The Millers' First Home

Here's our soon-to-be new home! It is a cute 3 bedroom, 2 bath that was built in the 50's (that means beautiful pink bathroom tile!) It's in a neighborhood called University Manor, which is really close to White Rock Lake. It's a cute community with lots of young families and we have a nice sized back yard for Doughboy to run around. The house needs a few updates, but we're really excited to have some projects to work on together as newlyweds. Troy is already trying to decide which wall he wants to knock out while I'm trying to decide how soon we can pull up all that pink tile!

We close October 8th, one day before our apartment lease expires!

Check it out at http://7323edgerton.ebby.com/

Summer Update

I have been informed it is time for an update. Very well, here is our news so far for the summer.

We traveled last weekend to Kansas for the 4th of July weekend. We stayed in Chase with my mom, stepdad, their old grumpy (but very wonderful!) dog, Toby, and bird, Ruby. Doughboy had a little trouble adjusting to the presence of another dog. He decided to mark his territory wherever he was at and permanently kept his nose in poor Toby's butt. Other than that, he utterly enjoyed Kansas: chasing rabbits and fireflies, cooler weather, steak and chops, and lots of dog-loving people.

We had a nice cook-out on Friday night with my mom, step-dad, grandparents, and step-brothers and their wives. It was so nice to see my grandparents since they couldn't make it to the wedding. After dinner, all the boys went to shoot their guns while the ladies gossiped. I just love my step-sisters-in-law, Jennifer and Amber. They are so sweet and down to earth. It was a perfect evening, Troy got to eat meat and blow up things and I got to chat with the girls. Ahhh, Kansas.

On Saturday morning, I ran the Freedom Run 5K in Sterling. I was very pleased with my time,(26.30) especially since I haven't been running a whole lot. I actually came in 5th in my age group! After the race, we walked around the festivities at Sterling Lake and watched my cousin, Jill, play in the basketball tournament. Sterling has a nice small-town fair-type celebration over the 4th, with games, tournaments, contests, booths, vendors, corndogs and funnelcakes, and fireworks. The weather was awesome and we had a great morning.

Saturday night we went to my dad's house for an all-out 4th of July celebration with my step-mom's family. We enjoyed more awesome food and the MOST fireworks ever. They must have shot off a hundred parachutes! And, they had a roll of 1500 black cats that boooooomed for about a full minute. I ate a variety of yummy desserts, which always makes me happy! The really cool thing is that from my dad's house, you can look down on Great Bend, a small town where everyone has block parties and blows extravagent fireworks. The whole sky was lit up with fireworks all evening - so cool. Everyone at my dad's was so nice, we had a wonderful time and were the last to leave (taking more dessert with us to go!)

We had such a great weekend. Thanks everyone for being so gracious and hospitable!

Next week we head to Georgetown to see Troy's family and then on to New Orleans!

By the way, don't you just love this picture of the Miller family! It is my new favorite.

A Thought About Graduations

Last weekend Troy and I traveled to San Antonio for his nephew, Rashaad's, graduation. The entire Miller family went to Benihana's beforehand and filled our bellies for the long night. We had a little trouble splitting the ticket at Benihana's and ended up rushing into the stadium just as the graduates were walking in to Pomp and Circumstance.

It has been awhile since I've been to a high school graduation. And, mine was really small and quick. So, I really hadn't anticipated the dynamics of a large high school graduation. Of course, the kids are totally excited and nostalgic. It's so cool seeing that side of it and celebrating the great opportunities these kids are walking into. On the other hand, for family and friends, you sit and listen for several hours for just a couple seconds of fulfillment - when they call your graduate's name. You squint, for that small minute, trying to see him/her waaaaay in the distance, accepting their diploma, their admittance into adulthood and independence. And then it's over. You have to sit through tons of other small moments for kids you don't know and can't even get a visual on their face. Ahh, what an awesome American experience! :D

Sushi Sunday and A Trip to the Zoo

Troy and I enjoyed some sushi over Memorial Day weekend, so I feel like I should comment on it. I was recovering from a stomach episode (suprise, suprise), so I was taking it easy and keeping to veggie rolls. We went to Pirahna Killer Sushi in Arlington http://www.piranhakillersushi.com/. They are awesome because they have so many signature rolls, like the Marry Me Roll (shrimp tempura & ginger cream topped with avocado, tuna & strawberry) and the Sexy Roll (coconut shrimp tempura, ginger cream & cilantro topped with avocado, crawfish & mango ). These are what I would have gotten if my stomach wasn't so darn sensitive. A friend and her husband got a boat full of sushi, which looked delicious and very filling, if you go in starving :) Troy got a couple rolls that he really liked, so . . .. . on the Troypril Sushi Scale we give Pirahna Killer Sushi an 8.

