THANKSGIVING USA

After a spending lovely Thanksgiving Day with Rachel, Jeff and the five boisterous Browns, a perfectly joyful bundle, where Eli had his 10th birthday, Lizzie wants to dye her hair black, Bella would eat only Balogne every day of her life, Anna can be found at any minute in a fantasy world with Barbie and Oliver has learned to pull himself up, locks his legs and stands tall and straight and then does not know the next thing to do until rescued, so he is learning slowly but surely!

I traveled with Ben and Julie about 3 hours drive from Rachel's to Indiana, to Dan and Lilon's home where I met Ariana and Derick and family and where I met Mr. Noah Merrill for the first time. He has features like his Dad and brother, especially around the eyes,

but he is much more like his mother was at that age.

He just cuddled in beside me and I loved every minute of it.

There I also had the delight of seeing how much Ms. Ingrid had grown and enjoyed the company of the skallywags Cora and Janae.

Lilon outdid herself with a turkey to die for and cranberry sause made from scratch.

Ian obviously approved!!!!

We were all playing PIT, a favorite family game, when we turned around and there he was thoroughly enjoying himself!!!

Today ... May I...

Today... May it be ab out Christ, not about me.
Today... May I lift someone up, not drag them down.
Today... May I check the mirror, before I judge others
Today... May I place another's needs before my own
Today... People are hungry, children are homeless, my troubles are small
Today... Before I say something unkind, may I put myself in their shoes
Today... May I be an ambassador for Christ in the world
Today... May I stop thinking about myself
Today... May I be Christ-like and selfless.

COUSINS YOU WOULD LOVE TO MEET

Here are pictures of cousins you may never have met but who are part of this great Family Network. The funny thing is that I grew up all my life not knowing my cousins because we had no family living in Adelaide at that time and no blog to follow with their lives. I have cousins all over the world that I would not know if I fell over them. I just thought you would like to see pictures of those cousins you might not have met.

Uncle Steve's son Levi and his wife Rebecca and children Adelaide and new Baby
Jane...They will soon be living in Senegal.

Auntie Geraldine (Smylie) Dunbar 's son Joseph and his wife Carmen and their children.
They live in Queensland, Australia. This is a Noah as well !!!!

JULIE THE CAT

Julie Merrill as the Cat with Alex the footballer.

October Breast Converence Tampa, Florida

Debbie Nooft, Dinah Merrill and Karen Coyne at the Veteran's Affairs Hospital Annual Breast Conference where we all took part in the panel discussion on Breast Cancer and the data that needs to be collected so that research can continue towards a cure.

WHAT I DID THIS WEEK

The letter will be short this week because I am trying to catch up at home with a deadline at work. What did I do this week?

Mainly I spent most of my time preparing for 2 committments on the same day as it turned out, though they were set miles apart in time. One was for the Cancer Committee which is held with about 20 physicians and administrators of which I am a part and I must report on many things going on during the last 2 months in the cancer program and I also have to take the minutes. So I am listening and reporting at the same time. I had 2 large studies to report on. I finished one covering 148 cases as to what treatment they received for their cancer and why 27 did not receive the recommended treatment. The 27 were the most controversial as I needed to get every detail of that right, for no physican wants to be the one not giving the recommended treatment. The other study was a five year lung study for the hospital which I have yet to do the final copy for. But the prelims look good.

I am not really educated in a lot of medical fields, but because the registry has to know surgical techniques, pharmacologic treatment and radiation treatment given to each patient, as well as labs and other testing, we have a complex range of knowledge and because we are the documenters we are in high demand, because our documentation is "evidence" that we are a high quality facility and that eventually means money in the physician's pocket because patients want to come to the best facilites and insurance companies want to pay for the best treatment, so suddenly we are in high demand because of our analysis of the data. I am not really as educated as I would like to be, but I have the experience in this field to show others how to garner the data and analyze it for treatment planning and marketing etc. Not a lot of power by myself, but the data is very powerful, so knowing how to get it right becomes very necessary. Things are changing so much with the human genome recognition, we can have targeted therapy depending on the genetic makeup of a person, so the documenter of the patient's picture becomes very important. Anyway for this reason I was asked to speak at a conference of physicians, nurses and registrars at the Veterans Hospital over a 2 day period. I only had to speak on one of the days :) So as soon as the Committee meeting was over I hopped in my car and sped off to the most lovely setting of the Hyatt Hotel that overlooks the Tampa Bay and took part in the conference.

