Recap

Wow, it has been a REALLY long time since I've visited the blogging world. 

I thought I'd do a quick recap of the last year or so. 

Last time I blogged, it was about the dog (at the time it was the damn dog) so I'll start with that.

Poor thing got fixed in the spring. By this time, we were good buddies so it broke my heart to see him like this. He was so confused and in pain and he was not a fan of the cone of shame.

 

  Then he got big! And furry! Really furry. So we had him shaved and kept a killer mohawk. What a rad dog.

We went to Spring Color Festival for my nephew's wedding. Can't say I'm in a hurry to go again, but I'm glad I got to experience it once. Let's just say I'm not a fan of colored cornstarch up my nose, in my eyes, ears, mouth, you name it- it's in there. All in the name of peace.

Kids finished school: Karter- 3rd grade, Zach- Kindergarten. They couldn't have been more excited for summer. This summer (2012), they got to stay home and go to the neighbor's during the day. Their favorite part about this was not having to go to bed early when all their friends were still out playing!

Silly kids.

Rich was totally spoiled for Father's Day! 

We decided we had been a one car family long enough and that it was time for Rich to have his own ride (besides the train).

 

We had such a fun summer hanging out with the neigbs- my affectionate term for our neighbors that were also our friends. Yes, I said were. We also had lots of drama over the past year and three of our drama queen neighbors have left and it's NICE. The cops haven't been called to our ghetto since last summer-ish.

 We hiked a lot. One of our favorite past times.

We said goodbye to our trusty ol' friend Henry the Hyundai.

This really was an amazing car, especially since I tried to beat the crap out of it on more than one occasion.

 We welcomed into our family, Gladys. Gladys, the grandma car. 

I'll admit though, it's a nice smooth ride and gets killer gas mileage.

 At the same time, Ferb the 4runner also joined us. He almost didn't though. Someone was not happy with the deal Richard got on it (uh-hum, me) and was headed down to return it. No car dealership was going to get the best of this girl.

We ended up coming home with TWO cars. Way to show 'em Wendy!

  Karter had his first visit to the eye doctor. Luckily, they were okay but his brain was playing tricks on his eyes and he had to get readers from the dollar store. I think he wore them for about a week.

 Zach also got glasses...

 We said "hello" to Marley. Look at that face! How could one not wanna take her home? Coop was not quite sure what to think of her. But eventually they became friends and she helped teach him how to shake (something we had been working on with him for a long time- it's amazing what jealousy will do to a dog :).

We also got to meet this cute girl! We love her and are so excited for her to finally join our family!

Her journey here could be an entire blog post in itself, but here's the short version:

My brother and sister-in-law (who is a Malaysian citizen) traveled to Malaysia and met Miriam (Mimi) when she was three hours old. Malaysia has a two year waiting period for adoptions, but were going to wave it since Farah is a citizen. They called to tell us all they were bringing home a baby! But the US State department wasn't feeling generous at the time (putting it very nicely) and wouldn't issue her a visa. They came home heart broken without their daughter. Fast forward 20 months, multiple trips back and forth for court dates and to visit, lots of $$ in lawyer fees, she FINALLY got to come home on December 19th. 

Needless to say, it was a big deal for our family.

New Years 2013
I know you're crazy jealous of how hot and cool we are. 

The kids made it!!

 We had to say "goodbye" to Marley :(

Seriously one of the hardest things I've ever had to do (I know, I consider myself fortunate that this is the hardest thing I've encountered). It was really hard on all of us. 

But she's in a good place. We took her out to my sister's house near Elko, NV. They are good to her and she has a new friend- my sister's border collie named Blue. 

We miss her every day.

I've been spending lots of time with this cutie. I watch her on my Fridays off and we have the most fun. And she may or may not get spoiled by her (now) favorite auntie. I love getting my girl fix.

 We decided to get Lagoon passes this year and the boys love it!

 Mom and Dad on the other hand, not so much. We are getting old! Sick after lots of the rides. I've spent a lot of time waiting on the sidelines while the boys go ride by themselves this season.

