The Moments That Take Our Breath Away

Megan and Ryan's Wedding - Congratulations

2010-04-19T23:02:00.003-06:00

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The Grand America with Daddy

2010-04-19T22:52:00.002-06:00

The kids where lucky enough to stay at the Grand America with their Daddy while I was out of town on a woman's retreat. They had so much fun, I only got a few pictures of them in the hotel room when I dropped them off. Joe took them swimming, to the spa (my sister Megan is a massage therapist and runs the spa), swimming, out to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and The Princess and the Frog. Needless to say they had a BLAST!!! Joe you are the BEST, you put me to shame. When you are out of town all I do is put them to bed early, boring. It's a good thing their Daddy if so FUN!!! Love you

Disney on Ice

2010-04-19T22:48:00.003-06:00

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Sledding in the Backyard

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Joe's B-day Party /Outback Steakhouse

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Discovery Land Gateway-Christian's Field Trip

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Cabin Fever

2010-04-19T22:26:00.001-06:00

The Grover's planed a fun, family get away after the holidays for our Christmas present. It was great to get away and relax. The kids had a blast hanging with their cousins for 3 days straight. We played lots of games, watched movies, opened more presents, went out to dinner and of course sledding. It was a blast. Thanks Mom and Dad Grover We loved it!!

2010-04-19T22:17:00.001-06:00

Christmas Eve/Day

2010-04-19T21:41:00.002-06:00

Christmas was crazy but fun. We first had Christmas Eve with the Grover side, then the Murphey side, it was lots of fun and great food. I had a blast being Santa's little helper this year more then ever. Being settled in our new home was lots of fun. We decided 3 Christmas in one day was just too much, so we celebrated our Christmas on the 26th which made it a lot more enjoyable and we where able to spread the cheer for a few more days. Christmas morning was spent with the Grover's and we had a lovely breakfast, opened presents and the kids played. Later we went down to Highland to spend the remainder of the day with my family. It was a wonderfully crazy Christmas Day and we were so glad we waited to do ours the next day. We have our Christmas Eve at home, the kids set out Christmas cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer, put on their new PJ's and headed to bed. Meanwhile Joe and I started to set up presents and stuff stockings. Luckily I had already wrapped everything, so it went pretty fast and we where off to bed. I was great being able to relax and take our time Christmas morning. It was a wonderful Christmas. Merry Christmas. We love you all

2010-03-16T22:13:00.001-06:00

Gingerbread House with Nana!!!

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Murphey's Temple Square Tradition

2010-03-16T22:03:00.002-06:00

We love to see the lights at Temple Square and feel of the Spirit there. It was cold and we got separated from one another and it was super crowded but it is always a lot of fun and well worth it. Thanks for a fun night on the town family. We love you!

2010-03-16T22:02:00.001-06:00

Annual Miner Christmas Party

2010-03-16T21:54:00.003-06:00

The Annual Miner Christmas Party starts with a delicious spread of ham, potatoes, salad, rolls, and of course jello. Following is the talent show, Mercedes would have entertained us for the whole night if we let her. Christian shared some of his Karate moves and performed Universal Order, he did awesome. We sang songs and caught up with one another while having dessert. It is so fun to see the little cousins play with one another. We are so blessed to be apart of such a wonderful family, that is so close. Thanks to my mom and dad for all their hard work, preparing for a wonderful evening with family.

Lincoln's 1st Haircut

2010-03-16T21:51:00.001-06:00

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Happy 7 Year Anniversary- Johnsom Mill Bed and Breakfast

2010-03-16T21:42:00.003-06:00

Joe and I spent a wonderful weekend at the Johnson Mill Bed and Breakfast in Midway. It was gorgeous, with lots of snow. We had a delicious dinner at the Bear Dance Cafe and loved the hot breakfast at the B&B. It was short and sweet but enough. The kids had a blast with my family, and we are so appreciative to them for watching them. Happy Anniversary Joe I love you. Thanks for a amazing weekend.

2009-11-08T22:39:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! Wahhhhhhh

2009-11-08T22:15:00.003-07:00

Sadly enough Halloween is over, I love Halloween and so do the kids. The first day of October I made orange pumpkin pancakes to kick off the festivities. But, Halloween started way back last Spring, when the kids helped plant pumpkins in Grandpa Miner's Garden. They had a blast picking their pumpkins out of there very own patch. Christian of course wanted the biggest one and lucky for me Mallory was nice enough to gut all three of the kids pumpkins for carving. The Monday before Halloween we headed down to Granddad and Grandma GG's house for a little FHE Pumpkin Carving. The pumpkins looked awesome, thanks mom and dad(the kids were sad to throw them away) Christian had a Halloween Program and Trunk or Treat at school which was a lot of fun. I started preparing early for my annual Halloween Party. The kids and I had a blast picking recipes and decorating for the party. We enjoyed a yummy soup bar with lots of fixen' and a dessert table with lots of treats, costume contest and charades. The party went into the wee hours, and we all had a blast. Thanks everyone for coming, it makes all the hard work worth it. Halloween Day was lots of fun, started with a Birthday Breakfast for Mom Grover at Mimi's Cafe (Happy Birthday Mom We love you) Sadly Joe had to miss going to the U game but got to watch some of it. We had dinner, trick or treating, and relaxed/visited with family and friends. The kids had so much fun trick or treating, Mercedes kept singing 'Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me treat' I just love the holidays with kids they are such a blast. Happy Halloween!!!!

