Brett & Jennifer

Brett & Jenn

Alex

Alex

Channer

Channer

Kade

Kade

Grandpa with his Namesake

Channer Floyd Burton

Memories of G&G Merrill:

I have so many wonderful memories of my Grandma and Grandpa Merrill.  I remember Grandma letting Kelly and I play punching bag on her arms, hiding inside the hide-a-bed, and playing in the water as grandpa irrigated the yard with long, orange hoses.  I loved looking through Grandpa's books and watching Grandma take stats for two or three baseball games at a time.  Taking the long trek to King's was not an uncommon walk for us as kids either.  I remember the heater in the basement and the yellow tree wall.  When I went to Ecuador on my mission, I was told that I would never find better bread - it didn't even compare to a warm slice of grandpa bread with melted butter.

Most of the grandchildren were frunpstidoos and good do bee (not dont bees). We also learned that the proper way to spell kghkkgch is T-H-A-T. Over the years we reached higher and higher on grandpa's buttons, and we could always touch our elbows around his neck.

I can remember one day, as a very young child, telling my mom that I wanted to go see Grandma.  To my surprise, she took me (I don't remember how far away we lived - either Pocatello, Eagle, or Boise).  Grandma took me to a fast food restaurant for lunch.  What a lucky boy I was that day.  Another time, Kelly and I weren't so lucky.  Grandma thought that we would look good with flat-top haircuts.  She thought that the hair style was called "a butch."  So we went to the barber shop and I sat in the chair while Kelly waited.  The barber asked how short it should be, and Grandma replied, "half an inch or so."  My little heart sank as the clippers chopped my hair the shortest it had ever been.  Kelly was nice enough to say that he liked it and got one, too.  

Some of my 'sunniest' memories are of Easter egg hunts in Grandma and Grandpa's back yard.  Some of the most exhilarating memories are centered around being allowed to light the fireworks in the same back yard on the 4th of July.  Some of my warmest memories were spent around a small card table during Thanksgiving.  I always wanted to sit at the big kid table, but the bigger I got, the bigger the other kids got, too.  I do remember - with childhood excitement - that I was able to sit at the big kids' table a couple of times.  I remember rubber band guns that Grandpa cut with his band saw.  Birthday $2 bills were always stashed away because they were 'rare.'  And do I have any of those bills anymore?  No.  Now I can't wait for Christmas Snickers.

When Jennifer and I were dating, going to Grandma and Grandpa's house was bitter-sweet.  Bitter because I almost lost her - she fell in love with Grandpa.  Sweet because she could only have Grandma and Grandpa if she married me.  So she agreed.  Ever since then, Grandma and Grandpa have given us the example of what we want to have after we've grown old together.  We want to have a warm, welcome home where children and grandchildren feel nothing by welcoming love when they come in the door.  We want a cozy home, like the one that Grandma and Grandpa have.  

Our children love visiting.  Alex likes playing with toys downstairs and eating such wonderful food.  They love freezing in Christmas Town while waving to Santa turns on the lights.  Channer loves being the same age as Grandpa (they were born the same day) and is proud to carry his name.  What a great example for our family to have.  

We love you two sooooo much.  Thank you for being you.

Brett, Jenn, Alex, Channer, and Kade