Days with the Davis Fam

To wrap up 2009

2009-12-29T15:54:00.004-05:00

Although I have no pictures to post (correction: I "have" the pictures, just not the brains or ability to get them from my laptop to the blog- I usually use the desk top which is still in a box somewhere) I thought I'd do a little post so that I can further prolong having to get back to cleaning/unpacking.

We made it from Massachusetts to Utah all in one piece. Well, in about a million little pieces, all packed up individually, wrapped in paper, and taped shut in boxes and luggage. To our relief, I found the toaster today. That was the one item I had convinced myself that the packers had toted off to keep as their Christmas bonus. Turns out they didn't want my Black & Decker-two-slot beauty from 1998. Their loss.

We went to spend Christmas in a beautiful cabin up Heber canyon. Richard's entire family was there and we had a blast. We went sledding, ate, and visited lots. We also all thought it would be fun to share a common bond in the form of a stomach flu. Well, of the 22 of us there, I believe at least 13 shared that bond. I was the only one of our little family to stay healthy. I'm saving my sick days for January.

Is there anything else to add? Think, think! Those boxes are staring me down and I think I've avoided them for too long. I guess I will move on and hopefully post again sometime in the new year. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will have the best new year ever!

UPDATE (almost one year later)- I finally figured out how to post some pictures from my laptop so I just wanted to add a few. Mostly so that I can print out this blog and there are nice pictures to wrap it all up.

The kids on Christmas Eve getting ready to open a present. As you can see Grayson was somewhat less than excited because he knew it was going to be pajamas.

Riley and Richard headed downhill on the tube.

Cute Grayson all bundled up.

Korbin, Shaylee, Kenyon, Savannah, Treyton, and Riley all ready to go.

The gang.

So Santa, what are you going to bring these two for Christmas?

Lots of fun making gingerbread houses.

Be afraid...

2009-11-15T16:24:00.006-05:00

Because I'm finally going to post our Halloween pictures. And here a couple of more reasons you should be afraid:

We had Bumblebee (the Transformer, NOT the insect), Darkrai (if you're into Pokemon you should be impressed, if not move on), and a Poisoned Princess.

Scary pumpkins, and even scarier faces (or so they think).

But most of all, be afraid because of the number of children I had in my backyard for our neighborhood Halloween party. I know I was.

Doing the candy corn toss. It was a big hit.

The neighborhood party was actually lots of fun and instigated by my fun loving neighbor, Caroline, who really did do most of the work.

That's it for the Halloween pictures but if you want a couple of more reasons to be afraid here they are:

Grayson's class went to the zoo on a field trip and this ostrich came right up to them, which is pretty rare for an ostrich to do. At least that's what they told us. And last but not least, this one is two-fold. First I'm afraid to say that my Riley is growing up and is working hard in scouts. Also, I'm also afraid to say that my photography leaves much to be desired. But congrats to Riley for being such a great kid!

More apple picking

2009-11-15T16:06:00.005-05:00

Who's sick of seeing pictures of the Davis family? Anyone? Anyone? Really? Nobody? Okay, I guess I'll post more. It has been a year, I guess. It really is one of our favorite family outings.

This one's for you, Mom

2009-11-15T15:39:00.006-05:00

Since my mom has requested more blog posts, I guess I'll do one. Maybe even two. Seeing as how it is her birthday this week and all.

In October our Tholl cousins came to visit. We had so much fun with them but got too few photos.

Enjoying a nutritional lunch of Mac n' Cheese. Who wouldn't want to come visit us all the way across the country after seeing culinary adventures that are awaiting? Now that's hospitality.

Our two sweet 5 year olds at the Old North Bridge. Of course there's no bridge in the picture. The had more fun throwing sand and rocks in the river anyway.

Gray and Clarke wrestling. All of the kids had so much fun together. I guess my older two were just never around when the camera was out. Bad mom. But we had so much fun with them here. We miss them lots and lots!

A new post already

2009-10-05T10:45:00.005-04:00

Wow, look at me. Posting again and it hasn't even been a week. I'm on fire!

This weekend we went up to New Hampshire and stayed in the White Mountain area. It's just about peak foliage time so it was a great time to go. We went to Santa's Village and even got to see the big man himself. Getting started on those lists a little early this year.

Feeding the reindeer.Taking a little ride on Santa's sleigh.

The kids also got to swim at the condo, which they were ecstatic about since it had been awhile. Not much swimming this summer with Riley in a cast. I have some photos but you know what a pool looks like, and they're not all that great of photos anyway.

On the way home we drove on the Kancamagus Highway, which is famous for it's beautiful views. We made a few stops along the way and just took our time and enjoyed being together.

It was a great weekend!

Camp Bourndale

2009-09-30T17:41:00.005-04:00

A couple of weeks ago the fifth graders at Savannah's school got to go to the greatest over night camp in Plymouth. I was a chaperon and we had such a great time! Savannah and some of her friends waiting to go have dinner.

This was our cabin, right on the lake. Or maybe it was a pond, not really sure. But it was beautiful. We got the "Taj Mahal" since we had 16 girls.

Savannah with some friends on their bunks in the Taj Mahal. Can you use "bunks" and "Taj Mahal" together? Probably not.

I'm not sure why I look like I just had plastic surgery. It may have something to do with the 3 hours of sleep I got the night before. I was just lucky my eyes were open at all.

Savannah actually held a lobster. I was so proud of her. I know she was freaked out but she did it anyway.

They got to go out on a lobster boat, do a fun team ropes course, do some searching along the beach for treasures, go to a magic show, and of course stay up all night. Thanks for letting me go, sweetie!

First Day of School (now over a month ago)

2009-09-28T08:31:00.005-04:00

Savannah and Riley's first day:

Gray started a week later. Here they are again:

I love them!

Continued Summer Fun

2009-09-17T13:56:00.005-04:00

So, here is what happened for the rest of our summer, once we returned to Massachusetts. I know you have been waiting at the edge of your seat.

First of all, we went to Quincy to see John Adams' houses. That would be John Adams, plural and possessive. Not sure how to do the punctuation on that one, feels like I should add a couple of more 'S's there. Anyway, John Adams (2nd president) and John Quincy Adams (6th president) had a couple of houses there. Make sense? Okay..moving on.

It was a not a very picture-taking-friendly kind of place. Gotta preserve all that old stuff, ya know? Which worked out well because I forgot my camera. I did take this with my cell phone though. Doesn't do it justice but I'm sure if you're deeply interested you could google it and get some great interior pics.