2009-11-08T22:10:00.001-07:00

Lake Powell - Mercato Trip

2009-11-08T21:58:00.003-07:00

We had a great time with the Mercato Team in Lake Powell. We did a little surfing off the back of the boat, fishing, lots of games, and of course lots of yummy food. It was nice to relax and catch up on some zzzz's. The kids stayed with Nana and Papa Grover for a few days. They did really well and had lots of fun. However, after we got home Christian ran out the door in a panic, hugged me and wouldn't let me go. After a few minutes he pulled back and said "This...this won't happen again." Needless to say he is a mama's boy. Mercedes didn't seem fazed at all and Lincoln kind of looked at me odd like where have you been? It was fun to get away and spend sometime with Joey and the Mercato team they are a blast. Can't wait for the next trip!!!

2009-11-08T21:55:00.001-07:00

East Canyon - General Conference Weekend

2009-11-08T21:44:00.002-07:00

It has been a family tradition for years to go to East Canyon for General Conference Weekend. I look forward to it every year, we listen to Conference in the fifth wheel. It's great to be in the mountains away from everything while listening to the prophet and apostles of this great gospel. In between sessions we hike, fish, swim, and play games. On Saturday evening the boys head to the Priesthood Session and the girls head to the Outlets for a little shopping. We meet back at the trailer to have dessert and talk about conference before heading to bed. Thanks Mom and Dad for giving us the opportunity to strengthen our testimonies by listening to the Lord's Servants. We are so grateful for your example and the many Conference Weekend memories we have made. We love you!

2009-11-08T21:42:00.001-07:00

SOD PARTY - YAH!!!!!

2009-11-08T21:28:00.002-07:00

The sod party was a blast and everything went really fast with all of the great help we had. These pictures are 3 months old ahhh(I can't believe I am so behind on my blog) Anyhow, on August 1st (my birthday and my baby sisters, we share) we finally got the sod put it after weeks of sprinkler work(Thanks Joe and Dad you are the best) We love our grass and it has made such a difference, the kids can't wait to get a playground and a trampoline. Thanks to our wonderful families that helped us so very much, we couldn't have done it without you. We have planted some tree/shrubs and look forward to a little garden in the back next year. Thanks again everyone!!! We love you all

Disney Days- Gallivan Center

2009-09-27T22:04:00.001-06:00

Horseback Riding with GranDaddy in the Backyard - YEEHAA!!!

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Joe's 10 Year High School Reunion - The Grand America

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Life is just better with RED Mac n' Cheese

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Happy Birthday Mercedes!!!

2009-09-27T21:22:00.003-06:00

Our little princess Mercedes has turned 3 and we had a blast celebrating with family and friends. We had a special guest Princess Ariel join us, Mercedes was star struck and soaked up every minute of it. Mercedes loves taco salads, so at her request we had a lovely taco salad/burrito bar. Princess Ariel read the kids a story, sang/danced, and blew out the Birthday candles with Mercedes. We followed up the the usual pinata, which I think the adults enjoy more them the kids. Everything went perfectly, thanks to everyone that came. Mercedes is such a sweet and sassy young lady, we love her so very much. She has been begging for a sister for months now. However, with Christian back in school and Lincoln getting a little bigger, I've caught her combing, blow drying, and 'curling' her baby brothers hair. Lucky for her, Lincoln loves the attention and mothering she shows him (most of the time:)Mercedes, our little princess we love you so very much. You are such a sweet little lady and are so soft/gentle with Lincoln. On the other hand you are Christian's best wrestling buddy an partner in crime and they just adore you. Mercedes has come so far in the last year, she is very smart and wants to be just as big as Christian. She potty trained herself over a year ago, knows her colors/shapes, can count to ten, and can read a dozen or so words. Mercedes loves princess, doing hair/make-up, shopping, and animals. She wants to be a ballerina when she grows up and is going to marry her imaginary boyfriend JACK. Mercedes begs her Daddy on a regular basis to get her ears peirced, not yet. Mercedes we love and adore. We feel so blessed to have you in our lives and in our family. Thanks to all of our family and friends for coming and support Mercedes on her 3rd Birthday. We love you! Thanks

2009-09-08T00:08:00.001-06:00

Ogden Rodeo - Mercato Partner

2009-09-08T00:02:00.002-06:00

We had a blast going to dinner and the Odgen Rodeo with the Mercato Partners Team. The kids got to wear their new duds from Grandma GG and Grandad Murphey. We had a wonderful time and the kids can't wait to go again!

