Wow, it's been a long time...what's up?

We realize that it has been forever since we blogged and are hopelessly outcast in the universe of the blogging world. Life has been busy and alot has gone on. We have created another blog http://fantasticpursuit.blogspot.com/ where we intend to post about the next adoption story in our lives.

Yes, you read correctly...we are adopting again. For some time--really almost since we got home from China a year ago--we have felt like we would adopt again. This summer while we were on vacation in Florida we sensed God leading us to adopt from Ethiopia. We have begun the process and are in the midst of the paper chase. Considering the current length of the process, it is likely that we will have a new son by the end of 2009.

Since this blog is about our journey to Sarah Beth, we felt the new site was in order. In addition, we realize that the Miller family needed to a site to talk about the "goings on" of all the Miller family in general. We don't intend to blog on this site anymore, but will leave it up as a memorial to the way that God led our steps to China...and beyond.

Come and listen to what He has done

When you come to our blog, the first song you hear is a song by the David Crowder Band which is one of my favorites. This song really speaks something to me. When I hear it, I think of someone who was with Him during His time on earth and is encouraging others...come and listen, come and listen.

God is an amazing God whose ways are unsearchable and whose love is unfathomable. We just returned from a weekend away in Indianapolis with our very good friends, the Harknesses. I will post some pictures later, but this was an amazing weekend to look back many years (all the way to 1990 when we moved to Atlanta) and to see and hear what God has done in our lives. He is amazing (I know that word does not convey it well, but He is amazing).

I think back to teaching the youth at First Baptist Conyers with them (and chaperoning a DiscipleNow weekend with them), moving away from Conyers to Lawrenceville, seeing them move to Lawrenceville, having our first kids (Josh and Sarah were once Nudie Rudy and Nudie Judy), moving away from Lawrenceville to South Carolina, moving back to Atlanta, telling them that we were pursuing adoption from China, seeing God do a work in Doug's heart to embrace what was already in Lucy's heart--adopting from China, tying our paperwork together so we could travel to China together, agonizing over the ever growing delay with them, feeling bittersweet joy when they selected Ally from the waiting child list, understanding God's perfect plan when we saw that He was leading us to do the same thing and find Sarah Beth (which God used as well for the Sanders to find Zoe--they got her today!!), and then to rejoice with them when they shared that God was calling them to return to China for Alaina.

This weekend those memories flowed over me and showed me just how God perfectly orchestrates His will in our lives (and how old I am getting). We had a wonderful weekend with them that was just what I needed. I am in a season where I am wrestling with God about what He wants to do in our lives and not being able to see just how big He is. He is BIG, VERY BIG, and he reminded me of that this weekend.

Harknesses, we had a blast! Thank you for befriending us when we showed up at First Baptist Conyers those many years ago. We have been richly blessed by our friendship and had a great weekend with you. Who would have ever thought years ago when it was just the four of us that we would be asking for a reservation for 11 in 2008?!?

Our trip to the beach!

It is becoming a theme for us to be behind in posting blogs. Here is one more example. We went to Panama City at the end of May/first of June.

On our way we stopped at my aunt's house for a visit. Some of the pictures in this slideshow are from that visit. The kids hooked a tractor tire behind my aunt's ATV and drug riders down a dirt track in the field. It was hard to be mad at them when we saw them covered in dust.

After leaving my aunt's house we went to Panama City and enjoyed the high school graduation of our nephew, Roberto. The rest of the week we hung out at the beach with Melissa's parents, Amy (Melissa's sister), Roberto, Sr. (our brother-in-law), and Bill (Melissa's brother).

It was Sarah Beth's first trip to the beach and at first she was not quite sure what to do with the sand. Eventually she got the hang of it and enjoyed it.

More to come...we are in Indianapolis with our good friends the Harknesses celebrating the July Fourth holiday.

Heartbroken

Early this morning, we like many other adoptive families, learned of the tragedy that took the youngest adopted daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman. His ministry has greatly impacted our lives from our college days. In fact, he is one of the first Christian artists we remember listening to. It was at a concert that God planted the idea of adoption in us, through Josh.

We are heartbroken for the Chapman family and have been praying for them since we learned of the accident. Maria was struck by a car driven by her older brother at their home in TN.

It is at times like this when we question the goodness of God. However, God paints on a canvas that is bigger than we can see. At the center of that painting, though, stands the cross. It is timeless and it is an anchor when we don't understand the will of God is senseless tragedies like this. Jesus died on a cross in what on a Friday looked like the most senseless tragedy of all time. However, on Sunday, it was clear the breadth and depth of the painting. God is good even when we don't understand Him! I pray that God is heaping His love and hope on the Chapman family at this time.

Happy Mother's Day

What a wonderful day!

We started the day by signing onto the Arnold's blog to see their Gotcha Day photos. Imagine getting a new daughter on Mother's Day--amazing!

We had a great day with Melissa and ate at our favorite restaurant. It was neat to have the first Mother's Day with Sarah Beth. We hope that each of you have an awesome Mother's Day!

Reckless Faith

Melissa found this video while reading another blog. Powerful!

(To hear the audio, scroll down to the bottom and pause the music on the playlist)

Doing great!

Just wanted to give a quick update.

Sarah Beth is doing well. She had a post-op examination on the Monday after the surgery and got a good report. She is still on softer foods and is doing OK with it. We have another examination this Wednesday.

We are amazed that she is beginning to make more sounds that she physically could not make before her palate was repaired. She is also entertaining us by mimicking us when we pronounce words--nothing intelligible yet, but she is getting closer!