Da Dandy Davis Family

Fun Photos for Friends and Family

2012-01-09T21:27:00.001-08:00

Leah was given a Sees candy bar for Christmas. The giver asked us to make sure that she at least sampled the candy bar. Leah's expression was priceless. She hummed and rocked back and forth. Definitely my daughter, a chocolate lover.

Leah is so silly and keeps us all laughing. She likes to climb into this small swing and relax. She uses her foot on the bar to push herself back and forth.

Leah's first trip to the Oakland temple for Joe Patten's wedding.

Life with Leah is BUBBLICOUS....

Doug tries out his new Christmas present as he gets projects done around the house.

Okay-so the photo is sideways. Because I am too lazy to open it in another program, you will have to tip your head so that your ear touches your shoulder, or turn your viewing device sideways. It will be worth it!!!

For Leah's birthday cake, I made the Hungry Caterpillar from Eric Carle's book.

Stephanie's Dream Come True

2012-01-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

Stephanie has always been a dog lover for as long as I can remember. She loves to play dogs with her friends, watch dog movies, read dog books, wear dog shirts, and even act like a dog. We have an entire laundry basket full of stuffed dogs. All kinds of dogs-big ones, little ones, momma ones, ones that walk and bark, others that wag their tails, and even a dog bank that flaps its ears when you add money to it. We have large floor rug dogs and dog ornaments. Try as we might, we could not fulfil her one desire, a real dog to call her own, until this week.

We knew a family that was tranferred to Illinois and would not be able to take their family dog, Molly. They were hoping to find someone to love their dog. Doug and I have never been dog fans, especially of indoor dogs, but after much praying, we decided to give Molly a chance to be a part of our family.

We surprised Stephanie with Molly, a seven year old Cocker Spaniel on Sunday. Stephanie was bouncing off the walls and squealing with delight to know that all of her dreams had finally come true. A dog of her own.

We are on day 2 with Molly and things are going really well. She is a very calm dog that likes to be right by your side. She is well behaved and comes when she is called. She loves walks and is gentle around Leah. She has taken a liking to everyone in the family, but seems to prefer me. ???? So even as I type this, she is laying on the floor next to my bed. I must say that the Lord definitely softened my heart and has enriched Stephanie's life more than words can say.

Stephanie's Primary Talk

2012-01-09T21:12:00.000-08:00

STEPHANIE WAS ASKED TO GIVE A TALK ON AGENCY. I WANTED TO HELP HER, BUT SHE INSISTED ON WRITING IT HERSELF. THIS WAS THE TALK THAT SHE WROTE. IT IS AWESOME. I THINK THAT I WILL HAVE HER WRITE MY NEXT TALK, TOO.

Agency is the gift to choose for ourselves Today I am going to talk about agency. Agency is the wonderful gift we have always in all situations; the gift to choose. Satin thought his plan would be so much better because everyone would get to come back to heaven, but heavenly Father certainly didn’t want that because he wanted to test us all. But Satin just kept fighting to be our savior and that’s... why he was cast out. Jesus is now savior instead of Satin, who is now considered the devil. We all have agency to choose right from wrong, but Heavenly Father lets Satin tempt us. We must all make sure to choose the right choices, and if we make a mistake we must try and make it right again, repent to Heavenly Father, and show that you are sorry to the person who you did it to. Satin tries to tempt us so we can be sad and miserable like him. He wants to get revenge on us for following God’s plan. One time that I had to choose was one day, a while ago, I was watching a movie. I saw that my mom’s candy bin was out on the bed. “Mmm. Look at those orange Nerds! Those look really yummy.” I thought. I knew those would be great treats to eat during this movie, but I also knew that I didn’t ask. I chose not to eat them. My mom was lucky! But I have also had times that I haven’t chosen the right. Once I heard my mother tell me to clean my room. So I went into my room, shut the door and started to read. My mom came in and asked, “Did you pick up anything?” I said that I didn’t hear her. That wasn’t a god choice at all. But I repented. I am very grateful for agency and I am sure you are too, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Stephanie's Dog Note

2012-01-09T21:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Mom and Dad,
I love you so much and I have wanted a dog for a REALLY long time. I think this is just the perfect opportunity to look into that chance, and I hope we really get Molly. If you object, that is just fine with me. Anyway, it’s your own choice. I love you guys very much, and if we really do get Molly, I will always try my best to do these things:
1. Buy her food
2. Brush her
3. ...Water her
4. Scoop her poop
5. Exercise her (Includes walking her)
6. Remember to feed her
7. Put her to bed
8. Wash her
9. Play with her
10. Calm her down on Fourth of July
11. Vacuum the house more to get the hair off
12. Help dog-proof the house
13. Clean up the house more

This is what I’ll be responsible for. I love you very, very much and if you get her, I will be super thankful. Molly would be dreams come true. Thank you. I promise to try and do all the things above, Signed, Stephanie Rene DavisSee MoreLikeUnlike · · Friday at 1:58pm

New Photos

2012-01-01T16:01:00.000-08:00

Amanda's 16th Birthday picture!
Doug surprised me and took the kids to get these pictures taken for Christmas. So cute!

Thanks, Doug.
Another fun shot! Now we can update the photos on our walls.
As a tradition, I have had all of the kids pictures taken in a bathtub on their first birthdays and then hang them in the guest bathroom. Now Leah has her special picture to add to the collection.

Leah's first birthday picture! Leah was not happy about having her picture taken. The photographer made the mistake of touching her, and after that, she was not a happy camper. Notice the pretzel in her hand as a bribe to stay put. This was seriously the only photo that turned out. Oh well! It shows her true personality.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

2012-01-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

What a difference a year makes! This year has gone by so quickly and there have been many times that I have wanted to sit down and update my blog. But between teaching the kids, a new baby, and just plain life, I have not made it a reality. So many of our family and friends are on Facebook where they are able to see all of the updated photos and stories from our world. I wasn't sure that the blog was necessary, until Stephanie started a blog for Leah as one of her GATE projects. She is documenting Leah's first year from her own perspective. I love reading what she writes and the pictures that she chooses to include. When she is finished with this project, she will 'slurp' it into a 'blurb book'. Her blog is mylittleleahbean.blogspot.com if you want to check out her blog. I can thank Stephanie for my renewed attempt at keeping my blog updated and also my mom who refuses to sign up for Facebook but still wants to see pictures of the kids and read of our adventures.

My friend, Katie, took some fun pictures of our family over the holidays. Thanks, Katie. I forgot how hard it is to take pictures with a baby. Long afternoon, but fun results.

2011-01-24T09:45:00.000-08:00

Daniel's Nauvoo Audition Video

2011-01-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

Daniel is auditioning for the part of George Fordham in the Nauvoo Pageant. This part is the only core part for a child. If he gets the part, he will spend six weeks performing in Nauvoo. He would perform every night in the pageant and spend his days performing other skits, plays, and songs in the local communities. It would be an amazing opportunity. He is very excited about trying out for this part. It was a great experience for him to put together his first audition video!

A Christmas Miracle

2010-12-27T07:16:00.001-08:00

**Little Leah Noelle Davis was born on December 14, 2010 at 9:17PM in Modesto, California. She weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces and was 18 inches long. She has dark eyes and soft, amber-brown hair. She is a teeny peanut with soft, delicate features. She was welcomed into this world by her sisters, Amanda and Stephanie, and her favorite brother, Daniel.

**Leah was delivered by C-section due to many complications with Laura's pregnancy, including preeclampsia (pregnancy induced high blood pressure).

**Leah has been home for about a week and is a true joy. She is a great sleeper and eater. She has a very even disposition and loves the attention of her siblings. Amanda is in love with Leah and spends every waking moment possible holding her, kissing on her, and entertaining her.

**We are so grateful to have Leah here safe and sound after 38 weeks of complications. She is truly a miracle from God! We want to thank everyone who helped us along this journey! We sure appreciate each of you for the love and concern that you have shown during this difficult pregnancy. We are such a blessed family to have so many neat people in our lives. We look forward to introducing Leah to each of you and sharing her sweet spirit with you all.