The kids and I went berry picking. We picked blueberries (and by "we" I mean Savannah and I while the boys ran around wildly) with the Adams' (not related to the aforementioned Johns) and Jacksons.

Savannah and Taylor

Crazy boys

The Monday before school started we canoed down the Concord river. We went to the North Bridge. It was beautiful and tons of fun. We even sang "Row, row, row your boat". In rounds. Awesome. And not as much work as you might expect. My suggestion: take someone bigger and stronger than you and place them in the rear of the boat and appoint yourself as photographer. Perfect!

Working hard

Happy End of Summer!

Next to come: First day of school and Camp Bournedale

Now that the bawling has tapered off a bit...

2009-09-11T09:21:00.017-04:00

I think I'm ready to give an update and post a few pictures from the summer. That is, for those you (Jennie and Linda) that have not completely given up on my blog due to my super long hiatus'(Is that a word? Well, it is now.).

So right after the kids got out of school in mid-June our Davis cousins came to visit from the state of Wyoming. We had a blast! We went to the beach, movies, Six Flags, Palmyra (in the 12 passenger van. And there were only 11 of us! Of course 7 of those were tiny little bodies so there was tons of room.), did all the major Boston sites, and were able to spend lots of time together. Here are some pics:

The Good Guys with the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman at Six Flags.

Red Sox game

Not long after that we went to Utah, for what was supposed to be 7-10 days. That's not how it turned out. Things started out really great and fun. We had time with family and went to the carnival and parade and fireworks for Steele Days.

The parade with the Tholl cousins

And then "it" happened. The event that would turn our "visit" into what my parents had to of been guessing would be a permanent situation. Riley broke his arm. Fortunately we do not have the "before" pictures just "after" when the cast was put on. He was in a soft cast and sling from Wednesday until Monday and then got to pick out this beauty of a color: We found out the hard way that yellow doesn't do the best job hiding all of the little things that an 8 year old boy might get on a cast in the middle of summer. But that's okay. Three weeks later he got the pin removed and chose blue instead. I'm very grateful for that decision.

Over the weekend we got to spend time with the Davis side of the family. We had a fun time playing water balloon volleyball.

Good thing my daughter has some height to compensate for being extremely outnumbered when it comes to boy/girl ratios among the cousins. I think the only thing that saves her is that she towers over most of the boys.

Summer was also full of:

A brand new four-wheeler

Fishing

Fun at the cabin

Lagoon

Celebrating Savannah's 10th Birthday

We did eventually make it home again and I do have more to post. But for now I think we could all use a break.

Let me introduce myself...

2009-09-04T09:03:00.004-04:00

My name is Stephanie. I've been gone for awhile. And back for awhile actually.

Our 7 to 10 day trip to Utah turned into a month. Riley broke his arm. Bad. He had to have surgery and everything. A giant pin was inserted. And then removed three weeks later. That's when we returned to Mass. And tried to enjoy what was left of summer.

The older kids started school on Wednesday. I'm enjoying my last days alone with my baby before he starts Kindergarten on Tuesday. I'll try to post pictures if I can stop bawling long enough to do so next week. I don't want him to go. :(

Scooperbowl 2009

2009-06-22T09:15:00.008-04:00

The Jimmy Fund does a fundraiser every year where you pay a flat rate and can enjoy as much ice cream as you like. There is everything from Baskin Robbins to Brighams to some fancy italian gellato. Tons of vendors. Yum! Savannah and her friend Maria with the ice cream cups they had eaten.

My boys with their friends Zach and Dallin.

The whole gang. Now just imagine getting all of these kids through Boston on the subway. Together. In one piece. Well, we made it. And even had some fun in the process!

Polo anyone?

2009-06-22T08:55:00.005-04:00

Did you say polo? Why yes, I did. Saturday evening we went down to Portsmouth, Rhode Island to a polo match. Fun, fun, fun! I must say that the price of admission was worth the people watching alone. From the wine glasses to fancy 19th century style dresses it was fantastic. We even got to go stomp on the divets in between chukkas (periods of play, for those of you not familiar with the sport).After the match the players ride around and give everyone a high-five. And yes, that is a man in a kilt next to Riley. The U.S.A. played Scotland so there were many a kilt to be seen. Richard was just sad that his was at the cleaners.

Grayson was the only one of our kids with the guts to go grab a game ball that bounced out of bounds. It's actually a lot lighter than it looks. Savannah got it signed by one of the players.

Now, off to my sailing lesson. (Not really. I'm trying to pretend that I'm all upper class-like now.)

As for those pictures...

2009-05-12T10:52:00.031-04:00

Very special thanks to my sister-in-law, Jennie, who gave me a very tender nudge to get these pictures posted. In all honesty, I kind of forgot about them. That's what makes me such a great wife and mom- forgotten promises. :)

Cherry blossoms in Gettysburg near where President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.

Some of Robert E. Lee's actual items, located in the Gettysburg museum.

Gettysburg Address Memorial

The Wright Brothers plane in the Smithsonian

Looking for fossils with a real life rocket scientist (paleontology is his hobby). Gray's favorite fossil? Coprolite. (Shark poop!)

Um, yeah. That's the real one.

I had to include this because it made me laugh so hard. We were on the Metro (subway) and the boys were sharing a seat. Riley started to tickle Gray's neck and every time he tried to stop Grayson would yell "Riley, keep tickling my neck!" in the near silent, yet very crowded train.

The White House, from a distance. Evidently there is some pretty tight security in those parts so we didn't make the effort to hike any closer than this. Hey, if we're not invited to sit in the Oval Office or around the dinner table with the Obamas than we'll just keep our distance altogether.

World War II Memorial. Absolutely beautiful!!

Washington Monument. Named after George Washington. ;)

The Lincoln Monument. From a distance...

And close up...

Grayson taking the time to crab-walk. He felt the need to do this quite often while we were touring, including in the National Archive building. Crab-walking his way right pass the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution.

And feeding the ducklings...

Umm, I can't remember where this was taken...

Changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. You absolutely MUST SEE this sometime in your life!

Dorothy's REAL life ruby slippers from the movie.

Grayson's REAL life sneakers. He took this picture himself, right after we saw Dorothy's, as if he was thinking "What's so special about these red ones? Mine are just as cool."

Lincoln's hat, yeah, the real one. Love the Smithsonian and all of it's authenticity. Grayson wasn't wearing a hat that day and thus had nothing to compare.

The Washingtons meet the Davis'. Taken at Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon- we thought we could "stop by" on our way home. Not so. You could spend an entire day in this place with all there is to see.

The view from the Washington's back porch, plus a gorgeous man and his kids.

