Getting our Tree

My first real tree. That I have cut down. Well, seen cut down. The following pictures are Scott cutting down our great tree...and the after pictures of the decorated tree.









This is Happy Scott, posing to take a picture to satisfy me.










Our pretty tree, almost all the way down!











And the tree all done!

Black Friday...aptly named.

Well, the day started off crazy. I had to work. At 5. I didn't even know there was one of those in the morning.

The doors opened as I got there.
I have never seen so many people move that fast.

About half way through the day, all associates got called into the break room, and we learned of the tragic death of a fellow associate in the New York/New Jersey store. After opening the door for the crazy people, they trampled him to death. It was a sad day, after that.

Anyway, after a trying day....I get picked up by Scott to go to the Jazz game! That was fun..

There was a heated verbal team spirit argument between an 11 year old jazz fan and an 11 year old kings fan (ages are guessed to protect the true identities). After one would yell "Go Jazz!" there would be a resounding "Go Kings!" or my favorite, "Come on Jazz, we have faith in you!"
It was entertaining, and it lasted the entire game!

Thanksgiving Feast--or Fiasco?

Who was I kidding, making my own Thanksgiving dinner. There was the stuffing, and the potatoes, and the corn, and the rolls, and can't forget the turkey. All of these expectations to uphold. If I ruined this dinner.....what would become of my cooking reputation?

Heehee, just joking. Thanksgiving was great! The turkey was really good, and yes, with only two people and one helping each, we are up to our ears in left-overs. And I made everything that I was used to having on Thanksgiving. Scott was in for a real treat with my grandmother's (I don't know what recipe belonged to who...so for the sake of argument, grandmothers is now a collective noun) corn pudding and potato casserole.

It was fun. It was fattening. (And I am never wearing that shirt in front of a camera again.) (Promise.)

Headline...DRY ICE BOMBS FRIGHTEN TRICK-OR-TREATERS

Yesterday as the nation began its preparations for the scary holiday, one group of people, too old to trick-or-treat, too young to have their own trick-or-treaters, waited in anticipation. A party was planned, that included caramel apple making, game playing, movie watching, the usual as parties go. But this party was different. The treat part of Halloween flying from their minds, the men in the party decided to steal the dry ice that was used as a decoration for the limeade juice (made to look as if bubbling over) to make dry ice bombs.
As any good boy scout knows, always be prepared, and when the time came to look for a bottle to make the bomb, one boy, John Gillman, supplied the rest of the men, Trent Simmons and Scott Merkley, with enough bottles to take on Japan.
Gillman brought in the bottles, Simmons filled them with water, Merkley added ice. Then the group waited. There was a loud explosion. There was laughter. Then in the midst of it all, headlights could be seen and a car door slam could be heard.
Then, another bang. Looking at each other...all knowing what the other was thinking...."we didn't throw another bomb.." went out to the front yard to cautiously look around.
The trash can, which was housed at the end of our driveway, was careened out of position. Top off and on its side, it appears to have been hit by the terrified father of the young trick-or-treaters that were deceived by the porch light which had remained on.
With the thought of the dry ice bomb in their minds and the trick-or-treaters leaving fresh in their thoughts, I think the group has learned its lesson.

Don't leave your trash can at the end of the driveway, someone could hit it.

I Hate Haunted Walk-throughs

Well, for starters, I got a job! Yay! So if you are ever in Vernal, come by the frozen department! I work in zero degrees. Fun. The good news is that I will be ready for Rexburg weather.

Speaking of Rexburg, Scott and I can go to school...with the bill paid for by the feds!! Interesting bit'o'info: the apartment complex sent back our application because we didn't add landlord information to it. Good grief. This is the same lady who keeps only four hours a week in the office. Lets not even go there.

Yesterday Scott and I went to Lagoon Frightmares. I got two free tickets from work for free and we traveled to Salt Lake. The rides were awesome. The weather was great. The candy apple I begged for was delicious, and went right to my hips. The lines were horrible. And I cried, I was so scared at the stupid walk-through. It's like they preyed on me. Scott said that I looked too scared, and they just had a field day. Well good for them. Tomorrow for family home evening we are going to go the corn maize. So that will be fun. As long as I don't psych myself out. But it was totally fun!

Now what?

For those of you who don't know me very well...I love to read. I love reading. But, now that I am finished with the Twilght books, what do I read now? Now what? Nothing I tell you. After them, there is nothing that compares. I will have to start my love of reading all over again.

See Spot run......