**We will try to keep this blog updated so that we can share her with you until you have a chance to meet her for yourselves.

A Very Decorated Scout!

2010-11-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Daniel earned and received 8 merit badges at his last Court of Honor. He now has 29 completed merit badges. He is short one recommended merit badge from advancing to a Life Scout. After Life Scout, he will work toward his Eagle Scout. His personal goal is to have his Eagle Scout completed as a thirteen year old. Way to go, Daniel!

The countdown continues....

2010-11-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post an update on our baby countdown. We have been busy getting ready for Baby Davis #4. The crib is assembled despite the fact that we didn't have any directions. The changing table is organized. (Sure hope that this is a girl because that is a lot of pink). The carseat has been ordered. Now we just need someone special to put in the crib, carseat, and changing table.

Stephanie is keeping track of the baby's arrival with a paper change for counting the days. It is fun watching the chain get shorter and shorter.

Seussical the Musical

2010-09-28T12:37:00.001-07:00

Life has been very crazy in the Davis Home during the past six weeks due to the Hickman Honor Choir performing Seussical the Musical. Daniel played the part of the Cat in the Hat. He spent nine-eleven hours a week at rehearsals. This past weekend, he had 5 performances. He was so fun to watch, and he did an amazing job! He definitely has a flair for singing and acting.

IT'S A ..........

2010-08-17T19:20:00.001-07:00

Well, it is official!! Davis #4 is a girl. We are excited and eager to meet her sometime around Christmas. She is starting to be very active, especially at night. She has the hiccups several times a day. We are in search of baby names, so any suggestions would be awesome.

Nauvoo Fun!!!!

2010-08-17T18:55:00.001-07:00

So what is new with the Davis crew??? We just returned from a month in Illinois. We had the opportunity to participate as a family in the Nauvoo pageant for a couple of weeks. It was a neat experience! Laura and the kids also had a chance to visit with family and friends and see some of the sights in Chicago. It was a good trip, but hard with Laura being pregnant and having morning sickness and kidney stones. We are happy to be home now and trying to get caught up on life, as we also begin another crazy busy school year. We will try to update our blog more frequently, so check back often. Leave a message or two for our family and let us know how you are doing....

Construction in Progress

2010-05-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Daniel's Piano Duet at Disneyland

2010-03-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

Life with Daniel is always an adventure!

2010-03-02T21:20:00.001-08:00

As I sit here quietly in my office, Daniel and 13 of his friends are racing around my house playing capture the flag with Nerf guns. The volume is higher than one could ever imagine, the energy intense, but they are having fun. Daniel's friends are here celebrating his 12th birthday with him.

We surprised Daniel with a second party for some of his older friends. It was a sleepover. He was so surprised. The boys played Nerf wars at the park, roasted hot dogs on the fire, played Wii, and assembled his new Lego kits.

We also surprised Daniel with a guitar. He is such a natural with music and piano, we thought that it would be fun for him to learn the guitar. He was so excited!

January Highlights in a Nutshell

2010-01-26T21:07:00.000-08:00

Amanda received the Principal's Honor Award for earning a 4.0 GPA for her first semester of high school. We are so proud of her. She worked very hard and learned many valuable lessons in time management. Keep up the great work, Amanda!

Stephie and Daniel are also finding great successes with school. It is hard to believe that the year is already half over. We are learning so much together. In history, we are studying Ancient History. As part of our unit on the Phoenician people, we made Phoenician pita bread. It was yummy with melted butter in cinnamon and sugar.

All-Star Scout, Daniel, received a rank advancement and 7 merit badges at the Scout Court of Honor. He has worked very hard during the past 10 months in Boy Scouts. He is a very decorated scout with hopes of getting his Eagle Scout award by age 13.

Where does this child live anyway? Stephanie has decided to stay "extra warm" by wearing her winter scarf, hat, and mittens to bed. Give me a break~this is California, not Chicago.

Merry Christmas from the Davis Family

2009-12-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

Time Warp

2009-12-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

While archiving pictures today, I came across our engagement photo. Wow! What a time warp! Who knew that we would go from that...to this? Life is good!

My Little Sprite

2009-12-20T14:47:00.000-08:00

My little sprite is not so little any more. It is hard to believe that she is 14 already and so beautiful! Where did the time go?

An Early Christmas Present

2009-12-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

NAUVOO~Here we come! Yesterday, we received our official invitation to participate in the 2010 Nauvoo Pageant. We weren't suppose to find out until December 31st. We are so excited! Come and see us in Nauvoo in July.

Thanksgiving~Davis style

2009-12-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving, we had the wonderful opportunity to go trailer camping with our good friends, the Dunlops. We went to the mountains near Yosemite. We spent the week hiking, riding 4-wheelers, playing games, shooting guns, eating great food, and enjoying our family and friends. We were camped at the top of a mountain ridge. The view was amazing! We could see for miles around in any direction. It was a great way to reflect on all of the wonders and blessings that we have been given from the Lord. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

On The Road Again~Part 3

2009-12-19T08:51:00.001-08:00

After our visit with Cindy, we drove to the coast to Monterey. We walked along the wharf and the beach on Sunday night, and then spent Monday at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

On The Road Again~Part 2

2009-12-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

After spending the day in Redding, we drove to Yuba City to visit my Aunt Cindy. Stephanie and I took her a beautiful swan and spent some time visiting with her. Stephanie told me that meeting Cindy was the best part of the whole vacation.

On the road again...

2009-11-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

Just couldn't wait to get on the road again...

For Doug's birthday this year, I planned a special 4 day weekend getaway for the family. Originally, we were going to spend the weekend in Monterey, but after researching things to do in California, we decided to divide the time between two entirely different places~Redding(4 hours north)and Monterey Bay(2 1/2 hours west).

In Redding, we went to the Turtle Bay Exploration Museum and botanical gardens. The museum had a special Lego exhibit with 33 life-size exhibits. Daniel is such a huge Lego fan, we knew that he would love this museum. Bonus for us, we went a day that they were hosting a Lego building competition. There were 28 builders in his age category. Unfortunately, Daniel's awesome creation did not win, but he was interviewed and video-taped for the local paper and TV station. We did some trail walking along the Sacramento River. It was beautiful and the weather was perfect.

Get a Clue!

2009-11-08T18:54:00.001-08:00

This year for Halloween, we were the "Clue Family". Daniel was working on his Family Life merit badge and needed to organize and lead a family project. We put him in charge of our Halloween costumes. In the end, Miss Scarlet used the wrench and Mr. Green did it with the rope. Laura was bored as the Clue board, while the two younger kids were simply "paradise". It was a fun, easy idea, and we crossed off another merit badge. Eagle Scout~here we come.

Good news! Bad news!

2009-10-08T20:29:00.001-07:00

I have been having a lot of pain in my left abdomen and fevers on and off for about two weeks now. Not intense pain, but constant and aggravating. In order to figure out the cause, I have been to the doctors' office several times and had some ultrasounds and other tests done. I have a cyst on my left ovary, but it was nothing to be concerned with at this point. Unfortunately, no one could find the cause of my constant pain. I was beginning to think that maybe I was imagining the pain? Not really.

Two days ago, my pain increased and moved into my back. At this point, I knew that I had kidney stones AGAIN.

Good news~I went to get a CT scan today and the doctor found multiple stones in my left kidney and one in my pelvic area causing the pain in both areas. All appear to be "on the move".

Bad news~After passing stones on four other occasions, I know that these stones are going to cause severe pain any day, any moment. The big question will be~can I pass these stones on my own, or will I need to go to the hospital? Either way, I am not super excited.

Happy Birthday, Manders!

2009-10-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe that Amanda is 14 years old. Where has the time gone, and why is it going so fast?

We had two celebrations for Amanda. On Saturday, we had an M&M birthday party with 11 of her friends. The official theme was "M&Ms Make Friends". Amanda is a wonderful friend, and in return she has so many nice friends. We played fun relays and games and ate too many M&Ms. It was a great party!

