The Mergenthaler Family

Bikes + Bunjee Cords + Creativity + Sunshine = Good Times on the Mergenthaler Express

What's new from Andrew's closet? I know you are dying to find out! Actually, you may be worn out on these episodes, but the combinations Andrew comes up with (completely on his own) never cease to amaze me. Here we go . . . . Outfit #1: On top is a fire truck pajama shirt topped by a button up plaid shirt. On the bottom is a simple pair of jean shorts. To make the outfit, more exciting, add an orange and blue jacket (wearing only the hood, of course). Make sure the snap is hanging down between your eyes to accentuate the symmetry of your face. Outfit #2: There isn't much to say about the clothes here--a green polo and navy blue pants. The accessories, on the other hand, are simply fab! If it is sunny outside (or not), add a tractor hat and you're ready to go! Put your sunglasses on crooked for effect, and you will be irresistible to the ladies.

1. You are a hard worker. Whatever you put your mind to, you are dedicated to the very end. 2. You tell me I look pretty even when I my hair is crazy and I haven't worn makeup in days. 3. You are a great father. Our children love and adore you and you love and adore them. You treat them with kindness and respect and help them to see and achieve their potential. 4. You make me laugh. Who doesn't need a good laugh--even when the reason is a very stupid one. 5. You have a positive attitude. You are rarely grumpy towards me, and when I am not being kind, you find ways to cheer me up or ease my burdens. 6. You offer me back rubs even when you are exhausted and probably more deserving of a back rub yourself. 7. We work well together. 8. You are handsome, and you smell good. 9. You are romantic. You hold my hand, make a special effort to sit by me or be in the same room as me, and take me on dates. 10. You have a good, solid testimony and you are constantly aware of how you can becom...

Kalona, IA is a Mennonite (Amish) settlement just 25 minutes from our house. This place is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit for food storage items, fresh produce, and a fun atmosphere. Visiting on Mondays is especially fun because it is laundry day. I don't know why it is so funny to me to see laundry out on lines blowing in the wind, but you have to admit-- it is kind of funny to see people hanging out their underwear for all to see. Anyway, yesterday I went with a couple of friends to the Frytown Produce Auction run by Yoder Auction Services. We had a great time and got some really nice flowers. I forgot my camera, so took some pictures of our goods when we got home. To give you an idea of this experience, here's what we did. We went to fairly large warehouse where they have tons of flats/pots/baskets/boxes of plants, vegetable starts, flowers, and produce on display for the auction. The auctioneer moves around the warehouse auctioning these things off in b...

We had a great time with the last of our string of visitors when Danny and Kelly came to visit us last week. We had a lot of fun with them and hope they had a good time too. Playing tether ball with somebody as tall as my brother is no small challenge, but Emily was determined to "verse him" (direct quote). Makayla tried, but decided the best she could do was stand and watch the ball go around the pole. We visited Rick in "the city." Rick took us to a sandwich place he goes to for lunch. It was a cute little restaurant. We also walked down by the river to see the sites. The girls talked Danny and Kelly into going ice skating with them. Uncle Danny read tons of stories to the kids. We enjoyed the visit and look forward to seeing them again soon. After Uncle Danny left, Ricky asked, "Who's coming next?" He had gotten used to having somebody come visit every few weeks. Unfortunately, I think that's it for the summer, but who knows. If ...

I thought you'd like to see the boys blowing out their candles. Andrew's strategy for blowing out the candles is funny. In Ricky's video, pay attention to his face. Ricky has always been better at communicating with body language than with words. There's nothing like the look on a child's face when they are the center of attention (in a good way). Everybody should feel that special more than once a year. Don't forget to pause the music at the bottom of the page . . . you defintely don't want to miss out on our beautiful singing voices.

Ricky and Andrew's birthdays are three days apart and usually fall around the weekend of Mother's Day. I feel so blessed to have these boys in our family! What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to celebrate the birth of a child (or two)? Andrew's birthday was on Saturday. It was a very busy day (as Saturdays usually are). I was involved in a Stake Relief Society activity for most of the day, so Rick stayed home with the kids. The house was sparkling clean when I got home (the perfect Mother's Day gift). I dread cleaning bathrooms and Rick got through most of them before I got back. Because he worked so hard on the house, the yard work was left until later that afternoon. Just mowing our yard takes around 2 hours. The kids love riding on the lawn mower with Dad, but when he has kids on with him, he drives slower, which makes mowing the yard take longer. It is worth it for the fun they have. With everything we had going on Saturday, Andrew's birthday was ...

Last Saturday, the Primary children had a really cute talent show for their quarterly activity. It was really cute and fun to watch because it was only kids and, therefore, short and sweet. The girls did a dance to violin music (played by a friend), and Ricky showed off his basketball skills. Ricky's performance was very last minute. I hadn't planned on him doing anything, but when he got to the activity, he informed the primary president that he would be dribbling a basketball for his talent. I was impressed by his last minute performance and his friends all thought he was the coolest basketball player there. Before you watch the videos, you might want to go down to the bottom of the blog page and pause the other music.

I have decided there is no way I can keep my blog posts up to date with Andrew's varying outfits. I don't always take a picture of what he has worn, either. When Rick helps Andrew with his pajamas, Andrew ends up with some pretty crazy stuff. Rick just lets him get whatever he wants out of the pajama drawer and layers him up with mismatched items. I don't really have any pictures of bedtime attire, but I do have a few recent outfits to display. He is hilarious! Take a look! The Easter Bunny brought Andrew a Cars chef hat and apron. Here, Andrew is wearing a "Build-a-Bear" shirt on his head. Andrew insisted on wearing one of the girls' hats backwards (see the tage sticking out by his eye). He also has a pair of pajama shorts around his neck. I was trying to get the girls to school, so he went like that. OK, the sunglasses don't really fit in this category, but it was a cute picture.

Our visit from Anjee, Jeremy, and Josh was the highlight of the month of April. Other than visiting the Handcart park and the Children's Museum, here are a few other things we did: Somehow, a few weeks ago, Ricky found my old "New Kids On the Block" CD. The kids love it and play it over and over and over again. I will admit that I often sing along at the top of my lungs, but I am a little embarrassed when the kids set the CD player up on the back porch and serenade unsuspecting trail-walkers. On Saturday morning, we had our own little indoor performance. The kids used to love dancing and singing to music at Aunt Anjee's house, so this was just like old times! Later that afternoon, we went swimming at a local pool. This was the beginning of our "trouble makers" streak. Ricky got in trouble for trying to use the paddle boards that were intended for "lap swimmers ONLY!" Rick (who met us at the pool after work) was reprimanded for wearing his normal ...