George and Martha with their cute grand kids. Well, at least the boy. No disrespect Patsy.

Valley Forge, happened to come upon it on our way home. See? Planning a route home isn't always necessary. You never know what you'll stumble upon...

In Arlington Cemetery with the sites of D.C. in the background and a pretty darn awesome family in the foreground.

There are, of course, many more photos so if you did not get your fill, please come visit and we can enjoy hours of fabulous viewing together. We really did have an amazing time, even the 8 hour drive was enjoyable! This was one of my favorite vacation spots and we hope we can go again!

(Alright Jennie, there you have it. Now I am expecting a pretty darn awesome comment in return. Love ya!)

*The abundance of pictures of our third born is in no way an indication that he is the most loved and/or favored of our children. It is only proof that he loves the camera with all of his heart and we are all too happy to give in to his constant "Take my picture!" requests.

Pics to come

2009-04-28T13:50:00.003-04:00

After an amazing trip to Washington D.C. I have A LOT of pictures to share. But since I've had jury duty for the past couple of days I thought making a dent in the mountains of laundry I have should be first on the "to do" list. I don't want my children to have to learn the turn-the-underwear-inside-out-so-you-can-wear-them-for-one-more-day trick. Save that for their college years. (Ewww!)

So when I have a minute to get things downloaded and find the fragments of brain that I have dropped throughout the house I'll give you all of the details on our trip. Until then...

Baptism and Birthday

2009-04-20T11:16:00.008-04:00

What a great couple of weeks we've had! Riley turned 8 years old and was baptized. His aunt Christy and the Green cousins came for a visit as well as Nana, Papa, and Aaron. He also had a lot of friends come to support him on his special day. It was a great day! We're so proud of you Riley!

Riley with Nana, Papa, and Uncle Aaron

Riley, Savannah, and Grayson with Aunt Christy, Keaton, Shaylee, Bridger, Kenyon, and Korbin. Thanks for coming guys! We miss you already!

Riley and his Dad

Pushy Yellow

2009-03-31T19:05:00.004-04:00

Grayson was so happy to come home from preschool with a "pushy yellow" today. He has taken such good care of it. What a cutie!

Interviews

2009-03-09T18:37:00.008-04:00

I was tagged and thought this was cute enough to share.

1.What is something mom always says to you?
Brush your teeth.- Grayson
You love me.- Riley
Go do your homework.- Savannah

2. What makes mom happy?
Smiling- Grayson
Me- Riley
When we say that I love you.- Savannah

3. What makes mom sad?
Punching.- Grayson
Me leaving away from you, like when I go to school.-Riley
When we don't listen to what you say.- Savannah

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Fart- Grayson (First of all, I HATE that word, and second of all, I have NO idea where he came up with that, REALLY! He just loves the word. But still...kind of funny.)
Tickle me and do stuff with me that are fun.- Riley
Tell me jokes.- Savannah

5. What was your mom like as a child?
You liked toys.- Grayson
You were like me, like you did stuff like me.-Riley
Busy, you did like cheerleading and gymnastics and were in a parade.- Savannah

6. How old is your mom?
Thirty- Grayson
Thirty-Riley
You're thirty- Savannah
7. How tall is your mom?
This tall. (put hand as high as he could above his head)- Grayson
Forty-nine inches.-Riley
I'm gonna make a guess of probably 84 inches.- Savannah

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Play with me.- Grayson
To play with me and Savannah and Grayson.- Riley
To read.- Savannah

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Play games.- Grayson
Work- Riley
Be on the computer, play with Grayson.- Savannah

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
About your last name.- Riley
You're beautiful and nice.- Savannah

11. What is your mom really good at?
Excercising- Grayson (Again, NO idea where he came up with that, unfortunately.)
You've very good at the game of Stare (it's a board game). You're good at Scrabble and you're good at giving me love.- Riley
Reading fast and typing on the computer without looking. Everything. -Savannah

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Excercising.- Grayson (That's more realistic.)
The splits.- Riley
Going down in the basement. -Savannah

13. What does your mom do for her job?
Working- Grayson
I don't think you have a job.- Riley
You don't have a job. You clean the house, make dinner, wash clothes, sweep the floors, vacuum, wash the windows.- Savannah

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Pisgetti-Grayson
Soup.- Riley
M&M's- Savannah

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Because you're very nice and loveable and a good mom.- Riley
You are a very good and loving mom.- Savannah

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Spongebob-Grayson
There's a cartoon character named Stephanie but I forgot what it's on. She controls when the sun comes up and down and the moon too.- Riley
That girl on where they're all little blue people (Smurfette)- Savannah

17. What do you and your mom do together?Play. Read stories.- Grayson
Play a board game.- Riley
We go hang out at stores and we watch movies together.- Savannah

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We like most of the same movies. And mostly the same board games.-Riley
We both have blonde hair and both have brown eyes. We both like to tease the boys and tackle Dad.- Savannah

19. How are you and your mom different?
I like video games and you don't. Cuz boys like video games a lot.- Riley
We are different ages. You're taller, I'm shorter.- Savannah

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
You just do.- Grayson
Cause you say you love me soooo much and you always kiss me.- Riley
Because you say it and you show me by doing things for me and helping me.- Savannah

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
His room.- Grayson
His voice and his love to you.- Riley
He's handsome. And his personality.-Savannah

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
To the pond.- Grayson
To the beach.- Riley
I know it's not the mall. Costco. No, the beach.- Savannah

Still alive

2009-03-03T08:16:00.006-05:00

The Davis Family is still alive and well. We enjoyed a trip to Utah in February. And then got back and have been laying low again.

The weather did it to me again. I think I finally figured out why I am not Winter's biggest fan. It's not a fair season, meaning it's kind of selfish. Sure it teases you with a day of sunshine and 60 degree weather, just to get you to venture outside to feel the grass under your feet. And then it YANKS it out from under you and dumps over a foot of snow into your yard. Just for it's own kicks and giggles. That's fine. I get that. It's happened my whole life.

But it also cuts into what is technically Autumn. Like when it snows before December 21st (the first day of winter). That's actually okay with me too, I like a little snow during the Christmas season. It's fun and exciting.

But when it also cuts into Spring, that's when I get mad. I mean enough already. So this is a warning, a threat if you will, to Winter. You have 3 weeks and then that's IT! If there is a flake of snow after the 21st YOU WILL BE SORRY! Okay, I know I'm completely powerless, but I will come up with something. Something scary for winter, something that will make Winter never want to show it's ugly face again.

Now you know what winter does to me. Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo.

