Welcome to our world. Here is a little window into the the lives of Jay, Tarrah, Haleigh, Haden, Madison and Bowen. We have lots of fun and enjoy each and every day together, in the air or on the ground.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Cutie Patooties
Here are the kidos all dressed up for our yearly party and trick or treating, Bowen was sick so I stayed home with him while Daddy took the other kids. Our very own Madison won for best costume. She really is the Mad Hatter. 
Cruise
This past week we took a cruise with our kidos. We made a stop in Catalina and then again in Ensenada. We had such a great time. The kids were so excited with every new adventure. We cannot wait to go again.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Welcome to the newest member of the Mercer family. Miss Cotton joined our crazy brood almost two weeks ago and what excitment she has brought. She is the sweetest dog with lots of personality. She has recently found her bark and is meshing well with our other girl Fiona. She loves the kids and her and I have become very close on our morning walks. Here she is!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Happy 4th Of July!
The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays! I love the fireworks and all the red white and blue and just being with friends and family. The kids and I had so much fun shopping for decorations and then seeing the finished product. We had a great time and enjoyed celebrating our country's independance!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Our Love Song
TURNING PAGE
Written by: Ryan O'Neal (Sleeping At Last)
i've waited a hundred years.
but i'd wait a million more for you.
nothing prepared me for
what the privilege of being yours would do.
if i had only felt the warmth within your touch,
if i had only seen how you smile when you blush,
or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough,
i would have known what i was living for all along.
what i've been living for.
[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/turning-page-lyrics-sleeping-at-last.html ]
your love is my turning page,
where only the sweetest words remain.
every kiss is a cursive line,
every touch is a redefining phrase.
i surrender who i've been for who you are,
for nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart.
if i had only felt how it feels to be yours,
well, i would have known what I've been living for all along.
what i've been living for.
though we're tethered to the story we must tell,
when i saw you, well, i knew we'd tell it well.
with a whisper, we will tame the vicious seas.
like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees.
Written by: Ryan O'Neal (Sleeping At Last)
i've waited a hundred years.
but i'd wait a million more for you.
nothing prepared me for
what the privilege of being yours would do.
if i had only felt the warmth within your touch,
if i had only seen how you smile when you blush,
or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough,
i would have known what i was living for all along.
what i've been living for.
[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/turning-page-lyrics-sleeping-at-last.html ]
your love is my turning page,
where only the sweetest words remain.
every kiss is a cursive line,
every touch is a redefining phrase.
i surrender who i've been for who you are,
for nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart.
if i had only felt how it feels to be yours,
well, i would have known what I've been living for all along.
what i've been living for.
though we're tethered to the story we must tell,
when i saw you, well, i knew we'd tell it well.
with a whisper, we will tame the vicious seas.
like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Delicious
Source: aisletoaloha.blogspot.com via Tarrah on Pinterest
Croissants, cream cheese, jalepenos and bacon!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Another Soldier Has Gone Home
As many of you know we lost our sweet Grandmother this last week. What a beautiful Godly woman she was. Jay and I are so thankful for the many trips we have made the last five years to see her and Grandpa, they are memories we will cherish forever. Here is something that Jay wrote and read at her funeral that I thought was beautiful and wanted to share. Please remember our family, especially Jays mom in your prayers.
One Stitch at a Time
Jay Mercer
Two blankets sit on my bed; your beautiful crocheted pieces traveled to the homes of the ones you loved. The stitches are perfect and the colors are beautiful, it is obvious you took your time and stitched one stitch at a time.
The quality of each piece shows your patience and perseverance. You would sit for hours, you did not worry or fret about the time, something in you could see the end result and you sat there hour after hour working on the items you would so freely give. These pieces show, love given, one stitch at a time.
I believe you liked to crochet so much because it was how you lived your life; through all your trials, your hurts and disappointments, you held fast to your beliefs and never wavered. Year after year, day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, you lived your life, one stitch at a time.
Although you have gone from us, we have learned from you to take the good with the bad, the storms with the sunshine and the defeats with the victories. As you lived, we too should live, never fretting about the things we cannot control, but seeing the final product or destination, and living, one stitch at a time.
I love you Grandma Lucille Compton.
