It's the Merritts: Merry Christmas

This was almost our Christmas picture this year, it's peaceful state belies the level of activity generally associated with the two children whose names are on the chairs. Our house most days could be described as a crazy jumbled mess of children running around in circles, launching themselves off couches, chairs, beds, wrestling, and generally not sitting still while laughing or screaming at the top of their lungs! Typically we love it, just as long as it doesn't develop into all out sibling brawls or trips to the emergency room. Our year has been full, we started out celebrating Linnea's 3rd birthday, quickly followed by a stay in the hospital for Benjamin as he battled RSV. The kid's enjoyed sledding down our frozen driveway and scraping together a meager snowman during our small glimpses of winter weather. Benjamin took his time learning how to walk and then never stopped going! Our spring was filled with projects around the house and visiting Ben at athletic events. Summer brought our annual trip to Vermont and an addition to our house. Steph's dad came up and lent us his expertise and many man hours to help convert one of our unfinished spaces upstairs into a new room. We has quite a few guys working on the room at any given time as we were blessed to have Ben's dad and one of his longtime friends Alan come to help us as well. Benjamin loved having all the men around and would have gladly stayed underfoot with them all the time! September brought the news that we would have yet another addition to our household, a new baby come May. Linnea had been praying for months for a new baby and it looks like it paid off :-) This fall has been a blur of grad school, football, taking care of children, and a sick wife for Ben. It has been hectic, yet we feel blessed in how the Lord provided just the right provision in His perfect timing! Steph is out of her first trimester "fog" feeling much better and trying to do too much. Benjamin decided that November would be a good month to finally really start talking, it is amazing all the words he had stored up just waiting to come out just in time to turn 2! Linnea is such a sweet little girl, who is growing up way too fast and we aren't sure we are ready for her to turn 4! Her enthusiasm for the holidays has been so exciting to see and it has been fun anticipating Christmas with her and seeing her get her brother involved in all of the excitement. We are truly blessed and thankful this year. Maybe next year we will actually get back into posting regularly.