Davis Daily Doings...

PRAY!!

2009-11-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

Our sweet friends, Lee and Stephanie Fletcher (see blog link to the right), along with their kids....ages 4, 2, and 5 weeks (can you imagine!!??).....are moving to Peru today to become missionaries. They have a team there waiting for them, but can you imagine how hard it would be to leave your family and friends?? They've already been to Costa Rica to language school.......please pray for them!! Follow their blog, too. Its really inspiring!!
*****
On a much lighter note, here's a new recipe that will go into the Davis Family Cookbook. I got this from my SIL who started the cookbook!!

Pumpkin Spread:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 jar pumpkin butter (by the jelly at the grocery store)
1 pkg real bacon bits
toasted pecans
chopped green onion tops

Mix together and serve with Ritz Crackers!!
*****
Jonathan and Grant went to the deer lease this past weekend. Apparently, Grant isn't too quiet in the deer stand. They saw some.....shot at one.....but came home with nothing! They did have fun visiting though......J's brother and his son, Luke, were there too! This weekend is Thomas's turn. He's pretty fierce with his bb gun!!
*****
Jill made the select softball team. We were supposed to have a tournament this weekend, but.....our stuff wasn't turned in on time, so.......we're out of this one! Practice instead!
*****
We went to IHOP this weekend to try the holiday pancakes. OOOOOOOH LA LA! Jill got the gingerbread, Thomas got the eggnog, and I got the pumpkin ones. I think the gingerbread and pumpkin ones tasted a lot alike and were my favorite. The egg nog ones had some cream stuff on them that was too sweet! ALSO......I got the flavored coffee.........not worth the $2.49.....just my opinion!
*****
Jill has a Veterans Day program tonight and the boys will be singing at Richland Mall on Friday night to welcome SANTA!!!! : )

Have a great week!!

BOO!

2009-10-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

Dont these kids look scary????? They are.

They all decided (on their own) to be characters from Harry Potter. Thanks to ebay, the costumes came to our door and I didnt have to go from store to store on the crazy search. It isnt easy to find a costume for a 5'8" 10 year old who wants to be Hermione Granger!!! Harry's glasses have already been lost and Draco's wand had magically disappeared before we even got to Trick or Treat!!!

We had Trunk or Treat at our church tonight. Jonathan was handing out peanut butter Ritz Bitz and toothbrushes. You should have seen the reactions to the toothbrushes-----some kids were loving it; others.........well, not so much!!! He gets BOXES of them for selling dental insurance, so.....might as well give them away!!

THANKS to my cousin, Shelley, for making over my blog and fixing my attempt to put a picture in the header!!!!! I love the new look! Im ready for FALL!!!!!

Our fridge is stocked with about 5 bottles of peppermint mocha creamer (my fave......I buy a bottle every time I go to WalMart, whether Im out or not!), egg nog, and caramel macchiato creamer for Jonathan. Let the coffee/egg nog drinking season begin!

I ran 5.2 miles on the treadmill on Friday. That's the furthest I've done on there! Im trying to work up to a 10K!!!

Today was the boys last day of football. Their teams both got second place! (There were only 2 teams in each league btw..........) They had fun though and thats what matters. Deer season opens next week and then they'll be gone with their Daddy!!

We are meeting some sweet friends (Lee and Stephanie....check out their link) of ours for dinner tomorrow night in Temple. They are leaving Nov 10 to be missionaries in Lima, Peru. Stephanie just had a c-section baby a few weeks ago & they have 2 other preschoolers. Please remember them in prayer!!!!!!!!

Jill is also trying out for a select softball team tomorrow afternoon. We have mixed feelings about this. It will take a lot of time, but she LOVES it. We just did 6 weeks of football with the boys......she went to their practices & games.......so, its her turn. However, this will involve a little more time!! If she doesnt make it.......we wont have to worry about it I guess!!!!!

Happy extra-hour-of-sleep everyone!!!

This is why I dont try to mess with my own blog!

2009-10-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

OK.....after catching up on my fave blogs this morning, I decided to try and update mine a little bit! Our fam pic on here was from 2007!!!!!!! As you can see, I got the pic changed, but now its too little and the words on the header are all over it!!!!! HELP, SHELLEY!!!

Ive had some kind of allergic reaction to SOMETHING that has left me with a lovely red, blotchy, itchy rash all over! After a trip on Sunday to the minor emergency clinic, where I got a steroid shot and some cream that didnt work.....I went to my normal doctor on Monday. She gave me some steroid pills and basically laughed at the cream the other doc gave me! I've been pumped full of steroids and Benadryl........like an unbelievable amount of Benadryl......Ive been sleeping good though.....even in the middle of the day! I've also been put on a "dont work out til Thursday" routine and y'all know I hate that. Im not a sit around kind of person! However, the rash is going away and doesnt itch quite so much!! AND....tomorrow is Thursday, so back to Boot Camp I will go!

The boys have their last football games this weekend. Neither of their teams has won a game, but they've learned a lot! Thomas has made some good tackles.....with more bruises than I have ever seen on a child! Grant has made some touchdowns.....with his own share of bruises.....some from football, others from the trampoline! All the pics are on facebook.......blogger doesnt seem to like to download them in a timely fashion.......... : )

Jill is just being the sister that has to tag along.....but she wants to help!! What 5'8" fifth grader doesnt want to help?? She's as big or bigger than some of the adults at these events! She's also "borrowing" my clothes......too bad my shoes are too little for her......maybe I'll do a post on that sometime.

Jonathan is good. He is still riding his bike all over our town and up and down the interstate with his BFF bike rider. Yes, their life insurance is paid up. just kidding!

Jonathan's parents came to visit last week....just overnight though! It was fun having coffee with them on the back porch while it was raining. They are awesome!! No bad in-law stories from me!

The kids are looking forward to Halloween this weekend. They are all dressing up as Harry Potter characters.........Jill will be Hermione, Thomas will be Harry, Grant will be Draco.
We are having Trunk or Treat at church and are hoping for a good turnout there.

We are going to our nephew, Luke's, game tonight in Belton. ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT!! Who scheduled this game? crazy.

Anyone want a dog? There is one that has been roaming our neighborhood.......he's a great dog.
He steals cleats off of the front porch and scatters them around the neighborhood, he eats carved pumpkins off of the porch, drives my little shih tzu crazy, and isnt scared in the least by Grant's bb gun. Again, picture of the dog on FB.

I will do better with the blog..........I will, I will, I will!!!!!

Just call me a SLACKER!

2009-06-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Really......just call me a slacker.....these pics are just too easy to share on Facebook! Upload them straight from my phone.....hardly any waiting......the pics are in the right order......ahhhhh!

Here is what we've been up to.....in reverse order.....kind of!

Here is a picture of a picture of Grant. He is now a Kindergarten Graduate! His teacher is amazing......we love her!

Dad came for a visit from Nebraska.........it was fun!!

This is my sister, Farrah's baby.....Savannah.......so cute and sweet!!

Our niece Hannah graduated from Temple High this year. These are all of the Davis Cousins.....

Here are the boys cheering on their sister who is batting.....I thought she was in the picture too....couldnt see really well.....it was SUNNY at this noon game!

PAINTING IS A CHORE! Here is Jonathan working on the wall that faces our backyard...

Here he is getting the paint ready.......remember how I said these are in reverse order??!!!

Our front wall AFTER.....

and before........

The dining room after..........

before........

Kitchen after..........I think this one is my favorite......Jonathan's parents came and helped too! : )

Kitchen before...

Grant f.i.n.a.l.l.y. lost a tooth.........he was worried...........

A little slip n slide fun in the backyard...........

Jill's choir at the Sandy Lake competition in Dallas.........they received a 1 rating!!!! : )

The Crow Cousins at Brooklyn's 3rd Bday party.......

She should get her wish! All of the candles were blown out!

Farrah and I ........

Sweet Savannah.......

Farrah's son, Lucas, modeling for me at the GAP!

For Mother's Day, we went to a Round Rock Express baseball game and sat in a suite! Jonathan's brother and his family went too.......FUN!

Grant the Chef...........this is his pic in the Kindergarten Cookbook in which he made up a recipe for Crock Pot Lima Beans........??

Grant loves his momma!!

Coming up......we are still playing tball, baseball, and fastpitch softball around here. This week was spent with the boys going to VBS and Jill going to basketball camp in the mornings, then the Waterpark in Waco, and Jonathan and I doing an enrollment.........he went to pick up the truckload of fireworks today while I finished the enrollment. Can you believe we've had our own stand for 10 YEARS!!?? It hardly seems possible.....we've truly been blessed by the business we are able to maintain.......God is good.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

8 Things........

2009-05-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by one of my favorite bloggers, Amy, for a fun list of 8. Just for fun!!

RULES:

1. Mention the person that tagged you.

2. Complete the lists of 8.

3. Tag 8 other bloggers.

4. Tell them they have been tagged.

8 Things I look forward to:

1. Watching my husband baptize each of our kids when they are ready.

2. Going to Greece/Egypt next April. (keep fingers crossed!)

3. A new vehicle for me!

4. Hanging out at the Waterpark this summer.

5. Painting the interior of the house in a few weeks.

6. Going somewhere beachish with the family this summer.

7. Working out!! : )

8. Flying to NM in 12 days to see my new niece, Savannah!

8 Things I did yesterday:

1. Boot Camp

2. Laundry

3. Waited for Jonathan for 2 hours in the truck for his supposed 30 minute appt. Thank goodness I had my phone to keep me occupied.

4. Ate lunch with Jonathan at Se Cocina in Waco. Ooh la la!

5. Took a 2 hr nap!

6. Went to Target.

7. Made dinner/cleaned up the kitchen.

8. Watched Grey's.

8 Things I wish I could do:

1. live at the beach

2. have an umlimited amount on a Starbucks card.

3. Be a little crafty..........just a little!

4. Compete in the Amazing Race with Jonathan

5. Keep flowers/plants alive.

6. Have a job where I could weat cute party dresses and heels for a few hours a day, then change into yoga clothes and no shoes!

7. Swim all of the time

8. Have a professional window cleaner come to my house weekly to do the inside and outside!

8 Things I Watch:

(with lots of help from the DVR)

1. The Young and the Restless

2. The Real Housewives of OC/NY/Atlanta

3. Desperate Housewives

4. Greys Anatomy

5. Biggest Loser

6. American Idol

7. Oprah

8. Any of the Paula Deen shows

8 Bloggers I Tag:

(seriously..do 8 people even read this?)

1. Kasey

2. Dad

3. Lorie

4 - 8?????

Practices/Games Cancelled.....time to blog!!

2009-04-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me say that all of these pics were taken with my iphone. I still havent purchased one of those card readers for my digital camera......such a procrastinator. You work with what you've got, right??!! ANYWAY........here we go!

These are from the Dinosaur Valley in Glen Rose, TX. The second graders went there for their field trip a few weeks ago. Here is Thomas with some of his classmates......

Each of the kids could sift through the sand to find a treasure. It was filled with fossils and shark teeth. They could take home 3 things.......Of course, Thomas chose the teeth.

We had a good time!!

Here is my new niece, Savannah Raquel, born April 16th to my sister, Farrah in New Mexico.

She wasn't supposed to be born until May 1, but came early!! I had already purchased my plane ticket for May 13........so she will almost be 4 weeks when I get there, but we will still have time to bond!!!! On a sidenote, my youngest sister Misty, is expecting in November!!! YAY for more cousins!! That will make 10 grandkids (6 boys, 3 girls so far) for my Dad!!! : )

Here we are at the Race for the Cure a few weeks ago in Waco. Our best babysitter EVER, Ms. Cooky, fought breast cancer in August and WON!

J and I ran the 5K and the kids and Cooky (along with her husband, Dan) walked the one mile in honor of Cooky and all of the other survivors!!!

PLAY BALL!!!

Softball/baseball/tball has begun in our little town. Here is Jill with one of her BFFs from even before PreK.........her mom and I were hoping that she and Jill would be on the same team for once, but........no luck...again.........

Yes, they are the same age and no, Jill isnt standing on anything......

Grant on Opening Day.....

Thomas on Opening Day........

Jill..........someday I WILL get a good smile out of her!!

Grant with his "eye black" on.........the other two had already gotten rid of theirs by the time I remembered to take pics of it.........

i went and picked out some colors of paint to try on the interior of the house today.....hopefully I can decide and get it done.....SOON, like.......BEFORE school is out so I wont have so much help.

ALSO......for all of you triathlon people out there.....the Waco triathlon is back! J and I are signed up for the beginner one. www.triwaco.org July 26---the day after J turns 39!!!!

We'd love to hear your tips for the transitioning from event to event........HELP, SHELLEY!!

****Like my new blog look??? My Cousin, Shelley, is a blog designer girl. You can find her link from my list to the side.........

HAPPY TUESDAY TO ALL!!

Easter.....and some other stuff!

2009-04-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well.....sometimes we make good choices and sometimes we make bad choices! The boys decided to let Jill dress them up as girls.....complete with American Girls in hand and all.....
I am afraid in later years they will come to regret the photo below.......but it IS kinda funny!

Did the Easter Bunny bring anyone else batting gloves this year???

Here we are outside our house.....Jill is 10, Thomas is 8, Grant is 6.

Jonathan's parents came to visit for Easter. It was so much fun having them. His aunt and uncle from Denton came on Saturday for a visit.......how did I not get a picture of them????

Jonathan's Dad and brother look so much alike!!

Here are Jonathan and I........with the kids egg hunting in the background. I guess I should have been taking pics of them........

Ms Cooky and Dan came over for Easter lunch, too. She is recovering from a double mastectomy and treatment, but is getting stronger everyday! We are doing the Race for the Cure in her honor this weekend. Another 5K! I'll post pics of that this weekend........

Happy Wednesday to all!

**I am going to Dinosaur World with Thomas's class tomorrow. Went to the Mayborn with G's class last week. I guess I need to post those pics too!!!!!!!!

Warning!! LOTS of pics ahead!

2009-03-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

OK....this is the second time I have tried to post this....hope yall get to see and read it! As most of you know, the Davis Girls take a trip or get together sometime around Spring Break. This year, we did it last Fri-Sun in Abilene. We got there, had lunch, visited, shopped a little, toured a bed and breakfast............then Lady gives us all a paper sack and says to put our makeup, pjs, and a change of clothes in it. We were going on an adventure! We ended up at the Embassy Suites or Elegante or whatever it is called now......it was FUN!
Here is Carra bringing in the stuff..........

Gisela, Jennifer, Micah, and Hannah.....

Jenny and Gisela............

Us in the eating area......

Grandad made us a cake........

Lady and Fern had made chicken salad, brie cheese with apricot/pecan topping, fruit, crackers......all GIRL food!

