Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

Love, The Millers

Sisterly Love

Piper loving on Mackenzie.

Mackenzie tolerates these antics.

Nathan, do you see this? Help me!

My Pipes

This video is mostly for Nathan since he hasn't seen Piper in action since leaving. She's very vocal right now and these videos don't do her justice. Enjoy honey!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Yesterday

Yesterday was one of those days where I would have given anything for Nathan to come walking through that door at 4:00. From the moment we woke up to the moment we went to bed things were difficult. I miss having...

• An extra set of hands to help with the girls. I can't even imagine when they are both mobile. Piper, listen to your mom and take your time learning how to crawl. Piper seems to be more physically demanding while Mac is more mentally draining.

• An extra set of hands to help with the house. I'm not going to lie, there's crap everywhere. The rule in the house is that Mac can watch a TV show in the morning and again at night when I'm putting Piper to bed. If she has any more than that she gets all annoying and whiny. Good rule equals messy house. Once both the girls are in bed I am exhausted and have NO energy. All I can do is sit on the couch and watch reality TV shows.

• Another adult to have a real conversation with. Yesterday (and pretty much everyday) I had to listen to Mackenzie explain to me how "we are smart....like nachos" and answer a million questions like "Can we pet humpback whales?" See what I mean about mentally draining? All. Day. LONG! Don't get me wrong, I love hearing the stuff that comes out of her mouth and it provides me with cheap entertainment. However, I could use a conversation that doesn't revolve around the animal kingdom, Dora, her next birthday or Halloween treats.

Did I forget anything? Oh yeah, Happy 235th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps! I wouldn't put up with this lifestyle for anyone else.

And just for fun here is Piper trying to tell me to stop putting her in the swing. One time I found her sleeping like this.

Things I Want to Remember

Last night we were driving home from dinner with friends and there was a slow county song on the radio. Mac got really quiet and I could tell she was thinking about something profound. Here is how the conversation went down...

"Mom, I miss my daddy."

"I know, I miss him too. Daddy thinks about you all the time. "

"Mom, is daddy on a big boat?"

"Yes, he had to go away and help people, remember?"

"Mom, he is always in my heart."

"That's right."

"Mom, I'm a baby deer."

I guess she had too much dad talk at that point. She also informed me that her dad is like a pirate since he lives on a boat.

Lets Be Honest

Nathan has been gone for two months now. I've struggled with whether or not I wanted to make this journey public or keep it private in a journal. I came to the conclusion that we have so many people supporting us through prayer, care packages, trips to NC, out of the blue phone calls, and letters that it only seems fair to keep these loved ones informed.

The past two months have been a whirlwind. I could tell you about Hurricane Earl that almost happened the week Nathan left. Or I could tell you about the beach vacation we had originally planned to take during block leave and how my mom and Aunt came down to make sure that beachfront room didn't go to waste. I could tell you that I was moved to tears when we returned home from our beach getaway to see a package from my long time friend, Jillian, with books inside for Mackenzie that touched on military related topics. I could tell you how my super busy and 21 weeks pregnant, sister-in-law flew down and literally played with Mackenzie for three days straight. And then there's the recent trip to Atlanta where we were welcomed by my in-laws. I could tell you how Piper was the most perfect baby during our 10 hour drive home or how we got locked out of the car less than an hour away from the driveway. I could tell you how Mackenzie has struggled with her dad's absence and how Piper reminds me of him on a daily basis. I could tell you how proud I am of my husband that chooses to serve his country.

From here on this will serve as my journal. I can't promise there will always be something interesting to read, but it will be here nonetheless. Thank you to those that have reached out to us during this time, it means the world to our family.

Happy Birthday Mackenzie

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ok, so the brothers come into town so we start making obstacle courses for Mac...she does well... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjluIgloyy0

I mean Snow White gets jacked at the end...!

Where I Should Be

When I returned home from our Indiana trip I had full intentions of going back to teaching this school year. I knew it would be crazy with Nathan gone, but we've done crazy around here before and we all survived...barely. I started checking out the infant room Piper would be spending her day in and the three year old room Mac would be moving up into after her birthday. Something didn't feel right but I pushed it aside and figured it would just take some getting use to.

