Seth's Mexican Fiesta

Ryan vs. The Bread

Sitting at dinner, eating brie and bread, Ryan grasping a chunk of bread:
"Who d'ya think is going to win?  Me or the bread!"

BITE!

Trip to Grandma's house

Obviously Daddy doesn't live there because according to Seth adn Ryan it's Grandma's house.  Although the last night at family prayer, Ryan said thanks for being able to visit Papa's house, so I guess he does live there after all.  With Mom and Daddy moving sometime, we thought it might be our last chance to visit.  We had a great time!  We saw friends (Em, Paula, Melissa Husband) and family (Aunt Marty, Uncle George, Dixie and Bonnie, Hayley, Skyler and Cody) and we stayed a couple of nights with Shanna.  Seth loves being with Chace and Ryan loves getting her fingernails painted by Chelsee and Shyenne.  I did a "radio show" with Chantz for homework.  Shanna and I had a great time just hanging out and I love my rides up and down the hill with Frank.  I don't know if I have ever written that when I was in high school, I loved that I liked "Aerosmith" and could pick their songs off the radio because Frank like them to.  It was something that we both liked and because I thought Frank was so cool, I liked being like him.

Other than visiting people, we had a great day at Tom's Farms.  The kids jumped forever on the bounce house, fed the goats in the petting zoo (Seth got bit by a baby pig but he took it like a man (that is something Daddy would say)), and we went on some rides.  The kids loved the Silver Bullet- the one where they sit next to each other in a little car and go round in a big circle forward for awhile and then backward.  Ryan was trying to hold herself to the edge so she wouldn't smush Seth.  It didn't really work.  It never worked when Lacee and I tried it either.  In fact, sometimes we would drag ourselves to the inside just so we could let go and smush each other.  Then we went on the spinning one (like the tea cups).  When I realized that the kids had to spin themselves, I went too.  They of course wanted faster and faster, especially after the guy told them their job was to make me sick.  They took him serioulsy!  By the time it was finally over, I really did think I was going to be sick (which, of course, was my fault since I was the one spinning us really, really fast), but how could I not go fast when they were having so much fun.  Before we left, we spent a couple of quarters at the shooting gallery.  I loved those when I was a kid and so did Seth and Ryan- she made the chicken cluck and Seth hit just about everything.

As always, we made a trip to Chuck E. Cheese.  The kids, as always, had a great time and this time Dad and I got hooked on the bubble popping game and "Let's Make a Deal".  Mom sat and laughed at us all.

Then we missed the HUGE snow storm that hit DC and stayed a couple of extra days.  It was just a great trip.  The kids love being with Grandma and Papa and Puck.

HA HA HAA HAAAA!

Lacee sent me a text: Utube Total Eclipse of the Heart: Literal Version 
Oh my goodness, she was right, it was HYSTERICAL!!

Ryan and soccer

We were at Shy's soccer game and Ryan and I were playing kick-back.  She went off to get the ball, did a triple dribble, popped it over the little sidewalk and said,

"Check out that move!"  "And I don't even go to soccer."  How does she even know what "move" is?  What a sillyhead!

Luray Caverns- Stalactites and Stalagmites

I have been to lots of places that are beautiful- lakes, sunsets, waterfalls.  There are also places that are so beautiful that you can't help but feel the Spirit, that make you feel good inside, peaceful, awe, love- the redwoods, being out on the water in Sitka, the red sunset in Maryland.  However, the "Dream Lake" is beautiful, so beautiful, but also magical, mystical, incredible.  I stood there and just couldn't stop saying how amazing it was.  It reflects the stalagtites and looks like a magical tiny city.  The feeling was so strong!  However, before we had even left the caverns, I couldn't really feel it anymore.  I remember knowing that I felt it that strongly, but I couldn't quite capture the feeling again.  It reminded me of the Spirit.  Sometimes we have one of those magical moments and the Spirit is so strong, but once life starts up again, it is easy to lose that peaceful feeling.  So I just have to trust that knowledge and live so that I can feel it again someday. 

The kids loved it so much too.  They wanted to go back today already.  They liked it as much as Great Wolf Lodge.  It's impressive that the Lord's handiwork can, in kid's minds, compare with an indoor waterpark hotel.

