Davis Country Adventures

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T21:10:00.001-08:00

Free digital greeting card made with Smilebox

Almost Yellowstone...

2010-11-14T21:32:00.000-08:00

Nate, the kids, and I went up to Idaho to visit my dad for his birthday and just get some Garling time in this month since we won't be coming up for Thanksgiving. What we didn't realize was that everyone had plans on Saturday when we went up to visit them, so we had to come up with Plan B. I suggested Yellowstone and after checking the weather and opening some web pages about how to have fun in Yellowstone with kids we took off.
With excitement we pulled into the City of West Yellowstone, and Nate commented it seemed really quiet on the streets, and as we drove up to the gates we figured out why: Yellowstone was CLOSED!...um, yeah, sorry kids...
Plan C:
So Nate pulled up to the the Grizzley Bear Wolf Discovery World which had signs that said "open all year" to get some information and have a potty break, and ended up staying the rest of the afternoon. For about the same cost of entering the state park we got up close and personal to some MASSIVE bears and chilling wild wolves. I would definately recommend the place to anyone who drives 2 hours to a famous state park with 3 kids and needs to come up with a backup plan. :o)

Did I mention we experienced a little bit of heaven on the drive up?

Nate and Snack J inside a Bear Trap!

Snack J inside a fancy Bear Trap

The weather was below freezing so this warming hut was a lifesaver.

Nate got an arm workout as Little C did not want to be put down,,,for 3 hours.

These wild wolves posed for this picture for me.

Well, Little C did go down on the ground for just a minute :o) We loved these floor to ceiling windows in the wolf center

The wolves were as interested in us as we were of them,,,perhaps more..wahahaha!

Don't I look delicious? This wolf thinks so.

We signed the kids up for Keeper Kids where they got to get some one on one with the Naturalist Trent. He was a little impressed when Sister Sue asked if bears were omnivores and Snack J pointed out the bears molars in this skull. (My kids learn stuff like that from PBS)

After the bears exited and unlocking 3 padlocks, they each got a bucket of apples, carrots, and bear chow to hide under logs and big rocks for the bears to find.

Little C still not ready to be put down...

The bears find the kids food under these logs, you should see them throw them out of the way!

The wolf center was so cool, the windows allowed you to get up and personal with these wild animals.

We lucked out cause the wolves all went into their den for some dinner so the keepers could set out some enrichment activities for them, aka bones and sauce for them to sniff out. This is the alpha female of the pack and she found a bone that she protected fiercely.

This was the alpha male of the pack of 5.

The kids found a wolf den and learned how pups lick their mother's face to ask it to regurgitate some mushy elk pie...yeah, Snack J has been saying that all day long today :o)

There was a great museum that had stuffed bears of all kinds, it was really impressive.

I thought these little bear cubs climbing this tree were too cute.

On the way home we drove out to Henry's Lake, a Davis vacation destination for generations. It started to snow on the way back to Grandma Garling's so we spent the night and headed home in the morning. Thanks for the cinnamon rolls Mom!

We made it out alive!

2010-10-03T22:32:00.000-07:00

I know you were worried, so I just wanted to let you know we're okay...:D
Wanna hear the story now?

Welllll, I took Snack J and Little C to a preschool fieldtrip to the corn maze on 1900 W. in West Haven called Pumpinaze. Snack J was all pumped about it because he just watched the Curious George Corn Maze episode. I
t started out pretty fun, I was confident that I could get us right to the exit because Nate and I went there last year and it was a breeze. Well, I guess Nate had a big part in the breeze thing, cause suddenly when he was out of the equation I couldn't figure it out.
Little C was just at the wrong height where the corn leaves hit him in the face when he walked so he refused, and I carried him the whole time. It got old real quick.
I think we were in that maze for only 45 minutes, but it honestly felt longer, and I was starting to imagine worse case senarios: both boys crying, refusing to walk another step and no one is left to come rescue us...
Well, it came reaaaaly close to that, my arms were burning from holding 30 lb Not-So-Little C, and Snack J saying over and over "I miss my dad and sister!"
Suddenly out of nowhere I turned a corner and there was the entrance I came in, Snack J and I ran to it with such excitement! The leaders of the fieldtrip were still there just about to leave,(they promised they wouldn't have left us) but we talked and decided next year that we'll exchange phone numbers before we go in the maze and we'll give each child a balloon with a long string they can hold up if we need help.
We did enjoy the corn pool treat dig, and the huge 2 story hay slide, but I really don't recommend Corn Mazes to mothers with no sense of direction, I probably bit off a little more that I could chew. But sometimes it's those experiences that build character...Right?!

Campin in the Uintah...

2010-09-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend I'd been getting my strength back slowly over the past 2 weeks and got a pretty clean bill of health from the Neurologist who just said give it some more time and expect to get better, which is great news after the scares from the other doctor. So I asked Nate if he'd take our family camping Friday/Saturday, which he so graciously did, a service of love, because I wouldn't be much help.
He took us up to the Uintahs and we camped near Cedar Hollow. It was beautiful and it was very relaxing and healing mentally to be up in the quaky aspens and pines.

Our first camping trip as a family with our truck/camper and horse trailer, it traveled well!

My favorite place to see horses: up in the aspens.

Baby C always ready to help

Usually Nate cooks when we camp, but I was excited to use the new kitchen!

Gotta love breakfast when camping.

Nate put together a teepee for the kids...What a dad!

The kids loved pretending to be Indians

Headin' back from the watering hole...

Baby C always up for a ride.

Sister Sue loved riding around the camp by herself.

Snack J found some leaves which we made into a Indian headress.

Baby C wishes he was big enough to actually ride this bike, he sat on it forever.

The horses performed well for us, thanks!

God Had A Miracle For Me!

2010-07-25T23:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been composing this blog post in my head for the past 2 weeks at all different stages, and I'm finally sitting down to share my story.

15 days ago at 4:30 in the morning I woke up with chills and aches and asked Nate to cuddle me,,,,it was soooo cold, I made him breakfast at 5:30 am and as we ate omelets I mused that I felt like a cold was coming on, everything hurt...

And that's how it started.

Nate came home that day to me curled up on the couch moaning that every muscle, bone, joint, and sinew, and all my skin, and hair follicles, and fingernails HURT to an exponential 100th degree of pain. This is definately NOT a cold. This had GOT to be the flu.

I rotated between the couch, my bed, and the porch swing for then next 3 days as my body rotated between chills, diaphoresis (excessive sweating), and what I guess you'd call body shakes. I had a massive head ache which I thought was a migraine, which felt like my brain was swelling to big for my skull. I had sharp stabbing pains behind each ear which were so intense I had to yell out, or scream, in pain. It progressed to where those stabbing pains happened each time I moved my head, or changed elevation like standing up.

