Keeping Up With The Davis'

My Sweet Girl

2011-04-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

CHEESE!!!!

Zoe is developing quite the little personality....not to mention an attitude as well! She is so very VERY different than her brother. She is not afraid to let you know what she thinks. And she is getting very good in the dirty look department. I'm afraid to admit that she probably inherited that from her mother. Zoe's favorite place to be right now is outside. But unfortunately, will all of the wet weather we have been having here in Utah we haven't spent long periods of time outside. But she will bring us her shoes and jacket, wait by the door, and grunt or yell at us until we can take her out. Silly girl! She seems to be growing up much faster than it seemed with Zachary. I just want her to slow down...but she just doesn't listen!

Button Egg

2011-04-21T15:27:00.001-07:00

I been bitten by the crafting bug again....here is a little number I did a couple of weeks ago. I found this button egg here. It looked easy enough so I did it!

Face Plant

2011-03-23T08:53:00.001-07:00

It was nice enough outside yesterday that I let the kids run around the yard for a bit. All was good and then Miss Zoe took a face plant on the driveway. Awesome! Can you tell she is really upset over it? The funny thing is yesterday morning I was looking at this picture of Zachary soon after he had his first face plant and then Zoe fell later in the day. Gotta love those scuffed up noses!

Dino Park

2011-03-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, Joe had a Saturday off. First time in months! We almost forgot how fun he was to play with...until I'm able to snap off a picture like the one above. We went to the Dinosaur Park in Ogden. Zachary loved it!

The weather was nice enough to enjoy their play area.

Now that Zoe is walking all over the place I should probably invest in some shoes for the poor girl. I've been holding off for as long as possible. So grateful for the swings...that way she could play without running around in her socks.

We loved our time with Daddy! It was so much fun!

El Destructo Baby

2011-03-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken just before my strong arm of a little girl broke one of the doors in half. And the funny part is that she knew she did wrong. Her bottom lip stuck out and immediately the tears started coming. LOL!

Courageous Parenting

2011-03-09T07:53:00.001-08:00

One of the Conference talks that we will be discussing in our 4th Sunday lesson this month is Courageous Parenting by Elder Larry R. Lawrence. I've listened to this talk several times this morning. Some of the things he said that caught my attention were:

...parents are responsible for the protection of their children. That means spiritually as well as physically.
...parents who love their children cannot afford to be intimidated by them.
Parenting is not a popularity contest.
Sometimes we are afraid of our children-afraid to counsel them for fear of offending them.
It is important for husbands and wives to be united when making parenting decisions.

I know that both of my children are still quite young. But Zachary specifically is a little sponge right now. It is a scary world out there with tons of unrighteous influences. And I pray that our children are never affected by Satan's tactics. I hope that Joe and I are never afraid to counsel him. I want him to know what the Spirit feels like and to be able to recognize it. I love to listen to him pray at night and say the things he does in his prayers. I want him to know that Joe and I are his parents...parents who love and care for him deeply. I know that as we counsel with the Lord as a couple regarding our children we will always do what is right. One more thing that Elder Lawrence said is the following:

"Our Church leaders have counseled us to establish righteous patterns in our homes. Consider five fundamental practices that have the power to fortify our youth: family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, family dinner together, and regular one-on-one interviews with each child."

I know that there are some of these things that we can improve upon in our home. I am grateful for this talk. And grateful for technology that allows me to listen to it over and over. I am grateful to have been blessed with my children and pray that I can raise them to be a righteous son and daughter of our Father in Heaven.

Summer Where Are You?

2011-02-04T09:24:00.001-08:00

Summer where are you? We want to run around in our bare feet eating lots of watermelon!

My Home Improvement Wish List

2010-12-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

Since I am 99.9% sure that we are going to be in our house for a while...I have complied a HOME IMPROVEMENT WISH LIST:

1. New gutters. Since we put on our new roof nearly 2 years ago and did not replace the gutters I think it is time.

2. I NEED A SECOND BATHROOM!!!!!! Bathroom needs to be created in the basement.

3. Update the one bathroom that we have. (I'm undecided if this should come before my #2 wish)

4. My kids share a room. I know that this should not be a problem...but I never had to share my room growing up. I want them to have a space of their own. So ultimately I would love to make our garage a master suite (doesn't that make it sound all romantical?!) and give one of the kids our current room. The master suite would include double doors going out to the backyard since we don't have a back door on our house (gotta love old houses).

I wish that I could just snap my fingers and this could all happen! Oh and sell wish #4 to the hubs.

Zoo Lights

2010-12-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we went to the Zoo Lights at the Hogle Zoo. I have to admit that my expectations were not that high for this. But I was really impressed!

I think that the only animals that we saw out and about were the tigers. But the lights were amazing!

It wasn't too cold but we made sure that the kids were bundled up.

This is what Zachary looks like at 9pm without a nap. And of course Monkey made the journey with us.

There was a guy there doing ice sculptures with a chainsaw. How does one discover a talent like that? Do you just one day decide to pick up a chainsaw and see what you can do with it?

Christmas on Temple Square

2010-12-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

I love love love Christmas on Temple Square. But the crowds? Ummmm....not so much! We thought that by avoiding Monday night that it would be less crowded. It was like Mutual Madness! I think that every teenager in the Salt Lake Valley was there. Irregardless, we have a wonderful time looking at all of the lights and Nativites.

