The Miller Kids

from l to r:  Alex, Kathryn, Nate, Jamie

I can hardly call them 'kids' any more.  They are definitely young men and women either out of the nest or just getting ready to fly!


Alex (my baby!) is 16 and about to finish his sophomore year at Moorhead High School.  He's a computer whiz and more recently fascinated by biology and specifically genetics.  He makes me think, "wow!" at least once a day.  We've all been enjoying his cat - "Gilbert," "Simba," or "get-off-there-stupid-kitty!" - since he came home from the shelter as a surprise for Alex's 16th birthday.  Alex & I have been thinking about what life will be like this summer with Jamie leaves and then next fall when Nate takes off.  WOW.


Kathryn (my big girl) is 22.  I can't even believe it.  She's renting a little house she loves in a neighborhood she loves a little less.  She works A LOT as a server at Redford's Steakhouse in Fargo.  Having Kathryn visit is always a treat -- we can't believe she lives right across town because we just don't get to see her enough!


Nate is 18 and just moments away from graduating from Moorhead High School.  He's had senioritis for about a year now and is SO excited to move on to the next phase of young adult independence.  He is the tallest of our family at just 6 feet even.  He's planning to go to school at NDSU next year, jumping right into the architecture program there.  

Jamie at PHCA, front row 2nd from L

Jamie is 20 and still the life of our party.  It has been fun to have her at home this fall and winter.  She's taking classes at MSUM and will be moving to campus in the Fall.  She will be back at Pine Haven for the 3rd summer in a row.  She loves it there!  In this staff pic, Jamie is right next to her cousin, Katie Cachiaras.  They are sometimes mistaken one for the other to the delight of both.


We're all well aware that some part of our life together is coming to a close and another part is about to begin.  So I just try to hang onto these precious moments together!

weekEnd review

"How does your garden grow?"  Like crazy is how.  Like crazy!  


And sometimes in spite of the weather.  Cool and rainy most of this week.  Even a little snow in the forecast for today, but I think someone was just dreaming - I haven't seen any.  Yet.  The rhubarb is up and going crazy in the backyard.  The flowering trees are TRYING to do their thing.  Just one sunny day - that's all they want.  My flower garden is looking so good - weeds and all.  Can't wait to really get out there. I got new gloves this week - they're SO cool.  And finally, the grass - too wet to cut - will need to be baled!  


Speaking of which, Alex can hardly wait to get out there and try out the new electric mower he brought home this week.  I know I haven't found all the "treasures" that made their way into the house this week.  But I'm counting the number of "clean-up weeks" I have left with kids in the house and it seems manageable.  ;-)


Jamie & Nate had their first AP Tests at Concordia this week.  Nate is taking the AP US History test even as I type - its purported to be the hardest AP test ever in the history of the tests.  At least that's what his sisters tell him.  Jamie took AP Lit yesterday and has two more scheduled for next week.  (Advanced Placement students have the option to take these tests after completing the corresponding high school coursework - certain scores will earn them some college credit for their work.  Even taking the classes with good grades is helpful to have on your high school transcripts.)


Kathryn has been job searching like crazy with her snack bar stint coming to an end.  Did you know some bowling alley jobs are "seasonal" with the league play?  I didn't know that.  The applications are starting to yield some interviews for her - she has one job offer and another interview today.  Strategic Fundraising offered her a position fundraising for the Republican Party!  Today's interview is with a fitness center - at the front desk or in childcare.  


This week's favorites:

• TV timewasters:  ABC's Dancing with the Stars - what an exciting show this week!!  I love to live through those stars & dancers!   AND  Fox's Glee!  Oh my goodness, how Jeff & I love this show and all the songs we grew up with updated and sung by "teenagers."  What a fun show!  (btw - we watch almost no TV live - we watch most shows online on our own schedule, which also means we're almost always behind the "news!")
• Amy Grant's "Somewhere Down the Road" CD.  I rarely buy music, but I downloaded this entire album this week and have really been enjoying it. This song (and video on Tangle) - "Better than a Hallelujah" - really caught my attention and heart and led me to the rest of the album.   I even posted the lyrics on Facebook.  I also especially like "Oh How the Years Go By," "Overnight," and "Unafraid."  She also updated "Arms of Love" which is one of my Amy favorites anyway.  AND she did her own version of "I Can Only Imagine" with "Sing the Wondrous Love of Jesus" which got me in spite of myself. 
• London Broil from our E-Mealz menu for the week.  Oh it was a yummy dinner with potatoes and peas.  SEVEN new recipes are WAY too many so we're "banking" about half for later.  Nice that the shopping list is so easy to adjust!  And of course, Jeff's Skillet Lasagna remains at the top of our list for favorite dinners.  ;-)