The kids didn't know what to think about my hollering out in pain at random times. "What Mom?, what did I do? Why are you yelling at me? I didn't do anything!"

Although Nate offered to come home Monday and each day offered to stay home that week, I sent him to work. "We'll muddle through, just don't expect the dishes to get done today." That week was spent in what I call Survival Mode, only essential tasks were completed and the kids watched movies and played in the dirt as much as they wanted, endless hours of entertainment.

On Tuesday, my mom decided to come bring my 14 year old sister and some friends down to Lagoon. (They live in Idaho Falls). She called and left a message saying, "short notice but I'm on my way down your direction, hope to see you!" I almost cried as I listened to her voice, just an hour before I had be bemoaning that I wished my mom lived closer so she could come take care of me. I had not talked with her yet so she had no idea what state I was in. I considered this one of the first tender mercies of the Lord, who heard my complaints, and got my mom in my home when I needed her the most.

Looking back, many family and friends wanted to know why I didn't call them for help, but as I mentioned above, I thought I had the flu and didn't want to spread this around.

I got a hold of my mom and she came and took Snack J and Sister Sue to the movies, while Baby C and I took a much needed nap. Then when she got back she made supper for the family, did the dishes, swept the floor, picked up the front room, and rotated some laundry for me. She left that evening and I felt so loved, both by my mother and by a Father in Heaven who cared enough to get my mom down from Idaho to help me.

I started to have some symptoms that looking back should've been a red flag that this was not just the flu. Like my hands would go white and numb and sometimes feel like pins and needles (paresthesia), and my feet would too.and my muscles felt really weak, and then my neck went stiff, and my muscles down from my neck to my scapula went stiff.

Wednesday evening I had sent Nate and Sister Sue to go shopping for the camping trip and Snack J's birthday while we watched a movie, but when it came time to get them to bed my neck and head were so crazy in pain that I could only just let them lay in bed with me....then Baby C got a stinky diaper and the tears rolled down my face as I realized I couldn't move to go change him. Right about then at 9:45, Nate came home. I told him I couldn't move to change Baby C's diaper and he replied, "Do you want a blessing?" I immediately said yes, as the thought to ask him was in my mind, but I know that the Spirit prompted him to ask me. Nate does not offer to administer a blessing for the sick unless prompted by the Spirit of God. It is not something taken lightly. I reflected upon that as he called his brother Monty to come participate in the blessing, and the Spirit of God spoke to my heart clearly saying, "I have a miracle for you, are you ready to receive it?". I said yes, of course, but it's just the flu, right? and I was gently reminded that the Lord knows all, including what is plaguing me. He knows that I need help more that modern medicine can provide at this time, and this is the time that I need to receive it. Who am I to question the Lord's knowledge and timing? It really wasn't until this time that I even conceived the thought that I might have something other than the flu.

Monty came and the kids piled on the couch at 10:15 pm. The blessing was performed and the Spirit of God rested upon that messy front room like a thick warm blanket. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I felt God's awareness and love for me. I went to shake Monty's hand, who declined, not wanted to expose himself any more than necessary to whatever was making me sick, so I went to go hug Nate but the movement of the hug threw my neck and head into nasty spasmodic pains and I had to laugh for crying.

The next morning, as I lay in bed I recognized that the pressure was gone, my head no longer hurt. I just lay there appreciating the lack of pain in my body. My back muscles that were so sore resolved before lunch time, and I was able to help Snack J have a good birthday. I had been given a miracle. I had been given a miracle! Nate came home from work and said that he spoke with a doctor there who said that my symptoms sounded like encephelitis and that it may be from West Nile Virus. My head started spinning as I realized how the implications for not getting that head pressure resolved could have lead even to death. I just thought it was the flu. But God knows best.

There's more to this story, but I'm going to have to save it for another day, my body is spent, it's time to rest. Just know that God is aware of all of us, and loves us each dearly, and of course knows what's best for us.

Half Marathon Memories

2010-06-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

I don't have my pictures right handy, I will add them later, I just had to get out my experience before it fades into my not so good memory.
The half marathon I have trained for the last 3 months finally arrived on Memorial Day and it was a perfect day. No rain, wind, it wasn't freezing or too hot. Honestly couldn't have asked for better weather which was very rewarding after training 3 months in one of the wettest, coolest springs in a while, we ran many a run in snow, sleet, wind, rain, cold and only a couple in heat.
When I say we, I mean my running girls.  Danielle and Linnell.   Both of these girls came to my exercise group in the winter when I started contemplating the training and they both decided to join me. Neither had done it before but I convinced them it was doable. We didn't always run everytime together, just as our schedules would allow, but I usually ran with one or the other every week.
Having someone depending on you was a great motivating factor to getting all the runs in. I noticed I ran better with someone with me, and didn't talk myself out of finishing the run when they were with me during training. It was also great to get some consistent women time in, which is a very important factor in my well-being.
One last thing I must tell you is how supportive Nate was for this training, he would get off work early, put off going out to the farm, take the kids with him out to the farm, and even stay at the house until 9 am ON A SATURDAY.(A very big deal) while I did my long runs. I really appreciated it.

So back to the race:
We all drove together to the race and got there at 6:15 ish, and the race started at 6:45 am. Not nearly enough time to get all the way ready, I didn't even get to warm up, but that wasn't as big a deal as it would've for a short fast run. My nerves were pretty well in check, everything felt ok. I had trained with shin splints, but I wrapped them so much there was no chance for them to hurt. I was just happy to be there.

I was tying my shoes when the race started, my running partners were like:get up Charity the race has started!  So off we went and even though it felt like we were hardly moving I had a Garmin watch that tells you your pace and miles and fancy stuff, and we pretty much stayed under 10 min miles for the first 4 miles and then the low 10's for the next 3. It was the fastest we had run ever and I was starting to get some hip pain, by mile 7 it had progressed to shooting pains down my leg from my hip socket. I knew I needed to slow the pace down, not for my endurance or fatigue  but just for the pain in the hip.  My girls didn't want to leave me but I wanted them for sure to have the best race they could for themselves and sent them ahead.

It was difficult to keep myself at a good pace and not hurt my hip, but the watch helped. I kept singing zipidee doo dah in my head, and my old trusty classical piano recital piece that has stuck with me and I've used for many races.  I never hit the wall so to speak and felt good the whole time, the last couple miles got boring so I ran interval speeds to break it up, and it helped. I did get to see Nate's parents who waved from their suburban on mile 12 and that picked things up for me. Danielle called at mile 12.5 to see where I was and that helped too.