For now I will just have to enjoy being cooped up with a little Kiddie Sandwich.

And the Father of the Year Award goes to....

2009-02-01T19:59:00.004-05:00

Drumroll please.

Richard Davis!

For playing Chutes and Ladders with his children during the Super Bowl.

Congratulations, hon. Thanks for being such a great dad!

My own little Ralphie and Randy- but cuter.

2009-01-23T08:35:00.003-05:00

The kids absolutely LOVE the snow and so they are lovin' it this winter!

The Nutcracker

2009-01-23T08:29:00.002-05:00

Richard and I were able to take Savannah to see The Nutcracker at the Opera House in Boston the day after Christmas. We had amazing seats and it was so wonderful! Savannah really loved it, as did Rich and I.

The Eyes of a Child

2009-01-08T11:32:00.004-05:00

Grayson is in preschool and when I picked him up yesterday he informed me that one of his classmates spit at the teacher and got in big trouble. This classmate shares the same first name with another boy in the class. One of them is Grayson's "buddy" (as they call each other) and I couldn't remember who was who. So I asked him what the spitter looked like.

These two boys look very different, mostly in the color of their skin, one being very light and the other very dark. I thought this would be the easiest way to differentiate the two. But Gray's reply was that the spitter was wearing a green shirt and the other boy had short hair.

This was, of course, no help to me seeing as how they both have short hair and most likely both own green shirts. But it opened up my eyes to the fact that he doesn't see color. Through the eyes of a child...

I was doing so good...

2009-01-08T11:16:00.003-05:00

I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions. I know I should be but I don't. And guess what. I never fail at them. Of course I never succeed either.

So instead of a resolution I made a conscience decision to try to eat a little better. Last night, after a little workout on the Wii Fit (hey, it may not be a gym membership but it's more than I usually do) I wanted a snack. I bypassed the apple pie sitting on the counter and had a delicious clementine. Yum!

Then, just a little while ago I was needing a little mid morning snack. I went right for the carrots and hummus, which I do admit- I love. As I reached my hand in the 3/4 eaten bag I come upon a what I can only think was a moldy carrot. Just one. Ewwww!

You know how carrots usually get that dry, white coating to let you know that there are only a few more days, maybe a week or two till they need to be tossed? Well they didn't have too much of that coating so I felt cheated-they weren't that old! And I had to toss the carrots prematurely.

Then I headed right for my kids' left over Christmas candy. If that's the way healthy food is going to be, then fine. I'll just stick with what I know best- junk food.

It's shelf life is a lot longer.

{Oh yes I did.}

2008-12-11T19:37:00.008-05:00

This was a post I started a month ago and it never got quite posted so I'm posting it now in hopes that it will be an encouragement for me to set some new goals for the new year. Eating better being one of them. You'll see why.

At some point during reading this blog post you might find yourself saying "Oh, no she didn't!" Possible even audibly. But the answer is, in fact, "Yes, I did".

I have a very sweet husband who, while at the mall last night, stopped at the Cheesecake Factory to get me a slice of very delicious White Chocolate Rasperry Truffle Cheesecake. We sat around the T.V. while we ate our little treats. I really like to spread the love (with myself) and wanted to save a little for the next day so I ate only half and set aside the rest. My husband (again, remember that he's sweet) gathered it up for me and took it to the kitchen. I assumed he would put it in the refridgerator because he knows me so well and knows how I love my leftovers.

Well, he didn't. He Threw. It. Away! So innocent little me goes to make the kids' lunches in the morning and low and behold what do I find in the trash can? The cheesecake. Gasp!

I was quite taken aback but then (remember what a great husband I have) I realized that was ALL that was in the trash can. He had emptied it out the night before. Before throwing the cheesecake into it. And so I did it. I dug it out of the trash can, put it in the fridge for a couple of hours. And then ate it. And it was dang good!

A video to remind you of the true meaning of the Season

2008-12-04T16:59:00.002-05:00

I don't like "firty"

2008-12-04T16:45:00.003-05:00

Grayson: Mom, I don't like "firty".
Me: You don't like thirty? Why not?
Grayson: Because it's really really old.

But then he redeemed himself-

Me: Well, I'm thirty, do you think I'm old?
Gray: No.

And then he smiled his cute little smile and all was forgiven. :)

My not-so-living NIGHTMARE!

2008-12-02T10:09:00.005-05:00

Most people who know me know that I have one paralyzing fear. And I use "paralyzing" in very literal way.

Mice.

I know that very few people like them, I get that. But I can't move and go into hysterics just at the sight of an empty mouse trap.

Shortly after we moved into our house last year it occurred to me that our back yard borders a pretty large forest area and what do you find in forests? Squirrels and bunnies, yes. And we see plenty of those. But it was the fact that mice might abide there that bothered me.

I called pest control immediately (probably before we had our gas or electricity hooked up). They came and set these super poison trap thingies in the basement and come every couple of months to check on them. I usually ask about it and they usually tell me that there has been some "activity".

"Activity", I now realize, is a very nice way of saying that your house is completely infested. But in almost a year and a half I have seen nothing so I let my little brain assume that the pest controllers are liars and just after our money. But I make sure they keep coming anyway.

And then it happened. Last Tuesday I went to the basement to start some laundry and I saw IT.

A dead mouse. To say I freaked out would be one of the biggest understatements EVER. And it was dead. Had it been alive my heart might have actually stopped between beats. The way I reacted will for sure make my poor 4 year old seek therapy someday. But my husband saved the day by "taking care of it" and checking out the entire basement. Given a choice I would never go down there again but then we'd have to join a nudist colony seeing as how we wouldn't have any clothes.

There have been no other signs thus far but I still won't go to the basement before an intense investigation is performed or without a chaperon. Which reminds me-Richard already left for work and laundry needs to be done. Oh well, maybe tomorrow...

Invisible Thanksgiving pictures

2008-11-28T21:40:00.006-05:00

Tablecloth and napkins ironed, China washed, placecards made. Went through all of the effort to set the Thanksgiving table and even charged the camara to take a picture with all of our guests. And as you can see, the photo is posted here, next to the one of last year. Meaning...didn't take any- either time. I especially should have taken a picture of the turkey. I'm adding this picture, although not my turkey, because it looked pretty darn close. I figured that since last year I didn't kill anyone I would attempt some flavor in the turkey this year. And, by golly, thanks to Reynold's and their genius cooking bags and a little seasoning it worked! Alright, enough horn tooting. We had a great time with the Giles, Cotters, and Nelsons. Some of our "family away from family". It was a terrific Thanksgiving!

