Miller Family

Home again, Home again...Spring break in Virginia!

2010-07-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

We went to Virginia/Pennsylvania for our vaca this year...courtesy of mom and dad. :) First stop was to my sister's house. It was SO pretty there. She thinks she lives in the country and doesn't really like it, but I thought it was great! They had a nice big yard for the kids to play in - loved it! Other then our little run in with about 20 ticks...it was nice to be there and see my sister's family again.

Baby Q and baby Emmy just hanging out.

The older kids decided to roast marshmellows inside - looks yum!

We went to a fun play place in Baltimore and I was so impressed that Brie was willing to get up and do some kereoki - usually she is so shy, but she did great!

When my sister's oldest son was a baby, I used to spike his hair all the time. So I just HAD to do it to baby Q! :) He has SO much long hair, it worked out better then it used to on Kaden. Check out this rocker's new hair style!

This takes some serious skill. Way to go mom! :)

Brinkley turns 4!!!

2010-07-26T21:21:00.001-07:00

I'd like to know what happened!?!? How does time escape us SO quickly? It seems like only a few months ago that I was wishing so badly that I would get pregnent...and waiting...and waiting...then finally this sweet little thing arrives.

I am almost teary eyed looking back at Miss Brinkley as a baby - I miss it. I didn't get to enjoy it enough. And now she is a big girl.
Brie celebrated her 4th birthday on January 19th! WOW! So big. She asked me to make alfrado for dinner and daddy brought her a bunch of balloons. FUN! She is still so full of life and energy, sweetness and persistance. She amazes me daily with the things she says, the kindness she shows, her maturity, her smarts. We love her dearly.

Everyone knows that Brie is the "princess" of our family. And to match that, she LOVES princess. She loves the movies, the dressing up, the makeup, all of it. So we had a princess party for her and showered her with princess gifts. As you can see, complete with sparkly shoes and everything, she is quite happy! :)

The finished look! :) Love you Brie! Happy Birthday!

A little Island Park time

2010-07-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to be invited to spend some time in Island Park with some friends. It was fun - I always love to get away. The snow was so beautiful and the kids had a great time playing in it. Funny thing is, I think either we adults stayed up too late or got too much sleep - you should have seen how "zombie" all of us were the day we left! :)

Porter and Dreanna

All the kids packed onto the sled! They LOVED it! And the face steve is making in this next one. Precious.

Thanks for a wonderful time!

Deagan is officially 3!!!

2010-07-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

This little man was SUCH a huge suprise to us...a blessing and a gift. As with all the kids, it's hard to see them grow so fast. It wasn't very long ago that my little guy was born, but he has grown into an adorable little man faster then I have wanted.

Today we celebrated Deagan's 3rd birthday! My little baby has turned into this:

He has the sweetest, softest side ever. It just melts me. He keeps up pretty darn well with his big sister...talks well, understands a lot, and makes us laugh. He has a great little sense of humor. He is a smarty pants, learning the sound and appearance of each letter of the alphabet. He has long been able to point out which number is which. He does well (so far) in a house full of sisters and teaches mom a lot about having a boy around. :) Happy Birthday buddy! We love you TONS!

Hawaii part one

2010-07-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

I started working on my friend's family session from when I was in Hawaii first - so my vaca. photos are yet to come. But I just had to post these photos...just to show off how beautiful it is there! I was so lucky to get to do Jen's family session. Enjoy!

Figuring it out...

2010-04-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I posted a while back that I would keep everyone up to date on my diet and I haven't done a very good job. Here's what happened. I did AWESOME for about 10 days - no candy, stayed away from crackers (carbs), and tried to keep it at about 1000 calories per day. I also excerised - some days for up to 3 hours. The first 5 days were really hard, but then I got used to it. I ate a few gummy bears on about the 7th day and I actually felt a little sick and didn't want any more. So on the 10th day, I got back on that scale thinking that if I had only lost 1 lb. that would be a great start and I'd be happy. I looked down to see I had gained 4. I got off, just to make sure something crazy hadn't happened to the scale, and got back on. Yep, I gained 4 pounds! HOW??? I still don't know, but my friend suggested I get my thyroid checked. It didn't make sense to either of us how I did so much and GAINED.

We went to the east coast to visit my family shortly after this, so I said to heck with it - I'm on vacation and I'll eat what I want! I weighed myself when we got home. I weigh the exact same as I did before I left, but AFTER eating tons of junk while we were gone. Is this making sense to anyone???

I have decided it's time to make a life change for everyone in my family. It might not help me to shed the lbs. but it will help our health. Diabetes runs in both sides of my kids family and I am not doing them a favor by giving them treats, fruit snack, etc. morning noon and night. I have a great book (that I have had for a while now) about how to eat better, which foods to mix with others, etc. and I think it's time to make those changes. I am going to have SUCH a hard time telling them no to all the snacks they want, but I have to. I HAVE TO. It's for their own good. Wish me luck!

Tell it like it is!

2010-03-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

The other morning I was sitting at the table with Deagan and Steve. We were all having breakfast together. Deagan randomly says, "All the everybodys love me!" :) I had to smile and tell him, "yes, everybody loves you buddy!" I really do love him. He can be SO sweet and has such a soft heart. He just melts me.

Later that night at Family Home Evening Brinkley brought up a few things she has been learning. She was talking about Jesus and the holes in his hand. Then she says, "you can see the holes on the big white Jesus and hear him talk when the lady pushes the magic button behind the hidden wall!" WOW! What a memory! The last time we saw the statue of Jesus was about a year ago - the way she remembers things sometimes just cracks me up! Thru the eyes of a 4 year old, right? :)

Her ability to retain information amazes me - she'll bring up things in great detail that happened when she was 2 and 3 - I can't believe the memory. And she must be loving the lessons in Sunbeams cause she can come home and retell us the story without skipping a beat! If we tell a story for FHE and get part wrong (or say it the wrong way) she will quickly correct us and tell us how it really goes! :) WE love you Brinkley, we love your smarts, we love your personality, we love your desire to read scriptures and your love for Jesus. You are absolutly adorable!

One of those days

2010-03-03T12:17:00.000-08:00

I am having one of those days. You know, the kind that makes you wish your best friend lived around the corner so you could just go talk, cry, etc. The kind that makes you want to drop your kids of at a sitters house. The kind where you'd give your left arm to be sitting on a beach...alone...doing whatever you want. The kind where you'd love to just curl up in bed with a good tear-jerker of a movie, a box of tissues, and a soft blanket.

Tonight is Wednesday and that means it's my night out. I couldn't be more thankful for that. I have decided to not even make dinner before I go this time. Just going. (Steve and I have a deal where we both get a night out and away from the home each week to keep our sanity - it's the best deal ever!) I love my kids to death, but I really need a break.

I think this diet has gotten me from grumpy to depressed now. Sad thing is it's only the 3rd day! I am just so low on energy. A brownie with chocolate frosting sounds like a heavenly fix. You know what really has me down? Knowing that I have to pass on all goodies from now on. It actually makes me feel sad. Steve says to have one day a week where I can eat whatever I want, but that just isn't going to work for me. I'm an all or nothing kind of girl. One day a week will just make all the other days that much harder. I have been told that you eventually hit a point that you'll stop wanting the sweets and to have them actually makes you feel sick. I would LOVE to be sick from eating sweets! That's when I'll know I've done something right. Is it crazy of me to not want to put another piece of sugar into my mouth until I've met my goal weight?

My BIG FAT project

2010-03-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

At the start of this year I made quite a few new years resolutions - MOST of which I have stayed on top of so far. Probably one of the most important to me was to shed all my extra pounds I have - and believe me, there are MANY! This comes from someone who is normally about 125lbs. and would be THRILLED to be at 130-135. That's the goal. So I decided as of March first, I will change a few things and get this bod back in shape. I'm afraid progress will be slow, but we'll see. I need to take a "before" photo but I don't think you could pay me enough $$ to post it. Maybe when I am back to a smaller size.

As completely embarrassing as this is, I will post my weigh ins and "such." I hope it gives me the push I need to some day be able to post I have met my goal weight.

