New Kitty

Update:

We found a kitten about two weeks ago. We weren't really looking for a new cat, but I guess he found us.

He's a cutie though, and a terror. lol My dad named him Petey, aka Pistol Pete.




AND A MONSTER:

Happy Thanksgiving (only three weeks later)

Hey guys, I've been meaning to post this for awhile. As some of you know, Thanksgiving is NOT my favorite holiday, and some of you know why.
**This is my official warning, VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED, these are pictures of what I was doing the Monday before Turkey day. (NOT PRETTY) But at least you will understand why I hate Thanksgiving. :)



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BEFORE:



DURING:


AFTER: (YUM!!)



Sorry to anyone who might be offended, but you were aptly warned. (and I didn't even post the really cool ones (: ) Now you know what Thanksgiving means @ the Miller house.

Happy Hollidays!!

Christmas

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

All my friends have got me so excited for christmas, I know it's still in like three weeks, but I am SOO excited right now. At Starbucks we're playing Christmas music around-the-clock. Some days it gets annoying, but it's really nice. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE christmas music. My friend Shelly got me all excited about this. I think it is especially the best-est in choirs. (especially the latin pieces) The harmonies are just gorgeous. I just get so happy when I think about all this. But it makes me kind of sad at the same time, knowing I'll be leaving soon. *tear tear*

2009 is going to bring so many new things: a new president, new school, new people, new friends, opportunities, learning, growing up, moving away, coming back, tears, smiles, good times, and bad. I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life. I think it just completes everything and just makes the world a better place. I can't help but smile everyday because I know that I have a Father in Heaven that loves me, and an older Brother who would do ANYTHING FOR ME. The world seems so much brighter when you look at it that way.
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Okay, I'm done blubbering now. (promise)

What I was really going to say was, I wanted to preview some stuff I'll be posting soon, I've just been busy.
I wanted to post my late Thanksgiving pics (you might not want to see these ;P)
I still haven't introduce Charlie
talk about the 'kitty situation'
maybe discuss some politics
economics
and whatever else I decide to roll around in my head.

Now that you're done reading my crazy post; you have more of them to look forward to. " ]

ta ta,
<3's for all

It's that time of year

I got this inspiration from my friend's blog.

Things I'm thankful for:
family
friends
the gospel
a good job
technology
education
Dr. Pepper
flowers
knowing my own Edward is still out there *giggle*
college
dorky christmas decor for my car
CHARLIE!!!!!
my mom
the great outdoors
my own room
e-mail
music!
freedom to do what I want
driving
my new ward MONTELENA
my church leaders
the Sonoran desert
my callings
talents
opportunities to share them
clean sheets
my daddy
black nail polish
being able to go far but not too far
sleeping in
cactus!!!
little notes
random comments (usually made by me @ the wrong time in a conversation)
smileys ;P
laughing
breathing
my blog " ]
singing
modern medicine
swing dancing
cell phones
cute modest clothes to wear
friends who care
having the forest and the cactus all together in one state!
stargazing
mormon boys :)
mountains
writing
my extremely out of tune piano
poetry
reading
good books that keep you up all night
living in the valley
the Book of Mormon
my bishop
christmas
christmas music
weird voice messages
photography
CRAZY DANCING
hot summers!!!!
long, late night phone calls
musicals
going to the mall
rain
elder Holland's talks
crying your heart out
skipping
lip gloss
seminary
falling in love
good songs on the radio
the prophet
parents
little brothers (i know, and yes I'm writing this)
high school and all its drams (makes you appreciate simpler things)
sticky notes!!!
my giant photo collage
singing in the car
pink pens
flip flops
brown notebooks with all your little secrets in it
acting and drama
Arizona
everything life has to offer, even the bad stuff, because it gives you a chance to brush yourself of and to learn from the fall, and then to go on with a smile because you know how strong you really are

Merry Christmas Guys!!!
I love you all

ACCEPTED!!!!

I finally bugged my admissions counselor enough and guess what?

I GOT ACCEPTED TO NAU!!!!!!

I'm gonna be a Lumberjack!!!!

So...

I know it's been awhile since I last posted. Things haven't really been that interesting around here. I'm still waiting for NAU to get back to me. It's driving me crazy! Just trying to stay afloat in school. Working. Sleeping and eating when time allows.

