Road Trip

To celebrate Millie Janalee's nine weeks of life, we decided it was time for a ROAD TRIP!  As if she hasn't had enough of those already. Ha!  We have family in Jackson that we have not seen since we brought Millie Janalee home from the hospital, and it was time for a visit.  We have many friends there too...but we just couldn't fit everything in.

Our first stop was to see Pops at the nursing home.  We spent a few hours in his room visiting and letting him "pet" Millie Janalee.  He just kept holding her hands, touching her feet, and rubbing her head. 

He would say, "She sure is a good one" and "She's a pretty girl."  I'm not sure if he completely understood that Millie Janalee is his great-granddaughter, but he sure does love her!  And we love him!

Auntie Kristin took a little time to play with her favorite niece too!  She brought Pops a new door hanger she made, and it looks great!  I'm sure Pops would win the contest for cutest decor...if there were such a contest.

Auntie Kristin and Millie Janalee

Kristin and Pops in front of his door

After our visit with Pops, the girls did some light shopping and decided to eat dinner at Keifer's.  Millie Janalee had her own plans during dinner.  And she didn't let us stop her!  Shooooweee!  We took her to the car after dinner and Susu did what she does best...

...the dirty work!  Ha!

After dinner and a diaper change, we hit the road for our next stop!  "Uncle Jack" hasn't seen Millie Janalee since the placement ceremony, so we decided to visit him at work.  It's fall, and that usually means lots of school field trips to the fire department and pumpkin patch.  Millie Janalee loves a good field trip!

"Uncle Jack" and Millie Janalee on the fire truck

Millie Janalee's first trip to the fire department was a success!  She loved the big red trucks.  She also loved that she had unlimited access to any part of the truck she wanted...the front, the side, the inside, and they probably would've let her honk the horn if she wanted to!  Ha!

"Uncle Jack" and "Aunt Clancy"

They love her!

"Where is your fire suit, Uncle Jack?"

Exclusive access to the inside of the new fire truck!

She loved it!

By the time we fed and dressed that sweet girl, she was pooped!  This road trip has just started and she was exhausted.  Aunt Clancy was happy to serve as Millie Janalee's pillow and snuggle partner.

The next morning, we woke up for a special appointment.  But first, Millie Janalee wanted to hold her first itty bitty pumpkin from Uncle Jack!  It was just her size!

We were excited to visit Bethany's office while we were in town, and the Bethany staff was anxious to see Millie Janalee!  I know they are so blessed by their ministry...just as we have been.  They are such special people, and I couldn't wait to show them how much Millie Janalee had grown.

Me, Karen, and Millie Janalee

Margaret and Karen

Karen has prayed for us, Millie Janalee, and Millie Janalee's birthparents since before we even knew them.  She walked with us through every step of our adoption process, and we cannot thank her enough for how she has ministered to us and so many others!  These ladies are very special people!  We sat around and visited for nearly two hours before leaving for lunch and some more shopping.

Karen and Millie Janalee

After a long day of shopping, it was time to visit Aunt Patsy and Uncle Howard!  They LOVE Millie Janalee!  They have waited with us a long time for her arrival, and they have prayed and prayed for her!  They both read the blog regularly and share it with everyone!  I love how much they love us!

"Let's play Aunt Patsy!"

Millie Janalee loved sitting with Aunt Patsy!  She just laughed and smiled the whole time!  She knows how much Aunt Patsy loves her. 

Clancy, Millie Janalee, and Aunt Patsy

We stayed the rest of the night just hanging out and ordered pizza.  Millie Janalee showed everyone her newest obsession...sucking her thumb!  We let her do it...and we love it!  She is certainly her Susu's girl!  Ha!

Aunt Patsy and Uncle Howard pulled out Clancy's baby blanket from the hall closet, and Clancy and Millie Janalee spent some time playing.  Sweet sweet cousins!

Clancy and Millie Janalee

We had a visitor while we were there too!  One of Clancy's friends couldn't wait to meet Millie Janalee...and her little boy wanted to meet her too I'm sure.  Katie and Gavin came over and loved on Millie Janalee.  We played and visited and, of course, took lots of pictures.

Katie and Millie Janalee

Me and Gavin (4 months old)

I thought I would cry seeing how much Gavin was able to do and how big he looked!  It won't be long before Millie Janalee is that old.  Oh my!  This mama is going to have a hard time if I don't get it together!

Clancy, Gavin, and Aunt Patsy

Me, Millie Janalee, Gavin, and Katie

I predict I will have a niece or nephew one day that looks just like Gavin!  Kristin and Lee are surely going to produce a little red head for me to play with!  I'm also hoping for curls...red curls!

Sweet babies!

Before we left, Millie Janalee spent some time with Uncle Howard.  If you have never met Uncle Howard, he is one big man!  Tall and big!  Millie Janalee wasn't sure at first.  She had to assess the situation...

It didn't take long for her to realize Uncle Howard provided the best bed of us all!  Comfy little nook right there in his arms!

There was so much more we wanted to do, but we just couldn't get everything accomplished.  Maybe on our next trip we can visit some of our friends too.  We love a good road trip!  And so does Millie Janalee!