March 1, 2010
weight 160
I have gone 2 days without candy and I think I'm going to kill someone. I am tired (probably from a lack of food) and cranky. I usually eat TONS of candy - any hour of any day. My goal is to stay away from sweets completely. I also have a goal to stay away from chips, fast food, baked goodies, and to limit my breads/crackers. So basically I have taken away my whole life support. :(

Brinkley - Feb. 2010

2010-03-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

I got to have a little fun with Brie the other day. She asked if I would take her photos and I of course told her yes! She was such a little ham - being so silly. I got some really cute faces. I thought I would post just a few of her more normal ones. Love you Brie! You're a doll!

Kids & new names!

2010-01-29T18:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a little sneak peak of my kids. This is their most recent photo shoot - First week of January. Deagan really didn't want to have his photos taken...what a stinker! :) And as you may see I am in the process of changing my business name! I'm SO excited! I'm trying to have everything finished, up and running by Feb. 15th. If you want to check out the new blog it's http://www.myurbanphoto.blogspot.com/ It's not even close to being done and a lot of changes need to be made, but it's there if you want to see it THUS far! :)
Also, if any of you out there want to be on my emailing list, go to that website and look up the email address, and send me an email with the word "join" in the subject line - you'll get emails about all the specials, mini sessions, holiday cards/sessions, freebies, etc.

Into the swing of things...

2010-01-29T17:37:00.000-08:00

Ok. There is no better way to say this...I SUCK! I do. It has been forever since I've blogged anything. And it seems like I always promise myself that I'll do better, I post once...then I forget. 2010 has already been SO busy for me - I just cant possibly keep up with everything. So I've decided to just post our album pages for our blog, and if there's something fun that I have time to blog, then I will. I decided early on in 2009 that I needed to make a family album for us - a way to remember all the fun things we did, plus some journaling of the kids. A way to remember things I guess. Anyway, between that and blogging, and the photography blog/work I just feel like I'm always on this computer lately. So enjoy the pages! And we hope you all had as great of a Christmas as we did!

A happy baby is the BEST!

2009-12-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

Emmy was just laughing her head off the other day, so I grabbed the camera! Of course she stopped once she knew I was there so I didn't catch it. But she was happy so that is good enough for me! :) She is getting so fun...I love this age. So sweet and playful! Just adorable!

Ok, videos don't want to load right now, so maybe later. Here's a few pix instead! I finally took her to get her ears pierced a few weeks ago. I have been wanting to do it, but the fact that people kept calling her a boy really pushed me over the edge. She was soooo good - she hardly cried at all. And I think it's cute!and yes. That IS a pill bottle my baby is playing with. I'm an awesome mom. (hey, they like the sound!)

We have been giving the solid foods a try and it isn't going so well. She does a great job of smashing those little lips together SO hard that I can't get ANYTHING in there. My others have gotten the hang of it a little faster - maybe she'll just be a picky eater. Who knows!

Brie thought she would give it a try!

Oh YUM!

2009-12-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

I just had to share this recipe with you guys...it's one of my new faves. It tasted like I was at Olive Garden - so whip some up and serve with bread sticks and salad and you'll have a super YUM meal!

Italian Pasta Toss
1 box of cavatappi pasta
1/2 stick butter
1 cup broccoli
1 sliced red pepper
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup peas
3 small roma tomatoes diced
2 tablespoons basil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 cup grated parm. cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Cook & drain pasta. In skillet melt butter. Add all vegies and cook till crisply tender (about 5 mins) then add tomatoes, garlic, and all other seasonings. Continue to cook for 2 mins. stirring constantly. Add to pasta and parm. cheese. Serve WARM.
ENJOY!

The Wall is DONE!

2009-12-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

It's finally done! (with the exception of painting the wall) I have a large wall in our play room/family room that has always bugged me. I've never known what to put on it...TILL NOW! :) I had an idea to do a photo collage of my kids and it worked out great.

People are always asking me why I don't have more family photos up since I'm a photographer...now they cant say that! Steve built me the shelf...it is about 10 feet long! I am SO happy with how it turned out! And I LOVE huge prints so it all came together really well. Thanks for your help Steve!

First Snow

2009-12-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

We got our first snow about 2 weeks ago - it started coming down while we were at church and the kids were so excited to walk outside and see snow! When we got home from church I let them run outside for a few mins and they LOVED it! And Kylee was an awesome big sister to take them out for a little pull on the sled! We haven't gotten any more snow since - I hope we do soon cause it helps me feel more like the holidays are here! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-29T09:15:00.000-08:00

This year we did Thanksgiving at our house! Steve's mom hasn't been feeling well so I thought we'd give her the chance to relax a little and not have to stress about it. His sister Teri is SUPER helpful so I knew we could pull it off. However...I don't think mom rested very much! She brought SO much food for us...what a sweetheart! I hope everyone had an ok time. It was nice to be together with everyone!

Yep. This is Charlie with a girlfriend! :) We all had so much fun meeting her - she's so sweet!

This was the "big girls" table! :) Kylee is such a good sport...and I think Brie and Hannah really enjoyed being a "big girl"!!! They sure did a LOT of giggling!!!

Thanks to everyone who helped! WE love you tons!

Fall Ward Party

2009-11-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

Each Fall our ward does a little Harvest Supper and this year Steve signed me up to bring a dessert. Awesome! I thought that was great - you can be creative with desserts so I was happy with that. Well, as I started thinking about it, I became a little too ambitious about the whole thing. I was looking up cakes online so I could do something really cute. That's when I found THE cake. This was PERFECT for where I live and I thought everyone would get a kick out of it...so here's the photo of what I wanted to make:
Adorable, right? Well, as time got closer I decided I didn't really have the time nor the $$ to spend on all the supplies it would take to make this, so I just went for something plain. In the process though, Kylee decided she also wanted to make a cake, so we had a good time baking together. I think hers was a white cake with buttercream frosting. Mine was a choc. cake with cream cheese frosting inside, buttercream on the outside, and toasted almonds on top! Not as cute, but tasted ok. :)

New Family Photos!!!

2009-11-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

I have been needing to replace our large family photo that is in our front room - Deagan was 5 months old when we had it taken. I had found who I wanted to do our photos for us, but then decided to wait till next year maybe. Still needing a new photo, we took the kids out for a little session. We will hang a photo of just them this year...they are the cute ones anyway. :)

I actually am really excited to show all of you the creation I made for my wall, but first I must paint and hang it. Then I'll post a photo of it. Till then, here's a few of the ones I took. (thank goodness I had Steve's help or these never would have been possible)

This one is a FAVE of mine - I ordered a 16x20 of it for my room. I am very in to the grundge look right now.

I combined the following photos of my kids into one photo to save on time - but we got quite a few individual ones of each kiddo. I really enjoy the candids that just show who they are.

I cannot believe this is my baby! She's getting so OLD. :) And she's so pretty. She is wonderful to let me practice taking photos of her whenever I want...she's got such a fun personality which makes her photos fun too!

Trick-or-Treat

2009-11-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

Halloween was pretty fun. Brie had said that she wanted to be a Pink Witch so I got right to work and making a costume for her. All the other girls ended up with the same type of tutu skirts so they kind-of matched. They seemed to enjoy being dressed up. They also got to wear their costumes to the carnival and the school the night before. They had cute games for the kids and they got to wear their costume that night also. Soooo fun!

I FINALLY have our Halloween photos to post! I took some of the kids inside...but a lot of them didn't turn out well. I only got one semi-good one of Kylee. And I didn't get ANY of Emmy, so I might just have to make them all dress up again! :P

There's nothin like some good sticky lovin' between siblings. :)On Halloween we spent the 2nd half of the day at Steve's parents house. We had pizza and pigged out WAY too much on candy and cookies. At about 5 we decided we'd take the kids trick-or-treating around to a few houses then head home. Well, they didn't want any part of it. I couldn't get Brie to go up to one door. Probably too tired. So they came home with no candy and didn't really seem to care. I SURE didn't! :) It was fun to get the kids in bed early and watch Monster House with Steve...it's kind of our Halloween tradition!

2009-10-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Today the kids and I made sugar cookies and frosted them! I found a great frosting recipe online for the kind that dries and hardens - it was so thick that they were able to just use paint brushes and paint their frosting on! They had fun! And I think ate so much frosting that they felt a little sick! There's nothing like a bowl full of sugar the day before Halloween! :)

Here's two that I made for Kylee while she was at school because I love her and she's so pretty! :)

Another Catch Up!!!

