Snow Day!

We haven't seen snow accumulation like this since the Blizzard of 1993! And, to be old enough to make a statement like that is kinda scary! Regardless, we have been looking forward to an event like this for quite some time! It is truly a winter wonderland out there. Some of the stories that have come out of this so far have been interesting. The local NBC affiliate had a crew out alongside a road and, while they are reporting, a BMW that was stuck in snow/ice started spinning its tires so fast that they caught fire. The car then was rapidly engulfed in flames too. The driver got out, but, wow. All of the metro Atlanta schools are closed. Most businesses are closed as well. Matt is working from home today. The Gwinnett County Fire Department has at least one fire engine and one ambulance stranded. We have power, heat, plenty of food and have capability to work from home so we are good to go. We hope to get out in it later today and maybe even make a snowman.

It's a Boy!

Matt and I are over the moon to share with our family and friends the exciting news that we have accepted the referral of our soon to be son! We are not able to share too many details just yet. However, once we receive formal approval from China we will certainly post a picture and more information.

Today, our agency officially submitted our Letter of Intent to China for adopting our soon to be son! The next step of the waiting process is receiving the Pre-Approval from China. This is the notification that they pre-approve our application and agree to formally review our dossier. This process generally takes 2-4 weeks. And, we will be notified as soon as it is received.

Praise The Lord! To say we are excited doesn't even begin to express what we are feeling. Thank you for your prayers over the years! God has directed our paths so that they intersect with the path of our son. We will be forever grateful!

Matt & Julia

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ The Lord.
Luke 2:11 (KJV)

May your season be touched with the simple grace of Christ's love.

Merry Christmas and Many Blessings to you and yours!

Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine
Only a few days away until Christmas! It's hard to believe that 2010 is almost over. As the new year approaches I am reminded by all the Blessings that have been bestowed upon us. The major Blessing is that my Father-in-law has finished his cancer treatments and has been declared by his Doctors to be cancer free! I can't think of a better way to end this year!

I have some exciting news to share with you all! One of my Little Golden Book banners is pictured and mentioned in the "Cravings, Stuff we Love" article in the December issue of Pregnancy & newborn Magazine! It's on the top of page 20. Of course I scanned it and here it is:

I recently received this message in an email & I thought it was so eloquently stated that I wanted to share it here on my blog. I will even be writing it down in the journal I have been writing to Baby Miller. I hope you enjoy this too:

"Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer,
Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life
taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what
their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.
But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life,
don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words
'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because
of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Happy Halloween 2010

Trick-or-Treat & Happy Haunting!!

Officer Bingo

Soon after I purchased our Chihuahua's their new bandannas, Matt was walking with Bingo at a local park. A lady noticed Bingo's "Police Car" bandanna and said "Is he a Police K-9 Officer?" Not skipping a beat or missing a step, Matt said "Yes, he is off duty!". Before whizzing by, The puzzled lady said "I didn't know they emplyed such small dogs as K-9 officers!!"

OMG, ROFLOL! Matt did not correct her so we suspect there is a small group of individuals near by that have been ill informed that Chihuahua's are on Patrol in Gwinnett County, GA!! BLESS IT!!

Pretty Penny makes us smile

Columbus Day Camping Trip

Matt & I finally packed up our truck and headed to Gainesville, GA (40 minutes away) for a three day weekend camping with our Chihuahua's! We couldn't resist taking advantage of the long weekend! But, tent camping with four chihuahua's was a bit daunting. We weren't sure how they would behave. All was well until one of our neighbor campers showed up with their THREE 100 pound dogs.
Our little tent camp site

The year we were first married, Matt gave us a tent for Christmas. We have only been tent camping one time (and we were ill prepared). Since then we have been collecting items to help our camping trips be more successful & comfortable. One of those items was a blow up, inflatable bed.

We went to Coleman's Outlet Center last year and purchased a luxury triple thickness bed. We had visions of sleeping in comfort!! All was well until we put it inside our tent & inflated it...we didn't consider that once inflated the bed would fill up all floor space and practically touch the ceiling!! LOL OMG!! Yes, only one foot from the entrance to the bed (so luggage remained in the truck)...and while laying in the bed you can touch the tent ceiling! Well, the good part was we slept like babies and our babies had the perfect view of us from the comfort of bed- because it set them perfectly looking out the screen window to see all that was going on outside the tent!!
Three Amigos: Nacho, Penny & Bingo loved to be outside with us

Sierra, preferred to sit on the bed, protected from any bees/bugs, etc. behind the tent screened windows
Self Portrait

I wish this picture was not blurry! URGH, too cute not to post tho- handling four chihuahua's on a lead can be mmmm...difficult at times

Is this the way out?

