What is that noise?

Okay, so I was sleeping last night and heard a sound. I was very out of it and my first thought was that a mouse was running across the kitchen floor. I went back to sleep. I heard the noise again and said, "Blake, what is that noise?" Blake knowingly said, "It's the neighbor's dog going up the stairs." Um, sure....but the noise came from the kitchen; I agreed with him anyway and went back to sleep. When we got up later I hear Blake say, "There is a bird in our kitchen!" Yep a bird! Blake told Stratton it was his new pet and Strat was so happy! We had to break the news that we really weren't keeping the bird and then we got it to go out the window. My brother came to the conclusion that it came in the chimney...which is probably the case because it left black all over the ceiling where it hit. Here are some pictures we got before it flew out...

Happy Birthday Marley!

Marley turned one yesterday, yes one! Time flew by so fast with her and all of a sudden we have a sassy little girl walking around wanting to do her own thing. For example, today at church Blake was trying to feed her some yogurt and she threw a fit! Not just a little fit, but was sobbing hysterically. Blake brought her to me...I took off all her clothes, went out in the shade and let her go for it. She was covered in yogurt by the time she was done and we had to go in the bathroom for a quick spray down. That is her! She wants to do everything and she wants to do it by herself! She got a wagon for her birthday and she LOVES it! Okay, so I guess Marley's head is big. My brother always said it was, but I never believed him until now. The 1-year old birthday crown I bought is way to small and looks really uncomfortable! Oh well, she probably has a big brain too!
For Marley's birthday, we combined with my sister's swim party, thank you Jana! Marley doesn't really love to swim, but she tolerates it. She would much rather walk around the pool, exploring things. Every once in a while she will decide she wants to get in the pool and she'll get in wherever she wants.

On one of Marley's 'exploring adventures' at the pool, "Poppy" let her play in the drinking fountain, which she loved. She was getting sprayed and squirted, but she thought it was great fun.

The wind blew out Marley's candle, but she didn't care.

Marley wasn't sure what to do with her cake at first. Blake kept saying, "Dig in." She looked at him and then at the cake and then went for it!

Destroyed!

Frosting mustaches! YUMMY!

Present time! Oh, look what Mars got, a 'Feed Yourself' kit. Thanks so much Jana, we really needed that. She also got some way cute clothes, a stroller, some books, money (from Poppy) and a cute piggy. I think my mom got her the piggy because Marley is a piggy. She is constantly eating things off the ground even if it isn't edible. Grandpa Johnson also gave her a bouncing Tigger, which she loves.

Just a few facts about Marley...She weighs about 18 1/2 pounds. She doesn't walk anymore...she runs! While running she sticks her butt out and her head forward (for balance?). She is as SASSY as they come and is super independent. I can't believe the things Marley wants to do! She hasn't made much progress with signing or with new words, but she still says Strat, mom, dad, dog, and kucka. She signs dog and hot really well, but basically she is to busy for all of that. She loves to be outside and she really likes to eat nature (dirt, worms, snail shells, bark, leaves). Maybe she is lacking in some mineral? She sleeps well, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. She also takes a 2 hour nap in the day. She is a fun, fun girl and brightens our days with her little personality. Stratton loves her and always wants to play with her, until she messes something of his up! We love having her around!!!

Happy Birthday Blake!! THE BIG 30!!

Here are a few things that make me crazy about Blake...

1. He has his own style. He likes being different and dresses that way. Oh yeah, and he looks good doing it.
2. He is such a good dad!! Stratton LOVES his dad because he always spends time with him doing whatever Stratton wants to do. Strat's favorite day of the week is Monday because Blake will usually take him somewhere, just the two of them. Blake is also a good dad to Marley, but she only wants me...I'm sure things will change when she realizes that Blake is the 'fun' parent.
3. He works hard for his family. He is always trying to make things better in our house, for our kids, for our family...he is always working on something!
4. He is always thinking. He comes up with the craziest ideas! Some of them work out, some of them don't, but he just goes on thinking!
5. He hardly ever gets mad. I love this about him! One of us has to be sane and he is usually the one. Things don't bug him for the most part and he is pretty even tempered.
6. He dreams big...
7. He doesn't mind getting up in the middle of the night.
8. He doesn't care if he comes home and everything is a disaster and he'll get to work right away cleaning things up.
9. He always makes sure we say family prayer and have family scripture study.
10. He is a likeable guy - even when I am mad at him.
11. Oh yeah, and one more thing...he is the Miller soccer MVP most of the time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!!!!

So Many Summer Activities!!

We have been up Big Cottonwood canyon twice for dutch oven cooking (thanks Jason and Akaela!), we spent a day at Snowbird (thanks Grandma Johnson!), we go swimming almost everyday (thanks Grandma Jeannette and Poppy!), we've had many birthday parties (Happy birthday Grandpa Russ, Cara, Kaiya, Danika, Jason and whoever else!), a family reunion, and a quick stop at Gateway and summer is just getting started!!!

Here we all are by the raging river up Big Cottonwood Canyon. As Stratton would say, "It is super fast!!"

