Good bye Summer

I can't believe Summer is coming to a close. Luckily the warm weather isn't going anywhere yet. Looking back on the Summer that seemed to disappear into thin air I realize we've accomplished a lot, which has kept us very busy. Maybe this is one of the reasons why it seems to pass by us so quickly. Here's a few of the things we've done:

We started the sunny season with a trip to Mackinaw. I still think of the places we visited every day. No wonder why people love traveling. It’s so exciting and refreshing.

We spent time getting to know some of our Texas family. I sure miss having Shawnie, Garison and Megyn at the house. They are a great group of kids.

Brick by brick, Ryan built the retaining wall that was caving in. This includes steps and a cable fence too! His determination transformed a portion of the yard and it looks cleaner and serves a purpose of keeping the hill from eroding.

He also learned to how to tame the pool chemicals this Summer. When we pulled back the tarps to open the pool earlier this Summer we found a smelly swamp (sorry to anyone who swam in it and didn’t know this). We went from swampy mush to cloudy, to clear, to green to seeing through the clear blue water to the bottom of the pool. People aren’t kidding when they say pools are a lot of work.

Even better, Edee learned to swim! She spent a couple hours in the pool with Grandma Diane and once she learned she couldn’t stop. She paddles around in her life vest and arm floaties all over the pool. She even jumped off the diving board all by herself a couple days ago. After the jump and between gasps for air she told me, “I never want to jump off the diving board again,” even though I was jumping up and down with excitement that she took the leap.

We watch Maddi play lots and lots of softball. We watched her dedicate the majority of her Summer to supporting her team at practices, games and tournaments. Her dedication sure payed off because she was accepted to the Grand Rapids Blaze, which turns out is a pretty big deal for an 11 year old.

I turned 30 and was given the most amazing surprise birthday party. I still can't thank my hubby enough for the stealthy planning and thoughtfulness. A Hawaiian-themed pool party complete with a live band and my brother home from Utah. This girl couldn't ask for more. Plus, friends, family and all the food I could dream of.

We, or Ryan rather, painted our house blue. I always think painting is fun (on canvas and small things). Ryan will be the first to admit I am MIA when the rollers and buckets come out.

This Summer we watched 3 parades; Coast Guard Kids parade, The Coast Guard Parade and Pentwater Homecoming Parade! By the third one Edee was a candy gathering queen. Edee hears the word parade and the word "TREATS!" runs out of her mouth.

I grew vegetables. I actually grew vegetables. We had fresh picked peas, cherry tomatoes and green peppers. I am still so amazed by the fulfilling taste of food I grew by hand.

The Miller's finally went camping (minus Maddi). We kept the tradition going with a trip to Hill & Hollow campground in Pentwater. Being away from home was tough on Edee but hammock naps, collecting beach glass, S'mores, pool time and hobo dinners made for a rather exceptional vacation.

I can't forget to mention seeing the Oceana MVPs play, celebrating the marriage of Tommy and Auri Vanhill, meeting my cousins daughter Gabriella, spending time with Ryan's brother Jeff and his gang, backyard adventures with the Heppler family and...I am sure there is so much more.

Looking back on the last few months my heart is full. We've made a lot of great memories our first year in our home. It truly has been a great Summer. 

I am looking forward to a Fall of color tours, movie nights, trick or treating and more time together.

Till next time keep loving.

Our weekend at The Kalahari

Have you ever heard of Kalahari? If you said no, that's okay! I'm glad I'm not the only one in this big ol' world that hasn't heard of it. The girls and I were invited by a friend from work to spend the weekend there! A surprise little get away just to enjoy ourselves. A resort complete with a water park, arcade, gift shops, restaurants and more. All in one place. Here's the shorter version of our weekend.

The four hour drive turned out pretty well. I wasn't quite sure how E would do, this being her very first road trip and stay away from home. Thank God for the DVD player in the van we drove. I am pretty sure that saved us. We all know you can't keep a toddler tied (in this case: belted) down very long. But she did well. M stayed awake up until the last half hour. When we arrived she kept saying, "I can't wait to go to bed." I have NEVER heard this girl say anything of the sort.

The hotel room was very nice. M and I shared a bed and they were so big I never even felt her move. The pack-n-play served well for E once she finally fell asleep (at 1:15AM).

