EVERYONE'S GONE!

Yup, that's right - NO RELATIVES ARE HERE! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE having relatives here, but we've had people here since June 4 (with a short 2 week break at the end of June). I just need a break! We had a busy summer with grandparents visiting, and nephews visting. We went to Tahoe, and did lots and lots of day trips. I'm BEAT. It's not that we did all that much this summer, I think that it was having to be away from the house all day (most days) of the week with two kids. I'm so looking forward to school beginning in two weeks!

Getting back on the Saddle (so to speak)

Well, to say that my last blog was a long time ago is quite an understatement. So much has happened since then - but for most people, a lot DOES happen in almost two years, so I guess I better start.

When I last left off, Madison had just begun preschool, we had just purchased our home in Tahoe and had an addition to our family - Ollie.

Let's see...what's happened in two years? Well, we added another member to the Miller Family - Samantha Noelle. She was born March 5, 2009. You would never know by the picture above, but she weighed in at a whopping 5 lbs 13 ozs and she was 19 in. in length. She dropped weight, as most babies do. At her lowest, she was 5 lbs 1 oz. She was SO TINY! She was actually the size of Madison's baby dolls! She is such a blessing. She absolutely makes our family complete! The first six weeks of her life were a bit trying. She was tongue tied at birth, so her first few days of life, she was fed with a syringe. After her tongue was fixed, she didn't take to nursing very well. Thankfully I knew from experience that the first few weeks are trying to say the least. She finally did figure out the nursing thing, and we're going strong at 4 1/2 months. For about the first six weeks of her life she slept on my chest, and I slept on the couch. She definitely had her days and nights mixed up. Then (just like her big sister) the night before she turned six weeks old she slept from 12 am to 6 am. I thought that I was in HEAVEN! Who knew that almost six hours of uninterrupted sleep could feel so good? Thankfully she never looked back! Now she sleeps from about 10 pm until about 7 am. Its wonderful! She's also about doubled her weight. At her 4 month appointment she weighed 11 lbs 2 ozs and she was 23 inches in length. She's still quite a peanut! She recently (about 5 weeks ago) graduated from newborn clothes to 0-3 months clothes. I'm definitely not complaining. It's much easier to carry around an 11 pound baby than a 15-16 pound baby! As much as the last 4 1/2 months have seemed to drag on, they also seem to have flown by. My precious little baby is now playing in her exersaucer

and interacting with her big sister. Sami absolutely ADORES Madi! I think that they're going to be great friends! Having two little girls is WONDERFUL (remind me of this in 14 years when they're 18 and 14!

As for Madison here I sit 5 weeks from the beginning of her last year of preschool. In a prior blog I was hesitant for school to start - now fast forward 2 years, and I can't wait for school to start! Madison still attends Los Altos Christian Preschool. She absolutely loves it. She has asked several times this summer about her teachers, and friends. She's very excited to start another year, but she doesn't like the fact that she will have to give up her weekly play dates. She is such a social butterfly. She makes friends wherever she goes - and it's no lie - TRUST ME (maybe she is a lot like me - HAHA! So for Madison, not too much has changed in the past two years. She is one of those kids that wakes up every morning asking what we are doing for that particular day (i.e., what fun thing are we doing today mommy?) She is in gymnastics and ballet, and she enjoys both of them. Here is a picture of my little ballerina:

She is quite the smart little cookie.

Daniel is doing well and working away - that's one thing that hasn't changed in the past two years :) Well, I guess since I've written a ton, it's time to get back to the real world. The dirty kitchen and laundry are calling my name!

