Summertime Update

Hey y'all!  I finally figured out that for many years, I misspelled the word "y'all."  I always put the apostrophe after the "a."  So now, I use the word all the time.  And my iphone has even stopped trying to auto-correct me when I type the word in a text.  ;)

Anyway, we've been through some more changes in the Miller house lately and since I use my blog mainly as a journal for me, I thought it was time to take a minute to document.  In April, we moved into our new house in Murfreesboro.  It's beautiful and we feel so fortunate to have it.  It appraised for more than we paid, so it's got built-in equity.  Justin and I have talked a lot about some kind of mission work in the future, so re-sale on our home should be fantastic. 

Amber Joy is almost two and a half.  So hard to believe!  She's growing, learning, talking, running, jumping, laughing, whining, and eating lots of pasta and rice.  She now refers to herself as "A-doy" (Amber Joy) and we say, "yes, you are A JOY!"  She started at a school called Project HELP this week and will go there two days per week, half days.  It's a school where typically developing kids learn in the same environment as kids with delays and because Amber Joy is under the care of Tennessee Early Intervention, she gets to take advantage of this amazing place for FREE!  They will help her work on her physical development goals and cognitive goals.  Everything that is done in her classroom has a purpose.  And she is having so much fun!  She will get to spend a whole week with her dad in July when I go on a mission trip.  I'm looking forward to hearing all about that!

Justin has accepted a new job with a company called PGTek.  He will be working on a contract job at his old employer, HCA.  It is a unique opportunity and will allow him to be in a familiar setting while stretching his IT skills.  He has also had a good time setting up his home office in the new house.  He's wired and drilled and rigged so much up there that he could probably contact alien life forms.  He's about to buy a mower to get us really domesticated in our new place ;)

I've been staying busy too.  I've been volunteering with a ministry called Doors of Hope here in Murfreesboro that mentors women in prison and once they get out.  I teach a cognitive restructuring curriculum to some of the ladies who live in the transitional housing.  It's an amazing ministry and I'm grateful to be involved in the community in this way.  And then there's the little issue of my 40th birthday. Yes, I will hit the big 4-0 in August.  I go through days of dreading it (when I find a new wrinkle or a gray hair shining through), but most days, I'm pretty much in disbelief.  How did I get here?  I remember turning 21.  I remember turning 30.  It really is nuts how fast time goes.  But since my 30's have been WAY better than my 20's, I can only assume that my 40's will be the best yet. 

I am setting a goal to get back in the gym on a regular basis (3-4 times per week) in anticipation of the big birthday.  Zumba in Goodlettsville was my saving grace for so long.  Sometimes I wish I could move Janet (the most amazing Zumba instructor ever) down here with me!  But, it's going to come down to cardio and strength training.  Thank goodness for good Pandora playlists, right? 

We just returned from a week beach trip to St. George with Justin's family.  It was a nice week (even though I'm not really a beach person for long periods of time).  We enjoyed just hanging out and Amber Joy got more comfortable on the sand as the week went by.  We are going to Orange Beach in September with our friends the Williams' and their three Taiwanese cuties!  It should be quite a hoot!  Four parents and four toddlers!  Then, in January, we are finally taking Amber Joy to Walt Disney World!  As you can see above, I've already started counting down the days.  Disney was such a special and magical place for me as a child and I have so many memories of my family there.  I can't wait to make new memories with my daughter. 

We hope you and your family are on track for a great summer!

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