Yep- I was out there

2008-11-28T21:31:00.002-05:00

Black Friday, I did it. However, unlike the past couple of years, I did NOT get up early and wait out in the cold for the stores to open. I did peek at the clock in my room at 6:30 a.m. and think "I am so glad I'm in bed right now". Then, at my leisure, I made it to Target, oh around 11:00. And guess what. Found everything I was looking for. Sometimes it's best not to know (or care) what you missed.

All Hallows Eve

2008-11-08T19:18:00.010-05:00

Aunt Jennie with Captain Cody, Darth Vader, and the Midnight Fairy.

Very very scary! Okay, not really.

We love Halloween here in New England. It's back to the very traditional Halloween that I remember as a kid. Don't get me wrong- I do like the Trunk or Treats but I kind of feel like they take away from the old-school feel of Halloween. I know they're safer, more convenient, and quicker for when it's freezing cold but come on. I love the million kids running around the neighborhood and people sitting on their porch oohing and aahing over every costume.

We went to the Adams' house (yes, to see the Adams Family, he he) for a party and then went trick-or-treating in their neighborhood. There were kids EVERYWHERE and it was so festive and fun! I should've weighed to see how much candy they got. I guess I can just weigh myself and see how many pounds I've gained. It's probably about equivilent, unfortunately.

"Gimme Gimme!" Yeah, he's only eaten about 2 pieces of candy since that night over a week ago. I have a friend here who has started "Treats for Troops" where she sets up some drop-offs for people to give some of their Halloween surplus. Then she arranges to have it donated to the troops serving outside of the U.S. Her motto- "Don't let your Halloween candy go to waste, or waist." What a great idea!

The night before Halloween Richard, Wes, and Jennie went on a haunted walking tour in Salem. From what I hear it was pretty dang spooky. Now that's Halloween!

Octoberfest at the Davis household

2008-11-05T13:29:00.008-05:00

We've had a fun couple of weeks. First my parents and Aaron visited the weekend before Halloween. They were able to go with us to the ward Trunk or Treat but basically just came to hang out and enjoy our awesome company. We went to the beach when the tide was ultra low (not just low...ultra low). This is super awesome, especially on an off-season day because you can walk along the shore and find TONS of cool stuff like shells, sand dollars, and starfish. But luckily the kids learned a valuable lesson from their last time at the beach- Do NOT bring a live clam home and keep it in your room as a pet. Sand dollars make better pets.

The day after they left Wes and Jennie came to visit. They were here for a week and we had tons of fun! We did lots of seeing of the sites but mostly just enjoyed being together.

We teamed up to do pumpkins this year. Grayson and Jennie, Savannah and Wes, Riley and I, and Rich was on his own.

Cute and fun, just like Grayson and Jennie.

Mean and scary, just like Mommy. And Riley when he wants to be.

Sweet and goofy, just like Savannah and Wes.

Richard had a fondness for his pumpkin. In fact it sleeps on my side of the bed now. He he he!

We love to have visitors and had such a great time with everyone. Thanks for coming to see us!

~Apple Picking and Columbus Day 2008~

2008-10-14T16:37:00.010-04:00

Apple Picking

We did our 2nd annual apple picking trip this last weekend. We do a hayride, go through a hedge maze, and hike great distances to get some delicious apples. They also have a little farm with animals and a stand with the greatest cider doughnuts and carmel apples. Get this. There are hundreds of acres of beautful rolling hills with apples trees and all of the fall foliage. And I got this beauty of the parking lot. Hey, at least there's a pond in there. And I forgot my camara so this is taken with my cell phone. Even better.

Columbus Day

(that was Monday, in case you didn't know)

Columbus Day is a huge holiday in these parts. School is out and there are parades, balloons, parties, festivals, and food. Okay, none of that is true, except for the school is out part. But who doesn't love a holiday, no matter what it is?

We have some friends who, for tradition, go to an apple picking farm and then to the beach on Columbus Day. Now it is October here (as it probably is wherever you live) and starting to get a little chilly but that didn't stop the kids from going crazy, playing on the beach for over 4 hours. You'd think that the one with the the body "insulation" (me) would have been the warm one. However, I stayed bundled up while the kids stripped down (to their bathing suits) and went wild.

At the farm

Beach bums

Savannah was working her way to China. She didn't quite make it. Maybe she can try again next year.

{Walden Pond}

2008-10-06T11:55:00.006-04:00

After the morning session of Conference Saturday we decided to get out for a little while. L. Tom Perry spoke in the morning session and he mentioned how he and his wife used to go to Walden Pond. It's about 15 minutes from our house and so we thought it would be a great place to go! It is still early fall and the leaves are starting to change. It is beautiful.In his talk, Elder Perry talked about the four necessities of life that Thoreau discusses and how we can relate those to us, both temporally and spiritually. He also spoke about simplifying our lives, which we can all use a reminder of. We really loved this talk. If I was smart enough, I would link it right here so that you could easily click on it and read it yourself. But if you go to lds.org you should be able to find it pretty easily.

I feel better about this one

2008-10-06T11:27:00.003-04:00

Okay, I'm aware that these morph things don't neccessarily mean that you look like the person. But I don't care, I'm posting this anyway because I had one diffficult week trying to tell myself that Jack and I don't look that much alike. This makes me feel better, I don't care how much of a stretch it is. We both have two eyes, a nose, and a mouth...with teeth even. But if you think you see Val Kilmer and Christy Brinkley (or Jack Osbourne) walking down the street with three kids, look again. It just might be the Davis Family.

Whatever you have to tell yourself, Steph.

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Free genealogy - Geneology

Now we know who the pretty one is in our relationship...

2008-09-29T13:23:00.006-04:00

So I ran pictures of Richard and I to see what celebrities we look like. Richard is a Val Kilmer look-alike.

Wow, that's pretty impressive. What hot actress will I be?

I ran three different pictures of myself. I was two foreign actresses I had never heard of but don't worry. There was one famous American that I look like. Who was it?

Jack Osbourne.

No lie, that's what they came up with. I hope you forgive me for not posting it.

My, I feel pretty.

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb

++Haircuts by Stephanie++

2008-09-29T12:27:00.007-04:00

I've always wanted to cut my boys' hair myself. You need to understand, though, that I can't even make a straight part to put pigtails on my daughter. And don't even think about trimming bangs- scary. The other problem? Buzz cuts don't necessarily "compliment" the size and shape of my boys' little skulls. But I finally did it. I cut my boys' hair for the first time- BY MYSELF! Of course with the trickery of positioning and bad photography you can't see all of the mess-ups but I think they look pretty darn cute!

