Part 1 of Family Trip 2011...

The 1st stop of our trip was the Creation Museum. We toured their dramatized Christmas Town on the evening we arrived. While we were walking through, the shepherds were excitedly telling us about the Messiah, and where we could find him. Right then, one of the shepherds looked at me and said, "Hey! Are you a Miller?" Turns out, that we had chatted w/ him at the ICHE Conference and he was also a friend of a friend's. :) Small world!
These are the pictures from the next day, when we toured the actual museum. The kids really liked it...it was their 1st time. We went at their pace...which meant we didn't stop and read every single thing. But that's ok...they got to "see" Adam and Eve, Noah, Methusulah, The Garden of Eden, The Ark, lots of Dinosaurs...and etc. The best thing was that everything was from a Biblical perspective. My favorites were the theater presentations and the Buddy Davis family music show. How fun! We're now Buddy Davis fans. ;)


Benjamin was a trooper! (although he's in the inconveniently loud stage for things that require a quiet audience...)




The Creation Museum is definitely a mustsee if you've never been! It's extremely well done and is a faith builder. ;) There is also another project that Answers in Genesis has started: a full size Noah's ark amusement park! Anyway...we will be going back...it was that good!

Memory Lane...

I've been going through toys, books, and cabinets. As I was going through cds...I found Justin's Afghanistan pictures from 2003. Since my guy doesn't get much press on this blog...I'll dedicate this post to him. :)


Guess who he's talking to?? Oh, and thinking back to all those phone conversations where you heard yourself talk and had delay time before you could hear the other person. Oh, goodness...sometimes we "clashed" and started talking at the same time. It was so annoying to hear myself laugh after I laughed...crazy. Probably something one just as to experience to appreciate instant communication. :)
From most of the pictures, Afghanistan is not a pretty place. I thought this picture of the mountains we're beautiful, though. :)
Random little girl on the street...she's pretty too!

My husband and his "bodyguard", Arianna. Justin told me that little kids would come up to you (Americans) and offer to watch your vehicle and stuff. Then they expected to be paid for the job. :) There she is holding some treasures he bought from the bizarre in downtown Kabul. We still have those coasters. :)

So which one's Justin? Wow...I'm glad the 80's are past!

And even lovelier...he doesn't disguise very well. :)

Ah...that's more like him...

These made me smile...things that I sent him...

Justin and some of "the boys"--the local's that worked for him every day. Justin told them that he was going to marry me when he got home. Before he left, they all gave him wedding gifts. My favorite gift was a black scarf...that is adorning my kitchen table right now. I appreciated there hearts...there gifts were very thoughtful. They even gave Justin traditional Afghani wedding outfits...he breaks them out every now and then. :)

Seriously, I didn't know Justin had a flat top....he said he doesn't remember having one either...ha!


I'm sure Justin will be happy to see that he "made the blog"--as he calls it.
I'm also reminded to pray for Afghanistan, as it's a barren land, both physically and spiritually...they need the light of the Gospel!"> ~Best 11 minutes you'll spend today: Eric Ludy on The Gospel

Happiness...

7 years ago yesterday (Dec. 4, 2004), I said "I do" to Justin Goff. Such a joyful day...and I tell him often I'm so glad we're married. I'm so thankful God invented marriage. We are learning what it means to love. It's definitely something that we learn. Going into marriage, we really didn't have a clue! Well, or, should I say, that everything we knew in theory became reality. It's lots harder to actually live out something verses just say it or know it mentally.

The past 7 years have had some transitions...four big ones, come to mind immediately. I am not the person I was 7 years ago, mainly because of my children. "Mommy boot camp" has a way of forcing a person out of their comfort zone...and pressing to the limits your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. I say that lovingly and with a smile. Motherhood has been one of the hardest, yet fruitful seasons of my life. Fruitful in all different aspects. I appreciate the side of Justin that parenting has brought out. We are learning together. It's very humbling. It's driving us to the Lord. That's a good place to be!

Praying that the Lord would show me how to be Jesus to my husband. I'm learning how to respect him, how to communicate clearly, what submission looks like. It's easy to know that we need to respect and submit to our husbands...but sometimes I'm not sure how it plays out in real life. That's what the Lord is teaching me. We're learning together. I'm glad Justin's gracious...and I'm very glad that the Lord is.

We celebrated our anniversary by attending Christmas Concert and going out for pizza afterwards. Not alone...but w/ the little people we love most plus my mom, grandma, and sister. A good celebration. 7 happy years...thanking the Lord today for that blessing!

Scripture Picture...

We had family pictures done in October. I was patiently holding off posting any till after our Thanksgiving cards were sent out. I'll try to put up some more of my favorites here soon. But, I'm working on a scripture picture for our bedroom. I'm just going to swap out this large portrait of J and I on our wedding day, and replace it w/ one of these. Both of these scriptures are very meaningful to us. Which one to choose?? Hmm...