We decided to make terrariums......here is Jenny Mae and Lady making mine! Hopefully since they made it, it will LIVE!!!!!!!!

Grandad visiting with the girls..........

Fern, Carra, Gisela.........during the terrarium making..........

Addie, Jennifer, Hannah

Micah and Hannah making bracelets......
We had a great time.......its always fun for us to get together and visit!!!!!!

NEXT: Spring Break fun!

The kids and I met my oldest sister, Cathe, at a park that was halfway for both of us......She lives in Dallas and I live close to Waco.......we had eaten lunch before the park and all of the BOYS wanted to go in my car.....here they are.......yeah, it was loud!

Jill, Cathe, Brooklyn, and Boston........

Grant and Beau.....

The Crow cousins.........minus Farrah's little Lucas that lives in NM..........

Two fourth graders, two second graders, two kindergarteners, and a lone 3 yr old!

Cathe and I.......we had a good time and great weather!

NEXT STOP: Target

This is what happens when you leave two boys in the dressing room next to you while helping their sister try on clothes.......they said they wanted my phone to play checkers.......why did I fall for that???????

Enjoy these supermodel shots of Thomas..........

posting error

2009-03-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

I had 20 pictures and stories.......all ready to go.......tried to post.......and then....... ERROR.
It was all gone. all of it.

so........I will get back to the blogger world........maybe tomorrow.

UGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

MIA...........

2009-03-06T16:25:00.001-08:00

Being made to sit on the couch for a week makes you appreciate your mobility! I have taken full advantage of it for 3 weeks now......thus, no posts! Here's what we've been up to...

SING SONG AT ACU===The kids and I went and had a good time! Why doesnt the iphone have a flash???
KJK won (good job, girls!) and we enjoyed the show! Some nice person in the ticket office even let me exchange our tickets for some on row 8, instead of row 50, due to the ankle! THANK YOU!
On the same trip to Abilene, we got to see one of my nephews bball games. Here is the cheering section.....4 cousins, a sister, his mom, and LADY! Of course the concession stand was open at 8:30 am so we HAD to get a coke.....Ben wanted to know where HIS coke was and why did we all have one and not him!!?? He did a good job!

Sweet Grant made this for me for V Day at school..........he loves his momma!

Recognize these 2 Famous Americans?

Thomas Jefferson on the left; Lincoln on the right......(also our neighbor)

They had to give speeches containing clues and the kids and parents had to guess who they were! It was cute and they all did a great job.

NICE WIG, THOMAS!

What else!!??

I went to a Mom Slumber Party last Fri night while J took the kids to see the Jonas Bros 3D concert! I think I had more fun........somehow no group pic from the mom party.........next time we will definitely do that! IF we can get everyone off of Facebook! haha

Baseball season is upon us.....OH MY! I better start the cooking/freezing/finding Crock Pot recipes now..........these practice and game schedules times 3 kids in 3 leagues is chaos. : )

The kids got report cards yesterday.....out of the three of them, only one got a B in one subject! The rest A's......we are blessed and THANKFUL.

Dad.....the TX weather has been in the 80s this week. Its glorious! Family Yard Work Day is tomorrow......Thomas asked why he had to help........I told him "it takes a village"!

Happy Weekend to ALL!

Go See It!!!!

2009-02-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

Went, by myself, to see the Shopaholic movie today. For those of you who know me, going by myself to the movies IS NOT my thing. But with the circumstances being what they are this week.....there I sat. Couldnt even get popcorn.....no way to carry it!!!

Anyway, its a cute movie. The boys in our lives will NOT get it!

I am sure though, that Dave Ramsey is clapping at the end!!!!!

We are making it!

2009-02-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

Oh....the crutches!!! They make my hands hurt, but are probably making my muscles stronger.
Thats good since I have not worked out since Boot Camp on Monday morning!!

Did I mention that people from church have been bringing some ooh la la food for us!!?? I have to give a major award to Marian Fisher for her Italian Creme Cake......is it OK to hide food from your children?? I've thought about.....I could get it out when they are all at school......and have some coffee with it?!

One of my friends had a hurt knee at the beginning of school and said that she used a rolling office chair at home instead of the crutches. I stole her idea and IT ROCKS. Of course it doesn't help me go up or down the stairs (or help me once I get upstairs)....but....I am loving it.....as much as you can I guess.

I drove today!!!!! Jill had an allergy shot to take......so.......I tried it! We did fine, just a little slower than usual! : ) I might brave the movie theater tomorrow....Confessions of a Shopaholic comes out tomorrow! Thinking of driving......when I went to get gas today...Ihad to get it in our little town where they still pump your gas for you at ONE place instead of at HEB or WalMart....so I pulled in there and told the lady what I needed and she kinda looked at me funny and asked If I was OK. This is the same convenience store I get a Diet Coke at almost daily, so they know me! I told her what had happened and she asked me if Lady was coming down to help??!! (Lady is Jonathan's mom) This cracked me up....when Lady has come and stayed with the kids before, she takes them there, to what we lovingly call THE Coke Store......but the attendant knew her name!! So funny.........anyway, Lady is not coming. She has Bible classes to teach. DRAT for me. The good thing, however, is that the attendant asked if she could bring me a Diet Coke to the car!!!!! MUSIC to my ears. I had joked on the phone with Jonathan that I wondered if THE Coke Store would deliver....if I call them from their own parking lot....I'd probably be too embarrassed to do that anyway, but maybe they will volunteer again!!! 4 more days of the crutches and I am done with them....hopefully.

J is doing a Walk to Emmaus....I dont think I've ever gone 4 days without talking to him in 15 years!!

For those of you who let me know about the comment email error message on here, I think I fixed it. It still had my last employer's email address on there.....but it is fixed now! I am not technologically inclined.....I think I fixed it, but dont know for sure. : )

I am sadly going to miss the Valentine parties at the kids schools tomorrow.....just dont think its a good idea for me at this point. I told them we will have our own party here and they seemed to be OK with that.

HAPPY THURSDAY........yay for Grey's being on tonight!

Glad my toenails were painted!

2009-02-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

Well...........here I sit...on the couch.....with all sorts of things around me. My computer, cell phone, house phone, business phone, 2 kinds of pain medicine, 7 magazines, a can of Diet Coke, and the remote!

Here's the story......not too proud of this one! I went yesterday morning to Boot Camp, showered, and went to Target to get the kids Valentines Day stuff for school. I did that and was going back to the car and somehow rolled my ankle. I knew immediately that I had done something! Tears came to my eyes....but I was being tough! I hopped to the car and decided that if I went home and put some ice on it, elevated it, and took some Tylenol, that I would be OK. That plan didn't work out so well. Did I mention that Jonathan was out of town for business? He called me back finally.......I was crying.......no one else in town was home.........BFF had the flu! OH DEAR! My sweet husband, from 200 miles away....made some calls and found a friend to take me to the ER. He was so sweet about it! He kept trying to talk to me about different stuff to take my mind off of the lovely swollen foot! After some xrays (glad about the toenails being painted here!!), the Dr said that I had twisted/strained some ligaments and.....blah blah blah.....here is an air cast and some crutches. Crutches for a week. A WEEK! Then, after that, slowly put the weight back on it. Wear the air cast with your shoe on top. Maybe someday it will fit in a shoe!
Jonathan came back......stayed home last night......got me all situated this morning, and left again! People from church are bringing meals and picking up the kids! THANK YOU ALL.......I AM FEELING BLESSED!

So........with all of this sitting.....you all might get a post every day! HA HA!

Basketball is over. Jill and Thomas both had fun and improved from the beginning of the year.
Baseball signups are here already....they can begin practice during Spring Break. Here we go again! BUT, they all love it. Well....almost all....Thomas was a little reluctant, but I think he is going to be OK.

In looking at all the magazines here....the Southern Living from February has Nutter Butter Banana Pudding on the cover.....we made it on Super Bowl Sunday and WOW! It was great. Also, on page 124 is Salsa Verde Chicken Casserole. Its great too.......and easy to make. It has avacado in it.....the kids arent really avacado people, but they didn't even realize it was in there!
Seriously, people.....try it!

Are yall on Facebook??? Some of you I know are because we are friends on there, too. Let me hear from you.....I am listed as Vanessa Davis. Lets be friends! LOL

The 5K I was going to run in on March 1......well........that doesnt seem like its going to happen anymore. Ahhhhhhhh.......that's a little frustrating. I have been doing personal training sessions with a guy on Tuesdays....he is awesome....and obviously, I am not there today......so I called him and he says, "Well, we can work on upper body"! TRUE, but uh......not today. Maybe next week.
Just thought it was funny. I guess that means he doesn't want me to sit on the couch all week.
I dont either! I am BORED already and this is only Day 1.

Jonathan is going to a Walk to Emmaus this weekend. He is totally looking forward to it! I hope he has a great time. : ) xoxo, Honey!

Grant was sweet this morning. While I was sitting on the stairs, going down one at a time, he said, "Momma....I will hold your leg up"! So....there he was going down one stair at a time...helping me. Kinda wish I had a picture of that. Kinda.....I was not looking so good!!!!

I WON SOMETHING!!!! My blog friend, Kasey, from Life With the Hunts (see list on the right).....had a give-a-way on her blog for a framed letter of your last name with cutie paper behind it. YALL know I am NOT crafty, but she is!!!!! And, I won!!!!! YAY!!!! When I get it in the mail, I will take a pic (with my phone!) and post it!

Like I said in the last post, I am reading The Shack. It's still weird.....not sure I agree with the characterizations, but the underlying messages are good. Maybe I will finish it with all of this Couch Time. I wonder if I can drive to the movie theater. I still want to see Bride Wars. I did see He's Just Not That Into You on Saturday while J had the kids at the deer lease. It is hilarious.

Last, but not least, this is a pencil sketch of my Facebook pic. You can do it on Facebook, then save the image to your computer. Its all too technological for me, but pretty cool!

What is a Post With No Pictures!??!

2009-01-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the lack of pics here...my little SanDisk reader belonged to my last employer and I haven't gotten another one yet. Strangely....another reader-type thing arrived in the mail a few weeks ago (J swears he did not order it...?) and it is not the right type for my camera. UGGGGH! Since he did not order it, I dont have any idea where it came from. The mystery with that continues!

Since my last post, Jill has turned 10! OH MY!! She is growing up too fast for both J and I.
She is in 4th grade and is 5'3", wears my shoes, some of my clothes, and even steals (I mean borrows) my headbands!! She had a fun party....we picked up 6 of her BFFs and went to the movies and out to eat. We saw the Hotel For Dogs movie....the kids were so funny. They didn't even want to get up to go to the bathroom in fear of missing the movie! On my camera are some great pics of them at the party. We are so proud of Jill----too many reasons to list----Dad, you will be proud that she used $25 of her own money (her idea!) buy a new Bible. One that she picked out and that has her name embossed in GOLD on the front and is even indexed! We are so very thankful that she reads the Bible and is making her own choice to do so.........

We have started basketball on Saturday mornings. Jill's team is doing well, despite not practicing! They are having fun and are working together! Thomas's team is doing great, too!
Grant still wonders why Kindergarteners cannot play??!! Next year, G............I have some cute bball pics on my camera, too...........: )

All of the kids got straight A's on their report cards last week. Let me tell you how thankful I am for that, too. After teaching Special Ed for so long........I saw the strugglers. Saw their struggles and their parents' frustration. We've had those moments with our kids, but not near to the extent of some of the kids I've seen. Thank goodness Thomas has a cousin named Beau, or he never would have gotten the word beautiful right on his spelling test!!!!!! : ) well, maybe.......

Jonathan has lost like 15 pounds in 25 days! He is a calorie cruncher (thanks to the Iphone app) and is working out........even RUNNING! He is going to do the next 5K with me in March.
We've even talked about getting a treadmill! Maybe for Valentine's day......now thats romantic!

I start working out with a personal trainer this week......I told him I want arms like Jillian on the Biggest Loser! I may regret saying that......I may not be able to type when he is finished with me!

I started working with Jonathan full time on Jan 1. His business has grown to the point that we both really need to be doing it. Plus, he says, if something happens to him.....I need to know how to run the business to continue to receive the $........TRUE! So, we are back to working together.
We get along and have taught together before....so....no worries! He even bought me a ROCKIN computer with a lime green top. LOVE it.

I dont think anything really interesting is happening these days.........I am reading The Shack right now. Still not real sure about it. I am about half way through. J's brother read it and after God was portrayed as a woman.......he let it go! I will finish it I think.......its all just a little weird!

Hope you are all well........xoxo

So.....I am not really a Resolution Girl!

2009-01-08T17:51:00.000-08:00

I really am not a resolution person. I'm just not! I don't think I have ever been. Is eating healthier a resolution or a lifestyle change? Probably it could be both. (Did those large McD french fries on New Year's Eve count? Nothing else sounded good!)

Jonathan is calorie counting, so I have to make better choices when meal planning and going grocery shopping for the week. I guess it filters down to all of us. I do need to drink more water....at least more water every day than Diet Coke. Some days its about 50/50!

The kids and Jonathan were talking about resolutions they wanted to make. Jill was a little concerned that the Wii Fit had her on the obese line. YIKES! Girls have such body issues anyway without the Wii making you cringe! Isn't it supposed to be FUN? It doesn't help that she is the tallest one in the 4th grade and has figured out that she weighs more than most of her friends. She is about a foot taller than most of them, but she doesn't take that into consideration.
My work is cut out for me on this one. I keep stressing the word "healthy" to her, not "weight"!
She will be T.E.N. next week. : (

These boys are actually playing together on Christmas. They both got some knights from Santa and were still being good when this pic was taken. Thomas's resolution was to hate the Longhorns more. Dont really know what the deal was with that other than him wanting to aggravate Jill, who LOVES the Longhorns. Once she found out that my oldest sister babysat Colt McCoy and that his Dad and Grandad coached her....that was it. She is their biggest fan.

Grant's resolution was to play with our dog and cat more. I keep reminding him of that and we are only at day 8 of the resolution!!! He may have to update his........we will see.

We got to see lots of family during the holiday.....Here we are in Lubbock with some of Dad's side of the family....

This is the girls at my sister Cathe's house.....My Aunt Ellen was also able to come over, visit, and have lunch with all of us! We had a good visit!

Here is my Dad (visiting from Nebraska) with Cathe, me, and all of our kids!!

We had a great Christmas and New Year's! Hope all of you did as well!

Abilene Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T11:58:00.000-08:00

These are the snowmen the kids made out of cupcakes, icing, pretzels, coconut, Reese's cups and marshmallows. The picture in the cook book looked good..........these just had a hard time standing up. Maybe next year.....

Some of the cousins with Grandad, Uncle Joe, and Uncle Jimmy

Thomas lost a tooth on Christmas Eve!!