I talked with Mackenzie's teachers about the right time to transition her to the new room and explained my concerns. Nathan deploys the end of September and I didn't want her to feel like all the people she knows and loves are leaving her. Dad leaves me (for a REALLY long time) to go to work, mom leaves me to go to work and now all new teachers? I started to question my decision to return to work.

Work....that's what didn't feel right. I never really wanted to be a stay at home mom. I worked after having Mackenzie, I worked after staying home with Mac when we first moved here, why wouldn't I work after having Piper? This was different, I can't explain how strongly I felt about staying home. The intensity almost surprised me. After discussing it with my husband, we decided this is where I should be. At home, with the girls.

Yes, things will be different in terms of how we spend our money. We will be driving more than flying, we will be finding free things to do in our community, we WILL stick to our budget. I'm okay with that. Now I get to spend my days with these two lovely girls and actually be there for them during what will be one of our most difficult years. I know it won't be all hugs and kisses and I'm okay with that too. We've already had our fair share of strange events that only happen when your husband is gone.

I handed in my letter of resignation last week and I would like to say it was emotional, but it wasn't. I walked out of the building with a new sense of freedom. It felt like I finally did something for myself. I want to thank our families for their support during this decision making process. And I especially want to thank my husband for listening, understanding and encouraging me to take this step.

**I have NO problem with moms that choose to work. I was and will be again a working mom. I don't think daycare is evil or a bad thing, I'm really going to miss Mackenzie's daycare. This decision reflects where our family is at the moment.

Getting Older

Early in the summer I decided that I wanted a garden box in my backyard. I dropped several hints to Nathan and he made several attempts to ignore me. Well, he must have really been missing me when we were in Indiana because when I returned home he had built me one! I was really excited to paint it and get everything going.

I transplanted two tomato plants (hope they make it) and found that broccoli and carrots can be planted late in the summer. My point is that I must be getting older because 10 years ago you never would've heard the words garden box or days to harvest coming out of my mouth.

To make matters even worse, I also enjoy sitting in my rocking chair and watching the sprinkler water these darn plants. It gets a little more entertaining when Mackenzie is out there running around and digging for "bones" in what she thinks is just a big pile of dirt. (Who knows, she may be right.)

I don't have any grey hair yet, but I'm sure that's soon to follow with this upcoming deployment. At least I have two lively girls to keep me young, right?

This picture has nothing to do with the post, but I can't have pictures of one daughter and not the other. Mackenzie walked around in her underwear more than she did her bathing suit when we were at the lake.

Let's try this again...

I've been a serious slacker in terms of blogging. When I find myself in that rare moment with both girls asleep at the same time, I usually have a million other things to do before someone wakes up and it starts all over again. Despite the craziness going on I want to make a better effort to document the Miller happenings. Nathan deploys late September and I'm sure we'll have a lot of stories to share (good and bad).

So what have we been up to? Oh, you know, a little of this and a little of that. Here's a recap....

*We've spent the past month in Fort Wayne with my parents and have enjoyed having extra help with the girls.

*Piper is now nine weeks old and full of smiles. She shows no signs of sleeping through the night and continues to wake every three hours. Piper continues to go with the flow and seems pretty laid back when compared to her high strung sister.

*Potty training...I could seriously write a book on those adventures. Just the other morning at the lake I looked out the front window to see Mac take off her clothes and pee. She was rather proud of herself that she didn't go in her undies. Really? When asked if she needs to try and use the restroom I usually hear NO THANKS! We'll get there....hopefully before she enters college.

*Mackenzie has been saying and doing the funniest stuff. I love this age (most days). She is still so innocent and excited about everything. Mac walked out of the bathroom the other day wearing my glasses and asked if she looked precious...ha! She is also full of drama and wants things her way. We've been working on using our nice voice.

*Mac made her flower girl debut in her Uncle Andy and Aunt Carrie's wedding. Round two takes place this weekend at her Cousin Krista's wedding.

Strawberry picking in Indiana. I'm not sure why she has that look on her face. It was probably a dramatic moment where she was gently holding out her baby strawberry for the picture.

Love these two girls.