Saturday morning brought a picnic breakfast, exceptionally tasty hotel coffee and a stroll around the resort. E loved the giant statues and long hallways. The girls played in the hallways more than in our room. The older girls couldn't peel their faces off the windows into the water park. They were so ready to dive in. I do admit, it was rather awesome! And LOUD. But, we held off on the water park 'til about 1:30 and then let the girls have fun. I didn't see M for a couple hours. She was having a blast!

E probably could have played on the water slide in the kiddy pool all day. After just a couple trips up the stairs and down the slide she was doing it all by herself. I was rather impressed.

We couldn't go to a water park and not float around the lazy river. We made it around  1.5 times and E was done floating in a circle. I think the wave pool would've been my place to hang but my little toddler had a hard time withstanding the waves.

She slept in my arms for awhile before we went to rest back at the room. I was ready for peace and quiet. The older girls couldn't get enough of the water park and had to stay 'til close. That's what vacations are for, right?!

Sunday morning:

Our last mission was to spend a little time at the arcade. However, an elevator door separated E and I from the rest of our group and we got lost. I am rather directionally challenged so we ended up on several different floors before I finally asked for directions and then ran into my friends daughter. Somehow she knew the resort like the back of her hand and we reunited with the girls.

The arcade was fun and really brought me back to being a kid. If I didn't know better I would've played all the games myself.

Vacation felt very nice. My friend and her daughter are great vacation partners!! It feels good to have gotten away for the weekend. I can't wait until our next vacation. This time we won't leave Daddy at home.

Keep loving.

Spring, friends, mini-vacation!

There is snow on the ground but HAPPY SPRING! How does that work really? Do you feel better to think that today is the first day of spring because that means the weather WILL get warmer? Or does it make you sad that there is snow in ugly heaping piles everywhere and its supposed to be spring?

Well, it's Spring. It's finally here. I assume soon enough we will be smelling the Spring breeze and seeing spring blossoms. There for, I feel better knowing it is Spring. Eventually the Earth will catch up with the calendar.

Plus, there are so many other things to be grateful and happy about. The most recent happiness: I am going out of town; out of the state in fact. We're having a girls weekend. I was invited by a co-worker/ friend. Or better yet, friend/co-worker. I'd like to consider the ladies I spend 5 days a week with friends. They are definitely great listeners and great people. I'll call them friends.

I am thrilled to be invited on a little weekend get away. I am looking forward to staying in a hotel, not cleaning or worrying about...anything. Well, except what FUN thing we should do next!

This will be my very first time taking both of the girls on a little road trip. R is having a guys weekend. E hasn't stayed away from home since she was 2 months old (Thanksgiving in Pentwater). So this shall be interesting. I think she will love it. Who doesn't love water parks, arcades, big hotel beds and...all the fun stuff that comes along with a VACATION!

I'll be sure to take lots of photos and share with you our little excursion. I can't wait to hop in the car and GO!

I danced a little jig!

I must say:

THANK YOU!

Viewers, followers, friends and family.

I appreciate all the time you've taken to follow me, my family and my story. All of you are my groupies and I couldn't have reached my goals without you. 

See, today I decided would be the day I really dig in and do some research to see how possible it is to create revenue from my blog. Well, all it took was a few clicks and I found I have already earned a small amount from my story. Yes, if you are wondering, I danced a little jig. Or maybe a slightly celebratory BIG jig with a bit of hooting and hollering. 

Ofcourse, I've been day dreaming about all those amazing blogs out there, the stories I hear about Mom's blogging as a full time job. I have been thinking about the idea of making a little bit of cash from my blog for a while now. I just had no idea I was already doing it! My perseverance has paid off. Get it?! For all of you new bloggers, stay at home moms and day dreams, it can be done!

I am all smiles today! I had a progressive day at work, delicious dinner with my hubby and found out great news this evening. 

Keep Loving. 

Bittersweet good byes

I have no better word to describe today than bittersweet. I can't really say I like the word but rather that there is such a word to perfectly describe a feeling, event or situation like today.

I had to say goodbye to my co-workers or, better yet, friends I've worked with for the last 9 months. They've really been great to me. I have a special place in my heart for one person in particular. We laughed, talked, listened and confided in each other with everything. She really understood me. I'll miss her laughter, advice and sweet personality the most.