On Sunday, her actual birthday, we had a family party. Amanda wanted turkey pockets for dinner. We ate apple crisp with ice cream. We played Scrabble together. Mom won, of course. (Hee Hee, Dad!)

Amanda is so excited about turning 14 years old. Now she can attend school and church dances. Today it is attending dances, tomorrow~driving and dating, and then off to college. (Sniff, sniff, sniff)

Poor Little Buddy!

2009-09-21T20:52:00.001-07:00

Little Daniel is sick again! Two weeks ago, Daniel had a very high fever and ear ache for 4 straight days. He stayed in bed and slept most of that time away. He didn't eat and lost weight. I took him to the doctor, and she said that he had fluid in his ear causing vomiting, dizziness, fever, etc. After a few days of no fever, he was back to his normal self~for a week or so.

Sunday morning he woke up with a terrible cough and a fever of 103.1. He had no appetite or energy. Again today, he had a high fever, but was able to eat soup. He looks so pale and thin.

I feel so bad for my little buddy! If he has a fever again tomorrow, we will return to the doctor.

Beauty and the Beast

2009-09-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

The Hickman Honor Choir just finished their final performance of Beauty and the Beast last night. Life has been so busy preparing for this performance. The students attended choir 2-3 afternoons a week for the past month or so to learn this show. Daniel was Monsier De Arque, a wolf, and a townsperson.

Oh The Memories!

2009-08-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

We are home now from our summer adventures~busy in our world of school, piano, church, seminary, etc. We all miss Nauvoo, family, friends, the activities of the Nauvoo pageant. It was a wonderful opportunity for our family and something we will treasure for the rest of our lives. We hope to be able to return next summer!

Hair today~gone tomorrow!
Doug couldn't wait to get his hair cut and face shaved. Let's see~we finished with pageant clean-up at 2:30 in the morning, and Doug was shaved and cut by 10:00 AM.

Although we were super busy as pioneers, we did steal a few moments to enjoy the modern parts of life. Four-wheeling is a favorite at grandpa's house.

Grandpa Fligge's horse, I mean dog, Fador! A favorite site at the pre-show field.

Walking a few weeks "in their shoes" gave us a new appreciation for the pioneers and their lifestyle.

The Davis' are pulling their load~Aunt Darlien and the cousins. :)

Grandpa, Steph, and Fador.

During the second week of the pageant, Stephanie was invited to play the part as daughter of Hyrum Smith. She got to be center stage for several scenes, including the final scene. She told me that she was not nervous, but "hyper" inside because she was so excited.

Nauvoo Pageant

2009-07-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

Canoeing Fun!

2009-07-04T15:46:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed a magical afternoon canoeing on New Melones Lake. The water was crystal clear, and the weather was perfect! We even caught some fish, which was a first for our family in California. We hope that this canoeing trip will be a first of many for the summer of 2009.

Mom's Birthday!

2009-06-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

March Duet by Beethoven

2009-05-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Glowing Graduate

2009-05-30T14:53:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, Amanda graduated from the 8th grade with her friends and peers from Hickman Charter School. It was a wonderful evening full of speeches and musical numbers performed by the graduates. Amanda played a duet called March by Beethoven with her friend, Sarah. She did an amazing job!

It is so hard to believe that our baby girl is now in high school. We are so proud of all of Amanda's accomplishments and look forward to many wonderful high school accomplishments. Way to go, Manders! We love you!

La Jolla Cove and Beach

2009-05-21T18:38:00.001-07:00

Celebrating my kiddos!!!

2009-05-19T22:16:00.001-07:00

As parents, we have all earned the opportunity to celebrate or brag on our kids every once in a while. I am going to take this chance to celebrate a wonderful accomplishment for Amanda and Daniel.
This year, they both participated in a yearlong international math competition called Math Olympiad. Math Olympiad has timed math tests that are all critical thinking, problem solving questions. The participants spend the year with practice problems and meet several times as a team to take the timed tests.
The tests and scores are submitted to the international competition (includes 17 countries).

We attended a special ceremony at Hickman for all of the Math Olympiad participants. We were very excited to find out that Daniel received the second highest score for the sixth graders at Hickman (keep in mind that he is a fifth grader). He also missed being in the top 5 percent internationally by only two points. Way to go, Daniel!

We were super excited that Amanda was the top scorer for all of the 7th and 8th graders at Hickman, and she did win an award for being in the top 5 percent of all students internationally. She worked very hard this year, and she earned and deserved this high honor. Way to go, Amanda!

Some of the Math Olympiad participants from Hickman School.

On the road again!

2009-05-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying a fun and beautiful week in San Diego as a family. Doug has a Nestle conference here at the Grand Del Mar, so we decided to keep him company and enjoy the perks of this fancy resort.

You might be saying to yourself, "Gosh, didn't they just return from a ten day trip to DC just last week?" Yes, you would be right. I think that I am traveled-out now. I plan on staying home the whole month of June.

While here, we have enjoyed the mountain bike trails, tennis, swimming, and hanging out in the room. I hope to get to the beach, but the kids are having fun playing in the resort.

Washington DC pictures

2009-05-12T22:02:00.001-07:00

Amanda and I just returned from our big trip to Washington DC and beyond. We were gone 10 days. Every day was so different from the others. We went to DC, Richmond, Jamestown, Yorktown, Monticello, Mt. Vernon, Gettysburg, and Harper's Ferry.

People ask me what my favorite part of the trip was. I would have to say that I have a new-found love for history and patriotism. I realized that I didn't learn or had forgotten so much of my American History. It was a great way to see history come alive. I will be teaching history very differently in the future.

My favorite stops were the Gettysburg museum and the Holocaust museum. I learned so much at both of these places.

I am grateful to be home and finally rested. It was a quick-paced trip! I am so thankful for the opportunity to have gone with Amanda. It is something that we will always share.

I only put an abbreviated amount of pictures on my blog. I have 152 great pictures to scrapbook, but I just wanted to upload a sampling.

Hiking in the Red Hills

2009-04-15T18:24:00.001-07:00

Mom, can we get a puppy? How about a new baby?

2009-04-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Beach Bums

2009-03-04T20:44:00.000-08:00

Our hotel is a few blocks from Venice Beach. It was a beautiful day! The girls were crazy enough to jump and play in the water. Daniel played in the sand and flew a kite. Mom watched the beach bums, wrote in her journal, and enjoyed a piece of heaven.

Legoland

2009-03-04T20:19:00.001-08:00

Blue and Gold Cub Scout Celebration

2009-03-04T18:18:00.000-08:00

On Friday, February 27th, we went to the Blue and Gold to celebrate Daniel in the scouting program. This was a big night for our family. Daniel received the Arrow of Light award and also crossed over into the Boy Scout troop. We are proud of Daniel for all of the accomplishments that he has had during the past three years of Cub Scouts, and we look forward to his new adventures in Boy Scouts.

Daniel was asked to play Darth Vader's theme song on the piano because it was his last pack meeting. He did not realize that while he was playing, Darth Vader was entering the gym from the other door to present Daniel with his Arrow of Light badge. Daniel was very shocked when he finished playing his song. It was a great surprise.

Doug and Daniel made an Arrow of Light badge for the father/son cake contest.

SEW FUN

2009-01-27T14:04:00.000-08:00

For Amanda's 8th grade community service project and GATE project, she hosted a mother-daugther sewing class to make blankets for the local hospital's maternity ward. The mothers and daughters worked together to sew receiving blankets and baby quilts. The blankets were then bundled with a newborn outfit, nighty, hat, and socks. These 'layette' kits were then delivered to the Oakdale hospital to be given to needy families.

Amanda did a great job organizing and hosting the 'Sew Fun' event. It inspired the other families to look for similar opportunities to use their developing talents to give back to the community.