I should now by now with two little ones that it will be virtually impossible to get all of us to look at the camera at the same time. But really....is it too much to ask?

Love these two! I don't know if it was because of the crowds or what but Zachary had to be touching Zoe the whole time. It was like he was being the big protective brother. He either had his hand on her head as we were walking or on her hand.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

I didn't take many pictures from Thanksgiving but these are a few of my favorites. We of course had to get the token Joe and the turkey picture. I'm certain that I have one for the last 4 Thanksgivings that we have been going to St. GeorgeThis Thanksgiving was lots-o-fun! It is typically just us and Jared and Andi's families. But the whole Davis clan was there this year...all 28 of us! We had so much fun. Zachary was in heaven with all of his cousins!

And I love this one of Mother D and the two babies of the family....our Zoe and Esther's Matthew. There is about 5 months difference between the two. It was great to have everyone together...hopefully we can do it again sooner rather than later.

Clean Up

2010-12-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

This is what I found after we had cleaned up toys in the living room yesterday...baby Jesus in the palm tree and Anakin Skywalker in the manger. Oh the imaginations of a 3 yr old!

I Am Thankful For...

2010-12-06T13:21:00.000-08:00

Since Zachary is getting older and starting to understand things more now...I decided to do something a little different for the month of November. Every morning we would write down something we were thankful for. We hung this up in the kitchen so that it would not be missed or forgotten. I loved it! To hear what he was thankful for each and everyday was truely a blessing. Some days he would really sit and think about what he was thankful for. It was fun to watch him and then have him say something like, underware (oh yes we wrote it up there).

Halloween Fun

2010-11-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

I loved this outfit! And loved the fact that I got it for $4!!!

Still no teeth. I don't remember when Zachary got his first tooth. But I thought that it was by now.

My Iron Man and Lady bug....he's already talking about when he is going to be for next Halloween.

Carving with Daddy

2010-11-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

Zachary had fun carving pumpkins for the first time with Daddy. Although he thought the insides were "too squishy".

Can You See The Love?

2010-09-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

I am truely blessed with wonderful children. I'm not going to lie and say it is always rainbows and sunshine with them...but for the most part they are great kids. The love between these two is immeasurable. Anytime Zachary walks into the room Zoe lights up like a Christmas Tree. Zachary is costantly hugging and kissing her. At times I wonder if Zachary is getting enough attention with her around. So I try to play with him on his own or do things just the two of us. But he often complains when she is not there. I took him to the library last night and he put on his "sad" face on the way there because Zoe stayed home with Daddy. If Zoe is ever crying I can count on Zachary to make her laugh. I'm so grateful for the love that these two have for one another and hope that it continues throughout their lifetimes.

My Little Mover

2010-09-26T09:40:00.001-07:00

Most days this is where I find Zoe...halfway stuck under the couch. She definitely gets around. And not necessarily in the forward direction. She has yet to master the crawling forward motion. She gets everywhere by rolling and scooting backwards...hence getting stuck under the couch. She is definitely my little squiggly worm now.
On another note...look at that picture again. I hate that I am readjusting the couch cover every time someone gets up from it. It would be so much easier just to go out and buy a new couch instead of covering up the lovely flower print. Joe like to call it the "early marriage motif". Why doesn't money just grow on trees?

Canning Galore!

2010-09-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

Last Christmas Joe bought me a bunch of canning stuff. We had dabbled in it last year. But this year? Oh my! Watch out! Mother D brought us a ton of peaches from Cali a couple of weeks ago and I was able to can about 25 quarts. Then the neighbor brought me a bunch of peaches from her tree. So they all got canned as well. The funny thing is...I don't think that all of these peaches are going to last us past Christmas the way my family goes thru them.
Yesterday a friend came over and we canned salsa and tomatoes....and in a couple of weeks we are going to have oodles and oodles of tomatillos for salsa verde. After yesterday I will be happy not to see another tomato any time soon. But I just looked out the window and my tomatoes outside are ripe. Can you guess what I will be doing later in the week?

Fun at the Fair

2010-09-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

Mother D has been in town for a few days with Heather and we decided to go to the fair while they were here.

Can you believe that these are the only pictures I took at the fair? As we were walking up to this race car Zachary was commenting how it was like McQueen...and if you don't know who that it you either don't have kids or live on another planet. The gentleman that was standing by the car said that just like McQueen real race cars don't have headlights either...they have stickers for lights. I didn't think that that was really true...I guess you learn something new everyday. He let Zachary get in the car and he was in Heaven! You could barely see his head.

Heather headed home yesterday. We were sad to see her go but glad that we get Mom for a little bit longer.

Camping

2010-09-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

We finally went camping 2 weeks ago...the whole family. Joe and Zachary have been going every week for about a month now on overnight adventures. But I finally took some a day off of work and we went!
Ignore my hair. This is what I look like after camping in the rain and the mud. Yup...it poured on us.

Here are our camping buddies...Spencer, Chandra, and the lovely Sydney.

Zoe was content to stay in the tent and play with her toys while the rain and hail came down.

The ever adventurous Zachary tried to climb every rock and tree he could find.

Let me introduce you to Bessie. At least I like to call her that. Joe will probably beg to differ. Joe was involved in an accident a few months ago and the Pathfinder was totaled. As a result Bessie became a member of our family.

Zachary tuckered out on the drive home. You should have seen all of the mud on his clothes. Nothing like being a boy and camping!