I finished not quite as strong as I wished, but I couldn't get my legs to go along with my heart. It was great to see my husband and kids and Susan and Eldon and my running partners and their families. It was so rewarding to finish a goal and strengthen friendships and feel so healthy. I had lost 23 lbs in the process of training and changing my diet and it felt great.

I wanted to run this race to jumpstart a new lifestyle and it worked. I have many other goals now that I wouldn't have imagined setting before this, it really is amazing how working hard to achieve a goal can help change your paradigm.

If you'd like to read this experience from my running partner Linnell's perspective, (who's humor and insight is quite refreshing) check out her entry on her blog: http://fowersfive.blogspot.com/2010/05/131-lessons-learned-today.html

Nate's Birthday Ride to Antelope Island

2010-05-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

Gratitude for Modern Medicine

2010-05-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

I needed to clean off the top of my fridge and decided I should put together a montage of the winter season
medicinal aides that assisted me in playing Dr. Mom to my family. I am so grateful for modern medicine which provides me with the ability to aleve pain and suffering of my children, (and my husband and I). Everything in this photo was utilized in the past few months. And here's to hoping that we can leave it in the cupboard for many months.

Down Time with the Fam...

2010-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

I just love days when nothing is going on, the TV is off and things just evolve...Nate lays down on the ground, Sissy Sue gets a mischevious grin as she picks up a couch pillow and before you know it every pillow in the house is being flung inbetween kids being tossed on the couches and mom is "safe", or the referee who keeps it fair and wipes away tears before throwing them back into the game.

Tag Teaming Dad

Ta Da! It's not easy standing on a moving balance beam!

Whew! After a day like this, you collapse as soon as you walk in the door.

This photo deserves a post of it's own...

2010-05-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Like father like son.

Nate got the biggest kick out of seeing Baby C do this because earlier that day at work
he had been teased about drinking so much milk.

Family Time in the Spring

2010-05-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

On a Monday in March I needed to squeeze in a run to prepare for the half marathon and Sissy Sue wanted to go on a ride so Nate decided he'd take the kids on horses and they would follow along with me while I jogged. I grabbed the camera as this would surely provide some Kodak moments I wouldn't want to miss... and I was right:)

Snack J decided that I needed someone to keep me company and that he would jog with me. So cute, he can be quite thoughtful and sweet when he's in the mood. So he jogged a solid .2 miles with me at a pretty good pace. It's fun running with kids, and I look forward to taking my kids on runs with me as they get older.

Since this was one of the first "rides" of the year, Nate ponied Copper to help her get back into the swing of things, it's nice to have a horse you can throw a kid up on and not be too concerned about them getting bucked off.

Baby C LOVES riding with Nate and also can point a cow faster than you can say cow...Allow him to illustrate: "Dad-MOOOOOOO!!!!"

Now, there is a bull in this same field that Nate likes to antagonize and it's quite a site to see: the bull snorting, belloring, kicking up dirt-it really got the kids attention. Just one of the many benefits to being married to a cow whisperer.

Well thank you Sunshine, someone's gotta smile for the camera ;o)

I was so tickled after the run, Nate had borrowed his brother Andy's tiller and got our garden ready for spring planting, the soil was so dark and rich, it was rewarding to see the difference from the first year we tilled up the grass for our garden 3 years ago. A few days later Nate and the kids planted peas, spinach, corn, and carrots. Nate's so good to let the kids participate in activities that probably would be easier to do by himself but he recognizes the value of teaching the children rewards of hard work.

As always Baby C was there to watch Nate's every move and give him some pointers, "Dad" point, "dad!" point.

Overall it was a fun evening, one that we enjoyed being together as a family.

too cute not to post...

2010-05-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

You know when it gets TOO quiet and it's time to go check on the littlelins... This is one of those moments....

What's funny is I have pics of all 3 of my kids washing up their masterpieces at this same age. I'll have to put that together for a different blog.

This is a diabetic friendly pie the kids and I put together for our neighbor whos father and favorite dog passed away. Sissy Sue and Snack J also made their famous fridge hanging cards.

Sissy Sue is famous for taking pictures of herself and everything else in the house, but this one I had to post, it was just too cute to pass up.

How best to use a box:

2010-05-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

The boys wanted to play Noah's Ark so we decided the blue tupperware box would be a good Ark and the lid would be the ramp.

I love how Baby C is right there with Snack J. They are pretty much inseparable, unless Nate is around, and then Baby C is right by his side, especially if a horse is involved.

Later that day I found Sissy Sue asleep in that same box.

Sissy Sue decided that it looked like a good cradle for the baby doll but Baby C thought someone needed to rock the baby to sleep. Sooo Sweeet.

betcha can't guess what he's saying right now...

A Trip to Idaho

2010-05-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

This is how my trip starts, with a sunset in Ammon, Idaho.

Where my parents live, up in the hills, with beautiful sunsets and sunrises, and I got to enjoy both.

I like to travel at night because the kids travel so much better.

This trip is to bring my baby supplies up to my brother Josh and his wife Rachel who are expecting their first baby, a boy. I won't be using them anytime soon, if at all anymore, and they are of better use with them, than in the shed.

In the morning Grandpa decides Snack J and Sissy Sue are old enough to flip Flap Jacks.

This photo is hilarious: It's the fascination on the boys' faces as Dad blows his nose. Grandpa totally ate it up. He then showed the boys how the hair that stopped growing on his head is now growing out of his ears. Snack J actually tugged on some of it....EWWWW!

Yes I finally made it to the baby shower. Sissy Sue came with me, and my sister Elisabeth watched the boys. She also ran 5 miles with me that morning, we ran up 21st street! It's quite an incline.

So anyway,,,This is Rachel, my newest sister in law, who I went to Hawaii to see marry my brother last June. It's been quite and eventful year! Check out my blogs of their wedding, it was the first time I had ever blogged.

Who are they looking at? Guess who just walked in....

Oh, look! It's Josh, just arrived back from signing on with the Army! Rachel announces to the group their family's newest adventure and her grandma replys how proud they are of Josh providing for his family and serving the country. Well said, Grandma!

Isn't this hand pieced quilt by Rachel's mom adorable!

Her mom was overcome with joy with the anticipation of the first grandchild.

I loved the decor: Nests with brown eggs all over the house.

It was well worth the trip, I'm glad I was able to make it.

Sissy Sue and I stopped in Rexburg, my old stopping grounds to see the new temple. So breathtaking.

It was getting dark, but Sissy Sue jumped out for a photo for me.

I planned on getting right back on the highway after driving past the temple but I "got lost", and ended up on the street the I used to pound day after day on the Ricks College Campus.