That's about it, I guess.

If you're still reading, thanks for sticking around.

I plan to blog more often, we'll see how that goes.

*fingers crossed*

The Dog

Meet our little Cooper

Well, I kind of thought I'd never give in. 

My kids have begged for a dog for years. At first, I said when we get a house. Then we got a house and I said we need a fence and a garage. I also said NEVER would I have a dog in my house.

Well, the day has finally come. I'm as surprised at myself as everyone else is. It's been a full week and to be honest, as cute as this little puppy is, right now I wish I'd said no. 

He's given me every reason that I said no in the first place. He pees on my rugs, bites my shoes and pants, scratches my new couches, tracks water and dirt in the house, wakes me up at night and on top of all that, he stinks! He has thee worst breath I've ever smelled.

But on the other hand, my kids absolutely adore him! I haven't had to fight with them to get out of bed once this week, I just put the dog on their bed and they're up. And Zach will not leave him alone, he is totally smitten. 

My husband is also a big fan. He's excited to have a hunting dog (even if just for pheasants, he originally thought we'd gotten a springer spaniel- this little cocker is not a water dog, apparently) and just have a dog for our kids. He's ever so patient with him- much more so than I am. He gets up in the middle of the night to take him out with no complaint (on a good note, the past couple nights he's slept almost 8 hours straight). And he can sense when I've had enough (so can the dog) and he takes over completely.

It's been a long week. It really seems like I've been struggling with this dog much longer. But I know it will get better. We have awesome neighbors who have given us stuff and tips for him and our cute neighbor Selda is amazing. She loves him and comes to check on him every day while we're gone (not to mention takes and feeds my kids so I can rest.) She's the best! 

And even though he's smelly, I sometimes don't mind him snuggling on my lap and it is pretty cute when he comes and falls asleep on my feet.

So I'm having faith that one day, hopefully sooner than later, I will be as smitten as the rest of my family and won't regret saying yes.

ABCs

So, I noticed on the side bar of people's blog it shows the lovely picture of me covered in dirt and wind-blown, hat hair and that just will not do. So I decided a different post was needed and I saw this on another blog and thought it would be kinda fun.

A. Age: 31
B. Bed size: Expanded Queen, which is absolutely ridiculous because I CAN'T find sheets!
C. Chore that you hate: Dusting. So bad. Not a big fan of mopping either.
D. Dogs: None. My poor, deprived children want one SO much. Maybe someday..
E. Essential start to your day: My contacts. Blind as a bat without em. And a shower.
F. Favorite color: Lots, but loving teal and gray right now.
G. Gold or Silver: I like both. I used to hate gold, but it's growing on me.
H. Height: 5’8"
I. Instruments you play: Tuba.
J. Job title: Configuration Management Specialist- sounds so official.
K. Kids: Two supercool, rambunctious, funny, awesome, sometimesoutofcontrol boys.
L. Live: in the ghetto
M. Mother’s name: Shirley
N. Nicknames: Gwen, Gwendolyn, Wendybird (in high school).
O. Overnight hospital stays: Just for babies.
P. Pet peeves: Bad drivers, people who won't take responsibility for their own actions and those who don't expect that from others.
Q. Quote from a movie: I'm gonna go home and fart in a shoe box. (LOVE Date Night)
R. Right or left handed: Right handed.
S. Siblings: 6 half bros, 2 half sisters
U. Underwear: Optional :)
V. Vegetable you hate: Most of them. I am not a veggie fan.
W. What makes you run late: being a Merrill. We are late to everything.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Dental, chest, wrist, ankle. Ooh, I've had a cat scan and an MRI too- those are fun.
Y. Yummy food that you make: I make a mean mac n' cheese. I really like my spaghetti and chicken nachos (not together).
Z. Zoo animal: Pandas, though I've never actually seen one at the zoo.