 I don't know WHO scheduled all the appointments for the kids in ONE WEEK, but don't be doing that to me again, please.  We had six (6!) doctor, ortho, etc appointments this week.  We made it to everything pretty much on time, but it was a little crazy-making.  I am SO glad to be working from home!!

I look at my family garden at least a couple times every week now and realize just how it's grown!  The young adults are out-numbering us and numbering our days with "kids" at home.  I'm so proud of how they're growing - mostly in spite of me and the weather.  What a privilege to have them.  

How is your garden growing, dear friends?  We send our love and affection and care for you in thoughts and prayers every day.

L

wordless wednesday: cleanup week find!

Only Alex could come home from school with an electric mower complete with "works perfectly" sign & mint condition owner's manual!  A neighbor down the street had just put it out on the birm for "clean up week."  

He even came out to give Alex an impromptu lesson on electric mower charging and operation.  He said there is nothing wrong with it - they just bought a new one and didn't need this one anymore!  What a perfect find for the boy who struggled with our old gas-powered mower all last summer.

"Clean-Up Week" is one of our favorite times of the Moorhead-Fargo calendar year - my boys are always inspired to do a little more "just riding around" on their bikes in early May.  But I worry most about Alex.  He pretty much always shifts my junk balance back to neutral with the stuff he brings home and has been known to regularly bring stuff back in from our own curb.  I slowed my average driving speed significantly this year for fear he would give himself whiplash watching for treasures between home, church, school and store.

weekEnd

Jamie, Jeff & I watched "To Kill A Mockingbird" this afternoon (and evening) - what a great movie!  It's one of my favorites - and the book is at the top of my list of must-read American novels.  New movie trivia:  a young Robert Duvall plays Arthur "Boo" Radley!  I don't know how many times I've seen the movie and never noticed it.  Today Jeff said, "Doesn't he look like a very young...?" And sure enough, a quick Google search later - it's Robert Duvall - with not a single line to deliver!  Still love the movie after all these years.  I think I find a new favorite scene every time.  I love Jem & Scout together - their relationship is just so easy and seems SO real.  And Gregory Peck - so perfect.  The entire courtroom scene.  And I'm still scared every time Scout & Jem are coming home through the woods in the night! Do you have a favorite scene?  Did you know Robert Duvall was "Boo?"  Comment below!


Alex performed with the jr high FM Area Youth Symphony for the last time this afternoon for their Spring Concert.  It was fun as ever.  They performed "Prelude in C" with guest pianist, Mary King - area music teacher still giving lessons and today, performing, at 98 years old!  So cool.  Mr Cole is always looking for new, creative and fun opportunities for learning and musicianship.  This afternoon, they performed the US debut of the "Catcerto", complete with the large screen video of the cat playing the piano you see in this video.  It was very fun.  Alex hasn't decided whether or not he will audition for the high school youth symphony program for next year - the audition pieces are very challenging!  He did begin lessons with a cello teacher this week which will help him prepare for the May audition should he decide to go for it!  He will continue playing with Moorhead High School program and may audition for the community group in years ahead.


Nate & Jamie helped the youth group at Valley prepare breakfast early Easter morning - then we all went to services together at Salem.  We had a delicious mid-afternoon meal and enjoyed Easter baskets (will the kids ever outgrow them?)  It was a beautiful spring day - I posted some pics on facebook.

Each month seems to bring another string of appointments - dentist, orthodontist, lessons, etc.  Jamie had an exciting visit the Dr Deb this week for help with a wart that keeps coming back on her index finger. Dr Deb scraped and froze the bothersome little thing and sent her home to use the usual wart remover treatment for a month.  Then she'll go back for more digging and freezing!  Brave girl.  Jamie's graduation announcements arrived this week - look for yours in the mail!  Open House and Grad dates are posted in the sidebar over there ------>  We're looking forward to celebrating with Jamie!  We're all looking forward to a visit from my parents at the same time.  She will be leaving to work at Pine Haven right after graduation.  She has been assigned to half time on the "Outdoor Crew" and half time on the "Indoor Crew."  She is so excited.


