Birthdays

My birthday was on the 14th - and can I just say that birthdays are overrated! I really don't like them. I know - what a scrooge! Well, the one good thing this year was that our dear friend Pancho was able to spend the day with us. So we made it a double birthday, and celebrated both of our birthdays (his is the 30th of August).

I had a lot of people stop by as well to wish me a happy birthday. My best friend Kristina, Gretchen and Aubrey, Tabitha, a few people from my neighborhood (I think I am the ward project), Kass and Brielle, Hannah and Melissa, my mom, and my in-laws. I also got an awesome present. My nephew Aiden was born on my birthday. I am so excited to share a birthday with him - not so excited that now we'll have to celebrate... :)

We have known Pancho for 10 years now, and he really has become family to us. I personally love having him here so he can listen to me and give me advice. What a great friend he is.

I've always said that I don't have a lot of friends - simply because I offend people too much. So, the friends that I do have, I hold really close to! Thanks for sharing my birthday with us Pancho. We love you!!

Adrienne's Wedding

Adrienne got married on August 12th. It was a perfect day!

Adrienne has been adopted into our family - she even lived with us for a while. She is such a wonderful person - and she married a great guy. We love them both so much.

I was able to do the luncheon for them - with the help of my friend Terelyn. I think it turned out great.

The only bad thing that happened that day? Bree ended up going to the doctor, the hospital, and to instacare. Dusty had to take her because I was with Adrienne all day. She broke her arm - poor girl. (I'll post pictures later.) But other then that, everything was fantastic.

I am so proud of her. She is truly amazing. Love you Adrienne and Jon.
(I tried posting pictures but my computer is having problems!)

Jack's Baptism

Well, for those of you who know us well - you know the problems we had with Jack getting baptized. But, it finally happened and I am very proud of him for making his own decisions. He is such a great kid! He got baptized on July 23rd.

I made sure that morning to tell him that everyone coming to see him would be there for him and to make sure he thanked them. Well, without anyone telling him to, he stood at the door at the end and thanked every single person. Wow - I don't think I would have done that.

He truly is the kindest person I know. Dusty and I love him so much and we are so thankful for his kindness in our home.

Elder Fly, Elder Davey, and Elder James with Jack and Dad

Recent Events

This weekend, Dusty and I decided to get away and went to Cedar City for the Shakespeare Festival. I am kindof a theater "snob", so that's one of the only places locally I like to go. He had tickets for A Midsummer Night's Dream on Friday afternoon, and once we got there we purchased tickets for Romeo and Juliet (one of my favorite Shakespeare plays). They were both good, but we really loved Romeo and Juliet.
Saturday we decided we weren't ready to head home so we purchased tickets for Noises Off (it turned out to be an expensive trip!). Neither of us had seen this play before, and it was hilarious!! I am so glad we decided to go. Definitely the best of the weekend. I am very thankful that my husband will humor my love of the theater and take me ever year!

Jack is getting baptized on Saturday. As some of you know, he has waited over a year for this and he seems pretty excited. Maybe he's just more excited to get it over with - I don't know. But, I am supporting him in this decision and I am proud of him for making his own decisions.

And of course we have seen too many movies this summer. We've seen Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer, Cars 2, Monte Carlo, Green Lantern, Kung Fu Panda 2, and Mr. Popper's Penguins. The kids also went to X-Men and Winnie the Pooh with grandparents. I think the kids liked Mr. Poppers Penguins the best - and I thought it was pretty cute myself. Dusty and I have also been to movies on our own, but maybe I won't share which ones lol. But we did see Harry Potter on Thursday. Our good friends got us tickets to an early showing! It was awesome walking out of the theater at 11:30pm looking at all the people waiting for the midnight showing.

That is about it for now. Hope you're all having a fun summer.

Where Have I Been...?

Well, I've really just been here. But I have 0 energy to blog lately. So, here are a few happenings at the Miller house:

Finished winterguard
Had a "daughter" move in (I've sordof adopted her)
Disneyland trip in May (highlight of the year so far) with kiddos, mom, and Jordyn
Got to see me beloved Braves and my beloved Chipper play (and get KILLED by the Angels)
Got to spend time with one of my dearest friends, Pancho
Week long Woodbadge trip for Dusty in May (a day after I got home from California)
Kids out of school for the summer - sometimes hooray, sometimes WHY
Piano lessons
Reading "lessons"
Lots of playing in the sprinklers
4 day scout trip for Dusty over his birthday (I am a scout widow)
2 year old learning his ABC's and sounds
Mourned a dad on Fathers Day
Started summer band - and major sunburns
Lost a grandfather

We have definitely been keeping busy - as well as staying disconnected from the world, as usual.

How Do You Know...

... when it's time to give away all your baby clothes? Because seriously, are we ever going to want another baby? No!! I don't think so.