Grant and Jake were at table #1 with me and Grandad.

Getting ready for pickle presents

Grant and Clara are ready!

Me and Jenny

Grant and his new pjs

Jill and her new pjs

Thomas and his.....

Lady, Clara, and me

Grant and Clara getting ready to go downstairs and see if Santa brought anything.....

Grandad with the cousins

Grant with Tony Romo..

Jill with the Guiness Book for Wii....

Grant with the football that lights up if you throw a spiral....

Santa brought Kit for Jill..

Grant with his football cards...

Thomas with his Steelers helmet...

looks good....

On Christmas, you can have Reese's before breakfast!

Breakfast..

A little Cousin Football

Jonathan and his dad.....relaxing on the porch!

This Bionicle has almost 300 pieces!!! Jonathan put it together......and he was patient!

Hope you all had a good Christmas! We will head out this week to spend some time with my Dad's side of the family........Happy New Year to all as well!

Open House...try # 341

2008-12-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

I think most of the pics are on here now......thats good......because I'd almost given up on getting the pics to load. My sweet husband did get me a new computer for Christmas (I opened it this morning!), so, hopefully I wont have all the problems anymore.

Speaking of sweet husbands........here he is.......with his favorite decoration. It came from Whataburger or somewhere like that. Eggnog is like a little stuffed thing. I think we have had it longer than we have had Jill!

Me with eggnog......J thought this pic was too funny! He took it.

The kids tree.....all of the ornaments they have made are on here, including Jill's angel tree topper she made in PreK. Some ornaments Jonathan made in 1977 are on here too. He must have had a good teacher that year!

These are hand blown glass ornaments that the kids made a few years ago in Temple. They are hanging from the chandelier in the entry way.

This one is my favorite.........these are ornaments that my Nanny made a long time ago. I always remember them being on her tree----so shiny and sequinish!! I tried to make one for J when we got married----I dont have the touch though---it was too heavy and kept falling off the hanger! Martha I am NOT!

These things are also in the dining room. The tall Santa is from Nanny and Grandad's house....the short Santa is from France (a reminder of our trip this past summer!), and the little glass tree is a replica of one that was in my Momba and Bob's house.

The kids advent calendars with the Christmas village......

Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!

This morning.....

2008-12-20T13:21:00.000-08:00

Since we will be at J's parents house for Christmas, we decided to let the kids open their presents from us this morning. Here is Thomas with the laptop we got........Dad is already tired from staying up late "testing" one of the other presents........

this is the one he (really we) tested.......the Wii......here are Jill and Grant boxing!

Thomas checking out Yahoo games......

Grant trying out the boxing again!

Dad, Jill, and Thomas playing......

I got Jonathan a Wii fit. Sorry, no pics of him on the balance board yet. He did his Wii age...his was something like 32. Mine was 53 or something crazy like that. NOT FAIR. We will try that again and see if the reading is the same. The computer did say he was a master at yoga breathing!!! HA! He is going to begin teaching yoga in January. SERIOUSLY!

Open House.......TAKE 3!!!

2008-12-19T14:07:00.000-08:00

***FRUSTRATION = ME TRYING TO UPLOAD THE CHRISTMAS DECO PICS TO BLOGGER FOR THE THIRD TIME AND THESE WERE THE ONLY ONES TO LOAD........I KNOW YALL FEEL MY PAIN!!! I WILL TRY THE OTHERS TOMORROW. (maybe)

these are just some of the decorations in the kitchen.....Christmas plates, the nativity cookie jar, and the snowflake bowls.........

this is above one of the kitchen windows.....it started out white, but J spray-painted it for me...white would not have shown up well on these walls!

the stocking were hung on the stairway with care.......or something like that!
Grants is the bear; Thomas's is the snowman; Jill's is the Santa

the tree........I did get a new topper this year. The other one, an angel Jill made in PreK, has graduated to the kid's tree. Hope to get a pic of it in the next round.

front door with the wreath my friend, Linda, made........

hope to have more for you later!

Thomas is 8!!!!!!!

2008-12-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR THOMAS.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

This boy loves the Steelers.......he needed a new cap.......(the kids had just gotten up...we usually dont let him run around shirtless!)
a glow in the dark football........

a new scooter........that I let him ride in the house....until he ran into the Christmas tree!!

the football again.....

testing it out........

during his party that afternoon...the day that the Steelers played the Cowboys.....Thomas's wish came true that day......and yes, he was the ONLY one in a Steelers jersey that day.

make a wish.....(it came true when the Steelers won)

some of the boys and other guests that came.......

present time.........

more presents......

It was a good day!!

Jingle Ball 5K

2008-12-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

Some of the people I work out with.....minus BFF.......before the 5K this past weekend.
After, with the kids. LOVE that look that Thomas J. does!!!!! Will he grow out of that soon??

After........

There is another one March 1 that also has a kids 1 mile......they all say they want to do it!!! YEAH! We will start training........um.........tomorrow, OR after Christmas!!!

Tis the season.......

2008-12-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

for Christmas performances!! Here is Grant before his Kindergarten recital...

during.......middle row, far right.......

and again here.........

Elementary and Intermediate School Performances.......

Jill is on the top row, middle....Thomas middle row, middle (seated)

Thomas in the middle row.....the one who looks excited.....haha

THANKSGIVING 08.......in reverse!

2008-12-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

Because I never think about posting the pics in reverse order so that they will appear chronologically.....this is our Thanksgiving......in reverse!

Here is Jonathan.......watching football/sleeping on Sunday afternoon.....he and his brother were going to go hunting, but it was too windy. : ) long live Bambi!

Here are my sister Cathe's kids and mine......they came over on Sunday to play. The top of the stairs has the 9 yr olds, then the 7 yr olds, then the 6 yr olds, then Brooklyn----the lone 4 year old.

A little game of foosball.......

Some of the Davis Girls.......me, Jennifer, Jenny, Sharon Howard, and Carra

Hot tub, anyone?????

My group......dont they look thrilled to be taking another picture???

Cousins......Davis and Jill......

The Davis Cousins..........

Jonathan's mom and her sister, Aunt Billie

What is Thanksgiving without a little cousin football?? (notice Clara standing in the swing....she was having NO part of it!)

King of all cooking.....Jimmy.....with one of the turkeys!

Lady and Addie.....

More football.....just in pajamas! Jonathan and Jake....

Grandad and Clara.....

The mistreated Shih Tzus.......Moseley (Addie's) and Cocoa (ours)

Visiting on Wed night.......

More visiting.....and Aunt Carra helping Jill color one of her indian project sheets

Wed night was soup/chili night........Grandad, Luke, Addie, Jonathan

Jonathan and his dad checking the deer feeder in our backyard........looking for evidence that the deer had been there........

We had a great time......29 people in all for Thanksgiving lunch......it was busy, but fun!!!!!

The Alma Mater does good........saw this on Yahoo today! GO CATS!!!

2008-11-23T15:23:00.001-08:00

ABILENE, Texas (AP)—Abilene Christian set a record for points in an NCAA playoff game, beating West Texas A&M 93-68 in the second round of the Division II playoffs Saturday.
Bernard Scott rushed for 292 yards and scored seven touchdowns, both playoff records.
The combined 161 points was an NCAA Division II record.
Abilene Christian (11-0) gained 810 yards of offense and scored touchdowns on 13 of 14 possessions. The only time the Wildcats didn’t come away with points was on their second possession, when they missed a field goal attempt. The teams combined for 1,531 yards, also an NCAA Divison II record.
Keith Null, who completed 42 of 63 passes, set a school record by throwing for 595 yards and seven touchdowns in the loss for West Texas A&M (11-2), which was eliminated despite gaining 721 yards. Buffaloes receiver Charly Martin caught 14 passes for 323 yards and scored five times.
Abilene Christian, which will host Northwest Missouri State next Saturday, led 42-34 at halftime.
Billy Malone threw for 383 yards and six touchdowns, and Johnny Knox caught five passes for 125 yards for the Wildcats.
Scott had 19 carries and rushed for six touchdowns and added another score receiving.

Do these windows look clean??????

2008-11-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

THEY SHOULD!!!!!!

I have been cleaning like Cinderella today in preparation for

the Thanksgiving Celebration next week!

For this group.....I think I will need the tall ladder. OH MY!

9 years ago today......

2008-11-21T14:46:00.001-08:00

Here is where knowing how to use the scanner would come in handy, but since J isnt here to show me......Imagine a 20 month old little girl with blonde wispy hair and big brown eyes.
That would describe our niece, Maddie, who went to Heaven 9 years ago today.

From February of 98 to January of 99, there were 3 little girls born in our family on Jonathan's side-----Maddie in February, Hope in July, and Jill in January.

We think of her often......and miss her so much......please say a special prayer for her Mom (Carra), Dad (Jimmy), and brothers (Davis and Jake), as well as the rest of our family today, as we remember our sweet Maddie Ivy Carter.

My New Favorite Gadget

2008-11-21T14:35:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite thing----- a cocoa maker!!!!!! You add 4 cups of milk and some Quik OR your fave hot chocolate mix and turn it on! It mixes and heats up to the right temperature and then shuts off. It kicks back on when the temp falls or the hot choc needs to be stirred! It also has a frothing option. It comes with a recipe book as well. For all the hot choc lovers out there------this thing is GREAT!!!

(I got it at everythingkitchens.com because they had free shipping.)

I am a little behind here!!!!!

2008-11-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

Thomas has been practicing with his bow since Dad and Jill came home with a deer last time.

His friend, Brandon, that lives across the street came over for some of the action, too!

What would be so hot that it would cause this face??
And this face??????

Habanero Hot Sauce!!!! I made jambalaya this night for dinner and the kids decided to try the sauce.....straight! Not smart. I do not think they will do that again anytime soon.

Grant, thank goodness, did not follow suit on this one!!

This is the Lady Primrose Warehouse Sale in Dallas last Friday at 7 am. BFFL, her mom, and I had to leave here at 5 to be there to get in line! It was COLD, but we had fun!

Here is BFFL standing in line! People were trying to take stuff off of our cart because they thought BFFL worked there. The look on her face was priceless.

A New Game

2008-11-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

This morning's conversation with Jill went something like this:

Jill: Mom....the boys and I made up a new game this morning.

Me....Really.....What is it?

Jill: It is a combination of Four Square and Soccer......We are calling it Foccer.

Me: Couldn't say anything.......didn't know what to say!!!!!! I am hoping it doesn't come up again!

Weekend Recap

2008-11-10T17:22:00.000-08:00

The story that goes with this is at the end!

Isn't that an original title???

I guess I should really start from last Wednesday......

Grant comes home from school, starts to play Monopoly Jr., then says he has to go lay down for a while. I go upstairs to check on him.......102.5 fever. LOVELY. He and I stay home from church and he sleeps until morning........2 am in the morning.......then he wants to TALK!! I kept saying "Grant...I really have to sleep...remember I have Boot Camp and have to get up at 4:30".

He finally fell back asleep. We knew that he probably would not be going to school the next day, so we asked one of the sweet ladies at church if she could keep him until noon since Jonathan and I were both enrolling at different places on Thurs. Thank goodness she could! He made a trip to the Dr.......white spots on the tonsils.......GREAT.......and no, he cannot go to school Friday either.

Did I mention that we were having a garage sale on Friday at my house? I had it all planned and in the paper, signs made, change gotten........now I have a sick son to go along with it! He woke up like a little bouncy ball on Friday, a little excited that he was going to be around to "help" with the festivities. He was acting totally fine.....I am sure the attendees of the garage sale were wondering why he was not at school. I drug everything onto the carport from the garage and we were busy! At about 11 the phone rings.......I recognize the number as the elementary nurse.

GREAT. This time it was Thomas. I thought maybe he had the sore throat, too, or he was faking it because he and Jill were a little mad that G got to stay home and "help" and they had to go to school. No sore throat though....he was in MUSIC class and was doing some kind of dance and tripped over the person next to him and fell into the corner of a table and had a laceration in his head that the nurse could not get to stop bleeding. Did I mention blood makes me faint and that I was having a garage sale?????

I left all the stuff on the carport, loaded up G, and we went to get Thomas. I had not showered, neither had G. We looked lovely.

We picked up Thomas and headed to the Dr., the same one who had seen G the day before for his throat and Jill for her weekly allergy shot. She stitched him up and off we went......after stopping for a Coke.........back to our garage sale. If anyone stole anything, I did not notice. At that point, I dont think I would have cared. Take it......take it ALL!

He had a little headache, but was fine for the most part.

Jill gets home at 4 and is questioning Thomas about how he got to come home. He says, "Look....I got stitches"......she was a little sympathetic!

He is fine now......and so is G. (They all went to school today...that reminds me of another story from today....I get a call at 10:30 or so...its the school secretary wondering where Thomas is. I dropped him off this morning was my response....surely he has not figured out how to skip school! He is in 2nd grade! She says that maybe the sub counted the wrong person absent. TRUE! He was there. No need for worry.)

Saturday........more garage sale.......but only like 3 people with a grand total for that day of $2. Something like 80 overall.......which is fine with me. I used my proceeds for a cocoa maker. I already ordered it. When it comes in......I will give a consumer report!

We also went to a birthday party for a little one year old from church!

EARLY on Sat morning, Jonathan and Jill went to the deer lease. It was girls weekend with dad.

Our niece was there with J's brother and the other guy on the lease's daughter was there, too.

I get a call about 8 Sat night......(whisper) "Mom....we got one....we are going to find it now. I will call you later." They did get one.....a doe.....Jill really enjoyed getting to identify the insides and especially cutting open the stomach...just to see what the deer had eaten. Is this MY child? I would never ever do that. I would get my nails dirty. She, however, could care less about all of that! Her brothers were jealous---they went to the deer lease and did not get anything with dad! G is going this Friday.....maybe he will have some luck!

Conversation with Thomas, age 7

2008-11-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

This is a recap of the conversation I had with Thomas after school.......

Me.....How was school today?

T.......Fine...except one of the kids in my class had to go to ISS (In School Suspension).

Me......Why?

T.....She threw rocks at a boy and hit him in the head. He had to leave school and everything because the nurse could not fix him.

Me.....That's not good. Why was she throwing rocks at him?

T.....He had some piece of paper that she wanted and he would not give it to her. Mom, can you imagine being beaten up by a GIRL?

Yes........June Cleaver does live here.

2008-11-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

Kindergarteners at the ZOO!

2008-11-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

Grant and some of his classmates!

He used to love to take pics with me!

Grant and Bud.....my adopted child for the trip!

Sliding

The cutest baby owl EVER!

G wasn't even scared! He kept trying to count the rattlers!

Mom....my legs are tired......

CUTEST little kindergartener!

Trying out the balance beams at the park

Acting so goofy with Lacey.....these 2 have been friends a long time!

