Disneyland is NOT the Happiest Place on Earth!

Now don't get me wrong Disneyland is wonderful, but Heber, Utah is the most wonderful place on earth. More specifically, Millers Outpost, Grandma and Grandpa Millers place. Haven't been there for forever, but it will never be far from my heart. The kids and I had many fun times and summers there with my friends and their kids. Kathy Cahow (now Garnica) and Ann McEuen would graciously allow me to tag along for part of the summer with all our kids and I honestly think they were the best summers ever. Don't know where the , time went, now the kids are all grown up with beautiful, not to mention ever growing families of their own. These "kids" above now have 23 little ones of their own with 5 more due. I miss those days. Many times I wish we could turn back the clock. It really is true, appreciate the time you have.

How Do You Slow Down the Clock?

I will never forget the morning Brittany blessed us with her pressence.

It was one of the most unique, breath taking moments of my life.

I will never forget that wonderful feeling.

Never.

I must keep reminding myself that my beautiful sweet little girl is only on "loan" to me from our Heavenly Father.

Brittany has such a beautiful, dear, sensitive sweet spirit.

She loves life, and what it has to offer.

Her choices are thought out. Always. In great extent.

She is patient and kind.

She is hardworking and loyal.

She will make an amazing wife and mother.

She is outgoing and cheerful.

She is particular and cautious, yet daring at the same time.

She is like me in some ways, much better in most.

She cleans the house before a trip.

She gets anxious when her plate is full. However she always gets the task done.

She is organized, however when she is home her room is a mess!

A trail of bobby pins seems to follow her wherever she goes.

She is both wise and responsible beyond her years.

She teaches me more about life and what really matters than anyone I know.

Have I mentioned that I love her, and can't bear to think where I would be if I had not been given the honor of being her mother?

Happy 25th Birthday. I love you Angel Bunny XOXOXO

See more pics here

Boat, Jet Skis & Friends

We finally got another trip to the river this summer. We actually got to use our time share which is right on Lake Havasu. It is wonderful as we can leave the toys in the water the whole time. We were lucky enough to have two of our kids join us along with some of their friends. Brittany brought Katie, her roommate who she had known since sixth grade, and their friends Ana, Kevin and Tony. Yes they are "just friends". Rozlyn came with her boyfriend Jonathan and his son Jaiden and we brought our lawyer, chiropractor Jonathan aka "Dr J". We also brought our granddaughter Juliett.
It was 118 on Friday and cooled down to 112 the other days. On Thursday night I got several messages informing me of the fire in our area. I had no clue. I called my neighbor, Jill, and she kept me up to date. It was about three miles from our home, but she didn't think we were in much danger (at least that's what she said to reassure me!) Thank you for all your calls and offers of help. I even had a friend from elementary school offer to take the horse to his home in Malibu.
We had four days of jet skiing, boating, tubing and just having fun. I was shocked the lake wasn't crowded, but I guess with Labor Day being the next weekend people waited to come. We loved it. Copper Canyon was almost empty, a site you don't see often.
Everything went fairly smoothly until the boys got a bit daring and tried to occupy the same spot on the river with two different skis. A bit of damage, but the important thing is they are fine. A reminder of just how careful you need to be. About a month ago dear friends lost their 23 year-old son in a boating accident. Makes you stop and think just how fragile life is. Other than that the only thing was Monday morning while Raul was out for an early morning ride Juliett decided to lock the bathroom door from the outside. Hence I couldn't get in to use it! Did I mention we have a Time Share right on the lake??? Didn't have any other choice! Funny now, not then...

Almost 30

Rozlyn turned 29 on Saturday. Her boyfriend, Jonathan, put together a surprise party for today, and pulled it off. She had no clue! She thought she was meeting Brittany for lunch, but had to stop by Raul's brothers house first, which is where the party was. As usual though, she was late and we were all waiting for almost 45 minutes! But is was worth it. Notice the new haircut-she donated it to Locks of Love. Happy Birthday, we love you!

Beamer

Dean loves animals. Always has and always will. If he had his way he would bring home every stray and have a zoo. Don't get me wrong, I love animals too, it's just you need to remember how much work pets are. He is cute though, and he loves Dean to pieces.

Dean Turned 27 (Well at Least Physically!)

Our only boy turned 27 today. I know we all say this...but where does the time go??? He has grown a lot this past year (and this time I don't mean physically). He got a new (to him) truck a few months ago. It's a grey 2004 Niesen Frontier, and he loves it. Thanks to Kevin we got a good deal and he could afford more car than he thought. Well actually Grandma fronted him the $$$. I was so tired of driving him around for six months I think I was the happiest of all! He also moved into a friends house and is doing very well. I do think he is missing the comforts of living with his parents though. Isn't it surprising what we take for granted until we don't have it?
The song from Fiddler on the Roof couldn't hit home better..."Where is the little boy I carried, where is the little boy at play, I don't remember growing older, when did they?"...
Dean is still very thoughtful and is always doing something nice for someone. He has a surprise box for Devin and Juliett that they may pick from if they can tell him something new they have learned. He doesn't have much money, but he finds good deals so he can keep the box stocked. It's hard, you try to teach your kids to be giving, but that needs to be balanced with saving and taking care of your own needs also. Dean will give you the shirt off his back, wish I could temper that just a bit.

We Have a 30 Year Old!