Jeff & I have been slowly building a social life.  ;-)  I have been having coffee about once a month with an old friend I hadn't spent time with in years.  We just talk, talk the minutes away and are surprised when our hour is gone!  Jeff & I had dessert at our house with her and her husband last month.  This Friday we're going to their house for dinner.  They are both educators and conversation is lively, entertaining, thought-provoking and just plain fun.  We're looking forward to the visit.


The beautiful weather has been brought all the kids out - our basketball hoop has been busy and we're having more visitors than ever.  I'm glad our house is a good place to come - but I'm pretty sure Jeff would rather not be chasing little kids and girls out of our basement window wells!  (yep - too much fun in the side yard this afternoon!)  

Mia finds the silliest sleeping positions!

With the windows open, Mia has been making everyone crazy barking & growling at every new noise.  We've become more aware of her age.  We adopted her when Alex was 5.  The vet estimated her age at maybe 2 at that time - so we figure she's about 11.  She has had seasonal allergies for the last several summers that make her very, very itchy.  We were hoping that she could get by with just the antihistamine this year, but it doesn't seem to be helping so looks like we'll need to add a steroid again.  (She loves taking her pills since I found Pill Pockets at her vet's office.  Genius.)  She also seems to be having back pain off and on.  And now has added a weird circling behavior and sideways walking thing more and more often.  Poor old puppy.  She's such a good dog.    


Hope you're having a lovely spring where you are - let us know how you're doing!


~L

WeekEnd Review

Spring came to the Valley the ornery way it usually does.  A few days in the 40s, maybe 50 followed by a few days below freezing again.  The kids have shed their coats for good - regardless of the temperature.  The sun is glorious when it's out, the wind is brutal from the north.  I saw lots of snow geese headed back north this week though, so I'm sure warmer weather isn't far away.


The river (Red River of the North) crested last Sunday about a foot lower than the earlier forecasts.  A cooler first few days of spring helped slow the melt.  Flood preparation seemed to go so smoothly this year on both the Moorhead (MN) and Fargo (ND) sides.  City leaders and citizens alike learned so many lessons with last year floods and then both cities have made some critical changes since last year so everyone seemed to take this high water in stride.  Jeff and I joined the other sightseers on the Main Avenue bridge to look at the water.  I've lived here long enough to have seen a few major floods on the Red, but it's still an awesome sight.  See more pics on my facebook.

The River usually only runs through that center section of the train trestle.  

Alex planned a "Miller Theater" night last Sunday, complete with popcorn and snacks.  The basement family room had been tidied up and everyone had their own seat with special trays and tables set up for the goodies.  We watched "Mission Impossible 3" from our augmented movie library (Jeff had some good ones he brought with him!) and it was a very nice family night.  Alex is good at Event Planning.  Anytime I can't quite figure out how we're going to get it all done in a day, I just hand the list to Alex and he plans it out for us.

Nate spent last Friday night at his friend, Caleb's house.  They live in far North Fargo and while their home is not threatened by flood water, they live near a golf course that pretty much goes under when the water gets this high.  I believe the boys enjoyed a lot of video game time together and some outdoor boy bonding activities.  :-)  

Jeff and the boys are really into their xBox games.  They have several action/army type games that I'm not particularly crazy about, but Jeff assures me that they develop important leadership skills.  (yeah.  right.)  When they take off for the basement, Jamie and I just go upstairs to try to find a chick flick on TV.  We can usually still hear them even two floors up!  Not sure, but I think Nate is the player to beat on most of these games.  He's pretty darn good with strategy and really good with the controllers.  (I don't get it.)

Jamie and I have been filling out forms this week - starting with her FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  That one is all online, but we have writer's cramp from several others.  She has done such a good job getting all her stuff together and taking care of college business.  She's pretty set on attending Northwestern College in St Paul.  She'll apply to MSUM here in Moorhead as a backup, but her plan is to head to the Cities in August.  We need to go down there May 27 for some info about registering, etc.  We have New Student Orientation August 20 - 24 (with events for parents over the weekend!) and her classes begin Aug 25.  She will be leaving for Pine Haven right after graduation the first weekend in June to work for the summer.  She's been assigned to split her time between indoor and outdoor crew.  She's very excited.  Her mama feels the time slipping away!  

