Snowy Days

I'm dreaming of a early spring, but here right now we are having a white Christmas!

Lawn mower turned snow blower!

Isaiah staying cozy warm inside with Mom!

Daddy Time

Daddy is all about play time with his boys - basketball, wrestling, football, golf, hide-n-seek... from the moment he gets home from work until the boys are sleeping, it is playtime!

An extra-special Daddy!

Merry Christmas 2010

This was also the first Christmas Morning we had with our growing family! Andrew was so excited when he came down the stairs and saw all the presents - especially his new kitchen!

He really enjoyed tearing open the gifts this year! Isaiah enjoyed watching Andrew open gifts and thought his new toys were pretty fun too.

It was a special morning!

Mommy and her sweet baby boys

We read the Christmas story together and talked about Baby Jesus being born that very special night. Andrew has been singing away in a manger all season - he holds baby Jesus, Mommy holds Mary and Daddy rocks Joseph as we all sing together!

Andrew's favorite present came in his stocking - a Blue's Clue's Notebook and a package of Hot Wheels! His face lit up with that little notebook !

Priceless...

Miller Family Christmas

This was the first Christmas we celebrated from two states - luckily with Skype we can share special occasions together without the 14 hour drive! Aunt Holly made us a spectacular breakfast and we spent several hours opening presents. Andrew got real golf clubs from Mimi and Papa Tim that were a big hit! Eliza was so excited to have Andrew (Bop) and Isaiah (Sweetie Boy) at her house for Christmas Eve morning!

Here is a picture of Mom, Dad, Katie and Mema in Texas - compliments of Skype!

Boiler Up!!

We all put on our Purdue best and headed to West Lafayette for a Purdue basketball game. The boys did exceptionally well and Andrew was so excited to see Purdue Pete in person! I told David he would be the next Robbie Hummel or Purdue Pete, we will just have to wait and see! The basketball game held Andrew's attention, the entire two hours! We took him out to get a snack, but he didn't want to miss a second and kept peeking in at the game! Isaiah took a good nap in the Ergo and didn't seem to mind the buzzer and cheers from the Purdue fans. Andrew got a new shirt at the bookstore and a few other Christmas presents (while Dad went to get the van)! Andrew is definately our little basketball player and we are amazed at the shots he is making these days. He consistently drains it from 8 to 10 feet out! Boiler up!

Dad & Andrew in their Purdue apparel

I am reluctant to take my new camer out of the house, but here are some pics we took before the game!

Isaiah is 6 Months Old

My little SWEETIE - sporting my favorite BABY LEGS!

In every color!

Christmas Card 2010

Have I mentioned how difficult it is to take a good picture of two little boys! We managed to get a few good pics! Below is our Christmas letter - a recap of the events of 2010.

