I realize it has been about a month since my last blog post. That post was in memory of our dear pup Griffey who we had to put to sleep after many years of his faithful companionship. In the weeks that followed we struggled and remembered Griff very fondly. We missed all his little habits and mannerisms, but most of all we missed his companionship. As the days went on, we decided that we wanted to get another dog. We checked the dachshund rescue site as well as some other sources. Nothing materialized, but I received a text message from my friend Ken Lagerquist with a website he had seen. I went to the website and called the number. From there I got some great direction from Wendy about a lady who had 2 black/tan mini dachshunds in Coeur d' Alene. I called and we went over Wednesday the 28th! I've posted on Facebook and uploaded a few pictures, but I haven't officially introduced our new addition yet. Dolly the Doxie is now officially part of our family and I am now the only male in the house! So far Dolly has been a joy to have (sans the 4AM wake up calls) and loves to play with the cats! Chloe is her favorite because she loves to run, chase, and wrestle. It is hilarious to watch. So here we go with potty training, kennel training, and trying to sleep through the night, but in the end well worth the effort. Dolly is already very much attached to us and we to her.
I just wanted to share some news with you all as I cannot form the words verbally without breaking down. As you all know our beloved Griffey has had a heart murmur since he was a puppy and up until a few months ago has done just fine. However the last few months Griff has struggled with some congestion in his lungs due to his heart condition. We have had him on medication since then.
Labor Day weekend at Griffey's favorite place of all time, Griffey had a stroke after being his normal feisty self with Scott and Ruth's new puppy Maya. It was merely Griffey getting riled up like did with every other dog only this time it was more than his little heart could take. (Ruth and Scott know about his heart and know it was not Maya's fault in any way) Anyway as I sat there in the grass that summer evening with Griffey I felt it in my heart for the first time that the poor little guy couldn't go on like that. Additionally, I feared he was dying at that moment. His eyes were non responsive and his breathing was very shallow. However, I was strangely at peace as he was in his favorite place of all time (the lake), doing what he did best (bark at bigger dogs). But slowly, as I pet him he came back. First his breathing, then his eyes, then his body. In typical Griffey fashion, he would only stay still in the chair in the lake trailer for about 20 minutes. Soon after he was jumping down and doing his thing again. Go figure.
Since then we have noticed his congestion episodes getting worse and knew we had to do something soon. It's one of the hardest things I have ever thought about in my life. Well, last night as I was getting in some late Fall golf with Gracie, Amy called and told me that Griff had another stroke while outside at our house. It was at that moment that I knew it was time.
Today, I called and Dr. Andy Broaddus was very comforting and said he could do it next week or today. I could not bear to think about it for the weekend and the days to come so I made the appointment for noon today.
I just returned from putting our beloved Griffey to rest. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I have to say that Dr. Andy was awesome. I got to hold Griffey while he went to sleep and although it was excruciatingly hard, it was very peaceful and comforting. He literally went to sleep in my arms. I am so thankful for Dr. Andy and how all worked out today. I'm very sad and I miss my Griffey, but I am comforted that he is hurting no more.
Yes sports fans, my beloved Irish fell to the Wolverines of Michigan. Yes, people are saying it was a great game. I'll admit it was exciting, but great, not overly so from my sideline. Call this a "sour grapes" post if you wish, and I'll admit, sour grapes are probably an influence, but compiling this was actually a little bit fun. Bottom line, Michigan won, Notre Dame lost. I can deal with that. But I don't have to like it.
Yes ND had plenty of blown opportunities to win the game I can deal with that. Yes in the 2nd half the Irish failed miserably in major facets of the game (Run Defense, Kicking Game, Playcalling in final minutes of the game.) As a coach, I always tell my kids that blaming referees doesn't change the outcome of a game. You can't control the referees and you have to learn to play through a bad call, but what I witnessed Saturday at "The Big House" was one of the most one sided, blatant, inept refereeing jobs I have ever seen. No disrespect to my friends who are Michigan fans, but I wanted to illustrate some blatant missed calls that not only influenced the game, but were so one sided it is inexcusable. By the way, the referee crew was from the Big 10. Go figure. P.S. I left out the myriad of untimely holding penalties that were frequently called on ND throughout the game. Those crappy calls I can at least deal with. The ones I struggle with are below.