Zoo

2010-09-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to the zoo early Labor Day. I knew it would be a busy day so we got there right when it opened.
Look at that perfectly gummy smile!

We have season passes to the zoo and I have never been to the Discovery play area. Amazing that as small as our zoo is here in Salt Lake that we have never been to this area. Zachary had a blast!

I cannot get enough pictures of her smile. She looks like she has got little golf balls in her cheeks. Look at those things!

Can you tell that he is saying "cheese"? We finally made it to one of the bird shows and it was pretty good.

Big and Strong

2010-09-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

Zachary planted some carrots earlier in the season and they were finally ready to pull a week or two ago. He was so excited to finally eat them after making sure that they were watered and got plenty of sun. As he was eating them with the "special sauce" (aka ketchup...yuck!) he would say I'm getting big and strong over and over. Ask him...he'll be more than happy to show you his muscles!

Yup...he's a Davis!

2010-09-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

Not that there was any doubt before...but this picture abosolutely proves that this boy is a Davis. He has developed the same talent as Grandma in being able to touch his nose with this tongue. And let me tell you...he is so PROUD of himself!

Saucers

2010-06-20T21:08:00.001-07:00

SERIOUSLY!!!! Her eyes are as large as saucers! What a doll!

Cousin Fun

2010-06-20T08:16:00.001-07:00

Zachary recently enjoyed having his cousins here. Zachary adores his boy cousins immensely. And wants to do everything that they do. Here he and Logan had a blast running through the sprinklers one night. Can you see the absolute joy on his face?!

Drive-In Fun

2010-06-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

In preparation of Toy Story 3...Zachary has been slightly obsessed with his Buzz Lightyear and Woody dolls. Wait, can I call them dolls? Ummmm....let's just call them toys. Yup, that sounds better than my 3 yr old playing with dolls. He wanted to wear his Buzz shirt, shoes, and Woody hat (from his Halloween costume) to the movie. Of course I couldn't find the hat until this morning.

What would a drive-in movie be without friends and tons of junk food? Can you see Woody's face in the lower right hand corner of the picture? Yup, he wanted to see himself on the BIG screen!

And here is Zoe in her normal position on the blankets. Since she is not much of a cuddler (which makes me want to cry), she spends most of her drive-in experience laying down. But she'll be sitting up before we know it and enjoying the movies with us.

Can You Believe It?!

2010-05-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that this little sister is eating cereal? And this big brother is potty trained? Well, maybe not all the way....work in progress, what can I say?

Finally!

2010-05-08T22:04:00.001-07:00

FINALLY!!! Some nice weather to spend time outside.

Bee's Game

2010-04-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

We went to the Salt Lake Bee's game tonight. We left Zoe with "Grandma Tammie" and took Zachary to the game with us.

He had so much fun! Of course he spent the half the game pointing out to me where the Bee mascot was through out the game. And the other half was spent going to the bathroom...oh the joys of potty training!

Well, HELLO Beautiful!

2010-04-05T20:47:00.001-07:00

Zoe's Blessing

2010-03-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

We blessed Zoe at Church back on the 7th of March....which also happened to by my birthday. Look how stinkin' cute she is! And her adorable sweater, hat, and booties were made by my cousin's grandmother, Reenie. Thanks Reenie!

So after Church we had a million or so people over (ok so I'm exaggerating...but 70+ people in my little house is a bit much!) for some food. We appreciate everyone for coming. With the exception of one, all of Joe's siblings made it out and his Mom too.

Uh Oooooooooo!

2010-03-05T21:57:00.000-08:00

I miss my milk.
I need something other than water.
I love Diet Pepsi!
Especially from the fountain.
Went to Maverik today.
Did you know that they have a flavor dispenser?
I added vanilla to my fountain Diet Pepsi.
I think I'm in trouble.
BIG trouble.

A Letter of Love

2010-03-05T21:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Milk,

Oh how I miss you! You see my daughter doesn't really like it when I drink you. It makes her quite irritable. As much as I LOVE you, I love a happy baby even more. I know that it has been several weeks since I have partaken of your goodness....but I promise that one day I will enjoy you once more. Until then.....

~Kim

Conversations With Zachary

2010-03-01T21:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a conversation that Zachary and I had at the dinner table the other night:

Me: You sure are cute Zachary
Zachary: No mommy! I handsome!
Me: (trying not to chuckle) Yes, honey. You are very handsome.
Zachary: Bery handsome.

Sweet Cheeks

2010-02-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

Zoe is enamored with her brother.

Here is a new picture of Zoe from this afternoon. Let's call her Sweet Cheeks! Love this little girl and that she is finally apart of our family!

Zachary's Reward

2010-02-17T20:49:00.000-08:00

I was really concerned about how Zachary was going to react to Zoe when we brought her home. And I have to say that things could not be any better! He is the sweetest big brother. My biggest concern is how hard he squeezes her little head every time he hugs her (which seems like it happens about every minute and a half). I do have to say that being the parent of two is not that easy. Zoe is very different than Zachary. Zachary was such a mellow baby and Zoe....well let's just say that she is not mellow, at all. But that's ok, we all still love her to pieces. To reward Zachary for being so good we took him out and bought him a couple of Beta fish yesterday. Oh my does he love them. He spent the majority of the afternoon like the above picture. He just sat at the table and stared at them. For whatever reason, Joe and Zachary named the fish Bernie and Fred. I can usually hear Zachary get up in the morning but I'm certain that we are going to wake up one morning and find the fish on the table. Let's hope not...