Flash Forward to teenage boys

I'm listening to Seth and his three friends wrestling in his room with Bon Jovi's "Shot through the heart, and you're to blame, you give love a bad name" blaring in the background.  "Pulling on ears-- not allowed!  Shirts off--- allowed!  Throwing off the bed-- not allowed!"  I knocked and went in a little bit ago and they were all lipsynching with thir pretend mikes.  Funny!

What a Great Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas!  That warm, feel good, like in the movies Christmas.  It was just perfect. We started decorating right after Thanksgiving and got right into the season.  Mom was here for a couple of weeks before. She got to be here for the three day putting up lights disaster (and still ending up with dead spots on the strings).  

Dad (Roger) came on Christmas Eve with the Luz, Heidi and the missionaries. We ate corn chowder and honeybaked ham, of course. And then dressed up for the Nativity story (Yes, that is the elder on his first day of his mission as the "Angel" in Ryan's purple fairy wings), decorated the "meanings of Christmas" Christmas Eve tree, and listened to Adam read us the 'Littlest Angel'. After exchanging gifts, Adam, Dad and I spent quite a bit of time "getting ready" for Christmas morning.




On Saturday, Mom and Dad came to play with the kids while Dad took Adam and I to see "Young Frankenstein" at the Kennedy Center and then to the Melting Pot for dinner. We came home to kids and grandparents playing hide and seek with night vision goggles, and cooking in the Easy Bake oven.



Monday, we went ice skating in Annapolis with Melissa, Bill, Zoe and Jacob, our next door neighbors from Astoria.



Wednesday, Mom and Dad came back for New Year's Eve. We all went to Benihana's for Seth and Ryan's first time. They loved it! They got the kid-style chopsticks and loved the onion volcano and the brand new inverse-volcano boiling water hot tub. After, we all went to the DC temple to see the amazing lights, the life size camel at the Nativity, the decorated Christmas trees, the international creche display and the Christmas light countdown. As we arrived home, the brothers had another crazy light display going on and the kids got to drive their rolling robot. Then we celebrated our New Year's Eve at 10 o'clock with a countdown and fireworks in the front yard.



The kids missed Grandma reading to them in bed each night and Grandpa's great hiding spots, but they played with some friends to get them over their sadness and we were all ready to move on to the New Year!

We forgot our Anniversary again!

While we were at Andrew's, Dad, Andrew and I were discussing our "wedding story" and all of a sudden, we realized that today was our anniversary.  On the way home, I mentioned to Adam and as usual we laughed that we had forgotten it again.  But, he said that we didn't need to make this day special because "Life is a celebration of our love!"  Yeah, that't right, he said it.  That goes right up there with "Eteranl Teammates"!  However, he is making us brownies as my present!  And I would say that ends a pretty good anniversary-  Wow, 12 years!

Mom and Dad

I took a video of the whole house on my trip home so I wouldn't forget what  it looked like when Mom and Daddy ever moved.  So when I finished I made them pose for a picture, too.  They are on the swing Daddy bought for Mom after the wagon finally died.  Also, in the other pic, notice the gigantic pumpkins from their garden in the lower corner.

Family Sunday Dinner

Andrew invited us all over for dinner at his great row house.  It was awesome and so was dinner.  I was raving about the tomato sauce on the way home and Adam said that it was probably Dad's sausage recipe- he remembered it from growing up.  I'll have to ask Andrew about it.  Anyway, it was fun to have a family sunday dinner with Andrew, Aaron, Liz, Lincoln and Mom and Dad.  It doesn't happen that often, except now that we've moved to DC, at least there's more potential.  We exchanged presents and took a family picture right after Ryan slipped on her tights going up the stairs.  A few tears and hugs from Daddy and she was ready to give a big smile in Grandma's arms.

New Moon trip

I flew to Vegas and Shanna drove up from LA to meet Lacee and Shanelle to see New Moon.  Misty couldn't make it, but not to fear, her and I went when she came down for Thanksgiving.  Anyway, back to our trip.  We lined up with all the other teenage girls (oh, that's right, we're not 14) to see it at midnight.  We had our crazy eyelashes and our camera.  Before we got to the theater, we went to dinner and saw a big group of women with black and red "Edward" shirts.  From their perfect bobbed, stacked, highlighted trendy hair, I knew they were LDS.  My sisters couldn't keep me from asking them and sure enough, I called it, they were all Mormon- he he he!  What if they hadn't been, you ask?  Well, I've done more embarrasing things than that- just ask my sisters! (Because I'm not a girl!)

