4th of July 2009

Prepare for Picture Overload!!!!!
4th of July

As tradition we had invited some families over for BBQ and fireworks in our front yard. I will let the pictures tell the story.....

We started the day by Colby drenching himself with the hose....Good thing I hadn't started him out in his new outfit!!!!

Conner
I love this picture, I think I took it on accident but sometimes those are the best!

My three sons!

Amazing enough we were able to get all the kids together after the BBQ but before the fireworks.

Fun with POP its, I can't believe how many boxes we had but it was a good thing look how much fun they are having.

Can't have 4th of July without a fire and Smores!!!

Colin with a sparkler....we went through boxes & boxes of these!!!

Conner & his sparkler....don't you love that face!!!

Colby enjoying some chocolate from the smores!

Myself, Mom and Sierra

Watching The Fireworks....the boys loved them! But Colby was amazed!!!
Sierra & Tait need I say more.....
All the kids lined up in the safe zone...always wanting more.

Millersylvania Park - July 3, 2009

Lucky for us Sierra decided to surprise us and come home for 4th of July. I was actually sitting at the computer blogging, with the 2 big boys asleep and Grandma holding Colby when I hear...."Where is everyone?" It was Sierra who had ran into the house and about scared me out of my wits, I happened to be sitting in the dark. Her boyfriend Tait came with her and so we took of to Millersylvania Park to get some swimming in on the 3rd of July. What a fun time we had...the boys really enjoyed cooling off....

Conner & Colin playing king of the tree stump!

Conner really want to go to the beach, it wasn't real sand but it was close enough to satisfy him.

Colby really took to the water, it was nice that he could walk right in.

Grandma & Colby

Conner

Conner, Colby & I

Just playing in the Sand, Colby, I, Colin and Tait.

Colin really enjoyed swimming.

Lost Information!!!

I am in the process of syncing my blackberry phone with my contacts on my computer and some how lost some phone numbers and some email addresses. So any one who would like to give me their email, phone number and home address that would be great....I am not sure of all that I lost so family, friends please send your info to my email....

anjuli.merry@gmail.com

Ellensburg Visit - The Hall's

One last post from Ellensburg, Emily Hall and I grew to be great friends while her husband was in Iraq! Ethan her oldest is just 2 weeks older then Colin and very similar personality. Funny fact, Emily's Dad is actually an Anesthesiologist and he did my epidural when I had Colin. I didn't know Emily at the time I met her 8 months or so later. Unfortunately he was out of town when I had Conner. We couldn't keep Ethan and Colin apart through the whole trip. She has three children, Ethan, Amie and Aubree.

Ethan and Colin

Conner, Colin, Ethan, and Amie.

All my boys coming down the slide, Ethan watching from the sidelines.

Colin, Amie and Ethan

Colin, Drew Nielson about a month younger then Colin, and Ethan.
The Nielson's they live above Seattle but were on they way home from Wenatchee after cherry harvest, so were able to stop and visit for a while.

Amie and Colby, she can't wait until her baby sister can play with her.

P.S. I am not sure why Conner seems to have disappeared when the camera comes out, but I assure you he was around, just so busy!

Ellensburg Visit - Group Get Together, June 30th, 2009

I know I was only in Ellensburg for 3 days but I took so many pictures and well I have to share them all. Jolie was nice enough to get together some of the women and children from the playgroup that we were in while we lived there. It was so much fun to see all of them and to see how big their children are, and to meet their babies..... There is a lot of info on here, but this is my photo Journal/scrapbook for now so I like to get all the info down.

Most of the Girls.... This is such a great group I miss you guys tons!
Jolie Ramsey ( 2 girls & a boy), Conner & I, Emily Hall (A boy & 2 girls), Rachel Smith & her son Blake (3 boys & a girl), Cindy Erickson & one of her Twins, Claire They have moved to Othello, I am so glad they were able to come visit with us. (2 boys & two girls, 2 are twins)

Back Corner: Colin, Joanna Ramsey Front: Emma Erickson, Blake and Corgan Smith.

Corgan and Colin

Jacklyn Ramsey, Colin, Emma Erickson and Corgan Smith just chillin.

The whole gang, minus the babies, eating and enjoying lunch!