2009-10-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, I finally got my photos back from my broken external hard drive :) so I will do a quick catch up here.

Now, this little story is probably going to put me in the dog house, but it is SOOOO funny to me, I just have to tell it. This happened a while ago but I needed the photo in order to have it be funny to anyone else! A little background...I will call Steve "Plumber" when his pants are riding just a little too low...if you know what I mean. :) It's kind of an ongoing joke that THAT is just what happens to daddys pants sometimes. Well, we are riding in the car and the kids were eating vanilla wafer cookies for a snack. However, they really like the mini size ones. Suddenly Brie yells out, "Hey mom! Look! It's Dad's butt!" I look back & she is holding this up:

:) I've said it before - I LOVE the things kids come up with! Oh they just crack me up!

Ok, here's a few photos of something the kids and I did together. They really like to help me bake and we went for a rainbow cake. They had fun each getting to color 2 bowls of batter. It was fun, but the cake turned out HUGE! I gave about half to my neighbor - who's son said "this cake is AWESOME!" It really was! And I finally have photos of the Heart Attack Cinn. Rolls I posted the recipe for earlier. Mmmmm...don't they just make your mouth water! They are SO good - try 'em!

Oh the things they say...

2009-10-14T10:50:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my kiddos said a few funny things. It seems like I never remember to write them down and I always wish I had. So there's no better place then on the blog - I know I'll always have it there! :)

Kylee was holding Emmy and referring to the stork bite on the back of her neck and she says to me, "Hey mom, so when is this pelican's rash supposed to go away?" Oh my gosh I laughed so hard. She's too cute.

Brinkly was in the kitchen with me while I was trying to make dinner and she just kept doing things she wasn't supposed to. I kept having to tell her to stop. Finally she asked me for some sort of snack and I said, "not right now. I'm making dinner and we'll be eating that in a few minutes." She looks back at me, puts her hand on her hip and says, "Mom. You being in charge really isn't working out for me." :) Died laughing again.

I am so thankful for those kind of moments that my kids bring to me each day. They really do make it a little brighter!

Catching up...

2009-10-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

Well...I have a ton of stuff that I haven't blogged due to lost files. However I found these on my other camera...so we're not at a total loss! :)

I went to Oregon the first week of September for a little "me" time and to see my friend Emily. It was SOOOOOO nice to be there - it's beautiful - and to talk with her, and just relax for a few days. So in this first photo is Jen - we went to high school together and she's SO cute - I have always loved her adorable personality and now I got to see her kids - and they are really cute also. It was so great to get to spend a little time with her.

Emily and I have both had a ton of "crap" to deal with lately - it's so nice to have a friend that understands what you feel, need, and think. I love her to death and know she is such a blessing in my life. The night I was taking photos we were talking about "stuff" and our attitudes weren't the best...so here's a photo of Emily showing us all just how we feel about life sometimes! :) I love her honesty.

On a better note, we went to get pedicures together and it was fun. The massage chairs were to die for. And I think the poor lady working on my feet thought I was crazy cause I couldn't stop laughing. Secrets out - I am SUPER ticklish!
SO pretty huh? :) We also went out to eat then shopping. Emily wanted to just look around in American Eagle but when we went in they gave us both a scratch off game piece to see what discount we would get. Emily opened hers and she had won a free $50 gift card! I was screaming for her! So she got new jeans and a T. GO EMILY!!!

Ok, here's a little game that Brie, Deagan and Daddy like to play. Brie made up the name all by herself! :) Listen and she'll tell you what it is! Last video is of Emmy who is 5 months old now.

And I don't care what you say, baby talk is just fine and I love to do it! :P

Tara's Heart Attack Cinnimon Rolls

2009-10-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Ok guys...I know a few of you have been patiently waiting for this. I haven't blogged in a while 'cause my hard drive broke and I haven't been able to get any photos or info off of it. HOPEFULLY that'll change this week and we'll be able to retrieve all my stuff! So I had a yummy photo of these cinn. rolls but I'll have to add it later.

These are SOOOO yummy, better then cinnibon, and in NO way good for you. *Make at your own risk* :D

I adjusted the recipe just a little to make them even better. They take 4 hours to make...but you aren't working the whole time. Most of it is just rising and cook time, so it's not as bad as it sounds. And if you know me, I HATE spending time making things...but this was TOTALLY worth it! Also it makes a ton so be willing to share or make for a party or something. Here we go!

In a small bowl combine and set aside:
1 cup white sugar
1&1/2 cup brown sugar
4-5 Tablespoons cinnamon

In your LARGE mixer:
1 cup milk
1tablespoon cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs (already beaten)
Mix well.

In another small bowl:
2 - .25 pkgs yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup water (110*)
Once this is combined, pour it into the large mixer.

Add 4 cups of flour and continue to add flour till dough is stiff. (I ended up using 8 total cups)

Put dough on a WELL FLOURED surface and knead for 8 minutes. (keep adding flour to surface when it gets sticky) Then put your dough in a large greased bowl, cover with a damp warm towell and let rise for 1.5 hours in a non-drafty place. Should double in size.

Prepare your pans while it is rising...you'll find pan directions below.

Punch dough (to let out air) then let rest for 5 mins. Then roll out the dough to an 18"x25" rectangle. With the side of a spatula, spread 3/4 - 1 cup of SOFT (not melted) butter across the rolled out dough. Sprinkle with the cinn. & sugar mixture you made first. Push this mixture down onto the dough just a little bit then roll the dough as TIGHTLY as you can. Roll it the short way so you have a very long roll once you're done.

Cut the roll into about 1-1&1/2 inch slices with either a knife or tie floss around and pull to cut.

Coat the bottom and sides of 2 - 9x13" pans with 1/2 stick of SOFT butter. (yep, that's a 1/2 stick per pan!) and sprinkle then sprinkle with 1/3- 1/2 cup of brown sugar...thin but enough to coat the entire pan. Lay slices in pan with edges touching but not tightly packed in...they need room to grow! :)

Let rise for 45 mins. in a warm place. (I covered mine with plastic wrap for the second half of the time) When ready, cook for 25-30 mins (will be golden on top) at 350*

Let cool for 10 mins then spread with frosting. Let stand 5 more mins then enjoy!
Leftovers are great in microwave for 12 seconds, and let sit for a few mins.

FROSTING
1/4 c. soft butter
2 oz. cream cheese soft
1 c. poweder sugar
1 teas. vanilla
(If you want enough to cover both pans of rolls you'll need to double this)

I know, that is a LOT of butter and sugar. Thats why I named them Heart Attack. :) Dont skimp on these items...it is truely what makes them taste so good. Have lots of milk handy! And be sure to comment if you make them and tell me what you think!

Emmersyn is 5 months!

2009-10-11T23:48:00.000-07:00

I LOVE how full of smiles my little Emmy always is. She melts my heart (ok, all my kids do) and I just cant help smiling myself when I see her bright smile light up the room. I am so thankful she is part of our family.

She is 5 months old now! Time is going by much faster then I would like...but I am enjoying her as much as I can. The kids all love her also. She is starting to laugh a lot more for us - but she seems to be the quietest of all my kids. You don't hear a lot out of her unless she's needing something! WE love you Emmy!

The 7th grade Session

2009-10-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

I took my cute Kylee and her friend out to do photos early one morning. They seemed to have fun. I get so many cute shots of Kylee because she isn't shy and just knows how to have fun. LOVE IT!!! She's such a cute girl...These are the ones she has hanging up in her room. I think the last one was her FAVE.

SO FUNNY

2009-08-28T21:51:00.001-07:00

When Brinkley was a baby, she was really chubby. And I LOVED it! For about the first 18 months of her life people would always comment on how great her chubby cheeks were. It kind of became her trade-mark. Well, as you know, she has outgrown the chubby cheek stage. But the other night we found a SUPER GREAT photo of Brie as a baby - we died laughing at those cheeks! They were SO huge that when she smiled, you could hardly see her eyes...and they look like they could pop!!! So here's a NOW and THEN photo posting of our sweet Brinkley.

2009-08-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this first picture. It was SO beautiful at Solitude. Here's a few more from our vacation there.

