MoreyPee:The Time of My Life

It seems we spend much of our younger years searching for “the one”. Each person we date seems to be better than the last. Looking back I can take certain things I liked and disliked about the people I have dated. I can take all those great qualities and wrap them up into one man…my Kevin. He makes me laugh, takes care of my when I am sick, and believes in me. Often times I will be sitting on the couch and he will be at his desk. I will be thinking aloud, “umm, I think I need…” and a few days later that item just shows up. I don’t say these things out loud simply to get them, and usually by the end of the day I have forgotten even saying something.

Kevin does things that he knows will make me happy, expecting nothing in return except my happiness and a big smile. I have never been in such a self-less relationship with anyone. Normally, I am the one who does all the sweet, thoughtful things. I am a nurturer and care taker by nature, so giving unconditionally has always been my downfall. I give and give, with nothing in return, until one day I burn out and have nothing left to give. With Kevin, I have never felt like that. I give and he gives and there is no burnout, there is only complete and total contentment.

I have searched my whole life for something like this, never realizing how great it really could be. This past week Kevin outdid himself. I was pretty sick for a number of days, barely able to pull myself off the couch. Kevin made two trips to the store to make sure I had things in the house like soup, crackers, juice, fruit cups, and juice; the “sick food” I like to have around. He made me soup and waited on me. He even loaded, ran, and unloaded the dishwasher. He later confessed the he “never realized how spoiled he is now.” No one has ever taken such good care of me when I am sick, except of course my mommy.

It is a nice change to be with someone I know without a shadow of a doubt loves me, and loves me for me. I never have to question or worry about how he feels, I can see it in his actions and in his eyes. I have someone who believes in my no matter what and is right behind me, supporting every choice I make. If I told him I wanted to run for presidency, Kevin wouldn’t laugh. He would say, “Okay, what do we do first?” It is this man that I have always dreamed about since I was a little girl; well as soon as I realized me and Ralph Macchio weren’t going to work out.

Two years ago, my parent’s decided to start a tradition where we all gather as a family for a little vacation. Just our immediate family, spouses or significant others, and kids would get together for a couple days and play. Two years ago, we went to Seaside, Oregon and rented a beach house. We stayed for three days and played at the beach, explored the town, and enjoyed a few meals together. It was a lot of fun.

Here is our rental house this year, my parents, Jonathan and Jessica stayed in the motor home.

Last year, we were unable to go on a vacation due to busy schedules and stuff. This year, we tried again. This time we went to Ocean Shores and the whole family came out; we even invited Grandma to spend some time with us. I brought along Kevin so he could experience the Peterson’s in their natural habitat.

We had a lot of fun. Andrada and Drew played together the entire time. Chris hung out with the adults and Sydnie did her own thing. Chris and Jonathan got out their kites for some fun kite flying action.

Kevin and I went for several long walks on the beach, to maintain our exercise routine and try to work off all the yummy food. The kids gathered shells and hermit crabs. We found a bunch of starfish and jelly fish when the tide went out. Christi even found a large living crab.

At night, we played some board games, roasted smores outside, and had plenty of laughs. My mom drank her wine, Arbor Mist, and helped keep things interesting. Grandma read almost the whole time, but I think she enjoyed time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

We are already trying to plan for a trip for next year, Orcas Island, Seaside, Victoria, BC? We aren’t quite sure, but it is something we definitely want to do again.

Kevin bought me a little present from Costco on Saturday, a Sonic Care Toothbrush. Now to most people this is a ridiculous gift, but to me it is an amazing one. I haven’t had medical insurance in years and that means no dental coverage either. I have been having fears of getting gingivitis without a proper dental visit. The sonic care toothbrush is said to remove as much plaque from the teeth as dental cleaning would.

I have been using it for about three days now and I feel as if my teeth are cleaner already. The toothbrush even automatically shuts off after two minutes, so you know you are brushing for just the right amount of time. It has many other great features as well like a sensitive setting or a deep cleaning setting, where it beeps after each section is clean. The only downside is that it vibrates and tickles my gums really bad. I usually end up laughing while brushing my teeth, even on the sensitive setting. I also have to remember to not turn it on until the toothbrush is in my mouth; otherwise the toothpaste gets shaken off.

All and all, the Sonic Care Toothbrush is a great investment.

Sometime in early June we decided we wanted a Bengal cat. MAPI the First died from some sort of poison overdose, so it was time to replace him with MAPI the second or Mapi Deuce as we lovingly call him.. I did some research and found some local breeders who had kittens for sale. I found a breeder with kittens born May 16, 2009. In mid-July, we drove out to Sedro Woolley and meet the kittens.

We had to wait until the kitties were at least 12 weeks and neutered before we could bring the little guy home. So, we started preparing the house for him. I found some old cat dishes; we bought litter and food, some toys, and an automatic water dispenser. The house was ready by the time we brought little Mapi home.

On August 13, 2009, Kevin and I again made the trip up to Sedro Woolley to pick up our cat. We borrowed a cat carrier so the little guy wouldn’t go insane in the car, and headed on our way. Once we arrived, the breeder told us little Mapi was a little shy since being neutered and would need some extra attention; for this reason we got the cat for a measly $200. Pure breed Bengals usually start at $750, so that was a great price. I knew I would be at home all day, so bringing our cat out of his shell wouldn’t be a problem at all.