Chabot Space Museum in Oakland, California

2009-01-12T00:22:00.001-08:00

Christmas at the Davis Home

2009-01-12T00:14:00.001-08:00

EYE EXAM-TAKE 2

2008-12-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I took Stephanie to Lens Crafters to have her eyes checked. It was a stressful experience all the way around. Stephanie is not a big fan of new people or unfamiliar situations, and she had crocodile tears as she sat waiting for her exam. The doctor told us that Stephanie's left eye has reduced vision, but that glasses would not correct the problem. He told me that we would have to do vision therapy with a pediatric optometrist. When I asked him for a referral, he didn't know of any in the area. He left me dumbfounded and went on to the next patient. I was frustrated with myself because I chose Lens Crafters for her exam because of our insurance over going to Doctor Patten's office where I knew Stephanie would be more comfortable.

As any concerned and crying mother would do, I called Martha Patten to share my frustrations with her. She had me talk to her husband, Doug, who is an optometrist. He said that he would check Stephanie's eyes and give me his thoughts.

So this morning, Steph and I went to Dr. Patten's office for a very thorough exam. He did a great job with Stephanie. As buddies outside of the office, they were so cute together in this environment. Stephanie was so much more relaxed in his office and with his exams. She even laughed and joked with Dr. Patten.

Even though Doug's diagnosis was the same, it was a much better experience. I feel so much better having his second opinion. Next time, we skip Lens Crafters and go straight to Dr. Patten's office.

THANKS DOUG AND STAFF FOR MAKING THIS MORNING A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE FOR STEPHANIE! WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU IN OUR LIVES. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOUG, AND ENJOY YOUR HUGS AND KISSES FROM STEPHANIE! :)

Christmas in LaGrange

2008-12-15T05:50:00.000-08:00

The holidays are upon us, and this is the time for pure craziness. Shopping, cooking, Christmas cards, Santa, expectations, commercialism, etc. etc. etc. We tend to be consumed with the "to-do" lists of the season. With all of the hustle and bustle of the season, we often don't stop to feel the strong Spirit that is in the air and reflect deeply on the miracle of Christ's birth.

I am grateful for the opportunity that we had as a family this past weekend to reflect on the Savior and to feel of His love as we set aside the busyness of the season to spend time celebrating the true meaning of Christmas with the Blazzard family and their friends.

On Saturday, our family was invited by the Blazzard family to LaGrange for a Christmas bonfire celebration with some of their family and friends. It was our first time to drive to this area. LaGrange is located in the foothills overlooking the Tuolumne river.

After dinner, the Blazzard girls helped the children with costumes for a reenactment of the Christmas story. Brother Blazzard read the Christmas story, as the children gathered around the stable and manger. The setting was perfect. A make-shift lean-to, a cold, crisp night, stars overhead, the wind gently blowing throught the trees, and the leaves rustling as the angels and shephards came to the stable, the campfire giving off a warm glow. It was so calm and peaceful as we sat under the stars thinking about the miracle of the season.

I want to thank the Blazzards again for a picture perfect night. The scenic view was breathtaking. The evening air was crisp, clear, and refreshing. The sunset over the foothills memorable. The food was delicious. The company was wonderful. The Spirit was present. It was a wonderful evening and a great way to keep Christmas-Christ-centered.

Thank you Marrianne and Ben (and family) for such a wonderful evening. You guys are awesome.

I couldn't resist!

2008-11-23T17:38:00.001-08:00

Stephanie brings so much joy into our lives, and I just couldn't resist taking a picture of her looking so grown up. My little girl is growing into such a wonderful young lady. She is growing up all too quickly. Where did the time go?

GOBBLE, GOBBLE!

2008-11-21T19:10:00.000-08:00

Today Amanda hosted her second Make-It, Take-It preschool craft morning. This is a monthly fundraiser for her Washington DC trip in April. The theme for today was TURKEYS. The kids listened to turkey stories, made turkey cupcakes and headbands, had free play, and a snack. It was a high-energy morning full of fun, laughs, wiggles, hugs, and turkeys. Way to go, Amanda on another successful endeavor. Washington DC-HERE YOU COME!

PS-A big thanks to all of you who are helping Amanda along her journey. Your generosity is noticed and appreciated. Without you, Amanda wouldn't be able to reach her goal.
Smile and say "Gobble, Gobble."

Yummy! Turkey cupcakes decorated by the kids. We sent the cupcakes and the mess home. It is called Make-It, Take-It for a reason.

Stephanie-Amanda's star pupil! Well, of course! She is almost 2 years older than the other students. :)

Great thoughts for the day!

2008-11-07T20:26:00.001-08:00

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

So love the people who treat you right.. Forget about the one's who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

A Tender Moment

2008-11-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

I wanted to spend some alone time with Stephanie yesterday, and I asked her what she would like to do. She wanted to watch a movie and pop popcorn. My return suggestion to her was to go to McDonald's and then have ice cream.

For those of you that know me, you know that I don't like to watch movies just for the sake of watching movies. I like a good drama, and I like a few shows like Survivor, Biggest Loser, Amazing Race, and of course, Dr. Phil, but for the most part, I am not a TV watcher. I get antsy watching cartoon movies, but her vote was still a movie over McDonalds.

So, after supper we turned the lights low, popped popcorn, and watched Heidi (the Disney version). I chose Heidi for several reasons.
1. I hadn't seen it before, and neither had Stephanie.
2. It was not a cartoon.
3. We had it!

We sat and snuggled on the couch with our popcorn and began watching the movie together. After a while, I looked over to see Steph's face, and she had large crocodile tears and a quivering lip. She was so into the emotions of the show that she cried at several points of the movie. Of course, I was crying, too. That was a moving show, but seeing her respond with such emotions touched me even more. She totally understood the depth of the show and not just the actions.

Wow! What a wonderful view into my 5 year old's heart. I am grateful that we had this experience together.

2008-11-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Make It-Take It

2008-10-20T03:54:00.000-07:00

Amanda's Make It-Take It day was a great success for everyone involved. She had eight children attend. The kids enjoyed a variety of activities that included making apple designed windsocks, listening to stories, singing songs, playtime, and having apple snacks. The kids all had fun.

Amanda did an amazing job leading and teaching the group. She was prepared for the morning and full of the energy needed to manage a group of this size. She is a magnet of love and fun for children this age.

Daniel turned out to be a very valuable asset, especially during playtime. The boys loved playing with Daniel and looked up to him as the 'airplane, matchbox, lego expert.'

Stephanie was a junior assistant and did a great job as an example and leader during the songs and fingerplays.

As for me, I was on overall management and clean-up. The glitter was a big hit, but a big mess. Not to worry, the tile floors needed a good scrubbing anyways. I was beaming with pride when all was said and done. I love to watch my children find success and joy, and they all walked away uplifted by the events of the morning.

Don't worry if you missed the Make It-Take It for this month. We will be hosting another one in November. Look for details soon!

WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?

2008-10-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

FROM THIS:

TO THIS:

TO THIS

Amanda's post

2008-10-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

Feel free to RSVP here.

Hello everyone,
This is Amanda Davis, and as many of you may already know, I am working hard to earn money for my upcoming Washington DC trip in the spring with the 8th graders from Hickman Charter School. As part of my fund-raising, I am hosting a special preschool program for children ages 3 1/2-5 years old one day a month. This program will be called Make it-Take It. It will be geared around a fun, interactive theme. It will include stories, arts and crafts, snacks, games, and a playtime.

I love working with little kids, and this would allow me to earn money in a fun way. Two years ago, my mom taught a pre-school for my little sister, Stephanie, and her church friends. I was able to work along side my mom, and it was a great learning opportunity for me as her assistant. For this program, I will be the teacher, and my mom will be my assistant.

There will be a new theme each month. Feel free to sign up on a month-to-month basis. Please see the attachment for October's information.

Email me or call me if you would like to reserve a spot for October. If you have any family members or friends that may be interested, please feel free to invite them to participate.

OCTOBER’S THEME
APPLE FUN

MAKE IT-TAKE IT is a special pre-school program for ages 3½-5 years old that is geared around a fun, interactive theme. It will include stories, arts and crafts, snacks, games, and playtime.
Make it-Take it will be offered once a month.
Please RSVP by Wednesday, October 15th.

OCTOBER 17, 2008
9:00-11:30AM

DAVIS HOME
1460 GRAND OAK WAY
848-8072
amandandavis@sbcglobal.net

COST-$10 (snacks and any supplies will be provided)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMANDA!