We saw a few deer while we were hiking. The kids thought that was really cool.

The resort had a really great pool with a large shallow end for the kids, and a water slide! Deagan was brave and tried the slide the first day, and Brie gave it a try the second day. On the last day Kylee and I discovered you could really FLY down the slide if you go on a tube! :)

And here's a few videos of the kids going down the water slides!

My how she's grown!

2009-08-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

I was giving Emmy a bath the other day and decided to snap another photo...I just can't resist capturing those chubby little arms and legs! So here's how she looks at 3 months old. But it you take a look at the next photo, you'll see she's grown a ton! Look how chubby her legs are now compared to 2 weeks old! They change so much from month to month!

First Day of School - 2009

2009-08-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today was Kylee's first day of school. Actually, it was her third, but she was really sick her 1st two days, so it became her first day to go. I always take a first day photo (what mom doesn't?) so here she is...ready to head off to the 7th grade! That sounds SO strange - I remember the 7th grade like it was yesterday! Have a fun day Ky!

Working?

2009-08-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

Steve says he's out working in the yard.

I think I know better...

Love you baby! :)

Ahhh, Solitude

2009-08-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

We finally got to go on our little summer vacation about a week ago and it was HEAVEN! I saw this place on a friend's blog and just knew it would be perfect for us...and it really was. We left for Utah on Friday and the first stop was the fountain at Gateway Mall. I thought the little kids would enjoy running thru it. It took them a short time to get used to the idea & then they liked it, however it was a really cold day and the water was freezing, so it didn't last long.

I think Kylee decided she was too old to run thru, but she watched with us!The next stop was our good old friends Jared & Kristin's house. We used to live next door to them in Rexburg and LOVE them to death! We were SO sad when they moved back to Utah, but I'm thankful we've been able to keep in touch. They are the BEST house hosts ever - we really enjoyed our stay with them. (I'll bet everyone loves me for getting a shot of us stuffing our faces!)

Kristin and I both had our 4th child on the exact same day...it was SO fun to have a friend with the same due date, going thru the same things as me, and counting down the days with me. We spent our day of labor texting each other to see how things were going...and I have to admit that when I got that text from her saying she had given birth before me, I was a little jealous. :) So here's Emmersyn and Aislynn together at 3 months old! SO CUTE!

On Sunday we headed up to the Solitude Ski Resort - the kids LOVED getting to sleep on bunkbeds! This was the kids bedroom. I didn't take a photo but there were 2 bedrooms, a family room and a kitchen. I LOVED having the kitchen so I could cook - it made it much cheaper and convienent. It was perfect weather while we were there, and SOOO beautiful. I really was in Heaven. The smell of fresh air, the stars at night, getting to see the kids so interested in exploring every little thing, the hikes & nature...just talking about it makes me want to go back right now!

There are SO many more photos, but I'm super tired so I will post more later. They are beautiful!!! There's just SO much to say about this place!

Emmy's Blessing - 8.2.09

2009-08-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had the opportunity to bless little Emmy. It was so nice to have family in town - I love how supportive Steve's family is about being there for things like that. (my family probably would be if they didn't live on the other side of the country!)

It was a really nice day and I'm glad that Steve could bless her. We are both so thankful to have her sweet little spirit in our home. She's so small, yet adds so much. The other kids love her so much and Emmy's always so happy and smiling - I hope that is a trait that stays with her forever. It's amazing how much you can love your children...they all have us wrapped around their finger.

We named her Emmersyn Malulani - it has been a fun tradition to give all of our girls Hawaiian middle names. Hers means "Under Heaven's Protection" - and I am sure that if she stays close to our Heavenly Father she will always be under His protection. We love you Emmy - thank you for choosing us.

My Dream House

2009-08-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

I have found my dream house! Of course it'll be 10+ years before I could ever afford to do anything like this, but this is it!!! I want our next move to be our last move...the house we stay in FOREVER...so it has to be something big enough to for family gatherings, have spaces for all our grandchildren, be beautiful and make you want to stare at it...just a little bit. I like houses that have a different look - not an Idaho Ranch style cookie cutter home. I like to be unique. The floor plan for this house has everything I wanted out of a home. This is my new goal. :) Donations Welcome! :D

Deagan, are you ok?

2009-07-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a long day for us. We had brie's swimming lessons, then went to Grandmas to see family, the shopping for hours, then back to Grandma's, then I had a photo session so my SIL Terry babysat the kids for me, and I finally left there at about 10pm. The kids didn't get a nap and Deagan had started getting really clumsy. He'd stumble, bonk his head, trip in the stairs, etc. so I knew I needed to get him home and into bed a.s.a.p.

When we got home I brought a few things in and ran upstair for about 2 seconds and found this when I came back down.

I was a little freaked out - I thought he had jumped (which he does all the time) and hurt himself! As I went to check on him I saw that he was just SO tired that he couldn't go any farther! Sorry for keeping you awake so long little buddy. I promise you a nap today!

Bubble Sneezes!!!

2009-07-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

Steve has gotten really good at giving the kids baths since it was one of his jobs while I was pregnant. Turns out that he's got his own fun things he does with the kids. :) I hadn't ever seen this before but thought it was so fun & cute...and of course anything that makes my kids giggle just makes my day! Thanks Steve for being a fun dad...I know the clan loves you!

Ride baby ride!

2009-07-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

We were at play group about a month ago and Brinkley rode one of her friends "big girl" bikes and loved it! She did a great job, got the hang of it quickly and had the look of a very proud girl on her face. That night she came home and said she needed a big girl bike also. Well, remembering a talk we heard in sac. meeting one time about a little girl who loved a neclace she bought because she had to earn it, we decided to have brie do a few jobs to earn money to buy her bike! She is a great helper around the house so this wan't too hard. One day I asked her to wash off the table for me so this is how she did it! :)

On TOP of the table! What a fun idea! :) Well, she had been collecting her money in a jar for about 3 weeks and we finally went out and bought it the other night! And of course she loves it!

Emmy Update

2009-07-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

Here's some of mom and dad with Emmy. She is getting so much bigger and I hate to see her grow up so fast! I want to keep her young for longer. Is there a way to do that? She is about 8 weeks old here. I'd give you stats but we missed her 2 month appointment. Oops!

Another one who looks just like her daddy! Good thing he's cute! :D

Being 12 is SOOOO cool!

2009-07-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Kylee turned 12 on July 11th! I cannot believe my baby is getting so old! She didn't get to have her real party till just this past weekend though. So here's a few photos from both days! I think she is super SUPER excited to be out of Primary and into Young Womens. She got to go to girls camp this year and really liked it.

This is the "bling bag" - it's a purse call covered in sequins. Of course totally cool for a girl...and made a great little gift bag!

At her party the girls played the scavenger hunt "bigger and better" - they had to trade somthing small for something bigger at each house they went to. I can't believe the things people gave them! They had a banana chair and a swimming pool! The team with the pool won the prize.

Mmmmmmm....cake! :) Here's the girls singing to our cute Kylee! SO FUN!!!

I scream for Ice cream!

2009-07-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of ice cream...so I hardly ever buy it. But my kiddos love it and it's summertime so it makes a great treat! I have to admit I used it as a bribe to get my kids to eat dinner that night!

Sweet Baby Girl

2009-06-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

ok, we are up and running again at my house - yipee! Now I can start posting again! :) Here's a few more of Emmersyn that I took - they are all about 2-3 weeks old photos. I'd like to print a large one and hang it, but not sure which is my fave! Hmmm, maybe an album would be better!?!?

Now that she's 7 weeks old, it's time to take some more I think - it's just a matter of finding the time to do it!!!

I made it!

2009-06-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

Look at me - I'm getting all domestic or something! I saw one of these car seat covers for sale on etsy.com and it was about $55 - I thought "I could make that for about $10" so...that is just what I did! Now, I don't really sew well but it works and that's all I wanted it to do! I have also made a few blankets lately...what has gotten in to me? :P

Baby Update

2009-06-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Well, my internet has been down for weeks now so I haven't been able to update - SORRY! But here's just a couple photos of Emmy that we took. They were taken at about 3 weeks old. I haven't been able to edit the rest of them so I'll have to post more later.