Labor Day 2011 (My four wheeling adventure)

We didn't plan anything special for the holiday this year (actually, we rarely do) but ended up having a busy, fun-filled weekend.
Saturday started out like most of ours do- lazy morning, chores and shopping in the afternoon. In the evening we had a bbq with our fun neighbors just a few doors down and a little gathering around their fire pit that lasted until 3 AM (I actually bailed at like 1030- I know, I'm a wuss).
Sunday, we went to Rich's sister's house to swim in the pool one last time before it closes for the year. I, once again, wussed out and didn't actually get in the pool. But Rich and the boys had fun with the cousins while I lounged in the sun. That evening we had another yummy bbq where I had to do none of the cooking or preparing- my favorite kind. :) We love to visit and always have fun with Rich's family.
Monday was FOUR WHEELING day! I was super excited for this since I haven't been for sooo long. And I was actually surprised that Rich invited me to go with him and his friends. So were his friends, ha ha.
We got all ready (after a little spin on Chad's motorcycle, also so fun and something I haven't done in a while) and I got all helmeted up and we headed up the mountain. The first trail we took was a little steep, nothing I couldn't handle. UNTIL we reached a little ravine part and Rich and I started to tip! Granted, there was really no where we could go but I still didn't want the thing on top of me. It was at this point that I decided I was done. That's right, about 15 minutes into the ride I was asking for my keys and phone so I could make the trek back down the mountain on foot. I made it about 20 feet when Nate and Chad came back down because it got too steep and said we'd try a different trail. This one was supposed to be a little tamer so I put on my big girl panties and climbed back on the four wheeler.
The second trail wasn't too bad. At first. Then it started to get a little steeper and a bit rocky. Still, I was doing okay. UNTIL we reached another ravine patch and I watched Nate start to tip! So without waiting for Rich to tell me no, I hopped off and let him do it by himself. I felt much safer walking up that part of the trail.
Eventually, I did get back on the four wheeler and we made it to a little resting point. We pulled over and Chad asked "Is she ready for the cliffs?" Um...... no! I didn't even know what "the cliffs" were but if they had to ask, I knew I wasn't ready. But since I really had no other option, up we went to these cliffs. The actual cliff part wasn't really long, but the trail was about as wide as the four wheeler and on a slant. Oh, and on a cliff. I'm pretty sure some un-ladylike words escaped my mouth (I know- shocker), along with "I hate you Chad!"
But wouldn't ya know it? I made it in one piece. And after that, it was smooth sailin' (or four wheelin'). The view from the top was amazing. All out over the valley and the bay (Willard) on one side and a terrifying canyon on the other. We hung out there for a bit while the guys took pee breaks (yeah, none of those for me) and Rich scared the crap outta me walking around the loose rocks on the edge. Really, he's like a child- a child that doesn't have life insurance. After this little trip and hearing how they are much more adventurous when girls aren't there to slow 'em down, I now realize the importance of having said life insurance. We should really get on that..
Anyhoo, as hesitant as I was to make the trip back, it was inevitable. So with shaking hands (it was all very traumatic), I grudgingly put my helmet back on, which was a real shame because I looked super hot with matted down hair and a face covered in dirt (see picture below). After demanding to be let off at the cliffs, we started back down. It actually wasn't that terrible going back down, I guess because I expected it to be horrifying this time. Don't get me wrong, it was still horrifying. Especially when we reached the cliffs and my dear husband would not let me off. "You're fine" never made me so angry. But I survived again. Whew!
I was a little braver and a little less whiny the rest of the way down. I'd like to think to reward me for my efforts, Rich let me drive around when we got to the bottom. It was really fun and I drove the rest of the way home. When we got to Chad's house, I was relieved. I was dirty and sore and wanted to get off and collapse on the lawn. But it was not to be. We drove past the house and down the street to "the bog" so I could get a little more practice. At least this was just a field and I was in control. But there were still a few bumps and steep parts and I tried to throw Rich off the back at least twice. Hehe.
At last, it was over so we parked the four wheelers and tried to hose ourselves off to look presentable for our next activity. It was really a lost cause, so I showed up to Madison's (Nate and Jean's baby that I will steal one day) first birthday party looking like a bum. It was a circus themed party with a bounce house, games, face painting, a photo booth and the cutest decorations ever. The kids had a blast, despite a bit of rain and Zachary getting sick. Karter got his face painted as what else, a dinosaur. How much he gets into character really cracks me up. And I can't wait to get our photo booth pics back from Jean.
Needless to say, the Merrills had a good holiday weekend! Hope you all did too! Buh-bye now.

