On the brite side

We have been home for about three months now and things are doing better than when we first arrived home. We are all beginning to adjust and perhaps even find our own little groove. Putting the kids to bed is not perfect but is infinitely better than when we first started out. Last night I was even able to put the kids to sleep by myself! Shocking isn't it, amazing how much our goals change once we have kids.

So far Saturdays are Raylene's day off, usually, so I attempt to perform an approximation of my parental duties by feeding, bathing, playing with, and generally keeping Raylene from completely going insane from the total lack of adult conversation or those awful toxic playdough fumes, I am not quite sure which it is. Actually, Raylene tells me that I do a good job the kids seems to like having me around so I think it is safe to say I am not a terrible father or husband.

We all still have our good and bad moments, and most always still glad be together! :) Here are some more photos of the kids I posted on our photo gallery.

Pictures and Updates

Thanks to some other traveling parents with CHI we received these new photos last night! They are so precious and we can't wait to hold them and love on them. We love that Livy Kefelech is smiling in these. They are so beyond konjo (Amharic: beautiful / handsome)!

We also got an email from our adoption consultant with their updated heights and weights. They are actually shorter in this round of measurements, which really isn't all that uncommon. We have been told that sometimes they are measured with shoes on, the kids can be wiggly, standing on uneven ground, you name it. They are definitely gaining weight, which is great!

Zachariah Mamush

At Referral (11/10/2009)
16 kg - 113 cm
(35.3 lb - 44.5 in)

Now (1/12/2010)
19 kg - 108 cm
(41.9 lb - 42.5 in)


Olivia Kefelech

At Referral (11/10/2009)
15 kg - 105 cm
(33 lb - 41.4 in)

Now (1/12/2010)
16 kg - 103 cm
(35.3 lb - 40.5 in)

We had a travel call with our agency this morning and we should find out our official VISA date tomorrow! Which means we should be able to buy our tickets and finalize and the last minute travel arrangements very soon!

In His own time ... is finally here!

The long awaited time has come, we are officially parents! No more psyche gotchas, no more just kidding pranks from life, our adoption was approved in the courts of Ethiopia on December 23th, 2009. We are the happy (ecstatic, lucky, etc. fill in your own exciting verbs, whatever) parents of two siblings, an almost 5 year old boy and a 3 year old girl, by the name of Mamush and Kefelech. We will be keeping their Ethiopian names as their middle name, along with one of our choosing, so their new names will be Zachariah Mamush Miller (the almost 5 year old boy) and Olivia Kefelech Miller (the 3 year old girl). We are tentatively picking them up during the first week in February, so we only have four weeks to prepare since until now we could not be sure what ages and gender we would be getting so things will be crazy insane for the this next month getting everything ready we are supposed accomplish.

I've been told to inform everyone that Shiloa, Raylene's sister, will be planning to hold a kids shower on Saturday, January 16th, 2010. So if you think you'll be in the La Verkin, UT area around that time put a note on your calendar. All friends and family are invited and we will do our best to get everyone an invitation but odds are we will miss a few so just give a heads up by emailing kids.shower@millermoments.net. Patrick's cell at 435.767.1235 or Shiloa's cell at 435.669.8555

Lastly, we will be back posting the events that lead to this point of the yo-yo ride over the next week or two.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all a very Happy New Year!

P.S. Here are some additional photos of them. media.millermoments.net