A Weekend Away...

This last weekend we enjoyed getting out of town and spending the weekend in Mesa!

Friday the girls and I were able to enjoy some shopping (other than the usual) and then Pete met up with us after his work. We stayed in a hotel for the night...Pete and the girls enjoyed the pool and warm weather while I enjoyed a session at the temple. Saturday morning Pete enjoyed the early am spanish speaking session at the temple.

Saturday afternoon we were able to go to cousin Mikey's 1st b-day bash, where Uncle Tim and Aunt Connie put on yet another amazing party! We enjoyed seeing everyone and loving on the newest cousin Delanie she is so cute!

After the party Megan had asked to "See the Temple" so we walked around it and smelled the flowers. It was a great weekend away ... it's always nice to get away from the normal routine.

Boys Jeepin', Girls Chattin', Cousins Playin'

For President's Day the guys had planned a Jeepin trip in Tucson. So the girls decided that we would have some fun too! So everyone met down in SD for a day full of "Country Fun". After Megan read "Country Mouse & City Mouse" she informed us that her cousins were the "City Mice" and she was the "Country Mouse". How cute! She really does love the country livin'.

We had lunch, and visited while the Merrill cousins enjoyed the weather and played outside and even rode Gray and chased the sheep up at Grandpa T's.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The week before Valentine's Day was fun for the girls and I...

Megan and Melanie were into the Valentine Spirit and reminded me of all the people we love and needed to show that we loved them! So we made Valentines packages for all the cousins and grandma and grandpa's and even a few friends we miss from Iowa! Then we baked up goodies so we could fill jars full of love to give to our home teaching and visiting teaching families within our ward family here in SD. It was a busy week but we had fun doing it!

On V-day Feb. 14th was also the Gila Valley Temple Ground Breaking Ceremony! We woke up and took the girls to the satilite broadcast at the stake center. What a sweet way to spend Valentine's day...with my eternal family whom I love, while witnessing a temple come to southern Arizona and closer to us! We enjoyed the ceremony and felt the sweet spirit and excitement of having a temple closer ... what an amazing answer to so many prayers!

The next day was Stake Conference where I had been asked to share my testimony and speak on the importance of temples and families. I am grateful for parents who taught me and showed me by example the importance of temples while I was young. I pray that I might be able to do the same for my children so that we too can become an eternal family. I am grateful for the opportunity (as tramatic as it was) to gain a stronger testimony of these eternal truths.

Peyton's Baby Blessing!

February 1st was my sister Brianna's daughter's baby blessing! Peyton Ella Hatch! We drove to Safford for the big event and enjoyed witnessing Peyton's sweet blessing given by her dad Tyler! Afterwards we enjoyed a fun family lunch and visited...it was a fun afternoon! Peyton is a sweet addition to the little Hatch family and Brianna is now having fun dressing her little girlies up!

28 weeks & January

Well here I am at 28 weeks!
January flew by! I took advantage of my free time and rested and relaxed from the Holidays!
I curled up on the couch and finally dove into the "Twilight" series everyone has been talking about. It was nice to be reading for fun and not as an assignment... 3 weeks later I finished up all 4 books! I am embarrassed to admit that I have been "bitten" and enjoyed the books.
Other January tasks have included:
*Getting the baby's room ready!
*Quilting a baby quilt!
* Primary, Primary, Primary!
* Ordering Track equipment!
* Working on Track workouts & meets!
Time is going by too fast and I am trying to get ready for the busy spring!

It does snow in Arizona!!!

The girls were able to enjoy fresh snow of almost 3 feet up in Pinetop at Grandma Merrill's in December. We were up for Pete's Grandma Beverly's funeral and stayed to spend time with family for a few days and ring in the new year. Meg and Mel enjoyed building snowmen, snow sled ramps and everything else that had to do with snow ...with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandma and grandpa. It was a good visit.

Big Time SLEDDING!

Megan and Melanie loved sledding on the BIG MOUNTIAN! They were fearless and loved every minute of it! The girls couldn't get enough of the snow while we were in Pinetop!

Grandma Beverly's Funeral

Pete's Grandma Beverly passed away a few days before Christmas. It was sad to see her go so suddenly yet good to know she was at peace free from pain and with her sweetheart again Grandpa Gib. Beverly was such a sweetheart that always tried to keep family ties close as an important priority. I will also remember her for her yummy fruit salad and her love for shopping and flare for fashion! She will be missed greatly and we will have her Christmas ornaments that she gave us each year as a treasure to remember her spirit of giving at Christmas time.
We didn't get any pictures at the funeral but we went out to eat that night, and spent the rest of the week in Pinetop to be with family and ring in the new year!