NEW BLOG

You didn't think that we'd keep "Life in Gettysburg" going while we were at Baylor did you?? :)
Yes, we've started a new blog. One with Baylor's colors and a new address. It's: www.lifeatbaylor.blogspot.com. How appropriate, huh? Check it out and save that one as a favorite for the next 2 years. For now, I'll officially say "Adios" to this blog.
-H

Pictures from the road

We hit some showers on our way to Dallas (the first rain of our whole trip)...
There were some moments of beautiful BIG sky also...
Apparently we crossed the Texas state line here, but we somehow missed the "Welcome to Texas" sign...
I had never been so happy to see Dallas. This picture was taken after Ilana finally fell asleep, she had been screaming for 2 hours...
(the next day) WE MADE IT TO WACO!!!
It was so hot that as soon as we got into our dorm's lobby, Moses found the coolest place possible and camped out...
It's been a wild ride so far. Ilana is growing in leaps and bounds. I'm going to try to figure out how to post videos. She babbles all the time and it's adorable! For now, Waco is great and we're so thankful for our new exciting lives here.
-H

ps...we're in waco

I feel so bad that it's taken me this long to simply say "WE'RE HERE!" We arrived here safely on Thursday (just as planned), and it's been a whirlwind ever since. I've got tons of pictures to post for many days' worth of being on the road. We are all well and extremely excited to be here. Ilana is so thankful that she doesn't have to go into her car seat for more than quick trips and Moses is thankful to have more room to roam around.
IT IS HOT! Let me say it again: IT IS HOT!!! Right now our thermometer reads 94.7 degrees IN THE SHADE, and that's without humidity (and it's around 6 p.m.). My mother-in-law and I just came from the grocery store where we were given this advice: drink lots of water and run after dark. To which I responded: YES, YES AND YES. :)
The people down here are so nice. There is a professor in residence who lives right below us with his wife, 10-year old and 17-year old daughters and dog (he is brave!). We are so thankful for what the Lord has provided down here. I promise I'll post pictures as soon as I can find where Paul put the chord to connect the computer and camera.
Thanks for your patience. Welcome home.
-H

We're in T-E-X-A-S

Well, after 11 hours of being on the road, we are in TEXAS! I never thought I'd be so excited to be in Dallas. Tomorrow we're onto Waco. :) We'll post pictures of today tomorrow. For now we're going to get some sleep.
-H

Walking in Memphis

Hey y'all! We made it to Memphis yesterday around noon and spent the afternoon and evening eating wonderful food and seeing Memphis with Chaplain Russell. It was wonderful to be off the road so early in the day and to see more familiar encouraging faces during this transition.
We're hitting the road this morning for Dallas - our longest day, about 7 hours of driving (which means 8 or 9 hours on the road).
Please be praying for stamina for Paul. It's rough to drive all the time (he doesn't want me to learn to drive with this trailer so he's doing all the driving).
The camera got a little wet yesterday morning so we let it completely dry all day yesterday so I don't have any pictures. I hope this one of our happy dog brings a smile to your face. He's our comic relief this trip and we LOVE having him with us.
-H

Pinwheel Adventures

What better way to explore a pinwheel than with your mouth?!





-H

Made it to Dickson, TN (and we've got pictures!)

We made it to Dickson, Tennessee today. There were a few times I wasn't sure we'd make it (Ilana had some major meltdowns today), but all's well that ends well...or something like that. We stopped in Nashville to see Emily - it was great! Here are some pictures of our travels so far...

Moses and I just chillin' (he absolutely LOVES this trip!)...
Moses and Ilana the first 20 minutes after any stop...
Route 81, all day yesterday...
Aren't you glad you weren't here...
She eventually fell asleep...

-H

Made it to Bristol

We made it to our goal today: Bristol, VA! Today was so much easier than yesterday. Just like being in the backcountry, the first day is the hardest, but every day after that gets easier and easier. Someone must've been praying because Ilana was much happier today.
Unfortunately we forgot to pack the cord that connects our camera to our computer so you'll have to wait until we get to Baylor and find the box where it's packed to see the pictures from the road...sorry. That'll be a HUGE blog post, because we've been trying to take tons of pictures, so check back. It's gonna be great.
We're looking forward to seeing Emily tomorrow in Nashville. We're going to an outside (dog-friendly) deli for lunch, then we're going to a local dog park for a few hours. It'll be a nice out-of-car break for everyone.
It's about 8:30 and we're gonna roll into bed soon. :) Thanks for your prayers.
-H

First night on the road

We are on the road! Paul and I were talking/crying last night about the changes these next few weeks would hold and although these changes are painful, we have no doubt that we are doing exactly what we should be doing, at the right time and for the right reasons.
How can there be such grief, hope, fear and peace in the same moment? We're not sure. But what we are sure of is that it is in those spaces that the Lord works in our lives the most - so HERE WE ARE! Ready, eager and excited to see what the Lord has for us down in Texas.
We made it to Charlottesville, VA, had a great dinner with good friends and are getting ready to zonk out in our hotel room. I hope to check in daily, so keep in touch. We're onto Bristol tomorrow.
-H
ps-Ilana screamed a lot today so please pray that she is more calm tomorrow.

Grad School or Bust!

Imagine a young family with a giant dog moving into a college residence hall. This is going to be interesting. Why are we doing this? Over the past five years we have been ministering with students at Gettysburg College. During that time the Lord has been clarifying a call for Paul to direct a college outdoor program that develops the leadership capabilities of students. While he has experience in this field, obtaining the formal education of a master’s degree will empower him to do this with excellence. After a national search of programs, the Lord has clearly opened the door for this to happen at Baylor University in central Texas.

