Friday, February 20, 2015

my take on Lent this year.



I normally think long and hard about what I'm going to give up for Lent each year. This year I felt different about it. Normally I'll give up sweets or pasta...whine and complain about it for 40 days, and then stuff myself silly with those things once Easter comes. Yes, I made a sacrifice...but for not even 2 months. And then I went back to what I'd been doing all along.

Not that there's anything wrong with that...in fact, I'm sure I'll do it again in the future.

But this year, I didn't necessarily want to give something up. I wanted to ADD something to my day. I've been seriously lacking with my devotionals lately. So I decided that during Lent this year, I'd spend less time focusing on my social media feeds, and more time studying God's word. (So perhaps in a way, I am sacrificing some of my Facebook time.)

I love to participate in She Reads Truth bible studies and devotionals, and I've decided to study with them during the Lenten season this year. I was just reading the devotion for today, and this quote stuck out to me:

"Lent is a pause button. It's a quiet unlike any other time of year. Lent is a season to close our eyes as the busy world buzzes around us, to consider those things we'd much rather forget: our sins and our humanity. We came from dust, and to dust we will return."

That pretty much put my feelings into words. Instead of making a big deal about not being able to eat a cookie, I'm going to spend time in quiet each day...pausing to remember my sins...and to be grateful that Jesus forgives them.

I used to do my devotions daily. I'm disappointed that I'd sloughed off lately. They say it takes 21 days to make something a habit. I have 40. So I'm hopeful that this quiet journey of mine through this Lenten season will help renew my eagerness to sit down each night after work with my bible, instead of my cell phone. There's nothing wrong with checking my social media. But not until after I've spent some quality time with Jesus.

xoxo, wife. 

Thursday, February 19, 2015

my love/hate relationship with snow days.


I've lost track of how many snow days we've had at this point. Probably somewhere around 7 or 8. I have some seriously mixed feelings about them.

On the one hand, the feeling you get at 5:39am when you get that text that tells you to go back to sleep is just out of this world! Sitting on the couch in sweats when you would normally be teaching writing isn't too bad either. Staring out the window and hardly being able to see the house across the street is much warmer than actually being out in that nastiness. I get ridiculously happy when I find out we have a snow day.

On the other hand, we already don't get out of school until June 5. If we find out we have to tack on all these snow days, we'll be going to school until mid to late June. That's unacceptable for me. Today I will also miss out on about 48 hugs, 12 times of accidentally being called "Momma," and countless funny comments. 

So while I'll GLADLY take this day to clean up the house, get some work done, and binge-watch Netflix...I'll be grumbling on June 15th when I'm stuck inside my classroom with no windows on a gorgeous summer day.

xoxo, mrs. miller





Saturday, February 14, 2015

valentine's day 2015

Instead of celebrating ON Valentine's Day this year, we decided to celebrate the day before. Our church held a marriage and we decided to attend. The night before, Ty gave me my gift, which he wanted me to wear when we went.



I absolutely couldn't believe it when I opened the box. They're beautiful! I told him it was way too much, and so generous of him! I couldn't wait to wear them.

The next day (Valentine's Eve) I felt the love from my kiddos at work.


We spent the day showing our "classroom family" how much we care for each other, and it was so much fun watching how excited they got to give each other their Valentine's. It was a fun, but incredibly exhausting day!

After work it was time to get dressed up and head to the marriage event. It's been a long time since we got dressed up for a date!


When we got there, each couple had their own table for two set up. It was so sweet! There were photographers there who were taking photos, a bar, and a polish buffet dinner. This was our table.

 We started out the evening mingling and talking with some other couples. We were trying to take a selfie when we had some photobombers!


We played a game where we had to work together to make something out of Legos in 60 seconds. This is what we came up with...


 We were asked to choose three words to describe our spouse and then spend some time talking about why we chose those three words.