090211

Today was the first day I dropped both of the kids off at school and came home to an empty house. It was a bit odd and I didn't quite know what to do with myself. I thought about going for a run but I haven't run for so long and it's hard on my knees (man, it sucks getting old), so I settled on a bike ride. It was so nice! The weather was perfect- nice and cool so I didn't work up too much of a sweat. It's easier on me than running (except my poor butt!) but my legs still got a nice work out. I think I've officially converted to bike riding. I think I'll go tomorrow!
I didn't have much time until it was time to go back and pick up Zachary from morning kindergarten. And to save myself from driving to Riverdale three times in one day, he and I hung out while we waited for Karter to get out.
We were on a mission today- to find a pink boy shirt. Zach told me he needed a pink shirt to wear for pink day next week (they wear a different color everyday while they learn about colors). I love that he is such a boy but is secure enough to wear pink. Never thought I'd be searching for a pink shirt for my boy. (We found one at Old Navy on clearance- score!)
We also went to the pet store to look at lizards, fish, birds, hamsters and rats! The girl was telling us what great pets rats are. And she sold me! Never thought I'd want a rat for a pet but now I'm trying to talk Rich into getting one for the kids. Right now, he says "hell no" so we'll see.
We also hung out at the mall playground where Zachary proceeded to show off his running skills to the other kids. He is actually pretty dang fast. But also, a total show-off. And I intended on finishing my book but ended up taking a little snooze. At the mall! I've been so tired.
Picked up Karter from school and had a little chat with his teacher about some issues he is having in class. He is such a sweet, smart, creative, unique kid and it's frustrating to have to deal with this stuff when I know he can do the work. We're going to try something different next week and see if that works. If it doesn't, his teacher thinks we should get him tested for ADD so I really hope it works.
Such a mundane day, but these are the days I love. Not having to go to work (which I really dread nowadays) and being able to spend time with my kids and just hang out. These are the days I want to remember.

Vow

So, I'm taking a vow to be better at blogging (as soon as I get my PC up and running properly). I have so much going on in my life/head right now and need to put it down somewhere! :)
In the meantime, I need some help from my super creative friends: I need a name for my etsy store. I'm finally going to do it. For real this time. Here are a few things in my head right now:

-wonderland
-gwen
-hmmmm... well that's it, really. So you can see why I need some help! :)

Thanks! Be back soon.

-gwendolyn

blah, blah

So, I've been super bad at this blogging thing. Not a whole lot going on with the Merrill family and we stay so crazy busy with work and school and just living life.

Karter went to his last day of 2nd grade on Friday and he's so excited for summer. They both love that they get to go on a ton of field trips with their daycare. And Zachary is excited to be able to go to school with his brother this fall. I can't believe my baby's going to be in Kindergarten! Where does the time go? Seriously.

Rich and I finally got our housing credit back and paid off ALL our credit cards! It felt so good to be debt free (well, except the house and the car's almost done). We had all these plans for our extra money and then I took a little visit to the chiropractor. He wants me to come twice a week for 8 weeks which is really going to eat up lots of that extra cash but hopefully it'll be worth it. 

We also spent a bunch of money today on these spectacular Memorial Day sales. We got a new toilet (yay!), paint for the kids' bathroom and the living room (finally!! no more orange and gray blocks on my walls), a freezer (so we actually have room for ice and popsicles! hello!! it's summer, you have to have popsicles) AND new couches!! I'm so excited to replace this tacky red thing in my living room. Not so excited about putting them (and the freezer) on our credit card :( but we got a killer deal!

Anyway, that's it. Nothing super exciting or blog-worthy. But I'll be back soon with pics of our new living room and bathroom soon! So get ready! :)