Merrick's Training Wheels have Vanished!

Thank you Kierce for taping Merrick's second time riding with no training wheels! One thing is for sure, this kid is fearless! ...may I have some of that my son??? On this kids first try he began turning corners, then riding on pavement and riding around the block. He insisted on riding his bike home from the beach with no training wheels, and he did! Anyone who lives here, knows how insane that bike ride is with the cars and all of the people on the sidewalks. It was interesting ride home, and I very much appreciated Rowan and Kierce's help on the way home. Way to go Merrick, that was easy for this Mom! :)

Pacific Adventures

Shouldn't we all be this free?

The kids caught dinner, and yes, I took one (or nine) for the team ;)

Kierce usually finds a perch to sit and enjoy some peace each trip to the ocean.

Merrick found a cranny.

...never know what you will discover at the tide pools.

Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk. - Susan Scarf Merrell

This particular day the tide was VERY low, Kierce loved this (seemingly new) beach and especially the neat  pattern in the sand.

Rowan will always find some-thing ;)

The most beautiful sunset I have ever experienced.  The sky continued to change over the course of an hour, growing more beautiful by the moment.  Earlier in the evening the sky was painted with the most delicate white feather looking pattern.  We had a blast chasing the reflection on the shore together.  Gods paint brush and talent was and is amazing to experience.  ...a night to remember forever.

We were blessed to have Eva and Aunt Brooke visit us at the beach hang out two days in a row!  This particular day, Rowan was coming home from her birthday sleepover which she thoroughly enjoyed!  Aunt Brooke was so thoughtful to offer each of the kids a special birthday sleepover and shopping trip!  

More pacific adventure to come :) 

Silly Kids

...very creative way to carry your lunch bag Merrick. 

Yes, we were greeted by a pet parrot just chillin' as we entered the local grocery store.  As he was waiting for his owner to get done with her shopping, he surprised us by hopping on our cart ready to go for a ride :)

...and an hour or so later were amazed by a very large boa while pumping gas!  Oh, but the best was a lady walking downtown wearing a birdcage necklace with a real bird inside!  ...only in Ocean Beach. 

...be nice Row

Too much fun at the science center!

Can you find a bigger chair Kierce??

Hmmmm, nice shirt Merrick.

Do you believe they all fit in this tiny box???  This was the best and silliest playdate EVER! 

Silly-ness to be continued :) 

Visitors Falling from the Sky

We were so very blessed this fall with many visitors!  Our first guests were Grandma Texas, Aunt Lynn and Jessie!  The kids and I enjoyed taking the crew to Cabrillo National Park!

I am pretty sure everyone would agree that the zoo was an ultimate blast!

Priceless

I think we had too much fun when Gamma came into town :)  

Gamma definitely had too much fun, especially catching this crab at Cabrillo National tidepools!

We drove all around San Diego showing her the best of the best, so of course we landed at Coronado Island!

The kids and I came up with the idea to celebrate Grammy Kathy's Birthday early when she came into town!  The kids were able to capture some cuddle time after the candles were blown out ;)   

Of course we just had to share our favorite place in Ocean Beach with her, the beach!  A gorgeous sunset was the cherry on top.  We are always sad to say goodbye when visitors leave, but cherish the time we have with them while they are here.  Thank you all for gracing up with your presence!

1,2,3 Kids Birthdays

Ryan's mother Colleen came to visit us during the middle of October, so I decided to celebrate all of the kids birthdays together while she was in town.  The kids chose to celebrate with a spooky Halloween theme.  Uncle Dana, Aunt Brooke, Eva, Auntie Abs, Aunt Paulette, Uncle Bo and Gamma all graced us with their presence on this fine day. 

Me and my very own smiling, purple vampire :)

The blue wizard with her coordinating assistant ;)

Merrick (a.k.a. dark spiderman) popping in on his friend Caden's Birthday party which was held in the community room downstairs on the same day.

A little fun with Uncle Dana!

Although the plan for the day had to be altered due to a mishap with the car keys, we had a lot of fun.  By the end of the day, I was glad things worked out the way they did.  

Camping on the Colorado River

The first weekend in October we were privileged to be invited to this amazing diamond in the rough, Picacho State Park on the Colorado River.  I mean, look at the view!  My cousins Lori and Steph were such wonderful, well seasoned hosts!  As you can see, everyone was very happy.  

Classic

Ahoy captain Lori!

We had too much fun tubing, with the best view I might add!

With this backdrop, I couldn't stop myself from having a small photo shoot ;)

All of the kids spent special time training with Lori and Steph's friend, the park ranger, to become Junior Rangers!  

We even did a little celebrating for Kierce's Birthday!  I have a feeling Steph picked out this super cute Chargers hat for Kierce's Birthday gift ;)  Thank you Lori and Steph, for everything!  We will always remember this moment in time!

L

Merrick's Summer 2011 Journal Entry

There is my sweet smile on my sweet babies face.  He just loves taking a ride on the swing!  Its funny, since we moved to California we have so many other activities to keep us busy that we have only gone to the park twice!  This particular swing was at a park located at our best friends Marci and Ralph's campground.  During our regular visits there, we would always find time to walk down to the park.    