This sign has changed however...:o) new name.) I had to get a picture of Sissy Sue here, I'm hoping to be able to use it as a before/after picture in 13 years...Nate would just DIE.

Baby C had a hard time falling asleep in his different bed in Idaho, I was only able to get him to settle down when I found the ball he kept asking for. He snuggled up to this ball like you would a teddy bear. Cute boy.

How Davis does Disney....

2010-04-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

We knew Disneyland was not in the works this year so I decided last minute literally to take the kids to Disney Worlds of Fantasy on Ice in SLC. I was able to find some discount codes online so the whole family went for $49.00

There was a "Princess Pre Show" which ended up just being two princesses who took turns stepping out on this stage and waving, no personal photos. Do you know which princess this is? Uh, I don't know her name and haven't seen the movie yet, but she has something to do with a frog....

My kids wove their way to the front and we were able to catch this picture before the mob pushed us out of the way...I know this princess is Cinderella, cause that's what Sissy Sue says ;o)

They had the rest of the Princesses dresses on display.

Don't you just love Sissy's Sue's princess pose (oh dear)

The first story on ice was Cars. The boys got a kick out of this one...Gooooo Mater!

Nate and I got a kick out of how excited all the children were but especially Baby C who clapped and whooped and hollered with the best of us. He kept making sure Nate was seeing everything by pointing and shouting "dad! dad!"

This is the Lion King section. The lighting was amazing and they had great costumes and excellent skating skills!

The final story was Tinkerbell, don't know the name of the movie, but the first adventure where she discovers why she is a tinker fairy...Baby C was really good but got overstimulated and was done when the last show started, but I was able to go stand in an open stall area and watch and let him wander around.

The kids had a great time but the fun was tainted by the commercialism bombarded them at all angles. It's hard to not feel bad when your mom doesn't buy a 15 dollar snow cone...i know, I know, horrible mom.

Can't believe this snow cone with flashing lights and music, just kidding, no music but yes on the flashing lights! I'd rather have the kids experience this on a small scale that I didn't spend hundreds of dollars, so that I can teach them to not let it ruin their whole trip.

Love hanging with Dad

2010-04-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

Sissy Sue challenged Nate to a Tug-o-War to test out the new rope they made together.

Nate borrowed his Uncle Neil's old rope maker for Weblows.

Her brothers were quick to jump in and lend a hand...

I'll let you guess how this contest ended;o)

Sissy Sue spent the day with her dad one Saturday in March where she helped plant pepper plants with her Grandpa Davis and Nate helped build planter boxes. They planted about 30,000 pepper plants. It's been fun watching those plants take off. They're about 3 inches tall now (Apr. 18).

Snack J loves to ask Grandpa Davis for radishes which he grew in his greenhouse over the winter. But he doesn't like to eat them,,, too spicy!

Cousin Kaleb and his dad Monty showed up to hang out in the greenhouse with the gang. Baby C and Kaleb are only a month apart in age...

Can you guess which one is older?

Snowy Spring Surpise!

2010-03-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

Snack J found a brown and black catepiller

out by the chicken coop this morning in the snow. It was curled up and he wouldn't touch it so i carried it inside and we had a science preschool moment.

Baby C thought it was the cutest thing in the world and kept making "awwww, ohhhhhhhh" high pitched squeals.

After we made a habitat for the newest family member....

Snack J quickly found his magnifying glass to investigate.

(Gotta love Sid the Science Kid)

I have a ton more posts to do, but I'm saving them for a reward for cleaning my room, which has been doubling as a storage room since I disembled the office in my front room. Wish me luck!

Saturday morning long run!!!

2010-03-27T08:06:00.001-07:00

I just ran 5 miles this morning with Linnell. We kicked out 10 min. miles. What's cool is that I had so much fun talking with her that I felt like I could keep on going! I might just be able to handle this half marthon training after all! (We'll see if I say that on my 10 mile run ;o) I just bought new shoes from Peak Performance yesterday and they were great at fitting my feet, and determining what type of shoe I needed. The run this morning was like running on air. Can't beat that new pair of running shoe feeling! I had started to feel shin splints coming on, so I knew I couldn't postpone the purchase any longer. I did spend 90$ on a pair of asics stability shoes, more than I've every spent on shoes in my life, but still cheaper than a gym membership, and so far I'd have to say worth every penny.

I have to say one of the coolest things is to go running early in the morning as the sun rises, you feel at one with nature, it's like a little secret that most of the world doesn't get in on, because they're still in their beds. Of course I'm not doggin sleeping in, that's also one of the greatest things in the world, but every once in a while you got to try waking up early and getting out into nature. Thanks Linnell for showing up! I probably would have crawled back into bed if you wimped out, cause I was up most of the night with Snack J. But that's another story :o)

babies don't keep

2010-03-25T22:56:00.000-07:00

BABIES DON'T KEEP

Mother, oh Mother,
come shake out your cloth,

empty the dustpan,

poison the moth,

hang out the washing

and butter the bread,

sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house

is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery,

blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little

Boy Blue (lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping's not done

and there's nothing for stew

and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?

(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing

will wait till tomorrow,

for Children grow up,

as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs.

Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep......

~Author Unknown ~

2010-03-23T07:39:00.001-07:00

Is this working?
oh, awesome! I've got my mobile blogging service to work finally.
now I can text a blog entry whenever my kids say something cute
or post a picture taken from my cell directly to a post.
That's kewl.

Classic Book Review Charity Style...

2010-03-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

So I have discovered a new way to get my reading in while doing laundry, organizing, scrubbing the kitchen, and getting dinner ready: My MP3 player with free downloaded books from http://www.librivox.org/ . I chose to start with the above 3 books: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Wuthering Heights. It's been a couple weeks since I finished the Wuthering Heights, the last of the 3. I 've been pondering on them, and while there and many interesting morals, the outstanding theme for me in all three of them, for this reading, has been the manners and proper language of that time, early 1800's. All three books have the characters placed in the upper middle class. While none of them had proper titles such as Lord or Lady, they all had servents and did not participate in day to day household duties as meal prep, laundry (which is why we should be easy on ourselves when we can't get it all done, those really rich people have maids, cooks, gardeners, nannies) . One of the distiguishing differences between the servents and their masters,or upper and lower classes were their language and manner. The lower class had a coarseness about them, I just googled the definition of coarse manners and it was exactly what I was trying to say: Of low, common, or inferior quality. Lacking in delicacy or refinement: coarse manners. Now in America, the land of the free, there is not an official class system. There are divisions between rich and poor, but there are no laws keeping people in the place they were born. Everyone can choose how they act and speak. I feel that polite manners are becoming scarce, the type of language that shows refinement and thoughtfulness are becoming a thing of the past. It is pervasive in the media and communities. It doesn't mean we have to follow along, we can be make a change in ourselves against the tide of ignorance. I have made an effort to increase my thoughtfulness and politeness in speech and actions for the past two weeks. I have been surprised at how NOT natural it came. I tend to think of myself first instead of helping others first, and it takes concious effort to change. But that is the last point I wanted to bring out, is that we CAN change, that's what's so beautiful about this life and this country, we have the freedom to carve out our own lifestyle and increase our capability to acquire refined manners in action, thought and speech. (and do our own laundry, cook our own meals, raise our own children....;O)