Are we really old enough to have a 30-year old daughter? Jeannine keeps reminding us of the fact that when she gets older we do also. That can not be true. Jeannine, better known as Juliett's mom, is living nearby in Lawndale with her husband, William and Juliett. She is working at a doctors office in the valley area and also at Sports Chalet (where they have Tall, Handsome Flag Pole Holders-see July 27 post). She loves fairies and butterflies, the color black and Angelia Jolie. She is fascinated by strange movies of any kind, and likes to search deeply into the hidden meanings. She is the one who taught Juliett everything she knows about being a "Drama Queen", and Juliett has added her own twist to that knowledge. She is also the one who showed Juliett how to be loving and caring. Being the oldest she likes to run things, and is always looking for ways to help her younger brother and sisters. She has a warm, loving, big heart. Happy Birthday, we love you.

The Secret Life of Bees

Brittany and I went to see The Secret Life of Bees this weekend. I was expecting it to be good, but really, is a movie ever as good as the book? Rarely. This is an exception! I loved the book and the movie does not disappoint. I can't remember anything in the book that would have made the movie any better. The only disappointment was the man in front of us trying to sit in a chair that wasn't there, taking three of us five minutes to get him off the floor. Plus the lady across the isle chewing her popcorn so loudly that she made a pig seem passive, then moving onto her endless supply of ice, which she annoyingly consumed only after swirling the coke around in it first.
On a scale of 1-10: Movie 10--Ambiance 3

Which One?

Okay, I'll brag a bit...I have a beautiful daughter both inside and out! I'm re-doing the frames in the office and came across this picture of Brittany. I think it's my new favorite. But I still like the one with the hat. What do you think?

Happy Birthday Rozlyn!

28 years ago our second daughter, Rozlyn, came into this world. I was lucky enough to have her come into my life 11 years ago, and it hasn't been the same since! For those of you who do not know her, she is our child who is always up to the minute on the latest fashion and especially SHOE styles! Rozlyn is the "to go to person" if you don't know what to wear. She is however our one who takes forever to make a decision, even on where to eat. She graduated from California Lutheran (in Thousand Oaks, CA) in four years, which, I'm sure you know is not easy to do. She worked several jobs while attending college, her favorite being Charolette Russe (what a surprise!). Rozlyn is a wonderful soccer player and was talented enough to play on several top club teams. She was fortunate enough to play in Europe, and received a scholarship to play in college, but chose to only play her Freshman year. Now she plays in a mixed league two nights a week, and can hold her own against most men. By "holding her own" don't be fooled to think this is limited to the soccer field, as she has been known to take guys (ie:Raul) to the floor with her punches to the stomach! Don't even think about wrestling with her unless you are training for the Olympics, as I have seen her give her dad a run for his money. She is still working at Honda and I think they have been very impressed with her skills. Her most important job however is being Devin's mom. If the way this child is turning out is any indication of how she is doing, she excels, as he is one of the best kids I have ever seen, (and that is not just me being prejudiced!). Of all the kids, she is the most like me when it comes to the emotional side of things (how important are genes really?). While wearing her heart on her sleeve she feels for others and isn't afraid to take a chance where people are concerned. Going to the Price is Right has been a dream of hers for as long as I can remember and Monday she has arranged for everyone to go (not real happy about leaving at 7 a.m. though). Rozlyn has been a wonderful addition to this world and I hope she realizes how much she is needed and loved. Happy Birthday RozyRu, we love you. (Fun Fact: Rozlyn turned 8 on 8-8-88).

Dressed Up With a Place to Go

I was so happy to finally get a picture of Dean and Brittany dressed up and together, I had to share it. They are great kids, inside and out if I do say so myself! But then again I'm their mom. The occasion was Mike got married on Sunday the 6th to Stephanie, and we couldn't be happier. She is wonderful. With the track record of his ex's we appreciate her more than she will ever know. She has never been married, is in the movie industry, but most importantly, is great to the kids, and to Raul and me. Don't blow this Mike!

I Think I Blinked!

Don't Blink

Can't believe it's been a year since Brittany graduated from Arizona State! Kenny Chensey's song "Don't Blink" rings so true, (check it out below in my song list). She is working in San Diego at Kiddie Corp, an event planning company. She works with children while their parents are at a meeting, conference, party or whatever else there happens to be. Britt actually is the one who plans the event, and makes sure they have everything they need so the event runs smoothly. Every once in awhile she also works as the On-Site Manager. They love her and several companies have already requested she plan their next event. Check out her company at http://kiddiecorp.com/

Britt lives in the Pacific Beach area in San Diego. Rozlyn and Devin, along with her boyfriend, Jonathan, and his son, Jaiden, went down a few weekends ago and stayed with her. They took the kids to Sea World. It was perfect because it's really close to Brittany's apartment. It was fun for the boys to sleep at Auntie Nittney's house. Not sure what her neighbors thought of two four-year olds playing soccer at 8:00 in the morning!

Brittany just got back from a three-day cruise to Mexico with three of her friends. Yes, they are just friends! Jenn, her roommate, and Brittany have been friends since eighth grade when they played club volleyball together. Brittany is so lucky, there was a group of eight girls in high school that became friends and believe it or not they are all close still. She was roommates with one of them, Savannah, all through college. She even has friends she met while in Kindergarten. Guess that says something about her.

I know every mother thinks their daughter is the best, but mine really is! Brittany has, and continues to be thoughtful, responsible, loving, and all around just a great kid! Thank you for being mine Britt. I love you. XOXOXO