How we spent our Black Friday:

We live near a few Historic sites in Dublin. Its always fun to give visitors a local tour as I slowly increase my knowledge of the History that this great town has to offer. We live across the street to the left of the First General Store in Dublin. The Green store was built in 1860 by John Green. John Green came to Dublin from New York. Mr. Green purchased Michael Murray's farm and built a mercantile store and hotel. He became Dublin's first and leading businessman. By 1870 Dublin had two hotels, a store, a wagon and blacksmith shop, a shoemaker, a school, a church, a Sunday school and was the crossroads for Bay Area travelers. By 1878 the community was officially named Dublin, after Dublin, Ireland.

This is Old St. Raymond's Church, built in 1859, is the oldest Catholic Church in the valley. Old St. Raymond's Church is the oldest Catholic Church building in Alameda and Contra Coata Counties. The land was donated as a church site by Michael Murray and Jeremiah Fallon who was one of the recuers of the ill-fated Donner Party in the Sierra.

Mom and Val between the church and school

Alisha and Val looking rather festive!

In 1856 the Murray School District was formed and Murray School was built on Flanagan Way. It was soon apparent to the settlers that the ground it was on (which is where the Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton is today) was subject to flooding. Soon thereafter, horses and oxen moved the schoolhouse to Dublin Canyon Road. Here it stood for 100 years. Eventually there were too many children for the one-room schoolhouse so more schools were built. With the widening of I-580 in the 1970's the schoolhouse was moved to a third and final destination in what is now the Dublin Heritage Center. It now serves as a museum.

Typically I don't take pictures at Grave sites but I do want to share this place with others as I found it to be very peaceful, simply Historic, so I snapped a quick picture. I journey to this place ever so often and I even wrote a poem about my first day embarking on all of this history just a few steps from my front door. Its the only time living so close to a grave site actually felt good. There are over 50 grave sites full of men, women and more children than you can imagine. These people survived conditions we only read about. My Poem:

I took a special walk today

A corner of the town seemed so far away

But something lurked along the way

The pull was a feeling I could not free

So I took a special walk today

The path presented history

stones with moments inscribed

I learned along the way

This corner of town was all for me in a special way

Old structures at first it seemed and then

Stoned crosses, marbled tomb stones became visible

I smiled as I knew I was embarking on a peaceful place

Where lives once lived now lay at rest

This was no place for the common man

This was a place for those who made this place

I faced each tomb realizing I was greeting those

Who simply paved this place

I took a special walk today

To a place where others forever rest

I never felt more alive as I did today

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Just a few pictures to share yet another lovely Holiday at the Millers.

Mom and Alisha - Peace Out!

Someones eating early, o.k., we all were.

Everyone was pitching in!

Can you tell Football was on?

Yum, its pie time! We had lots and lots of pies!!!

Ending the evening with a serious game of Uno!

Happy Fall!!!

You can pull the girl from her garden like an unwanted weed, but where ever you drop her she will grow like a seed ~ Alisha N.

Dan and Lish, Lake Tahoe in the Background. Another fun Labor Day weekend in Genoa, Nevada. Thanks cousin Aaron...we love crashing at your place!!!!

Heavenly at Lake Tahoe in the Summer...its very quite in the summer, not a lot of action...I like it here in the summer. Its amazing to think of how packed it gets in the winter time.

Beautiful Lake Tahoe, it's a good thing they decided to keep this thing blue...I see all those bumper stickers that say, "keep tahoe blue" really paid off. Seriously, its beautiful!

Cousin Aaron lives down there, his house is the one with the light on...ha!

Peace from Genoa, Nevada...Nevada's first Settlement. I was in Genoa Labor Day of 2006, now I'm in Genoa on Labor Day of 2007...two differences, one year older, 30 lbs. lighter...no kidding!!!!!

Alisha and Aaron...I love this picture although I wish my right arm were a little more relaxed and I wish Dan would have gotten Lake Tahoe in the background as I had hoped for...picky picky. Hella cute picture though...for those who don't know, that's our cousin Aaron.

Alisha and Dan in Heaven, I mean Heavenly Lake Tahoe...LOL

Alisha with her "baby" cousins, they grow up so quickly. Sweet cudly Trevor to the left and growing way to quickly for me to handle, Bryson on the right. I cannot believe I held Bryson in my arms when he was just a baby and named him Bry Bry Pat Pat Tay Tay, and he remembered...aaahhhh. Its short for Bryson Patrick Taylor.

My mom, me and Grandma in Quincy...Grandma must be laughing...she did a lot of laughing and a lot of crying, we all did.