Monday morning breakfast....POP QUIZ

2010-03-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

Sissy Sue decided to quiz Snack J this morning over scrambled eggs and toast.
What's your favorite number? --------TWO!!!!! Snack J yells triumphantly
What's your favorite letter?------------K!!!!! (yelling in similar fashion)
What's your favorite shape?-------------Oval!!!!! (2 hours later Snack J told me he changed that to octogon which has 8 sides
What's your favorite parallelogram?----------Uh, oh, ah, mmmm, I don't know.(phew, there's something left for me to teach my 3 year old ;o) Diamond I promped him...I hope that's a parallelogram, I'll have to google it....:o)
Sissy Sue promptly stated her favorite parallelogram is a rectangle.
Well I was so pleased with the stimulating conversation over breakfast this morning that I forgot to do gospel study, we'll have to try again for lunch time.

best ten minute break...worth the watch!

2010-03-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

You might have heard about this story, but I thought I would share it. Here is a link to her blog
http://stakerzxposed.blogspot.com/

Top o' the mornin' to ya!

2010-03-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

Well the energy of childrens' excitment is running wild in our home today as Sissy Sue, Snack J and Baby C,(who follows along with what all the older kids do...) are determined to catch the leprechaun running amuck at our house. Sissy Sue has been laying traps of green rice krispy treats and graham crackers to catch him, and is in awe when they disapear, (I'm sure Baby C has nothing to do with this ;o)

The leprachaun left a clue in the fridge when I started lunch and it took the kids on a treasure hunt throughout the house, he must have been able to hide the clues when the kids where playing on the swings. (I'm having Sissy Sue teach Baby C how to swing on his belly as I taught her and Snack J, there is a learning curve to it though....)

The eggs, milk, butter, apple juice and rice krispies all magically turned green this morning! Sissy Sue is thoroughly enjoying this task of catching our leprechaun and no one has noticed that my finger tips are slowing turning green.

The leprechaun strikes early at the Davis home!

2010-03-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Couldn't wait, I love this holiday! The noodles were cooked in green water to give a greenish hue...

Made this chocolate/chocolate pudding cake with green whipped topping for a friend...It was too cute to keep! I got the leftovers anyways, which is almost too much to keep in the house anyway, the kids will like it for a bedtime treat. Can't wait to see what the mischevious leprachauns will do in the night...Last year they made the toilet water green. LOL, things get a little crazy at this house on St. Patty's Day.

Girls Night Out Again!

2010-03-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the Kanesville Relief Society Birthday Dinner and Nate was a sport and took the kids with him to fix a leak at the clinic so I could go to this dinner. It was decorated like a wedding reception, and the theme was The Emma Awards (in honor of Emma Smith). They pulled the dark pink floor mats from the entry of the doors and created a red carpet row for the recipients of the awards to walk down, and then they had a host, a group of presenters, and awardees received a bottle of Mrs. Butterworths syrup all fancied up. It was a delightful evening and I got to sit with two of my great friends: Shannon Smellie on my right, and Danielle Rasmussen on my left.
I just wanted to take a second and share why I love these two gals so much: Starting with Shannon: She has the best attitude! She is a great example to me in so many ways, she's a great friend to so many people, she is outgoing and kind even when it's difficult to break through people's outer shell, she keeps trying and gives people the benefit of a doubt. She is frugal and an amazing deal shopper and knows how to decorate on a dime but her house looks fabulous. She has been coming to my exercise group for well over a year now, I can always count on her to come if she can, and she always puts in a good word for me to help get more people to come. I treasure her strong testimoney, it has helped me many times in our numerous conversations. She has a 6 year old girl, 4 year old boy, and twin 1 year old girls. She kept her sanity and wits about her during the first year(of twins) with such strength I admired her constantly at her ability to take it all in stride without complaining. And finally this gal had twins and looks like a teenager who has never been through childbirth ever. Girl you rock your jeans and I think that is sooo cool, I want to be like you soon!
OK, now onto Danielle, who for those who have listened to me try to explain "My new friend who wants to run with me!" you finally get to see a picture of her! Isn't she darling! I got to know Danielle in a couple ways as she and I volunteer for our kindergarten child's classroom. Her 5 year old boy is in Sister Sue's class and then Danielle started coming to my exercise class. I absolutely love every chance I get to hang out with Danielle, she is so down to earth and real, she holds no pretenses about her, and she has one of the kindest spirits I have ever had the pleasure to be around, I don't know how to explain it but she is constantly letting all the crazy things I say and do just roll right off her back and she doesn't let it ruffle her feathers so to speak (at least not around me and I haven't caught on to it yet:o) She is willing to try new things that I offer her, but not afraid to tell me no too, which is good because i wouldn't offer for her to do things with me as much if I wasn't sure she would tell me the truth of whether or not she wanted to do it. Does that make sense? Anyway Danielle is running the Syracuse Half Marathon with me on the Memorial Day(Now it's in print no backing out! I'm saying that to me not her;o) and I can't even tell you how excited I am to have someone want to run with me. Our schedules don't always mesh, but we're working on it! thanks for coming tonight Danielle! It's great to see friends all dressed up once in a while. I'm sure everyone had to double take when they saw my hair not in a ponytail and I put eyeshadow on! What a fun evening.

Cute Baby C

2010-03-11T21:46:00.000-08:00

Baby C is so happy to be growing up so fast. He can climb on anything. Just tonight he pulled himself up the ladder to the top of the bunk bed,,, with the bottom rung of the ladder missing. Uh, oh, I thought, I've always heard of babies getting on top of fridges (Anna), but never dreamed I would have one of my own. We always discouraged Snack J and Sister Sue from climbing, but when I saw how Snack J couldn't climb in tumbling class, we decided we'd better just let nature take it's course....famous last words....YIKES!

After several bouts of bronchiolitis this cold season, the doctor decided to put him on a 6 week inhalent Pulmacort twice daily. Luckily he's been a fairly good sport about it, but we prefer to give it to him when he's asleep and less likely to be so helpful.

