All Together

Keith's older brother Paul, his wife Jenae, and their three cute kids have been staying with his parents for the last week. It has been awesome to have so much family around.

We love visiting in the evenings. Charlie watches wide-eyed as his cousins run around. I think he is excited (and a bit worried) to join the fray. He likes it when Katelyn, Tanner, and Trevor come over to him and pat his tummy and pet his head ever so softly.

With uncles around, wrestling matches are sure to begin. I think Keith lost this one.

Shawn gave the boys wrestling masks that he picked up in Mexico which prompted growling, muscle flexing, and Keith jumping in to help Tanner pin Shawn. Sometimes the difference between big boys and little boys is slight.

Trevor played it safe and helped Grandpa with dinner.

This weekend we found a precious break in the snow and rain to take family pictures. Paul is in the Air Force and is being transferred from his nursing post in Texas to Germany where he will be a flight nurse. They will be there for three to four years, the same amount of time that we will be in North Carolina, so it will be a while before there is another complete Merrill family picture.

In between shots Keith had the job of keeping little Charlie warm.

Shawn had the job of keeping the other kids entertained and happy. Adding kids to big family pictures definitely makes the experience a bit more exciting, but we got some good ones. For a sneak peak you can go here. We got a big family picture and some of the three of us too.

Monday Keith and I joined Paul, Jenae, and the kids in the park. Keith and Paul played a couple rounds of Frisbee golf (I don't have enough patience for that game) and Jenae and I hung out at the big toy with the kids. As such I didn't get any pictures of Keith and Paul at the park. Luckily for us a photographer for The Daily Herald followed them around the course taking pictures for an article on people enjoying the spring weather. Not a groundbreaking news report, but some pictures of Keith and Paul showed up the next day in the newspaper. This is one of them.

Katelyn is amazing at making friends. She found a bunch of new ones at the park and played with them most of the time.

Tanner loved the swings.

Trevor mostly liked exploring...

...and hanging out with Mom.

Charlie stayed close to his mom too.

Paul left for training yesterday and Jenae and the kids are staying with his parents in Orem while he is gone and before they leave for Germany. It is so nice to have family nearby; we will all miss them.


P.S. Classes are over, my final paper is turned in, and my last final EVER is on Saturday. We are so close!
P.P.S. I have only packed one box. Yikes!