The Kiddos

One of my favorite parts of this week was on Thursday. I had a stressful night at work and was ready to drive back and go straight to bed.  But when I pulled up to the house, the grandkids (who were staying the night) were sitting in lawn chairs on the driveway.  They were eating popcorn, watching lightning bugs, and yelling, "there she is!" every time they saw headlights come around the corner.  They had been waiting a good portion of an hour for me to return.  The three kiddos all gave me big sticky-fingered hugs.  Then Ava handed me my own bowl of popcorn she had been saving, sat me down, and sat in my lap to help me eat it.  Then Aubry found a frog hopping across the yard.  Naturally we spent the next half hour catching lightning bugs to feed eat and watch its belly light up from the inside.  It was quite hilarious to watch the three kids corner the frog so he wouldn't hop away and then run screaming in three directions every time it moved.  Lets be honest, I may have screamed a bit myself.  It was a great way to end the long day.  

These kids are just too stinkin cute.  Aubry, the oldest told, said to me this week, "I wish we could be family forever!" 

I taught Ava, the middle one, to give eskimo and butterfly kisses this week.  She always giggles anytime she is giving or receiving them.  One time she caught me off guard and grabbed my cheeks to give me a wet kiss on the lips, then squeezed my neck real hard in a hug.  

Carson, the littlest guy, has decided he loves to tackle me.  He also likes to pretend he is eating my hands anytime we are sitting next to each other in the car while growling and making his most ferocious faces.  Thankfully his baby teeth are not sharp. When I got into the car to sit by him the other day I said, "Hi Carson!"  His face lit up and he screamed, "ball!" That is one of his few words.  He uses whenever he feels, even if it is no where near being close to my name or the word, "hello."

My First Full Week as a Wannabe Hoosier

There is so much to tell that I cannot possibly do it justice in one post.  So, highlights will be the best way to report on it all.

I got a job. I am waitressing at a pizza restaurant.  Lets just say I probably would make more money in a week in California than I would in a month in Indiana.  But no matter, I am not here to get rich.  And today, I drove to my job down windy back country roads all by myself! And I did not get lost or hit any deer or raccoons!  Hoorah!  I will try to post a picture of those roads next time so you know what I am talking about!

I have been traveling all over and sleeping very little. Yet loving all that I get to experience.  Here are some pictures from some of my 4th of July festivities.

We went to Illinois for some fireworks.  There are lots and lots and lots of corn fields.  Oh and Amish communities:

Yep, they dress like that all the time and drive horse-drawn buggies down the highways.

Then we had some slip-n-slide fun with the kiddos.  It was 95 and extremely humid. Thanks David for forgetting to tell me to bring a bathing suit!

How many Miller boys does it take to fix a small four-wheeler?.....

I think these are three of the cutest kids ever created.

This above photo is the epitome of 4th of July in the midwest.  Farms. Bean fields. A red barn.  Fireworks where ever the heck you want. Flat land.  Sun shining still at 9pm.

This was some of the finale from the firework show we went to see.  That line of fireworks stretched the length of a football field.  But then the most exciting part was unphotographed.  It started to thunder and lightning.  So I got to watch fireworks go off with bolts of lightning in the background.  AWESOME! Seriously, the coolest thing I have ever seen in the sky.  Then it proceeded to rain, no pour, no dump buckets, for the next 4 hours while we drove back to Indiana in the dark, with faulty windshield wipers down country roads that were not paved an overgrown with weeds.  Ok, maybe we were only on a country road for two miles.  But still, everything else was true!  Oh and for those four hours it literally was lightning 360 degrees all around us.  And it was constant.  Like nothing I have ever experienced in California! And the native Indianans I was with said the same, so you know it was quite a storm.  But we made it back and in bed by 4am. (I won't even mention that the next day I experienced the strongest wind of my life and almost got to experience a tornado - quite the weekend for weather!)

I think they are both pretty darn cute.

Cedar Point. Sandusky, Ohio.

Just a couple photos from my trip to Cedar Point, the Midwests favorite amusement park.  This roller coaster went from 0 to 120 miles an hour in 3.8 seconds.  I did not go on it because my vision blacked out on one that went 97 mph, so I figured I would take a picture of David, Chris, and Misty on it instead.  You can see David just before the red flag, and Chris and Misty just after it.

 And the rollercoaster shoots you up 420 feet and then back down again.  Pretty sweet.

Wonderfully Exhausted

Tuesday: Flew from California to Indiana.  Had a 3 hour layover and an additional 3 hour flight delay in Phoenix.  Arrived in Indiana at 2am.  Went to bed at 4am.
Wednesday: Woke up at 5:30am to drive from Indiana to Ohio and Cedar Point amusement park. Arrived at the park at 12:30pm and rode roller coasters til 10pm. Went to bed at 11:30pm.
Thursday: Woke up at 8:30am. Hit the amusement park until 8:30pm.  Then drove from Ohio to Indiana.  Arrived in Indiana at 3:30am. And I went to bed at 4am.
Friday: Woke up at 9am.  Job interview at 10:30am.  Got the job.  Then finally went to the Miller home where I will be living for the summer.  Then I helped clean the church for a few hours.  Went to bed at 12:15am.
Saturday: Woke up at 7:45am.  Drove from Indiana to Illinois at 9:15am for a big firework show with the extended family.