The next morning Lacee and I went to the temple and then we all met for lunch and got our toes done.  I flew out that night to Mom and Dad's.  They picked me up and we went to Benihana's.  On Saturday, we drove out to the apple groves and saw some great homes, walked through some fun stores, and had yummy cider.  On the way home, we went to see "The Blind Side" (which was great, even thought I cried the entire beginning and end).  As we walked out, Daddy asked what time "2012" was playing.  It was the wrong time, so we drove to the other AMC on the way home and saw it there.  We Preciado's love to go to dinner and a movie(s).  I flew home the next day.  It was a great trip.  I loved seeing my family just on my own.  I forget how much things have changed with kids.  Everything we do is different and as much as I love it, it was fun doing adult things and not worrying about anybody else- at least for a couple of days!

World Travelers

We had a snow day at the Merrill house. After roasting hot dogs and smores over the fire-place, the kids spent the rest of the evening carrying Sockeye (our kitty) around in his kennel (a cardboard box with holes that Adam cut out for windows). They returned home a few times for forgotten items for their travels and then returned to Africa (Ryan's room), Antarctica (living room) and, it took a moment for them to decide, the tropical jungle- Mexico.  I love when they go on trips (see camping, last year in Sitka).

As for the snow day, DC had a big storm starting last night until this evening.  It didn't blow much, just snowed and snowed.  We probably got about 18 inches, maybe more.  The whole world has shut down.  We canceled the ward Christmas party that we had just finished decorating yesterday (150 people, tables, chairs, centerpieces, everything down to the silverware- I'm the Activites Chairman) and turned down the opportunity to reschedule for the day after Christmas.  I really wanted people to see how pretty it looked, but not that bad. 

Yesterday, we stopped at Home Depot and all there was a big sign "NO MORE SHOVELS" and a whole line of people carrying nothing but bags of salt.  I laughed out loud right in the store and a man turned and said "Are you laughing at me?"  I told him no, but that we had just moved from Alaska and a storm coming with twelve inches of snow didn't seem to be that big a deal.  He retorted, "It's going to be eighteen inches."  I smiled and tried not to laugh out loud again, like eighteen inches was going to stop everything.  Standing in line, I started to think maybe I forgot what snow was like, maybe we wouldn't be able to get anywhere.  The checker said, "I grew up in Illinois and no, this isn't any big deal.  They just don't know what to do with it here."  So I walked to the car, told it all to Adam and he laughed out loud too.

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving with Misty, Dave and the girls at Dad's house.  Before we went, we visited the Natural History museum, but mostly the kids just played.  Seth, Ryan and Dayton played tagged and typical silly kids games.  They did alot of "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo" with their toes in a circle.  Just like Ryan tagged along to play with Hadley (who was older), Dayton tagged along to play with Ryan and Ryan "taught" her to play with them.  They were all so cute together.  Paisley was a little young, so she mostly just wandered around on her own.  While playing, Misty made Shanna's pretzel jello (which Shanelle just told me that Shanna doesn't remember ever making, but that have great memories of that being her specialty at family dinners) and homemade rolls that survived despite having to "remember" the yeast at the end.  I, however, was not quite as successful with the yams.  Hurrying to get them in the oven so I could run water over the arm I just burned, I didn't take off the lid.  When we checked on them, the marhsmallows were so puffed up they were lifting the lid and obviously not browning.  Deciding to just remove the top layer that were glued to the lid, we placed them on the table browned to a perfect spiderweb of marshmallow deliciousness.  Luckily, Misty added enough sugar and butter that they really were tasty despite the weblike-mallows...  to be cont.

Adam and K.C.'s Week of Fun

Did anyone get that Joey from "Friends" reference?  Adam had the week off between semesters and so we had some fun.  We went on a bike ride to one of George Washington's gardens, but the coolest part was the grass bench.  Yes!  A bench made out of dirt with grass on top.  It was awesome!  I rode with him on some of his runs (he's training for the triathlon next year).  We went to the temple and saw Brother and Sister Cole from Dad's ward.  We visited the Masonic temple (it was amazing) and ate at Bilbo Baggins (it was named after the books not the movies or else Adam would not have eaten there).   He got to come for helping day at school.  The kids were so happy to have him there.  School is starting again, so we'll finally have some clean clothes again.  I just don't get enough work done when we are working so hard on playing.