Silly Matthew!

Some days Matthew is our clown...these are some pictures from a couple of those days. ;)

Picasa Web Album - Matthew by Tara Miller

Grand Canyon -tara c. m

Yesterday we went to the Grand Canyon with Grandpa and Grandma. Since it was the 4th time I had been there, it wasn't really any different than all the other times I had been there. (I wonder why...)
But then we went on a side road because Dad wanted to look in the Kaibab National Forest for oak wood to cut for the winter. So we went scouting around back there and it was sooo pretty! It reminded me of the meadow and woods Brighty had to go through to get to Uncle Jim's cabin, in Brighty of the Grand Canyon.
I had fun taking pictures with Mom and Dad's camera. Here are a few:

I think I like the last two best...

But of course it looked so much more beautiful in real life.

-tara c. m

Phoenix -tara c. m

We were in Phoenix a couple weekends ago (and also two weekends before then). The first time, we went to the Desert Botanical Gardens, since it was free on that particular day. (we figured out it would cost $60 if it wasn't free!) It was pretty neat(though lots of it was what we see every day). One of the sections was called "night blooming garden" or something, so all the flowers were closed up when we got there. But then we came back right before we left(and, before they closed), and the flowers were all opened. It was pretty neat!

 Anyways so that was a Friday. The 6th I think. Then Saturday the 7th we went to a softball game where one of our friends was playing. It looked kind of fun. But I've never played so I don't know if I would like it or not...but I think that if I got a chance to learn I would take it. ;)
And on Sunday we went to(actually, met with) a church down there. We met some really nice people there and had supper with them one night. We came back on Tuesday then.
Then we went again the 21-23 ...and so it seems like we have seen lots of Phoenix this month. Of course I don't mind, just saying.

Here's some pictures:

Matthew climbed up here by himself, and was intently watching Maitlei eat--I mean, his face was about an inch or two from the bowl!

Desert Botanical Garden pictures:

This was right when we came in(It's all glass!)...

...And this is when we left! Transformation! ;)

hmm..what's he thinking: "Scared out of my shorts? Check."

The plant/bush on the left is Rosemary--and boy, did it stink!

It looked so cool in real life...it was just getting dark and the sun happened to shine through right there, and these two birds were hopping along on this branch...but one flew away...

-tara c. miller

Springtime! -tara c. m.

Springtime is here,(has been here for awhile but I haven't posted since then) and with it comes the usual wind. I never noticed it before, but this year I have observed that there is wind, and then there is WIND. Well, this year we seem to have WIND most of the time. But on the days when it's not windy, it seems logical to do something outside. On those days, I sit staring out the window, and think that I really should do something outside (it would be a shame to waste such a nice day, right?), my thoughts sound something like this: "Hmm...I could read, crochet, read, play with Maitly, read, go on a walk or hike, read...oh yes, I could also read". I noticed that "read" seemed to dominate my thoughts. I wonder why? But then I really never get around to doing anything outside, unless my friend comes and wants to play basketball (hurray!), then we play and get hot and sweaty and wonder why we ever wished the wind would go away, and have way to much fun...But those days are rare. So I go on staring out the window, scolding myself that I am letting this perfect day go to waste. It's not so much that I don't want to go outside, it's just that I wish I could find something to do out there that is more useful than "read" or less boring than "read" or maybe sometimes just I wish someone would give me a suggestion, and/or do it with me. Anyhow..."I really ought to go do something outside..."

So now.  Yes, we have been up to other stuff than having lots of WIND. Mom made Matthew some 90 Minute Shirts. Then we had to decide what to paint on them (with freezer paper stencils). Then that started Sharayah thinking about what she could paint on her shirts (or crochet bag, it turns out). And so she thought, and painted, and then started thinking about her next project, and so she's painting a shirt right now. I've been crocheting random stuff, or at least thinking about them, but yeah nothing really remarkable has happened in the the world of Tara and her hook. ;)

Here's Matthew's shirts:

Now Matthew is learning to say "caterpillar" ;)

and he loves monkeys!

The only way he knew "frog" was from a little stuffed one he has that hardly looks like the real thing...he acted kind of bored or confused when we told him this was a frog!

see the cute little "Dickies" tag on his sleeve? btw, he's holding two bouncy balls behind his back

Sharayah's bag

-tara c. m.

Psalm 63:1-8

1 O God, you are my God;

  I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you;

  my whole body longs for you

in this parched and weary land

  where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in your sanctuary

  and gazed upon your power and glory.

3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself;

  how I praise you!

4 I will praise you as long as I live,

  lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast.

  I will praise you with songs of joy.

6 I lie awake thinking of you,

  meditating on you through the night.

7 Because you are my helper,

  I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

8 I cling to you;

  your strong right hand holds me securely.

It seems like this is a lot like where I've been lately. Just seems like I need more and more of Him because I keep messing up when I'm not crying out to Him and I try to do things on my own. I feel bad that I haven't kept this more updated....my heart has been pretty focused here I guess, so I may have Tara posting more, just so you hear something from our world.

Here are a few snapshots from here.

Peeking under a chair

Dish helper

Closely watching a cricket.....before he smashes it and says "ewww!"

17 years old! Hard to believe.

Matthew looking out the window

The computer fix-it guy

The mopping assistant

When it's too windy outside....play basketball inside using a cardboard box

Pics of hiking at waterholes. Don't you want to come and  go hiking there with us? :)

Talking Tech

Preparing our garden

It's been crazy long since I've been on here. I think everyone is healthy here again so hopefully I have a little more time....yeah right! :)

Besides having had sick people here, we have been a little more involved in the lives of a few people in the village in the last couple months. There have been several heart wrenching situations/circumstances. We struggle with knowing how to help kids whose parents are essentially absent, or kids who have been "removed" from the home by CPS but are actually still there because of  a variety of issues with the system.

We had several appointments in Phoenix, so we decided that instead of rushing around all in one day we would stay overnight and take our time. Ahhh, so much more refreshing. Thanks for the beds, Melissa! Here are some pics from the hike we took to Piestewa Peak....well at least some of us made it to the top.... It was harder work than we planned for, so only Jim, Bryce, and Tara made it to the summit, while the rest waited about 2/3 of the way up.

Ready for the hike

wow, this is getting steep!

This is the easy part of the trail.

hey Seth can you see California?

climb, climb up sunshine mountain...... 

At the top.

back down we go!

Misc pics

The best "toy" in the toy box!

In a cardboard house.

Matthew and his monkey.