Mommy and Alisha - look, we have a matching saggy boob...LOL

O.K., this picture might trip out a few people, this is my aunt Roo Roo, I mean Laurinda. Yes, again, this is Aunt Laurinda. I cried hysterically when I saw her...she looks so healthy, so happy, so tiny, it is truly amazing. I love my aunt Roo Roo!!!

And here we are again...the Millers are looking good!!!!

Grandma Miller, Mary Louise Miller and I. What a special time this was. My Grandma is nearly blind, she can see shapes and some shades, but she does not have full vision like you and I. She resides in an elderly home, the one my Grandma Marge lived her last days in. My Grandma Miller is blessed in that she has loving family members who visit her on a regular basis and she is in Quincy, she is home. My visit with Grandma revealed some special things. I have my Grandma's hands, from every line, every crease, each finger is exactly the same, age being the only difference. We held hands for several hours, she felt each finger over and over as if to feel what I saw. She called me wee wee, that sound was sweet. I love you Grandma.

I planned my first company picnic and it was a success or at least I had a good time! Dan and I both gave it two thumbs up. We enjoyed a catered BBQ at the Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore, California. Tastey Burgers grilled to order on the lake, perfect lake weather, lakeside activities and oh yeah, a lake. This was the first Northern California company event for all locations to meet up after the RHFS merge and my very first event. Del Valle is just beautiful and a perfect location for camping, hiking, fishing and swimming...we plan to make it a local hot spot.

Went to the Circus, bought a big hat...

Dan and I went to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus Act in San Jose, CA., the Greatest Show on Earth. The hat was filled with yummy cotton candy.

We had really good seats! You know the random 2 seater spots you see at arena's?
That is where we sat, no one to the left of us, no one to the right of us. Like I said, they were great seats.

Things got a little scary, no nets on most of the acts.

At one point there were over 12 elephants in the arena, I had never seen so many Gentle Giants.

Asian Acrobat Team

Royal Bengals and White Tigers get-together

August 17, 2007 was our One Year Anniversary back in California. What an awesome year it has been. To celebrate, we took the day off of work and went to the beach at Santa Cruz. We walked through the Boardwalk briefly but spent most of our time on the outskirts. We enjoyed a fish filled meal at Aldo's Restaurant, paid for by Dan's employer...what a sweet surprise that was! The restaurant has a great view, pictured to the right.

We enjoyed an appetizer plate of mussells. Best eaten if you don't look at them.

Ah a peaceful beach, where are all the people?. O.k., there were about 10 people in this awesome cove, very peaceful. I love the sound of the waves. And for the first time in 6 years, we were able to jump into comfortable water temperatures.

Historic Light House in Santa Cruz.

Side note: Its been an amazing year for Dan and I. We would like to thank everyone of our friends and family members for all of the support we receive from you. It is because of the love and support we have received from each of you that our dreams have come true.

We accomplished our first 18 holes of golf at a beautiful course, The Dublin Ranch Golf Course. What a treat!

Dublin, California





By far the best part, the golf cart. There is no way I can walk an entire 18 holes, maybe someday but not today. Besides, I needed something to hold the beer!

Hole 1, its going to be a long day....

Not a cloud in the sky...

A scenic picture with Mt. Diablo...

Golfing in the sky above. I imagine this must be what Heaven is like.







Hole 18...I thought we would never make it, and then I saw it was a par 5. This is about the time Dan started to play really good. I had some descent shots but they only happened when no one was looking.

If I were a character on the Simpsons, I would look like this! Try it as simpsonizeme.com. We actually have a local Kwik-E-Mart, I hope to make an appearance before it goes "bye bye" or rather, (cue Apu voice over) "Thank you come again". Stepping into a Kwik-E-Mart would truly be a dream come true, no seriously, I have had that dream. I have watched the Simpsons since their original appearance on the Tracey Ullman Show so a Squishee in one hand and a pink donut with sprinkles (hmmm, pink is a fruit) at the Kwik-E-Mart would surely be a trip for me. Whoever came up with that Marketing concept deserves a day off with pay, Kudos! I do wonder though if some Kwik-E-Mart personnel are not to pleased by this obvious stereo type...I hope not because I do love Apu Nahasapeemapetilon Jr. (yes there was a senior), his wife Anjula and his beautiful octuplets Anoop, Uma, Nabendu, Poonam, Priya, Sandeep, Sashi, and Gheet. Apu is by far my favorite character other than Maggie of course and Dan loves little Lisa!