It's just bittersweet. They understand I'm moving on and that it is just something I have to do. And I'm thankful they understand. But, its not easy saying good bye. Luckily, I know where to find them and can always go visit.

So, next week is the official start of 8:30-5:00, 5 days a week. I'm looking forward to a schedule as I know it will be good for all of us, as well as weekends off. I've always considered myself a morning person, thankfully; the alarm sounding at 6:45 would be much harder to wake up to if I weren't.

I'm looking forward to learning a lot, which is also a good thing because I know I have A LOT to learn. Meeting an entirely different group of people will be interesting as well. I'll have to somehow figure out how to juggle the house work and every day chores, as well as writing my blog and setting aside time for family and me time. This could get challenging!

I'm up to the challenge. I have confidence in myself and my family for the journey ahead. We are endouring many changes but we know its for the best and will bring us that much closer to our goals.

Keep loving.

No mess and no stress.

What a great weekend! Or should I say mini-vacation? Ryan and I enjoyed a very uneventful 4 days off Thursday through Sunday (Okay, I worked Saturday night). For the first time in our relationship we had the 4th of July off. Together. And a very uneventful weekend couldn't have been better!

Where do I begin? How about the BEST part of the weekend: Spending time together.

Thursday:
We started out the holiday by spending a couple hours at the Brown's family picnic. 58 people joined in a picnic on Spring Lake. Wow, what a picnic it was. I don't know my Mom's extended family very well but they made us feel welcome and loved. The little ones played on blankets spread out over the lawn while we took advantage of the calm lake and went KAYAKING! Ryan and I paddled around the little bayou and tried not to tip over while looking at fish and lily pads. It was so refreshing we decided we need a couple kayaks for ourselves!

Friday:
A motorcycle ride to Holland for dinner. We called on Grandma Diane to come stay for the weekend and spend time with Edee. She was more than happy. As it turns out she had just recently mentioned to family that Ryan and I could use some one on one time. Maybe our little excursion was meant to be.

Knowing Edee was safe and sound really helped. A very big THANK YOU Diane! All though I had to hold on tight to Ryan every time he took off from a red light once we were in Holland, away from the every day norms, I was able to relax. Riding rockets is great! Okay, I admit it is thrilling and terrifying all at the same time. I trust Ryan but I do not trust other drivers. Luckily, all went well.

We chose New Holland Brewing Co. for our evening cuisine. Ryan was interested in seeing the new garden/patio addition to the restaurant. They have something great going on their. And the 45 minute wait for food proves it.

Luckily, we took a seat at the bar after 5 minutes of being there. Drings, food, service and even the couples seated on either side of us were great. We shared a unique twist on nachos: house made chips, beer cheese, jalapeños, salsa and sour cream. I tried their Blueberry Hard Cider and Ryan had a sampler of IPAs. He approved of several of them, including a Michigan Pale Ale. After shifting seats to allow for a couple to sit together I received a complementary Cider from the gentlemen. What a nice couple! We chatted for a bit about every day things. He brews wine and some ciders and they live in Hudsonville. They too, wanted to get away from the daily grind and found their way to Holland for the evening. A simple gesture turned into good company!

Speaking of good company, Diane's visit was wonderful. 9AM conversations, while sitting on the floor watching Edee play are THE BEST. We were able to find more time to chat while she was here this time around and I feel like we got to know each other just a bit more. I appreciate Ryan's Mom and all she does for us. I know that being away from everything she knew and loved is very difficult and I feel very special that she moved to spend time with Ryan, Maddi, Edee, and I (and her other children and grand children too).

We skipped fireworks this year. Is that surprising? We sat and debated whether or not to venture out too see if Edee would tolerate the loud noises. But I knew she wouldn't. And we really didn't want to deal with the hoards of traffic backups just to get 5 minutes home. So, a new movie, our comfy couch and our own company won all! We stayed home. Edee slept and we relaxed. No mess. No stress.

Saturday:
A few house chores and cleaning and then fun in the SUN! We bought Edee a little pool that fits perfectly on our porch. I'm not sure who enjoys it more, Edee or Daddy?!

Sunday:
My brother and sister came to stay. The slight overcast skies didn't stop us from heading to North Shore Beach. I think the not to sunny and not to hot weather was perfect. We stayed til the clouds took over, marveling at Edee's fascination with sand and waves, playing frisbee and just enjoying our time together.

