Thankful for...apples, pears, tomatoes - Harvest!

I don't love the 7-8 months of dreary, rainy weather we get in the Willamette Valley (notice I did NOT say Oregon, because where I come from it's a lot drier in Bend).  But I do LOVE  all the produce, vegetation, berries, etc, we get to enjoy in the late summer and fall.  God has blessed this area with amazing vegetation and much of it goes unused (sadly), so much of the produce we have enjoyed has been the blessings of strangers, friends, family, and just gleaning from places that aren't being use.

I have dried lots of pears, made pear butter, applesauce, frozen apples, BBQ sauce, Ketchup (from home grown tomatoes).  And today, I had the pleasure of pressing apples through a cider press that is likely 100 years old.  It was so fun!  And the apple cider is DELICIOUS!!!  I didn't take any photos (sorry), but it was a lot of fun.

Feeling blessed as we approach winter, and to know we have such yummy, wholesome, organic food stored up - when many go without any.

Thank you Lord.

Thankful...for photos, smiles, and memories

I love photos.  I love looking back on new and old photos and remembering.  Remembering good times, hard times, and meaningful things.  Such precious treasure God has given us in our memory - both good and bad.  I may not always remember as I grow older.  I think of Tobin's Grandfather that we are helping care for this weekend.  He is 99, and his memory is very poor.  He can't remember moment or moment or much day to day.  But he remembers Tobin and I.  And whenever we come up and visit it is such a joy to see the smile that crosses his face when he realizes we've come to visit.  I know some that have illnesses, ugly, that attack the memory - very, very hard.  So for now I will be so thankful for memories, and the ability to look back on photos and smile, cry, and feel loved.  Thank you Lord for this blessing.

In no particular order.  I was just looking through our photos on the computer, and here's a few that made me smile, laugh, remember, recollect.

Ah...we love snow - Tobin all geared up for snowmobiling

We've walked up Pilot Butte in Bend as a Miller fam, several years now...Our family keeps growing!

I laugh at this because this was our first apartment with our camping chairs for furniture and dining room!  Good memories!

Love my sis and the crazy times, difficult times, and funny times we've been through.

Good family memories...being together

Summiting Mountains with my Love.

Thankful...belly distorting kicks.

One of the most joyful things I have experienced this entire pregnancy, is getting feel our daughter moving, kicking, rolling over, hiccuping, and elbow jabbing me.  I think continuously of the verse:

For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well. Ps. 139:13-14

So amazing to live this verse first hand.  Thinking God is forming, and knitting together our child.  He is making her - fearfully and wonderfully - and my soul knows it very well.

Very well. 

Thankful in all.

Birthday Week

I love fall and October!  This last week was my birthday, and I was so blessed by my family and friends.  I do enjoy birthdays, and I also enjoy good surprises.  Well, my hubby did a great job and surprised me!  Friday night, I thought I was just going to hang out with one of my good friend's Bethany.  But instead, we had a great double date with Tobin and I, and Bethany and her husband Brad.  It was special to hang out, have dinner at a yummy restaurant (Del Alma), and then we left dinner, and I thought we were going to "dessert."  Again I was surprised as we went to a Bebo Norman concert.  One of Tobin & my favorite artist, going back to college.  We had one of his songs that meant a lot to each of us, sung at our wedding. 

Here's the song: A Page Is Turned

Then we went out and had yummy gelato for dessert!  Very special.

Then on my birthday - I had lots of people at work wishing me Happy Birthday.  One of my coworkers made a gluten and dairy free carrot cake - yummy!  And then I went out to dessert with girlfriends from church.

I was blessed by getting several scarves as gifts - I love scarves!

Then on Saturday, I got to spend the day with my sister, shopping in Portland.  It was fun to get to spend time together, talk, and get a few things.  We went up to IKEA, and I finished getting a few things for the nursery (blog post to follow about that once it's all decorated!).  

I just am overwhelmed by the love and community that the Lord has blessed us with.  For several years, Tobin and I lived so far away that we didn't have many friends or family nearby to celebrate these fun events.  I am so thankful for the community of friends at church - that have basically also become like family and my family that is now so close.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to remember and be thankful for what God has blessed me with.

6 months quiet...and now only 8 weeks till big change!

It has been quite some time.  I think about blogging often, but something else always fills the extra time I have - cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping...and then if all the "have to's" get done, then I try to get to projects - sewing, pictures, reading, canning, fun with friends, etc.  I truly have felt blessed in these last few months, and that God continues to "fill our cup to overflowing" as a family.  So as you know, we are expecting...a little girl to be added to our family, sometime in the middle of December (later or earlier, is in God's timing).  These last 7 months of pregnancy, have been good.  God has showered me with blessings of feeling healthy and strong through much of this.  Even with my crazy gluten, dairy free diet, and scare of my colitis flaring again early in the pregnancy, God has been merciful --and cared for each of those things.  This little girl, is growing big in my belly (even though friends tell me "I look so small").  She is just the right size, moving, kicking, growing.  It is such an amazing feeling -- sometimes somewhat painful and awkward when she kicks my ribs or bladder, but so amazing to think of God creating this being inside of my womb.

I am now counting down the weeks under 10...that is if she arrives on time.  I thought I'd give you a taste of my changing belly.  We've been taking photos about every 2 weeks, with the corresponding fruit/vegetable "length" of the growing baby....I'm not sure how accurate they are given the range of vegetation sizes!

week 13

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Auntie Again

My bestie and basically sister, Corrine & hubby have had her 3rd little precious girl!  Welcome, Hannah Strandy!

So I had to go and visit and get the privilege of helping out.

Lots of Loves! Momma, Abbie, and Hannah - Chloe is off causing trouble!

I love this cuddly, spunky, buddy of mine! - Chloe!

Abbie has grown up so much! Always ready to show little sis how it's done.

Momma and precious little Hannah!  Both looking beautiful in pink!

Chloe.

Bestie Homoncles in front of Spokane Falls.

This is America's biggest Radio Flyer, with a slide!

First time for Chloe!

Going on the Carousel

Chloe clung on SOOO tight to me the entire time.

Well, that was my 5 day adventure in Spokane.  Many other hours were spent having fun at home, doing some yard work with Zach (sorry Zach you didn't get any love from my camera this weekend!).  Keeping Chloe busy while Mom was feeding Hannah.  Help with the girls in the morning and baths at night.  It was fun being the Auntie who flew in to help!

What is this new thing?

Wow!  It's been so long since my last post that blogger has updated and changed everything!  So here is a post to try and get used to it.  I generally feel I'm pretty adaptable to new things, so here goes.

Here's a photo of our new hiking boots.  Need to get some use of these before we head to Glacier National Park in August!