Many Faces

2010-02-17T20:36:00.000-08:00

The Many Faces of Zachary

The Silly Face

The Sad Face

The Happy Face

Eleven Years

2010-01-31T21:56:00.001-08:00

Eleven years ago today I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It's hard for me to believe that it has been eleven years...I was telling Joe this morning that it feels more like twenty. I can still remember so clearly that day. It was Super Bowl Sunday and I thought that no one would show up. Boy was I wrong! So many people showed up. I will spare you all the details but know that that was the best decision in my life. I'm so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I am blessed with the knowledge that God lives and that we have a true and living prophet on the earth today. I'm grateful for my my growing family that has been sealed for time and all eternity within the walls of the Temple. I'm grateful for the power of prayer and the power of the priesthood that my dear sweet husband holds.

If you would like to find out more about the Church please click here.

I Miss My Mommy

2010-01-17T20:49:00.000-08:00

My Mom went home today. I miss her already. She was a rock star while here. She spoiled Zachary and was able to magically put Zoe to sleep at any time.
COME BACK SOON!

She Is Here!

2010-01-16T11:30:00.001-08:00

Zoe Ann Davis born 1/6/10 @ 12:31pm
8lbs 11oz
20 1/2 in

Joe and I love her to pieces.

So does someone else. Can you tell?

Conversations with Zachary

2009-12-30T21:09:00.000-08:00

Me: Hey Zachary...who's coming to visit next week?
Z: Nana!
Me: And who else? (thinking that he is going to say Poppy...my dad)
Z: Baby Sister
Me: Awwwww....that's right buddy! But she isn't going to visit...she is going to stay with us. Are you going to play nice with her when she comes?
Z: No (and then shakes his head from left to right)

Should I be scared??

Baby Update

2009-12-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

So I have updated the little baby ticker on the side...in approximately 11 days this cute little guy is going to be a big brother and I am going to be a mommy again! After many discussions with my doctor, and due to the complications that I had with Zachary's delivery, it has been decided that I am going to have a c-section on the 6th of January. Right now the days are d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g by. I don't remember being this uncomfortable with Zachary. But it is all part of the fun right? But my bag is packed and ready to go just in case she decides to come early like her big brother.

Christmas

2009-12-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

This little man had quite the Christmas. Amongst the highlights were the Woody doll that Santa brought as well as the Buzz doll that Daddy gave him. It was a a quite day for us. Since baby girl will be joining us shortly we decided against any traveling and spend Christmas at home, just the three of us. And I just have to say that I LOVED it! As much as I hated being away from our families, spending the ENTIRE day in my jammies ROCKED!

And a special shout out to my bestie who actually reads this blog and sent me this very special gift! We have gotten use out of it already....Love ya Jennifer!

Yumminess

2009-12-12T12:28:00.001-08:00

I came home from work the other day to discover my kitchen covered in yummy sweetness. Joe and our neighbor slaved in the kitchen for nearly two days making tons of cookies and candy. I just hope that we get it handed out soon otherwise I'm going to eat it all!

'Tis the Season...

2009-11-23T18:41:00.001-08:00

...for egg nog mustaches!

Wish List

2009-11-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

How delicious do these gems look??? We have a little man in our house who is quite fond of the Popsicle. I would love love love to get this from Williams Sonoma! (great Christmas idea...hint hint hint) They look so fun to make...and apparently only take 7-9 minutes!

Dreamy Bedroom

2009-11-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

I would love to do this in our very small bedroom. Now I just need to find a mantel that is wide enough and a mirror to go on top.

The Belly

2009-10-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

After several complaints from those that will remain unmentioned....I have finally included a "belly" picture. Joe is becoming quite the photographer don't you think?

I Heart DI!

2009-10-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know what DI is...it is the equivalent to the Goodwill here in Utah. We hit the jackpot there this weekend. We went looking for some things and Zachary found himself down the toy aisle. He found the Shake and Go McQueen and Mater Cars. And there is NOTHING wrong with them. They are in nearly perfect condition! These things are usually $15 a piece at Target. We have looked at them several times. Zachary has some cousins that have these and he LOVES them. Anyway we bought them at Deseret Industries for $1 a pieces! He has gone to bed the last two nights clutching these bad boys. We have spent the last two afternoons racing them down the driveway. I love bargains!

Cooking with Daddy

2009-10-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Zachary has been helping his Dad out in the kitchen more and more. He knows that if Joe is cooking dinner to run up and grap a chair or his stool to see what he can help with. He loves to help me bake as well. Last night he helped me make 6 dozen pumkin cookies! What a great little helper!

It's About Time!

2009-10-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

My parents finally made a visit to our house after 2 1/2 years! We go to Cali so often that they just haven't made it out here. But they came! It was so much fun having them here. We were all spoiled by them...even baby girl. Her little collection of clothes is growing. Unfortunately, Zachary aquired the croup while they were here and my Mom came down with the flu just before they left. BLAH!
Zachary was so excited to have his Poppy here! My dad had a little shadow the entire trip. Here is a picture of them being "fly hunters". For whatever reason we had a ton of flies in the house this past week and Zachary and my Dad would hunt them down (I swear Zachary's ears are not has big as they look in this picture).

We really really miss you guys! Thanks for making the trip out here!

Most Sundays...