Our uneventful weekend actually turned out to be a fun, full weekend spent with family, friends and each other.

Keep loving.

Down right good relaxing time.

Edee and I have spent the entire day together. A long week has made it 100% necessary to get in extra zzz's in the A.M., more cuddles than usual and some down right good relaxing time. This momma needed it after a full week of work. Time away makes our time together just a little bit more special.

What a busy work week it has been. I can't complain because pay day has made it well worth it, but I've missed my baby and my hubby a lot.

Instead of wasting precious minutes cleaning our bedroom, crafting or anything else, I have been down on all 4's right next to E. We've been playing with her favorite pink ball, working on our dance moves and making a mess of the dvd shelf.

E has been great today. I had to do my usual Friday banking which involves driving out to get my check from work and then scootin' to the other side of town to cash it. In the rear view mirror I watched Edee's little fit wiggling around the whole time. Evidently, I brought the perfect toys along for the ride; glow worm, iphone case, and star shaped teether. Go Mom!

A happy baby makes for a happy Mommy. Her afternoon nap allowed me to delve into my current tv show fave. She woke up with smiles and has been roaming around just content as can be. I look at her and want to scoop her into my arms and squeeze her. I can't get enough of my little girl.

We treated Dad to lunch today. Then, ran downtown with our friends Sarah and Jackson to an adorable shop to check out some Robeez. Aberdeen's is like the Mommy/shopaholic heaven. They have everything! My favorite part is the items from local vendors; burp clothes, hair bows and head bands, hats and blankets. Each from a different vendor. Sarah's MIL bought Jackson the cutest Robeez. He is set to go for a year or so! She also treated Edee to the most adorable soft slipper/shoes. They are totally girly with pink lace and flowers. Irresistibly cute! What a treat! I totally didn't expect to leave the store with something new for her. Thanks again Bonnie!

Tonight we are headed to do dinner with the Stevens\Evans friends! So glad! We have been trying to squeeze in a get together for a little while now. I'm looking forward to seeing the littles together, dinner and in depth conversations!

Happy Friday everyone!

Keep loving.

Icky sicky.

We are know 37 weeks and 2 days grown. Almost there. Almost.

Today I measured 39 centimeters, which means I'm measuring big for how far along I am. Eek! Is my nightmare of a 10 pound baby coming true?! I hope not. Of course I want a healthy baby but I don't want a BIG healthy baby.

And oh boy does she feel big. Her favorite position has her feet shoved right up into my ribs on the right side. If I even rest my arms on my belly she kicks as if saying, "Move Mama, I need some room." So, now my favorite craft of looming has me keeping my arms lifted.

Some days I feel confident about where I'm at with my pregnancy and other days I don't. Yesterday was one of those days. I thought I was having contractions and wasn't quite sure what was going on. I had a not-so-pretty visit to the bathroom in the AM and weird stomach cramps through out the day. I knew the offset timing meant they were not contractions. Slight nausea had me sleeping on and off most of the day. I felt a mess. My regular weekly visit to my midwife eased and confirmed my thoughts that this feeling was not normal. Turns out I had a minor stomach virus that's been going around. Or atleast that's what my symptoms lead too.

Today was nurse-myself-back-to-better-health day. I lost 3 pounds since my visit last week and the light headed feeling returned stronger than usual. The doc didn't have to tell me twice: lots of fluids and nutritional meals! I munched on fruits and veggies all day today. And Ryan's home cooked meal allowed for the much needed protein. Thank heaven for my husband.

My only other concern was baby, of course. But, she's been movin' and groovin' (a.k.a. kicking me in the ribs) and her heart beat is normal.

So now, back to waiting. I'm thankful I have had several friends from working wanting to hang out. And family is coming to visit this weekend. As long as I'm not cooped up in this apartment too much I think I can bare these next couple weeks.

Or maybe I'll get lucky and she'll surprise us.

Keep loving.

A 1st of August post.

It's August already!

Which means:
Summer is almost over. Luckily, well...hopefully we have a couple more months of enjoyable warm weather.
All the kids are going back to school soon. We see Maddi less when school starts up. Kind of a bummer. However, we have another summer full of memories to cherish.
2 months and baby E will join us in the outside world. As the days go by I look forward to seeing her little face more and more.
July is over. Another month of sales under Ryan's belt. He made Senior Producer just in the nick of time. I'm so proud of him. He comes by some of the work naturally but other things I know he is really working hard for.