T H E G A R D E N:
Come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses…

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH FRUIT
IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

Our Moon flower Vine is doing beautifully!! I am tickled pink & sprinkled with glitter, over the moon happy!! Check out all of the blooms--- and there appears to be quite a bit more ready to open up in the cool of the evening.

Up-close & pretty personal
A BIG friend came to visit our moon flower vine!!
On a similar(but other) note, I finally planted our moon flower seedling bushes! I posted about these in the beginning of summer (many moons ago)...we were gifted the seeds from my Father-in-law's neighbor(last year). This spring we planted the seeds, all summer we watered & loved the little darlings. They were ready to be planted over a month ago, but I just got around to it. Check out their new dwelling spot. Yes, they are not easy to see because they are just little seedling babies...but, in this picture they are located on the right (looks bare).


We had such a great time playing in the GA Clay this year! So much so that our vision is growing to planting more next spring- around our beloved patio. And, of course, we plan to make adjustments to our current Herb Garden! I am shocked I'm about to say... looking forward to Spring/Summer 2011!

Miller Family Portraits

Yesterday we were sitting out on our patio relaxing & taking in the fall breezes. I just happened to have my camera with me so we took a few pictures of our selves. We just love this weather! It's Fall Y'all!
Me and my two: (Nacho & Penny)



Matt & his two (Him LOL & Sierra And, Matt & Bingo)

The Yellow Daisy Festival 2010

Saturday I went to the 42nd annual Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park with three of my girl friends. It was a HOT fun girl day & my first visit to the YDF. And, it just blew my mind how many vendors and shoppers attend!! Even though I grew up in GA I first learned of the festival last year! There were so many people attending Saturdays YDF that it took us an hour to get into the park and park our car!! Once inside the event it was well worth the hassle. For more event information, click the blue blog post title above.


On with my festival purchases...
Have you heard of neck wraps called "Kerchiller"? They are described as no refrigeration required, water activated, cools all day, re-usable "Cold-Kerchief". It was just what the Dr. ordered for a hot, sunny day walking in water parched Stone Mountain Park! Also, If you purchased any they would activate them for you. Which only took 30 minutes to activate. Each of us purchased one for ourselves (and a few gifts). I picked one up for Matt to wear when he runs/exercises or mows the lawn! The one I picked out for myself was a pink BAMA design (of course!)& Matt's has a fire fighting theme.


Julia's Neck Scarf

To get the coolest temperatures out of scarfs you can put them in a bowl of water, in your refrigerator (never the freezer) over night! Can't wait to give that a try on another HOT day!!

Another cute booth had pet collars, bandannas (for all occasions & season)...well, I went crazy when I saw the Po-PO COP& BAMA Bandannas!! We always say that Bingo is our personal security/boy scout/ cop in the family! I couldn't resist this:
Officer Bingo on patrol for the newest donut shops...

And, YOU KNOW I wasn't going to pass up a University of Alabama bandannas...perfect for my BOI NAA~
"Roll Tide" Nacho

Okay, Okay, Okay...the frosting on the cup cake was what I found for the girls....
Geisha Penny

Geisha Sierra

I liked the bandannas so much I picked up four Christmas designs for this years family Christmas Photo! :))


I can't wait for next year!

The Miller High Life

As a graduation gift to himself, Matt recently purchased a Smoker. He had been VERY busy cooking and I am just loving his new gift. What a great idea :)) A gift the entire family (and friends) can enjoy, LOL

The first item he decided to BBQ was a pork shoulder. yummy...


Five days later, his second meal of choice - - RIBS! OMG, OMG!!

One day later, BBQ Chicken!! I've never tasted such a delicious juicy chicken!

I personally can't wait to find out what his next smoke BBQ will be. He's been throwing around words like brisket & short ribs! So, when are y'all coming over for dinner?

Three Day Weekend!

So, what did you do this Labor Day weekend? We hope you got in plenty of relaxing, BBQ cooking & football watching FUN time on!