Family photo from Andy and Carrie's wedding.

Piper- about 7 weeks old

Piper Michelle Miller

On April 19th at 11:15pm, the Miller family welcomed Piper Michelle into the world. Nathan, Mackenzie and I had spent the day running some last minute errands before my mom came into town. Around 7:30pm I started having contractions, which was not alarming at first since I had been experiencing them for the past 4 weeks. Around 8:00 I thought it might be a good idea to start timing them, which never actually happened because they were coming so fast. We called Mac's babysitter and once she was picked up we made our way to the hospital.

It took about 20 minutes to get to the hospital, we didn't talk much on the way there other than a simple prayer. Once we checked in and were sent up to Labor and Delivery I found out I was 8 cm dilated. When the nurse told me this news, I wanted to cry because I realized my chance of getting that epidural was slim to none. Fortunately, my contractions were so intense that I couldn't dwell on this minor detail for long. However, I vaguely recall telling the doctor that I could hold the baby in and wait for the drugs. I also tried negotiating with the nurse for her to just leave me alone. Really? What was I thinking?


After 20 minutes of pushing and the most extreme pain I've ever felt in my life Piper was born! She weighed in at 8.5 and was 21 inches long. We were about 97% sure of the name, but wanted to see her before making it official. Piper looks so much like her big sister when she was born.

Nathan was simply amazing, I couldn't have done it without him. He was my rock, he kept me calm during all of the chaos. I can't thank him enough for being there. Forgive me if it sounds too simple, but he was scheduled to be gone during this time. He is going to miss many "firsts" throughout the next year, but he was able to be there the day his second daughter was born.

So far, Piper is the complete opposite of Mackenzie. She prefers to be held, sleeps well and is easily calmed. Mackenzie is adjusting well to her new sister and loves to help out. That's not to say she doesn't have her dramatic moments, but she was having those before Piper arrived on the scene.

Don't Worry

This little girl has been very busy entertaining us lately.

I don't even know what to say about the first video.

The second video is Mac singing a Bob Marley-Brown Bear, Brown Bear remix.

The Diva Goes Hiking

The weather down here has been great the past couple weeks. It's off and on, so we take advantage of the warm days knowing it's not normal to have a high of 68 degrees in January. Last week when I was sitting in the doctor's office for my three hour glucose test Nathan took Mac on a hike. I ended up passing the test and when I got home Mac was very excited to tell me about everything she saw.
We decided to take her out again this morning and she did great. She made a request for her sunglasses, even though it was cloudy, and smiled saying "Sunny don't get me." As soon as she saw me with my camera she asked if I was going to take her picture and started smiling before I could answer. This is highly unusual as I am normally found chasing her down or bribing her with candy for a shot.

Mac loved taking the lead on the path, exploring various items found on the ground and searching for animals. She was really fitting the part and snacked on beef jerky. Nathan and I were discussing how salty it tasted when she chimed in saying, "It tastes so salsy." Of course I laughed and then we heard it 10 more times. I love her sense of adventure, it is calculated, not reckless.

Catch Up

The Miller family traveled up to Indiana for Christmas vacation. The first three days were more like a nightmare as we sat in traffic for a total of 18 hours. Next time we'll pay closer attention to the weather and hopefully avoid blizzard conditions.

Mackenzie enjoyed Christmas more than ever this year. She woke up everyone in the house with a sweet Merry Christmas that sounded more like "Hairy Hismass." Mac was in no hurry to open up gifts and insisted on playing with each new toy before moving on to the next.

I tried to savor every moment of this holiday season knowing that Nathan would not be here next year. I opened up the paper on Christmas morning to find an article about a mother who has three sons and her husband serving in the military. All four family members were deployed during the holiday season. I cried for her and all of the other families missing someone during this time of year.

Mackenzie spent some time playing in the snow when were home. She loved it and would have stayed out there all day.

Mackenzie has officially moved out of her crib and into a big girl bed. I fully anticipated her to be up and down all night, but so far it's been a breeze. We'll see if it lasts.

Oh my!