Just typical busy me. I'm ready for thanksgiving to come and go so I can whip out the christmas music and decorate my car. (more on that later) It's just really sad all the stores completely skipped over Thanksgiving for Christmas. Everything is just TOO commercial. Plus the extra reminder that this is my last Christmas living at home is scary. Anytime it comes up, my mom gets a little sad. It's hard knowing that this is my year of lasts. I know I'll come back, but it won't be the same once I'm living in Flagstaff. I just keep thinking about all the little things I'm going to miss. Conner's first date, Conner Driving, Collin dating and driving, Branson prepping for his baptism, just all the boys growing up without me. It just makes me kinda sad, but grateful that I'll only be a few hours away.

I'm super excited to go up to school though. I know it's going to be a blast. I just love hearing about it from all you fellow Lumberjacks.

I guess I'll see you all at Thanksgiving.

you are deeppink #FF1493

Your dominant hues are red and magenta. You love doing your own thing and going on your own adventures, but there are close friends you know you just can't leave behind. You can influence others on days when you're patient, but most times you just want to go out, have fun, and do your own thing. Your saturation level is high - you get into life and have a strong personality. Everyone you meet will either love you or hate you - either way, your goal is to get them to change the world with you. You are very hard working and don't have much patience for people without your initiative. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Thanks Lola

Starbucks. . . Oh My!

A lot of you guys know I work at Starbucks in the Target on the Ellsworth Loop. I've been working there for about 8-9 months and I absolutely LOVE it. The guests, the drinks, it's a great combo for me, I get to use my energy and bubbly-ness. I'm especially excited because we started our new Christmas drinks this week!!

I know what you guys are thinking. Coffee?!? But, contrary to popular belief there are things Mormons can drink at Starbucks. So I decided I would educate everyone on the Starbucks lingo and some great coffee-free choices.

So first-sizes: they go Tall (small), Grande (medium), and Venti (large).
[I know they don't make sense, but it's Italian, and they're crazy anyway. lol]

Starbucks has many different ways to order your favorite drink: hot, iced, and my favorite, blended Frappaccino!
The hot drinks are basically espresso, steamed milk, and your favorite syrup of choice.
Iced drinks are very similar except they're cold milk and espresso poured over ice with flavored syrup.
The frappaccinos are like milkshakes, but not quite as thick normally. They are made with a blended coffee base, or a blended creme' base, then syrup, then ice, and blended to perfection.

Disclaimer: All of these drinks have about the calorie count of your breakfast, but they are Soo yummy. But, there are methods to cut down on the calorie count so don't freak out.

So, on to
Flavors: We have the typical Mocha (chocolate), White Mocha (white chocolate), Chai, Vanilla, Hazelnut, Caramel, Toffee Nut, Cinnamon Dolce. and our seasonal ones: Peppermint, Gingerbread, and Pumpkin Spice. Some of the more basic flavor come sugar free. But all of these flavors can be mixed and combined to make some Awesome concoctions. ;)

I won't go through a long descriptions of all the drinks we make that you can't have, so I'll just describe the 'Mormon Approved' ones.

For hot drinks, you can order any latte minus the espresso. Just pick your flavor and say 'steamer' or 'creme' i.e. Vanilla Steamer, Caramel Steamer, etc. We also make pretty good Hot Chocolates. The chocolate syrup is kind of bitter, so I would suggest ordering it "Black and White" (half mocha, half white mocha) The Signature Hot Chocolates are decent, very bitter though. But the Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate in Bombin'!

Hot Drink Suggestions: Pumpkin Spice steamer, Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, Peppermint Mocha twist creme', Caramel White Mocha creme, and ***Caramel Apple Spice(this one is like apple cider, yummy,my absolute Fav.)***

Iced Drinks: same thing, just order it creme' or end it in 'milk'. I love the starbucks chocolate milk with ice and Whipped Cream, just about everything is the same as the hot drinks.

