Yeah baby!

Crazy Gma and Gpa!!

I spoke to my parents today.They are doing great down in Bolivia. The temple was closed for a while so they went on a little trip around the country and saw and experienced some crazy stuff! It has been hard for me to not have them around but I just try and not think about it or I cry! I miss my mommy and IAM a big baby. I guess because I was the baby of eight and I like to milk it! Iam still totally their favorite. And every time my mom would see us she would say my kids are her favorite. I loved it even though I knew she said it to everyone secretly!They have a little less than a year left so Im counting down. Heres some pictures!

My stupid template erased my friends list for the eleventeenth time so Im sick of putting it on it takes forever to do but I will someday!

Girl fun!!

Yea! I broke free from the chains that bind a nursing mother and her wee babe! My favorite husband actually let me go with my favorite girls for an overnighter this weekend! Soooooooooo much fun. We went to Rachels cabin and we ate and chatted and danced and ate some more. Owen did surprisingly well! and so did Daddy he managed to take all three to peter piper and dippin dots! He is amazing!Thanks babe!Lindsay and Carrie came in town for this special trip and it was great to have them around. Only one missing was Brooke! Getting together with them makes me forget how old we are getting and we are all the same its hilarious or sad Im not sure!!Oh I finished Eclipse and I did enjoy it better as I read it! Im so sad to wait for the next book or movie!

Pals Night

On friday we went over to the Willis's house for pals night. Marks "pals" are his buddies from high school that we see and hang out with often. We had fun playing games and talking while the kids did a water slide. I think its really neat that we both hang out with our old friends still. We have lots of memories from before we got married and after. I love mellow nights of just hanging out! Thanks to Jared and Misti for hosting!

Olivia 's first day of preschool,Funny faces

Please!

Can someone please tell me how to make my blog all cute and polka dotty!!!!!!!! Just lay it on me step by step please!We want to be cute too!

Nanny Wanted!!

No not for me,for my sister. If anyone has a sister or cousin or whatever that is newly married or single with no kids who would love to work with some sweet little angels:) My sister lives in gilbert and is looking for someone. Im not sure how many days a week but it would be perfect for someone going to school. If someone is interested please leave a comment or email. I wish I could do it but those days are over when I have my own rugrats to chase around. Many perks included, like a Great Boss for one thing. I know someone out there knows someone so lets put this blogging stuff to good use!

To Bully or Be Bullied

Caden has been enjoying school. I have been doing his flash cards with him and he has already learned so much. Its fun to see him learn. He loves going to music class and P.E. and the library. But the other day he said to me. Guess how many kids hit me today? I said WHAT?? hE SAID 3! i VERY CALMLY TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. It sounded like it was playful but still it made me sad. I dont know whats worse. Being the Bully or get bullied around? Caden is a very overpowering child and is usually the one that is controling but I guess it can go both ways.So this is just the beginning of our journey into school and all the lovely things that come along with it. Gee I cant wait until he comes home asking about you know what!Oh yea! WE saw Bourne Ultimatum on Saturday and it was great!Olivia did school yesterday and she loved it. But she was a little stinker after I picked her up. I guess she was tired. Last night I went over to Melindas house with Rachel and we did a "craft" night. It was fun to chit chat. I just made some jewelry but Melinda made this really cute picture thingy that Im going to try next time! Today Emily Amy and Connie are coming over to make some jewelry too!It will be fun. Caden gets out early today and I keep fearing that Im going to forget about an early release day and he will just sit there forever waiting for me. That would be awful. I dont want to be that mom! So Im trying to teach Owen to do a cup so I can wean him because Im going on a girls overnighter next weekend.YEA!!! bUt he doesnt like a cup very much but he seems to be getting better. He refuses a bottle so thats out of the question. He is such a sweetie. I was looking at Pictures of Olivia as a baby and they look just like Owen. So finally the Merrill Genes have conquered the Oberlys!!

seriously Mark does NOT have a hot dog stand outside of home depot but he is a dork! Does that count???

Best concert ever!

