Miller Christmas Letter 2008

Here is the Miller year at a glance in blog form:

Mattie is now 4 and sometimes I think she is going on 20. She is a second mom to Ches, never letting her get away with anything. She wants to help me make dinner and bake and sometimes even clean. She is very responsible. She always needs to know what the plan is for the day and she gets concerned when we are driving if she doesn't know where we are going. Sometimes I worry that she can't just be a kid but I love the help that she is to me. My best friend just had a baby in October and has come to visit us and Mattie just loves helping with her. She holds her, watches her sleep, puts her binkie in and helps change her. Pretty soon she can babysit and start making money! She loves to read and learn and do anything art oriented. She says that she wants to be an artist when she grows up. Matthew and I are amazed at the things that she can do. She colors better than most 4th graders. We have been talking about school next year. We aren't sure what we are going to do. I am thinking of home schooling for a while but we shall see.

Chesnie is a bundle of energy as always. She is two and every bit the boy we never had. We were just at a Christmas party and all the kids were sitting nicely watching a movie and there was Ches running down the hall into one room and out the next. Someone asked if she always had that much energy and I said yes, even in the womb. She just never stops. Matthew and I laugh when she tries to sit and watch a movie, something always has to be moving, her leg, her arm, her hand, something. She got her first big owie (many more to come I am sure) in August. She split her head open clear to the skull. It was quiet the dramatic incident as it happened at Office Depot. She had to have 12 stitches, three on the inside and nine on the outside. The doctor even had to pull paint chips out of her head. She was very brave and did exceptionally well. She has a large scar right in the middle of her forehead but oh well, she will have a story to tell. She also loves to read. You can often hear the girls reading books to themselves, word for word. Chesnie may be little, and that she really is, but she is full of energy and keeps us laughing and on our toes.

Matthew continues to work at the pool company. He was not able to find a full time teaching job again this year and has very little sub work. We are considering a move since we are on year 4 of no teaching job for him. We are thankful that the pool job has kept us afloat but we don't know that we can make it another year like this and Matthew really wants to teach. God has been stripping us of a lot here in Redding and we are beginning to think it is so that a move will be easier. Our best friends moved away to Salem, OR about eight months ago and that has been really hard, especially for me. We also decided to leave our church. A number of other friends have moved out of state too. So we are in a waiting period to see what God is going to do. It has been hard but we are anxious for the revealing of His plans in this next step of our lives. Matthew is a gifted teacher and we are both looking forward to when he can do it full time. We have no clue as to where or when and if we will move so please be in prayer with us and we will keep you posted.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas with many blessings!

Matt, Corrie, Mattie and Chesnie Miller