There were a couple more activities (including a study on kissing, where we learned all the health benefits of kissing your spouse. All 60 couples at the event were asked to basically make out with each other for 5 seconds...which I'm pretty sure was more like 15. When we were finished, a middle aged woman in front of us shouted, "Let's do it again!)

Then there was dancing and our own personal cake. Which we ate half of. With little no shame.




We had such a good time. We go on dates all the time, but this one kind of forced us to connect and have discussions that we don't normally have. We spent the evening talking about why we love each other, reminiscing about our favorite dates and our past, and wondering about our future. It was a perfect night. Love is a truly magnificent thing, everyone. Cherish it!

xoxo, wife.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

i WebMD'd myself.

For about the last 10-12 years, people have often joked with me that they think I have RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome.) I shake my legs a lot. I always just shrugged it off as a nervous habit...a side effect of my anxiety...something I did because I was bored. It really bothers some people (especially my husband), and I apparently do it quite often...although I don't always realize it.

Ty often will nudge me while watching tv or reading a book to "stop shaking so hard!" And I'll stop...only to start doing it again seconds later, sending my poor husband into a fit of motion-sickness (just kidding on that last part...or am I?)

I actually caught myself doing it the other night...so I stopped. Then my legs started really bothering me. Like I literally couldn't NOT move them. I don't know how to describe the sensation, other than I could feel my legs more than the rest of my body. And then I realized that my legs had been bothering me in the evenings for quite some time. Then I remembered all the jokes about RLS, and though, "maybe they were right." So I hopped onto the trusty WebMD.

The following symptoms for Restless Leg Syndrome were listed on their site:


  • Strange sensations occurring deep in the legs. YES
  • Symptoms occur about 15 minutes after sitting or lying down to rest. YES
  • A compelling urge to move your legs to relieve the sensations. YES, definitely.
  • Restlessness, tossing and turning in bed, rubbing your legs. YES, although not necessarily tossing and turning...not often at least. I do find myself rubbing or softly hitting my legs to try to relieve the sensations.
  • Symptoms occur only when lying or sitting. YES
  • Sleep disturbance or daytime sleepiness. NO. Once I fall asleep, my legs don't bother me anymore.
  • Involuntary, periodic jerking movements that occur while asleep or while awake but at rest. YES...this doesn't happen too terribly often, but I'll notice my legs jerk while relaxing or while trying to fall asleep.
Now I'm not a doctor...but I'm pretty sure that 6 out of 7 symptoms seems to indicate that I have this condition. It's not severe enough to bring it to a doctor's attention, and I don't need medicine for it at this point. But I have been noticing this feeling in my legs a lot more in the last year or so...especially when I'm told to stop moving my legs...it's often unbearable until I move them again (I'm currently bouncing my leg up and down as I type this.) I'm learning that instead of shaking or bouncing though, that stretching them helps too...or getting up and walking.

Who knew that those people back in middle school were onto something when they joked that I had RLS! Long live the shaking...sorry husband!

xoxo, wife.




Tuesday, February 10, 2015

one of my favorite posessions

Early on in our relationship, Ty told me that every girlfriend should receive 3 gifts from her boyfriend: flowers, one of his sweatshirts, and a teddy bear. I got all three.

The flowers and the sweatshirt were special, but I specifically remember the night he gave me the teddy bear. It was raining cats and dogs and we had a date at the movies. He gave me the teddy bear in the car on the way. When we were walking to the car after the movie, we noticed a humongous puddle (like a small lake, really) in front of his car. Instead of making me walk through it--instead of driving up for me to get in, he picked me up and carried me across. And my teddy bear was waiting safely on the car seat for me to snuggle on the drive home.

That bear is one of my favorite possessions. He hung out in my room when I lived at home, I slept with him every night when I lived on my own, and now he lives in a place of honor on my night stand. I'm honestly surprised that his "Ty" tag (haha, get it?) is still in tact, although it's pretty wrinkled. His name is Wittle, and he means so much to me. It was likely one of the least expensive gifts Ty has ever given me (and I'm not saying that I'd like a whole teddy bear family to go with him) but the fact that it was one of the first things he gave me is so special. The fact that it was one of the "three gifts" a girlfriend should get from her boyfriend. The fact that the teddy bear brings back memories of being carried across a lake-sized puddle after a date. It's all just incredibly special.


xoxo, wife.

