Life at the Merrill's

Life at the Merrill's really hasn't been too exciting lately.  We are just working, playing when we can, going to and from family things here and  there and watching my belly grow bigger and bigger :)  We really can't complain.  We have kept busy with different family things with my parents moving from SV to Weston Idaho, Easter, my little sister planning a wedding (happening in just one week) and Dillon's little bro graduating from high school and preparing to leave on July 2nd to serve in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Mission.  We were visiting with Dillon's mom for Mother's Day and she was giving us all the important dates for things coming up in their family and I started laughing and told Dillon that our summer is already planned for us between his family functions and mine.  And it truly is!  It is going to be busy few months but I for one am excited to have it go quick so we can meet our little girl!  (And that is not a complaint about pregnancy, I LOVE every bit of every ache and pain and kick and punch :))

For Easter we were able to go to Preston and have the annual Brough Family Easter Egg Hunt!  This year we also coupled it with a Brough Family get-together with the whole Brough Fam.  My sweet Grandma turned 85 the day after Easter so we decided to throw her a surprise party.  It was a hit!  It was so fun to have (almost) all the family together, it's been way too long!

Our two new nephews.  I think they are pretty stinking adorable!!

Seriously...look at him.... :)

This year the money eggs only had fake money (I think that was in case the old man couldn't remember where he hid them all :))  So here is the old man playing 'banker' and letting everyone cash in the fake for the real.

 Then it was birthday party time!

Our very own garden gnomes

Everyone waiting for the guest of honor

She LOVES Reese's.  My mom made this cake for her and she was SO excited.
We told her to dig in.... and she did :)

 Opening her "85 years of memories."

My beautiful grandma

My dad and his siblings

We love you grandma :)

Cute kids on Easter morning 

Trying to give brother a hug :)

Amongst the craziness of work and traveling here and there, we have managed to get in a few evenings of weiney/mallow roasts and done a little bit of fishing.  I have yet to be successful, but it is still fun to get out and enjoy the nice weather with my fabulous hubby.  

Oh, and Lucy likes fishing just as much as mom and dad :)

 29 weeks!  

Only 75 (give or take) days until we get to meet our little girl!!!

Happy Valentines Day

We could NOT be more excited to share our little secret with the world this Valentine's Day!

We still can't believe that it is actually happening for us but after two ultrasounds and hearing that little heartbeat, it is real..... We are going to have ourselves a little miracle!  

Happy New Year!

Our 2013 in Review

January:

Got to watch Dawson wrestle

February:

Dillon turned 28!

 March:

Colored Easter eggs with these crazies

Turned a simple in and out surgery into an overnight stay

Family pictures and the Brough Family Easter Egg Hunt in Preston

I turned 26!

 May:

Dillon graduated!!!

Celebrated with a weekend away at Bear Lake

Roadtrip to Seattle and Tri-Cities

 June:

MOVED to Parker, ID

Soaked up the sun at Lava

Went to Yellowstone and camping with the Bastows

 July:

Went to Alaska!!

The first Merrill grandbaby was born, Baby Cael!

Payzli came to visit

Celebrated FIVE years of marriage!!

 August:

Ran the Pound the Pavement for Parenthood 5k in Orem, UT with friends...

...and family!

The twins came to visit!

Met the Brough clan for a fun day at Bear Lake

 September:

Canned the product of our first garden!

Skeeter got hit by a car :(

 October:

Went deer hunting

Dillon and his friend Doug drove through the night to spend  College Game day in Seattle with Landon watching Dillon's beloved Oregon Ducks play Washington

I went to Logan to spend a girls night away with Shay then spent time with some of my fam at an Aggies game

GOT PREGNANT!

Miscarried and was reminded of what an amazing support system we have in our lives!

 November:

Hardy's came to visit!

Thanksgiving and a successful Christmas tree hunt

 December:

The boys went bird hunting

Spent Christmas in Wyoming!

 2013 was quite the year in our little lives full of lots of changes and lots of fun with some learning and growing and stretching mixed in there.  Overall it was a great year for us and we can't wait to see what 2014 holds in store for us!

Happy New Year!!

Gratitude

Gratitude has been on my mind a lot lately.  And since it is now November and Thanksgiving is fast approaching, I decided it is time to write down a few thoughts on gratitude.  

This life is amazing.  Truly.  We are the most blessed people with so many things to be grateful for.  Even on those days that it seems the whole world is against you and it seems that everything that could go wrong, is.  Even on those days we have things to be grateful for.

Last week was amongst the worst of my life.  Our excitement over miracle pregnancy #2 was short lived when it was interrupted by miscarriage #2.  

4 1/2 years of trying, countless doctor visits, countless medications and needle pokes, 4 IUI's, 2 surgeries and now 2 miscarriages later and we are still childless.  It is easy to get angry.  It is easy to look at the lives of others and wish with all my might that I could have just a portion of what they have.

But then I remember... my life is amazing.  I am SO blessed.  That night, after my doctor had confirmed that I was in fact losing the pregnancy, as I said my prayers I was filled with emotion of every kind.  I wanted to cry to the Lord and ask him "why?" Why could I not have the joy and excitement that SO many others get to have?  Why were we given the overwhelmingly good news of successfully becoming pregnant only to be devastated by the news that it was not going to last?  

But instead, all I could think to do was pour out my heart in gratitude.  I thanked my Heavenly Father for the great and many blessings He has given me.  I was still sad, but that was ok.  I am loved and very blessed.

• I have the most amazing husband a woman could ask for.  Seriously.
• I have not only my family, but Dillon's family that love and support us.
• I have the greatest friends that I have no idea how I got so lucky to have.
• I have a loving and kind Heavenly Father.
• I have a Savior that has felt my pains.  That has experienced my highest of highs and lowest of lows.  He knows how to comfort me.
• I have a wonderful job that I love that gives me the opportunity to teach and love so many children.
• I have the temporal blessings that I need right now in my life.  
• we have a nice (semi warm :)) house to live in
• we have working vehicles
• we have jobs that produce income
• we have food on the table and clothes on our backs

I might not have the perfect life and I might not have everything that I want in my life right now.  

But I have enough.

I love this time of year and the opportunity that I have to reflect on my blessings.  I'm especially grateful this year that I am able to recognize and focus on my blessings at such a trying and difficult time.

All of us experience trials.  We all have hard times.  It happens, it is part of life.  We can either choose to wallow in our sorrows and be angry at the world or we can choose to see the good that can and does come from trials and struggles.  

Here it comes...... are you ready for it?

......I am grateful for this trial of infertility.  Ok, not for the trial itself, but for the things I have gained because of experiencing it.

Really, truly.  

I am grateful for the things that I have learned, for the relationships that have been strengthened, for the friendships that have been renewed, for the compassion that I have developed, for my testimony that has been strengthened, and for the knowledge that I have gained.

I am blessed!