~*We're Engaged!!!!*~

On Christmas Eve Dallas presented me with my last gift and it was a big and heavy box. I opened the box to find tons of tissue paper and another box(which were all duct taped closed). I proceeded to open the next box which was also full of tons of tissue paper and when I removed all the stuff the box was full of COAL. I sat there stunned for a moment. I have never received coal ever. Even though my Grandpa Oo Oo used to tease me about it when I was little. So I said "why would you give you me coal?" And Dallas replied with "I thought you said you wanted a rock!" He then proceeded to stand up and pull the ring out of his pocket. He got down on one knee and asked for my hand in marriage. I do not even remember saying yes! Dallas also had spoken with my parents the friday before asking for their permission! We are very happy and Im very happy to be engaged! Love to all!!

Future Mr. & Mrs. Merlen

THIS IS FULL OF COAL!

THE PERFECT PICTURE.

Happy Christmas!!

We celebrated Christmas at our place this year! We had most of Dallas' family here and we had a blast! Here are just a few pictures from Christmas Eve and un wrapping gifts!

Our Isey booooo playing under her tree!

Vegas.Vegas.Vegas.

Dallas and I traveled to St George to visit his Aunt and Uncle on our way to Vegas for a fun surprise birthday weekend. Dallas and I had a great time in Vegas. We also stayed at the Paris this time, and Dal was even able to get his windows tinted while we were there, they came to us and did an amazing job. I was finally able to meet Dallas' good friends Brad & Shilee who he worked with in St. George. Shilee planned an amazing birthday surprise and he was also very surprised when his family from the East Coast showed up and then Dallas and I and a bunch of his other friends. We had a great time. We spent the nights with them and the days shopping, gambling, browsing, and eating (orlack there of for myself) All and all we had an amazing trip and can not wait to go again.Isis stayed home this trip and Aunt Tricia and Uncle Bobby took great care of their niece! Love to all.

Christmas Trees!

*ChrIstMAs TrEeS*

I received our new artificial tree today and set it up immediately.It is absolutely beautiful and the picture doesn't do it any justice! My dad will be proud, all the balls went on the bottom, it is perfectly decorated, and the I fluffed the branches just right! Isis is already enjoying sleeping under it! Im so happy to have the house decorated for the Holidays! Love to all! And Happy Birthday to my mom!!!xoxoxo!

Isis and her purple soft paws!

Our bedroom Christmas Tree!

*ConFeSsiONs*

Confessions....*I park where Im not suppose to every day at work.

I hate when people are late, Im always early or right on time.
*I love Isis and treat her like a 2 year old.

I miss my parents, my house, snick, big baby, my family, friends, and my bed!!!

*I am the biggest organizer you will ever meet.
I do not abide by speed limits, EVER and have never met such law abiding citizens like I have in Utah.

*I have perfected the art of sneaking in shopping bags/removing tags/stashing in backs of closets/saying "what, this old thing?" (perfectly stated Becca!)
*I love the smell of my parents linen closet!

I love fresh sheets, cold pillows, and new socks.
*I love the sound of the pouring rain.
Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and I absolutely love decorating for it.

*I'm a shopaholic, ahh finally admitted it.

I can not stand when people hum in public.

*I hate slow walkers or people who stop dead in their tracks.

I will only use a towel once and then I have to put it in the hamper.

*Im extremely anal retentive.

I have been to Disney World over 30 times.

*I know all of the words to over 50 different movies (lame lol but fun!)

OK I TAG TRICIA, APRIL, AND ERIN! Give it a shot its fun! Lets see those confessions!!!

Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

Dallas, Isis, and I traveled to Price for Thanksgiving. Isis wasn't too bad the car ride down but I dont think her tummy felt well on the ride home. We had a great couple of days with Dallas' family and friends. Wednesday night we went to Silver and met up with a bunch of his friends. I hung out with Sarah, Lindsey, April, Jennie, and a bunch of other great girls, we had such a great time! Thursday we ventured over to Dal's mom for a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner, she really is an amazing cook! After dinner we played Apples to Apples and had some great laughs. We also celebrated Dallas' youngest brother ALex's birthday on Thanksgiving! We came back to the city on Friday and Dal's brother Giles and his girlfriend Toni also came along to spend the rest of the weekend with us! Hope everyone had an amazing holiday. We missed you all back home very much, especially me! Love to all! xoxo!

Our fluffy child!

Update on our Isis. She is a very curious kitty and loves to be where we are. This morning Dallas got up @ 530am for work. She was running up and down the stairs, then back and forth back and forth. When one of us leaves she cries at the door til the other yells down to her and then she comes right up to find us. I swear she talks to us, she has the funniest meows. She plays with everything, even things that are inanimate and of no concern to anyone but her. Her favorite toy is paper! And we love playing with it with her! She is a riot. The other day she got so excited over the paper she was actually doing forward rolls! I love her to pieces and we are so happy to have gotten her.

Hanging out on the dryer door, while mom folds clothes.
Im just hanging out.
Im trying to play with nothing!

Me and my little Isis, taking pictures.

New Addition to our Family!

Well Im pretty excited. Our little family is growing! Today we bought our first pet. She is a siamese kitten and her name is Isis. I think the name suits her as she has the blue-est eyes ever, "icey". Isis was a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship was adopted by other ancient cultures such as Rome. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife, patron of nature and magic.The goddess Isis was the first daughter of Geb, god of the Earth, and Nut, the goddess of the Overarching Sky, and was born on the fourth intercalary day.Isis also is known as the goddess of simplicity, from whom all beginnings arose, and was the Lady of bread, of beer, and of green fields. In later myths, Ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile River flooded every year because of her tears of sorrow for her dead husband, Osiris, relived each year in rituals. The worship of Isis eventually spread throughout the Graeco-Roman world, continuing until the eventual abandonment of paganism in the Christian era.

Ok so I thought that was pretty interesting. She sure is quite the curious kitten! She is 5 months old and adjusting quite well. I brought her home and showed her straight to her kitty litter box. Then I decided we would walk through each room. Well she just loved our upstairs bathroom. Im not sure why but just about 5 minutes ago I found her sprawled out on the floor up there. But when we first entered she went right for the toilet. Pretty funny her paws kept slipping on the toilet seat and then she decided she wanted to climb some more thats when she almost fell in because she used the lid to boost her up and that didnt work out so well seeing that it she closed the lid and it pulled her down with it!

I was cleaning the kitchen and she wanted to be part of it all. In the dish washer, in the cabinets, on the laundry, anywhere I was, there she was! I love her already! Im very excited! She also reminds me of Snicky B. And I do miss her very much, so this is going to help. Not to mention I have been dying for a pet! Love to all!

car ride to my new home...

right before I almost fell in...

Trick or Treat @ the U!

Trick or Treat! This past friday was Halloween! My co workers and I celebrated at work with lots of food, fun, and cute children!! Here are some pictures from Friday!

Conner & me! Cutest skunk ever!

Meg & Avery The kids!!

Samie & the cutest skunk ever!

Angel & Ady

Avery, Meg, Me, Gary, & Britt
Kelli, Roylene,Meg & AveryBecca & Olivia

What we have been up to...

Dallas and I are definately enjoying the company of eachother and it feels great to finally be together, instead of on the phone all the time!

I started my job at the University of Utah hospital and I am enjoying it VERY much! The people and the hospital are amazing! Im going to be working the next 9 days and then I will be starting my normal shift of four 10 hour shifts friday-monday!

Dallas is also keeping busy at Fed Ex and is definately tired by the time Friday rolls around. He goes to bed around 8pm and gets up around 130am! (sunday-thursday) The good thing about his shift is that he is usually out around noon.

We are looking into getting a puppy!! Im really hoping everything works out. One of the radiology students at my job has a lab who hopefully had her lab puppies over the weekend, I told her to count us in for one of the puppers!

As for the new vehicles, they are amazing and we are enjoying those as well!!

All is well on the West coast.. love to all!

NEW CARS!

Dallas and I got new cars yay yay yay!! I leased the 2009 Nissan Murano and Dallas bought the New 4 dr Nissan Titan!! We are very excited! And definately a big step for my new adventure! And our new chapter in life!

Salt Lake City or Bust!

Today is the day I move to Salt Lake City, Utah! It is very exciting to be taking on a new adventure. It will be weird at first seeing that I was born and raised in Connecticut and I will always be a Connecticut girl at heart. I am ready for the move and ready to be with Dallas all the time. I will miss my family and friends so much! But we will be back to visit and our door is always open to family and friends! So make sure you all visit!

Here are a few pictures from saying goodbye!

My peanut butter sleeping.
One of the best cousins in the world, Nino and Christina!
Nutter Butter!!!

Dylan, Kody and me!
Kaiden bugger!
My Zoe lynn!
Kody and Zoe on her couch!
Aunty Mooch, Kaiden and Kody!




Love you all so very much! See you real soon!

Lake George, New York (9/4-9/7)

This past weekend my family headed to Lake George, New York for the annual Adirondack Nationals Car show. Our family and friends from all over attend this event and we have a blast every year. Even though it means that summer is coming to an end and fall is here. It sure didn't feel like that when we were roasting in 97 degree weather! The long weekend was eventful but nothing will top the fact that my dad locked the BMW keys in the trunk of the car and we have to drive half way home to meet a friend to give us the keys to drive all the way back to Lake George to get them out of the trunk.... and Triple AAA couldnt get the doors unlocked. Unreal but a life lesson for sure.

While I was in Lake George, Dallas met up with his good friend Frankie and they went Bow hunting in the mountains... they didnt kill anything... THANK GOD!

the pool at fort william henry and the lake behind it.
Barb and Eddie during the cruise!
THE MILK TRUCK WE ALL LOVE!
Ha! our old neighborhood.. our house and then aunty tams house!
my little nutter butter, nino legs, jesse's legs, and james!