Hello Baby!

We are really excited to share our happy news that we are expecting!  We were able to find out the gender and couldn't wait to share.  May can't come soon enough :)

Ellen

Source: youtube.com via Jamie on Pinterest

I just love the Ellen show. It breaks my heart that I can't watch it online!!!

Dog Shaming

City and Indie are pretty good dogs, but sometimes Indie forgets the rules and likes to shred paper products when we leave the house for 5 minutes.  Normally I just clean up the mess and try to discipline her.  This time around I couldn't pass up the prime opportunity in front of me.  Why not share my joy of my family with the world wide web?  However, Dog Shaming is a very busy website and we might not get posted...

so here it is for you to enjoy!

Indie:  When my parents leave me out, I shred anything in sight!

City: And I don't stop her!  (They should have taken me with them!)

Love our puppies even when they are naughty!

My new love affair

I fell in love with the first season Of Downton Abbey last year and have waited patiently for the second season to become available for viewing online.  The day has come!  With my Amazon student prime account, I have full access to watch the second season comfortably in my leaving room.  I have been bawling for hours while watching the thrilling and emotional episodes.  It truly is such a great show!

Vacation and Family Time

We are an aunt and uncle again!  Nora Demarious Merket was born on July 4th to the happiest of parents--Larry and Roxy, my brother and sister-in-law!  We were so excited to have the chance to meet her!  I now have two nieces!  I hope to meet Maya next Thanksgiving or Christmas if it all works out.  Here are a ton of pictures for you to enjoy!

Nora in Larry's arms :)

I stole this one from Roxy... it was just too cute to pass up!

Chris, Nora and I in St. George!  It was so much fun to be with family!

The proud papa and uncle.  

My favorite of Chris's special pictures.  He looks so happy holding Nora :)

Chris and I in front of a large lava tunnel in Snow Canyon.

The group at Snow Canyon.  This trip was also very needed because Liz is going to China in about a month!  I will really miss her, but I am glad she will be furthering her career so much!  We hope to visit some day!

Another group shot at Larry and Roxy's!  It was so great to spend the week with everyone!

Another shot of Snow Canyon!  It was such a beautiful canyon to visit.  We hope to go back and visit Zion as well Snow Canyon.

This is part of the gift that Chris and I gave Nora.  It has her birth information in the middle and a letter N made out of buttons.  I think it is one of my favorite birth announcement gifts that I have ever made!  

4 Years and A Healthy Pup

Last Wednesday was our 4 year anniversary and Indie's last vet appointment.  To celebrate we hiked Negro Bill Canyon up in Moab.  It was a beautiful day and the canyon has a refreshing stream.  City was excited as can be, and Indie was as nervous as can be.  Since our hike we have gotten Indie to swim at the local reservoir.  She is turning out to be just as good of a swimmer as City is; however, she does not enjoy swimming at all.  She simply swims to keep up with the rest of us.  Here are some pictures of the fun day!

The canyon ends with a huge natural bridge titled Morning Glory.  It was beautiful to see and it came with a touring group rappelling down from the top.  We figured they hiked to the top from a back route and rappelled down.  It looked like a lot of fun!

We can all wish...

I recently received a copy of this novel from the free World Book Night. Let me be clear, they didn't host an event in Blanding... Chris is simply friends with a local pawn shop that received copies of this novel from Moab.  I had heard about this novel once from a free UEN course on multicultural literature.  When I picked it up, I figured I would be reading a memoir about growing up Indian in a Caucasian world.  I was WRONG!  Yes, the author based the book on his own experiences as a resident on the Spokane, Washington, Indian reservation, but this book is as funny as can be.  I openly admit that I do not think it is appropriate for young adult readers unless they are as mature as a high school graduate.  There is questionable language, questionable content, and a lot of humor thrown on racism.  As an adult I really enjoyed reading this novel.  As an educator I wish that it was appropriate for middle school students.  I would read it with my ELD (almost all Native American students) class in a heartbeat.  However I will have to pass it for another life.  If I ever become a professor of multicultural literature, I will have this novel in my syllabus!

Month of April

So far our month of April has been a lot better!  We got our car back and thankfully didn't have to pay the $1,000 bill.  We also found an amazing mechanic out of the experience.  Although I don't have a lot of influence in Blanding, I will forever recommend Schafers.  He fought for us against the California mechanic the whole time.  It was amazing to meet such kindness in a stranger.  

Indie is also doing very well.  She had her 2 week check up last week, and the vet gave her good remarks.  We were a little nervous because her energy is already back.  We will catch her in the middle of standing on her hind legs and pulling to get outside.  It's really hard to try to yell at her when a healthy, bubbly puppy is what you want to see.  

 This picture above was taken right after we picked Indie up from the vet.  She was very self-conscious of her shaved leg, but she got over it soon enough :)  She had several stitches along her incision line that we gruesome to look at.

 This horrible picture I took today to shows how much hair has grown back.  You can barely make out her scar, but it is healing very nicely.  In about 5 more weeks, Indie will be able to get the pin taken out of her leg.  I hope everything goes well up until and after that time. 