2009-09-07T23:59:00.001-06:00

Spiderman Birthday - Christian 5 & Lincoln 1

2009-09-07T23:23:00.007-06:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet boys Christian and Lincoln. You are both getting so big, stop growing so quickly. What a wonderful party it was, we celebrated the boys birthdays together because they are only a couple weeks apart. I was worried Christian wouldn't want to share the spotlight and told him that, he could have his own party if he wanted to. He said 'No mom I want to share my Birthday with Lincoln, he is my dude.' Christian is a very sweet, caring and sensitive child. Don't get me wrong anyone that knows him also knows, that he loves to wrestle, he loves Karate, and he loves superheros. But there is a very sweet and tender side to our little Christian boy, and being his Mother I get the blessing and honor of seeing it the most. Christian is a wonderful brother, he is constantly helping his siblings and playing with them, or simply making them laugh. Christian, we are so blessed to have you in our family and to be a part of your life. You are also a very strong, independent, and particular person(like father, like son) You are a perfectionist in many ways(I don't know where you got that from ;) and you strive to be the best at all you do. Christian is a great artist and will draw and color for hours. One of his favorite things though is Wednesday nights with Daddy at YMs. Christian, we are so very grateful you are our Big boy and Big brother to Mercedes and Lincoln, they adore you. We are so proud of you. We love you, to heaven and back.

Lincoln, Lincoln, I been thinking. You're the cutest boy around. All the girls will soon be winking, thinking your the cutest one.(Nana)
Lincoln is my little angel and a little piece of heaven here on earth. From the very first day, Lincoln has had a wonderful, easy going temperament(he would have to, to survive his older brother and sister) Lincoln is a cuddlier and a Mamas Boy, I love that. He has the best little giggle, he loves babies and kitties, and HATES Dogs. Lincoln LOVES goats milk and refuses to give it up even though he is over a year now. He only has one tooth but is working on another. He does the very best he can to keep up with the older two, and they are great to hold his hand along the way. Lincoln, we love you so very much and as Christian would say 'Lincoln is GOLDEN'

2009-09-07T23:23:00.001-06:00

Gateway with the Rays

2009-09-07T23:12:00.002-06:00

Early in July Mindy Ray(my BFF) and I took the kids to play at the Gateway. The kids had a blast playing in the water and soaking up the sun. My kids just adore Lillie, Max, and Eli. I can tell Mercedes looks up to Lillie so much and every time she plays with Max, for days after wards she talks about how nice he is and that she should marry him. How cute. They are such good kids and we love spending time with them. Thanks for being great friends to us, we sure love you guys!!!

Christian's Ball

2009-09-07T22:58:00.003-06:00

Shortly after returning from Florida, Christian came to me and said 'Mommy, I want to have a "Ball" with Mercedes. Will you help us get ready. Christian got himself all dressed up in his suit and I helped Mercedes get all fancy. They danced and played all morning in the front room, it was so much fun to watch them play and interact with one another. My sweet little Christian boy is getting so big. He is such a little gentleman and is always taking care of his younger brother and sister. Christian I love and I know Mercedes loved the 'Ball'. Thank you for being my little Christian Boy

2009-06-16T23:27:00.001-06:00

Crescent Beach

2009-06-16T23:09:00.002-06:00

The second half of our trip was spent on the heavenly Crescent Beach. We relaxed on the beach everyday and had a few outings. We celebrated the twins 21st Birthday- Mallory and Mitchell, by going out for some Italian. Christian had his first taste of calamari, and loved it. We asked him if he knew what it was and he said "ya octopus". So, Mercedes seeing how much he was enjoying it said "I want some Ursula too" We all cracked up and she loved it too. It a amazes me what my kids will eat. We went into St. Augustine for a day and did a little shopping, went to the Fort, and had a picnic at Washington Park. But, mostly we swam and sunbathed...and the kids loved every minute of it. Thanks to our families for making it all possible. We love you very much and cherish the time we spent with you.

2009-06-16T23:07:00.001-06:00

DISNEY WORLD!!!!!

2009-06-16T23:02:00.003-06:00

Well, we are sad to be home from our 2 week vacation in Florida (our home away from home.) It was a blast and by far our favorite family vacation thus far. We spent our first week in Orlando at a resort and went to Disney World 6 days in a row. It is all kind of a blur now, but we had a ball. Watching the kids beam with excitement over the Disney experience, brought tears to my eyes. We went to Epcot/Animal Kingdom for a day each and Magic Kingdom/Hollywood Studios for two days each. Every park was wonderful and offered a variety. We went with my whole family, it was so great to have everyone together for a family vacation. The kids can't stop talking about Disney World and can't wait to go back again!!! We took over 1000 pictures but here are some of our favorites :)

2009-06-16T22:49:00.001-06:00

Christian's School-Aquarium, Field day, and Graduation

2009-06-16T22:28:00.002-06:00

Christian's Last Field Trip of the school year was to the Aquarium. The kids had a lot of fun and can't wait to go back. Christian's Field Day was at a park close to the school. We played on the playground, had a water fight, a balloon toss, and ended the morning with a yummy Popsicle. The last day of school was a short program, the kids sang songs and taught us about the Montessori program they have been learning. It was so much fun watching Christian perform. We are so proud of you buddy and love you so much.

