Turkey Day in Style

Originally, I was going for a single picture that didn't have streaks from where she was moving (Ari is always moving. If you don't believe us, ask anyone that tries to video chat with us). Instead, Miss Vogue offered a multitude of poses, asking me to take more. Shall we worry now? 

And so, Ari turned 2 (months ago on November 11 but nevermind)

Hi. Remember us? The last time we talked, there was reference to a new business and breathing into a brown paper bag. Well, we're still here and thought we better catch up (FINALLY) on some major events around here. More major in fact than business decisions. Unless you are referring to the business of turning 2. Serious business indeed. Especially when your big sister helps guide you through the activities. We celebrated with close friends and cake. Did we mention candles? Oh yes....the CANDLES. The girls both blew them out, ask for a relight, and again, poof. One of Ari's favorite presents was a dolly stroller from her great grandmother (more pictures coming). These days it usually has a hapless, normally stark naked, dolly attached. Complete with the perfect application of lipgloss to her little face. Usually the dolly/stroller ensemble is immediately followed by a stark naked Ari with lipgloss of the same coloration delicately applied....

Here we go......

So, those of you that know and love us will also understand that House of Miller is not known to sit idly. Morelike, we act like small animals on caffeine intake experiments (hint: NOT the placebo group). Therefore, we now are officially presenting our most recent project, after mostly finishing a house (and NO, we are NOT pregnant, although this would be a very funny way to let you know):

www.sageflatsshooter.com

Yep, its a project. A big one. We've officially gone into business with our good friends Steve & Nicole in gunsmithing. After much prayer and a few key nudges from family and friends (you know who you are), House of Miller decided to:

A) Buy a lathe (like the kind you remove entire shop walls to place)
B) Run in circles
C) Turn a hobby into a business
D) More circles
E) Create a  website
F) Hand us a brown paper bag please...
G) Start sewing, glassbedding, chambering rifles like madmen
H) Sign up for the local Christmas Market with a booth in Miles City

And so it goes, an LLC is born. Thankfully Steve & Nicole have been active since 2007 in rifle work as the same business, so the baby is only new to us. And the industry support has been phenomenal. In any case, check out the site, offer recommendations and maybe send us some work!

Outta Batteries

At House of Miller, during times of eating and napping, we frequently say "if you don't eat/nap/relax/stay still 5 seconds/etc , then you'll run out of batteries." As if a 2 or 3 year old understands the Energizer Bunny fully, or cares. And yet we still try. Here is our lunch conversation:

A: Okay Gwen...you ladies HAVE to eat your green beans and the rest of lunch, or else you'll run out of batteries."
G: No Mom! My batteries will stay IN, even if I don't eat."

At least they understand battery removal.........

Strange Plumage of Miller Women

Here is a sample of what we see at House of Miller......daily:

Here Fishy Fishy....

First fish hauled in "all by self" and with "NO HELP" (Or at least as little as possible). The 10 minutes prior to the video shoot were marked with Gwen yelling," Hey fish...you CAN'T stay in that water."

Monks in the garden

So a few days ago, Anne and the girls were planting peppers in the garden. Gwen was showing her baby doll dirt, rocks, etc when they spied a cricket:


G: What is THAT?
A: A cricket. Isn't it neat?
G: Can I step on it?
A: No, no. Crickets are good bugs. We don't step on them because they sing to us and....."
(A goes on and on extolling the virtues of the tiny creature)


G: Oh. (Retracts heavy cowboy boot)
A: Good job (Smiles with pride)


Young apprentice steps back and thinks for a moment....
G: Can Dolly step on it?

Gatorade. Ice Cream. Mud. Pizza.

Bath.