One year ago we went to Snowbird and I was about 10 months pregnant with Marley. It was hot and my sciatic nerve was a pain in my but!! This year was so very different, snow was still on the ground, I didn't break a sweat, and I had two kids instead of one!! Sarah and Jake and their four kids came up on the same day as us...

Marley loves to be a big girl and when she saw her cousins put on goggles at the pool, she wanted to also. She won't wear them like this anymore, just on the top of her head. But it is quite a funny sight!

After we celebrated Blake's dad's birthday Stratton got a very much needed haircut. We were going to leave it in a mohawk, but Stratton gave a talk in church today and we wanted him to look nice.

All three of these guys have the same haircut now! (Along with Marley!)The finished product!! Oh so cute!
Now Marley and Stratton look even more alike.

The family reunion was fun with good food, good company and some yummy Dairy Ann popsicles!! Here is Strat giving his Aunt Radene the biggest hug ever!

Marley loved the popsicles too! Thanks Madi for taking such good care of her (and for feeding her non-stop popsicles!)
After the family reunion we stopped at the fountain at Gateway. Marley was into it and thought it was a riot trying to miss the water. One time she stepped right on the water hole when the water was about to come up and saved herself.
Stratton wasn't digging the fountain at all. It took Blake forever to get him to take his shirt off and then he didn't really want to run through the water. He finally did a couple of times, but I guess he just wasn't feeling it.

Here is the tan, head-shaven, Hawaii-necklace (thanks Jana!) wearing, dirt-covered, blue-eyed boy of ours in the canyon. This is his new thing, to give a pout or cover his face completely whenever we are trying to take his picture.

Marley has a new thing too! She wants to feed herself. I keep telling myself that Stratton didn't want to do such things as early as her, but I really don't remember. All I know, it is a hard thing to let an 11-month old little girl feed herself! I guess they have to learn sometime!

The Wounds of Summer

The font is in red for a reason! We have had a few 'owie's' in the past couple of weeks. Marley's were actually in the same day! Anyway, here is the ramp...the ramp that Stratton would probably not attempt unless his two older boy cousins didn't show him how fun it could be. A wound was bound to happen!

Here is the wound, which is healing up nicely!

The second wound (on the eye) was from a scooter accident...

Marley couldn't let Stratton outdo her so she decided to fall at the pool (no need to mention it was head first in the water). She scratched her arm and shoulder.

Can you see the fat lip here? Marley was carrying a toy and tripped a little. The toy hit her lip and just started bleeding. Marley wouldn't let me put a towel on the cut so I finally put her in the high chair and let her eat a popsicle. She was happy in an instant!

Guess I'll go eat worms...

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me,Guess I'll go eat worms,Long, thin, slimy ones; Short, fat, juicy ones,Itsy, bitsy, fuzzy wuzzy worms.
Down goes the first one, down goes the second one,Oh how they wiggle and squirm.Up comes the first one, up comes the second one,Oh how they wiggle and squirm.

I've been meaning to post this story all week. I was getting ready to leave for a busy day (visiting my old school, to my mom's and swimming) and I was gathering things on the front porch that I needed to bring. I put Marley on the porch to play around while I gathered. She had her binky in her mouth when I put her out there. I brought more stuff out and noticed that the binky was gone. I got the last of my stuff and saw that Marley was sucking on something. I squeezed her cheeks together for a good look and....there in my sweet daughter's mouth was a WORM!!! She was happily sucking on an earthworm...gross! I snatched it out as fast as I could and threw it on the sidewalk. It was sooo nasty!

Marley grubs on anything she can get her hands on! As I was weeding today she decided to put a big handful of dirt in her mouth. She didn't really enjoy it, but I'll have to keep this in mind when I need a Halloween costume: wet dirt makes a realistic-looking beard!

Yummy!

Stratton watched Marley eat the dirt and said, "Mom is dirt good for us?" I said, "Well, it isn't good to eat, but it probably won't hurt us." He then asked if he could try some. I told him to go ahead. He took a small bit of dirt and chewed it up then said, "MMMMmmmm, I like it!" Oh great!
Now, since we are on the subject of nature, Stratton came inside all excited and told me to look at what he had in his hand. He opened in up to about 15 potato bugs! Marley was eating dirt while I was weeding and this is what Stratton was doing...Writing on the sidewalk with chalk and then laying in it, very nice.

This past weekend we got out with Blake's sister's family and went to the zoo!
It was the perfect day - the weather was just right and it was not very crowded. Marley liked looking at the animals as long as Blake kept a brisk pace!

SNACK TIME!

One excellent thing about going with Blake's sister is the snacks! She always has good ones and when we stopped for some snacks the kids did a sweet pose.

And here are their dads!

We tried to get a picture of all the kids on the gorilla, but good ol' Stratton was not on the very top and so he wouldn't look at the camera. Here is later, finally looking, because he is now (of course) on top of the gorilla.

SWIMMING!!!

This is our first swimming experience of the summer and Marley's first ever. She had a great time splashing, but preferred climbing and walking out of the pool.

Look at those cute chunky legs!