Ellensburg Visit - The Cox's, June 29-July 1, 2009, Post 2

One reason we went over to Ellensburg when we did was because our friends the Coxs' were up from Arizona. We literally shared a wall with them for almost 4 years. They are attending Dental school in Arizona and I am so glad that Jamie's parents live in Ellensburg so they have to come back to visit. Jamie and I also were Visiting Teaching companions together for that entire time. Colin and Kyler are 4 months apart, when we moved in next to them Colin was a week old. Jamie and I were pregnant with our second boys at the same time, Kayden is 3 months older then Conner. Then they had their 3rd a little girl Kenna, who is 3. Then their youngest, Kamille was born in April. It was great to see them and get a chance to visit. And see how the boys acted as if they had never been apart, except for a few shy moments in the beginning. One reason I love blogs, my boys love to look at all the pictures of their friends.

Left to Right:
Kyler, Colin, Kenna, Conner, Kayden, Joanna and Jaclyn in the Ramsey's backyard.

I couldn't resist a few flashbacks:
Kyler (almost 2) and Colin (18 months) in May 2005

Kyler (almost 4) and Colin(3 1/2) in May 2007

Present Day:
Colin 5 and Kyler 6 June 2009

Conner (5 months) and Kayden (7 months) in October 2005
Conner and Kayden always had a love hate relationship, not many pictures of them together. And this last visit so they were everywhere, so I didn't get a picture of just the two of them.

And both of our youngest, Conner (13 months) checking out Kamille (2 months)

Colin, Kayden and Kyler, I believe Conner was outside.

Trip to Ellensburg: June 29-July 1, 2009, Post 1

We finally made a trip back to Ellensburg to visit all our friends....and those boys were excited. Our good friends the Ramsey's were kind enough to let us stay with them and it was great to catch up and just visit it. I have know Josh and Jolie since....I met Josh when I was 18. I heard about Jolie before I met her, she was actually mistaken as me, and we have been thought of as sisters. I met her when I was 19 after she was baptized. Josh and Jolie moved to Ellensburg to attend Central after they were married, so we got a chance to hang out a lot. Jolie and I were pregnant together, I was pregnant with Conner and she was pregnant with her Oldest Joanna. Now I have three boys and they have 2 girls and a boy. It was great to see the kids together!!!

Colin, Jacklyn (2nd child), and Conner at breakfast.

Conner and Jacklyn, they are only 4 months apart.

Conner and Jacklyn enjoying watermelon....

Jayden and Colby munching down!!!! They are also only 4 months apart.

Westport, WA - June 18, 2009

The day after Seattle we headed to Westport WA which was a must for Chelsea because her Dad had taken her family there for multiple vacations and deep sea fishing...I even went with them once. Yes me fishing...I don't eat it but I it was fun to go out fishing. But anyways, Westport is a small coast town about 2 hours away from us. Lots of fun little shops and boats to look at. And a nice beach. The boys were all super excited and had tons of fun. Beware there are lots of pictures but you won't want to miss them.

Colin and Colby eating black licorice Ice Cream Cones....
Yes I said Black licorice. Colby was finishing off mine, interesting flavor not bad but not my favorite.

Conner enjoying his Ice Cream Cone!

We even took Izzy, we had just lost our older dachshund and she was having a hard time being the only little dog. Most shops we kept her outside, but this shop allowed pets as long as they were carried, or in our case in a stroller. I don't know if Izzy liked it but Colby sure did.

Finally the beach, not that the boys didn't love the stores, but they were so glad when we made it to the beach. It wasn't really warm, in the 60's so I decided against swimsuits. My boys don't like being cold so I figured they wouldn't get that wet!!!

Boy was I wrong, Colin in the distance and Conner dashing down to the water. They didn't stay dry for long....

This is what we ended up with....Conner tripped running from the waves and was soaked head to toe. Sweatshirt and all! Don't worry I came prepared with change of clothes and towels but he had to wait while I ran to the car and got them. He was a trooper though and hardly cried at all. I have to admit after my first instinct of grabbing him out of the water....I had the thought that I should have snapped a picture first. But my motherly instinct had reacted first!!!

When I came back from the car, I found that Colin too had tripped and was wet not as wet as Conner but wet. Needless to say he found a way to warm up by rolling in the sand........

Colby loved all the rocks and the sand....I did manage to keep him out of the water.
Not that he didn't try to get wet....

Colby, I and the Pacific Ocean

All the boys, minus Owen, Colby, Conner, Colin and Corbin! Yes my boys did end up in their swimsuits after all....lesson learned.