2009-04-19T22:12:00.001-06:00

Easter Weekend

2009-04-19T21:42:00.002-06:00

Our Easter weekend started with a surprise deliver from Erika and Ryan. A adorable Easter basket with toys and treats. The kids were so excited to open it and Christian keep saying this is the best day ever! They have been packing the stuffed bunnies and chick around ever since, but have gobbled up all the treat. It was a very sweet and unexpected surprise. Thanks Ryan and Erika the kids loved. Saturday we had a lovely luncheon at the Grover's with lots of yummy food, a Easter Egg Hunt, and Egg decorating of course. The kids had a blast decorating the eggs but didn't care for eating them. We had a sweet experience Easter Sunday. After returning home from church and having a little snack, the kids wanted to watch a movie. Christian picked out a Jesus show(The Living Scriptures) He is Risen, which I thought was very appropriate being Easter and all. A few minutes into the program Christ is crucified on the cross. Mercedes turned to Christian and sadly said "Jesus die". Christian quickly replied to her "Sadie don't be sad, Jesus gets resurrected. It is okay". It brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes, to hear this sweet testimony from my little Christian. I know that My Redeemer Lives and I Love Him.

Skiing with Daddy

2009-04-12T23:24:00.003-06:00

We took the kids up for a quick skiing trip the other day, quick because it was freezing, but it was just enough. Christian loves to ski and is getting really good at and loves to race people down the mountain. After a hour or so he was pretty cold though and so was I, so I took the kids back to the car to warm up and let Joe get in a couple good runs. It was a lot of fun and hopefully we will get back up there a couple more time before all the snow melts. Christian and Mercedes just can't resist a good snow ball fight!

2009-04-12T23:20:00.001-06:00

Kites, Bikes, and Slides

2009-04-12T23:08:00.004-06:00

We love to go to the park and fly kites, go biking, or just play around on the toys. Here are some pictures of three different outings. The kite flying was so much fun and the wind was really blowing strong. Joe let Christian hold the string for a minute and the wind pulled it right out of his hand. Joe was running through the park after the string trying to stop the kite from flying away, it was pretty funny.(Thanks Honey for being such a great Daddy.) We also pull the kids around in the bike trailer and take lots of silly pictures, of course. I am loving the warm weather and playing at the park with my babies!

2009-04-12T23:00:00.001-06:00

Elite Academy Field Trips- Fire Station & Discovery Land Gateway

2009-04-12T22:42:00.003-06:00

Christian loves his school and one of his favorite things are the field trips because I always come with the kids. It's great for Mercedes to prepare for preschool and she loves having Christian's friends make a fuss over her. In February we went to The Discovery Land @ The Gateway and spent the day. It was a lot of fun and I would have taken more pictures but my camera died after the first few sections(Murphey's Law, I thought I had married out of that). Christian loved the construction site the most and Mercedes being the little mama that she is, loved playing house and shopping at the super market. Anyhow the kids had a blast, In March we went to the local Fire Station, learned about fire safety. It was great the kids practiced stop, drop, and roll and crawled under a black sheet pretending it was smoke. Christian loved seeing the Fire Truck and wanted to do a family night that night on the things we had learned. It was a great idea and helped prepare the kids for a fire/practice our escape. I love Elite Academy, Miss Tiffany(Christian's Teacher), and being a part of his school day, thanks for sharing it with us buddy. Love you! We look forward to going to the Clark Space Planetarium this month also!

Daddy Days

2009-03-16T21:17:00.001-06:00

Daddy Days

2009-03-16T21:02:00.001-06:00

Saturdays at our house are Daddy Days, they start first thing with breakfast with Daddy(usually homemade waffles, at Christian's request.) Then we let the kids stay in their pajamas and play with Daddy at the house. Whether it's games on his computer, cartoons, or the most popular - playing in the playroom and getting bucked off the trampoline, these kids love their Daddy. After a few hours of that, we get ready, grab lunch and head out the door. The kids get to pick the outing, whether it's Nickelcade, swimming, the library, Jungle Jim's, a movie, the Dollar Store, the Zoo, Aquarium, or Gateway, we always have a blast. So, here is a little post on our wonderful Daddy Days. Thanks to Joe who is an amazing Father and Husband, whose wife and kids adore him. We Love You!

Christian's Field Trip - Albertson's

2009-03-01T23:08:00.004-07:00

Christian's School had a field trip to Albertson's to learn about eating healthy. It was a lot of fun. I try to go to all the field trip because Mercedes loves it and wants to go to school. I couldn't help but share these cute pictures, Christian is so sweet with Mercedes.

The HOUSE!!!