But I was on pins and needles the whole time because Ariana had gone in to have her baby that morning and I was waiting all day to hear that Noah was here and me wanting to hop on a plane and go see her. He is definitely a little Merrill - a miniture Ariana as she looked when she was born. I am back to normal now with a more manageable schedule with only 2 more deadlines to meet by November 17th when we will have an audit.

Meantime, I am learning all about cub scouts, teaching in Primary and generally enjoying many a girl's night out. I am looking forward to seeing you all at Thanksgiving. We have much hugs and kisses to exchange. Love to each of your lovely faces. xxoxoox Mum

NOAH ARTHUR #10

Well, Noah Arthur Graf was born on October 14, 2010 and I was on pins and needles all day. I was to speak in a conference and could hardly restrain myself from hopping on a plane to be there at his birth. All is well. He is here. He has beautiful brown hair. His picutres can be seen at http://www.bellababyphotography.com/. I will post picutres once I have some to post. Ariana is tired but well and Derick is on top of the world. I just love his name. It is so manly.

GRAND BABIES GALORE

This is INGRID ELAINE MERRILL, 9th grand child to Ken Merrill and Dinah Smylie Merrill, and is the daughter of Danial Merrill and Lilon (Bunn) Merrill. If you are wondering why I am puting her geneaologic line here, it is because in 10 years time or 20 years, everone is going to say, who does Ingrid belong to again. This happens with the Soininen girls. My children are always trying to put Auntie Chris's girls and Auntie Shelly's girls with the right mother, not to mention their children with the right grandparents. Ingrid has 2 siblings, Janae and Cora. She was born to a very tiny mother but was a huge healthy girl. Huge is right 11 lb 3 oz. But she needed to be a large healthy child so that Janae and Cora could not break her so easily, for they do lots of holding and covering up and "taking care of" little Ingrid. We think she is going to be a real red head. Lets hope her dad is prepared for 3 firey daughters when they reach their teens.

The Baby Flipped

I got a phone call last week from Ariana to tell me the baby was lying Transverse (which means across the womb from side to side) and that the doc was planning a C section if the baby did not turn to head down position. Well I come from good old Irish stock and somewhere had listened to all the stories that pass around in the family from time to time. Says I to Ariana, "You have to do flips and flip the baby". We laughed and laughed envisioning her on the trampoline and all sorts of things. But Ariana assured me it was not so far fetched and that she had heard incidences of this before and that she would go down to the swimming pool and do flips every day and would move on her hands and knees. (I suppose this confuses the baby as to which way is up :) or perhaps there is a more scientific formula like inertia and relativity, but not being a scientist, I will go with confused swimmer!) Happy ending is that the baby flipped and now has his head down and she will not have to have a C-section. I hope he is as good a spelunkar as he is a swimmer. (A spelunkar is a person who gets into and out of small spaces, like caves, very well)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

She is far away and I miss her so, and I follow her with all her friends on facebook and these two pictures popped up and I just loved them, so since it will be Halloween in about 25 days, I thought I would just put them in my journal of life and wish all an early Happy Halloween!!!!!

10 More Things I Love ...

11. The way a crane stands very still and waits while you pass.
12. The smell of barbeque on a summer night
13. Wassal at Christmas time.
14. A wee voice saying "Hi Granny"
15. Fresh tomatoes with salt and pepper.
16. The smell of sun-dried bed sheets.
17. Newly baked bread
18. The smell of a sun-warmed peach.
19. The beauty of a hoar frost.
20. The silence of the forest.