2008-10-09T04:59:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Amanda celebrated her 13th birthday. She had a party with 11 of her friends on Saturday afternoon, and then on Sunday, we surprised her with a special open house with some of the families and teachers from church. She had a great birthday. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful daughter!

Happy Birthday, Amanda! We love you!

"Kitten-Sitting"

2008-10-09T04:27:00.001-07:00

Melodie and Chuck Webb asked the kids to "kitten-sit" for their two little kittens for the weekend. The kids were so excited to have pets, even if for a short time. The kittens didn't have official names, so the kids named them Rainy and Playful. The kittens were bottle-fed every 5-6 hours, and there were always willing feeders. The Webbs paid the kids $20, but I feel like we should have paid them for the entertainment that it provided on the first rainy weekend since early spring. Although I am not a fan of indoor pets, I do have to admit that it was fun having the kittens for the weekend. It is like being a grandparent. Enjoy and send home!

Where there's a will, there's a way!

2008-09-28T17:43:00.001-07:00

I want to take a minute or two to brag about my wonderful daughter. She is amazing in every way. Of course, for those of you who truly know her, you are aware of that already. Well, let me tell you what she did this time.

She has been given the opportunity to go to Washington DC in April for a 10 day trip with the other 8th graders from Hickman Charter. The trip will cost $1800.

As parents, we are always looking for ways for our children to learn about real-life experiences. In real life, one does not experience a trip like this without hard work and sacrifice. We calculated that Amanda could earn about $100 dollars a month by baby-sitting, teaching piano lessons, allowance, and other odd jobs. This would take dedication on her part, but we knew that the lessons learned along the way would be life-lessons. With this in mind, we asked her to earn half of the money for the trip.

When we talked with her, she was excited about going, and she told us that she would really like to pay for the whole trip, if possible. We were shocked, but amazed at her enthusiasm and maturity.

What an enormous goal for a 12 year old! We told her that we would support her in any way possible.

So, last Saturday we held a fund raising garage sale. Amanda gathered donations, cleaned and priced everything, made fliers and street signs, and ran her first garage sale. She even made homemade jam to sell at her garage sale. She did an amazing job, and the garage sale was a success.

Amanda made strawberry jam the night before the "big sale". She offered samples to her customers, and she sold 13 of her 16 jars. Yum! Yum! Doug was secretly disappointed that she sold so many jars, because he LOVES her jam and wanted it for himself.

Stephanie and Daniel made chocolate chip cookies from scratch. I was so busy with other things, that I let Daniel be 100% in charge of measuring and mixing the ingredients with Steph. They did a great job! Out of a double batch, there were only 4 cookies left over after the first day of the sale. I think a few got snagged by the chefs, but that's life. aniel and Stephanie sold lemonade and chocolate chip cookies. She also showed everyone how to play with her "favorite" toys.

As for Amanda, she sure learned a lot about people; the people that she knows and the strangers that she encountered at the sale. She learned that there are people in her life who want her to succeed and are willing to help her along her journey. She also learned a lot about the nature of people in general. The people who attended her garage sale were either very supportive and eager to help her, or they were there to get everything possible for the least possible amount. She has a few of her own funny stories to tell about different people that she encountered.

I know that I am so proud of her willingness to work hard and stick to it until the end, even though it was 90+degrees. I am also very thankful to my wonderful friends who donated things to her garage sale, stopped by for a glass of lemonade, and called to give her support and encouragement. She couldn't have done it without each of you. That means so much to me! It reinforces the concept that it DOES take "a village to raise a child". THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF OUR VILLAGE!

Everything that we do in life helps us to learn and grow. This was an amazing learning experience for Amanda all the way around. And what did I get from this whole experience. Tons!
1. I have more room in my backyard now that the Little Tikes toys are gone.

2. Because Amanda ran the garage sale, I had time to reorganize and clean out both of our garages. As I was cleaning, I found more stuff to contribute to her sale.

3. I learned that there really wasn't any reason for me to stress about the signs being up on time, the prices being too high or too low, not having things that people wanted to buy, etc.

4. I saw again how willing Amanda is to jump in and get the job done regardless of the effort. She had no idea that her sale would be such a success, but she was willing to try regardless of the possible outcome.

5. I was again reminded about how wonderful my friends and neighbors are in our lives. Several friends, and a few strangers, donated extra money to Amanda's cause. Many people bought lemonade from Daniel and Stephanie, just because. Some gave a quarter and didn't even take anything in return. Wow! To see the joy in their eyes was a valuable lesson for me. The next time I see a lemonade stand, I will stop so that I can "pay it forward".

As I reflect upon the craziness of it all, my thoughts go back again to the generousity that was shown on behalf of my daughter. May God bless you all for your love and support.

Sleeping Beauty

2008-09-19T13:29:00.001-07:00

One of the wonderful benefits of homeschooling with Hickman Charter School is the opportunity for the kids to participate in a performance choir. Amanda and Daniel have been working very hard this past month as they have been preparing for the performance of Sleeping Beauty.

Amanda is one of the three fairies, Fauna, and Daniel is Fumpel, the goon. (Stephanie is the unofficial back-up just in case someone is sick. Because she attends every rehearsal and practice, she knows every one's lines and all of the songs).

The kids had three dress rehearsals yesterday, 4 performances today, and they will have their final performance on Monday night. Tickets are still available for Monday if you would like to see this fun and fast musical. :)

Way to go, Amanda and Daniel! You are doing awesome! Thanks for being willing to work hard to develop and share your musical talents.

2008-09-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

Camping at Silver Lake

2008-09-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, we went camping with the Webbs, Paces, and the Dunlops to Silver Lake. We had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect, the scenery was breathtaking, the food was yummy, and the company was great! We took our canoe and spent Saturday paddling around the lake. (Some were even brave enough to swim in the lake. BRRR!) The kids enjoyed exploring the rocks and woods and catching minnows and baby trout with a small net. We were grateful for one last trip before seriously hitting the school books.

The funniest part of the whole trip was when Amie, Katie, Daniel, and Amanda were exploring the woods near our campsite around dusk. They were gathering firewood for our evening campfire. While walking along the stream, an animal that looked like a wolf came out of the trees. Amie saw it first and yelled for everyone to run because she saw a wolf. Everyone began running back to camp, except Amanda, who jumped into the stream. As the kids ran to tell us what happened, an old lady walked past us with her ugly gray and white dog-"the wolf". The kids laughed so hard they could barely speak. Poor Amanda! Amie said "run", not "swim".

This is a sign of another successful trip full of fun, activities, and great memories!

I WILL SURVIVE HOMESCHOOLING

2008-09-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIOogqa-5GA

This is an awesome video that says it all about homeschooling. Sorry, but I wasn't able to upload it to my blog. Technical difficulty (me). If you want a fun video about what life is like at the Davis' house right now, copy and paste the above link.

Smile!

If you are able to teach me how to upload youtube videos into my blog, that would be great.

Favorite sayings

2008-08-30T11:53:00.001-07:00

I found a couple of great sayings that I would like to remember and use in my life.

1. When one door of happiness closes, another opens: but we often look so long at the closed door, that we do not see the one that has opened for us.

2. "Never argue with an idiot; they will just bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."

The older I get, the more I realize that this is so true! So true!

Feel free to leave me some of your favorite sayings.

School's in session-or is it????

2008-08-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

This has been the big question all month. Our town of Oakdale started school on August 6th, and I feel like that is a crime. Too early, too hot! YUCK! I, on the other hand, am slacking off until after Labor Day! Unfortunately, Hickman Charter School started their year-long Monday classes yesterday.

I did take the kids for their classes, but then declared the rest of this week-teacher workshop days. :)

I took a few pictures of the kids on their first (kind of first) day of school just to prove that my kids do get dressed and leave the house even though they are homeschooled. These pictures are for those adults who continually tell my children to "pretend that they are in school" when they are talking to them about life, peer pressure, homework, etc.