For the first few days, Mapi refused to come out of the bathroom. He often hid when people came into the room, but meowed when they left. He would peek his head around the corner of the bathroom, but run back inside and hide. After the third day, we started bringing him into the living room. It took him about a day before he really started exploring.

Here is a very scared Mapi, hiding out in the bathroom and shaking every time we came near.

Mapi has been with us for about a week now and he pretty much as free roam of the upstairs. He only goes in the bathroom to use the litter box. He mainly sleeps under our bed, not on it, but under it. He turned into a feisty little kitten, who loves to play and attack things. We have visions of building him a perch that spans across the living room ceiling. We also hope to create some fun attack toys and swinging items for him to play with. Here are some photos showing a much braver kitty who loves to stretch out and sleep and run and pounce on things.

In about two weeks, we are going to start attempting to toilet train him. We have a small device that you put on your toilet. Each week you cut out a small hole until it is completely open. No more litter, no more mess to clean up. If we can teach him to flush the toilet too, we will be golden, but that part may never happen.

All in all, Mapi has blossomed into a fun little kitty. His life with us will be full of fun during his time with us. We are very excited for this new chapter in our life.

Hiking is the newest adventure we at the Miller house like to do each weekend. Often times it is Kevin and I and every other weekend we bring Trenton along with us. Most of this month has been busy and I have spent every weekend out in Graham visiting with family from out of town. Last weekend, my sister and her family, my mom and dad, and Brian and Andrada all came out to our house in Woodinville for dinner and a slumber party. My parents, Christi and the kids all left early on Sunday morning to go watch Dave in his Iron Man competition. Brian and Andrada decided to hang out with us and go on a short hike.


We decided to hike Twin Falls and show them the waterfalls. There is one part of the hike where you can go down by the water and climb on the rocks to get a really close view of the waterfall. The hike is only 2 miles and is a relatively short hike, compared to a few we have been on before. There are only a few areas that make you lose your breath up the hills, but it’s a great hike for kids and if you like waterfalls.



It is always fun to get out of the house and get a bit of a workout. We have gone on many hikes around the area and enjoy trying out new areas. A few weeks ago we went out to Cougar Mountain, the Licorice Fern trail. This was an interesting hike because the entrance is right next to someone’s house. There were barely any people on the hike because it is tricky to find. There are a few large hills, but nothing really difficult. Somewhere along the trail is a waterfall, but we failed to find it.


This weekend we have Trenton and who knows where we will end up?

Saturday was my Grandpa’s birthday and although he passed away in January, the family wanted to honor him one last time. He was cremated and my grandmother wanted his ashes spread up in the mountains at his favorite hunting spot. His four sons, including my father, and most of the cousins got together early on Saturday morning and made the long trek up to Mount Rainier. The road up to the hunting spot was gravel and bumpy with many pot holes, we took four large trucks and no small cars would have made it. The road was one way and very narrow with huge drop-offs on one side. I’m glad I wasn’t driving, I would have freaked out.

Anyway, we all made it safely up to the hunting spot and no one really knew what to do next. The uncles talked about the old days when grandpa and grandpa great would take them all and hike up this mountain to hunt for a few hours. Back then, the road wasn’t there and the hike up took about 6 hours. My Uncle Gary, the eldest son, decided on a spot to spread the ashes and he dumped Grandpa out after saying a few words. The ceremony was poorly planned and I would have liked to have said a few words myself, but Grandpa still would have liked it.

Saying good-bye has not been easy and I miss him with each passing day. I find it hard to visit Grandma sometimes knowing Grandpa isn’t going to be sitting in his chair, pretending to ignore everyone. He wasn’t the most social man I’ve ever known, and ever since his stroke in 2003 he spoke even less. I thought for sure he would outlive everyone in the family and it is strange that he is gone. Sometimes, I think he is just at the hospital or somewhere else and I just keep missing him. Other times, I remember he is gone and it hurts my heart.

I can remember when I was younger; we would always avoid Grandpa. He seemed to be so gruff all the time. He would come home from work and we would run to play upstairs or outside. Even if we had been playing in the living room all day, when Grandpa came home, we vacated his chair and left the room. He wanted to eat his dinner and watch the news. As I grew older, I grew less and less afraid of him. Grandpa never hurt anyone or yelled at us, he was just a rougher type of man who never quite knew how to express emotions.

I guess it was when my family moved in with Grandma and Grandpa that things changed. I was a sophomore in high school and we were having a house built. The house we lived in sold faster than expected and we were left with no choice but to move in with the grandparents. Things were awkward at first, but it was the best experience of my life. I developed a bond with both my grandparents that I didn’t have before. I started talking to Grandpa and asking him questions and always greeting him.

That relationship lasted through the rest of his years. I never stopped saying “hi” when I saw Grandpa. I would hug him, whether he wanted me to or not. I would say “good-bye” when I left. Though, I am no longer 16 years old. The years have passed far too quickly and now I can no longer say “hello” or “good-bye” to him or force hugs upon him. I miss him, but his memory will forever live on. Rest in Peace Grandpa, until we meet again.