Looking Back

 As we conclude another year, it was fun to look back and compare a cluster of cousins in front of a tree from five years ago to today.

21 in 21

 These are some pretty fun pictures of 21 MillRod Clan in 2021.

Hug a Cousin

 "Everyone Hug a Cousin!"

Image v. Reality

 Christmas Eve morning, I snapped this picture of myself enjoying my morning coffee in the early morning quiet and stillness of our main floor in front of the Christmas tree.

My description is completely true.  Nothing I wrote is false... but I left a few things out.

In reality, the statement should read something like this:

Christmas Eve morning, I snapped this picture of myself enjoying my morning coffee in the early morning quiet and stillness of our main floor in front of the Christmas tree.  Here's hoping I can get all this clean laundry folded and put away and cleaned up in time for Santa to come -- and some of it won't even get put away -- it should go straight into the suitcase since we're leaving for St. Louis in approximately 48 hours.  If I need to be up at 4:00am doing chores, at least I can enjoy our Christmas tree and put on a Christmas movie while doing it.  It's okay to fold laundry in the family room, right?

Mmmmm... coffee is good.  Coffee keeps this Mama going.

Wow, that's really a weird face I'm making.  I guess that is my face at 4:00am.

White Chirstmas

 A heavy, wet snow started falling in the morning on Christmas Eve, and it was the PERFECT kind of snow for building a snowman!

It really was the first snow that our children have ever experienced that was so perfect for snowman building.  They had a BALL and came in sopping went and completely happy after about an hour-and-a-half outside.

Merry Christmas!

 We had a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas from the Mountain Millers!

 Merry Christmas from our Crew of Mountain Millers!

Our Christmas Letter:

High points of 2021 by Season:

Winter 2021: 

We celebrated the New Year in St. Louis with Chris’ family where Howard and Caroline turned 5.  Tracey turned 7 later that month marked by an outdoor horse trolley party with friends.

Spring 2021: 

After so much time at home in 2020, we surprised our children with a Spring Break road trip to visit Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.  Another surprise on the trip was 4 nights at Great Wolf Lodge in Arizona - What Fun!  In May, we welcomed our sixth child, a boy, Brady Christopher Miller.  Our crew was thrilled to even up our family with 3 girls and 3 boys (our own Brady Bunch).

Summer 2021:

In June and July the road trips continued as we drove through a total of 13 states for some family adventures.  Points of interest included Sanden Family Fun with Brooke’s family in Washington State, Noah’s Ark in Kentucky with some Miller cousins, Michigan fishing, and a Chuckwagon dinner in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  We’re doing our best to pass the travel bug on to our children.

Autumn 2021:

Back to school for us included Howard and Caroline starting kindergarten at the same school where Tracey started 2nd grade, and Chris teaches.  Brooke went back to in-person teaching so Lee Lee and Hunter began school at a Christian preschool east of Rifle, and Brady started spending a few days a week with a nanny in Rifle.  Chris began a part-time job at a restaurant in Silt and he’s enjoying his new work and coworkers.  October brought us a restful family weekend in Vail before Addallee’s 4th Birthday (a bowling party with friends), Halloween, and Hunter’s 2nd Birthday in November.  Christmas came early when we purchased a 2016 camper that sleeps 8 and Chris and our big kids have already begun family mountain camping adventures. (Brady and I will hold off joining them until he can sit up on his own.)

End of 2021:

Our Holiday season has begun with visits from family and enjoyable seasonal activities for all.  We love this time of year and feel truly blessed to be able to spend time with our loved ones and make memories together.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9

Girls and Boys

 My first project for Christmas break was completed by midday on Saturday -- creating a Boys' Room and a Girls' Room where our Kids' Room and Guest Room used to be.

This is the first time we've split up our big kids since Howard and Caroline moved into Tracey's room over 4 years ago.  Howard and Caroline have ALWAYS shared a room -- even before they were born... haha but now we have our girls in the big room, and Howard and Hunter sharing a smaller room.  Lee Lee has been in the Big Kids' Room for over two years.  It was definitely time for this change, but it marks a bittersweet milestone -- in all likelihood, our big kids will never all share a room again in our home.  I assured them that in hotels, and at grandparents they probably will still share a room sometimes.

This also marked Hunter's first time in a big boy bed -- and by his moving to the Boys' Room, that freed up a spot in the nursery for Brady to move into that room and a nice big crib.

Yay!

So Right

 She put a bow on her head and sat under the tree and said, 

"Mama, the present is me!"

She is so right.  I hope she has even a small understanding of how incredibly correct her statement is.

The Week Before Christmas

 I saw this on facebook the other day, and I'm entirely sure that whomever wrote it has been peering in our windows the past few days.

Christmas Spirit Day!

 Thursday was Christmas Spirit day at the kids' school.

We certainly had fun dressing up for the spirit day.

Now... Christmas Vacation!