I'm back!! :)

So life got crazy busy and I quit blogging.  Hard to believe that my last post was at the end of 2009! :)   Towards the end of 2010, we faced a cancer diagnosis and took that story over here:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tracilynndavis

I have thought about blogging again... and probably will get back at it.  Although I don't really need one more thing in my life! :)

Here are a few pictures of life currently....



Our family picture from November 2012



Sam's Monkey Baby that has taken over our life
He has a birthday every Sunday!

 

Brian's deer from this year!  Kevin was THRILLED to be with him!
And he has not stopped asking for his own bow!

We love you and hope to update more soon!!

Christmas Celebrations 2009

While a large part of me was seriously depressed at not getting to make the planned trip to Nebraska for Christmas, I must admit that we had a really great Christmas -- just the four of us!

I ended up taking the 23rd off work - to do all my planned running around, grocery shopping, and now that we were no longer traveling, food preparations! :) For as long as I can remember, my immediate family always ate soup on Christmas Eve... and I thought I should bring that tradition to our house this Christmas (especially since I was missing home). So I spent the day busy with many, many little things! It was so nice to take a break from work and spend a little time on my own. Mommy time just doesn't happen anymore! :) I even rented a movie - The Ghost of Girlfriends Past - & watched it before the boys got home! :)

On Christmas eve, we headed to church. It was actually quite nice to celebrate Christmas Eve in our home church and with the folks that have become like family to us in so many ways! God truly has blessed us with an amazing church! I was a little nervous as I had both boys by myself (no childcare) since Brian was playing his tuba. To my surprise they both did really well and I really enjoyed it! :)

After church it was home to eat, open a few presents and decorate cookies for Santa. Brian & I have this little disagreement that we will need to come to terms on SOON! :) Growing up, we both did Christmas Eve very different... at our house we did our family Christmas & opened all our presents from my parents. At Brian's house, they only opened one present. We still haven't figured it out.... we compromised this year and let them open 3-4 presents a piece on Christmas Eve. More than Brian wanted to do and less than I wanted! I am sure one day we will get it all figured out and then someday our boys can go through this with their wives! :)

The best part of Christmas this year was definitely.... the SNOW!! :) Kevin came running into our room on Christmas morning saying "Get up mommy! It snowed!" I actually had to ASK the child if Santa came. He couldn't have cared less... just wanted to go outside and play. I was thankful for the snow as well. The white Christmas actually helped my mood! :) We did go outside and play in it for quite awhile that afternoon. I taught Kevin to make his first snow angel (see below) and we had a snowball fight, although I had to make his snowballs to throw at me. Sam just wanted the same thing that he wants EVERY time we go outside... to swing! And he cried and cried when it was time to come in. Kevin & I did try to take down Brian with the snowballs, but with little luck, we finally figured out the best way to get him in the snow was to tackle him! :) It worked!

Sam trying to walk in the snow

Kevin's first snow angel

Kevin playing on his jungle gym.

You would not believe how FAST he shot down that slide!

Just a swingin'

Our Annual Christmas Letter

Merry, Merry Christmas to all our friends and family!

Every year I really intend to get started on my Christmas letter early. In fact, this year we got our pictures taken mid-October which is a miracle for me! :) But alas, it was never meant to be as I am writing our Christmas letter on the blog on Christmas Day! The land of Wal-mart contributed to my delinquency this year... after 2 failed attempts at printing pictures for our Christmas cards, they managed to get 1/2 of them printed correctly...a mere week before Christmas. So, if you didn't receive a card from us... that would be why!


2009 has been another year of blessing, hardship, laughter and tears. I am always amazed when I actually sit and look back over the year all that God has done and continues to do in our lives...

Our little Samuel has grown up really quick! He has always been the "easier" of our two boys with his laid back personality and sleeping through the night at 8 weeks! :) But as we approach the ripe age of TWO something tells me that this too is bound to change. Sam loves to talk! Our pediatrician was impressed with the number of words he knew at his 18 month well check... and he definitely has not slowed down at all! His newest additions are Wal-Mart (his "mal-mart") and awesome (his "aw-fum"). I love all the new words, smiles and giggles. I feel blessed beyond measure when I pick him up from daycare and his eyes light up & he runs to me screaming "mommy". Sam did manage to get a large dose of the strong will that seems to run in this family. When we switched daycares in November he refused to talk to them for a week! Even now, he says one of the teachers names and not the other (even though he can if he wants to!). What he didn't inherit was any sort of coordination skills... he is always falling down, tripping, or crashing into something! At one point this year he had two different knots/bruises on his head and a cut on his eye and nose! :) And last but not least, Sam is a TRUE mini-me of Brian in SO many ways! If it weren't for those beautiful brown eyes, he would totally be just like his dad! :)