Halloween 08

2008-11-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here are our trick or treaters!

Ours.....Darth Vader, knight, and gladiator

plus BFFs kids...the jeanie and the alien

the finished product.....each kid and J took turns with this masterpiece!
My Sweet Babboo......just being himself!

They thought the insides were "so gross". Is this really what is in pumpkin pie?

Im not touching it with my hands.....where is a spoon?

Dad said......."just dig it out!"

Does this look like a first place team??? (plus some other pics)

2008-10-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

THE BUFFALOES!!!

These boys beat the Aggies this morning to win first place in the Flag Football League!

Jonathan is the coach, Grant and Thomas are on the bottom......3rd and 4th in from the left

LOVE those cheesy "smiles"!

Grant accepting his trophy
Thomas with his trophy

Grant subbing out

Thomas.......#7

Jill.........she wishes she could play in the boys league......sorry, sister!

Thomas on a water break

Grant at halftime

Jill and Thomas practicing some passing/catching

Grant getting on his flags

The fearless coach!!

Good job, honey........you can sleep in next week!!

*****************************************************

the other stuff

Thomas building a Halloween castle

Jill and I had to have these new matching pjs.......

we love turquoise!

You gotta love this look and the necklace from the vending machine that cost a quarter, but the symbol is a dollar sign.

I think this necklace accidentally found its way to the trash while Thomas was at school. : (

HAPPY FALL!

2008-10-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

This post is for Amy....I know it has taken me a long time to get it together! : )
Y'all all know that I am NOT crafty.....I dont even own a glue gun! Anyway......here is what Fall looks like around our house.
Here is the front door.......
This is really vase filler, but.....I am also using it as potpourri....I just added some scented oil to it!

Jonathan's mom made these ghosts a long time ago.......they are in one of the kitchen windows

nothing too exciting here.........

the usual jack-o-lantern (I have a cute football one, too, but cant find it in the attic!)

The kids love this Frankenstein wind sock.........

The arrangement on the dining room table.......I have given up on trying to keep fresh flowers here!

HAPPY FALL and HAPPY FRIDAY to all!

Lots of pics........

2008-10-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is the aftermath of what we call Laundry Drop. The kids stand on the catwalk and dump their laundry downstairs by the laundry room.

For some reason the beginning picture posted at the end. I LOVE Blogger!

Grant will be a gladiator
Thomas will be a knight
Jill will be Darth Vader

no girly costumes here!
BEWARE!
Thomas has been practicing building Football card houses. This one was strong enough to hold the wooden fruit!
All the participants
Jill and Grant making cookies
They were really good.
(One more reason for Boot Camp)
The beginning Laundry Drop pic that should have been at the beginning!

Picture Tag

2008-10-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

A game of picture tag...from AMY!
Go to your sixth file and post your sixth picture.......here is mine....

The kids on Christmas morning at Lady and Granddad's. The F.U.N we all have there!
**I tag all of you!!**

Cause and Effect.......

2008-10-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

CAUSE:
All of these lovely desserts were served at our housewarming party a few weeks ago. The pink and brown cake was ooh la la delicious! Jonathan and I even ate the leftover pieces while watching the DVRed Biggest Loser. (is that sad or what?)

EFFECT:

I started round 2 of Boot Camp this morning at 5:15 (yeah...that's AM) in Waco (20 minutes away). It's only 5:00 pm here......is it bedtime yet??

A Little Backwards!

2008-10-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

Instead of a pre-game meal.........
We have pre-meal games!
Gotta love it!

Everything Grant Needs To Know He Is Learning In Kindergarten

2008-10-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

I Have Been Tagged!

2008-09-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

You're going to get a little more of me in this post.

The rules of the tag are as follows:
1.Post the rules on your blog.
2.Write six random things about yourself.
3.Tag six people at the end of your post.
4. If you are tagged, JUST DO IT, and pass the tag along!

One.......I love how flowers look all over the house and even outside. The only problem is that I kill them. I water them, follow the directions on the little cards, and sometimes talk to them......but they still DIE! It's just not fair.

Two......I love sparkly things. Jewelry (but not too gaudy). Prisms that make rainbows. Whatever......I just like them!

Three.....Even after my sweet husband coached high school football for 10 years, I still don't understand all the rules of the game. My boys are now playing flag football and all the kids (even Jill) love to watch football........I just don't get it!

Four.......My family calls me the make-up queen. In college, I worked at Merle Norman. But even before that I loved makeup! I like to try different products. I do have my favorites though! Bare Minerals for foundation......Merle Norman for lipstick.....Clinique for mascara.......Arbonne for skincare (Dont yall wish I was Oprah so I could give you my favorites!)

Five.......Out of my 3 sisters, I am probably the one still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. My degree is in Political Science......I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. WRONG. I taught....loved it but hated the TAKS testing. Now I sell insurance......probably the most flexible job I've had and should be happy with it. (The joke is that I can only work 11-2 because I work out in the mornings at 8:30 in Waco and have to be done by two to get the kids from school AND that the 11-2 has to include a lunch break!)

SIX.......I am always cold. If its not at least 70-75 degrees....I better take a jacket. I leave one in the car for those cold restaurants, movie theaters, church.......wherever! My sweet babboo is the same way, poor kid!

I tag:
Lorie
Shelley
Amy
Angela
Kristen at We Are That Family
Cathe

Things You Find on the Side of the Road......

2008-09-27T18:48:00.001-07:00

Meet the newest member of our family.......her name is Bonita.......not really because she is so cute (she is!), but because she is so boney!!

After going in to town yesterday, J and the kids saw this little kitten trying to cross a major street! The street is kind of in the country and this little kitty probably would not have made it!

We had to set her up on the shelf to eat.......our dog, Cocoa, was not wanting to let her eat!
Cocoa checking out the new member.....
Bonita taking over Cocoa's sleeping quarters.......
or trying to anyway!
They did resolve the sleeping arrangement. Bonita took the pillow that Cocoa is pulling in the above picture and Cocoa took the base part. Pretty funny!

Football........

2008-09-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Football has begun!

Here is Jonathan's team......the Buffaloes (like Colorado).......this team was chosen because of their black and vegas gold colors. (For those of you who dont know my sweet husband.....he went to Abilene High and their colors were black and vegas gold.....this is also the place where he was the stud quarterback in high school, or so he says.......he does have a box of medals to prove it to me---I just like teasing him)

After his varsity coaching career change, he now coaches Flag Football. They even have plays that they practice every week.

Here is Grant and one of the other kids witnessing the coin toss.......

Jonathan psyching up the boys.....
Thomas......number 7 just like his Daddy used to be.......this little runner scored a touchdown this morning after running all the way down the field!
Grant is on the team, too. He grabbed some flags this morning and made some great "blocks"!
This is what football players look like after eating a snow cone (at 10 am)-----you cant really tell.....but his lips are RED!
Go Buffaloes........we are proud of you!

Thieves?? and fun with Ike!

2008-09-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

Do BFF Lorie and I look like thieves? Below is our best thief-ish look.....dont know why we are smiling.....mostly we couldnt quit laughing! There is a story behind this pic........
Some of our friends from church have a pool....they are not home during the day so we asked them if we could use the pool while our kids are at school....we swim and try to catch a few rays...visit, drink Diet Coke...that sort of thing. The funny thing about this scenario is that we park the car at the entrance and have to use a step ladder to get to the top of the column to get over the remote controlled gate and walk down the driveway to even get to the pool. (Our friends' gate has a remote because they have been broken into before...they live in the COUNTRY!) One of the times we went "sunning" we were sitting by the pool.....BFF lying on the diving board and me sitting on the side of the pool with my feet in.....when I hear the doorbell ring. I sat there for a minute thinking that it wasn't true.......after all, who could get through the gate unless they either had a remote or used our stepladder???? The doorbell rang again....what could we do....we both had on our swimsuits! We yelled, "We are in the back!" This older man comes back there and is asking us a million questions......who are you.....what are you doing here......why does your car have Dallas plates.......We assured the interrogator that we did have permission to be there to which his response was, "I wish they would have let somebody know about this"....he said that a couple of times...finally BFF asked him if he wanted us to leave.....he said he guessed not.......and left! We found out later that the interrogator was the father of the guy we go to church with. Our poor church friends were so embarrassed that he was asking us all those questions! It was pretty funny.....that was the inspiration for this pic.......so I could blog about it.

I know many had different experiences with IKE last weekend, but I came home to find this on that Saturday morning.........
the kids using the rafts that belong to BFF and I as sleds during the rain and waterhose shower to go down the hill in our backyard!
Thank goodness they did not pop them.......
BFF and I have some more sunning to do!!

POPS and Jonathan.......

2008-09-17T11:22:00.001-07:00

Here are the kids with my dad, who all the grandkids call POPS. He took a transfer with his job, so he moved to Grand Island, Nebraska a few weeks ago. This is the pic we took right before he left. We are missing him being so close......at the first freezing blizzard he might be back in TX!

These next few pics are of Jonathan and his newest endeavors........you know....like fixing things in the house (the DVR in my office---very important!)......he also has been checking out RIDING lawnmowers. I think he needs one soon------the new house has a lot more grass and a big hill!It's just funny seeing him "do" all the house stuff!

Where In The World Have I Been????

2008-09-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

I have been BUSY! Last week I left bright and shiny early (like 6:22 am) on Tuesday and flew to DFW....from there to St Louis....from there to Springfield, Illinois, for update training for my job. It was cold, sometimes rainy, and mostly BORING! The good side of it was that one of the other people in the class I already knew----

I got back to Dallas on Friday, had lunch with my sister, Cathe and niece Brooklyn, then came home. We went to the football game that night---sat in what I call the "unsocial section"---away from most spectators and parents who think they have it all figured out---this is the place Jonathan wants to sit. At least we do have some friends who sit up there with us!!! That helps!

Saturday BFF Lorie and I went to work out and then had some last minute shopping to do for the Housewarming Party she was doing for us on Sunday. We made desserts, tea, and coffee.
(I will post the pics later). Her mom came over (in the pouring rain) and helped with the flower arranging and placement. I even had to ask an unsuspecting neighbor if we could have a few leaves/twigs/filler/whatever you call it from her garden to make the arrangements fuller/taller/prettier!

Sunday after the monthly luncheon at church, everyone (90 people, we think) came over for dessert! Lorie even ordered the CUTEST cake from a bakery in Waco called "Simply Delicious".
The name says it all. We had fun visiting with everyone, and joked afterwards that we should have arranged for the people to come in shifts according to the first letter of their last name! It was fun and we were thankful that so many people came!

Monday is was back to Southlake, Tuesday was spent with BFF, and now it is Wednesday already! I did have lunch with Grant today. Did you know that kindergarteners eat LUNCH at 10:40?????

I will try to get the dessert and flower pics up soon!

The Busy B's visit.......

2008-09-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

There is a link from my blog to the Busy Bs (listed as CATHE)

......from left on this pic....the first, third, fifth, and sixth kids are from the B family. They are also my niece and nephews! The other kids in this pic are mine........The other funny thing about this pic is that from right to left they stood, on their own, in the order they were born! First two in 1999; Next two in Dec of 2007 and March of 2008; Next two in Jan of 2003 and Aug of 2002; then the smallest cousin was born in May of 2006. There is actually one little brown-eyed cousin missing from these pics (all the rest have blue eyes).....the sister just under me that lives in NM had our little Lucas in October of 2005 and is having another this spring!!!!!! THAT is a lot of cousins and grandkids.....right, POPS!!

silly........
silliest!
The moms.........me and my oldest sister........the mom and author of the Busy B's..........
The oldest cousins being measured by POPS........they have a height comparison every time we get together.......they are tied.........at 5 ft 2 inches.........did I mention these are 4th graders???

First Day of School 2008

2008-09-07T12:54:00.001-07:00

Yeah......school did start 3 weeks ago and I am just now getting the pics on here.........I know...I know..............I've been trying to catch up!

Here is Grant........He is now a Kindergartener!!! He has done well and is loving school. He even lucked out and got the teacher we wanted.

Thomas is now in second grade. He likes his teacher and she is PERFECT for him. She has two little boys of her own and knows how little boys tend to behave!!
Jill is now in fourth grade. She no longer goes to the elementary school in our town....she now goes to the intermediate school and feels so grown up! She has 2 teachers........seems to like them both!
This is them walking up the driveway on the first day after their mean parents made them ride the bus home. : )
They survived........but were a little hot and STARVING!!

Days at the beach........

2008-09-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

Y'all know how I L.O.V.E. the beach........so.........we made a trip to Port Aransas the week before school started. My neck was a little sore from flipping tractor tires at Boot Camp the day before we left.....but.....I am now healed! Boot Camp is also over until October 7th! : )
That is a different post altogether........back to the beach.

Here is my dad (POPS), Jonathan, and Jill......

G looking for shells........or pearls for his mama!
T setting up the domino maze back at the condo........
POPS and the kids on board the USS Lexington.........
G and his Texas size peanut butter and jelly sandwich.....who orders this while at a seafood restaurant on the coast????????
J explaining to the kids not to go out so far while "surfing"

J and Grant
Of course there was beach football to be played......
Some tackling to be done..........
and mountains to be created............
We had a good trip.........cant wait to go back!

Waterpark time........

2008-09-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

G........
J..........
T............
A little cookie dough ice cream never hurt anyone......
G and his friend Ran.......BFF Lorie's son........

Happy 50th Anniversary!!

2008-08-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, we were able to celebrate Jonathan's parents' 50th anniversary. They were married when they were 15 and 19. Their parents had to SIGN for them to get married; Alton had to sign Betty's report cards from school!! Four years later they had Jenny....Jonathan's oldest sister......there are 5 kids in his family.

J's sisters did most of the planning for the celebration since they live in Abilene, where the reception was held. We had a great time.......at the end of these pictures is the article Lady wrote for the August column in the Abilene Reporter News......."How to stay married 50 years".......I figured in this day and time, we need all the advice we can get!!!! ENJOY.......

Here are J's parents.........posing for one of many pics
My family from the side view!
J and the boys........
J's brother, Tim, with Grant. I am sure he is explaining the importance of leaving Grandad's antique trucks alone!!! They were used to decorate the "grooms table"!
Me and Hannah.....our niece who is now a senior in high school. Wasn't it just yesterday that she was the 5 yr old cute little flower girl at our wedding??!!! (Everyone keep your fingers crossed that she will decide to go to ACU next fall!)