Madison Turns The Big 10
On April 6th our beautiful girl hit double digits. Following in our family tradition we had to make this one special. Her invitations read, come celebrate our SWEET girl's Birthday. In keeping with the theme we had a beautiful candy and dessert bar that was loaded with sweets. Madison had her friends and family near to help in her celebration. We love this girl so much!!!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Quote
A friend sent me this quote and I wanted to share it.
A stepmother might have to rise above a little more than everyone else to make everything go smoothly and for everyone to feel comfortable. It's one of the nicest gifts they could give.
Unknown quotes
A stepmother might have to rise above a little more than everyone else to make everything go smoothly and for everyone to feel comfortable. It's one of the nicest gifts they could give.
Unknown quotes
Thursday, April 12, 2012
The Artist
Last night we were so happy to attend the Almondale Allstar Art Exhibit Open House. Madison received an invitation for herself and her family to attend. It was a formal event where apple cider and hors d'oeuvres were served. Madison had drawn a beautiful fruit bowl with chalk and received a second place ribbon. We are so very proud of this little lady! Her many talents amaze us and we are excited to see where they will take her!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
YUMMY
World's Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies
Posted by Ali
Three ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies. They are yummy, they are quick, and they satisfy a peanut butter cookie urge in a pinch. The texture is of course different than traditional peanut butter cookies, since there is no flour. All in all they were great.
World's Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 15 cookies
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1. Stir all ingredients together. Form into balls. Place on baking sheet. Dip a fork in sugar and use it to make the criss cross marks.
2. Bake at 350-f degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Posted by Ali
Three ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies. They are yummy, they are quick, and they satisfy a peanut butter cookie urge in a pinch. The texture is of course different than traditional peanut butter cookies, since there is no flour. All in all they were great.
World's Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 15 cookies
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1. Stir all ingredients together. Form into balls. Place on baking sheet. Dip a fork in sugar and use it to make the criss cross marks.
2. Bake at 350-f degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
I AM SO THANKFUL FOR HIM
Man Of The Year
© Aimee Rice
You’ve been in our lives for so many seasons
I’m pouring my heart out for that very reason
I’ve given you life, my husband & friend
Our love affair shall never end
And though our love has been through the fire
You and only you are my true hearts desire
I pray for the man that is paving the way
For our children each and everyday
A man who is…
FEARLESS
A man who’s…
ADMIRABLE, TRUSTWORTHY,
HEROIC, EXCEPTIONALLY RELIABLE
It’s no wonder why God’s on your side
He gave you the strength to father a child
And even when we don’t know what to say
Your wisdom consistently saves the day
I opened my heart to you, simply to say…
YOU'RE THE BEST HUSBAND & DAD EVERYDAY!
Source: Man Of The Year, Husband Poem http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/man-of-the-year#ixzz1qQR61c1C
www.FamilyFriendPoems.com
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Being OK With Me
I am reblogging this from one of my dearest friends, Deanna. I read this and thought it was so beautifully written with such a great reminder.
Being OK with me.
What is it about us humans that makes us continue to seek the approval of, and affirmation from people who do not care about us, or even worse, really matter to us? I find myself sucked into it occasionally, and I really hate it when I realize what I am doing. I’m talking about everything from the co-worker who acts like you are beneath them, to the chance encounters with strangers that leave us feeling stupid and foolish. Even more sad is when we seek the approval of those who are supposed to have our best interests at heart, but who in all actuality are driven by their own ambitions and desires, and to whom we will never be more than pawns to be used to further themselves.
I know that I really felt the pull of this need for approval when I was younger, but thankfully, life and a series of unfortunate situations pushed me outside of this arena. I had to live through the humiliation of being thought badly of, and the most amazing thing happened… I survived. It turns out, we don’t actually need the approval of others to be OK. This was a revelation to me. I had been taught that your reputation was one of the most important things you owned, and I am not denying that having a good reputation is admirable. But the truth of the matter is, most of us, at some point or the other in life, will be found lacking in the public’s perception. And when you reach that point, what do you have to hold on to if you have lived your life in a way that is pleasing to everyone but yourself. If you have behaved in ways that felt false to you, even though that was what was expected. If you can’t look yourself in the mirror, and know that you have made decisions that you believed in, that you have followed the path that you know is the right one, regardless of how many of the crowd was going down the other path. If you get to the point in your life where the crowd is not on your side, what will YOU think of yourself. Getting so caught up in the approval of those “in power” or who have “important names” or who are “cool” is ultimately soul destroying. Because what will wind up happening is that you will spend your life chasing the dreams of others, that if you ever do actually catch, will be severely lacking.