She is doing really well - growing so fast! She is about 6 weeks old now and I am guessing about 11 lbs. She is starting to smile and "coo" back at us just a little. And she HATES her carseat which makes going anywhere a challenge. I really am a home-bound mom. Things are interesting around our house now - really CrAzY! :) But I know things will get better as time goes on.

Brie the Pop Star

2009-06-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

Brie has spent the last few days singing as LOUD as she can - she also does a little "dance" while singing...sometimes with a stick, sometimes without. She likes to make up her own words...which pretty much consist of her random thoughts. :) But it's funny to watch her. She only thought dad was videoing her, so I got this little clip from upstairs. So here she is in all her glory! (I'd be tired too Brie! :P)

kylee's band concert

2009-06-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

This year Kylee went to middle school which meant a few more opportunities then usual. She decided she would like to try band. She ended up really liking it and played the flute this year. She will again be in band for the 7th grade. I had to miss this concert because I just had the baby, but Steve took some video so I wouldn't miss out. She has done a really great job playing and it's so fun to listen to her! Enjoy!

Kids Meet the Baby

2009-05-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

I thought that Deagan would be really rough with the baby, but he's been SO good. He's very soft and sweet to her. This video was taken while at the hospital - the little kids loved to give her kisses and this was the first time that they got to see her.

Then Miss Brinkley thought it would be fun to be by mommy and watch some cartoons. Before we knew it, she had found the bed button and we were off for the ride of our lives! :)

Emmersyn's First Bath

2009-05-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

Baby Emmy finally had her first bath - usually my mom gives the babies their first bath...but she wasn't here. She did a good job - liked the water and didn't cry. She is still so yellow though...she looks kind of strange, but still cute! We love her!

I love my friend SOOO much!

2009-05-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

My super awesome friend, Emily, came to stay with us for a few days after I got home from the hospital and I LOVE her to death for it. It gave Steve a chance to head back in to work & get some things done and allowed me to get some much needed sleep. Emily and I have known each other since we were about 3 years old - and now here we are having little ones of our own.

Emily was AMAZING - she kept my kids on a schedule, she did EVERYTHING - played, cooked, cleaned, etc. I want her to come back! :) Thanks Emily for everything you did - you ROCK! and I owe you big time!

We also had a pretty good time making fun of my "chest size" while Emily was here...yes, I was the big laughing joke of the home for a few days there...did you know they make a size "H" bra? Uh - huh! So, as a tribute to the song we sang many times while Em was here:

"Do your boobs hang low? Do they wobble too and fro? Can you tie them in a knot, can you tie them in a bow?"...you get the idea. :)

Baby @ Hospital

2009-05-25T14:11:00.001-07:00

Ok, I'm finally getting around to posting a bunch of photos from the hospital. My kids were just LOVING her - most of our photos are of them giving her TONS of kisses! :) Emmersyn has already grown a lot it seems, since our hospital stay - I have been a little emotional at the fact that time goes by so quickly and they grow so fast - sometimes I wish I could freeze time and keep them little for just a little longer.

Hanging out with mom - watching a few toons...TOO much fun! And what makes it the best? A bed that goes up and down with just the touch of a button! Yep - we went for a ride together!

Little Baby Emmy

2009-05-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

She is finally here! This is Emmersyn (no middle name yet) Miller - She was born on May 12, 2009 at 7:59 pm weighing 7lbs. 3 oz. (my smallest baby so far!) and was 20 3/4 inches long. She has been SO perfect so far - she has a very mellow personality like her sister Brinkley did. She sleeps well, eats SOOO well, burps & poops well...and she is just so sweet. Her big sisters and brother love her to death - and we are all so glad she's joined our family!

Ugh...the pregnant tummy

2009-04-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

I am NOT a big fan of how "ick" I look right now - so it has taken me this long to post this horrid little photo. Thank goodness Brie is in it - she adds cuteness! :) Anyway, this photo was taken on April 5th so I was about 34 weeks here. I am thankful that I don't get a huge tummy - however I keep my little ones tucked way inside, so it's pretty darn painful.

I am now counting down the days till my induction date which is May 12th. (yes, I'm still VERY bitter about the fact that it's not May 5th - dang laws!!!) I am about as fiesty, grumpy & uncomfortable as I (or anyone) can stand! I have been trying not to complain too much - but when almost every inch of your body is in pain 24 hours a day - it's hard.

We have a little guessing game going here - trying to guess the weight of the baby - I think she'll be 8 lbs. 9 oz. Anyone else for a guess? (ps - Deagan was born 2 weeks early and was 8 lbs. and she will be one week early)

Easter Time

2009-04-27T09:39:00.001-07:00

I recently decided that I need to start making family albums for us - to keep a record of all the fun things we do, what the kids are up to, saying, etc. And I know I will never have the time to do indivisual books for each kid, so it's all being thown into one. So here's just a couple of the Easter pages that I made. Hopefully the pictures will show up.
The kids had a great time coloring eggs and finding their candy filled eggs. They asked for an Easter egg hunt for the next few days also - what a fun game! :) And as with all holidays, my kids were on a sugar high for days! It was really nice to spend the time together and watch all of them enjoy themselves so much!

What's for dinner?

2009-04-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight we are having Sunset Chicken for dinner and my family LOVES it. So, I thought I would share the recipe with you! It's super easy - because anyone who knows me, knows that I wont spend much time in the kitchen...I just don't like it!

Mixed bell peppers cut into strips (I use 1 green, 1 orange, 1 red, & 1 yellow)
Chicken tenders (or cut breasts into strips if you want)
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1-1.5 cups Honey Sweet Catalina Dressing (it has poppy seeds in it)
Citrus Seasoning (if you can find it in your store) Salt, Pepper

Mix the dressing and O.J. together. Season the chicken. Place peppers into crock pot, then chicken, then pour dressing over top and cook on high for 1 hour and low for 3-4 hrs.

I usually serve this one with rice! Enjoy!

Potty Training!

2009-03-23T15:39:00.001-07:00

Well, a few of the women in my ward told me that there was this awesome book about potty training in a day. I thought - PERFECT! (If only someone would write the same book for weight loss!) I went to Barnes and Noble and NO BOOK! However, there was another book that had a chapter all about the original book - so I just read that while in the store. I felt like I had the basic idea. And I really needed to get potty training out of the way before baby comes!

So, Saturday rolls around and I go to put princess panties on Brie and she FREAKS out! I thought she would be SO excited - especially since we've been telling her she can't go to school wearing diapers. I was SO worried I was going to ruin the whole situation/give her emotional scars by forcing panties on to her, but she eventually calmed down. It was just her and I the whole day and I was EXHAUSTED! (I finally became very thankful that Brie and Deagan have each other to play with - it's a lot to play non stop all day!) She wet every time and I was wanting to give up SO bad - but she finally went that night without wetting her pants! YIPEE!

On Sunday I decided to stay home with Brie and focus on the potty thing again. When she woke up and I brought in panties and she says to me, "I don't want to go to school anymore!" :) Wow! Smart girl! I got them on her without a fight and she figured out quickly that me handing her drinks all day made her go. So she refused to drink anything!

Today she has done awesome! No accidents. And she is pretty excited about telling Deagan that soon he can wear spider man panties! :) So we are on our way, and I'm glad I didn't give up!

All About Tara

2009-03-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

I got this email with a bunch of all about me junk and since I don't blog very often - I thought I would put it on here. And I tag any of you who read this to add it to your blog! (ha, ha!) :)

5 strange/unique things about me:
-I absolutely cannot go anywhere without my make-up being on! :P
-all the girls in my family have Hawaiian middle names
-before I die, I HAVE to go to Italy, London, and Jamaica (specifically the Atlantis Resort!)
-I can't stand sitting down on a cold toilet seat! Brrr!
-I dislike coloring eggs at easter and carving pumpkins for Halloween (probably just because of the mess)

5 things I LOVE:
-rascall flatts
-the good, hard belly laughter of my children
-being tan! :)
-a clean house
-vacations to anywhere

5 things I hate:
-being pregnant
-being lied to/deceived
-tuna casserole
-when people make messes and just walk away from them thinking I should be the one to clean it!
-the dumb dogs running wild in my neighborhood

5 of my fave. things to eat:
-my choc. chip cookies
-bajio salad
-smoothies
-colliflower
-almost any junk food!