We like Riley's short.

We like Grayson's long.

So that's two, count 'em two, different styles of haircuts. How impressed are you with me?

~Is he 4 or 14?~

2008-09-25T10:55:00.004-04:00

Riley was telling me all about a new friend he met at school. Grayson couldn't help but interrupt to ask him, "Is she hot?"
My reaction: "What?!?"

{TTFN- to Bryce and to summer}

2008-09-25T10:31:00.008-04:00

We were able to end our summer with more visit from Bryce. At the risk of putting my parents to tears by posting never-before-seen pictures of him (they miss him lots), I wanted to share a couple of pictures.

Trip to the beach

Raspberry and apple picking

I may be infringing on some copyright laws because I stole this picture from my sister-in-law's blog (sorry, Holly, I should have gotten written consent) but justified it because these are my three little (okay, younger) brothers, and my nephew. Aren't they handsome? I must say that I am so proud to be their big (okay, older) sister. Not only are they handsome but they are all smart, fun, sweet, wonderful men. I truly feel blessed to be a part of their lives. Bryce went into the MTC on September 15th and is going to be a terrific missionary! We miss him lots but wouldn't want him to be anywhere else.

sChOoL dAyS

2008-09-10T11:43:00.006-04:00

School is once again in session. I had to send my baby off to preschool! (I know, now what? A lot of staring at the wall on my part, NOT.) They are all loving it, which is such a relief. Especially since last year was filled with so much "new". This year they had the anticipation of going back to a familiar school and seeing their friends again. And they love their new teachers. Yea!

This was Grayson's chosen pose for the first day of school. Keep in mind this was after a half an hour of out-right refusal to any and all pictures. The first day of school, he clung to me and his teacher had to literally peel him off of me. Then the tears flowed and the wailing started, and that wasn't even from me! The second day he ran right up to his teacher and was excited. By the third day he told me to stay in the van. He was going to school by himself! Now, what to do with the 6 hours a week I have to myself...

She's Nine!

2008-08-18T10:29:00.012-04:00

For a few precious years of a little girls life there is an understood "No Boys Allowed" when it comes to the party scene. When they're little they want the boys there because they still like boys. When they get older they want them there because they again like boys. But as a parent, I for one, am treasuring the in-between years.

This was one of those years.

Marissa, Eryn, Jessica, Savannah, Carrie, and Taylor (in front)

Picture a little blurry (they wouldn't hold still very long!)

Pizza, cupcakes, karaoke, doing fingernails, dancing, playing games that involved bubblegum and candy, and just acting like crazy girls. It was fun, and lets face it, what boy in their right mind would have wanted to be there? Even her brothers took a leave of absence and headed for Dallin's house.

We went to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner that night, just as our little family. Grayson honed right in on Savannah's dessert and, being the sweet and generous person that she is, she let him.

We love you Savannah! You bring us so much joy!

10 Years Together!!

2008-08-08T10:39:00.008-04:00

It is now official! Richard and I have been married for 10 years. (To put that in perspective that's 1/3 of my life!) The kids and I were in Utah so I left a couple of days before them (thanks to my mom and brothers who later flew out with the kids) and came home to go with Rich to Kennebunkport, Maine for a little anniversary get-away. Richard is the romantic one and planned the whole thing. It is an amazing place! We stayed at the greatest little Bed & Breakfast and went to a nice fancy dinner, complete with Maine Lobster. He made me a video of pictures of our first 10 years, got me a digital photo frame, some beautiful jewelry, and even special-ordered personalized M&M's! My man sure does know me! It was so nice to just be the two of us again, especially after being separated for two weeks!
At the Nubble Light House, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the country. So we had to have our turn, of course!

We've had our ups and downs and I would not trade our life together for anything! I love you, Rich! You truly are the perfect man for me!

We're baaack!

2008-08-04T10:54:00.025-04:00

After over a month of traveling, we are home again. Four days after we returned home from our Orlando trip, the kids and I headed to Utah for a visit with family and friends. It was a lot of fun and so good to see everyone. We went to Lagoon with Richard's side of the family (if anyone has some good pictures I would love to have a copy, the ones I got aren't that great), went to the Spanish Fork rodeo, and did lots of other fun things. Below are pictures of some of the other stuff that we did.

Hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's

Grayson and Papa on the swing.

Aaron and Cory-the question I have is "Whose purse is that?"

Playing Rockband

Swimming with the cousins The boys

The girls, oh and Bryce (not a girl).

The Carnival

Papa and Riley on the Ferris Wheel.

Nana and Savannah.

Grayson, Bowen, Grant, and Riley. We are true "carnies"!

The Cabin

Grayson, Isaac, Clarke, London, and Bryce going out on the paddle boat at the cabin.

Bryce with all of his neices and nephews at the cabin. Man, we'll miss him when he leaves on his mission! Who will watch all of the kids for us?

In Grandma Betsy's trailer doing puzzles and playing games. We lost Idaho in the state puzzle though. Sorry, Grandma!

Savannah with two of her "greats", my grandmas. Grandma Simmons on the left and Grandma Tholl on the right. And they're both so young that in another 15 years or so we can do a 5 generation photo! One of the benefits of being the oldest child of the oldest child of the oldest child in the family!

The Lake

When we went boating the boys spent so much time in the tube there were a couple of times I thought they might have fallen asleep out there! Sorry about the sun in yours eyes, Gray!

Savannah loved boating. She was, however, not as thrilled with tubing. She was all gung-ho to go until her graceful mother tried to get on the tube and "unstabilized" it for a second. After that she was convinced that her life was going to come to an end right there in that tube on Utah Lake. But I know I heard her giggle a couple of times. She did have fun, whether she believes it or not.

The temple

One of the hightlights of the trip for me was going to the temple with Bryce.

Okay, now that it's taken me all day to do this blog post I will have to continue later with more updates...

Mickey and Goofy say hello!

2008-07-08T11:12:00.014-04:00

We have returned from our trip to Disney World! The kids had the time of their lives, of course, and by "kids" that includes Richard! I think I underestimated what the term "World" meant, but it does, in fact, mean WORLD. Not land, not village, not park, but world. There is Magic Kingdom (which we did 2 days of), Epcot (1 and 1/2 days, which included the Fourth of July fireworks-AWESOME), Animal Kingdom (1 day, which included a free monsoon with our safari), Hollywood Studios (1 day), and a couple of water parks (we went to Blizzard Beach for 2 days). It really is "A whole new world..."

This was at Chef Mickey's, where we had breakfast with Mickey, Minnie, and the gang.

