Dearest Family & Friends;                          January 2010      

Family News:

2009 was an eventful year for us Millers.  Though we didn’t have as many activities as last year, we kept very busy.  The year seems to have been defined by changes and challenges for us.  As a family, we continued to participate in 2 homeschool co-ops in addition to Daniel’s regular daily classes at home.  We took many local hiking and camping trips but no real “vacations” – a big change from last year!  In June, Andrea elected to have a hysterectomy to put an end to some ongoing health issues. Surgical complications made the hospital stay and recovery longer and more painful than expected.  In August, she was diagnosed with leukemia (“CML”), and with unrelated “HPV” in November.  Thankfully, both are treatable (more details in Andrea’s section below) and Tim’s test for the virus was clear.  The 2^nd surgery had Andrea off her feet for a week and in a fair amount of pain for another 2 weeks after that.  She’s only just now getting back to normal. 

In September, Tim obtained tickets to the Dave Ramsey Live Event and dragged Andrea to see him at the Fair Grounds.  It was a turning point in our finances and we decided to get very focused about getting out, and staying out, of  debt … a long 20 year struggle for both of us.  The changes in our spending and budgeting have been huge, and of course it’s completely redefined how we spend our time and money.  EVERYTHING is on hold until we pay off our debts (in another year and a half – God willing).  2010 will be challenging, but we look forward to a new lifestyle filled with more family time and inexpensive forms of entertainment!  So our 20th anniversary was celebrated with only a commitment to become and remain debt-free.

In the spring, Tim decided to try raising chickens.  He began building a chicken coop and run for the back yard, but other priorities and interruptions didn’t see it completed until November.  We almost decided to wait until spring, but decided in November to go ahead and purchase two laying hens and 4 chicks (and yes they all have names).  The hens produce around 10 eggs a week which is just about right for us.  When the little ones start laying, we hope to sell some to family & friends.  In the spring, Tim wants to try raising some “broilers” (self-explanatory), but we’ll see if we still like chickens by spring time.  J

Other family additions this year included Diezel: a 100lb, German Shepherd Dog who thinks he’s still a “puppy”.  He and Samson have non-stop fun chasing each other around the yard and playing with Daniel.  We also “fostered” a Rat Snake, for a couple of months which laid eggs (though they unfortunately didn’t survive), and 2 gerbils: Julia and Sarah along with innumerable frogs, insects, and other small critters.

Christmas was scaled back considerably this year and was the first in memory when everything was paid for with cash (thanks Dave!)  Many of the gifts we gave were hand-made which took a lot of time.  Next year, we anticipate an even leaner Christmas, and we now know to start much earlier on the hand-made stuff!

Tim’s Corner

My year started out with a business trip to Puerto Rico for a few wonderful 80 degree days in Jan / Feb.  In May, I took a 4-day personal retreat in a tiny cabin in Brown County to spend in prayer, fasting, & reading.  It was a fruitful time during which I received direction and vision for many aspects of our family-life.  This colored the rest of the year for me as I instituted changes in many aspects of our home and family life.  Some were of course more challenging than others.  I look forward to taking time like this periodically each year.

I continue to set aside 2 evenings a week and 1 Saturday a month to spend exclusively with Daniel.  We call these “Daddy-Daniel Nights” and “Daddy Daniel Adventure Days”.  We spend the evenings playing, building, working, watching “guy movies”, or going out on “adventures”.  Daniel & I both love them and guard them jealously.  The DDADs are often spent camping, hiking, going to museums with airplanes & tanks, etc. or even just taking an “architectural tour” as Daniel requested in downtown Indy and Greenfield.  This year, Daniel finally got the “hiking bug” like his dad, so we’re excited to do much more of this in the coming year.

Last January, I completed the 2nd phase of Daniel’s castle bed construction by adding a stairway, drawers, and a secret room concealed by a hideaway bookcase.  It was at least as big a hit with Daniel as the bed itself.  I’m currently working on the final stages of the project building two towers (bookcases) for the front and the electrical system and decorations for the interior.  This will complete the bed.  Next year I hope to repaint the room with medieval murals to go with the castle.  In April I painted several hundred glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling in the accurate constellations, with the planets in the positions they were in at the time of his birth.