Christmas Letter 2010

The year of 2010 was full of blessings and unexpected challenges for our family, each making us stronger and affirming our belief that God is faithful to those who love Him.
In January we had a wonderful trip to Florida where I attended the North American Veterinary Conference, we took Andrew to Disney World and visited with Grandma and Grandpa Shaffer. It was a magical vacation, I learned a few things and we all had a great time!
In early March I went into pre-term labor (29 weeks gestation) and after a short hospital stay was placed on bed-rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. It was a challenging few months, especially while caring for a rambunctious toddler at home, but with the help and support of an amazing husband, family and friends we made it one day shy of our due date. On May 29th Isaiah Timothy arrived after an uncomplicated, natural delivery - our second, healthy, beautiful baby boy! He was perfect and we were so thankful to finally have him here. It felt wonderful to be back on my feet, but just 6 days after Isaiah was born we were back at the hospital - I had experienced several minutes of paralysis on my right, which was pretty scary. They worked me up for a TIA, but all the test results indicated that I was perfectly healthy. About 3 weeks later we were back in the ER, I was unable to walk or even hold my head up. After three days of hospitalization and a complete medical work-up I was sent home with a walker, still unable to balance without support. We went from doctor to doctor and got several different “diagnosis”, none of which seemed to make much sense. Finally, we met with a neurovascular specialist who listened to what had happened, evaluated me, ran several more tests and put everything together – I had experienced a stroke that damaged my cerebellum. After 8 weeks of physical therapy I was able to start doing things that I had once taken for granted (balance, walk in a straight line, carry my new baby, drive, etc). It could have been an agonizing ordeal, but with God’s help and some very special people, we now look back and see many blessings - most importantly we know what happened and how we can prevent it from happening in the future. We also feel very fortunate that the events occurred after Isaiah was born – we know God had His hand in that as well. Thank you again to everyone that prayed, drove, fed and supported us through my recovery. What a blessing you have been to our family!
David continues to work hard at Rolls-Royce, but lives for coming home to play with his sons. He works late into the evening (after we are all sleeping) on schoolwork, as he is just about finished with his MBA. I am now fully recovered and feel so fortunate to be a stay-at-home Mommy – Andrew and Isaiah make each day an adventure! We keep very busy with friends, shopping, cooking, cleaning and playing. I have the opportunity to work every other Saturday and always love caring for my furry patients, especially when daddy is home to care for my boys! Andrew has grown up so much over the last year that it is hard for us to believe… what happened to our little baby? He loves sports and spends hours shooting hoops and swinging the golf club with his dad. He has enjoyed seeing the world around him with his new glasses – we think they are absolutely adorable! Isaiah is a bright, bubbly 6 month old who can’t wait to chase his brother, but is still working on sitting up without falling over! He is a happy little guy and loves to laugh. He recently started eating “real” food and loves his homemade apples and pears with cinnamon.
We are so thankful for our Savior who gives us hope each day, during times of trials and blessings. We celebrate His birth this season. Have a very Merry Christmas and may He bless you in the coming New Year!

Cousins

Every Friday we hang out with Aunt Hol, Eliza Viv and Evie - we always have a fun time!

New Camera

For my birthday and Christmas (and any other reason for gift giving this year) I got a new digital SLR camera. Here are my first few snapshots!

Shaffer Family Merry Thanksgiving

The Shaffer Family had a Merry Thanksgiving at Grandma Shaffer's house this year! We usually celebrate both holidays together, because Lawrence and Saralee travel to Flordia for the winter months. We always have a good time with the shaffer family and Andrew LOVES his cousins!

My BOYS!

It has been so much fun having TWO boys - each day something new! All My BOYS!

Andrew Bruce - 2 Years Old

Isaiah - 6 Months Old

Mommy is 30!

This year was a crazy year for our family... we were finally getting back to "normal" life when my 30th Birthday rolled around and I decided to make it the BEST birthday ever! David asked what I wanted for my birthday and I gave him the list - with the help of my amazing husband, incredible sister and wonderful family and friends it really was a birthday to remeber!

The weekend got started with a night out with my closest friends. David reserved a party room at Boulder Creek, Aunt Hol and Miss Katie came over to watch the boys and Beth made me an incredible double layer (rainbow and chocolate) cake! This may seem like no big deal, but this was the first time out without the boys since Isaiah was born, 6 months ago! I so enjoyed some quality time with some special adults!

My mom flew in late Friday evening (another request that I had) - Isaiah and I drove to Aunt Holly's first thing on Saturday morning. Holly and I went to re-live a moment in our past with a private horseback riding lesson at the stable where we grew up. It was a beautiful November morning and we had a terrific time - after 10 years and two babies each we were both about to die after 30 minutes, but we survived and I got to fullfill a few other items on my list - ride a horse, canter and jump - check!

We had a quick lunch at Chicagos and got to spend some time with Aunt Kathy and Mema, then Mom, Isaiah and I were off to a Stewart sister's baby shower. It was so much fun to see all of my college roommates on my birthday! It was a quick visit and then we were headed back home - Daivd and I had a date night to get ready for! Holly, Mema and Aunt Kat drove to my house to visit longer with mom and watch the boys. While we had a quiet night out at Longhorn Steakhouse - a special date with my handsome husband of almost 10 years!

We went to church on Sunday morning, spent some special time with the boys and then got ready for my family birthday party. Michelle brought the cake, made by the same person that made our engagement cake many years ago - it was pretty and delicious! Holly presented me with a little picture book with special notes from my family and friends - it was so special, it made me cry. I am truely blessed! Thank you God for all of these relationships and amazing people you have put into my life. It felt GREAT to be 30!