Back in February I became an aunt for the first time.  My half sister, Gila, had her first child.  Maya is an adorable little girl!  I wanted to make something for her, but it took me forever to do.  I finally mailed it off this week and got a cute picture in return.  My mother also sent along a crocheted baby blanket.  I hope to be able to meet Maya soon :)

Goodbye and Good Riddance!

March has been a trying month for us.  Usually we enjoy the spring time and the sense of rejuvenation... HOWEVER we were not ready for this month.  The horrid experience started around March 13th.  Chris had traveled by car to Logan, St. George, and then California to visit family.  On the second day in California the car broke down.  The mechanic that we found said that it was the timing belt which then created a whole mess of problems.  We spent $2,400 to get it fixed and to get Chris home.  He dropped off his dear friend, Alex, in Logan and got back to Blanding safely.  The next morning we got in the car to go to work and it wouldn't start.  (Now the fun really begins.)  We took it to one mechanic who admitted that they didn't have the equipment to figure out what is wrong with it.  Another mechanic in Monticello said that he had the equipment and he picked up the car.  After two days of basically babysitting our car, the same mechanic informed us that he actually didn't have the equipment and had no clue what was wrong with our car.  To get our car moved to a second mechanic in Monticello, we had to pay a steep $350 bill!  Now the car is with the second mechanic and he is working to get the original, California mechanic to pay for the repairs.  

While that crap was going on, I visited the doctor to see why I wasn't getting pregnant.  He told me that it sounded like I have PCOS.  To be diagnosed with this syndrome I would need to get an ultrasound.  I went up to Monticello and was hoping to find out from the radiologist if I had cysts on/in my ovaries or not.  The lady was really nice, but wouldn't say a thing!  She even asked me twice if I was FOR SURE not in any pain.... I didn't quite know what to say the second time.  In the end she said she saw cysts, so I left that day thinking I had PCOS.  I continued reading information and grappling with the enormous amount of information and emotions surrounding this diagnosis.  I was hoping that I would hear from my doctor in a few days.  I waited and waited with no word from my doctor's office.  Finally I called twice and left messages days apart without hearing a thing.  On the third try I got a hold of the receptionist.  She informed me that I have a 5.8 cm cyst on one ovary.  I still have no clue what that means.  Do I have PCOS?  Do I need to do something about the cyst?  

Still without a car, Chris and I borrowed a truck from one of Chris's coworkers.  We had no problems with the dogs and the truck until today... Indie decided to jump from the truck bed while we were driving slowly through the neighborhood on the way home.  We knew immediately that something was wrong because she wouldn't put any weight on her right, back leg.  There were a few droplets of blood, and she was shaking severely.  Recently the local vet passed away unexpectedly so we started the drive up to Moab.  When we arrived, the vet's receptionist said that the problem could be anything from a dislocated hip to a broken leg.  After an hour of waiting we found out that Indie had broken her femur bone completely.  The only way this type of break would heal would be to pin and wire the bone back together.  We love our Indie girl and couldn't imagine life without her so we did not hesitate.  She is still up in Moab with the vet.  It was so hard to see her in pain!

After this last straw that literally broke our emotional backs, we decided that we need to say goodbye and good riddance to the month of March this year.  Our amazing, wonderful, god-sent neighbors invited us to a cookout on their new deck.  In honor of their kindness (they lent us a car for weeks), I baked a cake that included several colors.  On top I added a personal message.  I really wanted to say "f*ck you, March!"  However, I knew that my adorable neighbor kids, who are a little impressionable, would not benefit from that.  

We barely had our last send-off for March by burning our calender page of March 2012.  Even though it sounds a little cheesy, it was an amazing feeling to think that now we can only embrace positive things that are sure to come.  No more crap for the Merkets!  And yes, I am flipping off the calendar page!

We will hopefully be able to pick up our precious Indie on Monday.  I don't know exactly what is to come, but we are excited to get our little girl back.  City will hopefully stop being so depressed as well :(

Birthday and Valentines Day

Well... I am one year older!  I have survived 25 years on this earth.  This year I was busy with a bridal shower before my birthday so I spent it relaxing at home with Chrissy.  It was exactly what the doctor ordered!  I enjoyed doing nothing (not even watching the Superbowl) on my birthday including not changing out of my pj's all day long.  

One present that Chris got for me was the 1910 expansion pack for the game Ticket to Ride.  It includes a lot of extra tickets and new ways to play.  It turned out to be a lot of fun!

 Another great present my awesome hubby bought was the expansion Alvin and Dexter for the same game Ticket to Ride.  This expansion is a little different from the style of the Ticket to Ride game, but it proved to be a great addition.  You'll have to come by to try it out with us at our next game night.

