Miller Medical Mayhem & Annual Christmas Round-up

Due to the rising drug costs & the excessive amount I would have needed to order so that I could include one complimentary Anti-Depressant in every envelope with our annual Christmas letter - I chose to take the cheapskate's way out & send a link to our blog on our photo card! And what is funny.... I started reading some of our Christmas letters from years gone by - when we only had 2 little ones & even those were wrought with medical mishaps! In this open forum, I wish to whole-heartedly blame JIM & his Miller genes for this! :) I love my in-laws with all my heart, but fully believe that this clutsy, medical dysfunction came from that end of the family branch (and, yes I recognize that Jim hogged the entire talent show here - not them!)

This year has truly been an interesting one (as usual). We have been SO blessed & had SO many trials at the same time. But, I truly believe that through the trials is when our greatest blessings are realized. Heavenly Father blesses us with the opportunity to chose how we see & deal with the things on our plates.

Our family has tried to adopt some seasoned wisdom this year - we have the choice to view the things in our lives as "problems" or "inconveniences" & in looking in retrospect at our year, it has been a year of "inconveniences" and tender mercies. And we are deeply grateful for the inconveniences & how short lived they will be in the grand scheme of things.

As you read through our blog, you'll see a few of the things we have had going on. We have had a few others lately (comical, of course) Jim had his left ankle rebuilt about a month ago - in a foot boot & on crutches. Then, two weeks ago - as Jim was hobbling out to do his home teaching, I realized my purse & keys were still in the car he was taking & needed them! I was worried that if something happened to him, I wouldn't be able to get to him - plus, I was trying to make a meal to deliver to a family that was down sick & needed my keys. I RAN to catch him & slipped on the top step & took a hard fall down the stairs. Needless to say, he heard me from the driveway. So, now, I am also in a boot - on the left foot - and on crutches (when Jim or I choose not to cheat, to spare us all of the embarrassment & jokes (even from total strangers!). I wracked up my shoulder, rotator cuff, knee & heel.... when you do something - put your all in it! :) Funnier part: my purse wasn't in the car, it was in my room!

Funny story: I can't use 2 crutches, because of my wracked up shoulder, so at church last week - Jim chose to forget his crutches to draw less attention to us, I had just the one I was using. And a few members came up & said, "Oh! If you two need an extra set of crutches so that you don't have to share one set - we'll lend some to you!" I howled with laughter! They assumed Jim & I had to share one set of crutches. In all reality, we donated about 4 sets of crutches at the first of last year (thinking we were onto greener pastures....) - so, Jim had to rent some this time around!

Let the brag-fest begin!

Alyssa (15)

Alyssa played volleyball for her high school again this year. She was invited to be one of the few who were part of the elite team that went on to play the post season tournaments. They won Districts & Regionals & placed 7th at State - so she received a cool patch for her letterman's jacket (that she wants for Christmas) for being part of all that. Alyssa also lettered in academics, carrying a 3.9+ which amazed us with all she has on her plate. She has truly found her passions in volleyball & in her Culinary Arts class that she attends each day at the Career Development Center off campus. With her Culinary Arts class - she has been chosen to help cater other professional events. She has truly loved every minute of this class & is earning college credits as she goes! And in her "off time" she loves sculpting for her ceramics class & reading, rather devouring, books (while texting fluently in her opposite hand... I suspect her eyes can go different directions (ew!), as well - in order to be so successful in multi-tasking in two different directions! We just learned this week from the cardiology department at Children's Hospital that she has a small hole in her heart & another issue w/ her aorta that may have some connection to her migraine issues. We are still trying to understand & grasp it all & will revisit the Neurologist at Children's to see if it will be worth surgery to close the hole in order to improve her Basal migraines. Updates to come....

Brynne (13)

Brynne has been challenged greatly with her health since April - which has caused her to miss over 25% of school this year. We finally got a loose diagnosis of "Post Viral Syndrome & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" from Denver Children's Hospital's Infectious Disease department & now have her on a 504 plan with our school district. What is amazing to us, is that despite all of her absences - she has stayed on top of her homework & has 1 A & the rest are A+'s! She is a very driven kid. In our search to find something non-active for her to do this year - we found the most gifted piano teacher for her & signed her up. She started in July - and could barely pick out a few songs slowly w/ one hand. Now, she is playing both hands fluently & has progressed SO much that her teacher is as amazed as we are. She found her passion & her teacher, Maxine, has been a gift from God this year for Brynne & us! She has also got a gift for Latin & has truly found a gift for several languages - like her dad. She has remained the most happy, smiley child as ever - with an amazing sense of humor through all of her trials. She is an inspiration to me. She performed with her concert choir, The Growl Chorale, from her middle school at Disneyland in April - an amazing memory & experience. And we spent precious time with Jim's brother Tim & his sweet, sweet family reconnecting in So. CA during that trip. Brynne is having her tonsils & adenoids out as an inpatient next week, finally. The specialists hope that this will help with her healing - that is our hopes & prayers as well.

