#Miller6Pack

After the day I had, car breakdown on freeway, towing, 10 hours of waiting for repairs, it would be really easy to just complain. A lot of misfortune happened, at the worst of times. It would be easy to have a "why me" pity party, but I am instead aware of the many blessings that I encountered today: 1. The car broke down going downhill, by an exit so it was easy to pull off the Interstate & pull over to a safe location. 2. My in-laws ( Connie & Rodger Peterson​) so graciously pay for Amy and I to have AAA coverage every year, so I could get a tow truck dispatched quickly. 3. I trust the mechanic who works on our vehicles, and was referred to him by the same great co-worker who left me a Starbucks "get well" card at said mechanic's shop on his way to work. 4. My wife was already going to CDA/Post Falls w/ the Gs for shopping and dental appt, so I got to spend extra time with them. 5. I have a job that allows me to work remotely and get just...

I have always been fascinated by names. I can remember as a child, poring over my mom's baby name book from the '50s. I loved learning the meanings of names. (For example, I knew at that young age, that if a name has a negative meaning, no matter how pretty the name itself was, I would not use it for my child.) I also loved to learn the country of origin of all these names! It was FASCINATING to me. My sisters and I had imaginary broods of children with exotic names from all over the world. **Side note: I never set out to be the mom who names her kids with names that all began with the same letter. In fact, in my opinionated naive youth, I thought it was ridiculous for parents to do that. Haha! Joke's on me! We named "Gracie" because I loved the name. I already had "Gemma" on board, not even thinking about the "G" connection. Then we started calling them the "Gs." So, when G3 (and now G4) came along, we had no choice BUT to fi...

Many of us use the phrase #thestruggleisreal for humorous anecdotes or in an ironic manner for inconsequential events in our lives. I've said it many times myself. But for many kids who've been adopted, the struggle IS real. What struggle? you might ask. The struggle to find their "new" identity. The struggle to learn and use a new language. The struggle to find and understand their place and role in the family. The struggle to forge bonds/relationships with siblings. The struggle to learn to tell mom and dad what they need, think, fear, and worry about. The struggle to express love. It is a real and hard thing. Gia has been with us for over a year now. Many of you who know us and/or see us on a regular basis might think that Gia has attached with us; she's speaking English tremendously well; she seems to be happy. And those are all true. Overall, she has adjusted beautifully. She had--and still has, once in a while--bouts of grief that ...

I proudly work in public education. I love what I do, and I work with some of the most passionate, caring, selfless, hard working people on the planet. I'm proud of my school district, and I am honored to work alongside the people that all contribute to educating our young people, despite increasingly stressful and difficult working conditions. Our daughters have all had wonderful, talented, and passionate teachers. Mrs. Roach, Mrs. Wick, Mrs. Kilbourne, Mrs. Walker, Mrs. Still, just to name a few. We are so grateful to have these dedicated educators in our district. But there is one teacher I'd like to shine a spotlight on, if I could. Gia just completed her first year in an American school while figuring out her first year in the United States after spending 8 years of her life in an orphanage in Shijiazhuang, China. Gia was so brave as she joined our family a year ago, but we knew there would be many challenges when we got back to the USA. Gone were the familiar smells,...

Well, well, well. I didn't think I'd be writing this post so soon after adopting Gia P. Simon--for sure!--didn't think I'd be writing this post at all. LOL. But God! He has a way of reminding me of what His Word says. He often does that through songs. This year, two songs that have been playing in my heart and mind a lot are "Do Life Big" by Jamie Grace and "Thrive" by Casting Crowns. Here is a sampling of their lyrics, emphasis mine: " I came to give you life, So spread your wings and fly, Now go and show no fear , ... Oh, I wanna love, wanna give every day I live, I wanna do life big, I wanna love, serve, and give every chance I get , I wanna do life big... Read more:  Jamie Grace - Do Life Big Lyrics | MetroLyrics   " Just to know You and to make You known We lift Your name on high Shine like the sun, make darkness run and hide We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives It’s...

Sometimes family vacation means just doing nothing, sitting on a balcony, smelling the sea air, and thinking. While Amy works on her blog post following our big announcement, I'll do one of my own. I'm going to start off with some brutal honesty. I oftentimes (too often)find myself wishing I had "better" stuff. I wish I had a nicer house, like many people I know. I wish I had a bigger, brighter, better TV and surround sound system in a custom Seahawk themed man cave. I wish I could travel to exotic locations, just because I felt like it. I wish my yard was more beautiful and manicured; I wish my house had more/better bathrooms. I wish I had a fancier computer. The list goes on and on, and I sometimes hold on to the notion that eventually I will have these things, because I work hard and I deserve them right? That's when God gives me reminders. Sometimes they are subtle, like seeing a car broken down on the side of the road or seeing a homeless person.  Someti...

Can you believe it's been ONE WHOLE year since this?!?!? And this?!?!? This precious little girl has taught us SO MUCH about bravery and courage. She left ALL that she knew, including her very best friend, took a GIANT leap of faith, and trusted us enough to join our family. She has endured various medical exams, none of which she has liked. She has grieved for her lost life. She has learned English amazingly quickly. She has become true sisters with Gracie and Gemma. She has learned to entertain herself, rather than have to be entertained all of the time. She has grown inches!  She is AMAZING! And the best thing of all, she tells us that she loves Jesus. Not only does she have a family who loves her, but she now knows her heavenly Father whose love for her is unmatched. Adoption is a miracle, and it is the closest thing we have on earth (though not a perfect match) to illustrate what God has done for us by adopting us into His family. HAPPY GOTCHA D...