Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year 2009

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We have a family tradition that on New Years Eve we get all dressed up in our very best and go to dinner to a fancy restaurant. This year was Addison's choice it was Bridges in Danville....why you ask? Let me just say it in one phrase "Mrs. Doubtfire"
It was a yummy time and Colton stayed happy the entire dinner. We got outside to take a great picture and ...we have a 13 year old Daughter who uses our camera too much and well...the battery was dead, so I had one shot at home. Upon our return this is all I got.

More Snow @ Uncle Bo's

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We had so much fun at Uncle Bo's and Aunt Michelle's

Off to Southern California we go...

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5 kids & Shelby the Dog we got there is 7 hours with tons of traffic not too bad...
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The day after Christmas we headed to So Cal. for some much needed fun with Grandma's, Grandpa's, Nana's, Papa's, Auntie's, Uncles, and tons of Cousins!!!

Christmas Morning 2008

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Santa Arrived can you believe it!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Happy Birthday too ME!

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Wow I knew that I was looking a little tired and old but the pictures show it even more! I'm sure in 10 years I'll think this entry is crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I feel so grateful for having 33 wonderful birthdays. I have 5 great kids who are healthy and most days Happy! I've got Bob that loves me and has made my birthday something I look forward to every year. I Love this time of year when it gets cold and I have to were socks all day with a few layers of clothes. Then I get to cook and bake all I want! I even get to listen to Christmas music all day! I love December not just a wonderful month because Addie & I were born ...we also get to celebrate the baby Jesus born along with all the other wonderful traditions of the season. I hope all of you enjoy the coming days as much as I will.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The Merrill Family Christmas Tree

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Oh Joy on Monday night we set out in search of the perfect Christmas tree. This is always every one's favorite part of the season...it was so cold! We went a different route this year, went to a wonderful little tree farm called "Home Depot"Unlike most years we did not have the muddy shoes, clumpy hot cocoa w/candy canes, and a guy named Tom who was missing his front tooth, to tip after he secured the tree on top of the Suburban. Instead we bundled up and picked up every tree to examine give it a whirl...then to find our perfect "Chubby" happy tree. by the time we got it home it became the "Short, Chubby,Perfect" Merrill family Christmas Tree!
Thank you Sister Seeno! The Ski Bear hat is on it's 3rd Winter in the Merrill Family!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Addison's 11th Birthday

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She had a great day, Lunch with Dad, presents in the morning,oatmeal chocolate chips cookies at school, singing at ballet then out to dinner with the family and more presents...we were all so tried and stuffed we had birthday cake for breakfast the next morning. I guess you only turn 11 one time in your life...Wow we love this little firecracker she keeps us laughing all the time. oh and now she's all warm a toasty in her new fluffy robe and slippers not to mention her cozy new flannel sheets!

Friday, November 28, 2008

My New Favorite Pie

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Caramelized Apple and Pecan Pie
This dessert is a pecan pie-apple pie hybrid.
Ingredients
crust
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons (about) chilled orange juice, divided
1 large egg white, beaten to blend
apples
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
3 Granny Smith apples or Fuji apples (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), peeled, sliced, cored
filling
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
Preparation
crust
Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until butter is reduced to small pea-size pieces. Add 4 tablespoons orange juice. Blend, using on/off turns, until moist clumps form, adding more juice by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
Roll out dough on floured surface to 14-inch round. Transfer to 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Cut off all but 1/2 inch of dough overhang. Fold dough edge under and crimp decoratively, forming high-standing rim. Freeze 10 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate crust.
Brush inside of crust with enough beaten egg white to coat.
apples
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk brown sugar and butter in large ovenproof skillet over medium heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture comes to boil. Boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Arrange apples, rounded side down, in syrup. Bake 15 minutes; turn over. Bake until just tender, about 20 minutes longer. Transfer apples to paper towels to cool slightly. Whisk syrup in skillet until smooth. Cool slightly and reserve. Maintain oven temperature.
filling
Mix sugar, flour, and salt in small bowl. Place eggs in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in reserved syrup from apples. Add corn syrup, vanilla, and sugar mixture; whisk until smooth. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into crust. Arrange apples, rounded side up, atop filling.
Bake pie until filling is set in center, covering edges with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Apple Hill

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So we had a great week planned , we had lots of fun day trips and activities to fill up our week! On Monday we headed off to Apple Hill, we have never gone there before it was wonderful. We first stopped to walk around a small lake were the kids could fish; we didn't just watched. Then off to the fudge shop "yummy", we had fudge and carmel apples! Then we headed to the next stop while driving through the beautiful foothills we saw all the Christmas tree farms getting ready for the season. We had lunch at a great little place and bought some very juicey Granny Smith's. Thayne had 3 cores in the car when we returned home. We went to a great museums about the Larson's who have been farming apples for many generations. We took some great pictures of the kids in a perfect tree. The day was going just perfect. When do you get over 2 pictures to choose from for the Christmas card? We had about an hour left so we headed over to "Grandpa's Cellar" for the best apple pie and hot cider ...which we did have but that was after we were waiting for the tow truck to come get our car; oh yes a tow truck this was the first tow! We had another and two trips to Enterprise. We did get home about 8:00pm and now our Subruran will be running like new after a week at "Family Chevy" in Shingle Springs California. And the kids think its great because did you know?... rental cars and hotel rooms are #1 on funnest things to do on vacation. Oh and Thayne learned how to work ALL the levers on a Tow truck from Dick the tow Truck driver "very nice Guy"! He reminded him three times "Thayne remember when you grow up you DON"T want to be a tow truck diver!" I love these kind of days.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Red Won!

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Just a few words GO UTES!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

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No school for the kids!

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I always look forward to these days but then half way through the day I can't wait for school to start! So I sent the kids out to get ready so I could take their pictures...you know how this went everyone poking each other and someone in tears, and then some wanted the dog and others didn't. I also needed to take individual shots because the school pictures this year were terrible, this was the first year I was not happy. We got the girls done! It was so much Fun. I'm sure the neighbors had a great time listening to all the lovely noise from our backyard!

Halloween pictures

Carissa made a sugar skull for "Day of the Dead" in Spanish. These are the wonderul things an 8th grader gets to make to enhance her education!
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