The NATE

So, yesterday Eric brought home a wonderful red-headed child we like to refer to as "THE NATE." Or the "I Love Him," as he is commonly referred to by Gwen (more on that later). Nate and his sister Melissa have floated in our household for years as honorary niece and nephew. And they have graciously allowed us to visit theirs as Aunt Anne and Uncle Eric. Both were excited to hear the House of Miller was having a baby for the first time. So excited, in fact, that Nate once told his 1st grade teacher during the school spelling bee that year that  "My Aunt Anne is judging and she is going to have a baby so I am going to win." We should note here this was well prior to the info becoming officially public. Thankfully, Mrs. M could keep a good secret (we still owe you). Then one day, the good moods changed when we decided to reveal the baby gender to the hoodlums first. Home from school, they were just coming through the hall at their parent's house when we broke the news that it was a girl. Nate gave quite the performance.. slamming his books on the floor and stomping out, with the exit words, "Melissa can HAVE her." Melissa was thrilled.

 Flash forward to today with 10 yr old Nate - Day 2 of what will most likely be a 3 Day Extravaganza of pizza, video games, playing with the girls, eating cookies/popcorn without the discovery of the wee ones ("Your baby has the nose of a bloodhound.") and did we mention movies? We think he got over the fact that we had not one but TWO girls in the end. What do you think?

Note for the Parents: We will not give him any form of caffeine prior to his return, nor will we send him back in a rowboat if we can help it. Although with the forecast tomorrow looking like more rain - can we keep him until mid-summer?

On this day, or at least this month, in another point in time....

Sometimes, especially when worn from scrubbing the crayon art off the table legs or wandering sleep-deprived (yes, there is still THAT, more on it later), parents need a reminder of where they've been to truly appreciate where they are now. That, and to prove that at an earlier date in time, there were more posts, fewer run-on sentences and less strange & incorrect punctuation. So, here is a snapshot of where we were on the following dates:

Wednesday, 17 March 2010 - Video Hello (Click on the link to see it). Apparently, we still had zucchini to use at this point in time. Don't ask any questions - sometimes it is better you just don't know. Plus Eric's Extension position does emphasize food preparation and preservation. Gwen is talking and working on walking.

Sunday, March 29 2009 - Week in Review   This entry basically still defines our crazy, busy lifestyle to a point (minus the stores burning in downtown Miles City part). Eric actually picked up the 4H fruit order yesterday from Circle. We also had more time to type. Strangely enough, zucchini is ALSO MENTIONED AGAIN. Maybe renaming this "The Summer Squash Situation" would be more appropriate.


Wednesday, December 3 2008 - Top Ten Indicators that Your Life Has  Changed Forever  So, prior to major pregnancy-type action and Gwen's arrival, there's wasn't a ton of blogging going on. But this post after Gwen was on the ground long enough for us to make some groundbreaking realizations also still holds true. And we don't even mention anything about zucchini! In March 2008, Anne had gone into the Dr. because she "wasn't feeling well" and also was worried previous health issues had made a re-entrance. Therefore, Anne got to see a very, very early ultrasound of Gwennie and, after a few more visits, also got an all-clear on the health bill too. So picture any kind of March entry during this time as a jubilant, chocolate eating period of time not used sleeping (like she should have been doing).

Our first blog was this one: Welcome to Our Crazy Postings which we believe was around July 1, 2008 since the next post after that is, in a nutshell, how not to get blown up while putting on the 4th of July fireworks display for the City of Jordan. We did wind up posting some house pictures but definitely made the shift to kids (because even though you don't have to discipline bathroom floor tiles or studs, they lack that lovely chaos).

To more posts...that are also coherent....Happy March all!

So Peaceful, Yet So Deceptive....

Doin' Dishes with Dad

Conversations with Gwen

Yesterday, Anne was changing Ari's dirty diaper, which was (unless you hab a colb) very evident to all rooms of the house. The scene was set:

Gwen vacates her kitchen stool in the search for more crayons. She walks past her sister, casting a withering look to Ari's bottom end and says (with all the angst she could muster), "Baby, grow up!"  Her stunned mother had to ask for a repeat of the words to ensure she heard the 2 year old correctly.

Fingerpainting (Or Yet Another Reason for Baths)

 

PS - We have cut Gwennie's bangs since these were taken, for those of you worried we may be taking her out in public sans grooming. :)