Koen's 1st Birthday

I can't believe that it had been a year since this sweet little boy joined our family. He is truly an amazing little spirit. I love him so much and we are so very blessed to have him.

A few days ago we had a party at my mom's house. Koen shared a birthday party with my sister in law Jessica. He opened his presents and then got to get messy with his birthday cake.

The next day we had a party with the Briscoes, and there he shared a birthday with his cousin Dylan. Lots of birthdays and lots of fun.

The sisters helping Koen open his presents

The scary penguin

after it bonked him in the head

He has found out how fun it is to stick his tongue out.

Blowing out the candle

Wondering if it is really ok to dig in.

Daddy helping with the cake

Lots of Christmas

I am amazed at how fast Christmas comes and goes. I love this time of year, and the time spent with my family. I love my babies, and the smiles on their faces. I love the ornaments that fall off the tree, and the nativity sets that get rearrange everyday. I love the moment when everything is in chaos and my husband smiles at me from across the room. This year was the best. I think that I say this every year, but it was.

Jammies

This is Koen's first Christmas

Daddy and Piper playing tea.

Koen loved the mess

Marley loved her snuggie and barbie

Boden got Ben 10 toys

Piper got her pink big bike from Santa

The Naivity

singing Christmas songs

The grankids and their gifts to each other

Piper and Koen

Mar

Gramps and Koen

Koen sportin' his new jams

All the girl got new puppies in a bag.

Merrill cousins and their new jammies from Grandma

some silly briscoe cousins

Koen and Oakli

Christmas Sunday

This is before church on Sunday in the kids Christmas clothes.

Gingerbread Madness

All the Briscoe's got together in Dougs garage to make gingerbread houses. It was fun. Lots of candy, kids running around everywhere and that is why we did this in a garage and not Grandma Sandys house.

Piper and Boden, she put more candy in her mouth than on the house.
Marley getting ready to string up Christmas lights.

one of the four tables of kids

We got a quick shot of the grandkids. We are missing the 3 oldest in this picture.

Some of the finished houses. Piper and Boden's is the second one in the front.

Passed out !

I caught these two passed out in the living room. I thought it was cute.

Marley's 3rd grade Program

Marley had a Christmas program at school. They sang songs and everyoe had a part to do. She did really good and I loved it.

Salt Lake City

Every year we go with my family to Salt Lake to see the lights, go shopping, eat at Olive Garden and every year I love every bit of it. I am so grateful for my parents who make this event happen each year.

The whole Merrill family
Our fam

Koen at his first year of this.

Where has the time gone

What happened to November. This month when by so stinkin' fast. I have been a bad blogger. These are the pictures that I have from November. Its of Koen, cause he is the cutest. He had a little biff it party on his nose, its been scratched and rescratched all month long. He still keeps a smile on his face though. He is a fast moving kid. He is everywhere and is walking along furniture, and climbing up things and crawling everywhere. I love this age. All though we did decorate our Christmas tree and now only the top half is decorated. Gotta love it.

Daddy and Koen

THANKSGIVING DAY

Our Fam

Koen and his cousins, Crew and Ryder
Piper and Baili

Andrew, Cory and Angela

MY SPooKS

Marley the Vampire

Boden is Batman

Piper is a Kitty

Koen is a skeleton

The Merrill Cousins

My mom and aunt Nae and grand kids.

Pumpkin Patch

Piper's little preschool took a field trip to the pumpkin patch. The older kids were out of school that day and got to come along, We invited my sister and her kids to come along too. The kids got pick out their pumpkin, they went trough a corn maze, made bird feeders, and feed some farm animals. It was a very fun experience.