Well almost,up there in my top 3!We went to see Jimmy Eat World on friday at the new Mesa Arts center. It was an awesome show and that place is really nice.We love Jimmy and they just put on a really great show!Jim Adkins puts his whole heart into entertaining the crowd. And we were on the 8th row so I could feel his sweat every time he banged his head! It was great! Saturday we went out with Vance and Tina to celebrate for the Kidney anniversary. We went to Roys a fancy Hawaiin cuisine restaurant. It was tasty but pricey! Today marks the day 8 years ago I was sliced in half to give my kidney to my big brother. It was not a fun thing but totally worth it. We were talking about after and how I dont remember much but how they have pictures and Im so scared to see them. I totally felt like the bride on sixteen candles all morphined up,scratching my face and licking the air and stuff Im sure it was entertaining. Lindsay always said it was scary to see me like that. That first week was so hard,I was so soar and stiff. Vance did great immediately and then he started rejecting so that was freaking us all out. I seriously felt like dying if I did it for nothing.But he had a blessing and started to get better and better and now its been 8 years. Every year we go to a totally expensive restaurant to celebrate. He has had his up and downs but taking like 12 different pills a day will do that to you!No one ever knows for sure how long a transplanted kidney will last but we will take every year we can get. I have heard of some lasting 14 years. That would be great. Thanks to all those laps we ran in cheer to keep these kidneys healthy(haha)He will most likely get a kidney from one of his 4 kids now. And the surgery is alot easier now,less recovery. Since the surgery they thought they were done having kids but they had two little miracles come along Kinley and Harrison. We are lucky to have them close to us in queen Creek. They are our favorite video rental place because they have every movie you can think of. So I love you Vance lets make it another 8 years!!!!!

First day of school!!

Hooray its finally here! Caden was so brave and just walked right in to kindergarten all by himself. He was so happy to help pack a lunch and couldnt wait to eat it. I felt guilty for enjoying my time at home without being a referee for a while. But we got some things done but Olivia did miss him and kept trying to get me to play with her. Now I cant wait for preschool in 2 weeks. After school it took a half hour to pick up. Caden told me about recess(2 of them) and the teachers big computer screen and his friends and lalala he had lots of fun. He did get a little tired at nap time but he didnt fall a sleep. I missed him and I tried really hard to not get mad at him for the rest of the day because thats pretty much all I will see him is 4until 9 when he crashes. This will be good for both of us kind of refreshing our relationship and making us enjoy our little time together. Today Im trying to get stuff done while Owen is sleeping. And tadaa! I finally made Olivias blanket all by myself. I can say I truely know my sewing machine pretty well now. Im excited for more projects. Its not even 11:00 and we are on our 2nd fruit roll up and small bag of chips. I guess I better find something for this little girl to do today or she will be on a pure sugar rush. She is really starting to mature. The way she talks sometimes is so grown up. But only when she is alone its so funny. She is such a sweetheart. I can tell us girls are going to have fun as she gets older. Im so thankful for these three sweet miracles I have been blessed with.

How'd they decide on who'd be the girl?

This is pretty cool, its some 1500 prisoners in a prison in the Philipines doing the whole "Thriller" dance routine...

Sorry, it wont let me embed it into our blog anymore so you'll have to click this link..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o

Happy Birthday Uncle Bob!!

Friday we went to Joes Farmgrill for Bobs bday. They do some special free whatever for your special day and Bob and Brett know everything you can get free on your birthday! Most of the Oberlys were there. Its good food and it was good for a large group. This is a picture of Olivia all ready for her dance class .She wouldnt smile because the sun was blinding her but she is so cute in her leotard and tap shoes. WE went to meet Cadens teacher and see the school and he is really excited. Its going to be great for him. Tonight we are going out for date night. Not sure where we are going to go yet. Tomorrow is the last day of 8:00 church yahoo!! And tomorrow night is card night so it will be fun. Today we opened up our last jar of Grandmas homemade raspberry jam:( so sad. If you read this Grandma Caden said you could probably just send a package!:) WE love you!!

Angels and Airwaves

I swear this is like a soundtrack to our lives. We listen to this album constantly and never get sick of it.Every song is really good. Even the kids are starting to sing along!

Fresh cuts!

