Miller Plus One

I have little scraps of paper all over my house with blog post ideas. One day maybe I'll get to writing some of those, but for tonight, my mind is all over the place and I just need to get some stuff down on (virtual) paper. What I'm learning... I can only control myself. I cannot control my husband, my child, OR God. This is becoming quite evident, and the more I realize it, the more peace I have. Control is rooted in fear and fear is the enemy of peace. One day, or even a series of days when my child is four years old does not make up the bulk of her entire childhood. I do not have to mourn at the end of each day if it is not spectacular. It is not my job to entertain anyone or keep anyone happy. Sounds simple, right? One of the sweetest sounds I've ever heard is my four year old singing "'Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus." I learn more from her every single day. Realizing the Spirit is working on me to bring about its fruit is tough. But actually ...

I became a mom in 2011 and I celebrated Mother's Day like it was going out of style.  It was May 8 and on May 6, we had gotten word about a baby girl in Taiwan...that baby girl, as you know, was OUR baby girl and she came home to us late that same year. So I count 2011 as the year I became a mom. Since then, I've had four Mother's Days with her. It seems unbelievable that much time has passed already. So today, I wanted to write myself a letter...to remember. Dear Stephanie, These days, you've nearly forgotten your real name, Stephanie. You go by "mommy" about 90% of the time. Even Justin calls you "mommy" because you've both gotten into that thing that married people with kids do and call each other what your kids call you. The neighbors, they call you Steph, and it's pretty cool! Today is a reflection of what a lot of the days in these past few months have looked like. You have your good moments, but for the most part, you are s...

There's this strange saying in the English language. It's about being afraid. But not of something, rather because of something. You know it..."I'm afraid we won't be able to go" or "I'm afraid I have some bad news." I've always thought it sounded odd to start a sentence like that. But lately, as we've struggled through some parenting and just life moments, I've been saying that a lot to myself and it sounds like this: "I'm afraid I'm not enough." There are TONS of mom blogs out there, not to mention social media, that tell us to give ourselves grace, press on, hang in there, everyone feels the same way, leave the dishes in the sink, and my all-time favorite called "Jesus canceled your mommy guilt trip." I eat those up. I read good stuff about letting go of mom guilt, really connecting with my adopted child, and have some incredible friends who are great at texting late at night after kiddo is in bed and I ...

This is one of those little gems that I have to get down on the blog before it disappears into the recesses of my brain forever.  Yesterday, Amber Joy was diagnosed with flu AND strep.  We both got the flu shot, but apparently, it's not covering this strain.  Bummer.  Two prescription meds, tylenol, and motrin, a weary mom, and staying inside all day was a recipe for some head-butting.  You see, Amber Joy is actually a lot like me, despite the biological truth.  She's strong-headed, assertive, and yes, even a little manipulative.  Um, like I said, a lot like me.  But this morning, when she first woke up, we had some great moments.  She was very cuddly and very sweet.  At one point, she got very close to my face, stared at me, and said, "I see Amber Joy!"  I was confused at first.  There was no mirror.  Then she said, "I see Amber Joy in Mommy's eyes!"  She had gotten close enough to actually view her own reflection in...

Today, I am the guest blogger over at www.carissawoodwyk.wordpress.com I would love for you to head on over and read what's been going on lately... https://carissawoodwyk.wordpress.com/2014/11/19/weneedoneanother-natl-adoption-month-adoptive-parent-story-4/

The way I figure it, give or take a little, there are 100 days of summer break this year.  It feels like this is our first "real" summer break, mainly because last year, Amber Joy still had therapists and was still going to a group learning center two mornings per week.  This is truly our first, no-schedule, anything is possible summer.  I have to be honest...I've been terrified.  Y'all...three years old is tough.  It's tough for the kid and it's tough for the parents.  And to top it off, my parents are out of town for the entire summer!  Let me just stop right here and say that I'm a very blessed girl to have my parents less than five minutes from our house.  We see them at least every other day and they are my sanity, providing free childcare for date nights, dinners from time to time, and even just a change of scenery when we've been at home looking at each other for far too long.  So when they announced that they would be heading off to l...