The Merrill Family: Annual Trip to Gardener's Village

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Annual Trip to Gardener's Village

Every year, the kids' Nana takes us to Gardener's Village around Halloween to see it decorated. It is really neat to see the many different witches and decorations they have. We went last Thursday and it being UEA, everyone else in Utah seemed to have the same idea. It was so crowded! It took us almost 1/2 hour to park, but it was worth it. The kids had a blast running around looking at everything. I told Vickie I want to go some time without the kids so I will be able to shop!

Here's Tanner in his stroller of course. He did really great. All I have to do is keep giving him food to munch on and he's set. My sister Brandy gave me the great idea of making waffles and putting them in plastic baggies for a snack. The kids love it! That's what Tanner is eating in the above picture.

The kids are always happy to strike a pose for me. We had to get one by the hoola hoop witch.

Gage and Landen's favorite witch is the one where she's going to the bathroom. Good thing we found her this year!

So a major part of going to see the witches is stopping by the candy shop so each grandkid can get a bag of candy. You can see they waste no time eating their purchases.

Here's my boys with their cousin Brayden. I'm not quite sure why Landen looks so happy to be there.

1 comments:

Laura said...: wow, you crazy blogger you, I'm glad you got caught up.
Looks like you guys have been having a lot of fun lately! I'm so jealous. We definately need to hang out a lot during Christmas break.; October 21, 2008 at 9:28 PM

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Kids say the funniest things

