California McMillans

We had our first fall swim meet today.  It was a beautiful high 80's day at Acalanes.  I saw a bunch of otters which was so fun.  It is amazing how much I have grown to love these little swimmers and their families in just 2 seasons.  They do so much for our team and my family to help me coach.  I am full of gratitude and so proud of how hard these swimmers work. I have reflected on what athletic success really is.  So often I see parents and kids view success as the end product or a time which I don't totally agree with.  I think success is measured in the journey.  The journey of working hard, balancing life, life lessons and growth along the way that inevitably will lead to the end product.  We put too much emphasis on the end product that it takes away from the things the athlete actually controls.  They might not be able to go the goal, but they can make it to workouts, work hard, improve skills and become better people and athletes along the way. Focusing on the journ

It is fun having some time with Parker in the mornings.  Just the two of us and the baby who right now doesn't fight for much attention.  I can hold her and she is happy or fussy.  The day always starts with him wanting to ride his bike.  He goes out in the morning with his siblings as they ride in the court waiting for the last of the crew.  This is fine but it is the time I need to get the house in order, dressed and ready for the day. We had my 6 week check up at Kaiser.  I got there 10 minutes late because Danny had to go into work to cover for someone for the day so it took me a little longer to get the kids ready.  Usually no big deal but the doctor left to do a C-section.  That is rare at Kaiser because usually they have doctors to see patients and other doctors delivering babies but they must have been busy.  Usually this would irritate me but it didn't so I was grateful.  Maybe I am becoming more patient.  Maybe I just didn't see the point of the appt except that

Hanna was blessed this weekend in church.  September 24th by her dad. It was a simple and beautiful blessing.  The kids were all excited for the blessing which is refreshing because lately they are not excited for the others things much.  Tyler and Blake both sweetly said before church they couldn't wait for the blessing.  We are always running to church but before church was actually relaxing.  I am usually getting things together for my lesson, but spent a day during the week prepping for class so i didn't have to do it on Sunday.  Danny leaves early to get ready for primary and get us a seat which is awesome.  It means we get to sit in the front in the pews.  The kids still have a long way to go with reverence but definitely better in the front then back of the church. Parker fell asleep on the way to church which was so nice, Blake sat with the needhams which is amazing.  I am going to see if he can sit with them every week.  Game changer! He is so good if he is removed

Every time a new baby joins the McMillan clan, it is like people have to find their place in the home.  Attention-seeking behavior, either good or bad, to not be forgotten.  I majored in child development in college which I LOVED!  I learned about birth order, emotional needs, etc. yet it is sometimes hard to apply. i am like my mom.  I have countless energy and always need to be going.  That is a great blessing in many ways but also a curse because I need to remember to sit down and spend quality, one-on-one time with my kids and spouse.  Not quality time while I am folding laundry, prepping dinner, washing windows. I am not an emotional person.  I don't need quality time or words of affirmation to fill my love language so it is something I need to remember to do to fill my family's love tank.  My husband is a words of affirmation man.  He in many ways is more emotional than me so I need to work on this.  I am sure that is one reason why we are the perfect match for each o

Heidi's working with the Aquabears again.  Scott and Kira go out there with her in the IS300.  They complain about the cold water and wear wetsuits but they seem to enjoy it. Mister got into the diaper rash cream.  I don't know why kids do this.  Desitin is so hard to remove. But he loves his balance bike and cries when it's time to go in. The kids have been enjoying doing their wheeled activities in the evenings while Heidi's working.  I just put the baby in the bjorn and walk around. I shot these with the new 70-200.  It's harder than you think to get a good picture of a moving person.  Plus, there was low light.  But these were keepers. Missy is three weeks old. Mister should take naps during the day but usually doesn't.  Then he has a melt down in the evening that can last 1.5 hrs.  This time he fell asleep on my shoulder while I was reading scriptures.  I lay on the floor with my head against the wall to read fro

Hanna really is our miracle baby.  Danny was done having kids a while ago.  I wanted Parker and he obliged but after that he wanted to be done.  I really wanted one more but left it up to him.  I told him he better just really feel 100% that our family was complete because I didn't feel that.  I really felt like there was one more child that was meant to be in our family but Danny insisted he didn't feel that and that I would always innately feel that. After months of me holding out that he would change his mind and it never happening, he finally got his dream of going in and getting a vasectomy.  I gave him the OK, but it was really, really hard for him.  I felt horrible!  It was a rough couple of months or mourning on my part.  I told him I wasn't angry at him, just needed time to mourn.  I have never prayed so hard and finally just placed it in the Lord's hands.  I came to the conclusion that sometimes that is life and marriage. A marriage take compromise and mayb

When Hanna was born all the kids wanted to know when they were born, how long it took to be born, etc. and sadly I can't remember most of the stories. I remember bits and pieces.  I remember going into an appointment for Tyler and my blood pressure being too high so they wheeled me up in a wheel chair, taking down the pop up when my water broke at UoP with Scott, the kids being at the park with my parents when Kira was born.  I claim to have early alzheimers.  Some is contributed to having way too much going on in our lives over the years.  So here are the details of Hanna's birth so someday I can tell her. County, the end of season meet, with Dana Hills was the 11th-13th.  I had some contractions leading up the meet but Friday night: the excitement of relays, cheering etc. gave me contractions.  Nothing unbearable but definitely noticeable.  I had no worries of getting through the meet.  It was such an exciting meet!  So fun and the kids did great!  I came home and that Mond

I finally, after ten years of talking about it, got the Canon 70-200L ii 2.8 IS lens!  The big, heavy, white sports lens that the pros and the paparazzi use.  I am stoked.  Here are just a few photos of its results.  First, though, I have to talk about how I view quality photos vs. how Heidi sees them.  I look at the composition, clarity, color, bokeh.  Heidi just looks at the person's expression.  I agree that it's important to capture a good expression, but sometimes the person just won't do the gesture you're looking for.  So then you rely on the quality of your glass.  I actually like Scott's and Mister's expressions. Maybe you can't see the difference in clarity between this lens and the lower-tiered 75-300, but if you zoom all the way in, you can see the individual eyelashes.  Impressive.  Kira was at gymnastics when I took these.  Maybe tomorrow when we're all dressed for church.  Okay, bye.

Hey.  It was record-breaking heat everywhere in California, and even at the coast, it was still the high 90's.  We decided to go to Sacramento and spend two nights in a hotel.  Last time we stayed in a hotel was Monterey and it was a good experience.  This time, we lost Mister's blanket (baba) and he did not do well without it.  Plus, the infant was up throughout the night.  The hotel experience was not so rosy. Heidi and I enjoyed ourselves throughout the day with the activities we'd chosen but the kids, it seemed, could not stop complaining.  Moaning.  Whining.  I had to wear my ear plugs all day and all night.  Once we got started on our activities, the kids enjoyed them. Initial bike ride along the Sacramento river was essentially a fail due to unpleasant attitudes from the kids.  The bikes worked well, though. Gold Rush days was going on in Old Sacramento and that was cool. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a pavilion at Gold