2009-09-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

...tend to be a little hard on the nap schedule. This is usually the result come dinner time.

I'm in trouble...

2009-09-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

The first of many clothes for baby girl...

Fun at the Fair

2009-09-13T21:26:00.001-07:00

We went to the Utah State Fair on Saturday. And thanks to a neighbor received free tickets....the BEST kind! Zachary talked all day the day before about going to see the cows, horses, chickens, etc....but the only thing that he would touch were the goats. He was scared out of his mind over the pigs. It was hilarious! There was an awesome Legos exhibit that he/Joe could have stayed
at all day. He was pretty tuckered out by the
time we left that he fell asleep in the wagon on the way back to the car. Joe was asked to judge the Dutch Oven Competition later that night, which he really enjoyed doing. We ate lots of fried food...including alligator. I think that we might go back this week for what we missed....fried twinkies, candy bars, and PB&J! Doesn't it all sound so delicious!

New Bed

2009-09-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

Zachary recently graduated to a big boy bed! We are still in the midst of trying to get ourselves into a routine and actually staying in bed after the lights go out. This is definitely a work in progress for both of us. Who knew that he would be so interested with books?! Especially at bedtime...wait a second...is that a stalling tactic?
I'm just glad that he is showing an interest in books. I remember my dad reading me stories before bedtime and then me reading him to sleep at bedtime. One of our favorites was the dictionary! I know...bunch of nerds!
And just on a side note....doesn't he look like he desperately needs a haircut?

Letting Go

2009-09-09T17:48:00.001-07:00

Jared and Andi came up for the long holiday weekend. The boys were all loving the wagon. Everyday they would ask to get it out of the garage. One day Andi encouraged them to go for a walk around the block. So they all took off with Gage and Zachary inside the wagon. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous. How bad could it be? He was with his cousins. But guess what? It wasn't as bad as I thought. So here it is on record...Zachary's first trip around the block without any adult supervision!

Thanks for coming up guys!

Tonight's the NIGHT!

2009-08-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

I CAN'T EVEN STAND IT! Tonight is the BIG CONCERT that I have been waiting MONTHS AND MONTHS FOR!!!! I've been listening to Depeche Mode so much lately that my son may start singing their songs instead of Wheels on the Bus. This evening better come quick!

Best Daddy Award

2009-08-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

Joe get's the Best Daddy Award tonight. We had some friends over for a delicious Chinese dinner and during all of the chaos of kids running around, getting dinner ready, and enjoying company...Zachary's beloved McQueen car was lost in the shuffle. Joe suggested they get out the headlamps we use camping and look everywhere for the car. They looked under the couches and throughout Zachary's bedroom. And as you can tell from the hug that Joe is receiving...the car was found!

Surprise!!!!!

2009-08-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

Let the FUN begin!!!!!

Please Read

2009-08-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

Please read my sister-in-law's blog post here. Please help if you can!

2009 Davis Family Camping Trip

2009-08-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Last month we had our first (what we hope to be) Annual Davis Family Camping Trip! I'm going to give credit to Joe for organizing and planning a majority of this trip. He did such a great job...even down to planning out a daily menu. We went to the Great Basin National Park in Nevada and camped near Lehman Caves.

Everyone was able to come with the exception of Rebekah's family. We missed them dearly but they already had an almost 3 week vacation planned that included a stopover in Salt Lake. So we saw her about a week after we got back.

After our tour of the cave, Zachary enjoyed his very first ice cream cone!

And every night he enjoyed a few dozen marshmallows.

Our brother-in-law, Roger, entertained us with his tricked out skills on a bike.

We hiked into the Bristlecone Forest and enjoyed some spectacular views.

We went back to the caves for another tour without any kids. Can you see the enjoyment on our faces?

One of the many views atop the mountain.

Zachary even managed to find a tree stump that he fit into.

Mother D with her kids...minus Rebekah.

This picture says it all! I give Mom a 10 for her perfect form!
I'm so lucky to be apart of a wonderful family. The kids had fun. The adults had fun. Joe and I are already thinking about next years trip and where we should go.

Thankful Thursday

2009-07-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

1. Have a mentioned before how Thankful I am to have such a handy husband?! Well I am! Yesterday afternoon our swamp cooler stopped working....have I mentioned how much I dislike swamp coolers? Well I do! Joe had it fixed in about 10 minutes. Yahoooo!!!!

2. I know that I have mentioned this several times before...but I am so very Thankful to live in such a great neighborhood! Everybody is so friendly, waves as they drive by, or stop to talk to you. Totally reminds me of my parents neighborhood back in California. Love it!

Word On The Street

2009-06-17T09:53:00.001-07:00

...is that we are preg-o-nant. So for those of you that were wondering if it was true....IT IS TRUE! We are already looking forward to 2010 and the new baby that will come our way January 12!

Our Memorial Day Weekend

2009-06-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day Weekend we made the last minute decision to go down to Bryce Canyon National Park with our good friends/neighbors. And when I say last minute we made the decision and were packed up in less than 2 hours and on our way!
We arrived late in the night and it stopped raining long enough for us to get the tent set up. Then proceeded to rain off and on for the next day and night.
As you can see Zachary wasn't too happy about hiking in the rain. But he started to like it soon there after. He just wanted to get out and walk. I wasn't about to let that happen considering I had about 4 inches of thick canyon mud on the bottom of my shoes.
Token Family Picture
We hiked other areas including Moss Cave.
This is the view from Rainbow Ridge (I think that is what it was called).
'nother family pic...
This is Zachary smiling big cause he is out of the car.
He is so dang cute!