We pulled out our Hammock, turned on our ipods, opened up our books and started swinging... Yes, Avery is still around---

Swinging with our Four Chi's

Every hour we switched out, now Matt's turn to swing...

We both agree that a family sized Hammock would be lovely. Soon we may just look for one we can all use at the same time.

One more thing... "ROLL TIDE ROLL!!"

This post is a wrap-up of our activities this past week, as we did a "Stay-Cation". We were both off for the week, but we decided rather than go anywhere, we would just enjoy each others' company and do things locally here in Atlanta.

Monday: Julia went scrapbooking during the day at Archivers with her friend Monica. Matt puttered around the house, fooled around on his IPad and watched movies. Julia came home late afternoon and we had a relaxing evening.

Tuesday: We went and took Matt's dad to his chemotherapy appointment. We went to the Avenue shopping center in Cumming while we waited, browsed shops and spent some time at the Starbucks, reading and people-watching. We then went home and cleaned the house a little.

Wednesday: Julia and Matt went to the neighborhood pool in the morning, swam around a bit, got a little sun, and just enjoyed another hot sweltering day in metro Atlanta. That afternoon we went to the Hamilton Mill Starbucks and spent more time relaxing, reading, and people-watching.

Thursday: We went to the High Museum of Art in Downtown Atlanta to see the Salvador Dali exhibit.


Our conclusions regarding Dali are that he was a gifted artist, but a very strange little man. He was quite a personality in his time, to be sure.

Friday: At noon, we went to see the movie THE EXPENDABLES, which features virtually all of the great action heroes from the 1980s through today. It was not great filmmaking, but it was an entertaining movie.


That night, we went to the Gwinnett Arena to attend the 2010 Freedom Concert presented by Sean Hannity. It was a concert featuring the Charlie Daniels Band, Michael W. Smith, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Charlie Daniels looked really spry after suffering a stroke not too long ago. Michael W Smith did a short solo set. He didn't have his band with him, so the sound was not quite as full as it might have been. Lynyrd Skynyrd blew the roof off the place. Between musical sets, Bill Bennett, Oliver North, and Nathan Deal spoke briefly. Below is a video of Skynyrd performing "Freebird" at the Freedom Concert in New Jersey.


Saturday: We went to the Larenceville Farmers Market in the morning and bought some bread and some fruits and vegetables. Then went to see the new movie EAT PRAY LOVE that she had been wanting to see. It was a nice movie with a good message. The trailer is below:



Sunday: We are going to the Aris-Tea-Crats tea shop this afternoon so that Julia can attend a Stampin' Up crafts class. Matt is bringing his IPad and IPod and will sit off to the side doing his thing.

It has been a great, very relaxing, very enjoyable week.

This summer has kept us busy! I thought I need to post something before time got away from us!

July 4th Matt ran his third Peachtree Road Race! This year it took him one hour and 7 minutes and he improved his time 2.5 minutes faster than the previous year! Congratulations Matt! I am VERY proud of you!! This year the morning weather was much cooler but Matt said the humidity was horrid. Regardless, he improved his time.



A few weekends ago I went on a girls trip to Jekyll Island, GA! I had such a wonderful time and I look forward to going back to show Matt around the island.The island is a tropical paradise! Lush, greenery, rich history, bike trails and lots of wild animals safely roaming. Drift Wood Beach is beautiful! And, a site to see...



Jekyll is also known for it's efforts in the re-population of the sea turtle and it's turtle rescue/ hospital. We took the tour at the hospital and an hour long walk in search of mama turtles and their nests. I learned so much about the sea turtle! Enough to give me a grand appreciation for everything being done to ensure their survival. Here's a picture of a few operations that were going on while we were on our tour. One turtle had his shell split wide open from a boat propeller and the other had swallowed a fisherman's hook.

Yesterday I (Julia) took the day of from work to help my Bestie celebrate her 21st Birthday. Matt came by to say "Hello" and give his Birthday greetings. I had to share this picture Connie took of me and Matt, it's cute (if you'll allow me to say that)

An outdoor, Summer Tea Party
A few Saturday's ago was the perfect day for an outdoor tea party. Thanks to Connie and her Mother Crystal I got to do just that! It was a gorgeous day and the tea was cold and sweet! My new (yellow) hat fit the occasion perfectly!

Julia's new yellow hat


The table was set under a covered pavilion. Decorated with beautiful fresh flowers at each setting.

This one is meant for me...