2009-03-01T22:48:00.003-07:00

Okay, first of all I didn't take pictures of everything yet(a bedroom and bathroom in the basement are still a mess) and the garage which we love has tons of storage, is kind of a temporary dumping ground. So, I am going to try and walk you through the pictures as they come up in the slide show. First, you walk in and it is a open entry and the formal living room is on your right and all the bedrooms are to your left with 2 baths. Straight ahead is the Great room and a banister to the downstairs. I love this open floor plan and that everything is on just 2 levels. I have a huge pantry off of the kitchen and good size laundry room too. The formal living is great, vaulted ceilings and beautiful mountain views. Mercedes Room was the first room I finished because I had everything but the dresser and the area rug(which is not in the pictures, it's a 6'round white shag.) I actually bought the little pink chair and ottoman before she was born and it has been in the box up until a month ago, she loves is! It was a lot of fun to finally do a girl room and my inspiration came from her blessing dress, which my mom made(thank you!) Christian's Room has a mattress on the floor for now, I have a simple black modern bunk bed and dresser coming, I will post it when I finish it. The Master bedroom and bath with a balcony off it that connects to the Great Room. The guest bath is in the process of being finished as you can probably tell. The basement is a similar layout, Family Room, 3 bedroom, 1 bath. I made the Family Room the kids playroom and it has been great, they love it and it's nice not having the toys all over the main floor. The Guest Room or as Christian calls it Mallory's Room (my sister/weekend nanny, we love you) Joe's office and another bedroom and bathroom. So, that's about it. There are a lot of things we want to do, paint, change out hardware and lighting, and design lots of fun stuff. We are loving the house, the location and the ward. We are so blessed to be here!!!

Th House

2009-03-01T22:47:00.001-07:00

The Move

2009-03-01T22:25:00.001-07:00

The Move!!!

2009-03-01T22:11:00.002-07:00

We finally moved 4 weeks ago yesterday and I am so glad that the last month is over, I get anxious just looking at these pictures. It was very overwhelming at first, there was so much to do, so much to paint and a lot of space to furnish(3800 sq.ft.) However, the last month has been really good, I had us pretty much settled in after a couple days and then started room by room painting, organizing and designing. Thanks to Mallory for taking all of these fun pictures. Also, a big thank you to our families for all of their love and support, we are so blessed. We have had so much help; watching the kids, moving, painting, cleaning, hauling all of our garbage to the dump, yummy chicken noodle soup(thanks Mom), the list goes on and on. Thank you all, we are so very grateful for all of your generosity of time and energy! We Love You

New Year's Eve

2009-01-06T22:25:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-06T21:26:00.002-07:00

New Year's has come and gone and I am excited for the many new adventures that 2009 holds. We celebrated New Year's Eve with Grover's, Dad Grover planned lots of fun activities, we started with all the kids games so that we could put them to bed before it got to late. Christian and Mercedes loved playing Gator Golf, Bowling, and a fun interactive storytelling activity. They got to pick out a prize too, it was a lot of fun. We did a simple dinner, where everyone brought and appetizer and we had a fruit and veggie platter, it was nice and light and easy. For dessert Mom Grover made chocolate fondue with fruit and cream puffs, it was delicious. We played the name game, Rock Band, and other Wii games till the ball dropped and then we all got a New Year's Kiss. On New Year's Day we celebrated Joe's 28th Birthday, half of us went and played wally ball and the other half of us got to make play dough and build a fort with the kids, it was a lot of fun. We had a lovely steak dinner at the Birthday Boy's request and fruit pizza for dessert. I surprised Joe with a new 50" Samsung Plasma Television that he has been looking at for a while, thank to everyone that chipped in on it, it was a great surprised and Joe can not wait to get it mounted. Happy Birthday Joe I Love you!

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-06T21:01:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-01-06T20:34:00.002-07:00

Well, it has taken me a week or so to get caught up on these pictures but here they finally are. Christmas Day was a blast, we had Christmas morning with the Grover's and the kids loved it. We let the kids open all their presents, then we ate breakfast, and the kids just played while the adults all opened theirs. It worked out really well and as worried as Joe was about all the kids/presents/fairness, it went just fine. The kids all got different things but it was what they had asked for so their where no hard feelings. Joe surprised me with a new area rug for our new house that I have had my eye on, and the kids and I surprised Joe with their little hand prints-framed, he loved it. Christmas was perfect this year, all about the kids. Christmas is so much more fun as a parent, I love playing Santa Clause. Well, after we wrapped things up at the Grover's, we headed down to my parents and had a little brunch (I made a Pecan Pull Apart, it was so yummy) My Mom had a little nativity scene for the kids to put together while she read about Christ's Birth, it was very sweet and simple the kids really enjoyed it. We opened presents for hours, as we usually do having such a big family, had a lovely dinner and headed home to get the kids to bed. It was a very full day and it was a lot of fun. Thanks to our family and friends, for the generosity and love you have shown to Joe and I and our children. We Love You! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve

2009-01-05T21:38:00.001-07:00

Christmas Eve

2008-12-29T11:46:00.001-07:00

Christmas Eve was a very full day, and Christian decided he wanted to see Santa one more time before Christmas. So, I spent 2 hours in line at the Mall waiting to see Santa while Joe played with the kids, Lincoln stayed with me and slept most of the time, luckily. But it was worth it, Christian and Mercedes were so excited and couldn't wait to tell Santa what they wanted, a Batman Bike and a pink tricycle and Santa delivered! We left the Mall and went to the Christmas Eve Dinner at Uncle Jerry and Aunt Gaye's house. We ate lots of yummy food and the big kids and little kids had a blast wrestling, having leg wars and trying to touch the ceiling with their head, the Mike's won. We also sang Christmas Carols and exchanged a few gifts. Christian, Mercedes, and Lincoln got their Christmas Pajamas and we headed home. We got home and read about the birth of Christ in the Bible and acted it out with the kids, they loved bringing presents to baby Jesus(Lincoln) and we ended with a prayer. It is such a joy started traditions as we raise our little family, the kids loved putting out cookies, carrots and egg nog for Santa Claus. The boys put the bikes together and we finished stuffing stocking and laying out presents. Christmas is so much more fun as a parent and getting to play Santa!