We had a blast and are itching to get back out again for more camping this summer before the restaurant opens and Joe is way busy again. We are thinking about Capital Reef next....

Just Like Daddy

2009-06-05T18:34:00.001-07:00

When we go camping Joe has a head light that he wears at night sometimes. Zachary loves it! So much so that he wants to wear it more often than not. He insisted on wearing it while he ate his lunch yesterday. I just couldn't tell him no. He might get one of his own very soon. I think that Daddy is having trouble sharing.

A Bit Much?

2009-06-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

So I have been reading just about every page of the book off to the left here...Square Foot Gardening. And thankfully my husband was paying attention to my interest in the book and helped me out. This is saying a LOT about Joe. He has a very strong dislike for weeding, gardening, pretty much any sort of yard work what-so-ever. But I came home from work one day a few weeks back to discover that he had built me a couple of boxes for the back yard. He later built some trellises and attached them to the back as well.

Last week we finally were home between the camping trips and trips to California long enough to get the garden going. So in the above picture we have planted...let's see if I can remember everything...watermelon, cantaloupe, sweet corn, 3 tomato plants, habanero pepper, red hot chili pepper, onions, beets, arugula, cilantro, orange carrots, purple carrots, and 2 sweet red bell pepper plants. I still have some room so I am debating on eggplant too.
Then here where we had our tiny garden last year we planted a pumpkin, yellow crock-necked squash, zucchini, and more yellow squash. So I am wondering....did we take on too much? And of course I asked that question out loud last week and Joe just looked at me and said, "We? I think you mean you." So when this garden starts producing food I'm going to take all the credit for it!

On a side note, Joe fixed the sprinkler system for both the back and front yards. We knew that we had it but could not figure out why the ancient system wasn't working. I was so PROUD of him! Our neighbor came out after Joe fixed it and stated that he had not seen the sprinklers on in about 7 years. Yipee!

Create

2009-05-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

I know this video has been out for a few weeks now...but I find myself going back again and again to listen/watch it. LOVE IT!

Thankful Thursday

2009-05-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

I'm THANKFUL for babysitters. Nuff said.

You Do the Math

2009-05-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

One weekend getaway with good friends
+ one well behaved and beautiful dog

+ early morning hikes with just me and the kid (and above mentioned dog)

+ great scenery

+ desperately needed hammock time

+ bug finding and dirt eating (or was that bug eating and dirt finding...)

= ONE FANTASTIC CAMPING TRIP!

Family Night Fun

2009-05-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

Nothing like some fingerpainting fun on Family Night...even Daddy got in on the action!

California....Again

2009-05-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

Yes...it's true. We went to Cali again! It was yet another awesome trip. This time we headed out to Santa Barbara for our friends Mark and Melissa's wedding.

Doesn't my hubby look dapper in that suit?!

We were able to stay one night with my parents. And after our time in SB we stopped by the Davis household. Esther had heard that we were going to be in town and came down with her two boys. There was much fun to be had with the three boys. We went up to Ojai one day to explore and poke around the mountains.

It wasn't long before the boys discovered this stream.

And then not much longer before they were all soaked and running around without their shirts on.

Now we are back to reality and unfortunately don't know when are next trip back to Cali will be. But I savored the beach breeze and California sunshine while there!

Guess Who Turned 2!

2009-04-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

That's right! Zachary did!

We spent the afternoon at the zoo and left just as it started raining.
We got him a Cars tricycle. He has not been off of it since we gave it to him. Which makes me feel like the money was well spent!

We ended the day with a bbq and cake with family. Check out the cake...we decided to go with the monkey...and I just want to point out that I, not the chef in the family, made the cake.

For whatever reason he decided to get shy when we sang Happy Birthday to him. What a cutie! Love Him!

Spring is HERE!

2009-04-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

It was such a nice day yesterday that we...

...rode a pony...

...ate lunch on the porch...

...and helped Daddy take the Christmas lights down. FINALLY!

Adventures in Motherhood

2009-04-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

Oh my.....
I should have know better....
What was I thinking leaving the baby powder so close to the edge of the dresser?* Who knows? But I know what I was thinking at the tail end of making dinner tonight, "It is really quiet. I wonder what he is doing?" Imagine my surprise as I turned around and saw him standing in the kitchen. Covered. In. Baby Powder.

PS. Baby Powder is harder to clean up then you think when it is all over the couch, the floor, the coffee table, and television

PPS. The house sure does smell good.

*Note to self...hide baby powder

Pacifier Update

2009-04-14T11:53:00.001-07:00

First, I want to say a big thank you to those that commented on my last post. All were great comments and suggestions. We are now down to pacifier use only at bedtime! Yeah for us! Zachary is taking naps without the pacifier...now we just need to work on bedtime. I think that I will start the "snipping" tonight. Wish me luck!

The Pacifier Dilemma

2009-04-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

Ok fellow bloggers, blog stalkers, and whomever else might read this blog....I need some advice! So at what point do you take the pacifier away from your child? Zachary is going to be two this month and I feel that it might be time. But why? Is it just society that makes us want to take away the comfort of our child? Why must we take it away? We have discussed possibly waiting until he understands what a big boy is and that big boys don't have pacifiers. So that is an option. I just don't want that to be until he is five.

