Deck the Halls

So amidst all of the hustle and bustle of the daily grind, Josh and I picked out a lovely Christmas tree and decorated our little humble abode with some holiday decorations.

Sugar Rush

As some of you know, I've taken on the hobby of cake decorating. Just recently I've had the opportunity to decorate with fondant. Personally, I don't care much for the taste of fondant (not that it's bad, just different), but it makes for some pretty cakes. I'm quite upset that I forgot to take a picture of my 2-tiered cake that I made for Thanksgiving. It was white fondant with burgundy ribbon around the bottom and burgundy, orange, and golden yellow leaves on the top. Here are my first attempts.

One week down...Only 21 more to go

Well, just an update about what's been going on in the Miller household. Josh finished his first week of the acadmey, and it definitely lived up to every horror story you have ever heard! Everyone is always late and wrong. One minute showers, 3 minute meals, lots of physical activity, lots of screaming, and lots of responsibilities. On top of all that stress, they have class for the majority of the day. Josh said that Thursday was the worst day of his life. He had the pleasure of taking a direct shot to the face with OC spray (pepper spray). He claimed it was the worst feeling he has ever experienced. (It also gave him a lovely rash on his lovely hairless head). Although they get to come home on the weekends, Josh didn't come home till 11:00 p.m.! After 4 loads of laundry-washed, dried, and ironed, 4+page paper, flashcards, spelling test, and boot polishing, it was hardly a weekend "off." To make things even better, between me being at school and Josh confined in a chicken-house-like living situation, I contracted tonsillitis, and lucky me, also had the stomach flu on top of that. What a fun, quality weekend with my hubby. I wait all week long to see him and...this? All I have to say is, I guess we have 21 more to go and hopefully they'll be less stressed then this first one.

It's Official!

It's official! Josh had his first day as a Recuit Trooper today. We ventured up to headquarters and spent the day at orientation. It was tons of paperwork! Josh will leave on Monday for his first day at the academy. Just today, I had some anxiety about what he is getting ready to experience. He seems confident and knows that the hell he is about to experience is nothing personal, but will make him better in the end. For the record, I have complete confidence in Josh and I know that everything he has done in his life has prepared him for this moment. However, let's just say, I'm glad it's not me! Love and best wishes for Josh in the weeks to come.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

Because you're never too old for Halloween....Chuck went on a diet and Peppermint Patty finally got her man! And of course the Great Pumpkin!!!

This next picture is for D-Hud...I'm not claiming anyone in this picture except Charlie Brown!

Fun Times Were Had By All

This weekend was University of Delaware's Homecoming weekend. In addition to our regulars: us, Michele, Rob, John, Matt, and Blake, it was especially awesome because Jessica and Andrew came down from Connecticut, and Jared was coming over from Texas. After we picked up Jared from the train station in Wilmington, we drove straight to the Philadelphia airport to pick up the special delivery: Gina and little Leah! We were SO excited to hear that Gina and Leah WERE going to make it! A great surprise!We had lunch at one of our favorite places, the Deer Park, and then we headed out for a lovely autumn walk through the woods at White Clay Creek in Newark.

Early Saturday morning, we headed out to the football field. It has been quite the debacle the last couple of years trying to get "our spot." We've had the same spot for 3 or so years, until last year UD roped it off to reserve the space for friends of the president (I can't imagine he has all that many friends!). Since it was such a chaotic event last year, we thought that it would not be roped off this year...we were wrong...it was. So after a trek across part of campus (Josh dropped a few of us off to stake off our area) we ended up in the back field in a great location...a new "our spot."

Gina, Jared, Michele, Andrew, Jess, Josh, Lina (Leah was sleeping in the car...no, we didn't forget about her!)

We BBQ some burgers, hot dogs (Phillie Franks to be exact!), brats and chicken.
The boys being boys.

After a very disappointing football game, we decided to go back to the field for some more tailgating. The gentlemen beside us, equally being boys, challenged our boys to a dodge ball game. We won, thanks to Andrew!

It was an AWESOME weekend! Thanks to all who made it great! It was so wonderful to see everyone in one place...the TRUE meaning of Homecoming!

If you want to see more pictures go to http://picasaweb.google.com/JoshandLina/UniversityOfDelawareHomecoming#

Finally...

