We went to the orthopedic for Ri. His legs are fine. The doctor said there is barely any difference in the 2 legs. He thinks it might have something to do with his torso, but he should grow out of it. In the meantime, we will just have to deal with many falls and skinned up knees. We are thankful for the news.

Well, I just finished these 2 photo pages. They really mean a great deal to me. My boys are so precious. They love the little ones and even when they are worn out and really tired of little feet running around, they don't hesitate to help out when I need a hand. They are incredible with the kids. They play hard with them and don't seem to mind that they are only 2 years old. We are so blessed. I hope you enjoy their special pages.


Mark mentioned to me that I had only posted once this week. He is right. I have sat down to do it, but either get pulled away, don't have time, or just haven't felt up to it. This week is always hard for me. The kids went back to school yesterday. My heart always aches a little that week. I hate knowing that for the next 9 months, they will be in school all day long 5 days a week. I miss them. But, it is somewhat nice to know that I will be on a schedule once again. Jacob entered 6th grade this year. He is in a new school and finally on the same schedule as everyone else. He was nervous, but once that first day was over, he seems to be doing great. He has a good team and should have a great year. Sam is in 8th grade. I can't believe the boys are so old! He got one of the teachers that he was really, really hoping for,... only to find out that he is much like a drill Sargent. Funny how things are sometimes. But... I know this teacher well. He will be awesome and once school gets on its way, Sam will love his class. Emily is now a junior. Oh how my heart is beginning to ache. All of a sudden it is hitting me that I only have 2 more years with her and then she will be off to college OR ... CHINA! She is dreading school. If she felt lead, she would be home schooled this year. But... as much as she really wants to be, she really feels that God would have her in school. She has realized how crucial these next 2 years are and also realizes that dear old mom might not be equipped to prepare her as much as she needs prepared. In addition to school, Emily works 2-3 nights a week. She also would like to be involved in the school musical. Erin is now a sophomore. She hasn't had much of a summer, so going to school isn't so hard on her. She is so involved in things that her life is really not her own. Right now, as I type, both Sam and Erin are on a bus coming home from a football game. It is now 11:45 and I just heard from Erin. They really do not anticipate getting home for another hour. Poor things. Erin is stretched very thin. She has soccer practice every night and a 3 hour band practice every Tuesday night. She had her first game last night and didn't get home until 10:00. She was at the field at 5:30. And now she hasn't been home (Sam either) since they left this morning at 6:30. Sam is almost as bad. He is playing on a traveling soccer team. The cross country coach came up to him and asked if he would run for the team, so Sam said yes. Now he practices every night after school and then practices soccer an hour later 2 nights out of the week. So.. you can see (or at least kind of get a feel) why life in the Miller home is not calm. 3 teenagers, 1 pre-teen, and 2 toddlers ......

And so, I think that explains why I received a comment the other night that has had me a little uncomfortable. First, before I share this comment with all of you, I want to tell you that I KNOW I am tired and I KNOW that I look tired. Just a few days ago, my husband (as wonderful as he is) made a comment that has had me thinking very hard ever since. He told me that I have lost that sparkle in my eyes. The spark of energy that use to always be there seems lost. He says now that when he looks into my eyes, all he sees is sadness or exhaustion. He was so sweet when he said it. It wasn't meant for harm, he just felt badly for me because I am so tired and worn out. Well... that comment made me really think about it. It made me sad because he is right. I have gotten to a point that I have forgotten the joy of life and have allowed myself to be burdened by the daily tasks of life. Because the tasks are so huge, I have convinced myself that somehow I have a right to feel this way and thus... I think I have allowed myself to become bitter. Oh how that convicted me. It is true, I am tired, but the deeper truth is that I have put God to the side and focused on "poor me". Now.. as if that is not enough. Sometimes I have to just stop and ask God... "haven't I been hit hard enough with this 2x4?". I am joking, of course, but here is my "funny story" that caused me to jokingly ask God that question. On Wednesday night, when we were heading to church, I looked at Ri and Elizabeth's shirts and saw that they had reached the filthy point. You know.. the point in which you are embarrassed to take them anywhere. So, I went to change their clothes for church. We were already in town, so going home was out of the question. But... guess what? No clothes! Nothing.. not one stitch of anything to put on them. Well, being the dedicated woman that I am, I was determined not to send them to church in those clothes.... so we headed to a store. I chose a very cheap store, walk in, and very quickly pick out 2 shirts. They were .99 each. It was not like I was spending a fortune in the store. I headed to the counter and proceeded to the check out. The YOUNG girl who was checking out looked at me and said: "Are you 55 or older?" I think I was in shock. FIFTY FIVE???? WHAT???? Ok.. I know I look tired and worn out... but 55 was just too much for me to handle. She then proceeded to explain that if I was 55, I could take advantage of the senior citizen discount!!!! I have been prepared for people asking me if Ri and Elizabeth were my grandchildren. I know many grandmothers who are my age or even younger. That I was prepared for.... but 55? Nope... I wasn't ready for it. And so, how do you think I am feeling? Not good. I feel old. All of a sudden, all my joints ache. My back, my legs, my feet, my head... everything. To top it off, I went to the doctor and found out my body is getting old too. I went by a mirror the other day and looked hard. Yep... I saw it. I do look 55, well at least I look it in my eyes. So NOW what do I do? I can't change my being tired, so I am just going to have to figure out another way to look younger. If you have any ideas, feel free to pass them on. I am not willnig to accept someone accusing me of being that much older then I am. I am recovering from the comment. It was innocent, but very hard to hear. A teenager, 10 years ago, asked me if Jacob was my grandson... so I threw all my clothes away and got new glasses and went and got my haircut. Is vanity horrible? I'm past that stage, though. So I am not going to respond by throwing my clothes away. I think I just need to get that spark back that Mark said I was missing. Once that happens, I might be "younger" again. You know.... I remember joking around and saying that we were adopting Ri and Elizabeth to keep us young. Ha - I think it backfired. :) I very, very good friend of mine asked me to remember when I was a teenager and said.. Don’t you remember how old 30 sounded when we were in our teens? She is right! So... I really am not that old and I figure (at least I am counting on this) that I really don't look that old either. Not that 55 is old. I am counting on feeling very young and looking as young as I can when I am 55 so that poor Elizabeth and Ri (who will just be teenagers) don't feel like they are being raised by elderly grandparents :) Until then, I am going to remember this cashier was YOUNG and I am NOT old (just feeling it at times).