Poole's Mill Covered Bridge

This post is to let all of you know that Julia and I are now independent distributors of Mona Vie. What, you may ask, is Mona Vie? It is a nutritional juice drink composed of the juice of 19 different fruits, built around the centerpiece of the Acai berry from Brazil. The Acai berry has been in the news a lot lately for its amazing antioxidant properties and phytonutrients and has been classified as a "superfood." A lot of different products now have claims of containing Acai, however they do not contain it in the quantity or potency contained in the Mona Vie beverage. Mona Vie has a patent on a freeze-drying process that allows the berry that is included in the Mona Vie juice to retain 94% of its nutritional and antioxidant properties. For more on clinical studies on Mona Vie and/or key ingredients, click here.



There are a number of different juice blends and associated products available. There is the original Mona Vie juice drink; Mona Vie Active, which also includes liquid glucosamine for joint support; Mona Vie Pulse, which is formulated specifically for good cardiovascular health; Mona Vie Immune, which is formulated to support and boost the immune system. There is also Mona Vie EMV, a healthier alternative to energy drinks on the market such as Red Bull, Monster, or RockStar and EMV-Lite, a lower calorie version of the energy drink alternative. A recent innovation within the Mona Vie product line is a line of gel paks that can be taken with you to places where taking bottles of traditional Mona Vie juice is impractical or impossible.

Mona Vie is also an excellent business opportunity if that is an interest of yours. Unlike most other "network marketing" opportunities, there are ample and true opportunities to make money on the side as an independent distributor.

For a series of multimedia presentations on the Mona Vie product and the opportunity, click here.

Lastly, if any of the information in this post intrigues you and you want to know more, email us at mrmnjewel@bellsouth.net.

Matt & Julia

Gardening

We have been enjoying some beautiful weather here in GA! Matt and I have taken time to dig in the dirt. One of my fave new spots is our new Culinary herb garden:
Our herb garden is still in process...we have plans to add more herbs and a few vegi's but most of the hard work is completed! Thanks to Ed, my Master Gardner Father-in-law! He kindly came over here one afternoon and planned out the perimeter, tilled the ground and laid the edges for us!

Hydrangea
This is not the best picture because this Hydrangea is absolutely beautiful, but I wanted to show it's location. Since Hydrangea need morning sun and afternoon shade we planted this beauty near the corner of our house.

I have wonderful memories of my Granny's Hydrangea plants. Beautiful blooms!!

Several weeks ago, my Father-in-Law's master Garden club had their annual plant sale. I was lucky enough to have Matt over there to pick us up a trunk load. He was able to get quite a few plants: Butterfly bush, Hydrangea, double knock out rose bushes, double orange day lilies & succulent decorative ground cover. All for a VERY reasonable price! I can't wait for their next sale!!

Sprouts
Okay, I can't remember what these little guys are called. But, the story of how we got them is unforgettable.
While driving around town I had noticed these beautiful tree bushes with yellow bell flowers on them. I wasn't sure what they were. However, as luck would have it, I noticed the flower in my father-in-laws neighbors yard! One day, she was out working in her yard and we were pulling in from dinner. I asked her what they were and she offered me 2 of the spikey seed balls!

All fall and winter I kept the huge seeds in my garage and this spring I pulled them out and carefully removed the seeds. Each seed ball had about 50 seeds in them! I soaked them for 24 hours and planted them in these containers. For weeks I have been babying them, taking them in at night, keeping them out of the rain, and making sure they get full sun. A few have started to come up but not many. Even though it is May the weather has not been real warm. I'm hoping that with the warmer weather more will come alive!

Adoption Update...

We were notified by our agency that the Stork Has Landed!! Currently the cut off date is thought to be April 21, 2006

Congratulations to those families who will be receiving their referral!!

Crochet Baby Blanket

In anticipation of our referral and Baby Miller's arrival, I've been enjoying creating baby items!! Currently I am in the process of crocheting a mint green "Ripple" designed blanket. I plan on making it longer than a normal baby blanket so the blanket can be used as Baby Miller gets older & longer :)

I'm having so much fun with it I already have plans to try out a different design for blanket #2! But, until then I will take my time and do my best with this beautiful blanket! Thank you Mrs. Gladys for teaching me how!



Once it is completed I will share another picture with you all! Thank you for visiting our blog! We can't wait to share with you our own trip to China & info on Baby Miller!!