Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Christmas is about friends and family, but mostly about Christ and all He did for us. So I hope you and your family had the best Christmas ever, and that the new year brings all the joy and blessings you need. God bless us, everyone!





The old gang at Gheppettos

Random artwork for friends

All right, so like Shnq Girl's birthday was, like, a couple of weeks ago. And, like, Beatles Lover like made her this like really super cool poster for like her wall. So, here are some like really cool pictures.

Yeah, she did this free-hand from looking at a sign on the internet. How cool is that?

Random Christmas-ness

So, here are some random photos of our Christmas tree. The first is with the flash. The second is without the flash (so you can see the pretty, pretty colors of the lights). And the last one was playing around with shutter speeds. Pretty cool, huh? (and, yes, that is a ginormous poinsettia next to the tree...it was a gift)

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!!

Mr. Perfect's Random Five Days of Birthday

So, Mr. Perfect's birthday was yesterday, but was he contented to keep the celebrating down to just one day? Not in this lifetime.

• Saturday, he and Most Happy Girl had their weekly date night at one of his favorite restaurants (Market Street Grill).
• Sunday was the Merrill Family Home Evening and December Birthdays party. We were in charge and even got to pick out his present.
• Monday was just the anticipation and finalizing all the plans for Tuesday.
• On The Big Day, there was the annual lunch with Bishop Man (Mr. Perfect's older bro) and dinner with Most Happy Girl's parents. For your birthday, Mom P fixes a dinner of your choosing. Mr. Perfect chose in-bone ham and funeral potatoes (a Utah specialty dish that got it's name from being served at most LDS funeral luncheons, plus there's the added bonus that there's so much cheese and sour cream in them that they might just precipitate your funeral). Another added bonus was having Beatles Lover and Game Boy with us for the whole day. We were able to stay at the parents' late and watch A Christmas Story.
• Wednesday brought the present from Most Happy Girl's parents. It was ordered from Amazon.com one day late of arriving for his actual birthday, but that way it helps to keep the love and happiness flowing for another day.

So much love, so little time.

First pie (it's apple, which isn't random)

My first attempt at crust ended up in the garbage can, but this one worked!!! No pie was left to testify.

Beatles Lover's 16th Birthday!!

Beatles Lover has reached the perfect age of 16!!! On the morning of the special day, Shnq Girl, ShutterBug, and several other friends kidnapped the birthday girl for breakfast at IHOP. She spent the afternoon and evening with her mom's side of the family.

The next evening, we had a fun birthday dinner with Most Happy Girl's parents. See photos below.

The eye has it.


Killers CD/DVD from Game Boy


Bedard book from Mr. Perfect and Most Happy Girl

Randomness of Halloween

So, on Halloween, we spent a fun-filled morning carving pumpkins and getting things ready for a showing of Lost Skeleton of Cadavra in the garage. Game Boy and K-Man did the costume thing, but mostly hung out at home, handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters who came our way. Beatles Lover and her friends did the costume thing, too, but mostly hung out watching movies and generally doing the teenager thing.

Fun times were had by all.

Pumpkin Carving 503:












The pumpkins all aglow!


Mime and Death

Random Michigan photos

Pictures from Michigan (just a few, so of course they are random). Most of them are of Beatles Lover and her good friend Ninja Vampire.

The beach at Lake Michigan (yes, this is Lake Michigan)


Our little models


So Ninja Vampire got dumped in the pool by Beastly Boy. She chased him into the kitchen and hit the fridge. All survived, as you can see by this picture.


Ninja Vampire's parents, Nuclear Scientist and Busy-Busy Lady


Beatles Lover and Ninja Vampire relaxing and looking at the lake


This is the way we stear the boat, stear the boat, stear the boat...


Warring chopsticks


Oh, how cute are they!?!


Notre Dame is OURS!!!


Beatles Lover found this flower outside a costume shop (that was unfortunately closed)

Random weather at home and away

Beatles Lover and Most Happy Girl had a wonderful time visiting with friends in the great state of Michigan last week. Even though it rained almost every day, it never lasted long, and we were able to enjoy time at the beach and trips to South Bend and South Haven.

Pictures to follow. (I know I've said that before, but this time I'm serious!!!)

Random things that have been happening lately...

...that will be fully written about once I'm rested and completely recovered from it all:

1. Game Boy and K-Man played great at the final band concert of the year.
2. Beatles Lover, Snhq Girl, and Shutterbug performed in the final choir concert of their junior high school experience.
   
3. Super Swim Chick graduated from high school with an amazing scholarship to the college of her choice.
4. The run of Oklahoma! with Taylorsville City Arts Council has come and gone.
5. Mr. Perfect's very large family came to our very small house for FHE the first Sunday of June.
6. (still going on) Planning for celebrating with Most Happy Girl's parents for their 50th wedding aniversary (it's not until June 22, but the planning has been quite something).