Christmas Programs

2008-12-29T11:39:00.001-07:00

Christmas Programs

2008-12-29T10:35:00.005-07:00

Christian's Preschool had a cute little Christmas Program. With Santa hats and jingle bells Christian danced along with the music. He did a great job when it came to his part in 'The Night Before Christmas' he had practiced all week to say " I sprang out of bed to see what was the matter" and " A second later I knew it must be Santa." It was great, he was loud and clear and full of energy. The weather was terrible and Joe barely made it in time, Christian was so glad he made it. Mercedes keep going up and sitting with him, she can not wait to be school too. Mercedes had a little program at church put on by the nursery kids, she played the angel in the nativity scene. It was pretty funny the Innkeeper kept taking baby Jesus away from Mary and the donkey and the camel where wondering around everywhere. It was a little crazy but the kids did great and it turned out pretty cute and funny.

Miner Christmas Party

2008-12-29T10:30:00.001-07:00

Miner Christmas Party

2008-12-29T10:21:00.002-07:00

The Miner Christmas Party was a great success, the food was delicious and the kids offered us lots of their talents. Christian and Mercedes had a blast playing with their cousins and can not wait for the next family get together. Merry Christmas to the Miner's.

Mercato Christmas Party - Willow Creek Counrty Club

2008-12-28T22:32:00.001-07:00

Mercato Christmas Party - Willow Creek Country Club

2008-12-28T22:19:00.003-07:00

We had a blast at Joe's Mercato Christmas Party, it was at the Willow Creek Country Club in the private bowling alley, which was straight out of the 1950's. Christian and Mercedes had so much fun bowling, eating, playing with friends and opening presents. It was great to spend time with the Mercato Team and their families. It was a lot of fun, Thanks to Greg and Diane.

Grover Christmas Weekend

2008-12-28T22:17:00.001-07:00

Grover Christmas Weekend

2008-12-28T21:59:00.004-07:00

Wow, the holidays have come and gone and I have been so busy that I haven't updated my blog for almost a month. So, bare with me as I try to get caught up before we move in the next few weeks. The first weekend in December was full of lots of fun Grover family activities with the extended family. There was Grandma Muz' Christmas Dinner at the Lion House on Friday evening. It was delicious and a lot of fun(except that Alexia got sick and Dustin had to take her home) We had a great time eating and catching up. Saturday morning we had a Birthday Breakfast for Jonny who is now 25. Mom put on a lovely spread as usual, of apply cinnamon french toast, pound cake french toast with berry and whip cream(my favorite), with a quiche, sausage, fruit and lots of different drinks but mostly egg nog. Jon got a a lot of great gift but the best was a new plasma television. All of the extended family came over for pizza and a little get together with the Florida relative that were in town for the weekend. It was a lot fun seeing them and Christian keeps asking when the pretty girls from Florida are coming back to play. It was a very eventful weekend and a great kick off to Christmas. Happy Birthday J, We Love you

Mama Mercedes

2008-12-02T22:02:00.003-07:00

Mercedes is talking more and more everyday and is quite the little character. Beauty and humor who knows where she got it from? Christian and Mercedes have a ball taking care of baby Lincoln and I constantly have to watch her because she is always wanting to hold him and has tried to pick him up. Anyways I just had to jot down the funny thing she said tonight. I was about to nurse Lincoln, and he was screaming with impatience. Mercedes said "baby cry, sad?" I told her that he was mad because he was hungry. She then proceeded to pull up her shirt and said "I feed?" I had to laugh out loud, I told her no you can't and she replied with "I girl", well yes honey you are a girl but you can't feed the baby, thanks for your help though. Christian actually thought this was pretty funny and offered himself. I am sure daddy is going to love to hear about that. What a caring and thoughtful young lady I have. This isn't the first time she has wanted to nurse actually. It started when Lincoln was just a few weeks old and I sat down on the sofa to nurse. Mercedes climbed up right next to me, pulled her shirt up and shoved her doll under it, I asked her what she was doing and she said "feed baby mama." Obviously, what was I thinking?