Erika (10)

Erika is STILL our soccer freak. She did have to miss her final games & all due to her school injury (when she took a 6 foot fall from her school's playset headfirst - below in the blog). She will need to have a 2nd surgery when she is 14 to reconstruct her nose, as the first surgery wasn't as successful as we had hoped. Erika has absolutely flourished with her teacher, Mr. Erickson, at school this year. He has been an answer to prayer & he truly 'gets' Erika. And that he is a soccer player & soccer fanatic only lends to their connection! She is top of her class & absolutely LOVES school this year! Erika is such a tall girl (5'1" at 10 years old) & such a loving girl. Brock & Lily get so sad everyday when she leaves to school - because they play the most creative games together (& make the most creative MESSES in the meantime)! She has really got a gift for connecting with others. She & Brynne seem to have the same motto when it comes to change: Bring It On! I LOVE that about them!

Lily (5)

Lily has flourished this year. She has become very social & really taking her schooling seriously. Which she should - she is in her THIRD year of preschool - as she missed the cut-off by 29 days for Kindergarten! So, we are pretty sure that at the least, she will have a certified teaching certificate for preschool after this year! And will have a 'fall back' career at the ripe age of .... 5. She & Brock constantly entertain us 'on stage' - which happens to be our rug in our entry way, with the entry light on over head.... So much entertainment (& accidents) have taken place on that carpet / stage! She has been HEALTHY & kept us sane this year through everyone else's medical anomalies. She receives multiple 'love notes' from little boys at school - most appear to represent aliens w/ many, many small digits on each outgrowth, and animals that seem to resemble cats cross-bred with miniature horses with unibrows... but, the 'translations' by gifted mommies always tell Lily how much she is loved & how "bootiful" she is! Learning to decipher ancient languages comes quite naturally to most moms! :) And these letters make her day!

Brock (2)

This little boy has truly taught us things we haven't had to learn until now.... how to get a two year old off of the roof through the nearest window (today's trick), how to remove petroleum jelly from hair & carpet, how to get mascara out of Lily's hair & off the carpet, how to get a head unstuck from barstool & an arm unstuck from a chair, anything that might be missing in the house (tools, name plaques from the family home evening chart, lightbulbs from lamps - you get the idea) always look in the "trunk" of a Red Flyer tricycle, usually in the far, back field... you name it, he's taught us SO many new skills in this past year, along w/ 'crime solving' skills that we have never seen on CSI! We are pleased to announce, the only thing that he has suffered from (medically) is a nurse-maid's elbow, which the E.R. was able to pop right back into place. He potty trained himself a couple of months ago, basically, I just announced we were almost out of diapers & got him some "cool" underwear & he did the rest. Easier than most of my girls! He is one of those 'old souls' in his wisdom, thoughtfulness, language abilities, reasoning & talents. He concerns Jim & I immensely. We hope we aren't too old to keep up with what he will come up with to challenge us! :)

And, finally... Us

Jim
He is doing great & excited to be one step closer to having bionic ankles & hopefully superhuman strength, mobility & speed without the aid of medical devices. I have forbidden him to take part in the evil, unsettling "sport" - most people call "Church Ball". It is of the Devil. He took up road biking this year - or as the girls & I call it, "the only reason a grown man should wear spandex".... and he has lost 35 pounds riding. He looks better than the day I married him. He is employed, loves his job & those he works with & for that alone, we are SO blessed. He has applied to fill a vacancy on the Governing Board of our Charter School. It could use his professionalism, leadership, clear thinking & even keeled emotions to get it back on track.

Angela (for those who enjoy the creepiness of writing in the 3rd person... okay, I just can't do it - Sorry!)
I have been healthy this year! Thank you, thank you... I would like to thank my ENT, Dr. Sanjay Gupta for this blessing! I just had a minor surgery yesterday w/ another 'dear friend', Dr. Brian Nelson, (on some pain meds.... explains alot with this update, doesn't it?). I have been blessed with great friends, a wonderful family, the strength to keep up with the kids this year & the insight to decifer medical EOB's & billings. What a gift..... :) I have been blessed with amazing friends. They truly have become family over the years. There are those best friends that are literally family - my mom & baby sister, those that are sister's that the Lord has blessed me with on earth - some are as close as next door - some are across the country & are missed desperately. But, to just have the gift of having the depth of trust, love & connection with these women has blessed my life richly.

We have been blessed with the most amazing, gifted Doctors & professionals that have become dear & trusted friends. (That should explain alot.... :) But, we never doubt the Lord in the friends that he brings into our paths at different times in our lives. We learn & grow so much through our associations with each of them.

May God bless our country at this volatile time. May he introduce love & gentleness into the hearts of those who wish harm on others - you never know the heart you may touch through simple acts of kindness & a smile. May we all be open to His promptings & be willing to open our mouths to stand for what is right, in our lives, communities & country. And may we all have the courage to be the "change" that is truly needed in this country - one home at a time, one family at a time. We wish you a very Merry & Christ centered Christmas & prosperous New Year. Thank you for the impact & example that each of you have had in our family's lives. You are immensely appreciated!