The kids absolutely love spider webs. We found this one this morning. It is so cool! Check out the spider.
Ok.. they love bugs too! Mark takes them exploring all the time.




What can I say.... Jacob is pretty cool... not too many kids can pull off this look :)

Well, school starts in just 3 days. It is sad for me. I miss my kids when they are not here. This time of year is always difficult. That first day is always the hardest, knowing they are in someone elses teaching for 6-8 hours. But, God is good and He will take care of them.

The pictures of our special day together. This summer has been very crazy and we haven't had an opportunity to really do anything together. Don't get me wrong, we have done quite a bit, it is just that we haven't really done anything as a family, alone since we brought Ri home. When we went to China, Sam missed out on going to Kings Island with the entire 7th grade class. Jacob missed out on the 5th grade overnight. We promised the kids that we would do everything possible to try to take the family to Kings Island. That day finally came last Thursday. It was a miserably hot day, but the park was not crowded and we had an incredible time. Ri and Elizabeth seemed stunned for the first couple of hours, but once they figured out what it was all about, they seemed to eat it up. They are too little to ride much, but what they could ride, they loved. The older kids got to ride to their hearts content. It was a great day for all of us.

Tomorrow, Ri is seeing an orthopedic for his legs. He still walks very funny, as if he hesitates with his right leg. The physical therapist and our family doctor both agree that one leg is shorter then the other. So... we are seeing what needs to be done tomorrow. I will fill you in when I can. As for everyone else, they are all doing great. Elizabeth is growing in leaps and bounds. She is putting 4 and 5 words together all of the time. She is completely potty trained (even better then Ri now) and is able to lay in bed without screaming for me. Ri is amazing us daily with how quick he learns things and how wonderfully he picks up on things (good and bad things). He is quite the destroyer, always tearing things apart (though I think it is just to figure things out).... but who knows. He works hard at doing anything and everything Elizabeth does. It is very funny to watch.

Well, I am getting tired. I just wanted to fill everyone in on the little ones. Erin is playing soccer for the high school team again. She is very excited about it. Please pray that she does not continue to injure herself. Her knees are really beginning to be a problem for her. Emily is blossoming into an incredible young woman. Sam is really beginning to get bigger. He is really shining in his character these days, working hard on his walk with the Lord. Jacob is so excited about 6th grade. It is neat to see him maturing so much!

Mark and I are treading water... but our heads seem to stay above water most of the time. I do have to admit that my legs are getting pretty tired. I am hoping that the water becomes a little calmer so that we can continue to survive !!! :)

Check that jump out!

Ri just hit his head on the corner of the bleacher. This is his hurt look. It is precious.
Ok.. I just love the look she gives out of the corner of her eyes!

I think Mark has finally found a partner to run with! And Ri has gained weight and grown!!!!

Well, I think it's true. He's found a partner... an unexpected partner to boot! If you haven't guessed it already, it's a 2 year old. Now, I'm not saying that Mark is slow or anything like that. He amazes me sometimes with his determination and desire to run. He does a great job. For years he has run, rarely missing days, even in the blistering cold. But he has always run alone. Oh there were fleeting days when someone would muster the endurance to run, but those days didn't last but one or two times in a row... except for the time that Jacob ran in the turkey trot (I think that wore him out and he dreaded running after that). I've tried, but it is way too boring and now that I am older and out of shape.. IT HURTS TOO MUCH!