All kidding aside, it is so weird to think that Amanda is in 8th grade. She has grown up so much this summer, both physically and emotionally. It is hard to think that she is growing up so quickly. She told me this morning as I was doing her hair that at this point next year, she will be in high school. NOOOOOOOOOO!

Daniel is in 6th/7th grade this year. He is taking a 7th grade Pre-algebra class. He was concerned at first because he is technically only in the 5th grade and he is small for his age, but after his first class at Hickman, he is hooked on algebra. Hurray! Because I will be teaching Daniel's math Tues-Fri, Hickman asks the parents to attend this class with their child. Daniel thinks that it is funny to be in class with MOM. We had a good time together!

As for Stephanie, she is in 1st grade this year. It is hard to believe that my peanut is growing up so quickly. She was nervous about her classes, but told me later that she had no reason to worry. It was fun and easy. I am excited about working with Stephanie this year.

Another visit from the tooth fairy

2008-08-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally did it! We finally convinced Stephanie to let us pull her wiggly tooth. This tooth has been loose and sticking straight out for a few weeks now. Her adult teeth were already growing in, but the baby tooth was holding on tight. Stephanie ate an apple, corn on the cob, and a bagel, but still her baby tooth wouldn't budge.

We were concerned that it would cause other problems, so on Wednesday night before bed, I finally convinced her to let me pull it. It took some bribing. I told her that I would give her three Dibbs if she would let me pull it. She agreed.

I put dental floss in a loop around the base and under the wiggliest part of her tooth. I then tightened the floss, and the tooth popped out. Yikes! Blood everywhere. Steph didn't know, so she didn't freak out, but I did. My tummy turned, and I knew that I owed her a whole ice cream Popsicle, instead of just a few Dibbs.

Steph was excited about the tooth fairy coming again and leaving her $2.00. I took her to the dollar store the next day. She bought two Princess frisbees and a crown.

Doug and I were excited about having that persistent tooth finally out. But, I have to admit that I do cringe every time I see the pictures and think about the whole experience. YUCK!

Southern California Trip-Take Three

2008-08-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

We headed down to Southern California for our third time this summer. Doug had a one day conference in LA, so we took the opportunity to stretch it out to a week long vacation. We stayed with Uncle Frank for a few days, and then headed to Glendale.

At Uncle Frank's house, Amanda made yummy cookies and learned how to make Uncle Frank's world famous Paradise jam. If you would like to sample this awesome jam or any other of the wonderful varieties that Frank gave us, just give us a holler.

Frank's son, Brad, and his family came for Sunday dinner and to celebrate Brad's birthday. It was a houseful of people, but a lot of fun. We also learned how to play Ticket To Ride (Germany version). Very addicting.

For those of you who were concerned about our lack of AC in the van. No need to be concerned any longer. We endured 6 hours of heat and open windows on the way down to LA, but found a great place that fixed the AC for 1/3 of the price that Oakdale garage was going to charge us. We even got a 1 year warranty. Hurray for AC!

If you are asking yourself if this is our last trip to LA for a while, let me tell you that it is not. We have another trip planned for mid September. Oh, the joys of homeschooling. Travel at will (and at the company's expense)! :)

Dear Tooth Fairy

2008-07-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Tooth Fairy,

I am so excited. I lost my first tooth. My tooth has been so wiggly for a long time. I was eating dinner, and my tooth was really wiggly. I was eating noodles, and it fell out. It was very surprising. I had a good time losing my tooth. It felt kind of weird. I wasn't even scared! Thank you for giving me all that money. I cleaned my tooth a lot. It was good to have you get my tooth.

Love,
Stephanie

Stephanie was so excited about losing her first tooth. She was afraid that it would hurt, and she didn't want to touch it after it came out. If you click on the pictures, you will see her stunning brown eyes, her angel-kiss freckles, and her adult teeth that are already growing in behind her wiggly teeth. We hope the next tooth will fall out tomorrow.

It is hard to believe that our baby has reached another neat milestone. She is growing up so quickly.

Southern California Trip-Take Two

2008-07-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

Two weeks after our trip to the LA area, we headed back down to Anaheim for the Davis family reunion. We had a great time getting reacquainted with Doug's family and meeting many family members for the first time.

Stephanie and her long-lost twin, Cynthia (second cousins) had a great time playing together. Everyone was surprised with how much they looked alike. For those of you who might be confused, Steph is on the right. HEE HEE

The only alone time during the weekend for us was when we stole a few minutes to walk along the beach.

Thanks Benj for the pedicure! My toes looked awesome. With 22 plus people in the rental house, I was needing a little one-on-one attention.
Love, Stephanie

Darrel Davis family

Elvis made a special guest appearance on Saturday night. The older adults went wild as they sang and danced to the popular music that they remember first-hand. The middle-aged fans were in awe of how similar Elvis looked to the old videos and movies that they had seen re-runs of. The young kids laughed and danced with excitement as some crazy guy played funny music while dressed in silly clothes. They had no idea who Elvis was. Yes, indeed! It bridged the generations. Thanks, Elvis!

AN ENORMOUS THANK YOU!!!

2008-07-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON LIFE IN THE DAVIS HOME. ON FRIDAY AFTER A FEW DAYS OF DISCOMFORT, THE PAIN IN LAURA'S BACK AND ABDOMEN BECAME TOO MUCH TO TAKE. WITH THE HELP OF SOME PERSISTENT FRIENDS, LAURA FINALLY WENT TO THE ER ON FRIDAY NIGHT. SHE WAS PASSING A STONE FROM HER KIDNEY TO HER BLADDER. SHE WAS SENT HOME TO WAIT IT OUT.

WE WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HELPED OUR FAMILY OUT THIS WEEKEND. THANKS FOR THE MEALS, FOR LOVING AND WATCHING OUR CHILDREN, FOR THE PHONE CALLS AND VISITS. MARTHA, THANKS FOR GETTING THE TROOPS LINED UP TO HELP US. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL FRIENDS TO COUNT ON WHEN THINGS ARE TOUGH. WE HOPE THAT THE WORST IS BEHIND US, BUT WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.

WE LOVE YOU ALL!
THE DAVIS FAMILY

Missing Amanda

2008-07-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Where or where has Amanda Gone?
Or where or where can she be?
Tell me where or where has Amanda gone?
Or where or where can she be?

This is the most frequently asked question of the summer. Where has Amanda been all summer? I ask you-where hasn't she been this summer? The list of travels and adventures for Amanda include:

-trip home to Illinois-She flew home alone to spend time with family and friends. Her time included:
**time with Grandma Candy-great fun! She took two sewing classes and a cake decorating class. She rode the train to Chicago to see Wicked. She had a sleepover with lots of her cousins. She stayed up late to scrapbook, watch movies, and play with her cousin, Mackenzie.
**time with Grandma and Grandpa Fligge in their new Nauvoo house, eating Nauvoo fudge, and playing with the animals.
**time with Big Abby and Bobby swimming in their pool, getting pedicures, going go-carting, etc.
**time with Ethel and Steve Applegate cooking fudge, touring the Lincoln museum in Springfield, watching the critters in their wooded backyard, and early morning breakfasts out with Steve and his friend.
**time with Cris and Jeff Braun eating out and playing mini-golf. Way to go Jeff for beating Amanda at golf! What a great host!
**time with other family and friends doing fun summer stuff. She attended the Nauvoo temple with her friends and cousin. Amanda spent the most time of all at Culver's eating yummy custard ice cream.

After her trip to Illinois, we spent the week in Anaheim playing on the beach, at a science discovery museum, at Downtown Disney, and goofing off as a family.

She was home for about a week, and then we went to Anaheim again for a family reunion.

She was home only long enough to repack her stuff for girls' camp this week.

So when people ask, where has Amanda been, I grin and think, where hasn't she been? I want to thank everyone who has made this a fantastic summer for Amanda. This has been her most memorable summer of her life. THANK YOU!!!

As for me, I do miss Amanda. She is a great daughter and a wonderful friend. I can't wait for her to be home so that we can do some fun summer things together, too. Love you, Manders!!! See you on Saturday!!!

PARTYING AT THE PATTENS'

2008-07-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

With summer in full swing, we have spent a lot of time with family and friends. We always enjoy hanging out with the Patten family.