Here is a website if you would like to see more of the pics from the party.
www.marcelainphotography.com/galleries/sbdavis

Lady's article.................
How to stay married 50 years
By Betty Davis
Monday, August 18, 2008

Fifty years ago, in 1958, Elvis was inducted into theArmy, Queen Elizabeth gave her son Charles the title"Prince of Wales," (the only title she will likelyever give him) and a U.S. bomber accidentally droppedan atomic bomb on Mars Bluff, Calif.That's also the year we got married.My husband and I were so young that our parents signedfor us to marry amidst talk and speculation about howlong it would last; the outside guess was six months.Most have changed the subject by now.The first major decision for us was whether to buywedding rings or a television. We couldn't affordboth, and my soon-to-be-husband thought a TV was awiser investment; neither of our parents had one.I said I wasn't marrying without rings. I may havebeen too young for a driver's license, but a girl isnever too young to know about jewelry.We married in my sister's two-bedroom house with about15 witnesses -- those who had influenced our lives themost. The $17 wedding dress came from Sears Roebuck,and the groom's attire was a two-sizes-too-small suitborrowed from a brother-in-law.My husband later (much later) confessed to standing inthe backyard while preparations were being made in thehouse, contemplating jumping the fence anddisappearing down the alley. There have been times weboth wished he had, but they've been few and farbetween.Our kids are hosting a celebration party for us.This guest list is longer -- more people haveinfluenced our lives.I'll wear the dress I wore to our daughter's weddingsix years ago, and I'll be standing. At her wedding, Iwas in a wheelchair, thanks to a fall and a brokenfoot.My husband will wear the suit our boys bought him forhis last birthday."Don't look at the price," they had said. "Just pickout what you like."They'll not tell him that again; he has great tastewhen he's not buying.I suppose he thought I was worth the price, promisingme that I could have a cat, and we wouldn't move allthe time. We've had more cats than the Humane Societyand lived in the same house for over 40 years.He said he would love me and take care of me, and hehas.I don't remember if I made a promise, but surely in 50years I've kept it.I could say we've been in love every minute and neverdisagreed, but the kids would call me on it. At times,we may have survived more despite "us" than because of"us."There's a sweetness, a oneness, in having a 50-yearhistory together.We've been asked, "How do you stay married so long?"These are random thoughts:Longevity isn't a goal, but the end result of dailyactions over time, that build trust, love andsolidarity.It takes two to tango, and both need to be on thedance floor. I've known marriages that failed, becauseone simply didn't listen to the music.There needs to be more endearing than enduring, morelaughter than lambasting, more touching than taunting.A genuine "I'm truly sorry" goes further than flowers-- they die, are thrown out, and forgotten.Save the flowers for "No reason, I just love you."The Bible says, as do all the books written since,that women need to be loved, men need to be respected.One begets the other, but don't wait for the otherperson to "go first." Make the first move, and thesecond and the third, if need be.Courtesy in a marriage (such as saying "thank you,""please," "good morning," "welcome home") reapsbenefits to the giver and to the receiver.We who are married have the ability and responsibilityto be the best married partner possible and toappreciate and acknowledge the efforts of the otherhalf of the union.Selfishness, always wanting one's own way, no matterthe cost to the marriage, is destructive.Selfishness keeps us from looking outside of ourselvesto "see" the reasoning of another.Alton and I haven't always done it right, making somemistakes several times. To be sure they were mistakes,but here we are 50 years later, preparing for a funparty with family and friends -- and with no desire tobe anywhere else!My husband has bought me a beautiful new ring, sayinghe loves me more today than fifty years ago. I love him more also; maybe I'll get him a new TV.

No one person holds all the tricks about making amarriage work. Tell me what you've learned, I'll tellour readers -- one column for gals, one for guys. Oneto three sentences, including how long you've beenmarried. No names. E-mail me at davisbjo@yahoo.com.

Scenes from the new surroundings........

2008-08-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

**I know....two posts in one night! I am trying to get caught up!!!**

The porch swing in the backyard........
Jill and Thomas with BFF Lorie's kids and our dogs (who have both escaped and we have no idea where they are......that's a whole other story in itself)

Our room............
this is definitely something you don't see everyday......my sweet husband actually fixing something himself. He did TRY to make the fan in our room quit making a weird noise, it just didn't work! He will have to revert back to his old ways and call someone who knows about this stuff!

My bathtub............

Grant had to check it out! He said it was "Heaven"!!!

The breakfast area...........

Jill and some of her friends having an ice cream party.......she got the idea from the American Girl magazine and had to give it a try! They had a great time. (For those Blue Bell lovers out there....Century Sundae is awesome!)

Other Bday pics.........

2008-08-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

Here is our 6 year old on his actual birthday with the scooter he wanted...........how he runs around barefoot I'll never know!
The bday boy wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese's for his special dinner. Dad enjoyed the games.....
and so did Jill...........
Thomas did, too, but is WAY to cool for his pic to be taken while shooting hoops.........
G racked up the tickets and got some great prizes.......you know........like Laffy Taffy that turns your teeth blue!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY G!!!!!

2008-08-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

OK......so this post is way late......G's actual birthday was August 8th. That is the day we moved.......so we celebrated his 6 years a little early.....on the 2nd! I am just now catching up on some posts, so.............here he is........Grant Alton Davis. His middle name is after J's dad. When I was pregnant, we did not know if he was a boy or girl. I definitely thought I was having a girl. HA! I was so wrong........and so was just about everybody else. I think the only one who thought he was a boy was Momba, my grandmother. This was taken at his party......can you tell he LOVES gift cards?? His Pops knows what he likes. : )
This sweet boy needed a new ROMO jersey. The #9 on the one we bought him for his bday last year is totally gone from me having to wash it every other day. If it was in his drawer, he was wearing it! In the winter he just puts a sweatshirt under it and he is good to go! We saw this "throwback" jersey at the Dallas Cowboy store at Grapevine Mills and knew he needed it. (Doesnt it look lovely with his "I still live with my parents" tshirt and swim trunks?!)
He had his party at our church with his friend, Hannah, who also turns 6 in August. We had 2 water slides.......what fun!
Hannah and Grant blowing out their #6 candles..........
The birthday celebrants........both blonde hair, blue eyes.....so cute!
6 things I love about G...........
1. He is so smart! He loves learning and will play anyone in Yahtzee or Connect 4 and if you dont pay very close attention.......he will beat you!
2. He is a snuggler. He will still sit in my lap and play with my hair. He still sometimes even comes and gets in bed with me in the middle of the night to play with my hair!!! Im lucky I have some left.
3. He loves Jill and Thomas. (most of the time)
4. He is a little competitive. He loved playing football and baseball this year.
5. His smile! See the gift card picture to see what I am talking about!
6. He is a good friend and cousin.
Happy Bday G, even if this post is a little late!

We are in!!!!

2008-08-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

We have been here one week. We LOVE the house, the yard, the driveway for the kids to ride their bikes, the kids in the neighborhood, having neighbors (that brought me a directory for the neighborhood!), and most of all..........no 1970 orange countertops like the old house!! We did not want to spend any money on the old house because we knew we would not be there forever!
Anyway..........here is the front view...........

Here is the back view. You can hardly see the swing in the tree on the left below, but that has to be Jonathan's favorite spot. The other night he was sitting there listening to music on his Iphone, reading the paper, drinking sweet tea, and swinging! I think I took a picture of him, but the patience with the uploading is not there today. Maybe tonight I will try again......

MOVING........

2008-08-12T08:32:00.001-07:00

I hate moving. The boxes, the sweat, the non-working Direct-TV because you need more lines dropped from the attic. That is what I have been doing since Friday....I guess its more like we, not I. I have managed to still make it to Boot Camp at 5:15 am though.......but have not managed to blog because my Verizon card doesn't work very well at the new house.....nor does my Verizon cell phone for that matter! Once I get it all straightened out a little more......I will post some pics of the new house and the new view. It is beautiful.

We are celebrating J's parents 50th anniversary this weekend with a P.A.R.T.Y!!!! Then off to the beach next week for a little sunshine before school starts!

Love to all..........

Lady's June and July Articles.......

2008-08-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

JUNE article........

Well, my friends and family, the June column. Truthis-I didn't think this column would be accepted by thepaper as it has no message, just a fun personal story.Perhaps they just wanted to use the clever(?) title!The title is not mine, I might point out.

The kittens are truly the cutest little things. TheMama had done a total about face. She now actsindifferent to any interest shown in the kittens.Mosley, Addie's little dog, got behind the cabinet(Alton pulled the cabinet out from the wall) and wasbarking at them. The little kitties, all 5 inches ofthem, were hissing at Mosley, while the Mama napped.We've decided the orginal scene of discovery on thehighway caused brain damage!When best laid cat plans go awrySaturday, June 21, 2008I know it's totally irresponsible, what with all thehomeless cats, but ... we have four baby kitties.Even worse, we planned them.Last October, spotting a kitten on a busy highway, Ibravely waved down the oncoming traffic and scooped upthe poor thing just in the nick of time.That's a little more dramatic than the actual scene,but nevertheless, I had a scared little ball of blackfur with two white spots on its tummy.When our last cat died, we made a pact, "No moreanimals! We're out of the pet business!" And it feltgood!Driving home, stroking the kitty, trying to rememberwhich grandchild had the next birthday (so I'd knowwho wanted the kitten), I noticed strange places onthe kitten's face. The diagnoses?Ringworms!It was a month before she was well enough to giveaway, but by then she would nap on my shoulder, curlup at the foot of our bed at night, and play with thetoys we bought her.So what if we had a cat lazing around? They say catskeep mice away, not that she would have a need to knowthat. We named her Miss Kitty.Three months ago, Miss Kitty showed a heightenedinterest in the outdoors when a tomcat serenaded herfrom the front porch. Time for responsible pet ownersto visit the vet again.We reminisced about the baby kittens we'd had when ourkids were growing up, how cute the kittens were, howwe marveled at nature -- at birth the mama cleanedthem as they wobbled, with closed eyes, straight tothe food supply, how the mama was protective, how sexeducation happened naturally. We talked about how lifelessons were taught and learned, without our sayingmuch.We smiled at the sweet memories and, right then andthere, without further discussion, we opened theoutside door.When Miss Kitty returned home, she was married -- andhad fleas.At the family announcement, the grandchildren caughtthe magic of anticipation. We knew they would.They called to check on her progress, felt of hertummy, guessed at the number and the color of the newkittens.We chose the birthing place, a box with a comfy towel,putting her in it often so she would know. She choseunder the ottoman instead -- in the middle of the den,in the middle of the night. I could hear the softmews, but couldn't locate them; it was the sound ofcontented purring that led me to lift the ottoman.There they were, one busy mama and four equally busybabies, trying to escape the clean up before dinner.I stroked her and gently put the ottoman back.Little did I know that was the calmest she would be --only because she was distracted.Her timing, just before a family reunion, was perfect;now the kids could see nature at it's best!They would see, firsthand, the tenderness of a mothercaring for her young.Mama Kitty was spastic. She would march up to thechildren, roughly grab her kitten anywhere she couldnab it, stalk disgustedly back under the ottoman --screaming offspring in tow. She scared all of us.She's moved them behind the TV cabinet, where theycan't be reached. We know they're back there; we canhear the mews. Soon we'll have four wild kittens tomatch the manic mama.So much for sweet memories.But we have four black/white kittens to givegrandchildren for birthdays, if we can catch them.And, yes, Mama Kitty has an appointment with the vet.

-- Betty Davis is an Abilene freelance writer andregular columnist who is a former Abilene publicschool board president.

JULY article

My husband and I, wondering if “retirement” is afancy word for “unemployed,” will soonknow-firsthand. The opportunity for such knowledge came sooner thanexpected when a young man, who has career dreams ofhis own, showed up and wanted “a piece of the pie.” We knew the time was right. My husband Alton, a.k.a.. “Sandy” in the businessworld, has told me not to use his name in the columnsI write, saying, “just call me Husband.” I said Iwould, but since this column is about him, “Husband”seemed a bit impersonal. And believe you me, when heno longer has a job, that’s personal! Alton moved to Abilene in September of 1957, towork at the newly opened Snowhite Bakery; his firstjob was to help assemble the shelves, racks, andequipment, many of which are still in use today. Helearned to bake and run a business, a career that hasserved us well. His love affair with the bakery business has beenlifelong, with a commitment to his products, hiscustomers and his business partners. It’s seldom that people succeed without thesupport of others; we are no different. I’d be remissnot to express a deep appreciation to those who havetrained and trusted us throughout the years. The rewards have been countless: Our children experienced working with their Dad,whether they wanted to or not. We’ve experienced the loyalty of friends who arecustomers, and customers who have become friends,allowing us to participate in the celebrations intheir lives. Co-workers are like family, disagreeing sometimes,but eventually getting back to being a living, workinggroup. We’ve shared the sorrows and successes in ourlives with each another. We’ll miss them. There is, of course, a sadness for the loss ofthose experiences. BUT....there’s also a sense of deep gratitude, andeuphoria, for this chance of new experiences. None will be more welcomed than silence at 3a.m., no alarm to remind him that he’s “gotta make thedo-nuts.” For the first time in 49-plus years, he’ll see thesunrise from home, and I’ll wake up with “Husband”beside me. It will be strange, surreal, to completely changethe pattern of our lives. We can watch a late night movie together, stay upas late as we like, sleep in as late as we like. We can hop in the car for an overnight trip or take aweek’s vacation, the first in 22 years. We can visit our grown kids, watch grandchildrenperform in whatever interests they have at the time. Friends ask what we will do; anything we want to, Iguess. I wonder if the opportunity to do anything you wantnegates the fun of doing it, if it’s like having somany pies from which to taste, that all lose theirflavor. Alton did mention fishing...once, like mostretirees mention fishing. “What in this world will I do?” wondered the manwho has worked every day long before he was old enoughto work every day. I used full self-control not to tell him of thelist I’m compiling for the day he says he doesn’t haveanything to do. “We could get bicycles,” I suggested. “Bicycles! I had a boat in mind.” Surely he’s kidding, I thought. He wasn’t. He called home the next week, said tomeet him at Lake Ft. Phantom Hill to try out a newboat. By the time I arrived, the boat was dead in thewater, but after a bit of on-site engineering, he madeit back to shore. We bought it anyway. Though we don’t have specific plans, we know thatwe can’t grip one chapter of our life so tightly thatour hands aren’t free to turn the next page. We knowthat changes in life are accompanied by changes inpurpose. We’re hopeful our new purpose will not include a 3a.m.alarm!

All things BASEBALL!

2008-07-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

This is what a baseball fan looks like after he has been running, is sweaty, and decides to play in the sand!

These are the excited spectators that were not playing in the sand, but were having a green snow cone! Doesn't J look excited in this one??
Thomas with his medal for participating in the district playoffs......
Thomas with his trophy for a great season......their presentation was at the waterpark.....thus, the swim trunks.
Grant with his mean old coach at his trophy presentation.
This is the team that Jill (bottom row right) was picked up for at the State Tournament in Holland. They got second....the other team from our town beat them by ONE point!