So many things

It's been a while since I've blogged and I'm feeling a bit guilty. I wanted this blog to be an easier form of journaling, since it's hard for me to find the time to sit down and physically write what's going on in my daily life. I thought that it would be much easier to type my all of my thoughts and feelings down. I guess I was wrong. Oh well. Here goes try #2. Since my last blog, my daughter has grown in more ways then I can even count. She had her first day of school. Here's the picture of her on her very first day of school. I can't believe that the little girl that I gave birth to less than three years ago is going to school. I know that I'm a little bit biased, but I think that she's the cutest preschooler ever. She had a blast on her first day. She didn't even want to leave. The second day (the first day that I left) was a different story. She cried. I sobbed. I think that she cried less than I did (which is probably a good thing) but it was hard to leave her. I don't think that it was the fact that I was leaving her in the care of someone else, but the fact that my little girl is growing up. She will always be my baby girl, but she's now a preschooler - not even a toddler. She's now beginning to form opinions that are all her own. Thankfully it only took her three days of me leaving her before she stopped crying. She now loves to go to school and even asks to go on the weekends or days that we don't go. She loves her teachers, her friends and everything about school. She is so proud when she brings home a project. I'm so glad that she loves school. I know that the days are going to come when she doesn't even want to go, so I'm thankful that at least for now, I don't have to force her to go.

Another thing that has happened is that we got a new puppy. His name is Ollie. He's a red toy poodle. He can be a bit of a bruiser, thankfully he's so adorable, that you look past that. He loves to antagonize Mikie. I feel so bad. Mikie was just beginning to get along with Madison. Madi pulled on his hair and ears when she was a baby and toddler, and now that Madi's older, she finally understood that she couldn't pull Mikie's hair or ears. They were beginning to get along, and life was good, and now Mikie is having his ears bit and chased after by Ollie. I think that the two of them have a love/hate relationship. They love playing with each other, but as soon as one of them gets in the other's way - forget about it. It's DogWar 3 here at our house. Hopefully soon things will be back to normal around here.

And if that isn't enough, Lovee and I decided that we would take the plunge and buy a new house in Lake Tahoe. I love this house! It's so beautiful. God is so good. He has blessed us beyond measure. I can't believe it. We just got back from our first decorating adventure. We took the in laws and let me say they were a huge help. We got so much done. All of the furniture (with the exception of two twin mattresses, one nightstand and sectional couch) has been delivered and is in place. The kitchen is about 95% furnished, and we just need to purchase some more linens, some window treatments, and do a little bit of decorating, and it will be ready to rent out. I am so nervous that we won't be able to rent it out. But thankfully God knew about all of that when He gave us the opportunity to purchase it. I can't wait to go up and be able to ski the beautiful mountains and enjoy the house. I can't wait!

So, that's the happenings of this mommy in the last few months. Hopefully I'll get more thoughts down on paper and I can continue my journaling goal.

~JRM

Does it Ever Stop?

I'm wondering if life ever slows down? I can't believe how fast the summer has gone. Lovee's nephews were here all summer, we had a great time with them, and Madi had an awesome summer. She found her love of roller coasters, the beach, and she has really developed into her own person. In the midst of the summer, we finally finished our kitchen. Now we're working on whole house audio/visual stuff. I can't believe that one week from tonight I will be getting my little princess ready for her first day of preschool. It seems like just yesterday I was talking to the registrar at her school and thinking that this day would never get here...now it's less than a month away. Why do I get the feeling that i'm gonna blink and she's going to be going to kindergarten,then first grade, then junior high, high school and then college? I pray that it slows down a little big so that I can enjoy her more.

Contentment

After a long week that took us from a 36 hour trip in Las Vegas to meetings, dinner and an overnight stay at Santana Row, to watching our nephews for a few days, I am so glad to be at home with just my husband and daughter. No inlaws, family or friends (not that I don't love them all dearly - I do). It is just nice to be at home with out any one else around. Last night was glorious. Daniel made dinner on the grill, then we put Madi to bed, and enjoyed the quiet of our own family room watching Flip That House. We then took a late night dip in the jacuzzi that was absolutely incredible. Today has been just as relaxing, I just did some laundry and enjoyed being with my daughter. This is what bliss truly is!