Piper and her pumpkin
Bo and Pip picking out their pumpkin

Piper, Marley and Tandi in the maze

Koen relaxing in the tall grass

Yellowstone Park

Cory has been wanting to go to Yellowstone for so long, and me, not so much. So he planned for us to go and got a hotel in West Yellowstone, and then he told me so I couldn't back out. It was a good trip except that it was so cold outside and snowy. Some of the roads were closed. We planned to see it in one day but saw what we could in two. We did have a good time. We saw no bears, alot of Buffalo, one wolf, and a few elk. The kids are already looking forward to coming back when it is warm. Had to put this picture in of Koen

Yellowstone Woohoo!
At Old Faithful, Burr.

Loving the drive

This crazy crow is sitting on our rear view mirror. Cory threw him Cheerios's and he would catch them in its mouth.

At the mud pots

Marley checking out the view.

Its fall right?

Koen and his Daddy

Marley hugging the bear

Bo and Mar

Cute Boys

Some Buffalo

The stink pots

This buffalo had a big snow ball in its beard and the kids thought it was hilarious.

At the falls, it was so windy and cold. Burr!

Buffalo in the street Cory and I and the Tetons, yes it was windy here too.

BROTHERS are the BEST

Koen's 9 months

Today Koen is 9 months old. Boy has that been the fastest 9 months of my life. This chuba bubba is the best. He is so sweet and loves everyone. He especially loves me and kisses me non stop, I love it. He is barley crawling, crawls backwards really well, and we are working on going forward a bit better. He loves to eat, baby food not so much, but whatever we are eating for dinner or lunch he has to have a part of it. He loves to play with cars, he holds them and spins the wheels. Koen loves his sisters and brother and is always entertained when they are around. We love this little guy.

Soccer

This is Boden and Marley's first year at playing soccer. They get better and better every game. I'm glad that they both like it.

Zach and Jessica's Wedding

Last weekend my little brother Zach married Jessica in the Boise Temple. What a wonderful day it was to have our whole family inside the Temple to see these awesome kids get married. It was perfect. It was a very long weekend with traveling to and from Boise, and two receptions. We were all definitely tired. The receptions were gorgeous and very fun. The little girls were adorable, and the boys as rambunctious as can be. I loved every bit of it, and mostly we are excited to have Jessica in our family.

Sorry the pictures are in no order.

Jessica and Zachary Merrill

Family Picture

Pretty Girlies

The Cousins

My handsome babe

Marley and Koen

The Cousins

Us in front of the Boise Temple

My brother Nate and Koen

Piper playing in the fountain
The Girlies
Tandi and Piper

TWIRLING

Boden and Parker

Marley and the Newlyweds

They look so CUTE.

My Parents

Our Family

The Girls holding the wedding dress

First Day of School

Yesterday was Piper's 1st day of preschool. She was so excited and has been asking for awhile when it was her turn to go. The other kids started last week. Also this day she had a fever and we took her to the doctor and she has a bladder infection, this is the 4th one this year. So on Friday she has to go to the hospital for some tests. Poor baby girl. You can tell in the pictures that she doesn't feel very well.

Marley's 1st day of 3rd grade. Ahh I can't believe I have a 3rd grader. She is growing so fast and is such a good girl. She is getting so mature and just wants to make her mom and dad happy. Oh, I love her.

Boden's first day of Kindergarten. Boo Hoo! I was totally fine with sending him to school until I actually did it. Then I didn't want to let go of him. It's scary to send your kids into the big world. Anyway, he loves school and loves the bus.

Marley's Sugery Day

Marley just had her Tonsils and Adenoids taken out. She had a hard time breathing and sleeping and it was time to get it done. We went in Thursday morning, the surgery took about 25 minutes and then she had to go to recovery for 2 hours. She was a very brave little girl and did so well. Today is day 3 and she is great. Still a little sore, but is loving the attention. She has had many milkshakes and popsicles, and thinks that is awesome to have ice cream for dinner. Marley before the surgery

This is her silly dad wearing her awesome hat.
She got to color a bit while waiting

This is after, in the recovery room.

Se got to ride a wheel chair to the car.

Her grandma Patti spoiled her with an American Doll.

Lots of Milkshakes and Popsicles, she loves it.