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-01T23:50:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-01T23:29:00.006-07:00

We are so very excited the holidays are here and we had a crazy busy Thanksgiving Weekend. First of all, we were lucky enough to have Erika and Ryan join us for Thanksgiving Weekend and we sure filled our time and had a great time. It was the on year for my family so, we started the morning with a little touch football, the guys were really getting into it as you can tell by the pictures. Then we all chipped in and got the Cultural Hall set up for the big Miner Thanksgiving Feast. What can I say my Mom rocks and always does a great job: great food, great company, and great activities for the little ones(Christian loves the Indian headdress.) Black Friday was fun too, Joe and I got in on some of the super deals and bought a new front loading washer and dryer for the news house, which we will be closing on in the next week. Later that afternoon we meet up with my family and went to Gateway, it was a lot of fun, they had a bunch of musical performances, and turned on the big Christmas Tree. The kids had a blast dancing around, and we went to the southwestern restaurant there after. Saturday we all went to the Joseph Smith Movie at the JSM, then walked around and looked at the lights and went to dinner. We had a lot of fun this weekend and were truly spoiled getting to spend so much time with Daddy. We have so much to be thankful for this holiday season especially our family and friends. We Love You All!

Go UTES!!!!

2008-11-23T21:53:00.004-07:00

Well, Joe has season tickets to the U of U football this season and has really enjoyed it. The best game was definitely the U against BYU last night, which I went with him to. Now, I will be the first to admit I am not a big fan of watching sports, I've always had fun playing them, but I really don't care for watching them. However, last night was a lot of fun; now it was cold(I was numb by the end), the food was so so, and I was trying to keep Lincoln warm and happy the whole time, but the best part was watching Joe have such a good time. It was a fun game, with good friends and it was exciting to share in something that Joe enjoys so much(Joe rushed the field with all the other crazy fans while I waited in the stands with Lincoln). So, I guess we'll be getting season ticket for next year tomorrow ;) Joe has already turned Christian into a little Ute fan, when he took him to one of the games earlier this season and Christian said the blue guys are bad; getting him started early I guess. Go UTES!!!

Go UTES!!!!

2008-11-23T21:53:00.001-07:00

Christian's Field Trip-Dino Museum

2008-11-21T20:10:00.001-07:00

Protirement Party

2008-11-21T20:00:00.004-07:00

Congratulations to Dad who has worked for so long and so hard for protirement. We had a great time celebrating with the family; first we surprised Dad at work on his last day, went to El Farol's for some dinner, and had a lovely little program back at the house. It was a lot of fun and we are all so thank for the many blessing that Dad's career has brought to our lives. Now the fun begins for Mom and Dad to work on their goals and dreams as they start protirement together!

Protirement Party-Congratulations Dad!

2008-11-21T20:00:00.001-07:00

The Three Musketeers

2008-11-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

Our Little Lincoln Boy

2008-11-19T20:24:00.006-07:00

Lincoln is almost 4 months old now and has the sweetest little spirit, hardly ever cries or fusses and tolerates his older siblings very well;) It has been such a joy to hear his little giggles these last few weeks and to watch him grow, as they change so quickly the first few months. I have loved having three kids, they are all at different levels and it is so rewarding to have them play, interact and love one another so much. Christian is the best big brother anyone could ask for, her protects Mercedes everywhere we go. He loves to help me and to boss the younger ones around, but Mercedes adores him and does pretty much whatever he says and does(unless they are fighting over a batman toy that is) Christian is doing great a school and is eager to move to the new house and have Christmas! Mercedes is a smart cookie but quite the drama queen. She has been a ROCK STAR with potty training, she was accident free after only a few days and dry through the night after less then a week. I am crossing my fingers she doesn't regress after the move. Lincoln has been a piece of cake up until a few weeks ago, he starting vomiting every time I fed him, not just spit up, he was throwing up probably half of what I was feeding him. After a few days I took him to the doctor, he thought it could be a number of things; a little stomach bug, maybe acid reflux, or something more serious called pyloric trichinosis. What happens is the muscle between the stomach and the small intestine works and works and works until it close up, so the food can not pass through and is forced out by vomiting, usually found between 3-6 weeks old. He listened to his stomach and said it was churning and that he wanted to do an ultrasound. Okay, so I was a little nervous at this point but didn't want to jump to any conclusions yet. They set up an ultrasound for first thing in the morning at Utah Valley. So, I headed back to my parents to pick up the kids. After getting there I called the doctors office to change the ultrasound to Primary Children's so that Joe would be able to come. The nurse called Primary Children's and then called me back and said to go straight to Primary Children's Hospital and be there by 6 p.m. It was a little after 5 p.m. and I told her I don't know if I can make it up there before they close. She said I talked to the radiologist and he said to come immediately this is an urgent matter!! I quickly left leaving the older kids with my folks and headed for the hospital. I was a frantic mess; trembling, crying, and praying to God that he would be okay and not need surgery. Joe was on the golf course with his company when I called and met me on the way up. The ultrasound took a while and the whole time I just sat there holding him on the table praying he would be okay.
Lincoln's stomach was full of air and they had told me not to feed him so he was starving too but luckily they checked everything out and he was perfect. Those few hours of fear and panic where exhausting, but we were so grateful Lincoln was alright. I think one of the hardest things about being a parents is the fear of something happening to one of your children, you feel so helpless and vulnerable. It was a very humbling experience, and I get teary eyed just thinking about it. I feel it such an honor to mother and raise these elect spirits. I guess that's part of the reason I want so many kids, the baby phase goes by so quickly and it is at those moments that I feel closest to God, having Him trust me with these special spirits is such an amazing responsibility. Don't get me wrong we have our days and I have my moments of craziness and one of the 3 usually needs or wants somethings, but at the end of the day I am so grateful to be their Mother.