In the midst of all the baby commotion and Josh's willingness to actually share his news, I've yet to mention something great that has been a long time coming......drum roll.....Josh has been offered a conditional hire by the Delaware State Police!!!!! YAY! "Conditional hire" simply means that he has to pass a few more tests: eye exam, physical fitness test, and psychological (yes, I'm worried about that one, too!!!). He has passed the physical fitness test, which consisted of running on a treadmill with an increasing incline and speed for as long as you can. Josh maxed out the test by running at the highest speed and highest incline for over 32 minutes before he stopped, ranking in the 99th percentile, the highest you can get. Josh also had to complete sit-ups and push-ups, a flexibility, and grip strength. He again scored in the 99th percentile in all categories. The proctor said that Josh was the most fit person he has ever seen in all his evaluations. Some people score in the 99th percentile, but it's usually in one category, not across the board. YAY for Josh! Glad to see that his hard work and dedication is finally paying off. I'm so proud of him!!! I know that he is truly a special person!
Josh has the psychological and eye exam this week. If everything goes well, there is an orientation for new troopers and their spouses on October 31st. The academy, held in Dover, will begin on November 3 and last 22 weeks. Luckily, he'll get to come home on Friday nights and have to return on Sunday evening.
In celebration of Josh's acceptance, Melina and Niko performed a skit for Josh Saturday night.

Little Stan

After 25 hours of labor, including an hour of pushing, Little Stan (Evan Matthew Judy) made an early arrival on October 4th at 12:38 a.m. Weighing in at exactly 7lbs. and 20.5 inches. Coincidentally, he was born in the same exact room as Kaylee McDowell. He has a little bit of hair, but not as much as Miss McDowell

Welcome Kaylee!!!

Laura and Derek McDowell welcomed their adorable baby girl Kaylee Lauren McDowell to the world on Thursday, October 2nd at approximately 6-something p.m. She was 6 lbs. 11 oz. and 20 inches long. All members are doing well!!!

UD Blue Hens

Josh and I attended the UD vs. Albany game on Saturday. This was the first game that we have ever attended, just the two of us. It was fun! We had subs on the tailgate of the Frontier and just sat and enjoyed the atmosphere. On the drive up, we endured some torrential rain and thought that Newark had seen it's worst. The conversation before we went to the stadium went something like this:

Josh: Do you want to bring the ponchos?

Lina: Nah, it's already rained and the sky is blue.

Josh: Are you sure?

Lina: Yes, I'm sure. We probably won't need them.

Before game:

During the game:

Opps! I guess I was wrong! :o) Oh well, it was pretty fun! It rained on and off from half-time to the end of the game. We had QUITE the crew sitting beside us. Two or three grown men were screaming at the top of their lungs interesting remarks to the opposing teams as well as to the Blue Hens and people in the stands. They also had a little sidekick, a boy about 10 years old, who thought he was a big boy and shouted right along side them. The most ironic comment he made was from a suggestion that his father whispered in his ear. "Hey 97, eat a salad!" The father and kid had some nerve seeming that they were not exactly in tip top shape.

In addition, much to our surprise, UD has a new fancy scoreboard with instant replay.

I'm sure everyone has seen these shirts before, but I thought it was relatively amusing. The front read: The Hens Will Rock You....and the back:

Pretty true of the Newark trains!

And of course, the real reason I go to any sporting event:

In case you are interested, UD won 38 to 7. Homecoming: Here we come...20 days and counting!

Joys of Being a Homeowner

Not that I want to keep posting negative things, but I thought I'd share one of the joys of being a homeowner. Last night Josh was taking a post-workout bath and as I was in the living room, I noticed a puddle on the floor. My gaze went upward as I noticed a lovely flow of water exiting the ceiling fan in the living room. Oh boy. Coincidentally, we were supposed to have our ceilings painted on Saturday, but the guy (a guy who does painting as a side job) who was supposed to paint them "forgot." I guess sometimes things work out for a reason. My dad came to take a look at it today and he thinks that there may be a loose gasket in the overflow part of the tub or maybe Josh was just playing too rough with his Aquaman G.I. Joe and battleships :o) Luckily it isn't too damaged and should be fine.