On Memorial Day, Troy and I ventured to the Dallas Zoo. Holy gobs of kids! It was crazy with children! We should have expected this, but I was quickly overwhelmed by the whining and screaming and pushing. Little buggers. I wanted to run a parenting class on discipline right there in the reptile house!


Other than the massive amounts of children and the extreme heat (Troy dislikes heat as much as I dislike cold), the zoo was fun! I have heard some negative things about the Dallas Zoo, especially in comparison with the Fort Worth Zoo, but we really enjoyed it. Now, my dad is the real zoo connoisseur. I remember as I child that we would visit the local zoo on every vacation. Dad favored the zoo in Omaha, NE, if I remember correctly. But, without my dad's opinion, I would have to say that the Dallas Zoo wasn't half bad. They could really use some lions, bears, and zebras. They are adding some additional Africa exhibits, so hopefully they'll get some lions at least. At any rate, don't avoid the Dallas Zoo just because it isn't quite as good as it's neighbor-zoo!

A Bonding Moment

We bought Doughboy a new state-of-the-art crate. It has window shades, cushions, and a "moon roof." It's awesome. I liked it so much I crawled in there with him.

Doughboy

I dedicate this week's blog to my sometimes friend, sometimes nemesis, Doughboy. He sheds all over the apartment (even on the stove), tracks in mud, costs a ton to feed, barks and whines too much, blows doggy breath in my face, tears up my pretty decorative pillows, and gives me leash-burn on my hand when I try to walk him. Truly, the hardest part of marriage for me so far has been adjusting to living with a big dog. At times, I want to lock him in his crate and never let him out. BUT, this hurts Troy's feelings. He kinda loves Doughboy.

So, I've decided to take my own advice. I always tell people in counseling that if they need to like someone that they don't initially care for (for instance, step-children) they should "fake it until they feel it." Our feelings follow our thoughts. So, I'm putting positive thoughts into my head and creating positive interactions with Doughboy. Like right now, I rented Marley and Me for Doughboy and I to watch while Troy's at work. I'm already beginning to feel some warm fuzzies.

If only he'd stop barking at the t.v.

Partini Party

We had a few friends over this weekend for game night and a small birthday celebration for ME! It was Doughboy's debut with house guests, and actually, our's too, so we wanted to keep it small (for those of you who are wondering why you weren't invited :D). We would've loved to have a big blow-out, but since we are new to entertaining as a couple and Doughboy is new to houseguests, we just had to keep it down to a few brave souls. Doughboy only had a couple barking spells and then retired to his room. I was really impressed! Us human types had homemade ice cream that Troy and I made in the ice cream maker we got for our wedding and cake "balls" that I made (I guess cake balls are the new popular thing - I read about it in Dallas Morning News). We played Partini (another wedding gift), a game with challenges like charades, word games, ball-bouncing games, name-that-tune, etc. I think everyone had a lot of laughs and learned a lot about each other (like how much Troy likes to be the D.J. and I like to hum incoherently!)

Troy surprised me with the most AWESOME birthday gift ever. . . season tickets to Dallas Summer Musicals! Some of the shows are Happy Days, A Chorus Line, Legally Blond, Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins, and Wizard of Oz! Can you imagine a better gift for me? It just goes to show how wonderful marriage is! To spend a lifetime with someone who knows me that well and would go out of their way to make my wishes come true - it's divine.

Oh, but here's the highlight of last week . . . Somehow our marriage license was "lost." The church promises they mailed it, but the county office never received it! We had to run downtown and get a new license and have our minister sign and back-date it. We like to say we got "remarried." :D

Sushi and Blackberries

Troy and I enjoyed another Sushi Saturday last weekend. We went to Oishii http://oishiidallas.com/, which is right down the street from our apartment on Wycliff. It is located in a strip mall next to the awesome pizza place, Sal's. The restaurant has a bar with a cool ambience, but the restaurant side feels a little less "uptown" and little more strip mall. We shared a couple rolls that were really yummy (especially the rainbow roll) and we each had an entree. I had kung pao chicken and Troy had the sweet and sour chicken. Both meals had the taste you expect and love from Chinese take-out, but they were fresher and less greasy. Overall, we give Oishii a 6 out of 10 on the Tropril Sushi Scale :D