Does This Make My Butt Look Big?

2008-11-06T21:20:00.003-07:00

Well, kids say the darnedest things and my little man Christian is no exception. Last night as I was getting the kids ready for bed, Christian turns to me and says. "Mom, Mercedes has a little bum, I have a a big bum, and yours...yours is just FAT!" I couldn't believe my ears and quickly turn to him and asked "What did you just say?" Christian looked stunned and replied with "I... I said I Love you?" I wasn't very amused at the moment but found the humor in it later relaying it to Joe. Truth comes from the mouth of babes huh? On the flip side though, Sunday I was playing with Lincoln and Christian was watching. He put his hand on my arm and said "Mom you are such a good Mommy to Lincoln, I Love you." That's enough to melt my heart and make up for the fat comment. Christian is such a joy and constantly keeps us smiling and laughing.

Sandy House

2008-11-05T10:19:00.005-07:00

Well, here are the picture of the house we have made an offer on. Here's the stats. It is located on Wasatch Blvd. in East/South Sandy near Hidden Valley Golf Course and is close to the mountain. It is over 3700 square feet, fully finished basement, on .33 acres. As you can see in the pictures the main floors is all hardwood except for the 2 small bedrooms and those are carpet. The main floor has 2 bedrooms, a small den, 2 full bath, living room, great room-family room/kitchen/dining. The basement has 3 bedrooms and 1 bath and is all carpeted(which is pretty hammered and would need to be replaced) We have made an offer and should hear back from them within the next week. We are very excited and will keep you posted, we will be able to move in mid-December :)

Sandy House

2008-11-05T10:19:00.001-07:00

Halloween

2008-11-04T21:49:00.002-07:00

Well, it's a few days late but here are our crazy Halloween adventures. We had a couple days of Halloween fun; Thursday Christian had his Halloween school program at Elite Academy. Christian did a great job with all the songs and loved having everyone come and see him perform his scary secret Halloween songs. After the program we went to Cafe Rio for lunch and went to Gardener Village one more time to see the witches. On Halloween day we got so lucky and Mercedes Costume arrive(maybe this Murphey's Law thing is wearing off;) she was of course Batgirl, only because I wouldn't let her be Batman. She loved it though and was a perfectly pink little crime fighter. They have had so much fun with those costumes already. Joe got off work early so we could go to the pumpkin patch and get our pumpkins to carve(I know just a little last minute) but, it all worked out, I gutted the pumpkins and Joe carved them while I got the kids ready to go trick or treating with Jeffrey and Alexia. The kids had a blast and Mercedes ate the treats, chips, and juice as fast as we got it. We only visited a hand full of houses and that was good enough. Then we raced down to my parents before the kids fell asleep(like last year). We had lots of fun taking pictures, eating chili/corn bread, and watching a old Batman Movie from the seventies(Christian thought it was equally cool, who would have thought!) Our night ended with everyone asleep on the sofa/floor. It was such a blast and now Christian is counting down the days till Christmas and making his list for Santa Clause.

Halloween

2008-11-04T21:48:00.001-07:00

Erika and Ryan's Visit

2008-11-04T00:16:00.004-07:00

We were so excited to have Erika and Ryan come and visit us and meet our new baby Lincoln for the first time. We had lots of fun during there little visit back home. We played up at East Canyon/Park City, lots of swimming, shopping, and catching up. We also spent sometime at the Olympic Park Museum, where Erika and Ryan went on a zip line down the mountain(Ryan won). Sunday we had a little family celebration for Ryan's 30th Birthday with lots of great food, super gifts, a yummy cake(made by Erika, 2 cakes actually:) and lots of wonderful things to say! Ryan had his first experience with Heavy, Heavy Hang Over, and the boys bonded over a Batman Puzzle while dinner was cooking. We had a blast and can not wait for them to come back in a few weeks for a big Thanksgiving Feast.

Erika and Ryan's Visit

2008-11-04T00:14:00.001-07:00

Potty Time

2008-11-03T22:56:00.004-07:00

Everyone that knows Mercedes, knows that she loves to do whatever her big brother Christian is doing(good or bad). Luckily in this instance it is a GREAT thing. Mercedes decided a few weeks ago she was going to start using the potty just like Christian, and she has been working at it ever since. Christian has been a great help and he validates her constantly. I was so excited, since we have had two little ones in diapers the last three months, this will be a big money saver. As you can see they are two peas in a pod and do everything together. Christian tells everyone at school his best friend is his little sister Mercedes.

Halloween Party

2008-11-03T22:23:00.002-07:00

Happy Halloween! I am a little slow at getting things caught up, but the Family Halloween Party was a blast. Thanks for all the fun and creative costumes, we had so much fun eating/visiting, playing games/watching movies, and enjoying the yummy caramel apple bar. We will be sure to do it again next year.