But, it's such a big decision. After the weekend we had, I would definitely say we were done. And I really have no desire for more kids. But I just can't do it.

But in fact, I think I am the worlds WORST mother. Now - you don't have to comment and tell me I'm not. I just feel I wasn't cut out for this motherhood thing. I feel bad for my kids daily! The honest truth is I have no patience. 0. zip. none. nada!

I try to work on it - really I do. One minute I am fine - then the next, my kids are fighting and I just can't take it. I'm not used to it!

Now, me and my sister fought plenty - but she was 6 years older then I was and so you can guess who won the battles!! I never had younger brothers or sisters so I'm just not used to the constant bickering.

Anyways, that's my thoughts for the night. I know I have a lot to work on as a mom and hopefully I can do that. But, is it time to get ride of the clothes? I'd sure have a lot more room in my garage!!

Wasatch Independent at Finals

This is my oldest guard group (18-23 years of age). I thought I should also post this one. They are so incredible. Hope you enjoy.

p.s. it's a little creepy...

AFHS Finals Performance

Here is my guards last show of the season. They took first on Saturday as well as all year. They are a very talented bunch of kids!!

Quick Update

Wow, what a crazy few weeks it has been around here. Here is a quick update on our family:


Myles is talking more then ever! He repeats almost everything (so you have to be careful what you say...). He loves to recite his colors. He loves to say Mickey Mouse (of course), Handy Manny, I love you, Jackson, and Bree. He is so fun to be around - he definitely keeps the humor going on in our house!

Bree is loving kindergarten. She is going through the "fit throwing" stage. Oh, it's so fun to be around!! She hates it when things don't go her way - I hope she grows out of it. But, looking at my track record, I don't see that happening. But, we love her tons and we'll get through the fits. She loves to color and make books ALL the time. I went to look for computer paper yesterday morning, and of course it was all gone. But at least she loves to be creative.

Jack just finished Jr. Jazz, which he loved! He was so good at it too. He scored 7 baskets in one game. I'm so glad he's found something he likes. Basketball is kindof foreign to Dusty and I, but we love watching him do something he likes. He is also playing piano, which he likes - but doesn't enjoy practicing, of course. He wants to play drums eventually, so this is a rule in our home - play piano first!

Dusty is busy at work. He is also taking a little break from Wasatch Winds - which I feel so bad about. Things have been so crazy busy around here, he felt he needed to take a little break. He is getting ready for a cabin trip with his friends in a few weeks. He seems pretty excited - even though I give him a bad time about it, lol! Only because I want to spend time with him - haha!

I'm busy as always. Guard is going good. At our last show, 4 of my groups took 1st and 1 took 2nd. It was a great night. Last weekend I took my Wasatch group to California - but, we never made it. We got to Reno and they had closed down Donners pass because of an accident. Then, the storm hit! Ugh, it was so frustrating. But the girls handled it really well and we headed home the next afternoon. What a weekend!

Well, that about covers everything. I am looking forward to two weeks ahead of now - I'll get a little break from work!

Ugh!!

This is the iPhone - obviously! The iPhone and me are NOT friends. I repeat, NOT friends. This is the 6th iPhone I've had. We just don't have any luck together. I am even more angry right now because when setting up my 6th iPhone, I lost all my contacts - which hasn't happened in the other 5 times I've synced my phone!! Ugh... That's all.

AF Guard - March 12, 2011

Long Day of Baking...

So, I have taken the day to try a few different recipes - and oh my gosh they turned out delicious!! Check out my cooking blog for the French Breakfast Puffs - and, just an FYI: I didn't have unsalted butter OR margarine, so I just used 6 Tbsp. of salted butter and they turned out just fine.


Here is my finished product:

And then I decided to make soft oreo cookies - I about died they were so good. You'll have to check back tomorrow on my food blog for the recipe for these - trust me, you'll want to try them!!

List for Tuesday

I am taking inspiration from my favorite blog (pioneerwoman.com) and making a list for today - maybe a little complaining, maybe a little rejoicing - not sure yet. But, here it is...

1. My laundry is big.
So, so big! I hate laundry - besides cleaning the bathrooms, it is my #2 worst chore! But, it has to be done I guess - so have to it!

2. I really need to see a doctor.
Why, you ask? Well, besides my mental well being... I have been sick for the past two weeks and can't shake it. But, I probably won't see a doctor until I'm on my death bed. Oh well!

3. I'm tired of working - need to spend more time with my kiddos.
The past two months have been CRAZY, to say the least! Work has been kicking my butt. But, I wouldn't trade it for the world - maybe just learn to be a little more organized. I was doing so well during the fall, but with 5 groups this winter it's definitely been a learning experience.

Some days I just want to sit in the middle of the floor and play games with Myles, color with Bree, and watching movies with Jack. But I do this occasionally. Sometimes you just have to drop everything and spend time with your kids.