 The third present that I got this year was a trip to Home Depot.  No, I did not get a new kitchen or a new washer and dryer... I got something better!  Magnetic and chalkboard paint!  How awesome is that?  I was really excited to pick it up because I have been thinking about it for a long time.  We have a high partial wall in our kitchen that is basically wasted wall space.  If we hang a picture on it, we would knock into it while passing into our kitchen.  So I decided it would be great to use that space to create a fun wall to decorate and hang stuff on.  We were a little disappointed with the magnetic paint.  You are required to put on at least 3 coats but the darn stuff isn't too strong.  As long as we have strong, strong magnets, we can hang stuff on the wall.  I think it turned out pretty cute considering!

Malia's Bridal Shower

This last Saturday I had the pleasure of co-hosting a bridal shower for my dear friend Malia.  We sent out about 50 invitations total, but sadly only 20 or so guests were able to come.  Pat Pace and I were able to decorate the local Relief Society room to house that guest list... now we realize that we didn't really need the space :)

To feed the guests I decided to make "gourmet" cupcakes.  I tried first to make cupcakes for Tina Croft's baby shower and work, and sadly, they did not live up to my expectations!  So I researched a little online and found some great youtube videos that explained everything!  I invested in a Wilton decorating kit that came with the perfect frosting tip.  The Wilton 1M tip is great with cupcakes.  I tried a few styles out and decided on the top rosette style.  

 This is a shot of the food table with my beautiful cupcakes and delicious cucumber sandwiches and 7-layer salad made by Pat.  

 Here is a close up of my gourmet cupcakes.  They turned out so beautifully!  I was really proud of myself and my cupcakes.  I made and frosted 72 of these bad boys!

 Pat invested in some table decorations that turned out great.

 This is the first table our guests saw when they walked in.  We had a guest book for our giant guest list  and we asked our guests to sign and record the gift they gave Malia... I also made a giant cupcake cake to give away as a prize for our bridal trivia game.  

 Here is a close-up of the giant cupcake cake.  It was a lot of fun to frost this one as well.  If you can't tell, Malia's wedding colors are purple and teal.  I know the cake looks like a Jazz cake but it was supposed to look like Malia and Goose's wedding colors :)

I am glad I could have done this with Pat for such a great friend!  I know our decorations are a little reception-like, but it turned out great in the end. Here is to Malia and Goose!

Bluff Balloon Festival

Every year Bluff has a balloon festival in January.  Last year we had attempted to go, but when we got down there we couldn't find it.  Sounds a little silly but they only fly the balloons in the early morning and Bluff isn't as big as it sounds.  When you immediately can't find a large group of people that are supposed to be gathered, you begin to feel discouraged.  This year we did find the festival at the perfect time.  The "balloon glow" is an event that happens at night and allows the land bound festival-goers a chance to enjoy the balloons up close and personal.  We were even able to be the "crew" for one balloon.  Chris manned the large fan that initially filled the balloon with air.  I held the balloon up to get the air directed in the right path.  At one point I honestly thought that the balloon would lift me off the ground.  It was quite the experience.  One that I will hold on to for the rest of my life! 

 We were also able to watch the filled balloon leave the ground and rise into the air.  The flame seem uncontrollable, and I freaked out for a few moments, but we were with experts!  The balloon left the ground safely, and the heat was delicious on our skin.

 These are a few shots of all of the balloons for the glowing.  There were so many beautiful balloons to enjoy. 

 This was my favorite balloon.  It was beautiful!

 The balloon in the center is the one that we were the "crew" for.  It was a giant from below!

Christmas Hats

We bought these great hats for the dogs at Alco.  Once when Indie was walking away from City, City bit her hat and held on to it.  The problem was she was still walking.  She choked for about 10 seconds until the strap finally broke. 

 The two stylish puppies assisted by Chris.  Hopefully we'll have little ones to dress up for holidays in the future.  I don't think City and Indie will stand for much more torture. 

Valley of the Gods and Moki Dugway

For New Year's Chris, my mother, and I were able to drive through Valley of the Gods.  This park is across the desert from Monument Valley on the Arizona border.  Monument Valley is part of the Navajo reservation and it costs a pretty penny to go through.  Valley of the Gods is a national park and doesn't cost a thing to drive through.  The monuments weren't as famous, but they were just as beautiful. 

 Our favorite monument was the Woman in Bath monument.  If you can make it out, you will see a woman relaxing in a red rock bathtub on the left of this picture. 

 We also stumbled upon Moki Dugway while visiting Valley of the Gods.  I have wanted to find this drive for awhile, but never figured out where exactly it was.  This road is a dirt and gravel roadway dug right out of the mountainside.  It has as many switchbacks as possible.  The top of the dugway was extremely high above the desert floor.  You could see the Abajo Mountains by Monticello and the Sleeping Ute Mountains in Colorado as well as the monuments on the Arizona border.  It was a little too foggy to see Shiprock in New Mexico.  Living in the four corners area does have some benefits... the views.

In the center of the picture above is a building.  This is the Valley of the Gods Bed and Breakfast.  This home is literally in the middle of nowhere with nothing around it but open space.  I think life in Blanding is hard because there aren't a lot of shopping opportunities.  These poor souls have it worse than we do.  I don't know how they do it!