I'm currently sitting a few feet from the shores of my favorite lake. I love that I can write while listening to the waves and watching the sun fade in and out of the clouds. I finally went into Lake Michigan too! I can't believe I took this long to wade in the water and feel the refreshing waves. I've dipped my toes in a couple times but didn't brave the chilly water. Being submerged in water when you're pregnant is a strange feeling. I feel like some of the weight is lifted but I try to clench my stomach muscles and it all feels funny. Then I get out and feel heavy all over again.

This beach is beautiful. And the water is a great temperature. It might even be warmer than the air now that the sun is setting. We were joined by a couple friends today. Ryan's good friend Craig and his nephew came to splash around. We also have Cecily tonight. She's the daughter of my co-worker/ friend Rhonda. Such a great kid! She's got spunk and charm and is polite too! Her and Maddi get along like peas in a pod. I love that Maddi has a couple friends to play with when she stays with us.

And they all had so much fun splashing in the lake. I even joined them for some monkey in the middle! We couldn't have asked for a better Wednesday evening.

Keep loving.

A surpise awaits us.

You know that saying, "feels like only yesterday when...",?  That one saying someone might use to explain how quickly time has passed. That's the one I desperately don't want to use but feel I must in this situation...

I feel like just yestrday I was counting down the days until my ultrasound. And now its tomorrow! All ready..4 weeks flew by. Tomorrow I get to see this little thing inside me that's making my belly grow. Tomorrow Ryan and I find out if we can get excited for a boy or a girl! It almost feels like Christmas. Because finding out this special news is like receiving a huge gift!

So, tomorrow I plan on waking up at 8:00AM. I have to begin drinking lots and lots of water. First I'm going to eat a healthy breakfast. I'm thinking a fruit parfait with granola and vanilla yogurt. MMMM that sounds tasty right about now.
I have a regular check up @ 9:20, in which I get to meet a new midwife; as a patient at The Women's Health Center I get to meet all the midwives. Should be nice. I plan on drinking fluids through my whole appointment. I was also told orange juice makes the baby move....hmm. Maybe I will test this hypothesis.

Then my ultrasound is at 10!

Eeekkk!! I am sooo excited. I can bet I won't sleep very well tonight. I had a nightmare the other night that we forgot about the appointment and then we were super late and couldn't find out the sex of the baby. Glad it was just a dream.

I pray tomorrow the baby is in the perfect position so we don't have to wait any longer. Mom, mom inlaw, aunts, siblings and friends stay by your phone tomorrow! You'll be hearing from me.

Have a splendid evening everyone!

Keep loving.

Walking the tunnel.

I'm all snuggled up under my soft cotton sheets next to my friend, lover and soon-to-be husband. I'm relaxed, peaceful and wonderfully happy with my head on my favorite pillow, writing and listening to Ryan as he searches online for used cars.

A few days ago I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I felt like I had 1000 pounds resting on my meak shoulders.

It all changed. The weekend was, well...unexpected. I made a very big, over due decision that should have and could have been made in a more professional way. I quit my job. I just walked away. No fuss. No mess...

...or that's what an uncaring selfish person would say. And because I'm not that person my thoughts continue to drift back to that horrid excuse for a job. Because there were actually a few people at that place who I could call friends, maybe even family. It's those same people that gave me a reason to keep trying and showing up. Those same people who made tears stream down my face @ the thought of leaving them there.

Thinking again, if those people thought of me as someone important we will stay close, connected and continue to be friends. I can only cross my fingers, hope and try to keep in touch.

But if this ends up becoming what I'll lose I've definitely gained a lot when I let the door slam shut behind me. I feel like I've gained dignity and respect, self respect, rather and peace of mind, as well as a little bit of freedom.

The most amazing part about this experience is that Ryan stood by me through it all. It shouldn't really amaze me because I know this man is as loyal as they come. But, he listened and was honest and pulled me through. I couldn't have done it without him.

I lay here in bed, Ryan already asleep beside me and I can peacefully say I made it through that dark misty tunnel. The light is shining bright!

Keep loving.