There you go! Little things about me!

The Chef!

2009-03-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

My mom sent Brie a really cute apron, chef hat, hot pad, etc. to go with her kitchen set for her birthday. She was wearing it the other day - makin me some pizza - and I finally remembered to snap her picture. Only problem is she refuses to smile for the camera now days...I think she's tapping into her shy side! :)

What to do? What to do?

2009-02-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

We have been switching bedrooms around at our house...and FINALLY have the kids where we want them to stay. I am working on decorating and want to print a BIG photo of Deagan for his room. His room is sports theme and has blues, reds, & browns. I love this photo, but can't decide HOW to print it. So...below is my 4 options...can you help? Please give me your opinion on what you think is best. (ps -if I print the color one, I think I'll do it on metallic paper, but don't like black and whites on metallic) Thanks guys!

option#1

option #2

option #3

option #4

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-13T06:53:00.000-08:00

We hope you all have a great Valentines Day this year!

Hugs and Kisses!

Calling all mommies of little boys...

2009-02-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

HELP ME!!! If you have ever had, or now have, a little boy...this mom needs some advice. I understand that boys are different...but my little guy is exhausting me. By 9 am I don't think I can physically take any more. Here's what I've tried: projects, play dough, water play, running, hugging/holding, coloring, painting, songs, jumping, counting, making forts, ramming trucks into the wall...and that's all by about 10 am. He really seems to like playing hard (like going to McDonald's play land, but you can only do that SO many times and outside play isn't really an option considering it's 15 degrees here for MOST of the year!!!) I need some ideas! He doesn't last long per activity and he gets angry very easily. He will scream & freak out till the veins are popping out of his neck - and I never really know why...just a random freak out! So, to all of you experienced mom's of boys out there...ANY advice you can give would be AWESOME!

Mmmmm...Chocolate!

2009-01-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

I know my own mom is against letting kiddos eat batter when making things...but I loved sneaking some when I was a kid. And my kids love it too. Deagan was helping me (ok, watching me) make brownies. When we were all done, he got to enjoy the batter and I just loved what a mess he was! He's cute even with a dirty face! :)

Jumping in the leaves!!!

2008-11-29T15:46:00.000-08:00

My in-laws have an awesome back yard and it seems that each year the kids really enjoy raking up the leaves so they can jump into them. Steve's sister, Teri, was here so all the cousins pitched in and had a blast. Here's a few of my kids helping!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

I still haven't been feeling real well, so I didn't get real into picture taking this Halloween. But here's just a few of the kids. Brie LOVED the concept of free candy...she was so excited! :)

Just be a KID

2008-10-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

What is the deal with kids these days? You know, when I was younger, we were creative and found interesting things to do. We didn't have to be entertained by machines or video games. WE made our fun. We put things like bikes, board games, and skatboards on our Christmas lists.

You want to know what is on my daughters Christmas list?
A cell phone
A nintendo DS
A laptop computer
MP3 player
Get hair highlighted

Funny how times change. I swear that by the time Brie is 5 she'll be asking for a cell phone too. Well, I think I'd like my kids to just stay kids, at least for a little while. They have FOREVER to be all grown up. Last night Kylee told me she really needing some tanning lotion because all of her friends were going to go to school tan. My response: "Would you quit! You're 11 years old! You don't need tanning lotion - just be a kid for goodness sake!"

Pumpkin Time

2008-10-26T15:11:00.001-07:00

On Saturday the family did their pumpkins! We had the kids paint theirs and Kylee and Dad carved theirs. I didn't do one...I get more frustrated then anything trying to carve them...and the smell right now is just blah! But here's some photos of the kids. Deagan really got into it - even painted himself a little!

What big Eyes you have

2008-10-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

Brinkley has always talked pretty well and says funny things all the time...but I hardly ever remember to write them down. So here's one.

I was putting her to bed the other night and I gave her a kiss. Then she held my face in her hands and said, "You have big hair!...and you have big eyes...and you have a big mouth...and you have big teeth...and I have little boobs!"

I died laughing.

My BIG FAT CRAZY Family

2008-10-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

Well - as many of you know - I am yet again suffering with the missery of pregnancy!!! I have said it before and I'll say it again...there is nothing in the world that I hate more then being pregnant! IF I am lucky enough to feel better - that will come when I'm 18 weeks. PRAY that I do feel better...I need it!

Steve is currently the working father by day and Mr Mom by night. He amazes me how much he steps up and takes over when I'm pregant. I'm lucky I married such a patient/easy going guy. I feel SO bad that I'm not 100% and that he has to pick up my slack...but at least I know it'll be over in 9 months!

So - I have 2 week old cheerios and pretzles smashed into the floor in my play room and a bedroom floor covered in laundry. I think if the state came in they'd take my kids away for having such a dirty home...at least I'm throwing out the dirty diapers! :)

Thanks to all those who have called to wish me well. Thanks even more to those who take my kids away so I can sleep for a while. You have NO idea how much I appreaciate you.

Family Photos

2008-09-17T08:31:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago my super awesome friend Nikki came out to Roberts to take my family photos for me. She is so wonderful - and we had fun! She lets me do my own photoshop work on them...so they might not look as good as her versions will...but it will be fun to compare!

I wanted us to wear bright colors this time...and boy did they turn out bright! It was a fun summer look though. I already have a fall looking photo on my wall, and I'm not going to replace it any time soon, so I wanted to put something a little more fun in our play room. I think one of these will work! And it's nice to have updated photos every once in a while - thanks so much Nikki...we love ya!

Yep - this IS me kicking the crates...I know...I need help.

Flab to Fab

2008-09-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

For FHE this week we talked about goals - setting them and working for them. Each of us picked out 2 goals we wanted to accomplish by New Years!

For one of my goals, I chose "drop 10 pounds!" I have more then that to shed, but I have to start somewhere. And I figured that if I posted it on the blog, it would be even more motivation to get my "rear in gear" - I'll try to post my progress. (if there is any) :) So...wish me luck! And if you have any super great advice on how to drop weight fast - please do share! I can use all the help I can get!

I love this photo

2008-09-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

While we were at the splash park the other day, I got this great shot of Deagan. I had accidently overexposed it and thought I'd have to trash it...but I did a little editing and now I LOVE it! I love how all you can really see are his features. Is this one cute boy or what? :)

I am having a blast with photography. I am learning new things and have actually been somwhat busy this year. It's been perfect - not too much, not too little. I average about 2 sessions per week, which is exactly what my goal was. And I'm not really even having to work for it - people just call! So I must be doing something right! If anyone is interested, you can check out my work at www.taramillerphotography.com And if you even want photos done, just give me a call!

New Chairs

2008-09-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

I have loved these little chairs for years - the first time I saw one I thought "oh, how cute! That would be so fun for kids!" And now, years later, they still make them and I still think these chairs are so cute! I got them at Target - ON SALE!!! My kids love them! They just sit side by side when watching a show - I think they feel like big kids on them. Our theater room isn't quite done yet, but once it is, these cute little chairs will go in it.

Sippin' Straws with Daddy

2008-09-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

While we were in Oregon, my friend Emily gave me a recipe for smoothies that we have been loving! So we made them one night and the kids wanted some. Not their own though, they wanted daddy's! So in went 2 more straws and they sipped together. So I hope Emily wont mind, but I am going to share this smoothie recipe with you all.

1 whole banana

3/4 cup berries

1 can of pinapple and the juice

1-2 tablespoons of Grenadine syrup (cherry flavoring syrup)

1/3 of the can of cream of coconut (this is the most important item)

enough juice to make it smooth & mix well

Enjoy!

Splash Park!!!

2008-09-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed what I think was our last day of summer this past weekend. We went to the Splash Park in Rexburg with the family that lives across the street from us. I think the kids had a great time! It's one of those types of places that you go to watch your kids have a lot of fun! It makes me wish we still lived in Rexburg. I loved it there - and they have so many family friendly little places there! Anyway, Brie really got into it and even tried the slide this time! I think they'll love it even more next year!

bring on the callings!

2008-09-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

When we first moved in, we were told by someone at church to expect about 3 callings. Our ward is fairly small - actually, I think it's large, there just aren't very many active people that go.