Now this might be a side of Merrick that you have never seen before.  He definitely plays the baby role quite well.  This cradle located at the Imagination Station in the kids area holds him perfectly don't you think?  ...next to all of the other baby dolls :)  He will always be my baby doll.

Merrick loves to be silly, and so does his Daddy!  Merrick was all geared up and ready to be my number one helper during our massive garage sale before our move to San Diego.  I like to wear an apron to hold the money during a garage sale, and as you can see he insisted on doing the same.

Merrick is a baseball, basketball, football, soccer ball player in the making.  This kid has an arm on him like you wouldn't believe.  He loved watching his Daddy get all suited up for a game of baseball, and can't wait for the day when he gets suited up as well!

Speaking of balls, here he is balancing a ball on top of a stream of air that is coming out of the black pipe.  This kid is in heaven at a science center.  He is sooo good at figuring out how things work, and putting things together.  You should see this kid with 10 legos...all the different combinations he comes up with.  Boy does he have a plan, and its best not to interrupt him right in the middle of making a creation.

Here is our guy with a baseball bat, yes not only does he have an amazing arm, but a swing to go right with it!  He was slamming balls out of the park, one after the other!  His Great Aunt Diane gave him this baseball set to play with at our going away party.  Of course this bat came with us to San Diego, and he is still swinging away!  

With Grandpa Tom, notice the baseball in his hand ;)

Merrick was elated to take a ride on the sky ride at Cedar Point just a few days before shoving off on our journey to San Diego.  This seriously was the highlight of our visit to CP.  So you can imagine how happy Merrick is that Grandma and Grandpa Nevins gave us a gift of season passes to the San Diego Zoo which has a sky ride that is included in the passes!  We try to ride it every time we go!  We already know he is the ultimate dare devil, so watch out Cedar Point.  Give Merrick a few more inches and he'll be dragging Daddy behind him to all of the giant roller coasters!

Now this ride was just plain FUN!

What is his favorite color??  You guessed it- Green!  Merrick was so patient.  He waited a long time to be able to have his hair sprayed green.  I had bought several bottles of different color hair spray on clearance after Halloween last year, and put them away.  He pulled them out one day while I was packing wanting to give them a try.  I suggested that we could make coloring the kids hair a fun event that we could do the day we leave for California.  They all remembered that promise :)

Our first stop on our trip to Cali was to see his cousin Hailey in Tennessee!  Merrick was in heaven playing right next her.  He wanted to help her with everything, and show her his boyish wisdom.  The only problem, she didn't always want help, she wanted to do it herself, her way :)  It was so cute to see the dynamic he had with his cousin.  I think he still saw her as a baby up until this day, because she was a baby the last time he saw her.  He had always called her baby Hailey, which he does no longer.  ...so sweet.

There was definitely an adjustment period for little Mr. Merrick regarding the reduction in square footage of home space.  For the first few weeks we lived here, Merrick wanted to use the walkway as our porch!  Most recently we have adopted the beach as our backyard, which is working out perfectly!  

Merrick really enjoyed watching this skateboard competition at our local street fair this summer.  Now you should see him on his new skateboard!  He is working on doing an alli, and it won't be long before he has it mastered!  Sometimes it seems as if the kid has no fear at all!  

I believe the highlight of our move for Merrick was gaining his super sweet younger cousin Eva, who lives only a short car drive away!  He just loves spending time with her.  When we get together, all of the kids fight over who gets to play with her first.  Its a pretty cute sight, and it can get ugly :)  As you can see, little miss Eva is already looking up to her older cousin ;)

Merrick and his camo coat, got to love it!  He loves this jacket, and even though the sleeves are getting too short on him, we continue to fill all of the many pockets up with sand, shells, rocks, sticks, feathers and any other find we pick up at the beach!  He takes after his sister Rowan, who loves to collect keepsakes.  Well, I guess Kierce does too ;)  

This little guy was made for the playing in the sand!  Next to building sandcastles, his favorite thing to do with the sand it get covered in it!  I can't count how many times this kid got himself buried this summer!  Most recently they built a sand wall on the beach that we play on for hours!  Thank you sand for the hours of fun you provide for all three of my children!  There, I said it!

  

Yes, Merrick had a pretty sweet mo hawk this summer!  When I asked him what hair style he would like me to cut for him, I guess I left the window open for any number of options.  The girls and I had a lot fun styling his hair for the season. 

Sweet

Now this is the life, relaxing in the hot tub after a very long day of swimming!  We were so excited for Merrick when he began swimming without his life vest!  Every step I took further away from him in the pool, he continued to swim to me, until one day when I was gone he swam the entire length of the pool for his Dad!  We were all so grateful for our pool and hot tub this summer!  We spent a good portion of our summer right here swimming up a storm, and now Merrick is on his way to tearing it up with the girls!

At Home Photo Shoot

  

Yes, Merrick can throw a good fit ;)

Rest assured, he gets lots of loving.

Handsome

Where there is nature, Merrick is in his element.  We certainly live in just the right place for this outdoorsman.  Now what new adventure awaits us tomorrow?