It is the last month of the year, and time to make a little recap of what 2021 looked for the Miller household. Although a good chunk of recent happenings have been discussed in other blog posts, we still had a lot happen this year that is worth mentioning.
January
We began the year at the in-laws house, watching Interstellar and spending time outside in the snow with our beautiful, rambunctious nieces. At this time we didn't know that we'd be moving a mere 15 minutes away from Sam's parents and that the mountains would be our home in a few months.
Sam celebrated his 26th birthday and became the temporary math teacher for Union Colony Charter School--which he loved, (NOT).
I finally had my hair cut short--the first time in nearly 5-6 years!--and donated to Wigs for Kids. My hair was the longest it has ever been, the last time I had it majorly cut was back in 2015 right after we lost Butterfly. Since then, I had had it trimmed, but always thought I'd wait until another major life event happened for me to cut it short again. Since 2015, plenty of crazy changes have happened, but it never felt like the right time. I was also very determined to find a good organization to donate my hair to. After getting it cut, I was so happy with how it turned out!
February
February was filled with lots of knitting, working on art (like homemade valentines), and remembering significant dates. We traveled down to Nebraska to celebrate Matthias's birth date at my parent's house where he is buried. We made cupcakes with blue frosting, had a hike out in the woods, and just spent time together to remember our special little boy who had been born a year ago.
March
In the 3rd month of 2021, we saw some snowfall happen with a big storm that rolled in; but there were also lots of beautiful days where we were able to take walks outside. A lot of March was spent in coffee shops working on my latest book and having conversations with friends. We had a miracle happen where God provided for our hospital bill of nearly $10,000 through financial aid from the hospital. It had been so discouraging the previous month to come home from celebrating the life of our son, to be hit with a bill from our ER visit after he was born that we could not pay. After some paperwork with the financial aid office, our $10,000 was dropped to $50. I could not believe the difference in price and had to just sit for a moment after that phone call and thank the Lord for his provision.
April
The 1st was my birthday and I got to celebrate with a giant box of Crumbl cookies with our church small group. My celebrating got extended with the in-laws coming down for drinks the next night, and my parents coming up later in the week. April was full of beautiful Spring days spent in the sunshine, hammocking in the park, and having joyful adventures. Our neighbor's trees blossomed into a glorious pink that made me giddy every time I saw them.
May
Once May came along, we had begun looking into several changes. Sam was asked to be the Art teacher for Kremmling, Colorado's West Grand Highschool. I started researching becoming a doula. We saw how the rest of the year could look very different and were both scared and excited for the change of pace. We enjoyed a mini family vacation in Oceanside, CA with the in-laws and our 3 nieces--the girls were excited to see the Ocean for the first time!
June
Early in June, a friend invited me to attend a small musical performance set at an outdoor theater. Sam and I made a habit of going to Taco Johns on Taco Tuesdays and going to the laundromat to do our laundry.
Later in the month, I had a lot of joy being a bridesmaid in one of my dearest friend's wedding. I was honored to stand beside her on her special day and hold the leash of her "flower dog", Peaches.
Sam and I also got to do some hiking and exploring the mountains up with his family, as well as a special trip to Estes Park to enjoy the sights with a friend from church.
July
We celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on the 12th of July this year. To celebrate, we drove down to the college gardens in Fort Collins, took some photos, did some downtown shopping, and ate some of the most delicious authentic ramen I've ever tasted. It was a simple occasion this year, but we made it a special day for the two of us.
July was our last full month in Greeley. As the last week came to a close, we said our goodbyes to our friends, had a huge garage sale, cleaned our apartment, and packed up all our belongings to head out to our new home in Kremmling, Colorado.
August
For the beginning of August, we spent most of our time unpacking in our new apartment and getting used to living in our new town. Both Sam and I started our new jobs in the school system--him as the high school art teacher, and me as a worker in the elementary cafeteria. We got to visit the county fair with our nieces and pet some animals.
We've started the habit of visiting Sam's sister's coffee shop (Simple Coffee Co.) every Sunday afternoon to get our weekly coffee fix. Her brown sugar bourbon latte is Sam's go-to drink, and her homemade chai is amazing! YUM!
Near the end of the month, my brother Daniel came up to visit and we went on a hike that revealed that I needed to get in better shape if I wanted to be able to keep up with everyone! Haha. Summer in the mountains is glorious, and I was so thankful that we were able to move up here when we did.
September
This month, I finally began my doula training! Working with Erica McAfee of Sisters In Loss was such a beautiful experience. She is a gifted instructor and has a very comprehensive program that I am still finishing up.
Sam and I attended a couple football games for West Grand High. At homecoming, he was asked by a senior to 'sponsor' him as a homecoming royalty nominee. Each nominee chose their favorite teacher to walk out on the field with them and were asked to write a small tribute to the teacher they chose. I was proud of my man as he walked out with a student that had found Mr. Miller's art class edifying and important to him.
We went on yet another hike with a college group my Dad has a part in leading. Midway through, we got to hammock in a grove of pines and have deep conversations.
My mom was in a community theater production of Fiddler on the Roof, so we drove down to NE to watch her at the end of the month.
October
In October, we enjoyed the glorious Fall weather and golden aspens. One afternoon, we drove up on the side of the mountain to the west of us and took some landscape photography.
Just a week or two in, our Dodge Caliber broke down beyond repair. The nature of the break was bad enough that if we had been traveling out on the road when it happened, we would have probably been in a terrible accident. We give thanks for God's protection as well as His provision in allowing us to find a new vehicle fairly quickly.
November
Last month, we had some good family time over Thanksgiving and by watching Dune. We hosted some friends from Colorado Springs up for a weekend and were able to share our hospitality and play some games. We had a friend take some 'Christmas Card' photos of us--something we hadn't had done for nearly 3 years! We were definitely due for some good photos. ;) On the 27th we were able to make it back to Greeley for our favorite event: the Winter Indie Arts Market--an arts and crafts fair with local creators that we try to make it to every year. We found some fun goodies and were able to visit with friends and do some Christmas shopping before heading home.
December
This month is still ongoing and is full of anticipation. I am continuing my studies to become a doula, and hope to have enough done so that I can open my schedule for clients near the beginning of 2022! We are looking forward to visiting family for the holidays and having Sam's brother come back for Christmas break. It has been a surprisingly dry December for us so far, with very minimal snow. I was expecting my first winter living in the mountains to be snowy all the time!
We did get to decorate our little apartment for Christmas and the coziness is just *chef's kiss*. I've fallen in love with our little space and have really enjoyed making it our own.
As I look back on this year, I can only think that there has been so much that has happened and changed. There are steps we have taken that have grown Sam and I in new ways. I've started a tradition of writing a little recap of each month in the notes section of my daily planner so I can intentionally remember what happened. We have had some challenging times, but we also have so much to be thankful for. I am grateful for the growth and grace that covers our lives from day to day.
Hoping everyone is safe and well this Christmas season. May you have a wonderful holiday and a blessed new year!
-RNM