The only time that he ever takes the "binkie" is when he is going to sleep. Ok...and when he is REALLY REALLY upset. I am pretty set in my ways that he only gets it on these two situations. But lately he only gets it when going to sleep. He is getting good at brushing himself off and moving on.

Joe and I have heard a few stories about when and how the pacifier has been taken away. But we really want to hear more. So bring it on peeps! Let's hear what you have to say!

Thankful Thursday

2009-04-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

1. I'm thankful for our new tablecloth. You know the plasic kind that your mom used to put on the picnic table outside. Zachary has become quite the messy eater as of late. And instead of scrubbing (and I mean SCRUBBING) down my Grandmother's antique table after every meal I can now wipe it down and be done with it until the next meal. So thank you Wal-Mart for your inexpensive yet nice looking tablecloth.

2. I'm thankful that General Conference is this weekend. I'm thankful that I get to hear the words of our Church leaders and receive guidance from them.

What the....???

2009-03-31T07:35:00.000-07:00

I walked around the corner yesterday afternoon to find this....

Ewwww.....apparently my snow boots are good for something other than getting thru the snow. No wonder I keep finding toys in my shoes!

Yeah for Me!

2009-03-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

I know you are jealous!

Thankful Thursday

2009-03-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

1. I'm thankful that I have my voice back. It's been gone the last several days.

2. I'm thankful that my boys are back. They got to stay in California a few extra days. And I'm thankful that (according to my husband) that they would have had more fun if I was there.

3. I'm thankful for my familia (immediate and extended) and all of the joy that they bring into my life.

My Besties

2009-03-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

The whole reason we went to Cali was to see my besties.

Especially this lovely lady. Jenn and Auggie finally got married! Yipeeeee!

She was gorgeous!!!!

Oh dear sweet California...how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
The reception was at a restaurant called Duke's in Malibu...right on the beach. The storm cleared out just in time for this CELEBRATION. Who could have asked for more? Wonderful beach day, wonderful food, and wonderful friends. Nuff said.

Squeezing

2009-03-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

We were in California this past weekend. And got to stop and see
my family for a day. Some of the fun we had included many many games of darts, sidewalk chalk drawings, and Zachary's first experience with a juice box. My niece, Montana, could not have been more excited to have her cousin there to play with. She reminds me of that little girl from the Baby Looney Tunes cartoon series. Remember? "I will love him, and squeeze him, and kiss him, and squeeze him, and squeeze him....There was a LOT of squeezing.

The Latest

2009-03-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

More and more people keep asking me what is going on with Joe. So here is the latest and greatest...
All of you know that Joe lost his job at the end of the year. After a few weeks of looking he ended the search. After much prayer and careful consideration...He and a friend are going in together to open their own place! We both have received confirmation that this is the right decision. It just feels so good knowing that we have Heavenly Father's support in this new adventure. People are just coming out of the woodwork offering their services to help out. They have been working really hard on getting a buisness plan together to present to some potential investors...which should be happening soon. I'm so proud of my husband! He is working so hard at this. They have found the general area that they would like to open up in, know the type of equipment that they want, and know that if they keep working hard that this dream will come true! It is going to be a pizza restaurant. And I know what you are thinking...another pizza place in the world? But from the sounds of it this place is going to be different. I cannot wait to see how it is going to pan out!

Thankful Thursday

2009-03-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

1. I'm thankful for the shoes that my sister is always buying for Zachary. Check out these old school Vans!

2. I wouldn't normally say this...but today I am thankful for my Citicards credit card. Why you ask? Because it got me presale Depeche Mode tickets today!!!! Yahooooooo! August 25th could not come any quicker.

Lazy Days

2009-03-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

The lazy days of summer are fast approaching. Soon we will be sitting on the porch on a warm day, a slight breeze a blowing, drinking our ice cold root beer...with a straw of course.

Oh wait! We did that this weekend!Zachary just needs to learn not to loose his straw in the bottle. Yeah for warmer weather!

What to do?

2009-03-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

The picture on the left was taken in December. And the picture on the right was taken last night. I'm amazed at how quickly it has grown!
His hair is getting so long that his cute curls are begining to fall out.

So what do you think....time for a hair cut?

Awwwww Yeeeeaaaah!!!

2009-03-10T10:54:00.001-07:00

Guess who is coming to town?! In-N-Out is opening locations in Draper, UT and American Fork, UT! Oh Boy Oh Boy!

Decisions

2009-03-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

My not-so-little boy is having his second birthday next month. We are undecided what theme we are going to go with if we do decide to have a little party for him. I found these cakes here that might help us with our decision.

We could go with the soccer theme. I think that Joe would lean more towards this one as he is convinced that we have a future soccer player on our hands.

Or we could go with the monkey theme. Which I think would be perfect considering he takes his monkey everywhere with him.

What do you guys think?

Create

2009-02-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share this with you guys....these are some wonderful words by President Uchtdorf. To download click here.

Depeche Mode

2009-02-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a HUGE Depeche Mode fan. I just found out that they are touring North America this year....and GUESS WHAT???? They are coming to the SLC!!!!! August 25th is now offically marked on my calendar. I'm so excited I might need to go breathe in a brown bag now.

Thankful Thursday

2009-02-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

1. I'm thankful for a husband that sends me romantical text messages throughout the day. It brightens my day. (Don't tell him I told you!)