Savannah was picked for Jedi Training and got to fight Darth Vader. The boys, of course, were not picked and I think Grayson will have to go to counseling for this when he gets older. But Savannah got right up there and did a great job!

Riley, wrestling one of the sharks from "Finding Nemo". Good thing "boys are friends, not food"!

Is that Captain Jack Sparrow I see?

Grayson is no stranger to relaxation.

Our best family picture ever! Do these ears make me look fat?

Grayson's Four!

2008-06-23T10:15:00.008-04:00

It's so hard to believe, but my baby is four years old!! The day before his birthday we went on a pirate cruise in Plymouth. We got to hunt for treasure, fight a pirate, and even caught some crabs and a lobster!

Saturday we went to Chuck E. Cheese. We figure our days there are numbered so we should enjoy them while we can. Grayson was so happy that it was finally his birthday- he's waited since Riley's in April. It was a Spiderman/Star Wars/whatever-makes-Grayson-happy Party. It's great to be four!

Being the mean parents that we are, we never bought one of these for our older kids. Richard's partner, Kent, got this for Grayson and he was so excited, as you can see. And the older two are thrilled because they can play with it. Yea for the 130 pound limit!

Last Day of School

2008-06-18T15:59:00.003-04:00

I know, many of you are saying "What? Last day of school? That was weeks ago". Not for us. Our summer vacation started today. The kids had a half day at school and they got to meet their teachers for next year. They're both pretty excited about who they got. (Savannah's teacher lets them chew gum in class! Wow!) Then we went strawberry picking with our neighbors. We got about 8 pounds so it looks like somebody better make some strawberry jam. We're very excited for summer!

Update on the flower pot

2008-06-18T10:16:00.003-04:00

In case anyone was wondering (and why wouldn't you be?) about our little nest of robins- here's the update. They did hatch and I did what I could do to save the plant, but obviously, it was to no avail. They were finally "evicted" by their ever so patient and sweet landlord but the damage was done and it was too late. Now I'll just keep checking the mail for my $12.99 rent check to replace the plant, which of course they no longer sell. Good thing I'm such an animal lover. Oh wait....

Ward Campout

2008-06-16T12:24:00.004-04:00

We went up to New Hapshire for our ward campout on Friday and Saturday. We had Savannah's friends, Marissa and Taylor, come with us. We all had a lot of fun and of course came home exhausted and filthy.Grayson loved the campfire. While the rest of the kids hung out in the tent and played games he threw leaves into the fire.

About my Sweet Hubby

2008-06-12T17:25:00.012-04:00

I got husband tagged from my sister-in-law, Holly. It's all about my wonderful husband, Richard.

1. What is his name? Richard Davis

2. Who eats more? He usually does, but there are times I can definitely take him on.

3. Who said I love you first? I think he was getting around to saying it but I think it was technically me.

4. Who is taller? He is.

5. Who is smarter? I’d like to think it’s me but the older I get the more I realize that I give myself too much credit and him too little. He really is smarter than I am.

6. Who is more sensitive? He is.

7. Who does the laundry? Me, unless we want pink socks, just kidding.

8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you are standing at the foot of the bed looking at it, I do. But that's not always the case. He's usually closer to the door, whichever side that is.

9. Who pays the bills? I do. Well, he pays the bills because he brings home the paycheck, but I do all of the accounting-like stuff.

10. Who cooks more? Me. But if you're looking for a good Ramen Noodle recipe, give him a call.

11. What meals do you cook together? We work together on Sunday dinners (roast beef and potatoes—he does the potatoes). And when we grill he does the grilling while I do all of the sides.

12. Who is more stubborn? I think it’s pretty close, but he wins.

13. Who is the first to admit they're wrong? Usually me, even though that's pretty rare. Ha ha.

14. Who has more siblings? He does.

15. Who wears the pants in the relationship? It's hard for me to reliquish control of things but I try to let him wear the pants. I'm not always very good at it though. But he is a very good leader, which makes him a good pants wearer. :)

16. What do you like to do together? We love to take the family on little adventures. He loves anything historical so we've had fun exploring the area we live in. We love bike riding, going for walks, and watching movies together. We also love traveling together.

17. Who eats more sweets? Me. He used to dislike any dessert but I've brought him around a little bit.

18. Guilty pleasures? American Idol.

19. How did you meet? At a grocery store, yes it's true. I was the checker, he was the bagger. We were also in the same student ward.

20. Who asked who out first? Neither really. The assistant manager at the grocery store we worked out asked him (right in front of me) why he hadn't taken me out. Then he felt a little pressured so he reluctantly asked me out.

21. Who kissed who first? He kissed me first. But he did ask, what a gentleman.

22. Who proposed? Richard did.

23. His best features? He has many. I love his eyes and he has been working out a lot lately so I must admit his arms look great. I find that when I look at him from across the room I'm proud to say he's mine because he is so darn good looking!

24. What is his greatest quality? That's hard because there are MANY. He is VERY passionate about things. When he loves something, he really really loves it. From his patriotism, to his love for BYU and Superman, to his love for the gospel and his family. He is truly the best dad and husband that I could have ever asked for. He does not do things half-heartedly. He jumps in full-force. I know that I am a better person because I have him as my spouse. I love you Rich!!

The Gasaways

2008-06-11T19:33:00.004-04:00

We were so sad to have to say good-bye to our dear friends, the Gasaways, last week. We have known them for a relatively short time and yet we became really close. They have become like our family-away-from-family. They are moving to Colorado because Rhett is in the Air Force.
This picture was taken with my cell phone so it's not the greatest (not to mention trying to get 6 children to look at the camara at the same time). Ellie is the oldest and is trying to help her little brother, Jacob. And Savanna is on the far right. She even has the same middle name as our Savannah!

Richard with Rhett and Kristen. They were able to stay with us a couple of days before they started their trek west and we were so glad for the extra time with them. We already miss them tons!

Visitors!

2008-06-11T15:09:00.007-04:00

We've had some visitors this past week and we've loved it! First of all, Crystal came to visit us all the way from Lehi. She came last Tuesday (June 3rd) and left on the 10th. We went to see lots of the Boston sites and had tons of fun! My kids loved having her here. I thought I felt younger hanging out with her until I made some "New Kids on the Block" remark and she replied with a "Who's that?" (Richard is still laughing) and I realized that I went to high school with her history teacher (admit it- what comes to your mind when you hear "high school history teacher"). But we still had a blast and I was sad to see her go.

This is a picture of Crystal and the kids in front of our house. Okay, not quite our house. It's one of the manions in Newport, Rhode Island.