4. I LOVE my new cooking blog.

When I am sick of working or cleaning my house - when my list of To Do's gets too big - I cook! It's my new love. And, I love getting all my recipes in one place. Makes it easier to find what I want! Check it out sometime (bakingattiffanys.blogspot.com).

5. I need an attitude adjustment!

I think the last one is self explanatory! I'll get right on that...

American Fork Open Guard at Lone Peak 2/19/11

New Blog

So, this is pretty funny - but, I decided to start a food blog. Crazy I know!! But, I have found a new love of cooking and have been trying new recipes all the time. So I thought I'd share. Most of the recipes on the blog are from other people (blogs, friends, or books) that I wanted to share and make more accessible for me to get to.

You can link at right - I hope you like it.

Chewy Pretzel Bites

Ok, I have to warn you - these are dangerous! And by dangerous I mean DELICIOUS!! Anyone who knows me can tell you I LOVE pretzals. So, I found this recipe this morning and had to try it. It was a success. So, I thought I'd share with you (I got the recipe at http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/02/chewy-pretzel-bites.html)

*Makes about 2 dozen pretzel bites

Dough:
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Don’t be afraid of the high heat! This is what will help those pretzels to brown up perfectly and stay soft on the inside. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or lightly greasing them.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into about four strips of equal length. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda in a liquid measuring cup (deep enough to dip the pretzel bites into). Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Sometimes I have a hard time getting the baking soda completely dissolved, so I just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.

Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ inches in width. You don’t have to be completely exact, just eyeball it. Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time – it won’t hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave on low heat.

Talking Myles

Myles is sure talking a lot lately! He seems to be talking more then Jack at this age. He repeats almost EVERYTHING he hears - so you have to be careful about what you say around him, lol.

He is really into saying his colors. Some of his favorites:

Yellow

Green

Orange

Blue

Black

Pink (?)

He also loves to race with Bree. He will say "ready, set, GO" - it's too cute.

When we go to get him in the morning, we usually put him in our bed so we can ATTEMPT to get more sleep, which usually doesn't work. He likes to push on my face and say Mom over and over. Then he'll do it to Dusty and say "Moms asleep". It's pretty funny - we'll, right now it's funny but not really at 6am.

He will repeat anything his brother and sister says. For some reason, he refuses to say Grandma - but, if he hears Bree say it, he usually will do it. We also have to work on him to say Jordyn which he is stubborn about too. But, when he does say it, it's very cute. Kindof sounds like "jornn".

And, his favorite things to say (besides Mom) are Jackson and Bree. Just a minute ago he asked me, "where's Jackson and Bree go". Oh my he loves his brother and sister!


Anyways, gotta love My little guy.

Flood Update

So, as most of you know our basement flooded last Friday! What a pain!! It flooded our hallway, Jack's room, the laundry room and a little part of my scrapbook room. We are very thankful it didn't do more damage though. We discovered it late Friday night, so Dusty and I had to clean it all up. Then we called our insurance company the next morning to get things going. They've had to take out part of our laundry room wall and they'll fix the carpet, but that's about the damage - which is good! The company that has been doing the repairs has been fantastic!! So, if you're ever in need of a good disaster clean up company, let me know...

Rough Day - Rough Year!

I've really been missing my dad today. Well, every day I miss him - but especially today. It seems when things get rough for me, or I get stressed out - I miss him more!!

I miss him telling me that everything will be ok. I miss his jokes. I miss his smile. I miss his hugs. I miss not being able to call him to babysit the kids.

I just miss him - that's all!

Everyone says it's all in God's hands and God's time. I have a hard time believing that. Dad was taken way too early, and way too young. I never thought I'd be without him at my age. I never thought my kids would loose their grandpa when they are so young.

It's just hard. I'm so glad that he's not suffering anymore - but, I just want to talk to him again.

California

Dusty and I took a quick trip to California with his mom and dad. John and I had meetings for the Rose Parade (which we are going to next year), but those meeting were short and we were able to enjoy the rest of the days there. Tuesday was our meeting day, Wednesday we went to a band show and also went to Hard Rock Cafe and to see the Hollywood walk of fame. Then Thursday was Disneyland - it was crazy busy, but if you know me, you know that doesn't stop me from going to Disneyland! And then Friday we came home. It was hard being away from the kids for so long, but we had a great time.

December Catch Up

Here are a few pictures of Myles birthday. He had a great birthday and was spoiled as usual!

We also started a new tradition this year with the Miller family. We did a progressive dinner so that we could see every one's decorations. It was a long night, but fun. We had soup at our house which I think everyone liked. We had our good friend Pancho with us, which we loved having him there!

Christmas was great - a little too short, but still good. The kids apparently had been good all year because they got spoiled! We also had my mom with us which we loved! The kids liked having her there to see them open all their presents.