Bad times at the Millers

Unfortunately, Josh was unable to compete on Saturday due to a broken toe he sustained at practice on Wednesday night. Although Josh was crushed not to be able to compete, we both, along with his brother, Curtis, attended the competition to cheer on his team.
In addition to Josh's broken toe, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning on Friday morning with a lovely stomach virus. Turns out it was going around school and 6 students were sent home on Thursday as well as another teacher who caught it.
So, Josh and I made quite an interesting couple this weekend! I am all better as of now and Josh his nursing his wound with the infamous "buddy wrap" and occasional ice packs. Considering this is the second time Josh has broken this same toe, I wouldn't be surprised if next time he just opts to get the thing removed!

The Next Showdown

For all of those who are interested, Josh's next grappling tournament will be this Saturday (the 13th) at the Ocean City Convention in Ocean City, MD. For slightly more information (not much, though) check out http://www.oceancityclassics.com. This tournament will consist of one 10-minute round. However, there will be no points earned because it is a submission only fight. Hopefully Josh's record will hold up at this tournament considering he won both of his matches at the last tournament by submission!

Labor Day

Well, we had our 3rd annual (at 26 Petunia Road, probably 6th or 7th including the ones we held at my parent's) Labor Day party. It was very fun and relaxing to hang out with our friends and family. If you would like to see the pictures from the party, check out http://picasaweb.google.com/JoshandLina/LaborDay

One of the most entertaining parts of the day was the sobriety check that Trooper Wheatley (Josh's cousin John is a Maryland State Trooper) conducted. It was quite amusing to watch grown men be so engrossed in a simple flashlight in the eyeball test.

School Stuff

So with diligent work, my classroom is finally situated...well, as much as it's going to get! I ended up going in last Saturday with Josh and worked on it all this past week. I went in today to put on some final touches. The kids will be arriving this Tuesday.

The bulletin board outside of my classroom. Each star has a student's name on it.

The cubbies where the students will hang their coats and back packs. Notice our own personal bathroom!

The reading area and soon-to-be computer area.

The classroom. My desk is in the far corner. The big white board at the front is an interactive SMART board. It hooks up to your computer and you can write on the board and do other fun stuff...if only it was hooked up (our school is technically still under construction).

Surprise, Surprise!

I went to make a post on the blog and....WHAT? I didn't write that! Let me tell you about the few moments of confusion I had until I realized that Josh posted to the blog! And how nice it was! Since Josh pretty much said everything that I was going to say, here are some pictures to go along with his post.

Here's Melina after she made the spare. How cute is she?

And of course, here's Niko being Niko :o)

I made cookie favors for Kim's shower.

This is the scene I walked into on Saturday afternoon. Yes, I SAID I wasn't going, but I thought about it and realized that there was no way I could move the furniture on my own so Josh so graciously manned up and helped me arrange the furniture in my room. As of today, it is coming along and I've unpacked about half of the 60 boxes (there were more behind me in this photo and some stacked up under the dry erase board at the front).

Lina Miller/Mrs. Miller

This is my first official post; we'll see how it goes. This past week/weekend really put us to the test. Leyla was a tremendous help to me throughout my background investigation (she was essentially "on-call" last week and available whenever I needed her assistance). I want to thank those of you who took part (many of you, again).

It seemed as though Saturday began where Friday ended. We started Saturday by heading into school. Lina and I teamed up and moved some furniture around; her new classroom was a bit overwhelming upon arrival but much more manageable once we finished. I think Leyla felt a small sense of relief when we left. We drove to the grocery store next and headed straight home to clean house for the next several hours in preparation for Sunday. Later that evening we attended Miss Melina's Camp Rock themed 8th birthday party at the Milford Bowling Lanes. This is always fun stuff. Sunday proved to be the biggest test for Lina (I had it pretty easy as I was able to spend the afternoon with Big Joe). Lina hosted a baby shower for her sister at our home and although I wasn’t there, heard it turned out really well. The shower took many weeks of preparation and Lina did well coordinating with both family and friends throughout the process.

This post is really more of a "thank you" to my wife for her assistance and support. These things often get overlooked because of the strenuous schedules and demands of life. Thank you for tolerating the training, late night meal preparation and dialogue sessions. Thank you for your unwavering support regarding my training and the Delaware State Police – you are as much a part of it as I am. With all that's occurred recently, we are both really looking forward to spending time with each other and our family and friends this weekend. Labor Day is a time to take a break and relax. We will be thinking of each of you, as you are all important to us. Take some time to relax and be with those you care for.