Nate's decided Baby C is old enough to learn how to follow him around the yard, including when the horses are out. Today Nate watched Baby C while I went jogging and the other kids were napping, and Nate trimmed the horses hooves at the same time. Nate said Baby C and he have come to an understanding when I left for the 12 hours and drove up to Idaho for girls night out with anna and melissa this past weekend. Baby C will follow Nate's directions. It's quite similar to training a dog: Sit, Stay, Come. Nate said Baby C does really well with those orders when he sits Brownie dog next to Baby C and tells them both the commands. Baby C will do what Browning dog does. What a funny, smart dad :o)

I can't remember if Baby C was pointing out the geese flying in or T-Bone that just whinnied over yonder, but I just love the look on Nate's face, totally responding to Baby C's communication of pointing and baby talk.

Baby C kept petting and stroking Copper and cooing Good Dog over and over. He insists on sitting on the horses every time Nate lets them out to graze in the yard.

So what does Baby C love to do as he wanders around the yard while Nate trims the horses hooves? Why pick up clods of dried up horse manure and break it apart!!! That's just what a mom loves to come home to after a relaxing run: Finding her baby playing with poop. Well, at least he stayed entertained, and the clods were dry so it wasn't too messy. Gotta love the country!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes Tim The Toolman Taylor Style...

2010-03-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

Can you just hear that manly grunt?!
Cottage Cheese Pancakes is a Davis Favorite which requires beating egg whites to soft peaks

But my egg beaters broke a few months ago and I have lost my hand whip. So Nate went out

to the garage and grabbed the power tool and slipped in a mini whip I used for mixing hot chocolate.

It worked great, but I had to laugh at my Tim Allen.

The pancakes turned out delicious!

Snack J reminds me of a baby bird in a nest with his beak squacking for more!

We had run out of pancakes but Baby C was "squacking" for more so Nate tore up some bread and poured syrup on it. Nate is a master in the art of distraction.

the recipe:

beat 4 egg whites to soft peaks set aside

mix 4 egg yolks with 1 cup cottage cheese and 1/2 cup flour and pinch of salt

fold in the egg whites

Back to Red Head!

2010-03-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

It was Girls Night Out with two sisters Anna and Melissa and I decided that it was time to try something never done before: dye my hair! I have claimed myself a red head all my life, but as the children have come, my hair has lost it's red and gave way to brown. I have tried highlights but my husband says he misses the red head he married. So my sister Anna is an expert at dying her own hair offered to help me with a temporary dye.

We were quite tired, it was 12:30 am, at Melissa's house, but it was fun!

It turned out pretty good! It was fun, but should wash out within 8 washes.

Is it spring or winter?

2010-03-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

Snack J and Baby C enjoying the first mud soup of the year and I enjoyed stripping them down to their skivvies and throwing their clothes in the washer and them in the tub.

The next day it snowed and the boys were out enjoyed the snow shortly after breakfast.

The kids love jumping on dad right when he gets home.

Snack J'isms

2010-02-28T22:59:00.000-08:00

I have to share with the world the intricate workings of a 3 year old's mind: Snack J is a most comical child who's perception of the world never ceases to amaze me. Here are this weeks top picks:

Upon Granny Sue asking Snack J if he comes to her house only to eat her food, Snack J responds " Yes. But I can't drive yet so I bring my dad along."
We have furry brown coat for Baby C and Snack J (from Grammy Garling) and Snack J likes to pretend that they are bears when they wear them. They were both wearing them in the car on the way to the doctor's on Monday and Baby C fell asleep in his carseat and Snack J said:"Look Mom! He's hibernating."(kinda big word for a 3 year old!)
Sister Sue spilled my valentine flowers and Snack J hollered out the door to Nate who was working with the horses saying "Dad (sister Sue) spilled the flowers' pollen all over the floor!" Another science concept he must have picked up from PBS kids....
Nate was chiding Snack J for jumping on the couch and he said matter of factly: "Dad I have to jump on the couch-we don't have a trampoline!"
We have a Wii Fit Plus and Snack J is really good at the snowball fight, boxing, and making new Mii's. So while I was making lunch I let him play with it and he came in the kitchen SOOO excited. He apparently had stumbled upon the section that lets you choose a picture of a food you want to burn off. He shouted "Look Mom!! There's CANDY on the Wii Fit! I KNEW it was healthy! Wahoo!!!!"

To Gag or Not to Gag? Do you dare find out?

2010-02-28T22:36:00.000-08:00

So remember Bountiful Baskets and how excited I was to introduce new veggies to my kids? Well, I decided for Sunday dinner we would try the squash. Snack J threw a fit with me even putting it on his plate and would not stop fussing over it. We told him it had to stay on his plate and he had to try 1 bite, but Nate could see we were not winning, or maybe because he has had a similar childhood memory.... So he suggested that those who eat their squash get a popsicle. Sister Sue sucked that right up and started pounding hers down saying in loud exclamations how good it was. Well Snack J got so far as to lick it, but then couldn't be outdone by Sister Sue he started to take little bites and drinking water between them. I was sitting right next to him and saw him involuntarily gag on a couple of the bites but he kept it down and didn't say anything to me about it, but kept at it. I had to cover my face and pretend to cough to cover my laughter because his sheer determination and drive to get the popsicle despite the formidible task was hysterical.

Yeah I did it!He posed for this picture, he didn't really take a bite this big!

Nate knew that Baby C would not be so motivated to eat the squash not understanding the reward system that was set in place. And he was right. He pulled the funniest faces every time it accidentaly got in his mouth.

Sister Sue wanted to show off her press on nails she got for her birthday.

Super Nate saves dinner!

Snack J loved his star shaped purple popsicle. What a kid!

Birthday Party Davis Style!

2010-02-28T21:23:00.001-08:00

Nate moved the castle to the front yard and I decorated it with balloons and crepe paper to celebrate Sister Sue's Sixth Birthday princess party.
We decided to forgo the horse rides this year, but the girls made clips for the the horse's mane with curling ribbon and bows which they got to put on by themselves. Sister Sue took a birthday lap around the yard and gave all the girls high fives. Nate had the girls stand along the flat bed trailer, which eliminated the risk of girls getting in the way of horse feet.

I bought a pinata for the first time ever at dilly dally's for 7 bucks, and spent 4 bucks on candy. At wal-mart the cheapest pinata started at 15 dollars without candy, so I'd say definately worth the money not making my own, which was I felt like I should do if I was truely frugal. Gotta love that look of determination on Sister Sue as she wacks the fairy princess. That song "things that make you go hmmmmm" enters my mind...