10 THINGS I LOVE

1. The smell of a baby after a bath.
2. The feel of a newborn's cheek.
3. The earthy smell just after rain.
4. A field of sunflowers
5. The beach on a misty morning.
6. Airports, everyone is looking forward to something, either going or coming.
7. A good belly laugh, either within myself or to hear someone else really laughing.
8. The smell of a pinewood fire on a cold snowy night.
9. A star filled sky to sleep under.
10. When the voice on the end of the phone says "Hi Mum"

Cora turns 2

I love Skype because I can hear my little Cora say "Bye Granny" from some 1000 miles away before she goes to bed the night before she turns 2 years of age. Everything is wonderful in her eyes and all is new and exciting and to be explored. She loves her little sister Ingrid and her big sister Janae.

Meet Ariana, REGISTERED NURSE

In 2005 Ariana called me from Utah and says she "I think I want to go to nursing school." Says I, "Okay, come home to Greenville, live with me and I will help you achieve that goal if you go to the local nursing school at Edison College." When she graduated at the end of 2 years Mr. Ian Graf had been cooking for 8 months and was nearly ready for delivery, and now as you can see, Mr ______Graf has been cooking for 8 months or so and is ready for delivery. Anyways, last Friday Ariana called me distressed because she just KNEW she had failed her exams. The online examination computer had closed down after she had answered 75 questions. The computer is programed to stop if the student is not doing well and it is useless to go on OR if the student is answering so well that it is useless to go on for all 240 questions!!!!!. After a cruel weekend, Ariana called the testing company and they informed her she had PASSED. So she can now officially sign RN after her name. Congratulations darlin'. You deserve every bit of that title!!!!!

SUMMER IS SO MUCH FUN

Oliver gets a haircut (and grows another inch!!!)


This is Eli and Oliver - Rachel's oldest and youngest


Ingrid, 11 lb 3 oz "wonder baby" only a few days old...


Dan's Cora and Janae


Oliver and his curls being gelled


Lizzy

Bella

Anna

Lizzy

Rachel's crew at the swimming pool

I did not take some of these pictures, but wanted to add them to my lovely quilt of life. They are some of my adorable grandchildren in all their summer glory 2010. I am richly blessed

I just love this photo and wanted it as part of my journal in life. Matty and his new Fiance Freja Cross. I think Matty looks so happy. I can not wait to go meet Freja and all the family in November.

PRIMARY ACTIVITY DAY

Tug-o-war, marbles, bandanas, crossing the plains, and learning about our pioneer heritage within the church was our Primary Activity Day. We had hot dogs and all things kid-food and enjoyed the whole morning. Jan Fleck, my Primary President, is an awesome woman. She really planned most of this and it went off very well.

PAINTING WITH JESSIE

Last week end I also had the wonderful opportunity of spending time with Jessie and doing come creative artwork with acrylic paints. We really enjoy making a picture together. Then this Friday night I went over again and Jess and I did some stencil work. It is fun to just relax with Donna and Jess and do a little creative stuff on the side.

TOUCHED BY BRILLIANT COLORS

Last weekend I went with my friend Vickie Enger to the Leepa-Rattner Art Museum in Tarpon Springs, Florida and I was amazed at the paintings. Rattner was a jew in Paris and was caught up in the fiasco of Hitler and the jewish people. He had established a reputation as quite an artist in Paris and Europe, with Picaso and friends of that time. He had to flee France as the Nazi's advanced. He fled eventually to America where he began to paint again. Only 8 of his original paintings pre Hitler have survived. But his other works on this side of the globe have been preserved. He hated war and what mankind do to mankind and these are two pieces of his artwork that moved me.

I was blown away by his bold use of color and how it affected my emotions.

IAN AND OLIVER TURN ONE YEAR OLD

A little over one year ago I had a dilemma, "How do I tell my boss I need to be in Ohio in June and then again in July? Then as soon as I mentioned Grand-babies, he understood!
Funny how that is. Everybody loves babies and Grand-babies are the best babies of all.