6/13 I told Trevin to say, "I'm pretty smart" and he repeated "I'm pretty fart."
4/12 Uncle Corey, "Tanner, what's your full name?" Tanner, "You callin me a fool!"
11/11 Tanner and I were driving past some mountains and he says to me, "Daddy climbs those big mountains when he runs. When I get big and I'm T-Rex, I will be able to climb those mountains too." I think Tanner seriously believes he can grow up to be T-Rex.
11/11 I was asking Gage what time he really woke up and he said, "Mom I was just exaggerating. You know what that is don't ya? It's the truth seasoned with little lies."
10/11 Tanner's preschool has a "power chair" or "thinking chair" which basically is a timeout chair. I asked Tanner today if he has been to the chair lately and he said, "I went there today. " Me, "Why?" Tanner, "Because I was talking to this girl and the teacher told me to stop talking and I didn't." Me, "Tanner, you know that the chair is a timeout or naughty chair right?" Tanner, "I like the chair. It's big and nice and comfy!"
10/11 I was yelling at Tanner to start running at his soccer game. He turns to me and says whining, "I've run all out of running."
08/11 Tanner is always losing things and too lazy to look for what he has lost himself. Tanner, "Whoever finds my flip flop can have a quarter."
08/11 Me, "Tanner, you have to get shots at your doctor's appointment. They help you from getting sick." Tanner, "I don't need shots mom. Sprite will make me feel better."
08/11 Tanner is always confused about time and what today and tomorrow actually mean. Tanner, "Is tomorrow this day?"
07/11 Tanner was at a friend's house playing with cars and to no one in particular says, "I eat Angry Birds, but sometimes they smack me in the face. Then my face hurts." Then Tanner just kept on playing. He honestly doesn't play Angry Birds that often.
07/11 Tanner was sitting in the car moving his leg to the music and said, "Look mommy. My leg is singing!"
07/11 Tanner, "Mom, Kade is my first friend." I am guessing that means best friend.
07/11 Tanner, "Mommy, Landen is mayked." (He meant naked)
04/11 I was having Gage try on some new pants and he says, "Mom, I bet if I had skinny jeans they would still be baggy on me." How in the world does Gage know about skinny jeans?
04/11 Tanner "Mommy, can I pee outside on the grass?" Me, "No, you can't pee outside." Tanner, "Why not? Beau pees outside on the grass." The next day I caught Tanner peeing on our deck.
04/11 Tanner burped and said laughing, "I farted in my mouth."
04/11 Tanner was crying and I asked him what happened. He replied, "I tipped over."
03/11 Mike and I were trying to kick the boys out of our room so we could have a private conversation. Tanner, "Are you guys going to be kissin in there?"
03/11 Landen's kindergarten teacher sent a wedding invitation home and Gage says, "Landen your teacher's Beyonce is cute." I think he meant 'fiance.'
02/11 Mike, "Tanner get off the ladder." Tanner, "No." Mike, "I am going to count to 3 and you better get down. One." Tanner, "2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10."
02/11 Me, "Tanner, I am going to spank your bum if you don't stop it." Tanner, "I will just get in my bubble and float away." I couldn't figure out what that meant until Mike told me Tanner was talking about the bubble on the New Super Mario Bros for Wii where you can bubble which is all Tanner does when he plays.
01/11 Gage, "Mom, it's not my fault I have an attitude." Whose fault would it be?
12/10 Tanner, "Daddy, I want to ride on you like a piggy bank." I think he meant piggy back.
12/10 We are on the Polar Express train and in walks Mrs. Claus. Landen, "Look, it's the girl Santa Claus!"
12/10 Mike is driving and Tanner says, "Mom, why don't you drive?" Me, "Because I don't like to drive." Tanner, "Is it because your belly is too big?"
10/10 Driving home from parent teacher conference I say to Gage and Landen, "I am so proud of you guys! You both have been working so hard in school." Landen, "I have been working hard to be able to skip one monkey bar at recess." Not quite what I was talking about Landen!
09/10 Tanner is in a tumbling class where there are different stations. At one station you scoop up blocks and put them in a bucket. When the teacher said to go play, Tanner yelled, "Let's play cleanup!" The teacher and I busted out laughing.
08/10 Trying to practice colors with Tanner. Me, "Tanner this is red. What color is it?" Tanner, "Blue!"
08/10 Gage, "Mom, am I black or white?" Me laughing, "Gage, you are white. Why would you ask me that?" Gage, "Well, you are always saying how dark I am so I thought I was black."
08/10 Me, "Landen, how is Mr. Lan and your Chinese class?" Landen, "I don't know why he has to speak Chinese the whole time." Me, "Well, that's how you will learn Chinese is by listening to him." Landen, "Well, he knows how to speak English. I just don't understand why he won't."
5/10 In the middle of Sacrament Meeting, Tanner shouts out, "I pick your nose mommy!" He says this as he reaches his tiny finger towards my nose. The family behind us couldn't stop laughing and neither could I.
05/10 I just got home and Landen comes running up to me with a look of pure excitement and pride and says, "Mommy, guess what I did?" Me, "What?" Landen, "I wiped my own butt!"
04/10 Tanner says to me as he's walking down the stairs, "Mommy, my hands dirty." Me, "Your hands are dirty?" Tanner, "Yeah, there's poop on them." Me, "Tanner, that's gross!" Tanner, "Yeah, that gross."
03/10 Gage was eating everyone's chicken nuggets at McDonalds. Me, "Gage, you must be hungry today." Gage, "I'm just like Grandpa Tom." Me, "How are you just like Grandpa Tom?" Gage, "I can eat and eat and never get fat!" Boy does my Dad have him fooled!
02/10 Out of nowhere, Landen says to a friend, "When my dad farts, he stinks."
02/10 We read a lot of Thomas the Train books. Sir Topham Hat always seems to be cross in them. Landen was playing with his trains and said, "We have to hurry, Thomas said crossly."
01/10 Gage, "Daddy, I want to go golfing this summer so I can hit the ball on the freeway." Mike, "Don't you mean fairway?"
01/10 Gage, "Mom why can't you just drive to New Mexico so we can see Maddison and Brayden?" Me, "Gage, I have no idea how to even get there." Gage, "Why don't you just use the GPS?" I had no idea Gage even knew what a GPS was.
12/09 We were over at Mike's parents' house and his mom was commenting about how Mike never listens to her and Gage said, "Don't worry. He never listens to me either."
11/09 Mike, "Landen what did you do at school today?" Gage answered for him, "He made a turkey and named him Michael."