1. This is the "indisputable evidence" that overturned the Armando Allen screen pass for a TD in the 1st quarter. The replay officials overturned the call on the field (Touchdown) with this as their best evidence. Indisputable? Not even close. The fact that the crew overturned the TD play is criminal. If you want to see the Big 10 Replay Guidelines Click here
2. Delay of game called on an ND drive in the 2nd quarter. Note the time on the play clock and the ball (already snapped).
3. Some "great coverage" by a Michigan DB on Golden Tate. No penalty was called.
4. More "great coverage" Note Tate's right arm. Kinda hard to catch with one hand.
5. More awesome coverage. Tackling usually works pretty well. NO FLAG.
6. And now for some personal fouls. You know like the one called on Armando Allen after the 2 point conversion late in the 4th quarter for "shushing" the crowd. Somehow this didn't get flagged.Roll the footage.
7. Here is another great cheap shot. Remember Armando Allen got a 15 yard penalty for saying shhhh to the crowd. How does this not get flagged. It's right in front of the same ref who flagged Tate.
8. I'm still trying to find a youtube video of the Sam Young "Hold" that was called on the 73 yard pass play to ND TE Kyle Rudolph. I'll embed that when I find it.
ND did it's fair share to lose this game, but I believe the horrific officiating influenced the game more than it should have.
5 Years ago we officially became a family of 3. I have already told the story of our "Gotcha Day," which is a phrase used by adoptive families to mark the day that the parents and child "got" each other and became a forever family. It wasn't until just a little bit ago, that I realized that this seemingly innocent phrase was so controversial in the adoption community. I won't go into the details but if you Google "Gotcha Day" you will find the strangely heated discussions. Honestly, I am continually amazed by how certain types of people look for something negative in anything they can. Well, for the Millers, "Gotcha Day" is an endearing and powerful phrase that we use to celebrate our union as a family. It doesn't cheapen the bond, it doesn't imply any selfish desires or motives. People who want to be miserable and nitpick everything under the sun can do so, but it won't stop us from celebrating one of the most amazing days of our lives, a day that will continue to change us forever.
The story I will share today, to add to the previous blog post on last year's "Gotcha Day" is about the day we traveled across the China countryside to visit the orphanage in Fuling City where Gracie spent the first 10 months of her life. Since I seem to be on a theme of emotions the past few posts, I'll continue my trend. We visited the orphange 1 or 2 days after "Gotcha Day."
First of all the trip in our tour bus with our new daughter and the other 4 families and their new daughters was an amazing experience to all the senses. The vivid bustling cityscape, the sound of millions of people carrying about, the smells of markets, and the many other overwhelming sensory experiences we had. It was amazing to go from streets and masses of people to rural countryside with farmers living in grass huts in a matter of minutes. After a couple hour bus ride, we arrived in Fuling and went to the 1st Social Welfare Institute, Gracie's home for most of her life at the time.
Upon entering the emotions were intense. Seeing all the little children in little walkers was amazing. The all scooted towards us as we entered with our guide, Michael, and toured the facility. It was actually nice by most standards. We could immediately tell the orphanage nannies and workers cared very well for the kids. The next part was probably one of the most intense experiences we have ever had, the room full of baby cribs where all the babies slept. Seeing where our new little girl spent all her nights was so moving, words simply cannot begin to illustrate. The head nanny tried to show us where each of the girls had slept. We took pictures, then just took in the moment. We saw many other parts of the orphanage, and eventually got to see pictures and plans for the new and improved orphanage. By the time we returned to our hotel that day we were so physically and emotionally exhausted we could barely walk and stay awake. It was truly an amazing day.
It is still incredibly amazing to me to recall our journey and how we became a family. God truly orchestrated everything and for that we are so very thankful.
I will post some additional pictures of our trip to China in 2004 tomorrow. Check back for some links.