Well, Steve got put in the Young Mens Presidency and I think he really likes it. It's a nice change for him from Scouts. And they put me in as an Activity Day leader. SO FUN! We didn't have any activities over the summer, but we have our first one coming up soon. It'll be fun to work with the girls and get to know them better.

Just about a week ago I was asked to fill another calling - the Nursery! I figure that I'm in there anyway (trying to get my kids to stop crying) so why not!?!? My first week was CRAZY! I think every single kid was crying!!! It was in the water or something. But the other woman in nursery and I chatted a lot about new ideas and what we want to do, so I think it'll work out great!

So now I think it's Steve's turn for another calling! Bring it on!

I'm in L-O-V-E

2008-09-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

I am SO completely in love...with my new lense!!! It does beautiful shots, awesome depth of field, and the price makes me love it even more! So check out what this baby can do. Notice how I chose Deagan's eyes to be most in focus, then it gradually blurs out from there? LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! (and you have to love the hot sexy glare Deagan is practicing for when he becomes a model and makes me millions!)

She's so pretty!

2008-08-30T16:14:00.000-07:00

Brie has discovered the love of make-up. It's probably a mix of having to watch me do mine every day and now seeing her sister wear it. Brie wants to be one of the big girls too! She is always asking if she can put some make-up on. I let her do it herself and usually she ends up with loads of eye shadow in her eyes. Ouch! But on this day she put all of her eye shadow under her eyes and put lipstick on for probably 5 minutes. She also likes to have Kylee do her hair and calls herself "Cinderella" once she's all done up! Ahh, so pretty! There's no doubt Brinkley, you ARE the princess!

First day of school!

2008-08-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

It was the first day of school today and MAN-O-MAN was Kylee excited. (mom was a too) I think she was feeling pretty confident in her super cute new clothes, cute hair, and cute smile! She is starting middle school this year (6th grade) and LOVED her first day. She had boys checkin' her out - we've taught her to let them know that they "can look, but they can't touch!" But to be honest, I think she's looking too! :) She leaves at 7:45 am and gets home at 5pm - what a long day! But she doesn't seem to mind! She is in band this year with her friend Dottie and they are playing the flute!!! It'll be fun to see her develop that talent. Ky is a pretty darn cute girl - super sweet and full of fun (and yes, sometimes goofy) personality! We love you Kylee!!! Good luck at school this year!

Summer just flew by this year!

Marshmallow Temptation

2008-07-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

I was searching thru some websites the other day looking for some templates and stuff I need for my photography business. I came across this guys photography blog who said that he had stumbled across this little video clip (which he included on his site) and he loved it. I watched it out of curiosity - and I have to tell you all about it. It's really made me think - not only about each of my kids, but as us as adults also. The video was called The Marshmallow Temptation. Now, I've never gone out seeking other Christian teachings outside our church - but it was done by a preacher of another religion, but I think it's message was good.

In the video, there are children in a room with a hidden camera. A man comes in and brings them a marshmallow and tells them, "you can eat this now if you want, but if you can wait till I come back then I will give you 2." Then the man left the room. Each child responded differently and it was interesting to see how each one handled "the temptation." Each child sat for at least a short moment and looked at the marshmallow intently. One just licked the top of it a few times. One picked off tiny little pieces from the back side so you couldn't see he had done it. (and ate them) Another just stuffed the whole thing in his mouth. One took a little bite, then put it back down, then another little bite, and put it back down, etc. Another one just pushed the marshmallow all the way across the table and turned and looked the other way. (Soon the man returned and gave each child who had not eaten theirs yet a second marshmallow.)

This made me think about the ways that each of us react to temptations. Each person handles things in their own unique way - each person has a harder time with some things and an easier time with other things. But how do we react when temptation is facing us - are we like the kid who quickly snatches up the chance without even thinking, do we pick at it just a little at a time and before we realize it we're right in the middle of it, or do we push it away and look in the other direction? Each of these kids showed us how we could respond to temptations via a marshmallow - how do you think you'd respond if it were a temptation of something else?

Kylee turns 11 years old!

2008-07-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

Our Kylee turned 11 years old yesterday! Oh my gosh! Time sure does go by fast! And doesn't she just look so much older? NOT a little girl anymore - :(

She just got back from a 3 week trip with her Mimi and Papa - they really educated her by taking her places like Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, etc. She got to see the Amish and even a cross dresser! (she thought that was pretty darn funny!) Now she is back home and it's good to have her back. And she brought Papa back with her - so it was fun to have him here for her birthday also.

Happy Summer to You!

2008-07-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Brinkley and I had fun playing outside the other day. She is LOVING the swimming pool, the sprinklers, bubbles, and helping mom to water the flowers. She wants to go outside every day - and I can't blame her. You have to take the opportunity when you're stuck inside for most of the year! She got a little pooped out and decided to rest in Deagan's stroller, so I used it as a chance to take some cute photos of her! What a DOLL! :)

Like a Fish!

2008-07-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

Brinkley and I had a really good time playing outside together the other day. We were SO thrilled to have some warmth - she's enjoying her little pool, the sprinkler, watering mom's flowers, and blowing bubbles. I think she's like her big sister and loves the water! :) Brie got a little worn out and decided to take a rest in Deagan's stroller, so I got these cute shots of her!

Happy 4th

2008-07-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July is one of my FAVES! I really like it here in Idaho. We always start out in the morning going to the parade that is in Idaho Falls. It's super cute and they thow candy to the kids - it's just fun! This year was SO hot - Deagan got sunscreen in his eyes, so we left a little early. Then we go to the in-laws for a BBQ with the rest of the family. It's nice to be fed :) and catch up with family. Then we just kind of sit around and relax while all the cousins play. Bire really enjoyed that this year - she's old enough to be part of the group! We then go hang out for a few hours waiting for the firworks to start - and that show is AMAZING! Of course we pig out on junk food too - and it's all just good times! :)

This year we had the cousins over to our place to play in the water - but we have no grass so it was all on the driveway. Sorry guys - next year we'll have grass! :) I think my kiddos really enjoyed just getting to play all day and be with friends. We missed our Kylee though - she is in Virginia with her grandparents for a few more days!

WHAT did you say?

2008-06-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Brinkley (who is 2) and I were in the kitchen the other day - I was getting her some lunch and she was just hanging out in her chair waiting patiently. Then out of the blue she says, "mom, where do babies come from?"

WHAT???

I just told her from mommy's tummy. Good enough for now I hope. :)

Missing: Teenage Brains

2008-06-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

While we were in Oregon, I was having a conversation with my friend Emily about kids. She was telling me that she saw on some report that studies have been done to show that teens act the way they do because they are unable to think thru things and remember things. I don't know if this sudden "mental warp" is real or if it's just an excuse we've created so our kids don't seem so...DUH...but ever since she told me about this, I've wondered if that's why our little pre-teen does some of the things she does.

Suddenly the things we say seem to make their way into, what I'd like to call, the "brain blender." This blender does a great job of keeping the key ingredients and purees all of it to create a mixed up version of what you had before. For example: A teen is asked to clean up her dirty bedroom, and while the actual bedroom looks GREAT, here's what you get.

Or your teen is outside playing with a lawn chair, a working umbrealla, and a stroller - it's time to come in so you ask your teen to put everything back away where they got it, and here's what you get.

Or you notice that your teen has the bar of body soap stuck to the mirror in her bathroom instead of in the shower where she can use it and get clean, so you ask her to put it back into the shower, and she thinks this is a much better place for it.

Now, to those of you that have a teen, pre-teen, or ever will have a teen, all I can say is: GOOD LUCK! Possibly try to remember back to your own "brain blender" days and see if you can make sense of any of it. (I have been unsuccessful at it thus far) :)

What do you get...

2008-06-13T18:36:00.001-07:00

when you mix a 2 year old who LOVES her strawberry shortcake stickers, and a totally helpless 12 month old?

This was just too cute - I had to snap a photo of it. Deagan just sat there nicely, letting his sister cover him in stickers. And not just any stickers, but girly stickers. :)

They are finally getting to the age where they have a few good moments together...you know, playing nicely. Those moments come in about 3 minute segments, but they are nice when they do happen. Deagan has a really strong personality so he's kind of picky about being bothered (or things not going his way). Brie on the other hand is pretty easy going (for the most part) and has gotten used to Deagan's "freaking out" - she just says "Shhhh! BE QUIET!" I am excited for the day when they will run outside and play together. How much longer will that be? I really do hope that they end up being good friends as they grow up. They already seem to love each other so much - I think they'll learn to be good buds.

