the way we were...

...a year ago!

It's amazing how much the kids change each year.

The top 2 pics are from our visit last October to Bainbridge.

Obviously, it was still VERY warm in B-town in October.

The bottom pic of Trent is at home in his crib.

In Loving Memory...

Heaven is not a resting place,

Where men may sleep out an

Eternity; There they rest not day

nor night, but their work is their

rest and continual recreation,

and toil and weariness have no

place there. They rest there in

God, who is the center of their

souls. Here they find the

completion or satisfaction of all

their desires, having the full

enjoyment of God and

uniterrupted communion

with him.

~Thomas Boston, 1676-1732

(taken from a book: Love Notes for mom)

I still think about her all the time. Every time I pull out one of her dishes to eat on, or wear her pearl earrings. I still think about all the wonderful, fun times we shared together...how much she loved being a grandmother and great-grandmother. Rachel still talks about her often. I wish she was still here. I'm reminded of her when I look at my baby boy. I miss you, Gramma! Love you.

12/30/20-10/03/09

http://milliganfamilynews.blogspot.com/2009/10/gramma-123020-100309.html

(the original entry on 10/03/09)

We love to read!!

big brother reading to little brother
sweet boys!

"natural" hug!

All my kids LOVE to read books. Rachel is starting to read some of her own stuff and is so proud of herself when she does. All 3 of them want to be read to every night. But, Trent has become a little bit obsessed with books. He LOVES looking at pictures and waiting for us to make the sound of the animal/person/vehicle. He enjoys reading the large picture books with no words. We read them over and over and over! His faves are peek-a-boo style where you lift the flap to see what's behind it or the Roger Priddy ones. I hope they continue to love reading!

"kid versions"

Rachel likes to sing her hymn from school: All creatures of our God and King. It's precious how she sings it and the words are sometimes slightly different than they read when she's singing from memory. The cutest part is the "alleluia" part. She sings: "alleyuya". I've told her that it's "all-lay-lu-ya" but she insists that the way she sings it is right and if it's not, she likes her way better. Hilarious. I love how she loves to sing! Also, Rachel has a kid in her Sunday night TeamKid class at church. She told us her name is: Victorious. I said, are you sure it's not "VictoriA"? She said, "no, it's Victorious." I'm sure I'm right, but it's too funny to fight about. There's a show on Nick TV that is called Victorious, which is why it sounds so right to her. :)



Bradley has several Star Wars character skateboards from McDonald's. (Due to his obsession with McDonald's happy meals and the toys that are in them!) On each skateboard is a StarWars charater. One is Annikan and another is Obi Wan. Of course, both are very difficult and weird names. He just can't seem to remember Annikan. For awhile it was: Addica or something and then it was "Mannikan", which I thought was real funny. For Obi Wan, it's usually: Kobi one or Obi Kon. Silly Star Wars creators and their weird names!

mmm...banana!

Trent is lovingly referred to as our "garbage can" because he is such a good eater, he'll eat just about everything! Thankfully, he also enjoys most fruits, and here he is enjoying a banana! He was hamming it up pretty good and thought he was pretty funny. This was the same day he had visited the doctor for his check-up, so he needed a nutritious snack after all that trauma!

Still a mess!

Bradley's stitch at around 18 mo.

Trent's t.p. collection at 18 mo.

Sometimes you forget how much kids get into as they grow and learn. Their curiosity is wild and their imaginations are huge! The above pictures are from the other day when I had not put away the toilet paper, so Trent decided to get them all out and put them on the floor. Then, he decided to park his trucks in them! And then, when looking back at my old pictures, I remembered that Bradley cut the top of his head in the car in a weird accident when he was 18 months old too. This is a crazy-dangerous age!

18 month check-up

Bradley at 18 months

Trent at 18 months

(no pics of Rach at 18 mo. on the computer) :(

Trenty went for his 18 month check-up today and as usual, he hated it! From the moment we walked into the room and the nurse started asking us questions, Trent was crying. He cried while he got measured, weighed and just while I was holding him and no one was touching him. After the nurse left, Rachel and I got him to calm down. Then, Trent must have felt relaxed enough to have a stinky-poopy diaper that stunk up the whole room. But, as soon as Dr. McCorkle walked into the room, he was crying and hyperventilating again...during the whole examination...which ended up not lasting more than a couple of minutes since it's impossible to carry on a conversation with a screaming baby! After the doctor finished, we had to wait for the nurse to come back with Trenty's shot and finger prick. Trent was way beyond ready to leave, though...he was walking and pointing towards the door and all he had on was a diaper. I stalled him by putting everything back on except for his shorts so he would "think" we were about to leave. Then, when the nurse came back in, he started crying hysterically again and of course, the shot hurt and the finger-prick was just plain maddening to him since he had to have his hand held and finger squeezed. Anyway, in spite of all that crying, he is a healthy, growing little boy and we're so thankful for him!

Here are the kid's stats at 18 months to compare:

Rachel- 24 lbs. 15 oz. 33 in.

Bradley-25 lbs. 1 oz. 31 1/2 in.

Trent- 24 lbs. 3 oz. 33 1/4 in.