While we have fretted over many hard decisions these past ten months, spiritual hindsight makes it clear that the Lord has been preparing us to go to Baylor this whole time. It is a bit disconcerting to leave Gettysburg and move halfway across the country with an infant and giant dog. We are all excited for the possibilities of this new phase in life. Here are some details:

• We all (yes, they're letting us bring Moses!) will be living in a 2 bedroom apartment surrounded by hundreds of undergraduate men. Our job is to simply example a healthy family. A sacrifice? Maybe, but it’s hard to argue free housing.

• We have found wonderful renters for our (finally finished!) home which we hope to return to in two years.

• Paul has a graduate assistantship (part-time job) with the outdoor adventure program.

• Paul will remain in partnership with the CCO on a part-time basis as an associate staff member.

• Heather has resigned from her position at the Majestic and will primarily be a stay-at-home mom.

• We are hitting the road July 19th.

Sic 'em BEARS!!

To read more about Baylor University click here.

10 weeks and counting

Ilana is growing in leaps and bounds these days. She had her first round of shots at 8 weeks (a couple weeks ago) and she weighed 11 lbs. 2 oz! She's probably over 12 pounds by now (she's growing up so fast!). She screams before she falls asleep, every time. Besides that we're starting to think she's really fun. She's become much more interactive and is eating her hands all the time. Here's a few pics...

She'll actually sit in her chair these days and let Paul and I get a few things done. Here she's "talking" to her alligator, zebra and elephant friends. She gets really excited and shakes the whole chair, it's adorable.
The tiffany lamps in our kitchen mesmerize her too.
Here she's playing with her friend Ada. We have a video of them holding hands. Ada even sucks on Ilana's fingers, it's adorable.
We enjoyed celebrating Mom Miller's birthday with her. Ilana got to sit ON the table.
-H

Meeting the Family

Paul was out of town Friday, 5/23 through Friday, 5/30, so instead of trying to "tough it out" by myself at home with Ilana and Moses, the girls went on a little vacation to meet the whole family. (Thanks again Courtney for spoiling Moses while we were gone!) We spent Friday-Sunday with the Miller side and Sunday-Friday in Annapolis with the Polk side. There are so many other people in Annapolis we wanted to see, so we're hoping to get down again soon. Everyone absolutely LOVED Ilana. Here are a few pictures...

We had a blast at the Annual Rabuck Memorial Day Picnic Extravaganza. Here Ilana's meeting her great grandmother "Nana." She met 13 other people that day! Our little social butterfly...
On Tuesday morning my second niece, Caroline Grace, was born. Now all 3 granddaughters on the Polk side are here and my parents are swimming in PINK!
We kept my other niece, Sami, on Tuesday and Wednesday so the rest of the family could get some sleep. Here Sami is saying "babi!" and patting Ilana's head. It was precious!
Four generations...

-H

It takes energy to take care of Ilana...

-H

4 years later

A house becomes a home:

Before........................After


Why is it that the 60's ruined home remodeling? Who thought that paneling and lime green paint on moldings was a good idea? I sure hope that whoever remodels this house next doesn't have to ask, "what were they thinking?" as many times as I have. Blood, sweat and tears. While we are ever so thankful to be homeowners we are also so thankful that it's almost done! It has been good to share this restoration with our community, students, and family. We could not have done it without all of the support. -P

An update from the homefront...

I'd say she likes her "pouch"...
Some awake and happy time (we enjoy these when they come...these times are few and far between some days)...

Ilana's tear ducts opened a few weeks ago, making her "fuss fests" (as I call them) more emotionally challenging for me...

We're starting to think she's pretty cool! We had Ilana at the pediatrician's office on Friday for her one month check-up. (Has it been that long already?!) She weighs 8 lbs. 14 oz. She's gained beyond her birth weight and the doctors feel great with how she's doing in every way. What an encouragement! Our next visit will be in another month for her first round of vaccinations...I better pack some tissues!
-H

To Nonnis, Great Grandmoms and Gigis everywhere

Great Grandmom (Paul's dad's mom) the first time she held Ilana...Nonni (aka "The Master Soother" and "The Baby Whisperer" - Heather's mom) holding Ilana...
So I know they say that "no one can replace mom." Well, I believe that most days. However, there are those few days that I wish for Nonni or Great Grandmom or Gigi (my mom's mom) to hold and sooth Ilana - they are the pros and they make it look so easy!
To all the moms and grandmas out there...THANK YOU for your example to the rest of us! You are inspiring to us all. I've only been a mom for a little over 3 short weeks and I already appreciate my mom and moms everywhere so much more. Happy Belated Mother's Day!
-H

Ilana's many faces

Tummy time!
When we're changing her diaper...
She didn't seem nearly as excited about the cloth diapers as Paul was.
Completely content after eating.
This is my favorite! Doesn't she look like she's about to tell you something really exciting? So cute!

We're trying to enjoy these days of feeding and changing diapers. We only wish we could get a bit more sleep so our brains could capture more of these moments!

-H

These days...

We are enjoying Ilana's hands (that she practices folding before every meal),Ilana's feet,
and Ilana's hair.
Moses loves to help.
We're doing great!
ps-we're also enjoying our 2-hour increments of rest every night.

And her name shall be...

(drum roll please...)
Ilana Christine Miller

These are some of my favorites...