Hopefully, full postings along with pictures for each will be coming in the near future to a blog near you, namely, this one.

Random Escalante photos

Snhq Girl and Beatles Lover along the Lower Calf Creek Falls trail


At 100 Hands


Funky tree near the 100 Hands


Mr. Perfect looking cheesy (we love that about him)


The girls and the view

A Trip to Escalante

We just came back from a fun, rain-filled road trip to Escalante in Southern Utah. What a blast! Beatles Lover and Snhq Girl came with us. It was a good test for how well Mr. Perfect's new Nissan Xterra runs. (It runs just swell.)

We spent two nights in a cozy Bed & Breakfast in Escalante and then made the upwards move to the tent for the final night. The weather was cooler and rainy, which kept us out of the slot canyons, but didn't stop anyone from climbing all over rocks or jumping into the pool at the bottom of Lower Calf Creek Falls.

Pictures forth-coming.

He's mean, he's lean, he's a hard-working green machine

Mr. Perfect has spent most of his free time the past few weeks studying hard for the LEEDS exam (to say that he is a green, environmentally-friendly engineer). We had been going on the mind-set that failure was not an option. We can't afford to pay for the test again. So, with all of that in mind, he entered the University of Utah Student Services Building Testing Center with trepidation in his heart but a determination to emerge victorious. And victorious he was. He passed on his first time, not an easy task (and one accomplished by only a few other brave souls in his office). We celebrated by eating pizza from The Pie and reveling in the joys that come from a job well done.

Click here to visit the Green Building Council website.

Here are some pictures of him studying the night before.






He's a very good studier.

Baking for fun (and better grades)

Game Boy brought home a yummy recipe from school for us to try: Quick Microwave Cinnamon Rolls. They were quick, they were easy, and they were completely delicious. Plus, he gets extra credit for baking at home. Sweet!

Random yard sale experiences

The time had finally come: we could no longer justify taking up all the space in Snhq. Things had to go. We planned; we plotted. If you put up signs on a beautiful Saturday morning, they will come. And come they did.

It started out a little cool. We didn't really have a ton of stuff to sell. (See pictures below.)

Before pictures




Plus, a lot of people were looking for things we didn't have at all. One guy asked me where all the hunting stuff was; we never said we had hunting stuff. But apparently our prices were right. By the end of the sale, the only big thing left was the kitchen table and two of its chairs. Some had wanted two chairs, but not all four, and definitely not the table. Strange how people are about their yard sale purchases.

Game Boy, Beatles Lover, and K-man took over the reigns when Mr. Perfect and I had to get to musical rehearsal (we're currently in Taylorsville City's production of Oklahoma [directed by Crazy Writer Chick].) The kids all took to the sale's floor room like they were born to it, though I suppose there was the added incentive that they could keep 1/2 of each sale they made while we were gone helped. They even sold things for the neighbors.

A very satisfied Bealtes Lover

Happy Easter to everyone!

I just wanted to express my gratitude to Heavenly Father for the gift of His Son and all that Christ's life and mission mean to me and my family. He truly is the "truth, the way, and the life." May this Easter Season bring you closer to the Savior and His Father.

God bless us, everyone.

Mr. Perfect's old ride at Lagoon

Okay, so here's Mr. Perfect's first ride at Lagoon, Wicked. Yes, you read that correctly: Wicked. (Isn't he just so cool?)

Mr. Perfect's new ride at Lagoon

Yes, yes. Our own Mr. Perfect was the structural engineer on Lagoon's latest ride, Jumping Dragon. So everyone go and ride it and tell us just how fun it is and how safe it feels. That's what structural engineers are for: making your structure safe.

Bronchitis isn't as bad as pneumonia...

...but it's still not fun. Plus, the doctor told me that it can evolve into pneumonia if I'm not careful. The two days off of work have been nice and relaxing. Psycho Wunderhund is also enjoying the time out of the snow. The house is much more comfortable than the back yard. Poor puppy.

Beatles Lover and the "Wicked" Choir

Here is Beatles Lover and her school choir doing their rendition of "When I Meet the Wizard" from Wicked.

Beatles Lover's solo


Singing with ShutterBug at her side


Snhq Girl sings, too!


Beatles Lover (the mic was too low; she doesn't usually hunch over while singing)


The full choir

Bowling is a fun, family-friendly activity

Especially when you do it with your extended family. Here we see Mr. Perfect, Beatles Lover, Game Boy, Snhq Girl, and Ice Melter doing their best to make bowling more than just about throwing a ball down an alley to knock down pins. Yes, we are just that way.

Getting ready to go


Unique talents abound in our group


Just the girls


Game Boy and Beatles Lover demonstrate sibling-helping-sibling at its finest


"Everyone will be wearing this to school by next month!"


Beatles Lover and Ice Melter celebrating a particularly good shot (though we're not sure any pins actually fell)


Our favorite movies from the evening




As you can see, we highly recommend bowling as a family activity.