On Monday of last week Troy picked up new phones for us - Blackberry Storms (the touchscreen Blackberry). We played around with them at the Verizon store a couple weeks ago and decided we should replace our old junky phones with these cool, new, do-everything phones. I really like the phone, even the touchscreen keyboard, which some people have trouble with. The only problem at first was that noone could hear me! Dad told me it sounded like I was talking through a sock. So, I exchanged mine for a new one and it works perfectly. It is more convenient than I ever imagined to be able to use your phone to check your email, see the weather forecast, listen to music, keep your calendar . . . I'm already addicted to the Crackberry.

Fireproof

Have you seen this movie with your spouse yet? Troy and I had heard positive reviews from Christian radio and our church, but we weren't quite sure. First, Troy doesn't like sappy love stories. Secondly, it really is a low budget film shot with one camera - made as part of a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA. Many of the actors are just members of the church who were interested in becoming part of the ministry. On the other hand, Kirk Cameron, who I had a gigantic crush when I was about 8 years old, stars in the film. So, that convinced me to give the movie a shot :D

Once we got past a little rough acting, Troy and I really loved this movie! It is funny and clever, but also has a great message about persisting in marriage, putting your spouse first, and learning to truly love and serve your spouse. The movie deals with pornography and adultery in a way that doesn't come across as "preachy" but demonstrates in a real way how a marriage can surivive these tough issues. When cutie Kirk Cameron learns about the love of Christ for him, he also learns to show that same love to his wifey, and . . . (I won't give away the ending even though it's obvious :D) Ok, so we recommend the movie to ALL married folks, most def.

Also, we had a lovely Easter together this weekend. I cooked lots of food and it was all delicious, of course :D We went to a great service at First Baptist. The only not-so-good part of the weekend was that Doughboy ate my black silk pillow from my couch on Saturday night. Boo hoo.

Sushi Saturday!

Last Saturday, Troy and I started "Sushi Saturday," our newest DFW culinary adventure. Before we got married we scanned Dallas for the best margarita ("Margarita Saturday"). I'm not quite sure we're done with Margarita Saturday, but we were a little burned out on Tex-Mex, so we're now in search of the best sushi rolls in Dallas! As a disclaimer, we are certainly not sushi experts! We just enjoy sushi rolls now and then! Our reviews may be vastly different from the "experts."

We actually started prior to our wedding at Hibashi http://www.hibashi.com/ near the Galleria. I had the Tahiti Roll, which was super delicious. It had pineapple inside and sweet potato shreds on top (and other yummy stuff too inside and out!). Troy had the 3 piece sushi appetizer to start with a fish entree (it's been too long to remember exactly what it was :D). Overall, when looking at the selection of sushi rolls, they were creative, visually stimulating, and yummy (that's how I judge my sushi rolls :D) On a scale from 1 to 10, we give Hibashi a 7. I liked it more than Troy did, probably because of the Tahiti Roll.

At the official kick-off of Sushi Saturday last week, we went to Tei Tei Robata Bar http://www.teiteirobata.com/ in the Knox-Henderson area. Tei Tei has the typical ambiance of uptown Dallas; modern, cool, a bit pretentious. The bar has a DJ on Saturday nights, so we hung out and got a martini before our table was ready. We ordered several plates of sushi and rolls, but the sushi menu was pretty basic - spicy tuna, soft shelled crab, etc. The quality of the fish is top-grade, though (Troy has the insider info. on that :D). We give Tei Tei a 7 out of 10. Troy liked it more than I did - apparently he has a more sophisticated palate.


This weekend we'll be taking a break from Sushi Saturday for a celebration dinner for a friend who passed his architecture tests (yippie Michael!). And, we'll be celebrating Resurrection Day! I'm so excited for our first family Easter - Troy, me, and Doughboy!

The Journey Begins

We're back from St. Lucia and we've moved my stuff into Troy's apartment, so now we're ready to start acting like a married couple! Already I know that marriage is a beautiful, wonderful gift, but also a most challenging experience. Thank God I've been given Troy to experience it with!

Jesus said in Matthew 7, and it was referenced well in the old sunday school song, that "the wise man builds his house upon the rock." When the rains came down and the floods came up, the house stood firm! So, friends and family, pray with us that we will build our house on the firm foundation of Christ, so when the rains come our house doesn't go "SPLAT!" :D