BABY LUKE...

WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? 10 months going on 2 years. Luke, you can slow down now!

SCUBA CERTIFIED...

WELL, ALMOST! Jared and I liked our discover scuba dives so much that we decided to get certified. Last night we had our final test, jumped into the pool, swam 200 meters and did a 10 minute float. 5 words...I- AM- OUT- OF- SHAPE! I barely made the swim and then decided to float on my back as long as I could because my legs were throbbing and burning like something fierce! Wowee! It didn't help that I was swimming with 3 GREAT swimmers! Now we just have to complete our pool training (full scuba gear in the pool) and then comes the open water dive in the FREEZING cold Lake Pleasant. Yea, I'm not really looking forward to that. I was cold in the Bahamas in nearly 80 degree water. Let's just hope I don't get hypothermia...

Wyatt showing me how to work the snorkel...in his underwear

NOW ALL WE NEED IS ANOTHER TRIP!!!

CRUISIN'

Well, we've been back for awhile now, but I have been too lazy to post anything! Jared and I were fortunate enough to go on an 8 day cruise to the eastern Caribbean! (San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas USVI, Antigua, Tortola BVI, Nassau, Bahamas) We were fortunate because we didn't have our kids with us, and we didn't even have to worry about them (thanks Don and Jenny)! We were also fortunate to be with loved ones; Jared's parents, Ladd and Janet (Jared's oldest brother), and Brad and Julie(Jared's youngest sister). We had a GREAT time!! There's way too much to talk about and way too many pictures to post, so I'll try to keep it simple.

HIGHS:

• Sleeping in!



• Eating a lot (mostly ice cream and pizza for me)



• Ordering at least 3 desserts at dinner every night



• Getting together for dinner and talking about the funny things that happened that day



• Scavenger hunt on the boat (and almost winning)



• Comedians (All of them were funny!)



• Karaoke (listening to Jared's dad sing and hoping Jared would get up too!)



• Getting lucky with the best room on the boat...the bottom middle (We didn't have as much movement as the other parts of the boat).
  


• TOWEL CREATIONS every night!



• Excursions! (Discover Scuba 2X, swimming with the dolphins, zip lines through the rain forest, Bio luminescence)
  


• Laying out
  


• Jolly beach in Antigua...the best beach in our opinion!



• Carnival legends show-Jared's dad as Frank Sinatra and Ladd as Garth Brooks! A must see!



• Listening to Jared and Brad theorize about the noro (sp) virus (the sickness you could get on the boat).
  
  

NOT SO HIGHS: (there were no real lows)

• So -so food



• Freezing cold water while scuba diving!



• Rain (just a couple times)



• The 9 part obstacle course to end our zip line tour! It was hard and I am afraid of heights...especially while trying to inch across a shaky bridge! I was sweatin' bullets by the time it was all over!



• Flying



• Missing my boys



• Scary taxi drivers! (they are fearless-we ran off the road during one taxi trip!)

THANKS JARED FOR TAKING ME ON A CRUISE!

Sorry about the post overload...we're going to be gone for awhile.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD BABY "MIKEY!"

Michael Reed Merrill

February 19

8 lbs 14 oz

How Lucky I was to be there when he was born!

The "Bitter" Biscuit....(Dedicated to Connie)

TAKE A HIKE!

On Saturday we decided last minute to bundle the kids up and take a hike---to the "A" mountain in Tempe. It was a great hike! The sun was setting as we were finishing up, so we got some great pictures. Wyatt absoluely loved the hike and was ready for more! We really should take advantage of the good weather and take hikes more often.

SOME OTHER STUFF

Wyatt decided to go find a chair for himself and eat on the table with Luke. What a smile! Cute kid.
Yeowch! Wyatt fell into the table and almost bit through his lip. Not fun.