2. I'm thankful to have a place to call home. I love our little house. I am thankful that I have a roof over my head and the heads of my family. These are hard times and I am thankful that we have a place to sleep, eat, and enjoy one another.

3. Along with being thankful for our home...I'm thankful for my job. Again with the economy I thank Heavenly Father each and everyday that I am employed. **Since people have been asking I'll update about Joe his employment shortly**

Snow Day

2009-02-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

We received a bit of snow today. And for the first time EVER I built a snowman!

Of course with the help of Joe and Zachary, I can finally cross this off of my "things to do before I die" list.

Joe putting the final touches on.

Stick 'em up!

Then we remembered that we had a sled in the garage that we found on the side of the road in Park City a few years ago. We pulled Zachary around and around the yard.

It was such a fun day!

Thankful Thursday

2009-02-12T09:26:00.001-08:00

1. I am especially thankful for straws. More specifically those bendy straws. Joe bought a huge package of them a couple of weeks ago. And if it wasn't for those bendy straws Zachary would not have gotten any fluids when he was sick. He refused to drink from any of his cups. I was worried that he wasn't getting enough liquids and Joe whipped out a straw and a cup. Zachary drank so much! This is now his preferred way to drink anything.

2. I'm thankful for the inspired leadership of the Church and for our ward/congregation. I know that these men and women receive guidance from our Heavenly Father.

I've Been Crafty

2009-02-11T10:03:00.001-08:00

I've been crafty the last couple of days. I don't have any V-day decorations and came across this here. It looked fairly easy to do...and it was! I think that the most important thing is that Joe loves it! Every time he walks by it he says, "That looks really good!" and that makes me feel really good.

They Just Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To

2009-02-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

When my parents were moving my Grandma into the nursing home several years ago we received the task of cleaning out her house. I think that she saved everything! We found magazines that were 20 years old, magazine clippings that were so old they had turned yellow, I could go on and on. But my treasure find was this Fisher Price record player. I'm sure that my cousins and sister remember it. I remember playing with this thing for hours at Grandma and Poppy's house when I was little. This thing has got to be at least 30 years old. I pulled it out a month or two ago for Zachary to play with. He LOVES it! Unfortunately, as of last night I could only find two of the four records that came with it. He carries the whole thing around the house with him. In fact we went to a neighbor's house for dinner on Sunday and he took it with him! This is the most undestructable toy I have ever seen...he bangs it against walls, drops if off of the coffee table, and pushes it across the floor. I wish that all of his toys would last as long as this one has....They just don't make toys like they used to.

Little 'Ol Me?

2009-02-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

I received a blog award! Yes little 'ol me! Many many thanks go out to Nikki for this! So....here are the rules:

Premio-Dardas: "This award 'acknowledges the values that every Blogger displays in their effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values with each message they write. Awards like this have been created with the intention of promoting community among Bloggers. It's a way to show appreciation and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web."

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who granted it to you, along with his/her blog link.

2. Pass the award to other blogs that you feel are worthy of this recognition. Remember to contact each of them to let them know they have been chosen as recipients.

1. My Aunt Kathy - I love her witty stories! Watch out...someday you will be reading one of her books!

2. Breanne - I feel like she emulates every aspect of this award.

3. Cristin - For letting us all into her "ordinary housewife" life.

CONGRATS TO ALL!

Thankful Thursday

2009-01-29T14:33:00.000-08:00

I haven't done a Thankful Thursday post is quite some time. So here ya go!

1. I'm thankful for this little guy and all of his excitement at discovering new things.

2. I'm thankful for an AWESOME camera that takes such great photos like this.

The Invisible Mother

2009-01-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

A friend emailed this to me today:

The Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm onthe phone?" Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic,when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals- we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built,and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkeyfor three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

I hope that none of us feel like the Invisible Mother! God knows us and the hard work that we put forth each and every day.

Family Nights

2009-01-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

When we were in St. George at the begining of the month we went to the LDS Distribution Center and I got the new Nursery Manual called Behold Your Little Ones. I've been wanting to get this since it came out. Since getting it we have had regular family home evenings. I never knew when a good time would be to start involving Zachary in our family nights. But I really felt inspired to get this manual and give it a try. When Joe was working he was working ALL of the time and our family nights were sporadic. Now that we have been having them regularly I feel more peace in our home. The lesson we used last night was definitely inspired. It was about prayer, and how to pray and thank our Father in Heaven for our blessings. Zachary used to fold his arms, close his eyes, and bow his head when we said prayer (at times he would even kneel with us)....but now he doesn't. Occasionally I'll open my eyes just a bit and he will be doing it but it doesn't happen very often. At first he wasn't really listening or paying attention. He was more focused on tickling myself or Joe. But by the end he quieted down and I feel that he was listening to me. This might be a lesson that we will do a few times.

I'm grateful for the Church and the literature that they publish for our benefit. I know that if I can teach Zachary out of this manual everything will be in line with the Lord's teachings. Let's just hope that he actually listens....

Yesterday

2009-01-22T12:05:00.000-08:00

I came home yesterday to find chairs and blankets forming a "fort" in the living room and Zachary in the kitchen wearing my apron. It put a smile on my face. Joe and Zachary had been playing all afternoon and Zachary was in the kitchen "helping" daddy make dinner. Although he mostly just wanted to bang the spoon on the floor, the fridge, the table, the stove, etc....

love love love my boys!