Where My Heart is

I've been to so many places that I've loved, vacations and adventures abundant. But my heart and my soul are with people that I love. People that share my life, the ups and the downs, the silly and the solemn. It's in the comfort and wonderment of the colorful sunset and the landscape of my upbringing. Right now, both of my children and my sister whom I have had a big hand in raising, are all in Arizona. So right now my heart is in Arizona. I not only want to be there I want to run, abandon my responsibilities to work, school, friends, home and run to my family. I ache to be with them.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and while I am grateful all year long for the beautiful and blessed life I live, I can't seem to stop the emotions in me from creating ridiculous tears. I hate crying, but for the past say 36 hours, tear are brimming constantly, because I ache for family and love around me. Tonight, TONIGHT! I get to board an airplane and go be with the ones that love me most in this world, and that I love most. (Miller family in Colorado, I'm not leaving you out... it just is what it is. I love you all, unconditionally and beyond measure) 

Tonight, I get to go HOME! And no matter where life takes me, what adventure I am on, or where I receive my mail and lay my head down at night, home is Arizona! 

(Copied from my "single girl blog") 

Growing Up

Jonny started Kindergarten today. That's what seems "right" to say today. Unfortunately time has flown so fast that the accurate statement is he started MIDDLE school today. I can't imagine where the time has gone. 

He once was in my belly, so tiny. Then as he toddled through my favorite of years, I remember thinking this boy is going to be tall, and he is. At the age of 11 he wears a size 10 shoe and is 5'7" I can't believe my "little buddy" is towering over me already. 

He is so smart. In Kindergarten, his teacher didn't love him. She is the only warped teacher he has ever had. I say she is warped, because every teacher since has loved him, and praised him. This year is his first official year of schedules and lockers, and he is confident, even though he can't figure out his new lock. We went to the school yesterday for him to walk around and find each of his classes and his locker. My tall boy has a bottom locker, and if surprisingly just fine with it. 

I made him take a "start of the school year" photo. He made me promise it wouldn't go on Facebook. Not a problem, son. I'll put it on our blog. 

Extra Extra Read All About It

Okay, so really, just a quick update from the Miller family. Nothing huge or life changing going on. Which is probably a good thing, right?


Desirae Lynn was called and set apart and the Mia Maid President. It was really exciting to be able to be home to see her be set apart and hear her blessing. She is doing really well in her studies and has A's in seminary. Seriously, GO DESI! She is studying now for her learner's permitt and is going to take the test in a just a couple days. She is so smart, I'm sure she will do just fine! She is 15(and a 1/2) and growing into such a gorgeous young woman! She is working dilligently on a surprise for her grandma. It's fun to hear her get so excited about such a labor of love for someone she loves so much. Desirae is an amazing young woman. And look at her, she's just stunning!

Jonny is 11 now and in the 5th grade. He loves his new school. Anytime we talk about the future he tells me "I don't want to leave Bethany" The cool thing is, he doesn't have to. He can stay in Bethany schools all the way through high school graduation. He spent this last weekend with his dad and he got a hair cut. If you know Jonny Miller, you know this is ... miraculous! He looks very handsome and I'd show you a picture but he won't let me take one. (maybe I'll be able to grab one in a day or two) He is also expecting a new brother in the next few months. His dad and his wife announced today that they are expexcting a boy! So Jonny is very excited to have, for once, a BROTHER! :-)

I'm working hard to get this semester finished with and with great grades. We only have a few more weeks left and while I'm doing well now, I feel like I wasn't doing all that well at the begining of the semester. I am hoping to maintain my 3.89 GPA so that I can start to apply for scholarships. I am taking a full course load this summer it should be very easy and not very stressful at all, though. I have a total of 7 credit hours (6 being full time in a summer session) My classes are Painting 1, Photography 2 and a course that initially I was told I didn't have to take but now I do called Succes in College Life. It's 1 credit hour and it honestly sounds like a ridiculously stupid class but, if I have to take it, I'll take it.

With love from Oklahoma! 

Making Our House a Home

For anyone that follows our family blog, you know that we moved to Oklahoma last year. I stayed with some faantastic friends while I hunted for the perfect house. I prayed hard for a house that was in a good school district, a safe neighborhood, had little to no yard maintenance, 2+ bedrooms, 2+ baths, garage etc... We moved into our house in August and it was all that I prayed for. Unfortunately it has taken all this time to get the desire to make it our home. Typically making a house our home is very high my priority list. As soon as we move in I am hanging photos on the wall and helping children decorate their room(s). It was harder for us this time. We seem to move every single year. So we do all this work and then take it all down, and do it all over again once we move. Sometimes starting from scratch depending on new rooms, and the mood. 

