What are we "thankful" for ... Crafts!

Chris went out of town and we needed something to keep us busy. Here are the Mertins family turkeys. We discussed things we should be thankful for and Mac said "mom, dad, Lauren, grandma, grandpa, oh and crafts". Hilarious!

Halloween 2011

This year the Mertins' family was "tricked" on Halloween.  Chris sprained his ankle (so he claimed on Saturday morning as we went to the ER - but was almost 100% on Monday, weird??) and Mackenzie got the stomach flu.  I took Lauren around the neighborhood with the other children to Trick or Treat.  Here are some photos from the events that weekend:

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Festival at Fremd - - - Thursday, October 27th
Trick-or-Treating in our neighborhood - - - Sunday, October 30th

Mackenzie - a strawberry

Lauren - the cupcake

Sweeties in Jen's office at Fremd

The Mertins' Family at the Fremd Trick-or-Treat Festival

One of the only "games" Lauren wanted to participate in - creating a bookmark, b/c she reads chapter books???

Mackenzie's favorite game to play - Bozo Buckets

Will she make the 5th bucket???

Bozo Buckets - take two

Playing the duck game

Spider Ring Toss game

Spider Ring Toss game

Mac making her bookmark - - - she does love to read now.

One more pose before we leave for home

Lauren on the day of trick-or-treating in our neighborhood - so sweet!

Olivia, Alexa, Braeden, Bergen, Jaiden, Kamden, Taylor, Lauren and Kiara

Chris took this picture of his pumpkins.  He spent a good 4-5 hours carving our pumpkins (with a hurt ankle). :)

Mackenzie and her friend Jake - at preschool

Mackenzie and her friend Colin - at preschool

Shopping for Pun-kins

The Mertins family got up early and dressed for the unseasonably warm weather then headed to Goebert's to get some pumpkins. The girls each picked one and Chris scoped out two that would be good for carving. We played, had some kettle corn and took a "hay" tractor ride. Here are some photos.

Mackenzie takes a trip down the mini slide

They like to sit/stand by this really large "fake" pumkin each year too.

Riding in the Cinderella Pumkin to the Ball - ha!

Measuring the girls - Mackenzie is about 3 and 1/2 feet - - - shorties for sure!

Okay - the sun was directly in their eyes - - - like the FHS FCS department photo at the beginning of school each year ... looks like Lauren sat on a stem too.  Not the best photo from our trip to the pumpkin patch. HA! :)

Posing in the patch

Lauren truly thought she could lift her pumkin - this weighs as much as Mackenzie!

Our little pun-kins :)

Riding on the "hay/tractor" - it wasn't really a hay ride - there was hay under the wooden seats????

Lauren went right to the Prince for her photo - that a girl - set your sights high!

On our "hay/tractor" ride

There were so many people there that day, that trying to get them to focus on the lens of the camera was impossible. :)

Mackenzie trying to pick up her pumpkin of choice - it weighs as much as her

Mackenzie wanted to pose in front of Cinderella

They always like this wooden firetruck - it must be because their is a "steering wheel" inside.

We measure the girls each year - Lauren is just under 3 feet



Lauren slides down the mini slide



Bathtime = Funtime

There is never a dull time in the bathtub at the Mertins' house. These crazy hairstyles are just part of the fun.

October - Awareness Month

The Mertins' girls show their support for Breast Cancer awareness with a pink hair extension.

Fremd's Homecoming Royalty

 Mackenzie and Lauren are acutally in front of their attendent above.

 Princess Mackenzie is coming off the floor with her friend Prince Jake right behind her.

Here is the Princess - posing for a photo.

Mackenzie and Lauren (among other faculty's children) were little princesses at the Fremd Homecoming Pep Assembly.  They did awesome - walked out with the female Junior Attendant in front of the whole school.  My parents came to see the "big show" and Kelly O'Kelly and Colin came as well.  Lauren left right after she did her thing - she was in desperate need of a nap.  Such a cute idea and a lot of fun!

Potty Training DONE!!!

I have to say ... I am blessed with girls!  Although Mackenzie was done in a week and was so easy going during her potty training time (not to mention I was on Winter Break and 6 months pregnant with Lo), the second child was not as easy.  After three weeks of Lauren waking up dry, I decided to potty train her the weekend before school got out ... she wasn't liking it at all for a week.  Cried when we put her on the potty. Once school got out, she took to this potty training with ease!  Or so we thought ... we have the human poop controler.  She hold it for days and then cries because she doesn't want to go - duh? Who would?  The kid is awesome for overnights - been dry since a month before we actually trained her.  I think she has a little "Chris Rierson" syndrome (those of you close to me know what I am talking about, right mom?) :)