Kevin, on the other hand, seems to be more of a combination of mom and dad! He has started to look more like me (poor kid) but still has those very adorable and distinctive Davis dimples! :) He continues to amaze us in nearly every way! This year, I was struck with the harsh reality that Kevin is smarter than me... even if it is just when it comes to the planets! :) He spent the summer learning all about outer space & informed me one afternoon that Pluto is not a planet (I hate to tell him it was when I was growing up!). He is a bundle of energy and very, very smart. Earlier this year he wanted me to teach him to read. We are still working on it, but getting closer all the time! He likes to figure out which letter everything starts with and he is looking forward to Kindergarten next fall (mom on the other hand - not so much!). Kevin has done terrific at the new daycare and is learning something new everyday! He remembers EVERYTHING... especially places and the way to get somewhere! If you tell him we are going to church and drive a different way than normal, he is sure to let you know! :) He absolutely loves being a big brother and teaching Sam everything he knows. Sometimes mom & dad wish he would just stick to teaching the "good" things! On top of all this, Kevin has a very active imagination and loves to dress up in costumes, play pretend, etc. His favorite Christmas present was pajamas that look like Buzz Lightyear and Woody outfits! He BEGGED me to let him wear them over to Michael's house for Christmas and of course we gave in! :)


I am not sure much of ANYTHING has changed with Brian or I the past year... we are both still doing the same jobs (and still loving them!). He is still playing tuba in the church orchestra. And he still loves sports... including coaching Upwards football! God did call us to step up to be directors of our Adult Bible Fellowship (Sunday School) class this past year. It has been a challenge in following God and loving people that I didn't expect at first, but we have seen God work in some amazing ways and grow us in the process. We are a small part of a truly amazing class of people & we are excited to see what lies ahead of us in 2010! Our church continues to build and prepare to move to our new location next year... it is a very exciting time for us!

I have started to travel a little more this fall & winter with work. Brian has totally stepped in and picked up the slack without missing a beat. I think the boys enjoy their "daddy" time... even though I am not here to witness it first hand! Kevin does a good job of keeping me informed! :) Brian is a great dad and loves to play with them and teach them. He understands them at a whole different level than I can and it is my pleasure to be able to sit back and watch him work his magic. He invents "contests" or "games" to get Kevin motivated to do the things we want... like get dressed in the morning or pick up the toys at night. I am truly learning alot from him and our boys!

As I write this, I should by my plans and calculations be in Bloomfield, Nebraska, celebrating Christmas with my family. While I am disappointed on multiple levels that the weather kept us from traveling, I am continually reminded that God's plans are always better than our plans. I have thoroughly enjoyed just "being" with my boys at Christmas... attending Christmas Eve service at our church, decorating cookies for Santa, opening presents, playing in the SNOW, watching movies... my list could go on & on! I know that one day all too soon I will look back and wonder where these days went and how I missed so many of these moments.


I pray that each of you had an amazing Christmas that you truly treasure for years to come... regardless of how "smoothly" or according to plan it may have went. God continues to show me that His greatest blessings sometimes come in the disruptions or frustrations of life! My Christmas wish for each of you is that in 2010 God reveals Himself to you in amazing ways... in the big & small, in the gladness & sadness, in the rejoicing & frustration... through it ALL! May He truly bless each of you as only He can!

We love you each beyond measure,
the Davis family

Christmas in Waldron

We had a terrific time having Christmas in Waldron with Brian's amazing family this past weekend. The boys LOVE getting to spend all that time with their cousins... and of course, we get to go to Michael's house! :)
I just thought I would share a few of the highlights...

Sam's new Elmo hat!

Kevin taking some fun toys out of his stocking

Kevin wearing Michael's Darth Vader mask

Michael's house is heaven for the boys! Look at all the Star Wars toys! :)

Sam getting some stocking help from Naint and Ninny

Sam talking to & loving on Jackson

Sam's new NASCAR

Kevin & Jonathan playing with Buzz Lightyear

Kevin opening presents

Kevin in his new Woody pajamas! He gave everyone a good laugh when he stripped down & tried them on right then & there. It was just as if uncle Kenny was still with us!

Helping Jackson unwrap presents

Sam got a head start on one of his gifts!

A big "thank you" to Brian's aunt Carolyn (Naint) for hostessing us. We had a BLAST and the bread was to die for (seriously!). To Ninny, for the great cake, hugs & of course all the manual labor (she loves to do the dishes!), And of course to Brian's parents, who always manage to spoil us... ALL of us! Sometimes I think I walk away more spoiled than my kids. We love all of you beyond MEASURE and are blessed to call you family!

It's The Most Wonderful Time

Did I mention that I LOVE Christmas?!?! This year we were a little slow getting our tree up -- last year it was November 2nd! :) But at least it is up now and we are enjoying it. My love for Christmas appears to have rubbed off on Kevin as he was even more ready that I was to get started! We put on our FBC Rogers Christmas CD, turned up the music and got busy. Here are some highlights...

