Miller Family 2011 Newsletter


Hello family and friends. Our 2011 has been an interesting year. We started out with indoor soccer in January in Caldwell. Natalya had a good time with her team mates. As spring rolled around, we started 4-H. We had a record year at Lone Star 4-H Club this year. One record was shattered by having our first boy member, which was followed by our second…and third…and…we added a total of 6 boys to Lone Star!

Summertime we juggled things so that we could relax with the Chevelle and our friends the Davidsons at many car events. Corrine took about a zillion pictures of cars, a special hobby of hers. The whole family enjoyed racing hot wheels at some of the car events and both Corrine and Natalya took second in their divisions. Jay placed very high in the adult division also.

Summer rolled around with the usual busy times with the 4-H group. Natalya had a great time at the Canyon County Fair and did very well. She trained a new dog, Robin, and took Grand Champion Obedience with him. Although she and Dilly Pickle took first in their large Intermediate handling class, they did not take Grand in Handling. Natalya made up for that by taking Grand Champion Showman in poultry with her pigeon, Bruno! Bruno also took reserve champion pigeon, the champion pigeon being Natalya’s cousin Zac’s fantail. Big news from Canyon County was that Natalya finally dominated Round Robin and won her belt buckle for Grand Champion.

Then came soccer try-outs. Natalya could no longer play rec ball unless she tried out for a high school team. That week was a living hell of sorts. Try-outs were twice a day, every day. Secretly, Natalya was hoping to be cut, but she made the JV team at Middleton. Soccer interfered with the Western Idaho Fair, but we managed. Natalya rook Reserve Showman in dogs. Robin forgot his head somewhere and broke both the sit and down, otherwise, he might have had another prize in obedience.

In between soccer practices, Corrine and Natalya worked hard at training dogs. They were rewarded with FOUR OBEDIENCE TITLES in one weekend at the Boise Idaho fall shows. Now we have Robin RN (Rally Novice), Dilly Pickle RN, Francesca RA (Rally Advanced), and Rita BN (Beginner Novice). Also, the one day they entered a conformation show Morgan, co-owned with Juls, took 2 points! Natalya also placed in handling.

Corrine was very excited because she talked the National West of England Tumbler (pigeon) Club into having their big district show in conjunction with the Treasure Valley Pigeon Club show the first weekend in November. There were 87 Wests entered; imagine Corrine’s surprise when a little silver bar she bred took Champion.

Now we are in the midst of indoor soccer again. In Natalya’s last 4 games, she has scored a goal. She has a lot to live up to now! She has straight As in school and that’s even in her classes, which are Advanced Placement.

Jay has been busy playing with his new iPad and working. He did a snow climb and used crampon for the first time on Dickey Peak just East of Mount Borah!

Peace and joy to all in 2012