This was also haircut week for us.  Everyone got a haircut - Jamie got hers colored adding some pretty red highlights, I got a couple inches cut off mine and added some bangs.  Alex got his cut against his will.  We could no longer see his eyes as his bangs were down over his nose when he wasn't doing that thing where he swings his head over and swoops the hair to one side.  It's still pretty darn long in my opinion - longer than Jamie's! - but I think our stylist found a pretty good compromise between mom and son. It's a very in style cut with boys right now.  If you've seen teen heart throb, Justin Bieber, you've seen Alex's hair. (but don't tell him so - he's not a Justin Bieber fan!) Jeff's is a "caesar cut" which he got last time.  (HE pretty much looks like George Clooney - with George's gray and all - now that's more like it as far as I'm concerned!)  And Nate is getting "the usual" from his barber this afternoon.  He's the easiest - very little variation and no "stylists," thank you very much.

Tomorrow evening we're celebrating Earth Hour - turning off our lights from 8:30 - 9:30 pm (CST).  At this point we don't have much of a plan for what we'll do.  But we're doing our part to conserve and recognize our power usage - join us and let us know what you did or learned!  

Be cool and stay warm,

<3

~L 

weekEnd

weather report:  gray, rainy, drizzly, wet.  And the river is on the rise.  The weather service is predicting a 10' rise on the Red in the next week - a pretty fast rise that will take us to "moderate" flooding.  Both cities have been preparing for pretty serious flood fights for the second year in a row.  Jeff is planning to take the boys to help fill sandbags tomorrow.


jamie left on her Symphony Orchestra trip yesterday afternoon.  The schedule was a pretty busy one but I did get a text msg this morning:  "I JUST WATCHED BALLERINAS AT THE ORCHESTRA CONCERT. Ask me about the animals and hula hoops when I get back..."  Can't wait to hear all about it!  I'll see if I can't get her to post her own blog post. 


With Jamie gone and Jeff to work early this morning, Nate "overslept" and didn't have to take the bus to school!  :-)  He's been pretty spoiled having his sister drive him to school every day.  He's very motivated to get his license this summer!  He & I practiced driving a couple afternoons this week.  He is going to be a very good driver.  Poor Nate had to deliver his papers in steady rain this week.  He was pretty soaked by the time he was done.  Of course, he's happy anytime it's above freezing.  Nate helped me prepare "Minestrone Hotdish" for supper Thursday night.  Nice mama/son time - he has always been so good at helping.  Even when he was very small.  I've always enjoyed anything I get to do side by side with Nathanael.  He is finished at school early this quarter - he doesn't have a last period class so he's done at 2.  Most days he finishes up his homework in the library and rides home with Jamie, but occasionally I get to pick him up early and enjoy a little time for just the two of us.  


Alex has diligently been staying after school this trimester for some extra help with Algebra (meh!).  He's making extra effort to stay organized and get assignments turned in on time, if you know what I mean.  I wish you could hear the song he has been composing on the laptop!  He has a program that allows him to layer multiple instruments.  He's been working on it for weeks now - and it's really quite impressive.  He is taking the Standard Gift to a birthday party tomorrow - Hollywood Video gift card & theater candy in a very cool microwave popcorn bucket.  It has been his "standard" for several years now - his friends actually look forward to receiving it and it has certainly made my life easier!  


Entertainment this week:  Jeff and I watched "Glee" online and found it so addicting we watched all of the available episodes and are looking forward to the show's return this spring!  Cute show - and of course we LOVE the music.  


We saw quite a few of the Academy award nominees before the Oscars, but we definitely renewed the "to see" list during the show Sunday night.  First on the list was "Precious," which we watched one rainy afternoon this week.  Devastating poverty, powerful redemption.  Gabourey Sidibe was really wonderful - can you imagine being nominated in the same category as Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren for your first role?  I'm looking forward to seeing her again.  As far as I'm concerned Mo'nique earned every bit of her Oscar - I haven't seen a character that has moved me so much in a very long time.  A warning (mom):  this is not a movie for sissies.  ;-)  


All kinds of birthdays this week!  We celebrated my mom, Ashlee, my dad and my niece.  I can't wait till Madeline gets our card!  hee.


What an absurdly long post - I'm so grateful to have so much to write about. Life is so brief and so remarkable.


<3