As we begin another season of soccer, we are all too aware of the need for our family to get into shape. So, last night, we went on a family jog. Erin instigated it because she is determined to run everyday. I told her I would run with her (ha ha.. I can't run much, but I was determined to help her and thought I would ride my bike along side of her). The boys soon joined in and were determined to run too. Once Elizabeth heard the word run, she piped in and begged to go. So I figured that I would walk really fast with her in the jogger. As soon as Mark heard we were all going, he asked Ri if he wanted to go. Before we knew it, it was a family affair (though Emily was at Cedarpoint, so she couldn't). Everyone took off running, including Ri and Elizabeth, before I could get the jogger together. Soon I heard Mark yelling for me because Elizabeth was running so fast that she was spreading the distance between her and Mark and Ri by too far. It would have been dangerous had a car come down our road. She obviously can't keep up with the older ones, so they were not with her. I got the jogger and ran to catch up with Ri. Mark took off for Elizabeth. She was jogging at a good pace down the hill towards the creek. I figured she would stop jogging after she past our neighbors. Nope, she kept jogging. She kept it up for nearly 3/4 mile or more. It was amazing. She kept a steady pace the entire jog. I think she was the strongest of everyone! We were all in awe. Mark just beamed saying "I think I found my running partner". So... look for her in the news sometime - the youngest marathon runner ever :) !

As for Ri, well, he is growing. We are thrilled. When he was at his medical exam in Guangzhou, he weighed 23.4 pounds and measured 33 inches tall. That was 2 1/2 months ago. Yesteday, he had his 2 months check to monitor is weight and height. We were so excited to see that he had gained over 2 pounds and grew 1/2 inch. He weighed 25.8 pounds and measured 33 1/2 inches long. I can't imagine how much he would weigh had he not had diarhea so badly for the first 1 1/2 months we had him. The doctor was so pleased with his progress that he said he would see him in 2 months again, but expects to very quickly be just routine check ups. I did have him check Ri's walk. He does not have a normal walk. We have noticed a hesitation with one of his legs. The physcial therapist thought that one leg was shorter then the other. Our doctor confirmed it and is making an appointment for us with an orthopedic specialist. He expects that Ri will need a lift for his one leg (to place in his shoe). So, you can pray about that. What a minor issue for us to deal with!



I wish I had a picture of Elizabeth running, but I don't. The below pictures were taken by Emily in Florida.

I can't believe that summer is beginning to wind down. It seems like it has flown by so quickly that I really have not had a chance to enjoy my kids being home. I finally feel like I am getting a grip back on my life, it doesn't seem right that they will be heading back to school in just a couple weeks.

The little ones are doing very well. Both are officially potty trained... yippee! They are becoming great pals - for the most part. There are definitely moments in every day where one of them "beats up" on the other. But...they seem to be doing wondefully despite those moments. Well, I could write more, but for now I want to head to bed. Last night they were up quite often.

I thought it might be nice to make a page just for my husband, to share with him how much I love him. I am truly a blessed wife. He makes me complete.

As I have been working on making books and listening to Uncle Paul share with the boys how few pictures there are of him (he is the 4th born), I got to thinking about it. I have a ton of Emily and Erin when they were little, but a lot less of the boys when they were little. I have a TON of Ri and Elizabeth and a LOT less of the others now. I am realizing that Jacob and Sam seem to have gotten on the short end of this stick. So... I told each of the older 4 kids that I want to take some time and do some "photo shoots" of just them. The following pictures are the result of Em's first "photo shoot" with her mom.

Erin turns 15

Well, Friday was a big day around here. Our beautiful daughter, Erin, turned 15. She is full of life and energy and a joy to us. It is so hard to believe that she is growing up. Our little tom boy has blossomed into a gorgeous young lady who loves the Lord and loves life. She is as active as a child can possibly be, filling her life with sports, church activities, school activities, friends.. and if we are truly lucky... we get squeezed in once in awhile :).


Her birthday was no different then the other days of her filled summer. She started off the morning rising early (6:00) to go to Band Camp. She was at Band Camp from 7:00 - 3:00. We picked her up and came home so she could rest a few hours before taking her out to dinner to celebrate her birthday. Immediately following dinner, she joined up with her soccer team for an overnight outing. She was up all night, only to be picked up at 7:30 for another day of Band Camp.

We are truly blessed to have our little girl. Happy Birthday baby girl!


On another note, Mark and I celebrated our anniversary. What a wonderful day we spent together. He surprised me by taking the day off and arranging for the little ones to be watched by Mamaw and Uncle Paul so that we could have some time together. It was so wonderful to be alone for a little while. We are truly blessed to have an incredible marriage. God's hand had definitely been upon it. Mark is my best friend. He treats me like a princess... everyday... even 17 years after we have been married. He is the most amazing husband I could imagine.

My kids all made it home safely from Florida. What a wonderful time they had. As you can tell, the little ones are very happy to have them home!