On saturday we all went to aunt Emilys house to get our hair cut. It was Owens first haircut! He did not like it very much but he looks so cute with a fresh cut! Heres my boys looking handsome! On friday night we went out with Jared and Misti Willis to see Chuck and Larry (pretty funny) and eat at Carrabbas. We had fun. Owen is sooooo close to crawling. Oh yeah, He waved and said bye bye the other day it was so stinkin cute!! I just love babies so much. This age is dangerous for me because they are soo fun that I "Think" that having another one would be fun. But I know if I wait until about 15 months I quickly will change my mind. Thats when they become little stinkers getting in to everything. For now Iam enjoying my little sweeties! Next week our world will be flipped upside down! My Caden will be gone all day 9-3:30. Its sad but we will manage! Olivia will start preschool in 2 weeks. Im not sure I will know what to do with myself. Mark will definitely have to take away the debit card because thats just too much fun for me! No but really it will be nice to be totally on top of all the house chores and maybe some organizing.I really miss my mom. I wish she was around to do stuff like that with me. Yesterday Caden was watching a book of mormon movie( thanks to grandma Lynna he loves them) and their was a poor family begging the evil rich family for some bread and he said "Im glad we arent poor mommy!" I said its because our daddy goes to work every day and works hard to make us money and he said Im glad he does! So thanks to our daddy we can go and buy bread from costco! We love you honey!

San Diego

We just got back from San Diego. Every year Marks family has been going to the same Beach and same hotel for like 30 years. It was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast. They are actually thinking about moving it up to Carlsbad next year. Its gotten pretty bad in Ocean Beach, we gave it the motto "Ocean Beach, where the homeless feel like they're not." All his cousins agree its probably time to move on.

Here's Owen playing peek-a-boo with his shirt on the beach.


And Caden "surfing" in the freezing cold water.


Mark found this really cool place called the wave house where they have artificial waves to surf on, it was a lot of fun. Here is video of him doing it.

We love play dates! Yesterday we went to my good friend Rachel Mcavoy's house for a little lunch and slippin and sliding!! Ketsy and Melinda came also so us moms had fun chatting. We love playing with friends and all the kids get along pretty well together. So Mark did very well speaking in church even though he felt it was false doctrine. Only because they asked him to speak on Fasting which he can never do because of his diabetes. So they said to tell about other ways to fast or things to fast from I should say. Like tv or cell phone or sugar. but in his case its Diet Coke! I want to kill Sonic and their Diet Coke because my husband is so addicted!!!! Anyways dont even get me started!(he goes twice a day) He did a good job and woke the congregation up with his witty humor! We had an unusaually busy sunday , meetings and a fireside it was crazy. But good news we switch to 9:40 am church starting in August Yea!!!!! WE have less than 3 weeks until Kindergarten.Im a little nervous for him but excited too!

Fun week

We had a fun week. We went to a swim party at Caryns and saw some old friends from high school that was fun. Steph you have not changed a bit, I love your stinkin guts!! Good luck figuring out where to plant your family. Then on the 4th we went to the Huishs and watched movies and ate yummy barbecue and swam it was great!! We came home and watched the fireworks from our driveway. Then we all crashed! It was a good day! Last night Mark and I went to Chandler mall and ate at Kona grill. It was pretty good. But our favorite for sushi is Sushi Avenue on Guadalupe and Higley.Yummmmy! Mark has to speak in church (hahahaah) and I have to teach so we will probably hang out at home tonight and wait til the last minute to plan our stuff. I cant seem to find enough time and energy to do all the housework I feel like Im drowning so Im trying to clean today but I really want to get a babysitter and go shopping for some beach wear! Okay so Best in Show was on today and it is seriously on the top ten funniest movies! It is hilarious. If you havent seen it check your tv guide because they play it like every week! So what is everyones favorite funny movie?? Im always up for a laugh. I still love Better off Dead ( got to stick to my roots with the Merrills) and of course Tommy Boy! But what else is out there that Im forgetting? Please share with the class!!!!!

My little cutie pie!

Owen is now 9 months old! I cant believe it! He has almost 5 teeth and not crawling yet! Its hilarious he just sits there still. Some people would be worried but Im not because I know he is healthy and strong and will crawl when his mommy I mean when he is ready! He loves his big brother but sometimes gets annoyed and cries for me to rescue him. Olivia does his hair and loves to play baby with him. We are having fun swimming alot this summer and now Caden swims officially all by himself! We went to Christinas on saturday to swim and played games that night with Brett and Emily and Skip and Connie. Just a lazy weekend. We had Geckos twice in 3 days. The new place is really nice. Two weeks until we leave for the beach! Yea!!!