Our House...66 yrs. ago

My Grandma came across this picture when she was going through some things. I thought it was really neat. I'd like to enlarge it and frame it. This was my Great-Grandpa's house...my Grandpa Max moved in when he was in High School. After my Great-Grandpa sold it, it was owned by several different people, and then finally abandoned. It sat empty except for the cats, other animals, and partiers that tramped in and out for several years. It's right across the driveway from my Grandparents house and right on my Dad's farm. When it came up for sale, it was either: tear it down or fix it up. (It looked horrible...looking back at pictures!) Well...Justin and I (and LOTS of helpers) gutted this house 9 years ago...and it's been our home for almost 7 years now.
(love that old truck in the driveway)

Branson Trip

Thursday at 8 a.m., the extended Miller family (50+) headed to Branson, MO for a 60th Anniversary Celebration with Grandpa Max and Grandma Bobbie. All of us piled in a charter bus and headed South. The bus ride was relatively calm...especially considering that there were 20 children under age 13! Or, maybe it was b/c all of my children were hangin' out w/ aunties and uncles. :) My children have awesome Aunts (and Uncles!)



Steak and Shake for Thanksgiving Dinner was a 1st. :)

Kids didn't mind at all!


The hotel that we stayed in had a water park. My Grandpa mentioned in an email that there was a waterslide, so we'd better bring our swimsuits. I looked up the hotel online, just to see what kind of "waterslide" it was...and it happened to be a waterPARK! The kids were SO excited! Being there with lots of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents made it even more fun.


My cute lil' neice...Elliana.

Yes, and my boy: Benjamin. He LOVED the water. In January, we took the kids to a waterpark in Indy. I was a large 35 wks pregnant...and it's funny, 10 months later, I have a mobile little guy who thoroughly enjoyed the waterpark!

It was fun being the pied piper for the weekend! All the little girl cousins were following me around b/c of Benjamin. They loved him! He's such a laid back, cheerful little guy that he was passed all around. :)

Had to shop just a little...and for a gal that doesn't shop much, it was funny to me that we were out on Black Friday. :) I actually bought a new coat for Justin to wrap up for me for Christmas. Funny how we "do" Christmas, eh? I call it efficient. :)

We went to a funny hillbilly show called the: "Baldknobbers" William liked the guy w/ the hillbilly teeth. Madeline liked the singing, dancing cowgirls.





Something was funny!

Would've been a good picture...

My sister and her hubby, Nathan...

I was definitely on vacation...there were built in babysitters everywhere...all ages, too!

Another sis and her hubby, George. :)

Madeline w/ the cowgirls...

Mom and Leah...

When I was editing the pictures, it cracked me up to see who was in the background...mainly relatives w/ funny expressions. :)

McKenzie and Isaac...and Nate looking mischievious

Derek (a friend of Max's) and Max, deep in thought. :)

Family Pictures...
(the original family)

Our family w/ Grandpa Max and Grandma Bobbie.

My family w/ my Grandparents... we kinda roll w/ the motto: "The More, The Merrier!"


We were at an animal show, and the whole family was pointing to William (who was sitting on Justin's lap)...when the stage-guy asked for a volunteer. Funny thing was that he picked Justin, not William.


WaterPark! This one cracks me up...I'm sure Justin will love it.



Here we are at the show: Dixie Stampede. What a fun dinner show! All of us LOVED it!

My parents...always the biggest ducks in the puddle. :)

Grandpa Max: The Patriarch
And also the organizer and funder of the whole trip. Wow...he planned such a fun trip and we made so many great memories!He and my Grandma are so generous and such givers.

Justin and I...

Samuel devouring his whole chicken like an apple. :)

Madeline's favorite part of the horse show were the cowgirls w/ their glittery outfits and fast horses. :) She was so mesmerized, she had trouble remembering her supper! The boys, including Benjamin, loved the show too! My 2 favorites were the Nativity Scene w/ the wise men on camels and the beautiful Christmas music and the lady in glittery gold and white that came riding out on a white horse singing "O Holy Night"


What an absolutely marvelous time! Thanks to my grandparents for making it all happen! It was fun to be able to live life w/ the relatives for a few days! We made some great memories. I spent most of my time w/ little kids or talking to adults while counting to 4 or craning my neck to make sure I could see all of them. Ha, ha. Actually, it was nice, since there were so many "helpers" We had adjoining rooms w/ my parents, which was lovely!

On the way down, while we were on the bus, my Dad shared a short message about Thanksgiving. Yesterday, we had church on the bus. It was a blessing to see how God has gifted different ones. About a week ago, my Grandpa had asked Justin to share something for Sunday morning on the bus. Well, yesterday, Nathan led some singing w/ his guitar (imagine trying to play, sing, and stand on a moving bus) (Isaac assisted him w/ the microphone and music:) I forgot to tell him that I enjoyed it. :) And then Justin shared about why we should be thankful and what we should be thankful for. I was so proud of him...he did a really good job. He shared lots of Scriptures to back his comments. It was well thought out and well said. :) I appreciated that my Grandpa asked different ones to speak, sing or pray while on the bus...it was good to be reminded about the history of Thanksgiving and what the scripture says about giving thanks.

Today I helped the kids write thank you notes to my grandparents. It was funny hearing their favorite things about the trip: the charter bus, "Nugget" the chicken, the hot tub, the arcade games, the cowgirls ("actually the horsegirls"--guess that does make more sense), the horses, and the baby pool. They had so much fun. I enjoyed seeing them enjoy it all. :)

Now, back to reality. Like decorating for Christmas, finishing the mountain of laundry, bills, last week of orchestra, school, etc.

Much to be thankful for...even the daily grind. :)


**I remember now why I don't take the time to blog much anymore...especially w/ text. Why are there all these div things that space everything out? I have to go back and edit it all after I'm done. It took forever! Help!**