Camping with the Webb family!

2008-06-29T12:03:00.001-07:00

We went camping with the Webb family for the Memorial Day weekend! We had a great time, even though it was cold and rained most of the time. Doug always says that great food and great company make a great vacation! So there you have it, it was a great vacation! Thanks, Chuck and Melodie for everything!

Southern California Trip-Take One

2008-06-28T00:05:00.001-07:00

We just returned home from a week in Anaheim. This is the first of two trips that we will be taking to Anaheim this month. Doug had a conference in the Paradise Pier Hotel across from Disneyland. We went along to keep him company. NO! We did not do Disneyland. As you know from reading earlier postings, we went to Disney in March, and I have filled my Disney quota for the year (or lifetime). We did do Downtown Disney one afternoon, just because! We also sat in the plaza and watched the fireworks.

We also went to the Science Discovery Museum in Santa Ana and Huntington Beach.

Daniel's favorite part of the trip was the Lego store and the breakfast buffet. Amanda's favorite part was the beach. Stephanie loved the Tom and Jerry cartoons that she watched each morning in the hotel and swimming in the pool.

It was a great trip, but we are all happy to be home. We will be returning in two weeks for a family reunion!

Double-digit Dan

2008-05-06T10:26:00.001-07:00

This is Daniel's 10 year-old picture! He looks more grown up each day!

SAY CHEESE!!!

2008-05-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that a whole year has gone by since the last time that I posted Stephanie's birthday pictures. Where has the time gone?

GUM-FOR ME????

2008-04-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

As is the tradition with all of our children, turning five means finally being able to chew gum. Stephanie was super excited when she opened this birthday present and saw a box full of gum from Big Abby. This is one of Abby's traditions. She has given my children a year supply of gum on their fifth birthdays. Thanks, Abby! Can't wait until your little one turns five!

SAY CHEESE!!!

2008-04-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

Amanda is the newest member of the "braces" club. We spent the day on Thursday at the orthodontist's office getting her braces put on. She will wear them for the next 12-18 months. She is excited about her new look. Her favorite part is that every month she gets to choose new rubber band colors. She is already thinking of ways to color coordinate her outfits for next month.

As for me, I think that she looks so different. I love to watch her smile at herself and check out her new look in every window, mirror, or shiny car that she passes by. She smiles all the time. She looks so grown-up now!

GUESS WHO WENT TO DISNEYLAND!!!

2008-03-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may know me really well, you know that Disneyland is one of the places that I have been avoiding; much like the plague. There are so many other things in life that I enjoy doing-hiking, camping, playing on the beach, visiting with family and friends, organizing and cleaning closets, etc. I just couldn't ever imagine myself purposely going to Disneyland. The lines, the people, the inflated prices, the noise, the princesses, etc. YUCK!

You can only imagine my dismay and shock last fall when the honor choir director mentioned that the choir would be performing in Disneyland. WHAT??? I HAD to go to the "happiest place on earth".

Long story short, I agreed to put aside my feelings for Disneyland to accompany Amanda and Daniel on their choir trip. We would stay with Doug's Uncle Frank, which was a bonus. We decided that we might as well make it a 5-day ticket because it would probably be our only trip to Disneyland-ever!!!

For the past 5 months, I have been avoiding thinking about the whole trip. I would deal with it when the time came. I knew that I was going to support the kids and that we would be there as a family. Doug was so excited about the trip, and his enthusiasm was starting to rub off. Unfortunately, the week before we were suppose to go, his assistant took a "stress leave", so he couldn't go. He had to stay home to do his job and her job (payroll).

The "happiest place on earth" wasn't looking too happy at this point. Five days in the forbidden place with three kids with different needs and interests-by myself.

Fortunately for all of us, Martha Patten agreed to come with us on our trip. She was awesome. She stepped in as a parent/grandparent and was an enormous help and lots of fun, even when Stephanie threw up everywhere. (Thanks, Martha)

The first day or two were a bit rough. Stephanie spiked a high fever and threw up. She continued to be sick for a few days. I was overwhelmed by the stimulus as soon as we entered the gates. Too many choices, noises, people, lines!

The last part of the trip actually went well. I figured the parks out and realized that Disneyland is not a thrill park. No major rides for me to run to and ride over and over. It is all about the fantasy. Stephanie started feeling better and enjoyed meeting the characters. The kids met up with friends from school and went off discovering things together. Martha and I got great exercise as we walked and talked each day. On Friday, we clocked in at over 37,000 steps (ten miles).

In the end, I did enjoy my trip to Disneyland. The kids had a great time with their friends and each other. They did a fabulous job on their choir performance. Stephanie got better and enjoyed the stroller. If you ask her what her favorite ride was at Disneyland, she will say that it was the stroller ride. I learned that I can enjoy the unknown and relax and enjoy the chaos. Martha got to play the washboard in a band.

Yes-it was a good trip full of happy memories and some great pictures. Did I upgrade my tickets to an annual pass? NO-but I may return someday to experience Disneyland with Doug and our grandchildren.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE RENEE DAVIS!!!

2008-03-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, March 16th, our sweet Stephanie turned 5 years old. What a magical age! For her, there are two reasons that being 5 is so wonderful.

Number 1-She can finally chew gum. Thanks to Big Abby who sent her a large box full of every kind of gum available, she will be able to chew gum every day for the rest of her childhood. By the way, she LOVES chewing gum!!!!!!

Number 2-She can now go on dates with Mom and Dad! Each month, Mom or Dad take each child on a date, and tonight was Stephanie's first date with Mom. They went to McDonalds and then Cold Stone for ice cream. Stephanie was in heaven!

It is hard to believe that our little one is already five years old. Where has the time gone? As we look through pictures of the past five years, it is fun to see Stephanie as she grows and changes each year. She has been a blessing and a joy in our family. She has a wonderful spirit. She is gentle, kind, and compassionate. She can lighten a room with her smile. We are so happy to celebrate her at this time!

Happy Birthday, Stephanie! We love you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIEL ANTHONY DAVIS!!!

2008-03-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that Daniel is turning 10 tomorrow. It seems like just a short time ago that I held him in my arms as a newborn baby. Where has the time gone? I wanted to share a few pictures to celebrate him on his special day and to tell Daniel that I love him so much and I am proud of the young man that he is becoming. Thanks for the memories, Buddy!

Daniel is amazing on the piano. He has a great ear, and he loves to play the piano. In the above picture, he is playing Christmas songs at the Oakland Temple Visitors' Center. I am always amazed (and proud) when I hear him play for others. He has been blessed with a wonderful musical gift, and I am grateful that he shares his talent with others.

A few weeks ago in Primary, Daniel recited all 13 Articles of Faith in order to receive a special "13" cookie. It was made from a whole batch of cookie dough. Daniel was given the challenge in Primary, and a week later he received the award. The Articles of Faith have been written into songs, so he learned to play them on the piano and memorized the words at the same time. I love that Daniel has a sharp mind and a strong testimony of Christ. I was excited and proud of him for reaching this goal in such a short amount of time.

Super Scout Daniel! Daniel is a very decorated scout. He will now move from the Bear den to the Webelos den. As a Bear scout, Daniel earned his Bear badge, 11 arrow points, Leave No Trace award, 20 belt loops, 8 pins, and the Religious Knot badge. In the above picture, Daniel is receiving his Religious Knot from Vic Rowley. We are excited about starting the Webelos program.

Daniel and Doug Patten pose for the camera after creating this masterpiece scouting hat cake for the Blue and Gold banquet last week. It was confetti cake with a pudding center. It took the boys about 4 hours to create this work of art, but it was worth it. It was entertaining to watch and yummy to eat. We are grateful to Doug Patten for stepping in and helping Daniel with his father/son cake. Our Doug was away on a business trip in Idaho. Way to go, guys!!!

If you look closely, you will see that Daniel is making a fully loaded pizza. He loves food! Although he may look small, don't be fooled! He has a large appetite. We no longer have left-overs in our home. Daniel sees to that. His favorite foods include chili, salmon, tacos, pizza, and pot roast.