I'm caught in a wind storm

2008-06-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was telling my mother in law how dusty/dirty my house was. She didn't really believe me that it got as bad as I was saying.

Well, we had left our windows open while we were gone and there was a huge wind storm that night. It gets SO windy out here in the country. It doesn't help that almost none of the houses around us have yards in yet, so it's all dirt. Then there's the farm fields which were recently plowed - aka - more dust. I have to clean it almost every day. So the other day we opened the door downstairs in our family to let in some cool air, and here's what we found.

SICK! I guess I should check this door more often!

We're back!

2008-06-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

Well, we had to come back from our trip to Oregon early - Brie got sick, and the day we left is when Steve, Deagan and I all got sick too. But we did get to do a few fun things before we came home. It was really nice to see old friends and family. The kids had fun at the rose festival carnival - even Brie enjoyed the rides. Here's just a few photos from our trip.

This one was taken by Steve - I asked him to take a few "nature shots" so we could have some cool prints around the house. He is good at those kinds of photos and he would enjoy taking more to sell. If interested in supporting him in that, feel free to purchase any of the images he has taken. Just leave a comment if you would ever like one and we'll get back to you! (We will post more of his photos later.)

Oh...the country

2008-05-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

Adjusting to living to Idaho hasn't been too hard. I like that it's not as busy as larger cities. Out move though, has brought us out into the country. (I literally have cows in my backyard!) I am still not used to it - but there are some things you really have to appreciate about the county - such as being able to see every star in the sky on a clear night. They look close enough to reach out and touch them. And we are lucky to have a beautiful sunrise on one side of our home, and a great sunset on the other side. We enjoy opening the windows and seeing these - it's just so pretty! I thought I would pass along a little country to you - so here's a photo of last nights sunset!

So Amazing

2008-05-10T06:19:00.001-07:00

It constantly amazes me how SO much personality can be packed into such a little person. For anyone who knows (and I mean REALLY knows) Brinkley you are very aware that she loves to talk, be silly, entertain, and is a riot! She brings so much joy and laughter to our home - which we are thankful for. We were eating chocolate chip muffins after dinner the other night and after hitting herself in the face a few times (to make us laugh) I had to take this picture - what a messy little face!

I think the sugar kicked in just a few moments after that, because the sillyness went up a few notches. Here's a video of what came next. (got cut short because our battery died) It's pretty quiet, so turn it up LOUD.

REAL house pictures

2008-05-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here's to my dad who wanted to see some photos of the inside of our home - it's really hard to get great shots, but I took a few of the main level. You just have to see it in real life to know what it's really like I guess...so dad, you'll just have to come visit! this kitchen photo is crazy looking because I tried to merge 2 photos and it was a little off!

Deagan's First Birthday

2008-05-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

My baby turned 1 on Saturday!!! I can't believe it! I wanted to let him attack a cake all on his own, so I put a plastic table cloth on the floor and he had at it! SO CUTE! I think I took about 150 pictures. I had a blast watching him - he wasn't very sure about it at first, then he stuck his foot in it and was NOT happy! After we put a little taste in his mouth, he started to really get into it! So much frosting - EVERYWHERE!

To see more of the photos, follow this link. www.taramillerphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/4857191_ZjyuN#291873967_BCVuS
and click on the one titled "deagan first birthday." Here's just a couple of the photos.

The New House

2008-05-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

Dad has been asking me to send him some photos of the house that we recently moved in to. So I thought I'd just post it on the blog for ALL to see! We feel very lucky that we had the chance to move when we did - it all worked out so well. We have enjoyed the new home TONS - it works so well for the needs of our family. There is so much more open space then our last house had. And we hope to have the basement finished SOON. We plan to put a storage room down there, and turn the rest into a third family room (which can easily convert to a huge bedroom if company is here). It will be so nice to have it all done! As far as the yard goes, it's a work in progress...just one step at a time I guess. It'll be nice when the grass is in so the kiddos can play! We are trying to adjust to the location - we are out in the country - and we find it silly that we call it "going to town" when we have to go to the store. So anyway, here's the pictures - keep in mind that it's a new construction so we still have work being done of the front yard!

Just kidding!

This isn't our house...YET! :) Steve and I agree it should be our future home though! Here's a real photo of our house, and I'll post some of the inside when I get it cleaned up, ok dad?

April Showers brings May...Snow?

2008-05-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Happy May Day to all of you who are enjoying the sun, the warmth, the "normal" weather. Our May 1st is filled with snow! I don't think it's ever going to stop! Please send a little sunshine my way! (oh the joy of Idaho weather!)
(this is a view out our front window)

Crazy Talk

2008-05-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

The other day, we were all in the kitchen and Kylee was unloading the dishwasher. She jumped off the counter and landed on her bottom on the floor. Here's the little conversation between her and Brie: (all the time, Brie was using the sweetest little voice)

Brie: You fall down Kylee?

Ky: Yea.

Brie: You hurt your bum Kylee? Oh, Darn it. Come here. Come here I kiss it.

Ky: (just laughing)

Brie: Come on. I kiss it better Kylee.

So Kylee walks over to her to see what she does.

Brie: Turn around. I kiss it better.

Kylee laughing her head off turns around and Brie was more then happy to give her bum a big smooch! Kylee said thanks and walked away laughing.

Brie: It's all better now. I kissed it! Now, you be careful, ok?

Oh my gosh, we were laughing so hard. Brinkley is already sounding like a mom!

Anyway, I wanted to see if I could figure out how to load a little video clip - so for practice, here's one of Brinkley talking. She is about 17 months old here. I'll have to post a more recent one if I get this figured out. I think posting some video will be the best way to keep in touch with all the CRAZY things we're really up to! (is this helping mom?)

D's First Haircut

2008-05-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have been too paranoid to cut Deagan's hair for about 4 months now - so Steve was kind enough to have at it the other day. It ended up being a team effort when it came to the top, one of us holding his head still, the other one cutting. Deagan did NOT like it at all - but now he's lookin' handsome!

Cute Kylee

2008-04-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Some of you have emailed and asked about Kylee - it's been almost 9 years since some of you have seen her! She is doing great - she will be 11 this July and can't wait to be "all grown up!" She is a very social girl (wonder where she got that from?) and loves doing things with her friends. She loves to giggle and be goofy. (again, where did she get it!) She is very interested in ice skating - she's gotten very good. She also found an interest in Volleyball when I coached her little team last Fall. She's a huge help with her little brother and sister - Brinkley loves to copy every little thing Kylee does. She's also very artistic - drawing, painting, creating things - she loves it all. Anyway, here's some of the most up-dated photos I have of her. As you can see, she's getting too grown up, too fast!

First Sunny Day

2008-04-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first of what I hope to be a chain of sunny days. It was beautiful. We have had snow since September and our feelings of being trapped inside are about driving us crazy. We got to go over to the in-laws for dinner - Charlie is home from collage - so we enjoyed their backyard for a while! Brie really loved playing with her Uncle Charlie - he's so fun!

Brie was also into showing us some of her best "poses" - what little ham! :) She has decided she really likes having her picture taken. Ahhh, I love the sunshine!

Loved the class!

2008-04-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

I got to take a photography class on Saturday and it was great! It was all day and I was given SO much information! I'm glad I taped it because I know in a week I wont remember most of it, that's just what happens when you have kids and kill off all your brain cells! :) Of course, now I feel like I need to buy everything we talked about it class - that always happens. But I am super excited to get started shooting again - now that the weather is getting a little nicer. It's always nice to apply what you've learned. Anyway, here's a shot that I took of the falls - it's not great, but hey, I'm still learning. (I don't like to take pictures of "stuff" anyway - only people)

New to Learn

2008-04-25T08:49:00.001-07:00

I am very new to all of this "blog" junk - it looks like I have something new to learn how to do.

While on the phone the other day with my mother she was saying that she wished she had a way to stay more connected with her family and grandkids. So mom, here's to you! I'll try my best to update often and add some video and then you can feel like you're right in my living room!

Hugs and Kisses!