I told Sister Sue I didn't think I could make a princess cake, and she was devestated. I made cupcakes for the girls to frost and decorate themselves and decided to use the rest of the batter to make a small round cake, I put the decorations together with stuff left over from the loot bags and I think it turned out pretty. One girl asked me if I made that cake(as if she had never known someone to not buy a birthday cake before). Well, Sister Sue was happy and she still can't figure out where I got that Cinderella center (off an old toy she hasn't played with in years)

Notice the flowers in the top picture... Nate had them delivered to Sister Sue's Kindergarten class on Friday. The teachers were so suprised. I was there volunterring so I got to see the whole thing live. It was pretty cool to hear the secretary call to the classroom to announce the special delivery. She was so excited. I brought Dora Popscicles to pass around for her class. It was a hit. definately recommend it. cupcakes just end up in the garbage after the icing is licked off.

Sister Sue got this adorable hat and purse from her cousin Morgen. She also got so many fun toys and dolls and gadgets, all her dreams and wishes came true she said.

I got this high school musical dance mat at Kid to Kid for 3.99. It's like a souped up simon says with lights and music. The boys love it! My friend Shannon brought her girl's 2 dance mats for the party and we had a dance off. Really noisy and confusing, but the idea was good.

I got this princess dance video at the dollar store and it turned out to be a great idea. Nate borrowed his brother's projector and this video tell the rest of the story!

I think that the dollar store (honks) is the most amazing place to stock up for a party. I had not paid attention before to all the supplies they offer. It was really awesome, I got princess themed hats, invites, napkins, plates, tablecloth, blowers, balloons, crepe paper, pin the horn on the unicorn, the list goes on and on...

Mother's Intuition or God's Inspiration?

2010-02-28T20:03:00.000-08:00

Well, the answer is given by changing the OR to Through: Mother's Intuition Through God's Inspiration. On Friday I had an experience that strengthened my testimoney of God's love for his children through small and simple whisperings of the Spirit to my spirit. I had a feeling I needed to get Baby C in to see the doctor on Friday. I spent half the day questioning myself. See Baby C has been stuggling the past 8 weeks with bronchiolitis. He's had RSV at least 2 times as an infant and as a result I've noticed every simple cold ends up in his chest and he's wheezing like an old man, and the snap crackle pop of the bronchiolitis has become a common sound at our house. We've bought our own nebulizer and have a large supply of Albuterol. So on this Friday morning he wasn't wheezing, coughing, he seemed well over his cold from the week before, and he was running all over the place like a happy child, but when he woke up from his nap at noon he woke up with a fever 102.6 and it seemed like the cold had come back with a vengence. Nate come home for work early and I told him this didn't seem like a new cold fever, and that I needed to take him in to see Dr. Eberhard, our pediatrician. They fit me in at 3:30 and by that time the Tylonol had kicked in and he seemed fine again, following Nate all over the back yard and I felt pretty foolish for bringing this happy child into the doctor, but I had a peace come over me that this was the right thing to do so I pressed forward. The doctor had seen me Monday for Snack J who had walking Pneumonia and here I was on Friday with Baby C, and he listened to his chest briefly and said he has bronchiolitis and we were to put him on a inhaled steroid via nebulizer 2 times a day for the next 6 weeks. OK, I thought well at least the trip wasn't in vain, (I always hate when you pay to hear the doctor say it's just a virus wait it out) But I felt that there was more and so I asked him outright, "so no pneumonia?, would you mind listening to his back?" So he did, mostly to humor me, I'm sure, and said he couldn't hear anything. He said we could do chest x-rays, but I was like, if you don't think like he has pneumonia then let's not worry about it. So he typed up his note and prescription and as a parting thought he said, "if you want to do chest x-rays we can, i have time..." so I said "let's do it" and I still felt like a fool taking this happy go lucky smiling child up to radiology. I've never had a child take chest ray before, and my kids have had pneumonia at least 5 times between the 3 of them. When Dr. Eberhard looked at the x-ray he shook his head and said "it's a good thing we did this x-ray." He showed me the large area of the left lung where he was supposed to see the outline of the heart but couldn't due to the infection. I rejoiced right there and then, my eyes smarted with tears. I knew God's grace had been bestowed upon my little family today. He inspired me to take Baby C to the doctor, and when I felt silly for pushing my doctor and questioning his judgement, God inspired my doctor to listen to me and recommend a course of action he wouldn't normally recommend(he said he usually waits for 2-3 days of fever before getting chest x-rays. That night Baby C got really sick and has been really sick. Nate and I barely got a couple hours of sleep between the 2 of us, but it was reasurring to know that z-pack antibiotic was on board and we did what was needed. We were able to keep him out the hospital and between Nate and I were able to tag team to get ready for Sister Sue's birthday party. I truely felt grateful for God's gift of Mother's Intuition this weekend.

Bountiful Baskets

2010-02-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

www.bountifulbaskets.org

Bountiful Baskets is a food Co-op that provides a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables for great prices. You don't choose what you want, you get what you get, and I like that cause it forces me to introduce new stuff to my kids, and learn how to incorporate it into my meals. Pictured below is what I got from my basket purchase on Saturday, it ended up being 33 lbs which equals 50 cents a lb. (16.50$Flat rate every week) What a Deal! The contents are as follows: yams, brown asian pears, squash, grape tomatoes, cameo apples, brocolli, Romaine lettuce, celery, bananas, blood oranges, pummellos (sweet grapefruit like fruit), baby peeled carrots. This will last our family 2 weeks. I might need to pick up some more bananas. Oh, and every time the baskets are different.

Why is Snack J making applesauce in February? Well, by the end of the day, I was starting to question it myself! However I was not able to put up enough applesauce in the fall due to time limits, with the starting of school...ect...ect and every time I had to buy applesauce at full price at the grocery store, I got upset, therefore when Bountiful Baskets offered a box of Granny Smith's at .46c/lb. I had to jump. I wasn't even able to sign up in my city, because I signed up too late, but drove my 3 kids at 7:30 in the morning to Uintah to pick it up, determined as I was to stop paying full price for applesauce, and homemade is so much better!

I ended up making 7 jars and decided to dry the rest, utilizing my pampered chef apple peeler corer slicer and newish dehydrator they are soooo good!

I took a gamble and tried out the Bountiful Baskets 9 grain bread. The reviews were great, and I am so glad I did. It comes in a set of 5 loaves, for 10$. The bread has a sweet honey taste and is slightly chewy, not dry! (Which is what most store wheat breads tend to be, IMHO)

I was hoping a closeup would help you see how moist the bread is, but I'm afraid you'll just have to believe me, or come over for a slice!