Me and Crystal in Plymouth, near the Mayflower II.

On Tuesday, June 10th my brother, Bryce, and my cousin, Ashley, who both just graduated from high school, drove through our area while on Heritage Tours. They've driven (on a bus with 150 other teenagers) all the way from Utah to see some of the church sites. We were able to spend about 2 hours with them, we had lunch at the mall and then I drove them to the Boston temple to meet up with their group. I wish we could have had more time together but it was so good to see them!

Santa Cruz, Bolivia!!

2008-05-28T21:27:00.004-04:00

My sweet brother, Bryce, received his mission call yesterday! He's going to the Bolivia, Santa Cruz Mission! Good thing he took all those years of Spanish in high school! I am so excited, although I secretly wished it would be coming to Boston, Mass. But that's okay, he'll do amazing wherever he goes!

Since I'm on the topic I would love to brag about my little bro for a minute. He would absolutely die if he knew I was saying anything about him, he's one of the most modest and humble guys I know. He's also one of the most patient and self-disciplined people I've ever known in my life. For example, while my brother Cory was on his mission, Bryce decided to not have any soda pop for the whole two years. Now this would be really easy for someone who doesn't really like it, but Bryce does like it- a lot. He didn't cheat at all, not once, and we gave him plenty of opportunities to do so. And when he got his mission call yesterday, he waited hours to open it. I was just glad it came before he left to travel to the east coast for three weeks or he would have made us all wait until he came home!

The above picture came from the American Fork Citizen. They, as well as the Daily Herald, have done a few articles on the A.F. high students who have discovered some asteroids. Bryce discovered two previously unknown potential killer asteroids. And of course, I heard nothing of it from him (remember his modesty). Here are a couple of links to two of the articles:

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/267784/17/

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/265835/17/

He's graduating from high school today and I'm so proud of him! I have an absolutely amazing brother and I love him a lot! Congratulations on everything, Bryce!

When you put all your eggs in one basket...

2008-05-16T14:54:00.003-04:00

At first I was a little annoyed when I noticed a bird fly from my hanging flower basket every time I walked out the door. Flashbacks of sparrows doing a death dive towards my head every time I approached my porch in Lehi came quickly to mind. My first thought this time around was about how I would water the flowers I just bought last week. I took the basket down and was surprised to see a perfect little nest with blue eggs. Savannah, of course, welled up with tears at the thought of ever watering the flowers again. I guess I can sacrifice the beauty of my flowers for the sake of four little birds. Now, if I can just keep the mommy bird from trying to peck my eyes out it can be a win-win situation.

Surprise visit!

2008-05-15T11:14:00.003-04:00

I got the greatest surprise for my 30th birthday last week! My parents came to visit! It was a total shocker, I had no idea they were coming. My mom has come to visit a few times (this was her third) but my dad had never been here. We had a blast! This is a picture of them with my kids at the USS Constitution. I love my mom and dad so much and they truly made my birthday wonderful!

Scientists at work...

2008-05-02T09:06:00.008-04:00

Spring vacation was last week and so on April 24th we went to the Museum of Science in Boston. It is HUGE! In fact, we've been twice and not even seen half of everything there is to see. There are lots of hands-on activities and so the kids love it. So they have lots of fun and learn at the same time! Who knew?

Savannah hard at work, and on her day off!

In the butterfly garden. There were butterflies EVERYWHERE and they were so beautiful. It freaked Grayson out a little bit and he wouldn't get far enough from my leg for me to take a picture of him but the other two loved it.

Grayson all geared up and ready to go.

Savannah, Grayson, Riley, and their friend, Zach, sifting through rocks looking for fossils. And they found lots! What paleontologists!

Red Sox Boys

2008-04-28T16:18:00.002-04:00

The boys got to go to a Red Sox game on April 24th and as you can see they got the full experience. The even had Cracker Jacks, which they loved! Savannah and Mom got to have a Girl's Night In and watched chick flicks.

The Britich and the Clomuns

2008-04-28T15:59:00.004-04:00

We've been celebrating Patriot's Day here in Massachusetts. Richard has posted lots more info on this so check out his blog. On Saturday, April 26th we went to Hartwell Tavern and got our picture taken with the "clomuns" as Grayson calls them (better known as colonists). Riley was all for fighting against the "Britich" (British). Grayson leaned over and whispered to me, "I like the Britich", trying to keep it from his brother. We learned a lot and had a lot of fun.

Riley's Big Day

2008-04-16T08:56:00.006-04:00

Riley was so excited to turn 7, I don't think he slept for weeks! It finally came and he got what he most wanted: Mario Galaxy and a Mega Bloks pirate ship- The Black Pearl. In fact, thanks to those who sent him money, he's going to buy the Flying Dutchman as well. Grayson thanks you all as well, because Riley needs someone to play with, of course!

Grayson, the sunshine

2008-04-10T12:15:00.000-04:00

Grayson is such a happy 3 year old who idolizes Savannah and Riley. He's so cute, sometimes we just want to kiss his face til he screams (which, sometimes, we do). He is a great dancer and will often move to the music without even realizing it. His face lights up the room and he is just so much fun to watch! Oh, and he LOVEs treats.

Riley, the wonder

2008-04-10T12:10:00.000-04:00

Riley is such a sweet boy with such an active imagination, we just wish we could get inside his head sometimes to see everything that's going on! His newest obsession is pirates and he's having a pirate birthday party this week. It's hard to believe that he is 7 years old! He is simply terrific!

Savannah, our precious girl

2008-04-10T12:04:00.001-04:00

Savannah is 8 years old and is such an amazing girl! She always puts others' feelings before her own and tries to make everyone around her happy, which she usually is able to do. She loves to spend time with family and friends. She is always looking out for her little brothers and we don't know what we would do without her!

The kiddies

2008-04-10T11:15:00.000-04:00

These are the wonderful joys of our lives. This picture was taken on Savannah's first day of school last year and it really shows how much the kids love each other. They miss each other when they're separated and they love to play when they're together. This doesn't mean they don't have their fair share of fights but they generally really look out for each other.

One plus one...

2008-04-09T20:04:00.000-04:00

Richard and Stephanie have been married for almost 10 years now! It was the typical boy meets girl at the grocery store (where they both work), boy feels like he has to ask girl out, boy and girl decide they should just be friends, boy and girl fall madly in love.

It's about time!

2008-04-07T08:57:00.000-04:00

The Davis family finally has a blog! We are loving Boston and hope to have some pictures of area posted soon. Everyone is doing wonderfully and we love our life here! We have been very blessed to have so many wonderful people in our life.