Monday, February 9, 2015

the unhelpful assistant.

I was very productive for work this weekend. I got a lot of stuff done and have lots of ideas flowing. I even started a to-do list for all the projects I'd like to accomplish for the classroom.

On Sunday we went to Early Church, so I got home around 9:30. I thought, "What better way to spend this extra time than by getting some more work done?" So I sat myself up at my desk and got to work.

Little did I know, my assistant would show up. And he wasn't very helpful.








It was ridiculous! Every time I pushed him off the desk, he was right back up. Normally he doesn't want anything to do with me after I'm up and ready for the day, but when I'm in my office, he's all over me! (He's rubbing up against my legs and meowing at me as I type this!) He actually clung to me like glue the entire day...even following me to the bathroom! So even though it took me twice as long as normal to get any work done, it didn't TOTALLY bother me. 

He may not be a very helpful assistant...but he sure is good-looking.



xoxo, wife (crazy cat lady.)


Thursday, February 5, 2015

fastest delivery ever.

Perhaps someday I'll stop posting about my grant. But not yet!

I got an email yesterday before I left work saying that my LeapPads had been ordered. I got another email around 9:00 this morning saying that they'd shipped. I came back from the copy machine during my prep time around 12:15 to a giant box on my desk. I immediately screamed, and tore it open.

My LeapPads arrived 24 HOURS after my grant had been funded!





They're plugged in all over the house right now, and I'm patiently waiting for them to charge so that I can play around. I plan to get them all set up and get some apps downloaded so that I can unveil them to the kiddos on Monday. (I also have a new student starting Monday...he'll think our classroom is pretty darn cool with these LeapPads!) 

xoxo, Mrs. Miller

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

today was a good, good day.


  • I got to work this morning, opened my email, and saw that my Donor's Choose grant had been fully funded! I shrieked and did a happy dance in the hallway while proclaiming the news to all my co-workers. I'm so grateful to all my donors for their generosity. I'm blown away that the entire project was funded in only 4 days! I have some awesome supporters!
  • I had a pretty good hair day.
  • On Wednesdays, students leave at 2, but the staff stays for 2 hours of Professional Development. Today, we got an email saying that we were allowed to leave as soon as all our students were gone. I stayed to get lesson plans done for next week and was clocked out by 2:32.
  • I survived a somewhat treacherous drive home on snowy roads. 
  • Since I got home so much earlier than normal, I was able to get 70 minutes in on the treadmill and still have my entire evening ahead of me.

  • During that time on the treadmill, Pandora played all my favorite music. My "Workout Radio" channel is on point!
  • I made the choice to eat chicken instead of pasta for dinner. (I don't know what's getting into me lately!)
Life is good. Simple...but good.
(Another thanks to all my donors...I'm still happy dancin' all around the house!)

xoxo, wife.


Tuesday, February 3, 2015

gettin' my "fit" on

Since I got my beloved FitBit, I've been much more motivated to be more active. Especially since people I work with can see just how active I've been on any given day.

I also recently decided to take part in a challenge from another blogger, Erin at Living In Yellow. It's called the 1800 Minute Challenge, and the goal is to be active 1800 minutes in 60 days. It started February 1st. I've already logged 197 minutes in the last 3 days.



It sucks getting started. But I tell ya...those endorphins are no joke! When I'm finished I feel pretty darn good. I'm hopeful that I can continue on in this challenge and get to that 1800 minute marker. If I do, I get entered into a drawing for a cash prize, which at this point is around $300. My odds of actually being picked are SLIM, but hopefully in two months I'll be slimmer too, which is better than money.

Let's do it!

xoxo, wife.