Mackenzie Stories

• The other day I had on a denim jacket and she told me I looked like a cowboy. I spent the rest of the day questioning my outfit.
• While sitting at the dinner table Mackenzie noticed Nathan's tattoo of an Eagle, Globe and Anchor. She told us it was a bird and then tried to feed it one of her pretzels.
• Her favorite day of the week is Friday (can you tell her mom is a teacher?) and will sing "It's Friday, it's Friday."
• We were out to eat and a man came in the restaurant resembling a certain Christmas character and right on cue Mackenzie yelled, "Look Mama, Santa!"

Onto baby news, we found out that we are having another girl! The baby is on track for my original due date of April 24th. I have been feeling her move a lot, mostly at night. The kids at school have finally started to ask questions about my expanding belly. One girl keeps asking if "that baby" is still in there.

Walking Feet

Our daughter is a lot of fun, but she also needs A LOT of boundaries. Strollers/shopping carts are her worst nightmare. She is starting to wise up and say things like, "Mama, I walking feet." It's cute, right? It was so cute this weekend that in a moment of weakness I let her out of the stroller in Old Navy. Gasp! What was I thinking? (To my defense, it was near the end of our shopping trip and I needed her to try on a coat.) She was free to walk around with her dad or sit next to the creepy dogs placed around the store, all I needed was for her to try on a coat. Sadly, it didn't go down that smoothly. She screamed, she cried, she tried falling to the floor anytime I got near her with the coat. People probably thought we were torturing her. What felt like hours later, we got the coat on, made our purchase and left. While I would like to be angry with her, she was true to her words and maintained walking feet the entire time.

Here I am at 17 weeks.

All of my doctor appointments have been good. The heartbeat has been 165 and 150. At first I was thinking it was a girl, but I now have a strong feeling it is a boy. We have an ultrasound on the 23rd, so I guess we'll find out then.

Happy Halloween

We'll keep this short and sweet, Mackenzie loved dressing up,

trick-or-treating, and the stuffing her face with candy!

11 Days and a Wake-up

Well it has been 5 weeks since I have left the homestead for the wastelands of Yuma, AZ. The countdown is now at 11 days and a wake-up till I catch a bird back to the East Coast. Yuma is a different place to say the least, a town were desolate landscapes collide with striking mountain views and the social scene includes the dirtiest dive bars, fancy night clubs and tons of karaoke. The training we have recieved out here has been tough with weird hours and a lot of field work...but we wouldn't have it any other way. Our days consist of mission planning, a helo ride to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere, execute, and catch another flight back to the HQ. I must say that I am anxiously looking forward to November 3rd when I reunite with my girls...you are some tough women and I want you guys to know how much I love you. I have to give a shout out to Kelly who has done an amazing job managing everything going on at home...Babe, I feel blessed to have you as my wife.


I remember when I first got this job after becoming an officer, I wasn't really feeling the whole air traffic control thing, I mean it just didn't seem to be the roughneck bit I had envisioned...but I had forgot one major factor...we Marines do everything a little bit different. Too my surprise I was wrong and I have included some pics and a few short videos of some of the stuff we are doing out here.

Lastly, I want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers especially those for the military family members who carry on in our absence.


This picture is of our class, two of these cats were talking to the C-130 in the background 7 seconds before the picture was taken giving him clearance to land at the expeditionary airflield we set up.

An AH-1 Cobra attack helo landing to get some fuel at forward postition we had established.

SSgt and myself controlling another division of AH-1's as they approach our position.




A couple of Devil Dogs getting dusted by a CH-53 while performing ops.



Flyover of UH-1 Huey

Nothing crazy, just a little look at what's been going on. I'm out until next time...

Wilson Street

To the Owner of the House on Wilson Street,

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. I am the crazy lady in the blue Honda that drives by your house four times a day. See this little girl sitting in my backseat?

This is my daughter, Mackenzie. She refers to your house as the "big pider house" or the big spider house. We are HUGE fans of the 6 foot, inflatable spider sitting on the roof of your house. My daughter can easily navigate her way to your house by shouting directions from her carseat..."dat way mama" or "dis way mama." Please don't be alarmed or call PMO (military police). We promise to stop stalking you as soon as you take that spider off your roof.

Your Friends on Adams Drive,

Kelly & Mackenzie