THE NEW MOVIE AVITAR

I am not usually a fan of Science Fiction and I usually do not endorse trendy pictures. However, I did enjoy Avitar and was facinated by the computer graphics and amazed at the scenery. Then I realized at the end of the movie that my facination with the scenery might have had a feeling of familiarity to me because a lot of it was shot in New Zealand, one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and you all know my love of the Land of Arohanui. I can see why they won Acadamy Awards. I think we will probably see more of these "people" in a sequel.

MISS MATILDA MAE SMYLIE ARRIVES

In case the Merrill family did not get a chance to see the latest on the Jake and Sarah Smylie branch, who are now resident in Utah, this is the latest addition to the Smylie Clan, Miss Matilda Mae Smylie, nearly 10 lb in weight and full head of black hair. This is Sarah and Jake's 4th little girl. Their names are Grace, Rosie, Lillie and now lovely Matilda. I love all these names. I just wanted to have a place for her in my blog as well as my heart.

MISS LIZZY BROUGHT US ALL TOGETHER

On May 15, 2010 Miss Lizzy entered the waters of baptism. This is her posing in her beautiful dress. When I arrived at Rachel's house on 14th, she explained to me that she had wanted to have an heirloom dress to pass from girl to girl and that she had bought the material and cut out the dress and that she was hoping to sew it as a surprise for Lizzy. (A white dress on a kitchen table with five small children under foot! You could never say Rachel is not ambitious!) So while the children slept she and I sewed the dress and kept it a surprise from Lizzy until she had to try it on just before putting the zip in the back.

Now the zip is a story in itself. Rachel had bought an invisible zip, then she found out you had to have a special foot for your machine to put it in. So she bought the foot and worked out how to fit it to her machine. She then had to work out how to put the zip in. Lots of study and measuring and in goes the zip at about 2:00 a.m. Anyway, we were good to go! Sunday on goes the beautiful dress and before we leave for church I took all these lovely photos of Lizzy in her dress for posterity.

Now back to the zip... Lizzy goes up to the front of the chapel and is introduced by the Bishop and lookes angelic in her lovely new dress. She then returns to her seat and bends over to pick up a toy for Oliver and THERE GOES THE ZIP! The teeth opened and would not go back in line together. Finally Jeff had to take Lizzy home to change.

Rachel says she will fix the dress "sometime before Bella is baptized!"

This is Lizzy right after her baptizm and that is her cousin Janae standing beside her. The pink dress she is wearing was sewn for her by her Grandma "Suebrown" who is such a great Grandma to have close by.

SASSY AND DAN

Who would ever guess that these two just love being together?

NUMBER ONE DAUGHTER AND FAMILY

Number one daughter, Rachel, is married to Jeff and they have the joy of Elijah, Lizzy, Bella, Anna and the latest tumbling bundle - Oliver.

Rachel is an accomplished person in her own right, being able to play the piano, is college eduated, able to sew and cook very well, as well as serve a mission in Arizona. However, her greatest joy is written on her face in this photo, she loves her familiy. She will tirelessly wash, clean, nurse, bath, polish, garden, teach and guide and quite often, all at the same time (no kidding!). I had the privilege of staying in her noisy, joy-filled home this weekend and you honestly could never get bored around such large spirits in such little bodies. I love them dearly and cherish the value of family when I am with them and long for them when I am not.

Oliver does have a birth defect which is called Dysgenesis Corpus Colosum - (DCC) which means one side of his brain has trouble communicating with the other side of his brain. This can affect his motor skills, slow his learning skills and cause other problems. Right now he is very interactive and can certainly "tell" you how he is feeling, but he is slower in his motor skills. Having said that, he has worked out a way to get around, he has not connected all the skills involved in crawling yet, but he realizes that if he wants something he can throw his hips from one side to the other, roll over and "Bob's Your Uncle!" get anywhere he wants to. So although his mile markers cannot be measures as other children's are, (you know doing this by this age and this by this age), Olie, I think will work these things out in his own time. He has been placed in the right family who love him and will get him all the things he needs. The truth is, we really do not know what Olie may or may not accomplish in his lifetime. We just know that he is the sweetest, lovingest litte guy who has come to bless our family.
The children in order ....Elijah, Lizzy, Bella, Anna, and Oliver .