Archive for the ‘Marriage and Family’ Category
Posted on January 3, 2011 - by Megan
The Beginning.
Two years ago today, I put on a dress
Posted on December 29, 2010 - by Megan
A Good Man is Hard to Find–but I did.
Yesterday, my beloved husband Joel turned 35. The longer I know him, the more grateful I become for every moment we share together. We were able to celebrate with his sister Abby and her husband Will in St. Louis, and I thought I would continue the celebration of him here.
While I could go on for hours about why I love Joel, here is just a small taste, perhaps shown best in pictures.
1. He knows his way around both a big hunk of raw meat and a large chef’s knife, two areas of expertise that I benefit from on a regular basis.
2. He is an amazingly kind, patient, and strong father. Our kids adore him, as seen here… (more…)
Posted on December 23, 2010 - by Megan
Memories made of sugar
One of my earliest childhood memories is watching my Nana make Christmas cookies at her home in Denver. She faithfully made the same cookies, year after year, beginning in early December. Each batch was tucked between sheets of waxed paper, carefully layered in old-fashioned tins destined for the freezer. By Christmas, the freezer was nearly overflowing with treats.
It seemed that every grown-up in our family knew something I did not—it was permissable to “steal” cookies from Nana’s freezer so long as no one actually caught you doing it. By Christmas, the front half of every tin was empty and no one seemed to care. Not even Nana. (more…)
Posted on December 17, 2010 - by Megan
I loved you before I knew you
Dear Baby
It’s you’re mommy. It’s funny, because we haven’t met yet, and I don’t even know who you are, but I know I’m your mom and your are my baby. I think I’ve known it all along, actually. From the very first time I visited your country when I was only a teenager, I knew I wanted to adopt you. The children I played with and cared for then were whispers of my destiny as your mother.
When your dad and I met, I remember telling him that I wanted to adopt. I wasn’t sure what he would say. I was a little afraid that he wouldn’t understand the part of my heart that was made for you, but he did. Not only did he understand, but God made him with a special place in his heart that looked just like you too.
Not long after we were married, your daddy and I decided to begin trying to find you. We loved each other so much that we couldn’t wait to share our love and bring a new child into our family. So, we started doing all the things parents have to do to adopt. And then, we waited, and we waited, and we waited some more. I know you have been waiting for us too. (more…)
Posted on October 13, 2010 - by Megan
A New Perspective on the Family Vacation
Last week, Joel and I took the kids to the beach. It was a great trip, but not exactly relaxing. In fact, I’m beginning to think that the “family vacation” may be the least relaxing thing you can do.
First of all, there is the planning, shopping and packing leading up to the vacation. Our spare bedroom was command central for weeks, full of beach towels, camera bags, and snacks for the road. The there’s the long drive, unpacking the car, and settling in to the beach house.
Everyone is bound to be thrown off their schedules, often producing less than desirable results. In our case, we had a string of bed wetting incidents, something that rarely happens at home. To make it even more fun, there were no extra sheets in our cottage and the laundry was in the garage, so I had to put down beach towels, and hope for the best until morning.
Through the difficulty and exhaustion, I was reminded of that it’s all worth it for a few reasons:
Posted on September 29, 2010 - by Megan
Learning to manage money is great for your marriage
Nobody ever said managing your finances with your spouse would be romantic, but maybe they should have. I know that sounds like a crazy thing to say, but it’s true. Before Joel and I got married, we decided to begin budgeting together as a way to save toward our wedding and pay for it without debt.
Neither of us had ever been good with money, and that is an understatement. I’ve spent most of my adult life not checking my bank account online, and hoping for the best when it came time to use my debit and credit cards. Can you relate? I was often overdrawn, usually behind, and definitely out of control. Joel had a similar story. By the time we got married, we had both amassed a significant amount of debt. We looked at each other and said, “We make too much money to be this broke.”
After getting married and paying for our wedding with cash, we were motivated to keep going. For the first time in our lives, we were winning with money. We read Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
For starters, we weren’t any good at budgeting. We were overly optimistic about how thrifty we could be, and often underestimated our expenses, even forgetting to include many. Also, I cried every time we sat down to pay bills. I was afraid of not having enough, of screwing it up, of never being able to meet all our needs. Over time, it got easier, and we got better at it. We were making progress with our money and in our marriage. (more…)
Posted on September 15, 2010 - by Megan
Teaching Kids To Honor: Lead by Example
As moms, one of the most important things we can do is to teach our children to honor their fathers by speaking well of our husbands in front of our children. It is our job to set the tone for how our children think and speak about their dads.
Children are watching and listening all the time, even when we think they are oblivious. Whether we like it or not, our attitutudes and behaviors serve as template. As mothers, we occupy a powerful position of authority in our children’s minds. They look to us as they seek to understand the people and the world around them. They will pick up on our thoughts and feeling about our husbands,whether we communicate them consciously or unconsciously. Our opinion will likely become theirs. (more…)
Posted on August 24, 2010 - by Megan
What Women Want: The Man Template
I might be biased, but I think my husband could serve as the ideal man template for every single girl in the world. As someone who got married a little later, I have had my share of relationship misadventures, including a broken engagement. Consequently, I’ve become something of an expert on the not-so-ideal-man template.
As a woman with a strong personality, most of the guys I dated before meeting Joel either tried to control me, make me smaller, or were passive. When I met Joel, I instantly knew something was different. With every day that goes by, I discover more and more ways in which is defines what it means to be a man.
Posted on August 17, 2010 - by Megan
Being a mom: not for the faint of heart
I have become what I once made fun of—the mom who shows up to drop her kids off at school in the morning looking like she just rolled out of bed. Yesterday, I got as far as brushing my teeth before dashing out the door, and even that seemed like a small miracle. I found myself behind the wheel of my minivan at 6:45 a.m., sporting bed-head, standard-issue yoga pants, my husband’s oversized t-shirt, and mascara raccoon eyes.
I remember the days before kids (not that long ago for me). I would see moms out in the morning, looking like death. I used to think, “Good grief! Can’t they get it together and put some decent clothes on or wipe the mascara from under their eyes?” The answer is no. No they can’t just get it together. Why? Because they are too busy getting everyone else together. (more…)
Posted on August 9, 2010 - by Megan
Marriage beats dating, hands down
I am so glad I don’t have to date anymore. Truth be told, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Marriage is a thousand times better. In my experience, dating was an anxiety-producing—albeit necessary—means to an end. While dating is often billed as exciting and romantic, I think the benefits of marriage leave dating in the dust. Here are a few reasons why:
You can finally stop sucking in your stomach when you walk to the bathroom
Ladies, you know what I’m talking about. How many times have you gotten up from a romantic dinner and quickly reminded yourself to suck in your stomach as you head to the loo? Personally, more times than I could count. It’s as though we think the one-inch we can “suck it in” will make it or break it. It’s exhausting—in part, because you aren’t breathing! There’s a lot of “not breathing” in dating, literally and figuratively. Being married gives you permission to exhale and rest in the love of your spouse, knowing that you are seen and wanted just as you are—there is no need to be more or less than that.
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About Me
My name is Megan Hyatt Miller. I'm a little Emmilou Harris, a little Bonnie Rait, and a dash of Paula Dean—mostly because I identify with her unbridled use of butter and ample hips. I am passionate about living and telling a good story. I'm a wife, a stepmom and and an adoptive mom. I am passionate about adoption, racial reconciliation, and creating beauty and a sense belonging for those I love. To learn more, click here. Thanks for stopping by.