Kevin hanging up some ornaments

Studying an ornament before hanging it up

He got out the tape measure to help!

Not sure what he actually decided from all the measuring, but the tree turned out great, so I guess it helped!

A "normal" picture for mom

Now this is more like it - the real Kevin!

One last shot with both boys... just wish Sam had some pants on! :)

Kevin and I enjoyed our time together and it was bittersweet for me as he brought up the subject of "uncle Kevin" - he gets grandpa Kevin and uncle Troy confused as he never met either of them and knows that they both live in heaven with Jesus. Surprisingly, he did remember on his own which ornaments on our tree belonged to grandpa Kevin and also talked about him being a sheriff. As difficult as it is for me to recognize that he will never know the man that meant SO much to me in this life, I am thankful for Kevin's desire to talk about him and ask questions about him. I pray that someday he truly understands the deep meaning behind his name.

In addition to all this, I am one of those people that love Christmas ornaments & the stories behind them. You will not ever find two ornaments the same on our tree! :) Many of them are homemade or passed down to us & I love to look at them and remember where they came from or when a little proud boy handed them to me! :) It is like walking down memory lane as I go through them all and decided which ones to hang on the tree... and yes, we have too many for the tree! :) A few of this year's favorites are...

• My crotchet angel at the top of the tree that was passed to me by my mom
• The Herbie Husker ornament that was my dad's
• Baby Jesus in the manger - made with construction paper, "hay" and Popsicle sticks - a Kevin original from Christmas 2008
• A cross-stitched Santa that was given to Brian when he was younger
• A "parents-to-be" ornament from my mother in law given to us Christmas 2004 right before we had Kevin
• Many, many ornaments that I have given Brian & the kids over the years -- I must admit, the boys will have a wide variety of ornaments when they have their own trees someday! :)

Halloween - Star Wars Style

Since I am playing a bit of catch-up here, I thought I would post a few Halloween pictures - very necessary before I move on to Christmas! :) We went with a Star Wars theme this year, with Kevin as Obi Wan and Sam as Yoda. They both were adorable (if I do say so myself) and we had a GREAT time.

We dressed up and headed off to Rogers for some family fun. First we stopped at Legacy House to get our pictures taken with our cousins. Kinda crazy stuff when you try to get 5 boys to all look at the camera, let alone smile! :) Pictures are coming -- Aunt Bo will be getting them this week. Then we stopped by Ms. Bonnie's house. Ms. Bonnie is a lady in our church that we love. She loves my boys too and gets such a kick out of seeing them! Finally, we made it to the Trunk or Treat that our church was sponsoring. It was a great night and we even made it home for the second half of the Arkansas game which made daddy very happy! :)

Brush your teeth, you must

The Jedi are ready to head out

Trick or Treating at Ms. Bonnie's



Yoda riding in style at the Trunk or Treat

Change

Change is hard for all of us. Sometimes I think it is harder for me than my kids... they are pretty resilient and I am fairly set in my ways! :)

Today we said goodbye to the daycare that we have called home for the past 4 1/2 years. It was time and God made it abundantly clear that we were making the right choice. But as with many goodbyes, it was harder than I had anticipated - well for me anyway.

Kevin has a knowledge that we are moving to a new school and has been there to visit twice. It appears like he may adjust well and he is genuinely excited about all the new things... but in his 4 1/2 year old mind, he doesn't comprehend that the change is permanent and that he will not be going back to Ms. Linda's class. at his old school. He honestly thinks that he will get to go to both. We are hopeful that his new teacher, Ms. Michelle, will be exactly what he needed. Brian really likes what he has seen so far, which is good as I think sometimes he is the more difficult one to please! :) Also, the new curriculum is a step up from where he was at. They are already working on sight words which is AWESOME since Kevin has a huge desire to read! :) On top of all this, he will get the opportunity to participate in a karate class weekly, which has him on Cloud 9! :)

Sam didn't feel well today when I picked him up - he was running a fever & I woke him from his nap, so needless to say he was in a mood! He seemed to sense that something was going on even though it is all really beyond his comprehension. Moving him was hard for me as he had an amazing teacher - Ms. 'Teresa or Ms. Reesa as he called her. She has done amazing things with him and most recently started teaching him all his colors. His new teachers (Ms. Jessie & Ms. Shelby) seem really sweet, although he wanted nothing to do with them today when we visited. It will be interesting to see how Monday goes for all of us! :) One of the best things about his class is their class pet Elmo the guinea pig! Sam was reluctant to show any interest at first - in anything in the class including Elmo. But by the time we were ready to go, he was wanting up to see him. He called Elmo a "kitty" but we are now on track that he is a "pig" -- "guinea" is just too hard for him! :)

Please say an extra prayer for us in the days ahead! I know that God is guiding us and growing us, but transitions are hard and we need all the help we can get!