Our pets

Mittens loves to be held this way

(haha!)

Dixie is still such a sweet, low-maintenance doggie. We're so lucky to have this calm little girl in our family. She's getting on up in her years but still runs really fast and seems to be a healthy dog. I was practicing taking pictures with my new camera and thought these were pretty good of our sweet Dixie.

Mittens has been a fairly uneventful addition to our family. She's a sweet cat, eats whatever we give her...whenever we remember to feed her, tolerates Trenty picking her up incorrectly and making her swing really fast on the porch swing and hopefully is keeping the mice away. She hangs out on the front porch and under the house. She's a pretty cat and seems to be healthy. We just need to get her spayed so we don't end up with lots of little baby kittens.

Fun in the tub!

These 2 Milligan boys are way too cute! They are starting to enjoy playing together and it's pretty amusing to watch. The aggravating isn't just coming from Bradley any more...now it's also coming from Trent. He loves to take a toy from Bradley and pitch a fit as though it was his to take when he chose fit. He also loves to copy his big brother and Bradley loves it! There's lots of

squabbles, lots of gigles and lots of hugs. I hope my boys are always close! I loved these pics of them in the bathtub being silly, playing with bubbles and being as uncooperative as possible while I try to take their picture. I love my sweet boys!

No training wheels!

Rachel has mastered the art of riding her bike with no training wheels! She loves it so much that we can't keep her off her bike! She rides it up and down the driveway and all the way around the house several times a day. She looks like she's having so much fun that it makes Nick and I want to get one for us to ride! She had been asking Nick to take off her training wheels for a few weeks and Nick finally did it. At first, she was mad because she thought it was too hard...she didn't like riding without the training wheels. So, as Nick was pushing her back to his shop so he could put the training wheels back on, he said she just got it! She had figured out how to balance her weight and move forward. Once she got the hang of it...she was gone!

Daddy-time

(Trent is crying because I wouldn't let him have my camera)

The kids' favorite thing to do when Nick gets home is play some silly game that ends up in wrestling or tickling. Nick's so creative and has thought up several little games that Rach and Brad love; "wood to floor" is one of their favorites. I'm not even sure exactly what the rules are to this one, but I know it involves Nick being "it" and the kids have a "safe zone" which is the couch, and they have to get past Nick to the wood floor. There is usually LOTS of good, happy screaming and laughter. Trent sometimes gets in on it as well. I'm usually washing dishes from dinner while the game is being played (which I don't mind a bit). It's always a thrill for me to watch the kids playing and having fun with their daddy--he's such a fabulous daddy and they are absolutely crazy about him! I know for Nick this is the real joy in coming home in the evenings!

Talladega Trenty

Trenty is obsessed with the green jeep. He figured out how to ride it (by himself) a couple of months ago and he hasn't wanted to get off it since. At first, he had no idea how to steer, but now he's got it down. He can turn it on a dime and even thinks it's cool to ride it wild and play "bumper" cars with Bradley. He must think he's a race car driver, because he loves to ride all the way around the house and over obstacles. It's almost like you can see the wind in his hair and the sheer joy and contentment on his face. One thing's a problem, though...he thinks the jeep is HIS and ONLY HIS...from this point on, until he decides otherwise. Sharing and taking turns are not his favorite things to do! He has a very short temper and gets furious if the jeep gets stuck OR if the battery runs out of juice! He'll pitch a fit till someone helps him get free and just cry and cry when we have to remove the battery to go plug it in and charge it up. Our little Trenty is extremely smart and sweet and a huge stinker!! We love our Talladega Trenty so much!

Pajama Day

Bradley's school had pajama day back in January. He was SO excited to get to wear these awesome Batman pj's (cape included) courtesy of our hand-me-down dream, Carter. I thought he looked mighty cute in them! We love our super-hero-loving boy!

Catching my breath

last game!

half-time routine

I can finally catch my breath after a very fun but extremely demanding and time-consuming season of Upward. I met so many great people and had fun watching precious little girls learn about God through cheerleading but boy am I glad it's over! At first it was kinda exciting--being in charge of such a huge responsibility--but then the novelty wore off a little bit and it became like anything else--a job. At times it was nice leaving the kids to get a break, but then there would be an absent cheerleading coach and I'd have to figure out (in 5 minutes) how to teach 3rd and 4th graders how to cheer! Man, that was funny!

Anyway, my EVERY Saturday (8-2), Monday and Tuesday evening responsibilty has stopped and our family couldn't be happier. I have to say that my precious, supportive husband was a rock throughout this entire, long season! I don't know many husbands who would be okay with working all day (at a job that's not exactly fulfilling) and then come home to watch 3 cranky kids, get them fed and ready for bed most nights and then bring the boys to Rachel's games on Saturdays. I have been extremely blessed with an awesome husband who I don't deserve, but whom I love deeply with every bit of my heart!



So, yes, we may be driving back and forth to ballfields for the next several weeks, but I can assure you I don't mind sitting and watching as long as I'm not responsible for the entire thing! And, I know Nick is very excited to have a more active part in his kid's fun activities as a dad and not a babysitter--especially with something that he spent so much time doing as a kid, and was so talented at!



So long Upward...till next year...in whatever capacity that we participate.