The Past Few Days

This week mainly consisted of Josh working for two background investigations. He has been filling out the background information packet for the Dover police and talking with the background investigator for the DSP. Both have kept Josh (and me) extremely busy! A big thank you for all of those who spoke to the corporal about Josh...at least I think I should say thank you! HA HA! The corporal already knows EVERYTHING, so honesty is the best policy. And thanks to those who may end up speaking to the Dover police.

As far as what has been going on with me, I returned to school today. Today basically consisted of school meetings and team building activities...woo-hoo. Can't you see my beaming excitement? My school is still under construction and we are allowed to go into the building on Saturday...YEAH RIGHT...that's EXACTLY what I want to do on Saturday. I will already be busy with my weekend. I think I can make it until Monday.

The Fuzz

Since many people are interested where Josh is in the police process, I thought I'd give an update. As of right now, he has applied to both the Delaware State Police (DSP) and Dover Police Department. He has completed the written exams, physical fitness tests (which of course we all know that he smoked!), and oral interviews with both agencies. As far as Dover is concerned, Josh is working on his background packet (literally a BOOK of forms for Josh to divulge his entire life history) to be followed by a background investigation with an officer. Because Josh made it to the very end of the DSP process last year only to be turned down because lack of spots, Josh is first on the list for a background investigation this time around. In fact, he went to the DSP headquarters today to meet with his background investigator (which will be MUCH more condensed this time around). If both police departments want him, Josh is in a difficult position. Even if only one department wants hire him, he is in a difficult position. Both options, in addition to the possibility of even staying at All Span, Inc. have pros and cons. That's what is going on with Josh's application process. Please keep Josh in your thoughts and prayers that he is offered and accepts the right career for himself and family. Thanks!

Babies, Babies, EVERWHERE!

Congratulations to Jared and Gina on their first child: Leah Elizabeth Judy. She was born Monday, August 11th in the afternoon weighing 6 lbs. exactly and measuring 18.5 inches long. I stole a picture from their blog so that you could see how adorable she is!

So, if you noticed the title of this blog, let me tell you just how true it is! In addition to Jared and Gina just having their baby, Josh's cousin John and his wife, Ashley, just gave birth to their little boy Emmett Ashton Wheatley on July 4th. Check out who else is due:
My friends, Laura and Derek with a girl in October
My sister, Kim and her husband with a boy in October
My cousins, Nikki and Phil with a girl in November
My cousin Jess and her partner, Toni, are expecting a little boy in November as well
Kristine's sister, Kathy in Feburary
My friend, Brooke, in Feburary
Another friend, whom I cannot name at this time because it's not public knowledge is due in April....
OH MY! Congratulations to you all!

Millers and Crabs

After the grappling tournament, we headed over to Josh's parents house for Josh and his dad's birthdays. Josh turned 28 on August 7th and his father turned the big 5-0 on August 8th. We celebrated by eating crabs and shrimp and drinking beer...well ix-nay on the beer for me. We know how much I like beer.
The birthday boys

Yummy crabs

Curtis poking fun of his dad for enunciating the word ham-mock instead of just hammock (hammick).

Clockwise from the bottom left: Curt (Josh's Dad), Kacie (Josh's neice), Melissa (Josh's sister), Darryl (Melissa's husband), Josh, Teresea (Curtis's girlfriend), Ruth (Josh's mom), and Curtis (Josh's brother).

The incriminating evidence of enjoying crabs and beer

Josh's First Brazilian Jiu-Jistsu Fight

Josh participated in his first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappling tournament today on Saturday, August 9th. It was held in Smyrna, Delaware at a new MMA facility. Although Josh was pumped going into the fight, I was quite apprehensive...imagine that! However, it was actually not as violent as I thought. In fact, the first fight was 2 little kids, probably about 4 or 5 years old in their little gi's. It was quite cute!
And of course, Josh did AWESOME! I guess all that "training" paid off. Each match was five minutes long. The first guy he fought was a random guy from a camp in Baltimore (He was the loser from the first match). Josh submitted him with a guillotine in 1 minute 45 seconds.

Josh then fought the winner of the first match, who happen to be his friend and member of his own training camp (Team Viper), Mike. It wasn't either of their intentions to fight each other, but they both gave it all they had. Although, Mike put up a good fight, Josh also submitted him with a guillotine.