Something that my mom said to me once has always stuck with me, “I’m not better than anyone else, but no one else is any better than me.” Getting to the point in life where you really believe this is not an easy task, but if you can make there, you will have a much better chance at finding true freedom, and true peace. Don’t live your life to make some other person desire, respect, admire and promote you, but live your life in a way that you can look yourself in the mirror every morning and know that if all of the others forsake you, you have no shame and no regret. I still find myself pulled in to the approval game at times, and I usually catch on to it about the time I start becoming jealous, anxious, and generally unhappy. At that point I know that if there is anyone who is influencing my thoughts or behavior who does not value me for the things I value in myself, they do not need to part of my life. It’s just that simple. At least to me it is. Of course the flip side is that you need to value yourself, that is sometimes the hardest part. Be your own best friend, your biggest supporter, your own cheer-leading team. It sounds corny, but who cares, if we don’t back ourselves, certainly no one else will!
Being OK with me.
What is it about us humans that makes us continue to seek the approval of, and affirmation from people who do not care about us, or even worse, really matter to us? I find myself sucked into it occasionally, and I really hate it when I realize what I am doing. I’m talking about everything from the co-worker who acts like you are beneath them, to the chance encounters with strangers that leave us feeling stupid and foolish. Even more sad is when we seek the approval of those who are supposed to have our best interests at heart, but who in all actuality are driven by their own ambitions and desires, and to whom we will never be more than pawns to be used to further themselves.
I know that I really felt the pull of this need for approval when I was younger, but thankfully, life and a series of unfortunate situations pushed me outside of this arena. I had to live through the humiliation of being thought badly of, and the most amazing thing happened… I survived. It turns out, we don’t actually need the approval of others to be OK. This was a revelation to me. I had been taught that your reputation was one of the most important things you owned, and I am not denying that having a good reputation is admirable. But the truth of the matter is, most of us, at some point or the other in life, will be found lacking in the public’s perception. And when you reach that point, what do you have to hold on to if you have lived your life in a way that is pleasing to everyone but yourself. If you have behaved in ways that felt false to you, even though that was what was expected. If you can’t look yourself in the mirror, and know that you have made decisions that you believed in, that you have followed the path that you know is the right one, regardless of how many of the crowd was going down the other path. If you get to the point in your life where the crowd is not on your side, what will YOU think of yourself. Getting so caught up in the approval of those “in power” or who have “important names” or who are “cool” is ultimately soul destroying. Because what will wind up happening is that you will spend your life chasing the dreams of others, that if you ever do actually catch, will be severely lacking.
Something that my mom said to me once has always stuck with me, “I’m not better than anyone else, but no one else is any better than me.” Getting to the point in life where you really believe this is not an easy task, but if you can make there, you will have a much better chance at finding true freedom, and true peace. Don’t live your life to make some other person desire, respect, admire and promote you, but live your life in a way that you can look yourself in the mirror every morning and know that if all of the others forsake you, you have no shame and no regret. I still find myself pulled in to the approval game at times, and I usually catch on to it about the time I start becoming jealous, anxious, and generally unhappy. At that point I know that if there is anyone who is influencing my thoughts or behavior who does not value me for the things I value in myself, they do not need to part of my life. It’s just that simple. At least to me it is. Of course the flip side is that you need to value yourself, that is sometimes the hardest part. Be your own best friend, your biggest supporter, your own cheer-leading team. It sounds corny, but who cares, if we don’t back ourselves, certainly no one else will!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Happy Birthday Zander
Yesterday my handsome nephew turned 1! We love this little angel so much and today we will celebrate his birthday!
Sick World We Live In
This story caught my eye today when reading the news. A Father gets upset because his daughter has to run a few laps? That's worth punching another man in the face and then beating him when he is on the ground? What ever happened to self control? This Father's behavior is appalling, couldn't he have sat down and discussed this with the coach, or hey, how about agreeing that your daughter deserved a punishment for her actions. Becoming violent is a witness to the intelligence and character he lacked. As parents it is our job to protect our children from danger, not from discipline from leadership for their bad behavior.
Ind. basketball dad knocks coach unconscious because he forced daughter to run laps
By Cameron Smith | Prep Rally – 23 hours ago
An Indiana father is facing serious charges after launching a brutal attack on his daughter's assistant middle school basketball coach for the coach's implementation of an incredibly simple and traditional practice: He made her run laps in the gym.
Michigan City basketball parent Shelley Miller — Michigan City Police
As reported by South Bend-based TV network WSBT, Michigan City, Ind., basketball father Shelly Miller, aged 37, attacked Michigan City (Ind.) St. Stanislas School assistant middle school girls basketball coach Jeffrey Yackus shortly after one of the team's daily practice concluded.
According to WSBT, Yackus had punished Miller's daughter and another player who argued with each other during practice. Yet the only punishment that Yackus meted out was making the two girls run laps in the school's gym.
It appears that pushed the elder Miller over the edge. When he went to pick up his daughter later, she told the elder Miller about her punishment and he immediately attacked Yackus and punched him in the face.
That first punch apparently leveled the assistant coach, knocking him to the ground, where Miller climbed on top of him and repeatedly punched him in the face and head until he was completely unconscious.
In fact, the incident could have been much worse had it not been for swift intervention by the St. Stanislas head coach, Robert Johnson, who pulled the parent from his colleague and helped transport Yackus to the hospital.
Ind. basketball dad knocks coach unconscious because he forced daughter to run laps
By Cameron Smith | Prep Rally – 23 hours ago
An Indiana father is facing serious charges after launching a brutal attack on his daughter's assistant middle school basketball coach for the coach's implementation of an incredibly simple and traditional practice: He made her run laps in the gym.
Michigan City basketball parent Shelley Miller — Michigan City Police
As reported by South Bend-based TV network WSBT, Michigan City, Ind., basketball father Shelly Miller, aged 37, attacked Michigan City (Ind.) St. Stanislas School assistant middle school girls basketball coach Jeffrey Yackus shortly after one of the team's daily practice concluded.
According to WSBT, Yackus had punished Miller's daughter and another player who argued with each other during practice. Yet the only punishment that Yackus meted out was making the two girls run laps in the school's gym.
It appears that pushed the elder Miller over the edge. When he went to pick up his daughter later, she told the elder Miller about her punishment and he immediately attacked Yackus and punched him in the face.
That first punch apparently leveled the assistant coach, knocking him to the ground, where Miller climbed on top of him and repeatedly punched him in the face and head until he was completely unconscious.
In fact, the incident could have been much worse had it not been for swift intervention by the St. Stanislas head coach, Robert Johnson, who pulled the parent from his colleague and helped transport Yackus to the hospital.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
In Memory Of
Yesterday we gathered with friends to honor our friend John who left this life. What a great guy who is gone far to soon. Rest peacefully John. Our prayers are for the beautiful fiancee he left behind.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Friendship
There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
Thomas Aquinas
Today I am feeling so thankful for true friendship! The old friends who know you better than anyone, they know your faults, fears and struggles. They do not care the day or the hour you call, you are never a bother or your troubles a burden. I am blessed to have these friends in my life.
Thomas Aquinas
Today I am feeling so thankful for true friendship! The old friends who know you better than anyone, they know your faults, fears and struggles. They do not care the day or the hour you call, you are never a bother or your troubles a burden. I am blessed to have these friends in my life.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The Big Boy Turns 10
This last weekend we celebrated our oldest son Haden's birthday. We love being able to celebrate special times with friends and family. We had a party at Monster Mini Golf where we ate, opened presents and then of course played some mini golf. The kids had a blast. After the party it was time for a sleep over at our house, just the boys, sisters got kicked out for the night. Jay and I are so proud of all of our children and want them to know how very special they are every day, not just on their BIrthday. Happy Birthday Haden, we love you and are so proud of the awesome young man that you are becoming. xoxoxoxo
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
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