11/09 We were on our way to Walmart to buy birthday party gifts and as soon as we turned into Walmart's parking lot Gage said, "Sweet Walmart! They have the cheapest toys here." I guess I have drilled in the Walmart vs Toys R Us prices enough that it has finally stuck.
10/09 It's Saturday and I was getting Tanner ready to go to a baptism by putting on some kaki pants that he only wears to church and he says, "No church mom."
10/09 Gage, "Look at all this candy we have. Now I can take home lunch and eat sugar bom boms." ( I think he meant bon bons).
10/09 The electricity was out this morning and I was complaining about my wet hair. Gage said, "Well, at least your comb works." Then Gage went to the bathroom, came out and said, "Mommy, at least the flush works too."
7/09 I took the kids to Lagoon and Landen (who is 4) says to me, "Mom, look at that hottie in the black dress."
6/09 Gage, "What sick kids did you take care of at work today?" Me, "I took care of a boy who fell out of a window and hit is head on the cement." Gage, "Well, he should have been wearing a helmet and a parachute."
5/09 Gage and I were eating at my mom's big dinner table while Landen was eating at the bar. Landen, "Gage, why do you get to sit at the table?" Gage, "Because I'm more mature than you." Then Gage turned to me and asked in a whisper, "Mom, what does mature mean?"
5/09 We were making smores and Gage's hands were a mess with marshmellows. Gage, "Mommy, I'm in a really sticky situation."
5/09 Gage, "Where are we going tomorrow?" Me, "We are going to a nice restaurant, but you don't order food. It is a buffet where you go in a line and you just pick food from a table that is already prepared." Gage, "Oh that will be good because then like we won't have to be patient."
4/09 Me walking around talking to myself, "Where did I put my cell phone?" Gage, "You really should take better care of your stuff mom."
4/09 Landen, "Will there be birthday cake at Grandma Pedri's birthday party?" Gage, "Of course there will be birthday cake. A birthday party isn't a birthday party without birthday cake."
4/09 Landen, "Mommy, my leg hurts. Will you pet it for me?"
03/09 Me, "Where did this come from?" Gage, "Oh, that's from a work at preschool. It probably fell into Landen's pocket."
02/09 Gage, "Mommy, you don't have to go to therapy anymore if you buy a Wii Fit."
02/09 Me, "Do you guys want to make cookies?" Gage, "Yeah, if you promise not to eat them all this time!"
02/09 Aunt Cami, "Landen, did you like the circus?" Landen, "Yah cause there were hot girls there."
02/09 Gage, "Mommy, we need to use the good smelling toothpaste tomorrow for the laaaadies at my Valentine Party."
01/09 Landen, "Mommy, will you unbuckle my shirt?" I think he meant unbutton.
01/09 Gage, "Landen your head is small so your brain is small. My head is big so my brain is big."
01/09 Landen, "Mommy, it just breaks my heart that Tanner has to get shots."
01/09 Landen, "Mommy, I want to be a baby again. I was soo cute!"
12/08 Gage, "Mommy, we should take a picture of Tanner in the Santa hat and upload it to your blog."
12/08 We were going through old stuff and found a small swimming suit (speedo style) that Mike had worn as a child. We were teasing Gage that we were going to make him wear it. Gage, "I'm not wearing Daddy's old tuxedo." Me, "Do you mean speedo?"
11/08 Landen was being rowdy during sacrament meeting and Mike said, "Landen you need to settle down!" Landen replied, "You just have to say please!" Mike, "Landen, will you please settle down?" Landen, "No." So much for saying "please."
11/08 Landen, "Mommy, you can just call me sweetie."
11/08 Landen, "Mommy, I get three pieces of candy because I am three years old."
11/08 Me, "Gage, did you cut that out all by yourself?" Gage, "Yes. Why? Do you find it impressive?"
11/08 Gage, "Tanner that was a stinky fart for such a little fella."
10/08 Gage, "Landen, you are in my personal space!"
10/08 Me, "Gage, I wish you could stay little forever." Gage, "Why don't you just pray to Jesus and ask him?"
10/08 Me, "You guys have to be good while we are in the store." Gage, "The one thing I am good at is being good mommy."
10/08 Jenny, "Gage, you look handsome with your hair like that." Gage, "Handsome is my middle name."
9/08 Landen, "How old is Grandpa Hall going to be?" Me, "80." Landen, "Then we have to give Grandpa Hall 80 spankins!"
9/08 Me, "Gage do you want to go downstairs and workout with me? Or do you just work out with daddy?" Gage, "Yeah, I only workout with daddy. That's our manly place where we can burp and fart. That's what daddy says."
9/08 Gage, "My brain just hatched an idea!"
9/08 Gage, "Mommy, do I have to play football when I'm in highschool?" Me, "Only if you want to." Brandy, "Don't you want to play football?" Gage, "No, I'm going to skip that class."
9/08 Me, "Landen, I ran into your friend Collin at Walmart today." Landen, "Why did you run my friend over mommy?"
9/08 Landen, "Mommy why does Ava have to live so far away?" Me, "Because Jeremy goes to school in California." Landen, "Well, can't he just ride the school bus?"
8/08 Gage, "Mommy, is next Sunday fast Sunday?" Me, "Yes." Gage, "That means it will go by really fast right?"
8/08 Mike, "We are not going to take you guys anywhere public if you're going to be rowdy." Landen, "We're not in public. We're in Dairy Queen."
8/08 Brandy, "Gage, I heard you are such a good swimmer. Will you teach me how to swim?" Gage, "Yes, but you will have to pay me."
7/08 Me, "Landen why are you still sitting on the toilet? Aren't you done going to the bathroom?" Landen, "I'm waiting for all the raindrops to fall."
7/08 Gage, "Mommy, maybe Landen's crying is really tears of joy."
6/08 Me, "Landen, I'm going to take your police car away if you don't be good." Landen, "Well, I'm going to take your earings you got for Mother's Day back to Walmart." (Mike swears he didn't get them at Walmart!)
6/08 Landen, "Mommy, I see the steering wheel!" (He was talking about seeing the big white ferris wheel at Lagoon from the freeway)
6/08 Gage, "Mommy, can I wear my tinkertop to Lagoon?" (tank top)
6/08 Gage, "Mommy, I am a Ben 10 ban (fan). I am going to make a Ben 10 poster to hang on my wall because that's what Ben 10 bans (fans) do."
6/08 Landen, "Mommy, I didn't like the cookie the babysitter gave me." I asked, "Why not?" Landen, "Because it didn't have sprinkelers on it."(sprinkles)
5/08 T-ball coach, "What's your name?" Gage replied, "Gagerrrrr."
9/07 Gage, "Mommy, do you want me to get your crunches for you?" (talking about my crutches after my knee surgery)
8/07 Gage, "Mommy, I want pupcakes for my birthday."
7/07 Landen, "Tookies, I wuv tookies!"