Jill's biggest fan...........her POPS!
Jill and her friend Cassie....they have been on the same team for 2 years.
The base runner!
The two teams from our town......first and second place in the state! Congratulations, girls!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (a few days late) JONATHAN!

2008-07-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

Jonathan had a birthday last Friday. We got a peanut butter fudge cake from TCBY to help celebrate! Here are the boys helping with the trick candles!

My BFF's daughter has the same bday as Jonathan! This is taken at her party at the river on Sat night.
A stick that the boys brought for J..........
Isn't this lovely? This is a bow from one of his presents. It's a good look, honey!
We love you.....we appreciate all you do for our family......we hated that you had to work on your bday.........we hope you love the presents we got you!!! Dont forget to schedule your massage!!

More Europe pics.......

2008-07-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

I know this is a long, drawn out process of the vacation pics........My patience with only being able to load 5 pics at a time is sometimes worn thin! Anyway.........here is J in Germany with a Smart Car. We decided that we would probably not be good candidates for this car because of our height! AND....where would the kids sit????

Even though this looks like bluebonnets, it is really a flax field in France.
This is part of the Benedictine Palace in France. It was beautiful and still has a distillery in it that is actually working. We got a taste of the liqueur.........I did not think it was all that great!
Some of the windows in the Benedictine Palace.

This is the ICE BAR in Hamburg, Germany. As you can see, it is made of ice! Before you enter, you are given a coat, hat, and gloves. I only lasted about 20 minutes in here----it was too cold for me!

The Netherlands........a month ago!

2008-07-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the major delay........my patience with uploading the pictures is not so good!
Also.....the pics are a little out of order!
This one was taken while we were on the boat tour. The canals here were amazing.

This is a house that actually sits on the canal. Some looked pretty like this one, some did not.
I did see a sign in the window of one that said "Dont Mess With Texas", but was too slow to get a shot of it!
This was where I felt like Moses was leading us with his staff, except for our guides name was Peter and he was carrying a #6 instead of a staff! He taught us a lot about the architecture of the buildings.
We ate lunch here while on the tour......this place was meant for short people.
A living statue with a wonderful costume.......lucky for them it isn't hot there.
This is another self portrait before dinner one night on the ship.

A bridge in Amsterdam........more beautiful in person!!
In the Netherlands, you have to take a picture of at least one windmill! I also got a windmill charm for my charm bracelet!!
Instead of 3 story car parking garages, they have 3 story bicycle garages! This is how most people get to work! This may have something to do with why we did not see many overweight people......except tourists!
Another must for the Netherlands.........a wooden shoe picture!

London June 17-19

2008-07-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

We left Paris and, instead of the usual flying, decided to be different and rode the underground Chunnel to London. We had a slight problem when we got to the Chunnel station. Our train was supposed to leave Paris at 11:15 am or something like that. We got there, after taking the metro with 3 suitcases and 2 carry-ons, with like 45 minutes to spare. NO problem! We had purchased our tickets before we left the US and had our voucher---all we needed was to trade the voucher for the actual tickets.
I sat with the luggage while J went to the ticket counter (that we found after we finally found someone that spoke a little English!). He was gone a long time and came back with a very mad look on his face. It appeared that we were about 45 minutes LATE for our train. We had set our watches ahead.......just apparently missed it by one hour. PROBLEM! So........they will credit 15% of your purchase price to another ticket.......isn't that nice of them?? J was so mad....especially when the exchange rate is 2-1. We were lucky enough to be able to catch the next train........but had to sit with the luggage. YES......the luggage! There were two fold down bleacher-type seats with the luggage racks for the late, non-French speaking Americans in Paris.
We survived.......and even laughed about it a little then. We made it though.........that was all that mattered!

This is a pic from the Tower of London. It was a very large place, but the pictures from here all look the same, so I just chose this one. While here, we got to see the Crown Jewels, but no pictures were allowed in there. BEAUTIFUL is all I can say about them! They looked very heavy though!

The guard outside the Crown Jewel Tower.
We saw Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre one night while we were there. It was awesome.
The ceiling at the Queens Theatre.
These really were there........I never saw anyone in one though.
We took the double decker bus tour and saw Big Ben........

some great cathedrals and palaces.............
the London Eye..........this "ride" takes an hour but you could see all of London!........
Parliament............
This was on some building........just thought it was interesting..........
We also rode across the London Bridge.......just like the song.......thankfully it did not fall down!

Caudle Family Reunion 08

2008-07-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

We had the annual Caudle Reunion this past weekend in Abilene. It was fun and I think everyone had a great time----between shopping, swimming, eating, and going to the zoo----we were BUSY! Here are my mom's siblings......

My first cousins......Chad, my sister Cathe, Deeon, Shelley, me, Dusty, and Marc
Here are our children (minus Andrew and Taylor---we missed you!)
Branson, Thomas hidden behind Beau, Grant, Boston, Abbey, Lainey, Katelyn, Jill, Dacayla, Emiley, Garrett, Kameron, Whitney, and Brooklyn in the stroller in the front! WOW.
This pic is from my phone.....but is me and my glasses twin.....Miss Emiley
Jill and Brooklyn taking a swim!
Hopefully we can get together at Christmas, too!

Truly Blessed

2008-07-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

The fireworks stand was a HUGE success! It is great when the people in the stand next to you dont have a clue. On the two busiest days, they did not even open until around 3 or 4 pm. Their delivery truck came on the fourth to bring them more products and they werent even there! We were loving it. Misty and Clay brought us more fireworks on the 4th.....they brought it from Lubbock and saved us a trip! THANK YOU again! We were truly blessed this year, as we have been every year since we started this business 10 yrs ago. Every year we have a goal....and have made it every year. We have truly been blessed.

**Jill's first district game got rained out last night, so we are going to try it again tonight!
**Thomas still has practice.....he has district next week.
**Is is sad if I am glad G's team did not make it? How would I do three districts all in different towns?

Paris....Day 3... Part 2

2008-07-08T14:13:00.001-07:00

Does this site look familiar? This is the Louvre Museum in Paris. Its HUGE and BEAUTIFUL!
It was very crowded the day we went.....but I am sure its like that all of the time! This is the outside entrance.

I dont know the names of these next four pictures........just thought they were interesting!

This self portrait was supposed to be at the top of the page.....what did I do??

This, for me, was the highlight of the Louvre. I never ever thought I would see the actual Mona Lisa. It was not as big as I thought it would be. It was encased behind a glass.....most of the other paintings were not.
This is Winged Glory. I think it was sculpted around the 1400s. WOW is all I can say about this one.
Venus de Milo.......
I dont know the name of this one either.....just loved it.

Paris...Day 3...Part 1

2008-07-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

I have seriously been trying for 3 hours to get the other pictures to attach........its not happening and my patience is almost gone! So.........here is part 1.........
This is a little chapel in Paris that is right by their version of a courthouse. It is called Sainte Chapel. The Davis Girls went here when they went to Paris and told me it was one thing not to miss. You walk in to the basement/gift shop and then go up these tiny spiral stairs to see these windows. Its kind of like Chapel on the Hill times a million. Its floor to ceiling......every wall......and each window tells a Bible story. In person.......AMAZING. In these pictures......not so much. When the Girls came, they each got pendants from here that look like a tiny stained glass. My sweet husband secretly got me one, carried it around for 9 more days, and gave it to me at my surprise party he arranged. What a good husband he is!!!

This is Notre Dame. The rest of these pics are the ones I could not get to attach. They were actually having a service while the tourists were walking around the church. I thought that was a little odd........but........they didnt ask for my opinion!!! We had been warned about the gypsies outside of here.......and true to form......they were there asking people if they spoke English. If you said yes, they handed you some kind of card asking for money. I also have a picture of a couple taking their wedding pictures in front of the outside of the cathedral. I could not get that one to load either. Such FRUSTRATION.
After T's game tonight, the boys and I will be going to Abilene and then to the fireworks stand.
Jill is at Church Camp and Lady is picking her up tomorrow! Happy 4th to all!

Real Time Update!

2008-07-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

With all the vacation updates....I thought I would update my readers (HA) with what is currently going on around here..............Here are the Davis cousins going to Church Camp........Its about 2 hours away from here. They left on Sunday morning and will be back on Thursday. Jill was "picked up" by the team that made it to district, so she is missing all of the practices while she is gone!
I am sure she and the rest of the campers are having fun!

All girls going to camp this year. There was one boy signed up and at the last minute he backed out! He was probably scared of being in the car with all these GIRLS!
My little Sweet Babboo builder. He reconstructed the Eiffel Tower out of Legos. His team won last night and now will be going to district, too. J-O-Y! District starts July 14, so that means more practice and games. F-U-N! G's team did not have such good luck this year, but they had lots of fun in tball!
J is at the fireworks stand. Sorry I dont have a pic of that!

Paris...Day 2

2008-06-29T13:16:00.001-07:00

For some reason, these pictures are in reverse order of the day! Anyway........this is the restaurant that Aunt Billie told us to eat at while at Sacre Couer in Paris. This was Father's Day and also our 12th anniversary! She told us to be sure and order the French Onion Soup.........wow.........it was great. Jonathan, who does not eat soup, said that if all soup was like that...he would order it! Out whole meal here was delicious.

The Champs Elysses.......what a busy place! We walked from the apartment here.....and walked all the way down! It was cold though.....60 was the high again.......but there was a Starbucks nearby, so we stopped in for a white peppermint mocha.
Isn't J looking like a model here at "Chic Daddy"??? This pic was his idea.........
The Arche de Triomphe.....this pic does not do it justice.
Doesn't this look interesting? You will never believe what this drama is over. SOCCER.
This is the night that Turkey beat Portugal for the European Cup. J and I are sitting looking at the Arche and down the Champs Elysses and all of the sudden these cars.....a lot of them!.....start honking and people are hanging out the windows and are yelling. They were waving flags and standing on their vehicles while they are being driven. It was a little crazy. This is a MAJOR street here and the traffic came to a standstill because of these people. Parking sideways in the middle of the street so no one could pass.......having a flare party like the one below.........then......here come the riot police. Two groups of riot police! I have a lot more pics of this, but this one was the best. There were people with video cameras everywhere. I am sure it is all over YouTube by now!

The next three pics are overlooking Paris with the Sacre Couer Cathedral behind you. If only I had a panoramic shot! Just try to imagine.........As Aunt Billie says, "Its Paris at your feet". She was right. Absolutely beautiful. You could even see the Eiffel Tower from here. It was a long walk up this hill........but worth it.

This is the front of the cathedral. We went inside, but could not take pictures.

This was part of the market. On Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, there is an open market that has everything you can imagine........fresh fish and other meats, millions of cheeses, vegetables, fruits, socks, clothes, rugs, furniture, toiletries. Definitely did not see a Wal Mart or Target!
The language barrier seemed to be most apparent here. You should have seen us trying to tell the vendors what we wanted! We were trying to get things for lunch.......trying to live as the French do........

We had to have a little something from here too.........
And this is what we came up with.......bread baked with brie cheese, some other kind of cheese, cherries, rotisserie chicken, and a baguette!
This guy was on the way to Sacre Couer.....you had to pay him to take a picture with you.......why didnt I know that???
This is a windmill that Van Gogh made famous by painting scenes with it in it. He lived on this street. This same street is where Moulin Rouge is......again on the way to Sacre Couer.
I will try to do Day 3 tomorrow!

Paris recap.....Day 1.....

2008-06-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

We got the kids packed for their trip with Ms Cooky, left the local airport, and then flew to DFW. From there we boarded a 777 to London. This one was an 8 hour flight, but we each had our own little entertainment system to keep us occupied. We could watch movies, TV shows, listen to the radio.......or sleep.......I tried to sleep, even took some Sominex......but it didnt really help. London is 6 hours ahead of us........so I knew I would be tired when we got there! We flew in to Heathrow airport and were anxiously hoping to get to see my Aunt Pam and Uncle Vernon. They just happened to be there on the same day flying to Africa for their mission trip. We had about 45 minutes that we were both there at the same time, and the airport is set up really CRAZY, so.......we did not get to see them. They got to Johannesburg safely though, so that is good. We flew from London to Paris........I think it was about 2 hours......again, no sleep. Not that I didn't try! So........here we are in the plane.

In Paris, we stayed at J's aunt's apartment. She is an antique dealer in Austin and buys her products from France. We had been to see her the week before to get the keys to the building and some advice about what to do. She mapped us out a 3 day itinerary and it was perfect! She told us what to do and what time of day was best. She told us about the metro, restaurants, cafes, pharmacies, and even laundromats! Also........very important.........the change bureau. For those of you traveling to Europe.......get ready! The dollar's value is LOW! It was about a 2-1 ratio. NOT GOOD!!! We got to the apartment and took a nap! I dont think either of us even changed clothes or anything! However, when we woke up, we were ready to go! With map in hand, we started walking........and walking.........and walking. We made it to the Eiffel Tower.
Its really amazing, despite the pictures here.

Of course we had to have a crepe while we were at the Tower. I had chocolate, banana, and chantilly (which is cream), and J had just chocolate and banana. They were so good! We bought a little miniature tower from a traveling salesman with a whole bag full of them.

Another view of the tower......It does sparkle at night for ten minutes at 9 and 10 o'clock. My pics from that were not very good. : ( It was beautiful though. It was also cold here......the high each day was about 60.
The narrow streets, tiny cars, and tall buildings.
More later..........

LONDON CALLING!

2008-06-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in the lobby of our hotel in London right now. It's 7 here now, so its 1:00 in our town right now. The time change is a killer---more on our time mess up in a future blog!!! haha
We are having fun........survived Paris and the major language barrier.......now in London and it is COLD here people. Like 60 was the high today. Needless to say, I am freezing and wish I had brought my winter coat.
We get on the Seven Seas Voyager tomorrow in Dover...........love to you all!

NOT SHIPPED YET??!!

2008-06-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

We did go to Austin yesterday. First, we stopped at the outlet in Round Rock because they have some stores that J loves.........Johnston and Murphy, Cole Haan, and Oakley. He found some new stuff for the trip that he needed. I found a little purse that I can wear across my body and little wallet!

We then went to Aunt Billie's store and got the scoop on Paris and what to do while we are there.
She has been living in Paris and Austin for 20 years.......so she knows! We are staying at her apartment while there. We will be there for 3 days, so she literally mapped out where to go and how to get there from her apartment. She gave us a list of the cafes and creperies to go to....the drug store.....the market....everything! She told us what to do at night and what to see during the day. We are so excited! One thing I asked her about was the weather. Apparently the HIGH is around 60. I am going to freeze. I am totally changing what I was going to pack. I have been buying cute little party dresses for evening.......sleeveless or strapless of course. I think I will take them anyway and just take a little wrap, too!