Josh's official record is 2-0, all submissions.

Millers in Milford/Greenwood

ok, so yes, technically our mailing address is Greenwood as someone try to descretly bring to my attention...I'm not going to say who, but you know who you are! However, I believe that the people who made the decision that my neighborhood belongs in Greenwood were missing some brain cells. According to Map Quest, Greenwood is 10 miles from our house whereas Milford is only 6. So...if God forbid had a fire at our house, guess which fire department would show up??? Also, we live in Kent county and not Sussex. We have a Milford phone number. And last, but not least, we live in the Milford School District. So....the way that I see it is that we're Millers in Milford :o)

A Day With the Girls

Sherri and Kim, two fellow teachers, and I went out to our favorite place for lunch today - La Tonalteca (not sure what that stands for, but I'm sure you could tell it's Mexican)! They have the BEST salsa I've ever had! Our typical orders #119 with chicken and diet coke for Kim, #119 with chicken and no beans and a diet coke for Sherri (I get the guacamole from her meal), and #105 and water with lemon for me....
During lunch Sherri suggested that she could use a pedicure and Kim and I both agreed, so on a whim, that's what we did! Now, I don't want to perpetuate stereotypes, BUT I swear that the ladies that were doing our toes were talking about me in Vietnamese. One of them went as far as staring at me for minutes at a time and then turned to talk to her co-workers. So I narrowed it down to one of two reasons: 1. They were wondering if I planned on shutting up sometime soon because I was running my mouth (surprise, surprise) OR 2. They were trying to figure out my ethnicity. Either way, it was VERY obvious that I was a source of entertainment for them. Not that Kim had awful feet by any means at all, but she got semi fussed at for not having a pedicure recently!!!
With that said, we all had a good afternoon and it was a nice thing to do in our last few days!

My teacher rant

So I bet you thought you were going to read about something else I did this past week. Well...not so much. I planned on painting our master bathroom, but I tired of painting, so I opted to wait. Till when, I have no idea since summer break is coming to a quick end. For all of those non-teachers out there rolling your eyes at the "poor teacher who has to go back to work after being off for 2 months"...you can ....well, i won't go there :o) and besides, I was only off for 4 weeks because I taught summer school! Seriously, though, if you are not a teacher, you don't understand. Not that most full-time workers don't work hard and shouldn't get a break, but let me just say that if teachers did not get some time off, there may be a higher correlation with teachers and the alcoholic and crime rate and the state institutions would probably be full. It's not to say that we don't love those kids and enjoy teaching them, but unfortunately "teacher" is just a very misleading title for what we do....it's all the other crap that is obnoxious (I save you the details). Again, all of you non-teachers rolling your eyes...you just don't get it.

More Projects

Prior to painting our bedroom I made a lovely summer wreath for our front door. Who knew I was so talented! Another project that we took on was landscaping the front of our house. We planted some hostas, hydrangea bushes, salavia, evergreen trees, and of course petunias since we live on Petunia Road!

Before Landscaping:

After landscaping:

Red, Red, and More Red

After talking about it for over a year, we've finally painted our bedroom...RED! I will have to admit that I was a bit leary about should a bold color, but I love it. I think "posh red" is the perfect shade - not to bright, not too dark, and not too pink. However, as much as I love the color, if you ask me if I plan on painting another room red, the answer is NO! What a pain red can be! Talk about a week long project. One coat of primer and THREE, yes THREE, solid coats of red paint. Oh well, Josh and I both love the end result and I can check that off my list of things to do this summer.

Because of the lighting in the room, the picture towards the window looks dark and the one away from the window looks bright...but you get the idea!

The First Post

This is my first post! I've been playing around trying to figure everything out. I'm thinking this might be a little more grown up than myspace. Or maybe not, who am I kidding! It's kind of entertaining to say whatever I want and talk to whoever wants to listen. Yay for me who likes to talk!

So, for those of you who don't know, Josh and I were married on December 10, 2005 in Newark, Delaware. Here's one of my favorite wedding pictures - our first dance as hubby and wifey.
After living with just the two of us for a few short months, I convinced Josh to get a kitten, and as you now know, I came home with TWO kitties! They have to have someone to play with when we're at work and who better than your own sister! So here are Annabelle and Zoey showing how happy they are to be saved from the S.P.C.A. together.