Frappaccino: You can drink anything coffee-free for a frappaccino, just specify that it's a cream base, or just order it creme'. I'm bad, I make my own frappaccinos and I don't order anything off the menu anymore. I like it complicated. lol
But I suggest a Caramel Mocha Creme', Green Tea Frappe* (you can drink this), Pumpkin Spice Creme', Caramel Double Chocolately Chip, Strawberry Blended Lemonade (this isn't really a frap, but it's really yummy), Captn. Crunch (strawberries and cream with Melon syrup)

* Green tea does not actually have any tea in it, it's all herbal. but the Chai does.

Christmas Drinks: We have the eggnog latte, which for you is just steamed eggnog, not bad, Peppermint Mocha and White Mocha Twist creme' (yummy), Gingersnap steamer (I like it, but I guess you'd have to be a ginger fan), eggnog frappaccino creme, (very good if you like eggnog).

I think this about sums up Starbucks in a nutshell. Just comment if you have questions.

Halloween

This was my last Halloween at home this year. So I wanted to make it memorable for Branson and the little boys.

Branson and I dressed up as pirates! Arrgg!!


The Boys-Mason, Branson, and Dallin
Darth Vader, Captain Jack Sparrow, and a Ring Wraith

I got a little crazy with the wig.

November!

It's already November and all the stores are setting up for Christmas. :'(

Halloween is over and now it's time for Thanksgiving. I wish I could say that I was looking forward to it though. As you all know, my family is raising turkeys again this year for Thanksgiving. These are some big suckers too! But, just like last year, we will be butchering and preparing these six GIGANTIC birds, all by hand and in time for dinner (hopefully). I was just lucky enough to be 'busy' last year and avoid the whole process completely. But now that I know how to do it, I'm thinking I might not be so lucky this time. I think it's going to take two days this year.

I'm just hoping I don't scare too many boys off, I mean between my mad driving skills and my expansive knowledge of butchering innocent farm animals, I just might be single for life. lol

The Ant and the Contact Lens

Hey everybody, my mom sent me this story and I just loved it!

Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens . 'Great', she thought. 'Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry.'




She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there.

She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse 'The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.'

She thought, 'Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.'

Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, 'Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?'

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!



The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, 'Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it' s awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You.'


I think it would do all of us some good to say, 'God, I don't know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will.'

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Yes, I do love GOD. He is my source of existence and my Savior. He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him....I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)

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'You Gave Me A Mountain'

Election '08

As you all know the election is coming up in a few weeks. Crazy times!!!! I hope everyone registered to vote. I really wish I could, but lucky me, I'll be four months too young. YAY, not. I know it's really hard to stay informed on all the issues and everything, especially with all the backbiting going on between Obama and McCain. Just keeping up with the various debates and appearances is time consuming.
My friend of mine runs a political blog in his free time about the election. He's very thorough and he knows what he's talking about. (even for a dropout lol) You should all really go check it out!

And I'm saying this especially to embarrass him right now because he made a crack at my job and I might have to include embarrassing trek pictures in the near future. lol So please check out his blog @ www.conservativeteenager.com and leave TONS of comments. ; )

Austin this is for you:
I think this is sufficient press and media. Here's my advertising, now where's my money? jk lol. I think I have sufficiently embarassed you now. But let me know if I really do need to include pictures so I can call around, k?

Mutual

So on Wednesday for mutual we had a fifties Sock Hop with all the guys and the girls.  We played crazy games and some people came and taught us how to swing dance.  It was tons of fun.  

After they served refreshments Collin wanted to try a lift he learned with me.  I let him try it.  He wasn't too bad after a few tries.  On the third try, he had me straight up in the air but he started to lose his balance and took a step back.  Consequently, he ended up falling and dropping me on my face.  Now I have bruises all over my legs. lol  And now he wants to try it out at the next stake dance on Saturday.

I guess we'll see.

My First Blog!!!!

Hey Everybody,

I noticed everyone in the family is blogging now so I thought I would join the trend. And since I'll be leaving next year, I figured I would start now.

So, I'm starting the second quarter of my senior year. Graduation isn't too far off. Scary I know. Now I'm hitting the college trail. I checked out NAU last week. I'm thinking I might be a future lumberjack. Let's hope.

All the applications are pouring in and the scholarships are stacking up. I'm just hoping I did well on my SATs and that I can get enough money stashed up for school. This is such a crazy stressful process. But I'm SO excited to move out and move up. (just don't let my mom hear that)