CHRISTMAS 2007

2008-01-06T04:43:00.001-08:00

Oakland Temple Trip with the Patten Family

2008-01-05T22:27:00.000-08:00

Stephie's big, brown eyes still melt my heart!

TRAVELING IN STYLE

2007-12-11T06:13:00.000-08:00

Stephanie was traveling in style on Saturday when a limousine picked her up to go to Annie Powell's 5th birthday party in Modesto! She was super excited about riding in the limo, but told me that she was "a little shy" on the ride to the Ice Cream Factory.

GUESS WHAT'S NEW AT OUR HOUSE???

2007-12-07T20:34:00.001-08:00

T'WAS ONE CRAZY NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

2007-12-07T20:23:00.001-08:00

Amanda and Daniel participated in another great musical through Hickman Charter. It was called "T'was One Crazy Night Before Christmas". It was a funny spin-off of the popular children's story. The show was very upbeat and high-energy.

We are very excited that the kids have so many wonderful opportunities to develop their talents. Way to go, Amanda and Daniel!

ONE CRAZY CHRISTMAS

2007-12-06T06:46:00.001-08:00

Daniel sang a solo called "Something To Believe In". He did an amazing job! He enjoys performing with the choir and has a great voice. Way to go, Daniel! We are very proud of you!

PARTYING WITH THE PATTEN'S

2007-12-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

Doug Patten taught the kids a new version of checkers. The winner was the first person to lose all of their checkers. It was trickier than one might think!

Martha and Laura in their festive Thanksgiving attire. Yes, the plate of yams is sitting in front of Laura, but don't be fooled! Again this year, she declined to even sample the marshmallow-covered yams! YUCK!!! (Sorry Martha! Nothing personal)

Martha and Rachel burn off a few holiday calories on the dance mat. It was a real spectator sport for the rest of us.

Stephanie and Daniel Patten had their own way of exercising. They played "tickle tag".

Sarah, Doug, and Stephanie are stuffed, little turkeys after our Thanksgiving feast.

GUESS WHO WE KIDNAPPED!!!

2007-11-16T06:48:00.000-08:00

THE PATTENS!!

Our family decided to kidnap Doug and Martha Patten for a day of fun. We took them to Boomers for arcades and mini-golf. They were twenty-something the last time that they played mini-golf and arcades. It was fun to watch as they played Skeeball and air hockey for the first time. Martha did a great job squashing the spiders with Stephanie on the Spidermash game. I have to admit that they were pretty good at
mini-golf.

After Boomers, we came home for a few friendly games and then Nerf dart tag. As you can clearly see, Doug Patten was a huge target for us. Sorry Doug! Better luck next time!

STEPHANIE'S FIRST HAIRCUT!!

2007-10-25T19:50:00.001-07:00

Stephie was super excited about her first haircut. You can just feel the enthusiasm oozing from her little body. Mom was excited to see that the curls were still there, even after cutting off a couple of inches.

AND THE WINNER IS .............AMANDA!!!!

2007-10-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

As one of Amanda's GATE projects, she organized and hosted the 2nd annual Hickman Charter School spelling bee. The spelling bee was held on Friday, October 19th. She was super excited to be the winner for the junior high level. She won with the word "possess". She will now go to the county spelling bee in November. Congratulations and good luck, Amanda! We are proud of your hard work.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!!

2007-10-21T06:26:00.001-07:00

We are finally home after our 17-day vacation back home to Illinois. It was our first trip home after living here in California for almost 2 1/2 years. We had a wonderful trip packed full of fun, adventures, family, friends, and much more. We want to thank everyone who helped to make our vacation so awesome. We sure do miss all of you in the Midwest, and we were glad to spend time with you, but we are also grateful for our home, family, and friends here in California, too! We wanted to share with you a few photos from our vacation. Enjoy!

FAMILY & FRIENDS

THE MEMORIES!

STEPHANIE'S BEST FRIENDS!

MOM'S FAVORITES

Aladdin Musical

2007-09-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

Before our vacation to the Midwest, Amanda and Daniel were in the play Aladdin through Hickman School. Daniel played Iago, the parrot, and Amanda was the snake charmer, the butcher and a townsperson. The play took a lot of time and commitment, but it was definitely worth it. All of the kids in the choir did an excellent job, and the show was amazing!!!

ARE WE MOVING?

2007-09-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, Doug has an opportunity to interview and possibly transfer back to Illinois. It would be to a town called Jacksonville, about 1/2 hour from Springfield, the capital.

If we were still living in Chicago, we would have jumped at the opportunity to move to Jacksonville, but now that we are settled in CA, it is a much bigger decision to move there. We are so involved in the local homeschool activities and church callings that we don't know what we would do without these wonderful opportunities for our kids. Jacksonville does not have any type of homeschool support group and no charter schools.

After a long week of evaluating our life and stressing over our decision, we have decided to stay here. We love the things that we are doing here for our family. It was a hard decision, but it feels like the right one for us at this time.

Sorry to those family members and friends who were voting for us to return home. At least you will all have a great vacation spot to come to when it is -10 degrees in December, January, February, March. We are excited about seeing all of you for our family vacation in a few weeks.

To all of you who helped to persuade us to stay-THANKS! We couldn't have made this decision without you.

Ellen-Thanks for reminding me about the long, cold winters.
Brad-Thanks for being such an awesome choir director and piano teacher-irreplaceable.
Eleace-Thanks for researching the logistics of Jacksonville and finding all of the drawbacks, even before I could.
Hickman School teachers and staff-Thanks to all of the teachers who love and nurture my children through your wonderful programs, classes, field trips, etc.
Martha-Thanks for saying how much you would miss me and truly meaning it. I am glad that I am needed here.
Uncle Frank-Thanks for always being so excited about "seeing" us when we come down to LA.

And to any others who found reasons for us to stay here, THANKS!!! Besides, we still haven't made that first trip to Disneyland. We certainly can't move out of California if we haven't gone to Disney. That just isn't the American way!
Yes, we do have a Disney trip planned for March. Look out, Disneyland, here we come!

The Davis' Clan

KING'S CANYON

2007-09-04T06:54:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend, our family had the opportunity to go camping in King's Canyon with some friends. It was our first chance to camp in the mountains among the giant sequoias and the redwoods.

We enjoyed hiking to Weaver Lake for a quick dip in the lake. Doug and Daniel spent a lot of time shooting with Daniel's bow and arrow set and whittling wood with Daniel's new scout pocket knife. Amanda enjoyed being with her friend, Carolyn. Stephanie enjoyed the entire trip with her new little pal-Lipia (a stuffed raccoon from her friend, Emily). I loved the peaceful beauty that you can only find when you are far away the cares of everyday life.

We are very grateful that we could go to King's Canyon and look forward to returning in the future.

Photobucket Album

WEAVER LAKE

2007-09-04T06:35:00.001-07:00

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE

2007-08-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

THE UPS!!!

**Stephanie was super excited about starting her first day of kindergarten at Hickman School. On Mondays, she participates in an 1 1/2 hour special class for kindergarten homeschool students called "The Children's Garden".

**Stephanie's friend, Lauren, also attends her kindergarten class. Steph was happy to already have a friend to talk to and share with during class.

**Stephanie had fun working with shapes, tracing her body, and playing "freeze dance" with Miss Shelly, her teacher and our family friend.

THE DOWNS!!!

**Her name on her nametag was spelled incorrectly. Stephanie just laughed.

**After class, we were talking with a friend who noticed that Stephanie had a little bit of yucky in the corner of her eye. She told us that she thought that Stephanie might have pink eye, even though her eye was not pink. We went to the school nurse, and she felt like it probably was pink eye.

**Stephanie hasn't been sick since we moved here, so she hasn't been to the doctor in over two years. Several tears were shed on the way to the doctor-hers, then mine.

**She now has to have eye drops 3 times a day for the next 5 days. Because it is very contagious, we have to sanitize everything that she touches for the next 24 hours.

Life is full of ups and downs!!!

Hopefully tomorrow will have more ups than downs.