Fourth of July Celebration

My fourth of July celebration was great! I am so thankful to live in a country where we have the freedoms that we do. We all know about them, so I don't need to repeat them, but I think that so often we forget that we live in a great country. Take away all of the politics, and drama that's going on right now, and get down to the point. We live in a phenomenal country that was founded on the very best principle's. I was overcome with joy at just participating in a neighborhood parade, seeing sheer excitement on my daughter's face as she waved her flag as it passed in front of us and spendidng quality time with my husband and daughter. I do have to say that I wish that my pap was still alive and could have been there at the parade. He loved parades....everything about them from the grandeour to the simplicity. From the floats to the kids laughing and waving. From the bands playing to the cheerleaders cheering. I miss him every day, but I know that he's watching me and my family, and some day I will get to see him again. And no matter what, I will carry on the tradition of watching or participating in a parade just to honor his memory.

JRM

Friendship

For the last few years, I've wondered if there is anything wrong with me when it comes to having friends. I can say that I've had two best friends in my life. My very first best friend was Marcy. We were six months apart in age, my mom and her parents went to high school together, so we were destined to be good friends. We did EVERYTHING together. During the summer, we would spend two or three days at her house, then we would be at my house for two or three days, and the cycle would continue. We were best friends until about the 3rd grade when she moved away. When I was in the 4th grade my 2nd best friend came into the picture. Rebekah and I had a lot of things in common and our personalities complimented each other well. Our friendship suffered a great deal when I moved here to California in 1991. The first summer I was here we talked on the phone once a week, and wrote often, but highschool and life took its toll, and we lost touch. We are still very good friends to this day. We talk about once every three months, but things have change for us: (a) we live 3000 miles apart - she still lives in Pittsburgh, and I in San Jose, and (b) she's made some decisions in her life that I do not agree with, and she knows that, but she also knows that I love her dearly, and if she needed me, I'd move hell or high water to help her. So basically for the past 16 years, I've been without a best girlfriend - you know the one that's not in your family, who you can share your deepest darkest secrets to, and just hang out and be girls with. I have my husband, and he is my ultimate best friend, and my sister, and let me tell you for us being 8 years apart, she's AMAZING but I'm longing for that special girlfriend.

There have been a few friendships since then that have come and gone. A few of which I am sad that they ended. I miss my friend Kristin. We participated in drama productions together, and were close for “a season” but we lost touch after my senior year, and her junior year of high school. We’ve reconnected through facebook, and I am glad that she’s doing well with her husband and adorable son. I hope that some day, I can see her. There’s one friendship that I wish that I had true closure on – my friendship with Sabreena. There’s a lot of history that I can go into depth about, but I don’t know if it’s necessary. For whatever reason, our true friendship was short lived. When I met her, I thought that we would be friends for ever, but that never happened. I have a feeling that this friendship – or lack thereof has had a profound effect on me. I don’t want to put myself out there to be hurt. I’ve tried to be a good friend to several people, but because of the relationship with Sabreena, It’s been hard for me. I have no idea why. I wonder if it’s because as a child through my twenties I always had people around me. I was at church, and friends just kinda happened. But when my dad left pasturing in 2002, the “instant” friends thing kinda vanished. I have a feeling that this lack of good girl friends is a generational thing. I learned that my grandmother didn’t have a best girlfriend and neither does my mom. I am determined to break the cycle. I want to have that kind of girlfriend relationship just because, and I have a feeling that I might have found it. It will take some work on my part, and I am determed to make it work. Not just because our husbands are friends, and our kids are close in age, but because she's a really awesome mom. The main reason that I need to learn how to be a good friend is that I have a little girl who needs to not follow in the footsteps of her mom, grandmother, and great grandmother. I want to teach her how to be a good friend, and be there for her when friends let her down. I want her to have best friends, and tons of them. More than she can count. I want to run her around to this friend’s house and that friend’s party. I want the best for her.

JRM