a few weeks old. She has always loved to look at the pictures and now she is starting to love the sound of the words. Last night Matt filmed our reading time and Grace looked up every time I said "Thump."

This past weekend was General Conference for the LDS Church and after the last session there was a series on parenting and it talked about the importance of spending quality time with your children. After visiting the web site, Matt and I decided that no matter where we are or what we have on our agenda, our children will be read to every single day until they can read for themselves and no longer want to sit on our lap (hopefully this will be before the age of 18!).

It is so exciting to think that just a few minutes can help build a relationship with your children and that reading to them can set a foundation for all of their future learning.

I am going to try once again to post a video to Blogger...but who knows if it will work. If it does, you'll see it below. If not I'll redirect you to MySpace.

Tank Commander!

2008-03-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted the news about our little family. So here goes... Matt started his Armor Officer Basic Course earlier this month and has since learned A LOT about tanks. He fired one for the first time this past week and loved the adrenaline rush. He is training to be a Tank Commander and it keeps him pretty busy. The beginning of his training requires a lot of time in a classroom, but it is shifting into more time in "the field" or on "the range" which means late nights and lots of "tank bites" (bumps, bruises and cuts from moving around inside the tank). He read over his schedule and told me some bad news. He only has 3 weekends off for the rest of our time here in Kentucky. He works straight through most Saturdays and Sundays. Going to be awful lonely and quiet here real soon. Matt will be commanding the M1A2, which is an Abrams tank. Check out the picture of us at the Patton museum to see what it looks like.

Grace is rolling all over the place and is still telling us what's on her mind. She pulls herself up on her hands and toes so I'm thinking it won't be long before she figures out how to pull herself to her knees and crawl away. We took this adorable video of her sticking out her tongue, which is her newest trick. I have tried to post videos to this blog but to no avail.... I finally posted two new videos. You can access them at the link below and then click on videos and the newer ones are called Sniffles and Silly Grace. You'll die when you see them!

Easter Bunny!!!

2008-03-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

More Pictures of Grace

2008-03-19T07:42:00.001-07:00

Skinny Jeans!!!

2008-03-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

While Matt was away, he and I decided to work out and eat better and surprise each-other with the results. But, I wasn't as faithful to my routine and to be honest, there wasn't much of a difference in how I looked or felt.

But, I was determined to start that challenge over again when we moved here. I have limited chores so I couldn't come up with excuses not to take care of myself. I have been working out 4 times a week at home with the fluidity bar my mom gave me when I had Grace back in August. I used it a few times before and I didn't ever really feel "the burn" so I stopped. As of today, I don't know how much I weigh...I don't know my measurements...but I do know that this morning I was feeling a little adventurous and tried to put on my Skinny Jeans. (No, not those horrid skin tight jeans that have become trendy, I mean the jeans you wear on the days you have a spring in your step because you feel thinner than usual.) Needless to say, a miracle occurred and THEY FIT! I still have a bit of a pooch under my belly, but my buns and thighs have really taken on a new shape because of the Fluidity workout. I am so excited!

My mom helped me buy a jogging stroller yesterday, and I now have even more determination to get out there and run by buns off! As soon as it stops pouring rain here in Kentucky, you can trust that I'll be outside with Grace as my partner running around Fort Knox Army base. Yee Haw! I'll post pictures sometime to show the progression of ME since I had Grace. Other than that, the fun things happening in our family are that Grace is starting to pull herself inches at a time while on her belly. One day I just know I'll see you take off and I won't be able to keep up! She is such a ham for the camera, always batting her blue eyes at me.

Being a Mom

2008-03-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

Before having children, I was so excited about teaching my kids this and that, whatever it may be. Now, I find that I am the one being taught. I didn't realize how worried I would be about whether or not my children rolled over at 3.5 months of age. But now I spend time every day trying to coax Grace to roll over. I didn't realize how tired I would be, but now I sleep about 50 percent as much and rarely feel rested. But, the best thing is how in love I am with my family. Tears come to my eyes at least once a day when I stare at Grace and she looks back at me with her big blue eyes. I can't help but laugh sometimes when she cries, because it is just more evidence that she really does exist and that right now Matt and I are her nurturers.

Grace has such personality. She often squeaks just to hear her own voice. Her legs are always kicking. Her hands are always reaching. Her eyes always watching. I hope she knows one day how much she is loved. I hope she feels that no matter what obstacles she may face, she can always come home and with open arms we will try to lessen her pain, her grief, and her disappointments.

Bottom line, I love being a mom. And I hope I can continue to be one for my children long after they've started their own families.

Now we are Kentuckians!

2008-03-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

We are finally reunited with Matt and we live on Fort Knox Army Base. Our apartment is just the right size, if anything I would make the kitchen larger. But we live in a great spot, right next to the hospital...but don't worry, we haven't heard any ambulances yet!

Grace loves playing with her Daddy and prefers to be held. She is still adjusting to our new home, but seems to be happy as ever. We haven't met any new friends out here yet. The closest ward is half hour away and we didn't have internet set up to figure that our until after Sunday.

Grace still isn't rolling all over the place, which I'm hoping she'll do soon so I won't worry so much about her development. I'll post video as soon as she does.

Trip to Arizona

2008-02-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Grace, Grandma Barlow and I just returned from 8 days in sunny Arizona! My mom and Gramma Bamma kept Grace and I on our toes the entire time. We learned new scrapbooking tricks and spent a lot of time shopping. We went to malls, shops and boutiques galore! Grace loved spending time with her Grandma Woods and Auntie Mistie. We hadn't seen them since Thanksgiving. Grace is now sitting up on her own, rolling over all the time and wants to get her hands on everything she sees. I can't wait for her Daddy to see how much she has grown. We leave Utah to meet up with him in Kentucky in less than 3 weeks! Yeehaw!!! I am so thankful for him and all he does for me and I love to watch him play with Gracie. He is such a wonderful father and husband. Who could ask for more? I am incredibly blessed to have the friends and family that make my life more meaningful and full of love and excitement. Thank you.

P.S. Matty, if you get a chance to read this...I'm coming soon and I can't wait! I love you.

Grace had picturestaken!

2008-02-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

I couldn't wait to take Grace to have her pictures taken. I saw some pictures taken by Stephanie Tueller and knew she was THE photographer for us! Check out her blog to see her pictures. www.stephanietueller.blogspot.com Thanks Stephanie for preserving my baby's beauty on film forever! I absolutely love them.

Grace's 6 month pictures

2008-02-08T10:41:00.001-08:00