Well day 4 is in the books and everything went pretty well. No, I don't plan to post a blog for all 180 days of Kindergarten, rather I figured I would finish off the week just because. Today, I still had a little "heart tug" moment, but not as intense as the past few days. I have been trying to explain to Gracie that I will eventually drop her off in front of the school and not go all the way in and she says OK. So today I figured I would take advantage of the moment and when we got in the double doors I said "OK I'm going to let you go find your room and go play by yourself." Gracie gave me a little bit of a look like she wasn't sure how to deal with it, but once again I sucked it up and said, "you'll be fine, you know where to go." As I walked out to the car, I had twinges of "I hope she's OK," and "was she ready for that?" but they turned into being thankful for how far we had come. When I told the story to Amy she said, "enjoy that feeling, because pretty soon she will ask to be dropped off so no one sees you." Oh the madness!
Today after school when talking with G and asking how the day went, she had all sorts of great stories to tell about her 4th day. She is doing so well and seems to really like it. I'm thankful for that, and am proud of my little girl growing up.
Tomorrow, Day 5, I will be dining with G at lunch. It should be fun!
Day 3 for Gracie in Kindergarten was fantastic. Our commute was awesome and upon arrival at Sunnyside School we met a huge busload of kids on our way to the main entrance. I held the door open as the kiddies all filed in. Then Gracie and I made our way down the hallway and were greeted by Mrs. Roach's sub Mrs. Gonsalves with a big "Hello Gracie!" Gracie immediately went into the room and headed for her cubbie. Me, being the seasoned veteran that I am said "Have a good day Gracie," to which she said, "You too!" I headed out and tought about how far we had come in just 3 days.
First of all it's late, and I'm near brain-dead after another action packed, emotional roller coaster day, so the typos and errors will probably abound in this post.
Well I thought that surviving Gracie's first day of Kindergarten meant that Day 2 would be a breeze. I was in for a big surprise. Gracie goes with me in the mornings as I work across the parking lot in my office at Kellogg Middle School. So we did our 4 minute commute and talked about everything from yesterday's rainbow to where I went to Kindergarten. (we drive by the original Sunnyside School on our way)
When we got to the school, I parked. Then Gracie and I walked through the doors and down the hallway. Gracie's teacher, Mrs. Roach was off doing things so the door to the classroom was closed. So I calmlyl had G leave her backpack with the others by the doorway and took her out to the playground. I could tell she was a little rattled, like I was as we were both expecting to be able to go in the classroom like yesterday. So when we went out to the playground there were tons of kids going full steam playing, yelling, and just being kids on a beautiful late summer morning. Gracie just stood there and I felt a huge lump in my throat as I forced the words "You can go play sweetie." I couldn't believe how those words ripped at my heart as I saw the look on her face. She was not exactly horrified, but she was definitely a little out of sorts. I could see her scanning the activity carefully and getting her courage up. That tugged at my heart even more.
As she began to drift towards the playground, I realized I hadn't even said goodbye or "have a nice day" or anything. I called her name and told her to come over and I then had her give me a big hug and told her to have a great day. At this point my heart was aching more than it was on Day 1. The classroom was so structured and organized. She had a friend, colors, and lots of cool stuff to look at. But this was the playground. Gracie's friend Hailey wasn't there yet, so she was really unsure. Our little Gracie is slow to get in the mix with a bunch of rowdy kids and I love that about her. But today it was tearing me up.
After she walked around the equipment carefully observing all the kids and checking out the woodchips and I then I made the mistake of watching for a minute or two and it was very hard! As I mentioned, her friend Hailey wasn't there yet and it was typical playground chaos so she just walked around and surveyed the situation and then kinda stood by herself. I wanted to call her name and go hug her again and encourage her, but I knew that would just make it worse. Again I called on the wise words of my Elementary School Teacher/Sister-In-Law Martha who said the best thing to do is just leave and she will be fine. It was so hard for me to just leave, but I did. I knew I had to do it I know she was fine but it was just so hard for me. :-) When I was walking back out the hallway Hailey and her mom were just getting there. I told Hailey that Gracie was looking for her, and she smiled. It made me feel better if I just thought about Hailey finding Gracie and everything being OK. Wow. What a morning.
You are probably wondering about the title of this blog post. Well, a friend of ours and co-teacher with Amy shared a story with me a few days ago about how she could see her son on her way to work every day as the playground was on her way. Her son had a bright orange coat so she could see him easily. She said he would often be off by himself on the playground and the sight of that would tear her up. It was such a touching story so parallel to my experience that I chose that as my title.