Andrea’s Corner

      This year has certainly been a year to put my faith in action.  I became ill in March with a severe sinus infection.  During this time my Dr. discovered a high blood platelet count, but assumed it was due to the infection.  I was referred to a Hematologist, who also thought it was due to the infection.  Once the infection cleared, I proceeded with the hysterectomy June 1, but developed severe internal bleeding, receiving 5 units of blood.  This left a football sized hematoma in my abdomen which took several months to dissolve. After I had recovered, the platelet count was still high. Further testing confirmed that I had Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML): a pretty big shock.  I started the medication Gleevec, but it worked too well and caused a serious drop in my white cell count (which is most likely what caused the HPV to come out of dormancy).  We soon found the right dosage and as long as I continue to respond, the CML should be treatable for the rest of my life.  The downside is the cost ($4000/mo), the side-effects (extreme weakness/tiredness, achiness, and nausea), and the long list of interactions with other drugs and supplements. Now any prescription or OTC medications must be cleared by my oncologist.  All the prayers of family and friends during these past months have been a life-line to me, and the Lord has been my Rock. 

            Keeping up with daily responsibilities is more challenging now, but I stay very busy.  I am still secretary for our AWANA Sparks program at church (which Daniel participates in), and Treasurer, leadership team member, and art class teacher for the homeschool co-op at our church.  I also assist in Daniels co-op in Greenfield in two classes. We are still using the “My Father’s World” curriculum for Daniel’s schooling.  He is doing great in all his classes, even though he protests very loudly about handwriting. I also began doing bookkeeping this year for RFDD Construction Co., which is the business of a close friend of ours.

            I enjoy our church’s monthly Mom’s Night Out meetings for the homeschoolers, and several other functions with the ladies at church.  I enjoy our close-knit group of friends from Horizon, and have enjoyed getting to know some other ladies from church better this year.  My 30-year High School Reunion (it’s not possible I’m THAT old!) was this year, but I wasn’t feeling up to attending.  A big hit each year is attending the Fishers Renaissance Faire in October.  Daniel and I love to dress up and pretend we are back in England in the 1500’s.  Tim is still working on getting his costume together so he can be in character with us.

Daniel’s Corner

When asked what he thought about the past year, Daniel came up with the following word list: “School, fun, friends, toys, pool, Samson, Diezel, family, Jesus, & Jesus’ Father”.  He then dictated the following (with only minor editorial corrections. :-)

“I was just TOO excited when the stairs for my castle bed were finally built.  It was so cool that it actually had a hideout inside of it and a secret entrance to my castle through the bookshelf.  It was also really cool to get my glow-in-the-dark ceiling that looks exactly like the day I was born – 12/25/2001.  I liked it a lot when we went to the Creation Museum with my cousins Christian, Rachel, and Samantha.  It was also really cool when I found out my cousins were having a new baby girl.  It was always very fun to be at co-op – especially Lego club!  This year, I’ve really liked reading “Farmer Boy” in school (ed: by Laura Engals Wilder).  It’s fun to hear about how they lived and what their lives were like back then.  But I don’t really want to live then.  Things are so much easier and “funner” today.  We don’t have to go to an outhouse; we have all the fun toys and technology today; and a lot more friends and playtime.  But I don’t like how people steal today and that kids can’t just go out by themselves without their parents worrying about them. 

“I got really sick once this year and was up almost all night throwing up.  Once this year, I was camping with my dad and it was so much fun it felt kind of like I was on a cruise.  I really want to go back there again.  That’s all I can really think of right now.”

Wishing You All a Very Blessed and Happy 2010:

(Stay tuned for 2009 pictures coming here soon.)

Love, Grace, and Peace to all,

Tim, Andrea, & Daniel (Samson & Diezel too!)