California McMillans

Christmas isn't the same without my parents. My mom LOVED presents (some might say she would go overboard) and my dad went along for the ride.  It was always filled with excitement and love. Christmas day is filled with family and tradition and without my parents it just didn't feel the same this year.  We made the most of it and had the best Christmas that we could have without my mom and dad. On Christmas Eve we always went to my parents church.  It is filled with music and much more entertaining than we are used to. This year, Paisley was in the choir and did such a great job. We got there late and she was singing and got so excited to see us walk in. It was so cute and so fun. There weren't seats left so the 6 of us crammed into seating for about 3. Blake didn't last long sharing my lap with Parker so we spent about half of it outside.  We went to my mom and dads grave which was nice.  After we went to Heathers, with her in-laws and aunt and uncle.  It was r

Grief is such an interesting emotion.  I am not the most outwardly emotional person, but have come to know grief intimately in the past couple of years.  It affects everyone do differently, at different times and in different strengths! I remember when my Grandma died, my mom was overcome with grief, sadness and depression.  She did fine for a couple of months and then her loss hit her like a ton of bricks.  She couldn't function, was in extensive therapy and trying to mend her broken heart.  It was real, debilitating, horrible to see.  Nobody could take it away.  It was a process she needed to work through. When she was ill she was so sad to leave behind everyone understandably so.  She got the most joy and love from being with people and it just broke her heart knowing that she had to leave us.   That was so painful to watch.  So painful at holidays to experience the joy, but also the extreme sadness that his would be the last birthday party of a grandchild, last thanksgiving

One of the most amazing things about the church is that ordinary people keep it running.  I love that we all have callings to serve on another, grow, learn knew skills and get to serve alongside people with different talents, skills and personalities.  I have now served in every auxiliary in the church and loved them all for different reasons.  Relief Society I love because I love serving other women.  When I was called to be over homemaking back in the day, something I have zero skills with, I learned how the Lord always blesses you with people who are AMAZING to serve with.  I learned what committees and callings are all about....letting everyone serve with their strengths, unique abilities and talents.   Compassionate service is my love language. I still have great memories of throwing together baby showers and the blessing of organizing funerals.  Families coming together from all over the country to honor a family member. It is a really unifying and humbling thing to be a p

All Heidi wanted for Christmas was a family picture.  So, after I returned from work on Saturday, we climbed into the van and went to the library in Clayton.  I've written about getting another lens and blah blah blah, but we had to just make do with the 50mm 1.8 and 28-135.  Most of these were shot with the former.  When the focus is on, it's tack sharp, but it's not the best at long focal lengths and wide apertures.   Thank goodness for the tripod and self-timer.   I like these because the background looks like it's a green screen add-on or some kind of Olan Mills painted backdrop.  But that's the real landscape. Scott got to bed late and woke up early just so he could "play piano, get it out of the way, and then do video games all day."  I mean, he was up and at 'em at 5:53 am, which is about when I left for worky.  Well, his attention was waning and he was not in the best of moods for family photos but at lea

Parker, We love you so much!! The first 2-3 months were rough!  You were unhappy all the time.  I never had a colic baby, but you were that.  Never feeling good.  It was so sad not to be able to comfort you or make you feel better, but after that, you have been the best baby.   You teach yourself how to do everything and it seems like you are beyond your age.  Your happiest day was learning to crawl.  Once you were mobile and able to keep up with your siblings and get to your destination, made your world so much happier.  You love being around your siblings and being out and about.  You go with the flow are generally content.   You love your crib.  When you are tired and we put you in your crib with your blanket, you go right to bed.  You love your thumb.  You hate bottles.  Have yet to take one.  It took mom getting sick to sleep train you.  You used to get up several times every night and when you were 8 months, I got so sick and decided to let you cry through the night for

Blake has been angry this year.  We aren't sure why he is so angry.  It could be the new baby, the new home, Pop going to heaven.  It is hard to see him so angry so often.  When he isn't angry, he is so silly, goofy, strong willed and determined.  He says the funniest things. Lately he says, " we have a situation here," when there is a problem.  Not sure where he got it from but it is so funny.  He is serious most of the time.  Even when he is playing or having fun, he has this very serious, concerned look on his face.  Don't tell him he is cute, nice, silly or goofy, he will just get angry. Friends have nicknamed him the hulk but that usually leads to the unleashing of the hulk. He became a great swimmer this summer!  Tyler took him while I worked and they were so cute together.  Tyler was such a great helper and so proud of himself to take care of his brother. He enjoys anything sports.  He does a tennis class at the gym and loves it.  He also loves doing