See Dick play. See Jan laugh.....

Other news: I know you don't believe us, but Scott and I actually did get a lot out of conference, regardless of the wonderful picture of us on Stephanie's blog. Just for the record.

I have been able to get a job. You are looking at the new ICS member of the Wal-mart group. Yipee. Pretty much I get to walk around and fix everything. I am a perfectionist so getting paid over $10 to work on my OCD is great. And because everywhere in Vernal is hard pressed for people to work, I got to pick my own hours. So that was wonderful.

Scott and I are going to have a haunted dinner Halloween party. If any of you have any ideas for scary dishes that I can serve to four men who work hard labor jobs (translation: very hungry boys) and their wives, it would be awesome!!

Torn between two worlds

Well, as you know now, Scott and I went to Colorado to spend some time with Josh and Amanda and Addy. The trip was planned around a hike up the highest flippin mountain in Colorado...a height that sea-level loving me only had attained in planes, with the aid of motion sickness pills. After huffing and puffing up the base of the first false summit, the clouds changed our minds and path for us, and we started the laborious process of the climb down. Had I know how hard the climb down would have been, I would have never went up that high. But overall, that world of high heights, great views, and my over active pulse is calling me again, I would love to go back.....

But there is another world that I have immediately become sucked into. Why didn't anyone force me to read the Twilight books earlier??? I started the first one yesterday (Wednesday), and am now done with it and the second one. Steph and I are currently sharing the series, and I hope that she is done with the third. I am going to make banana bread in hopes of bartering for the third one. Thanks so much Emily for getting me all interested.

There is still no hope on the job front. I can't tell you how many times I have heard the phrase, We'll call you....Thankfully, Scott and I have recently acquired a new addition to our little family that we will have to return when we go back to school, but that's okay, she is fun while she is here. Her name is Ellie and she is a mix...of....of...two kinds of dogs, that I am sure of. She is a ball of energy, and adores Scott.....

Cows on the move

Yay, just like home, I got to move cows on Saturday. It was great. There are some really cool looking ones out there. There is a calf that looks like a zebra, and one that looks like a sheep, and a brown and white one that looks like a toasted marshmallow. I'll get some pictures of them and post them.

The Rains came down

WOW!! It started raining last night, and at 1:30 in the afternoon, it is continuing to do so! Not like a gross "the sky is spitting" rain, but a tried and true rain!!

Civilzation at Last

On Friday I entered civilization. Well, Vernal. I went with Scott, and we were going to go get my lisence, and much to my chagrin, the DMV is closed on Fridays. So, I went to the library, and stayed there for about three hours, until Scott's friend's wife, Bridget got off of work (lucky). Oh! And I applied for a job, at a scrapbook place that was in desparate need of being organized. So Bridget and I head out to the job that our husbands are working on....this huge fence, like 1,000 ft of it, and decided to take them slushies, which we proceeded to drink all of while watching them strain in the heat. It was a good thought.
After going out to dinner, Scott and I came back to the house and I convinced him to take us camping in the most awesome tent I have ever seen...now 9:00 at night. So we go, and it was awesome! We used our super cool marshmallow stick things, and make smores (which I seemed to have misplaced the other chocolate bars..) and had a good time.

Life in the Dell

So far, I have been pretty bored.....just laundry, cooking, and thank-you cards to occupy my time...I hope to go and get a job this week, as well as a new license......
The weather here is....dry...go figure. I guess I now fully understand the meaning of desert. I can't wait until it gets cold and the view is covered in snow!
I made my firs post office run today. I walked in, the lady looked at me and turned around and didn't say anything. My shy self didn't say anything either, yeah right...I introduced myself as Brandee Merkley, and that I needed stamps. She looked at me like, no duh. Well, only like three more runs to the post office and I should have thanked everyone for making my day special...maybe next time I can make her smile...

Pass go, collect $200

Well, as Scott and I began our life together, we were given an abundance of presents, and all of which are happily awaiting their thank-you cards. We are in Washington, D.C. right now, my sweetie of a husband bringing me here because I wanted to get married in this temple. He decided it would be a great honeymoon, and I totally agree. We went shopping yesterday in the biggest mall I have ever been in...it just went on and on, like the stinkin desert (for you movie watchers, that was from Tall Tale, not a bash at the desert). Today we are going to the temple, and then on to the Smithsonian and other places I have always wanted to go to.
I am so blessed to be with Scott. He is my dream guy. Strong, both spiritually and physically (wow! muscles!) He is patient and sweet. Oh I love him!