Here in our "perfect little house" as we have been calling it for so long, I hung 1 piece of art in the kitchen that suits my perfect little family so much. It's a phrase we say to each other all the time, so I knew I had to order it and hang it. 

It seems after this went up we stopped decorating though. For a family that decorates, that is odd. Maybe we didn't want to put the effort into it when we knew we were just going to move again? I don't know. But a couple months ago we started decorating. We starting putting thought and effort and planning into our house so that it would become our home. While a lot of these were things we already owned, we also added touches to make it all work: 

Like the flowers on the step

 Front Step

we had all this in about 68 different boxes

 Entry Way

the table and frame for the temple in the loft

 Loft/Den Area

the fower pillow and euro pillow inserts for my bed in my bedroom. 

My Bedroom

I loved these towels instantly! 

 I found this photo I took to go with the fun blue towels and bathroom set!  

Downstairs 1/2 Bath

And Jonny's room is on it's way to be decorated as well. He already has most of his bedding, he is a simplist when it comes to decorating. He doesn't know it, but he'll have some euro shams and lumbar rolls by the time summer is up! BUT, he has picked a new bed that is on law-a-way and we should be able to get it off just in time for him to to go grandma's for the summer! He has great taste! 

So, as our cute little house continues to become more of our home we will share more. With love from Oklahoma.  

Torn, Tattered and Abused

We are a flip-flop family... Jonny is the most flip-flop lovin' kid I have ever met. He wear them in the summer, fall, and winter and spring. He wears them with shorts, jeans and even a Sunday suit. He wears them to school, to the park and to church. Late last spring we bought him the "perfect" flip-flops. They were squishy and comfy. He wore them everywhere and anywhere. They began to tear. I bought new flip-flops. Next thing I know he's back in these. It got to the point that I was hiding them to keep them off his feet. Consistently I would look down and there they were on his feet.

Finally in December I convinced him that new flip-flops were needed as his favorites were truly torn and tattered from the abuse of a 9 year old boy. I took the torn up shoes and asked the sales clerk to toss them. We left Famous Footwear with the new "all in one piece" flip-flops on his feet. He was quite upset that I had thrown away his shoes.

I went into Michaels and the kids headed toward Tilleys. When we met in the car Jonny had a smile from ear to ear. I looked at his feet and there they were... his old tattered flip flops.

Finally he is wearing his new shoes. But at times I look down to see his old shoes on his feet.

Resolved ...

To not make a New Year's resoluton this year... Till my Jonny came to me and said "Mom, my New Year's resoltion is to not miss a single day of school, and to get my Bear" Jonny chose some truly exceptional resolutions that will be invaluable to him as he continues to lean and grow in this life. He is also quite determined and makes his mom very proud!

Woah... I can't be stood up by my own kid!

Desirae decided she is going to work on some personal goals as part of her New Year's resolution. Her goals are inspiring to me. She is such an amazing daughter and I am so blessed to have this unique, intelligent, talented young woman to learn from each day! I stand in awe of her each day.

As a mom, I'm slacking! Look at these great kids that I have! They set such an amazing example for me! I musta done something right at some point...

Generosity of Others.

This Christmas was quite different from many from years past. Typically my children make a list and I go purchase the mast majority of the items on it. I carefully choose items that I feel they need and will mean something to them. This year though, my budget was significantly smaller than usual. But I was determined to make the best of it. I worked hard to earn the money I could and put true thought and prayer into what each of my children needed.

Soon I realized my budget was even smaller than I initially that it to be. I was devastated that I was not going to be able to provide the Christmas I was hoping for. I prayed my heart out, I asked for work anywhere I could. Next thing I know my dear friend Randy Love who was serving a tour overseas emailed me and asked what the kids wanted for Christmas. I was dumbfounded. Soon after I accepted a job which would give me a little money just before Christmas. I had things all set... but realized I was still short. My Jonny wanted 1 specific NERF gun and my Desi still needed a pair of pajamas. I got a phone call from my bishop who gave me a gift card to WalMart... it covered exactly what I need AND I got to fill the kids stockings.

Our Christmas was "perfect" according to the kids... Thanks to the generosity of others.