Tyler has had a good year this year.  He loves going to school and being with his friends.  He has a great group of friends and was blessed to loop up to 3rd grade with his teacher and many classmates from last year.  He is sweet, quiet and reserved at school. That is not the Tyler we know at home.  At home he tends to be an instigator and often explodes.  Not sure if he holds it all in at school to leave us with the fireworks.  Still working on trying to control his emotions.   His health is doing well.  He continues to live an amazing life, free from oxygen, surgeries and hospitals.  He truly is a miracle and we are grateful for his very normal, active childhood. Tyler does well in school.  He is a great reader even though he doesn't love to read.  He is great at the piano even though it is struggle to get him to play. Doing minimal homework is usually a struggle.  He loves playing baseball and had a great season playing short stop and first base.  He is a very c

Kira got an award, "always doing her best" in school and that pretty much sums up Kira.  She is this tiny ball of energy that will do her best in playing, partying, dancing, being a friend and just enjoying life.  She is a FIRECRACKER!!   This year has been an amazing year of growth for Kira.  Her favorite part of kindergarten is learning tubs that she gets to do 'fun learning stuff'.  During free choice, she loves to draw mom and dad pictures of hearts and our family.  She is my first child that actually loves doing her homework and learning.  I am just starting to read with her and she is picking it up so fast.   She LOVES playing with other kids.  She will bounce from one friend to another to another and considers everyone her friend. She is a strong, confident little girl.  Sometimes we need to reign that in.  She enjoyed doing a little swim class this fall and can't wait to start gymnastics.  She is one athletic little girl, climbing walls, doing f

 2015 has been a great year for Scott.  It is a year that he has truly become confident and true to who he is, what he wants to do and wants to become. That is an amazing thing to see. Scott loves his teacher Mrs. Sutherland and going to school.  His teacher said he is always helpful and patiently helps his classmates.  That made me so proud of him.  He has such a good heart.  He loves math and reading.  He is reading at the 7th grade level and Harry Potter and Gregor the Overlander were his two favorite series.  He got into the GATE program with 10 other kids in his grade scoring 99%. He tried out for historian this year, made a great speech and had fun campaigning.  He was so proud that he made it on the council and has really enjoyed his leadership role.  It is perfect for Scott. He continues to love swimming.  He had a great 9 year old rec season going a 30.5 in free, 37.5 in back, 121 in IM and excited for next summer.  He was competitive but ok with defeat.  He had fu

Got home from a long day at work today.  I go inside and the kids jump up and run toward me!  I thought, Heidi must have told them to hug me.   Then, one by one, they run by me and kiss the clock without even acknowledging my presence.   It was 5:55. Yeah.

We made it to Utah and back for our traditional Thanksgiving vacation.  The drive out was a bit rough as we had to wait at the bottleneck of the pass in order to put on our chains.  I had never put on chains but I knew I could do it.  Even still, they kept the roads pretty well salted and plowed and I think the chains were overkill.  But whatev.   The kids were stoked to experience fresh snow.  There was barely enough to sled in but they were out making the most of it!  They'd go down the grass, onto Schpark's driveway, and into the street.   Thanks to Shauna for loaning us all this snow gear.  It was great. It snowed a little more through the night and they did some more sledding the next day.   Chelle with her youngest daughter, Andalee. Me and Scott ice skating at the South Davis recreation center.  I'm kind of a has-been with respect to my ice skating.  I used to be pretty good, especially for how much I practiced.  But since the hip sur

I had a great birthday.  Heidi invited over some of our friends for pizza dinner.  It was lots of fun.  There was enough food, enough seating, and it was just great hanging out.  Jeremy made this card and I just had to scan it.  He said, "See, your three favorite things are pulling people's teeth, working on your car, and working on your motorcycle." Britton and Renee's card was pretty funny, too: