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Dearest Family & Friends; we apologize for the lateness of this letter. It's been a busy season, but we didn't want to give up entirely on getting some family news out. Family News: 2008 was a long and wonderful year of travel and adventure for us Millers. Looking back, we were amazed at how much we crammed into these past 12 months. There were too many day-trips to list, but highlights included The Creation Museum, “Peter Pan” at Beef-N-Boards, air-shows, frontier festivals, renaissance faires, the pumpkin patch, Conner Prairie, and too many trips to Brown County to count. We also took a few multi-day trips. Last January, Tim went backpacking with a group of other insane guys from church for 3 days and loved it. Then we attended a huge sail boat show with friends in Chicago. We went camping over Memorial weekend with a large group from church, and spent a weekend horseback riding in Brown County in June. We spent the 4th of July with relatives in KY and took the time to visit some historic sites. This trip, along with a book called “The Frontiersmen” absolutely captivated Tim with the early American history in KY, OH, & IN and we spent much of the summer visiting the historic places he’d read about. Andrea’s relatives were extremely gracious in inviting us to stay with them twice while visiting lots of historic sites. We saw a reenactment of a famous Indian siege of Fort Boonesboro. Daniel especially loved seeing the Indians attack! (We’ve been watching the old TV series “Daniel Boone” ever since.) We spent Thanksgiving with Tim’s family in Iowa where Daniel had a ball playing on the farm, hiking, and seeing his cousins again. While there, Tim was treated to a wonderful birthday party by his relatives and was given a scrapbook made by his Dad of Tim’s life. He was overwhelmed at the effort and it greatly treasures the new heir-loom. In December, we celebrated birthdays, our 19th anniversary, and Christmas staying in a little cabin in the woods of Brown County. We all spent hours in the hot tub despite the fact that it was outside in the freezing rain & snow! Tim’s brother Tom was with us the entire year making a home out of the upstairs Den. We didn’t see much of him, but he earned his keep with work around the house and watching the house & dog during our frequent trips. Tim’s Corner Most of my time this year was divided between family and various projects around the house. Family time was dominated by the trips mentioned above and by our weekly “Daddy-Daniel Nights”. Last year, I started this once a week, but I felt I was still missing too much of his growing up. So I doubled it and added a monthly “Adventure Weekend”. Among the “adventures” we visited museums (tanks, airplanes, dinosaurs, etc.), a battlefield memorial, a wolf park, an observatory, backpacking, sailing, and several evenings in the back yard learning shooting and archery. Squeezing a little work between all the adventures this summer, I was able to complete (often with my brother’s help) only a few of the projects I’d hoped to. But I did finish several plumbing jobs, a rock-climbing wall; repaired storm damage (twice!) to the house; designed & built a new pump/filter system for the pool; remodeled our 3rd bedroom into a “school room” for Daniel; and some landscaping. But by far, the most enjoyable project was Daniel’s big Christmas present this year where I added a set of stairs, drawers, and a secret “dungeon” concealed by a swinging bookshelf beneath Daniel’s bed. It wasn’t finished until New Years’ Day, but at least it was before his birthday party. (see pictures). Other highlights included helping build one of the centerpiece homes for the Indianapolis Home Show; and in December, I had the awesome privilege of baptizing both my dad and brother. Though both had been baptized as infants, and had given their lives to Christ long ago, neither had confirmed their decisions with baptism and wanted to do so. I had the honor of performing the immersion for each. I will remember it as one of the most precious experiences of my life. Andrea’s Corner My year was kept quite busy with our very active 6 year old (now 7), energy-filled, little boy. We were enrolled in two homeschool co-ops this year. I was the Treasurer and an assistant teacher for one through our church meeting twice monthly. The other is a large co-op in Greenfield meeting weekly where I am an assistant for 1st grade music & 3rd grade science. At home we are doing the “My Father’s World”, and Math-U-See curriculum for 1st grade and Daniel is doing very well (though he still protests about doing school). The new school & craft room upstairs has been a big help. I also continued as a secretary in our church’s AWANA program. In my “spare” time I tended our garden. Some crops were drowned in the summer storms so the yield wasn’t as good as last year, but we still had a steady supply of fresh veggies through the fall. I continued my Mary Kay business, but stopped working to grow it. I finally managed to finish a scrapbook of our 2005 vacation. I’ve recently started a new hobby in jewelry making and gave some away as Christmas gifts to our family! One of the high lights of my year was our stay at the Rawhide Ranch in June. Together with some other rides, it rekindled a long-time forgotten love of horses I had as a little girl. I’ve always wanting to conquer a fear I’ve had of horses (unlike Daniel who isn’t afraid at all). Rawhide was the beginning of that. I have a long way to go, esp. in riding skills, but I dream that someday we’ll be able to afford lessons and possibly even own our own horse. Daniel’s Corner Daniel is all boy and is still only when he’s sleeping (if at all)! If he can climb on it, hang on it, or stab it with his trusty sword, he is happy. He loves to play games on his computer, and some of his favorite toys are Bionicles, Ben 10, Star Wars, Lego blocks, (esp. his Indiana Jones sets), and the castle and figures that Daddy built him. He loves dressing-up in costumes, stabbing dragons and bad guys, and playing Daniel Boone. He and Samson are best buddies, though Samson often ends up being the “evil dragon” to Daniel’s swashbuckling. For Halloween Daniel was “Mingo” (Daniel Boone’s Indian sidekick) and Ben 10, and had wonderful Christmas and birthday parties. He graduated from Kindergarten in May with flying colors and met a summer reading challenge of 25 books earning a prized Indiana Jones Lego set. He received several awards in our church’s AWANA program also graduating in May. It’s great to hear him learning and memorizing so much of God’s Word! This fall he’s doing well in both his co-ops and has been learning about insects, knot tying, first aid, fire safety, and chess - skills from his Contenders for the Faith book (like a Christian scouting program). In the Greenfield co-op he takes music, art, PE, and science classes and participated in the Christmas program. It was particularly cute when he lost his 2nd front tooth just days before performing All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth in the program. Samson’s Corner (translated) Arf arf woof bark whine, etc… Translation … I love my family! You might remember being introduced to me in last year’s letter. I had just come here to my new home as a new puppy. Daniel is my bestest friend in the whole world, and we’re both growing like little weeds. He likes to pull on my tail, chase me, shoot me, pounce on me, dress me in his clothes, and generally pester me to death, but I don’t mind (I get him back pretty good anyway). I spend the rest of my time announcing visitors, chewing my toys (and whatever else I find), chasing off the neighbors’ evil cats, playing in the snow, and following Mommy whenever she goes. This year I got to go along on the Memorial Day campout and with Daddy and Daniel on their adventure backpacking trip. I had no idea there were so many trees in the world!!! Wishing You All a Very Blessed and Happy 2009: Despite current difficulties and uncertainties our nation’s finances, politics, and general moral climate (or lack thereof), we take great joy and comfort in all that our wonderful Lord has provided this past year. For though we know not what the future holds, we know Who holds the future. In Him we are secure, safe, and provided with all we need. We expect the coming months to be times of growing and learning to trust Him more, but we rejoice in the knowledge that “all things work together into a pattern for good for those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose.” – Rom 8:28. Please be sure to check out our family picture album from this past year on our website too. Visit us at http://www.tamiller.com/ and see this letter with included photos too. Love, Grace, and Peace to all, Tim, Andrea, & Daniel (& Samson!)
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