After all of this visiting, there was no time to go to White House Black Market for the cute outfit mentioned in the previous post. So........after we got home.......I tried to order it online and it said to call Customer Service. I did. I am then informed that that hasn't even shipped to WHBM yet, so it is not in stores, nor can I order it. FRUSTRATION. As Lorie said, "Then why is it in the catalog?" My thoughts exactly.

We are off to the waterpark at noon today. J has a game tonight and G has one tomorrow. T doesnt play until Monday! Happy Weekend!

Summer Calendar........FULL!

2008-06-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

In looking at our summer calendar tonight......it is full! That could be good and bad I guess.
The long-awaited trip takes up the majority of this month! (9 days away if anyone is counting)
We got a packet in the mail yesterday about the cruise portion that says over and over that this or that can be charged to your credit card.........my answer is........WE DONT HAVE ONE! Since Dave Ramsey took over our finances a few years ago, we have not had one since! And.....to make matters worse.........our debit card will not work internationally! We found that out after ordering Les Miserables tickets.......better to learn it before we leave and not after we are already there I guess! J's dad let us use his card and we mailed him a check today. THANKS Grandad!

We attended J's family reunion this past weekend in Abilene. Fun.......the cousins had a good time. I will try to get the pics up soon........imagine Lady playing baseball and Grandad riding a kid bike! : )

We got our weekly town newspaper tonight and guess who is on the Sports Page with a baseball pic? My Sweet Babboo.........he is batting and looks so serious.

The waterpark opens tomorrow FINALLY, but J and I have to go to Austin to pick up some info from Aunt Billie about Paris. I am going to try to work in a trip to White House/Black Market. I got a flyer in the mail today with the CUTEST shirt and belt. The model had on white capris with the outfit, but since I already have some of those, all I really NEED (or want) is the shirt and belt! We'll see!!!!

J is ordering fireworks right now. YIKES! I hope we can eat them if we dont sell them all!

Love to all!!!

Third Grade Field Day

2008-05-30T12:41:00.001-07:00

Parachute Fun

Water Races
Fry the Chicken Relay
Balance Something........can't remember the name of this one
J and two of her friends.........these 3 have been together since Mothers Day Out!!

First Grade FIeld Day

2008-05-30T12:25:00.001-07:00

SOOOOOOOO Field Day was on 5/21........we've been a little busy!

T and his friend......silly!

Potato Race
Did you know that noodles double as javelins????
Starburst Racing
Olympic Torch Race......

And the new American Idol is.........

2008-05-21T20:32:00.001-07:00

DAVID COOK!

He had me when he sang Billie Jean.

If you haven't heard it, you can find it on youtube.

I tried to put it on here, but am not that technologically inclined.

YAY! I cannot wait for his album! : )

NEW LOOK!

2008-05-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you simplyshelleydesigns.blogspot.com for the new look! I h-e-a-r-t it! The European trip countdown is now on! J and I will actually be looking at the Eiffel Tower this year on our 12th anniversary!
What could be more romantic than that!!??

Lady's Monthly Column.........

2008-05-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

Accentuate the positive: beyond the media

If we desire hope, happiness and contentment, weshould consider limiting our media intake.A small dose of the media theatrics convinces us that,at the least, our world is filled with idiots(pictures for proof), and at the most, we are doomed-- as a nation, as a world.It's enough to make us restless night and day.These are trying times. As a nation, we are anxious.We are at war. We have a major election.We ask questions that have bitterly divisive answers.Chaos abounds. Or -- so we're told.In the wings of our enormous world stage, out of thespotlight and in the quietness of personal lives, I'mprivileged to witness laughter, bravery anddetermination.Most folks live their lives with underlying strengths:• The daughter who willingly left her home and abetter-paying job in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex,to move in with her ailing mother, giving comfort andcare -- the strength in commitment.• The church family that gathers round, lovinglyholding the new baby who, unexpectedly, was born withdisabilities; the road the parents expected and theone for which they prepared won't be the one theytravel, but theirs will be a safe arrival. An entirebody of sojourners will travel with them -- thestrength in numbers.• The men and women who visit the nearby prison,bringing friendship, wisdom and encouragement to thosewho are incarcerated -- the strength in hope.• The husband who takes a second job, without whining,to care for the needs of his family -- the strength inresponsibility.• The teacher who imparts information and the studentswho grasp it, making it their own -- the strength inknowledge.• The mommy who snuggles and reads with her littleones at bedtime, despite being bone-tired -- thestrength in routine.• Volunteers who, in countless numbers, providenecessary goods for those in need, as well as improvequality of life for all of us -- the strength inservice.• The woman, unable to get out and about herself, usesher skill of writing, sending letters to those whocherish them -- the strength in encouragement.• The family running with the "cussed" wind of late,as it lifts their brightly colored kite higher andhigher among the whoops of the children far below --the strength in joy.• The retired preacher, whose strong voice once filledone of the largest churches in town, continues to walkhand in hand with his wife of 62 years as togetherthey continue to walk hand in hand with God -- thestrength in faith.The list goes on and on.Let's not believe, not for one moment, the voices thatsay there is no more love or character.Serious issues encompass our world, but let's look andlisten with discernment. We can see and hear forourselves.It's tempting to accept the opinions of those whospeak with authority, easy to doubt our personalinfluence in the whole scheme of things.Author Phillip Brooks believed differently; he wrote,"No man or woman can really be strong, gentle, pureand good without the world being better for it."At the least, and at the most, we can be a solutionfor the world in which we live, individually andcollectively.Perhaps we are stronger, bolder and more resilientthan we are being told we are ... by those who don'tknow us.Betty Davis is a freelance writer in Abilene andregular columnist. She is a former Abilene publicschool board president.

MONKEY BOYS!

2008-05-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

Here they are.......our monkey boys. T is at J's softball game, G is on Uncle Tim's back.

(Notice PeiWei in the background.........yum!) We met Tim and family there on Sat night for dinner. Luke was not feeling too great, so after dinner, they went back to Temple and we decided to try to find Jillybean a swimsuit. Shopping with a PICKY 9 yr old is not pleasurable.

We went to every (EVERY) store in Richland Mall that has swimsuits.......none of them were what she wanted, which is a "surfer" shirt and board shorts. OH MY. We left with nothing and with me telling her that she might want to reconsider her pickiness, especially since the water park opens next week and J set up our pool yesterday. We are ready for SUMMER!

********Any recommendations on a self tanner that wont look orange??**********

5 Yr Old Field Trip

2008-05-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Lorie and her 5 yr old..........

The 5 yr old field trippers....................
Me and my 5 yr old.........................the 5 yr olds needed sunglasses. The moms needed shoes.
We all needed a field trip!
*I dont know what happened to the pics. The top 3 were supposed to be at the bottom. I dont know how to fix them, so this post is a little out of order!*

What could be better than lunch at............................

and shopping at......................

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

I dont know either! LOL

Homestead Heritage Trip

2008-05-15T12:33:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics from T's Field Trip last week to Homestead Heritage. It is a self sustaining farm that has 500+ acres. The people that live here try to do all things on the farm-----the "old fashioned" way. It was an interesting trip........and it was HOT!

Here is my Sweet Babboo showing me that two pieces of gum was not too much for his mouth.

This is a shaving of wood that the woodworker passed around to the kids. He showed them how to make a rough piece of wood smooth with some tool.........sorry I dont remember the name of it.......he told the kids he had been woodworking since he was their age.
This was one of the fields we passed while on the hayride..........the horse drawn hayride.
The people at this farm make ice cream! T was happy about that!
The blacksmith.......he was a high school aged boy........showed the kids how he makes things using heat and tools. This is also the same boy who T asked later if they played football at the farm---he said no---just volleyball---T does not want to live here for sure.
It was a fun trip. After all of this is when we went to Brownwood last week. My posts are kind of out of order!

More Baseball..........

2008-05-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder why we do the things we do. Friday, for example, why would we drive to Brownwood to watch a high school playoff baseball game when we have to be at our field at 8 am Saturday morning to watch Jill? The answer is..........family.

Addie's husband, Jeremy, is the baseball coach in Hawley. His team was playing in Brownwood......so after a long HOT day with Thomas at his field trip (more on that later), we packed up and headed out. We met Tim, Hope, and Hannah in Gatesville so we could all ride together. (Jennifer and Luke were at 6 Flags)

Here is Addie with the girls and Moseley. I dont know why H kept on putting the water bottle in front of her face!

Addie and Moseley.......this is the brother to our dog, Love.
Lady and some of the grandkids.
Lady and Tim.........where is my picture of Grandad??
A funny pic of me and Jill.........doesnt really have anything to do with the Brownwood story....just a cute pic.

Of course the top picture of Underwoods had to be included! We ate dinner there........yum.

We even saw some of our friends from Sweetwater that were on their way back home from the state golf tournament. Small world.

Programs, Eggs, and Clouds

2008-05-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

The third graders performed at the PTO meeting last night. They sang 5 different songs and even did a line dance! It was pretty cute. Sorry about the unclear pic......it was from my phone from about 4 rows back with me holding it straight up to take the pic. I am certain the other parents thought I was insane!

There are now 5 eggs in the nest on our front porch. The momma of these eggs lets Jonathan pet her. Isn't that weird?? We call him the Bird Whisperer. I am going to try to get a video or a pic of it soon.

This is just a pic of the clouds tonight on our way home from church. Thomas asked what would happen if we dropped a person on the top of the cloud-----he was disappointed with the answer of "SPLAT"! It does look like a good pillow though.........HAPPY REST OF THE WEEK!

Racing........well......kind of!

2008-05-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here we are.....the racers.....at the Race for the Cure! Lorie and I signed up for the one mile WALK. We dont run.....yet. Neither of us had ever done anything like this before---we had no idea what to expect. We got there early this morning...this cold morning...not knowing where to go or what to do!
One of our new trainers from the workout place said.....Oh dont worry---we will find each other while there. YEAH RIGHT. There were a thousand people there. So Lorie and I walked together......amazed at the whole thing. I walked thinking about my friend Laura from Sweetwater that survived breast cancer and hoping that she was being honored at her local race.

This is one view of the racers in front of us. There were men, women, children walking, children is strollers, and dogs. We even saw one dog with a Hooters shirt on. Too tacky to even take a picture of.

These guys were revving their engines as we all walked by. It was LOUD. We did see one girl biker with GREAT arms. She was muscled up----Lorie and I will look like her someday. It will take a few more Bodypump Classes for that.

This is the view from the other bridge that we crossed. I wish my camera phone had a zoom on it, but I guess you can kinda see the racers. AMAZING.

We had a good time. After it was over----we both had stuff to do. My next stop was STARBUCKS then off to baseball games. *****Jill even hit a legitimate home run today---it wasn't even due to errors on the field! WAY TO GO sister. We are proud of you!******

Where In World Have I Been?

2008-04-29T14:48:00.001-07:00

I dont really know.........here and there, I guess!

Lorie and I joined a gym a few weeks ago. They have classes everyday at 8:30. Monday is cardio interval, Tuesday is Body Shaping then Step Aerobics at 9:30, Wednesday is Turbo Kick Boxing, Thursday is Bodypump, Friday is Pilates, and Saturday is Bodypump followed by Turbokick at 9:30. WHOA! I know! The Monday and Tuesday teacher is our own personal Jillian from Biggest Loser......The Wed and Fri teacher is 4 months pregnant, but you would never know it by all the stuff she does......The Thurs teacher is great, too. I love them all and am loving the new workout routine. Curves is good, but was getting kind of boring! Now you know where I am in the mornings! We shower there then go about our day..........Its a good thing.

Last weekend the family went to a fireworks show in Athens. There is a wholesale place there kind of like the one we use in Lubbock to get all of our stock for the stand. Its hard to believe that the stand opening is only a few months away. YIKES! Thank goodness for J's friend, Joe, who is opening it for us this year as we will be cruising! LOL
They popped some new ones that we had not seen before. One called the Peacock was SO COOL. Loved it.

We have been practicing baseball and playing baseball on various nights with the kids. They still love it. Only 2 have practice tonight! YEAH!!

J took the Math TAKS today. She said it was easy. We will see how she did in a few weeks.

G has been registered for Kindergarten. WOW-----isn't he supposed to still be like 2 yrs old or something?

T is fine, too. He is ready for school to be OUT. He said he wants to sleep late, which for him means 7 am. I did wake up last week sometime to find him playing a computer game at 4:30 AM. Yes people........that is AM.........I promptly told him to get in bed and that this was not going to become a habit. EVER. And yes......it was a school night.

We met with a builder today. Looks like we were about 75,000 off on what we thought it would cost to build what we want on our land. We are meeting with another one on Thursday.

These nests are on our front porch. There seems to be a new egg everyday! Spring has sprung!

OPENING DAY

2008-04-19T20:52:00.001-07:00

Today was Opening Day for baseball season. Today's schedule was so crazy I had to write it down and keep it with me.....who needs to be taking pictures and at what time, who needs to be at the batting cages and at what time, whose game is right now and which field are we supposed to be on? OH MY!! Thank goodness there are no more days where all three play on the same day. Jill and Thomas play this Thursday at the same time, but the fields they will be playing on are next to each other. : )

By the end of the day, the kids were so tired! And sunburned in spots..........now I have a lovely sunburn line where my watch was.

Although there were no victories for our teams today, all had a good time. They each got to experience getting another player "out" at a base........they each got to experience being the one that was tagged "out" too. No one our kids got hurt today.......one little boy on the team G was playing did get hit in the forehead by a pop fly, but (thankfully) he was not seriously hurt. It was very scary though......Pops and I both thought so......and were glad that it was not my kids!

At the Opening Ceremony, the announcer said there are 575 kids playing this year. AMAZING for this little town.

Have a good weekend!

Pics to share

2008-04-16T13:58:00.001-07:00

The gamers.......BFFs daughter and G at the workout place

Our cat, Lucky, eating what was left of someone's Fruity Pebbles!

I dont blame him on this one.....they are pretty good.

Our newest foal.....the kids want to name it Rose or Thunder

We tried to get close to it today, but the momma would not have it!

My Friend The Blogger

2008-04-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

Some of you have heard (or read) about my BFF Lorie......she is the Taos Lurker (HA).........she has come to the Dark Side and has started blogging, too!!!

Her site is welchkidsandcritters.blogspot.com

Check it out!

It's been a great day!

2008-04-14T14:31:00.001-07:00

I started off today by going to the gym.....getting my tail kicked by a "Jillian Biggest Loser-type" instructor in a cardio class then having lunch with my cousin, Shelley, at Olive Garden. We got to visit without having to cut up anyone's food!!!! She and I also went to Target........but only got foil.........darn that budget!!!!!