Needless to say, it has been a crazy transition! But it has been entertaining, to say the least!  Here are a few noteworthy things from living in the Midwest with the Millers:

-You must love humidity
-Traffic means a 5 minuted delay in your travel (please, as if that is even worth complaining about!)
-Never chop wood while wearing sandals
-Lightning bugs really exist
-Deer can be seen on a daily basis feeding in the corn and bean fields.
-Amish grocery stores have the best food, and only take cash
-I need more sleep
-Trips to Walmart are a whole day affair, and must be planned out
-Check for ticks, or else
-Miller boys hog the bathroom and take way more time to get ready in the morning than the women
-When the TV is on anywhere, it is shows like "Swamp Logger" and "Factory Made" that get watched.  Growing up with all brothers...
-You have to drive to the local library to get internet

So far it has been an adventure, more stories to come.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter are Best

Did a little baking yesterday with Carley.  Her mom was having an end of the school year party for some teachers and staff.  So we were recruited to make some goodies.  And seriously, who would turn down the opportunity to eat cookie dough, chocolate and peanut butter?

Here is our stand-alone mixer, circa 1970.  Vintage is totally hip, and totally still functional.  Take that Kitchen Aid.

Besides the classic Chocolate Chip, we made some Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.  I am honestly not sure if there are many combinations in life that are better than chocolate and peanut butter.  I unwrapped 40 mini Reeses.

And then I probably had to unwrap another half dozen since they mysteriously kept disappearing from the plate..... 

They were wonderful. Especially when the peanut butter cups were still warm.

Then we made Haystacks/Chinese Noodle Cookies.  Which usually remind me of Christmastime.  But I think they are fabulous any time of the year.  So here is the best part, melting the chips!

The beautiful mixer.  Who shortly after this shot said her arms were too tired and had me finish. Im buff. No big deal. JK

And the finished product!

Sooooooo good!  

I probably gained 5 pounds.  But baking with 3 sticks of butter and numerous bags of chocolate chips and Reeses.  Now I must go and run a few hundred miles.

Holding My Breath

I leave in less than two weeks! To be exact, I have 13 days left to enjoy the cool breezes and dry air of Southern California.  Then it is all days filled with dripping sweat and feeling like every breath is actually a drink of water.  Yet, I can't wait!  Sometimes I need to remind myself to stop holding my breath in anticipation and inhale.

But I am still trying to live in the present. I want to soak up all God has planned for this time before I go.  This is difficult, though rewarding when I can keep that mindset.

There has been room for some sadness this week though also.  I am beginning to grieve the temporary loss of my community that is about to happen as soon as I take off from John Wayne Airport.  Last night at my young adults group at church I felt a sinking in my stomach as I looked around at all the people I will miss and thought about the memories they will be making this summer.  And having my brother home for summer to complete our family unit again reminds me of the times I will miss at home with three of my most favorite people.

But I am still giddy with excitement at this adventure. So much so that I may already have been compiling packing lists and essential items I do not want to forget.  Hey, like I said, I am a detail oriented crazy planner.  This should not be a surprise to anyone.

Ta Ta For Now!

I think she is going to miss me too.  Every time I go up stairs while Sadie is in the house, she waits like this with her head on the bottom step until I come back down again.  Leave it to a dog to show you just how much you are loved.

The Big Move!

Yes, this is quite delayed....

I am moving to the rural countryside of Southern Indiana at the end of June.  Bring on the heat, humidity, and rural roads through corn fields!  I am so excited, and a bit nervous, but mostly stoked out of my mind.

I am excited to get to live within driving distance of the bf.  I am excited to slow things down and live in a more rural setting for a season.  I am excited for all that God has in store for me on this new adventure.  I am excited to get to know bf's family and be with him in his home setting.

Note: This move is so far from being anything normal for me to do.  I don't take risks. I don't step out of my comfort zone.  I do not go anywhere where I know hardly anyone.  I never go far from home for more than a quick trip.  And I certainly never do things without having a detailed thought-out plan written down and kept in my pocket.

All these are perfect reasons why God would have this temporary move to Indiana in his plan for me.  IT requires me to learn how to better trust him in everything I do.  I am a planner and a details-oriented person.  So of course God is taking control of all that and not allowing me to have everything planned out.  Yet, strangely counter to my normal self, I am excited for the unknown of this adventure!

I am literally leaving on a jet plane and don't know when I'll be back again in California.  I will be back (according to my plan).  And I think that is in God's plan too.  But who can say what the next few years have in store for me.

More to come as the move day gets closer and I then settle in to being a Hoosier.