Then my sister in law sent me this riddle..............check it out!

WHO IS THIS MASKED MAN?

2008-04-11T09:28:00.001-07:00

Letters from LADY

2008-04-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

THe following is an email I received from J's mom (LADY) today. I thought it was so good that I would share it all with you. Sometimes we just need some motherly advice!!

To my dear children, I have just watched, viainternet, a beautiful man talk of life. He will losehis in the very near future due to pancreatic cancer.There was a short article about him in the Parademagazine but best of all, I watched part of aninterview last night with Diane Sawyers.Unfortunately, I didn't see the first part.After 7 years of marriage and 3 children he wasdiagnosed; he is about 46. In the interview he and hiswife talked of their lives and how they are handlingthis situation-with joy for life, their children andone another. It is a warm story filled with wisdom andserving to remind us that much of what we spend ourenergies, thoughts and money on are really prettyuseless. To ourselves and others.Mostly, it reminded me not to wasteful of my own time,and to be eternally grateful that I have had a longlife. And I don't want to "lull" the rest of it away.I'm asking you to take the time to hear his speech,"My Last Lecture." It can be found at Parade. com. Itis about 1 hr. 15 min. He is very funny, verythoughtful, very real. Please don't think you don'thave time--you do and it may be the best gift you giveyourselves.God bless each of you and may we have the mind to makethe most of what is important AND to enjoy our lives.Perhaps that is a gift we forget to accept. Mom

Not so Wordless Wednesday

2008-04-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

The Chefs........ who got up at who knows what time to make breakfast for their mom and dad..........all on their own.......its no ones bday or anniversary.........the chefs just wanted to do it!

The diners.......notice our "table" is the ottoman with a blanket on it. We are each sitting on two pillows as our gourmet breakfast was served. Again....the seating in the living room....was the kids' idea!

Mom's breakfast.....toasted bagel with cream cheese, 3 strawberries, and coffee with my favorite creamer!!

Dad's breakfast........3 pancakes (microwaved) with a pat of butter and syrup on the top, 6 strawberries, and coffee.....no creamer.........This was such a great surprise for us. Neither J nor I had any idea that this was their plan. They all got up and were dressed for school while preparing our breakfast. We then had to remind them that they all needed to eat before school, too. We have such sweet kids!!!!!!

This picture is just funny.

The blue and white shoes are mine.......but now that Jill and I wear the same size (8 1/2).......sometimes, like today, she borrowed (I mean stole) my shoes. So today, I got her tennis shoes (brown laces) and wore them to work out!!!!! She can even wear some of my shirts and jackets! YIKES! She is going to be as tall as Cathe!

Jonathan thought it was funny, so he took a pic for the blog before we all left this morning. : )

NANO HELP ANYONE??

2008-04-08T19:25:00.003-07:00

An IPOD Nano arrived for me today. With our European trip coming up in a few months, I decided I need my own.......that it probably is not a good idea for Jonathan and I to share his!!! We have totally different tastes in music and podcasts.

I got the color like the one above......its so pretty! Now if I can just keep it from getting scratched up! I may even have to ask Jill for instructions on how to use the thing. If any of you have helpful hints........please post them. THANKS

Camp Courage........J's Mom's article

2008-04-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

Camp gives kids courage to carry onAttending one's first-ever summer camp can bedownright daunting. Even if you're the oldest persongoing and a counselor.Last June, I climbed onto one of three buses headingto the Butman Methodist Camp, wondering how (and why)I got myself into this. I'd be spending four days with110-plus children, in grades first through 12th, allof whom were dealing with grief because of personallosses.Our family's experience with loss taught me thatchildren grieve deeper and longer than most wouldthink; compelled to help (as many had helped us whenwe were new to the "family of sorrow"), I hadvolunteered.What felt right then didn't feel so right now.But there I was, and unless I feigned illness and leftthe bus, I was in. Turning to the child sitting nextto me, I said, "Hi, what's your name?"Thus began a rewarding experience into the world ofCamp Courage, whose motto is, "I didn't cause it, Ican't fix it, but I can cope with it."Camp Courage is funded by Children's Miracle Network.The top-notch, age-appropriate activities are plannedand executed by Hendrick Hospice Care; counselors aretrained volunteers.My first clue that Hospice knew what they were doingcame when I was paired with Brenda, a capable andexperienced counselor. We were assigned to six teenagegirls from across the Big Country.I wish I could share their stories, but like LasVegas, what happens at Camp Courage stays at CampCourage. Unlike Vegas, we returned home with moretreasures than we took. Equally important, heavybaggage was left behind.Campers are not pressured to tell their stories; itcomes naturally in that setting. Suppressed grief islike attempting to hold a ball under water; it willpop up somewhere. Teaching how to keep it from"popping up" in uncontrolled or destructive ways isone goal of Camp Courage.Our group included athletes, loners and a carhop.Their losses ranged from disappearing dads to deathsof friends and family -- including an infant.Like me, they questioned their attendance, but unlikeme, they hadn't volunteered. Mostly they had beenpersuaded by someone who loved them. After days ofsharing, crying and laughing, they were glad theycame! So was I.We had pet therapy (gorgeous dogs and one cat), yogatherapy, writing therapy, rock therapy, friendship andfun therapy. The best part was that none of it feltlike "therapy."During "roll down the hill" therapy, a snake wasdiscovered. Some kids thought it was "cool." Somedidn't. I was in the latter group.There's no quick fix for grief. Hopefully, through theCamp Courage experience, kids won't be stuck on"high-center," but will continue to travel the roughroad of recovery. Recovery doesn't mean life is "asbefore" because it's not and won't be, but life canstill be good. Even in great sadness, lessons can belearned; we can grow.Each of our beautiful girls left camp stronger, morehopeful; the transformation thanks to time spentlearning the skills of acceptance and coping.Counselors met twice daily to share problems, getadvice, tell stories. My favorite story:Two little first-grade girls were walking past thelarge slice of stone announcing the entrance to theCamp Butman complex. They stopped, pondered.One wondered aloud who was buried there. The otherstudied the wording a bit and replied, "I think it'sMr. Butt-Man."I've signed up to go again; I wouldn't miss it.Please join us.

Camp Courage information: www.hendrickhospice.org Orcontact Nadene 677-8516 by April 14. Hillcrest Churchof Christ Web site: HillcrestOnline.com (click griefministry under "latest news").Betty Davis is a freelance writer in Abilene andregular columnist. She is a former Abilene publicschool board president.

STITCHES.........

2008-04-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

A few posts ago I mentioned our dog Cocoa..........I also mentioned that I love that little dog!
After his run-in with the barbed wire, we checked him out and he seemed like he was going to be OK. On Thursday, I was looking on the spot on the inside of his back leg again and YUCKY looking it was. My BFF Taos Lurker was here (she is the dog queen----seriously she may have 7-8) and I had her look at it. She almost gagged, too. We decided that Cocoa should go to the vet that day. He went that afternoon.......you know, you take your kid to get an allergy shot, then off to the vet for him to look at your other "kid".........Dr Meurer said that he would need to put Cocoa to sleep, remove the dead tissue, and stitch him up! He also had to spend the night because of the sedation........he is also taking the pink bubble gum antibiotic (the same one your other kids take) so that he does not get an infection!

Sweet Jonathan picked him up from the vet. He was not a happy Budget Nazi. NOT GOOD.
I told him that he knows that if it was our other dog, Love, who is his favorite......that we would not be having this conversation.

I was not one to look at pet insurance before..........I will check into it now..........I could even sell it!
LOL

(I am home alone. Jill is at a friends house and J and the boys are helping brand cattle today at another friends house. SO PEACEFUL I might take a nap-----or clean the house!)
HAPPY SATURDAY.

What a hottie!!!!!

2008-04-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

OK.....this pic was supposed to be last, but.....whatever! I saw this on the Davis Girls Hunting Trip and took a pic of it on my phone! Pretty appropriate because the Davis Boys Hunting Trip is actually hunting for animals........the Davis Girls "hunt" for cute stuff! We do not kill Bambi.

Here is the HOTTIE.......

J got some new sunglasses today. It is so weird to see him in other brands than Oakley! He was branching out and decided to try something new! You look good, honey!

Breaking News!

2008-03-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

Jonathan found Cocoa this afternoon. : )
His fur was stuck in the barbed wire fence that is in the pasture beside our house. He has a little cut, but, other than that...........seems to be fine! He was thirsty and hungry (and very muddy), but will be OK!! It's hard to be a prissy dog and live in the country!

**I am also OK after the root canal. The left side of my face is swollen and numb. Jonathan was totally laughing at me-------really at me----not with me-------because I WAS NOT LAUGHING! However, for my pain, I received a tshirt, chapstick, a pen, and a magnet....all courtesy of Central Texas Endodontics! LOL

LOST DOG, ROOT CANAL, and SHUT THE BLINDS!

2008-03-31T07:38:00.003-07:00

Cocoa is lost. If you will remember, Cocoa is our (my) Shih Tzu that we got in November. Yesterday after we got home from church, we let Cocoa and Love (the other Shih Tzu) out of their play yard to go potty. They always do their business together.....they are always together!
Love came back........Cocoa did not. Yesterday was filled with all of us calling him and looking around the house, the field, the side of the road, the road........expecting to find the worst. (Yes, this is the same dog that, last month, spent a night in doggie ICU and then a week in quarantine at the vet because he got PARVO, even with the vaccine!) Today, Cocoa is still missing and we are all sad. Jonathan is not sad-------his favorite dog is Love. I am putting out posters in all the mailboxes on our road today. Hopefully we will get a call..........a good call.

The other yucky thing is that I have to get a root canal today at 12:15. I had one last summer on the day of Jill's state tournament game. The dentist said then that I would probably need another one on the tooth behind the one he did--------he was SO right. It has hurt on and off for a while. Today my cheek is swollen........time to take care of it! I dread the dentist. My childhood dentist's name was Danny Fletcher. He made me scared to death of going to the dentist. One time when I was in middle school, he had a bright idea to pull FOUR of my teeth in one day---2 on top, 2 on bottom, opposite sides of my mouth. Ever since that day..........I'd rather not go. But I cannot go around looking like I do today, so I guess I will take care of it.
OUCH.

In other happenings...........We had a pretty normal weekend. Jonathan took us to breakfast at Panera on Saturday......I love that place. He went on to yoga while the kids and I went to Wal Mart to get groceries. I took a nap (I LOVE NAPS) and J and I even had a date that night!
We ate at La Fiesta and went to see "21". My oldest sister could so be a card counter! I texted her during the movie and told her I had a new job lined up for her! Then we met my BFF, whom I will call the Taos Lurker (haha), and her husband at Starbucks afterwards. They had attended
a fundraiser for their son's school and were done a little before we were, so........since we both had babysitters.......might as well visit over a peppermint mocha! It was cold inside and cold outside, so we sat in their car. The Starbucks we went to is right beside a Hampton Inn......we are sitting in their car facing the windows of the hotel. On one of the second floor windows, we saw a girl in a wedding dress, looking at herself in the mirror, twirling her long veil train, and talking on her cell phone! It was probably 10 pm!!!! HELLO???????? We watched her for a while....no sign of a groom........then she was looking out the window while talking on the phone and (of course) Jonathan waves at her!!! Later, we saw a groom. He drew the curtains. Smart guy.
On the fourth floor, there was talk of a naked woman in the window. I did not see that one!!
Yesterday was pretty normal.....church, lunch, nap for me, church........Hope you all had a great weekend! Today would have been my Nanny's birthday----------Happy Bday Nanny!

Thermometers and Muffins

2008-03-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

Baseball season is here again! The kids practice on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Needless to say.....they are TIRED! Yesterday, Thomas was trying to convince me he was sick. His stomach hurt, his arm hurt, his head hurt........so I got out the thermometer. It said 97. I took it twice......still 97. I gave him some breakfast and told him to get after it----to try to go to school and if he still felt bad that the nurse would call me later. We decided to take his temperature one last time.......I put it under his tongue and went to fix Jill's hair. I went back to the kitchen only to find him putting the thermometer in his muffin!! The temp was then 106! I smiled and very sweetly explained to him that if his temp was that high, that we would be on our way to the hospital! He went to school.......I did not get a call from the nurse. By the afternoon, I think he had forgotten about the whole thing!

DAVIS GIRLS HUNTING TRIP!

2008-03-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

All of us at a Coffee Haus in Gruene.

At Adobe Verde..............so delicious!
This is a kitten that looked as if it was in jail! Just under a building in the town. It did not want anything to do with us!
We had so much stuff that Micah and Hannah had to sit in the back-back of Gisela's car!! Just Visiting!

Every Spring Break (for the past 5-6 years or so) the Davis Girls take a "Hunting Trip". We hunt for treasures, bargains, cute stuff, and just hang out together. This year we went to Gruene.

Those in attendance were: Lady, Carra, Jenny, Addie, Fern, Gisela, Gisela's friend Christy, Micah, Hannah, Me, and Jennifer! (My BFF, Lorie, who attended last year could not go this year because she had been to Taos the week before.......I know.........poor BFF...stranded in Taos!!)

We stayed in New Braunfels, which is about 3 miles from Gruene, and way cheaper that staying in Gruene itself! The first night we shopped a little and then went to the Gristmill to eat. It was good, of course, and we were very full when we left. The onion rings there are awesome.
After eating, we went back to the hotel and stayed up too late visiting in our pjs.
Tuesday morning most of us got up and ate breakfast at IHOP, had a devo back at the hotel provided by Jenny, then off to Gruene again. All I really bought was food items! Is that terrible!? It rained most of the day, but we survived! There was a really neat store there called "Stepping Stones" where I bought a book called "10 Minute Time Outs for You and Your Kids".
It has little stories with Bible verses-----the kids and I are reading them every night. The boys complain.......but they have to listen anyway!! ha! Lady was feeling sick after lunch, so she and Carra went back to the hotel to rest. She recovered thank goodness!
Tuesday night we went to see "The Bank Job" at the movies. We thought it was the movie with Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes, and Diane Keaton. WRONG! It was about a bank robbery!! People were shot........killed.......definitely not the movie we thought it was going to be. Take your husbands to see it.........its a boy show. After the movie, we ate at Applebees because it was close to the hotel and we were tired! We visited some more there and again at the hotel in our pjs.
Wednesday morning we had to get up and outta there. One group was driving to Abilene---another was going back to Lubbock. Jennifer and I just had to head down I-35 home.
It was fun.........I love all of those girls! Micah will graduate this year! I can't believe it.
At our reception she and Hannah (5 and 6 yrs old then) tried to convince me to throw the bouquet to them because "no one ever throws it to us. Its not fair!" they said. I think Farrah actually caught it----------sorry all of that was kind of random. We had a great time!