Week in Review

2010-02-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

Nate took Snack J and Sister Sue on a hunt: for Gator the Crocodile, Mark's new pet. Mark, Nate's brother has been telling Snack J and Sister Sue all about his new crocodile he found at his house he just bought and is remodeling. So after lunch on Saturday, we loaded the kids up and drove over there to introduce the kids to Gator, who's name kept bothering Snack J:"Gator is an aligator, not a crocodile!" Nate had the kids look all around the yard, look in the bushes while calling out for Gator. He showed them the tub in the front yard that Gator had taken a bite out, then he told them that Gator must be sunbathing in the front yard and there he was. A stuffed Crocodile that Mark had found in the house he was gutting out, and is currently employed as Marks guard dog.

Baby C cheezes every time he sees a camera.

Nate lets Sister Sue have a hand at the hair cut while he waits for me to finish bathing the boys after their hair cut. (she's using the buzzer combs that are too large to cut)

Baby C insists on helping Nate with all jobs which involve farm equipment and animals.

Baby C and Ruby(Elisa Hardy's baby) play together at my exercise group. She has been leading boot camp style workouts and we've been loving and hating it! More on that later.

Snack J's Haircut...

2010-02-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

Nate decided Snack J needed either a haircut or a dog tag. So he took matters into his own hands and solved the problem himself. I wanted you to see how good Nate is with the kids, he's a natural at the art of distraction. If you checked out the Hardware Ranch Post you'll see what Nate is having Snack J talk about.

Hardware Ranch: Valentine's Day Weekend Trip

2010-02-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

Last week while riding around the backyard on the horses, Snack J said:"Dad I don't want to ride in the backyard, I want to go see the elk!" Of course nate and I smiled big, as Snack J always amazes us with how much he takes in at such a young age and Nate said, "Well, I don't know about taking the horses, but we can take you to go see the elk" And as I type this, I realize that is how we ended up at Dinosaur Park last month: Snack J's idea. This kid's got an amazing power of suggestion. I need to tell him more about Hawaii! :o)

We just bought a Dogde Intrepid 2000 which i'm so excited about not having a car payment,getting better gas mileage and fitting all 3 car seats in without slamming the doors closed.

So anyway: last Sunday we drove the Trapper's Loop, North Ogden Canyon Loop to try it out. We saw 2 moose up by Snow basin and on this trip we saw a bald eagle and 3 white tail deer on the drive, and the lodge where you buy the tickets for the elk wagon ride had a small museum....another museum and my kids loved it! I've got several animal encyclopedia styled books for the kids and they pour over them everyday, so the kids were very excited to get up close and personal with the pictures they look at daily.

Baby C needs to be signed on by Baby Gap Modeling agency, IMHO, but I'm just the mom.

I love the sign below this bobcat: Please do not touch, I BITE!

I was so excited I caught these facial expressions on the kids as they trepidiciously (is that a word?) came face to face with the skins of animals they talk about (and smell) all the time.

When we saw the moose at Snowbasin last week, Snack J couldn't quite see them at his angle in the car, despite Nate turning around the car trying several times to try and help him, so desperately he wanted to see them, so we made a big deal about Snack J being able to get face to face with this moose.

Look Mom, There's Elk Poop!!!!

Gotta love 3 year old enthusiasm.

And gotta love 3 year old obstinance: "No I don't want to look at the camera!"

Well I thought I cropped clipped and zoomed, but apparently it didn't work. Here are the 3 deer we saw on the way home. What, you can't see them? Come on...Look harder!

On the way home Nate asked if we wanted to go out to dinner in Logan, Of Course! So on the Friday before Valentine's we walked right into Copper Mill right before 5 pm with all 3 kids. We lucked out with our waiter who looked about our age, he let us order off the lunch menu and he brought out the kids meals FAST. The kids were so well behaved, we actually were able to enjoy ourselves. We ate at the copper mill for 25 Dollars for the whole family! We can hardly do that at Arby's anymore, well, since they introduced their dollar menu it' s a little easier... And as we walked out the line had begun to form to get into the restaurant. Good timing.

P.S. Nate got me a gift card to Deseret Book and a beautiful bouqet of flowers on Sunday. Okay, so maybe I did give him a suggestion, but I'm so excited to go pick out whatever I want. Many a pleasant thought this past week has been spent deciding what I should get with my gift card. I got Nate another remote for the Wii. So we can now play Wii tennis together, on the same team of course, we don't want to be throwing the remotes at each other :o)

Dinosaur Park

2010-02-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

On an No School Day, in January, when the day was a Balmy 45 degrees I decided to give in to Snack J's endless requests to go to Dinosaur Park. I justified that since I was saving money not going up to visit my family in Idaho, for a reason I can't remember anymore,,,really, that I could spend a fraction of that and do a spontaneous trip to the park. I had free tickets somewhere, but have been so disorganized that I knew I would spend half the day trying to find them and miss the opportunity to seize the day. So I just paid full price. Which you have to know is NOT easy for me to do, enough for me to make a big point of telling everyone on my blog! P.S. I finally found the free tickets like a week later, luckily for Snack J who is already back to demanding we go back, at least 3 times a week.
I even splurged and rented the wagon, which was so great to take in the whole park, my double stroller was underneath snow somewhere in the back yard. I love this shot, it reminds me of 3 ducks in a row, waddle, waddle, quack quack.:o)

uh, mom, why am I sitting on this thing?

We were the only ones in the park, I guess not too many people think Dinosaur Park in January, but really, i'd rather stomp around in the snow than be beat down by the summer heat. I think 45 degrees is a perfect temperature.

Now Sister Sue has never seen Karate Kid, but she sure knows how to strike a pose! We had a great time, and my children made me proud as I took them through the inside museum. They looked at each display with awe and asked a ton of questions. I'm glad to be raising museum loving children. I think that respecting and learning about history is vital to our freedom and museums help bring history to life.

Winter adventures

2010-02-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

Well no one can accuse the davis family of wasting precious winter days,,, at least not very often. And cheering as a family for the Olympics definately counts as bonding time, except when we're hollering at Baby C for turning off the t.v. and running. The rain we've had this week has made me wistful for more winter fun, so I decided I better record some of the adventures we've enjoyed together this winter...

The Garling grandkids got together for New Year's weekend and we were so glad for 4wd GMC Yukon to get us up the Garling driveway in Ammon, ID. The kids and adults enjoyed a spontaneous sledding party down the driveway,(most things with the Garlings are spontaneous!)

We brought up our dogs for the trip, Gracie and Brownie, and the cousins enjoyed them thoroughly....

The cousins enjoyed facefulls of snow....

Even grandma and grandpa came out to join in the fun! Sorry Baby C for the pink hat...did I mention this was a spontaneous sledding party???

And finally to embrace all that snow Nate took Jack and some cousins out the next morning to build a Cool Tall Tall Tall Snowman. He made it to face the house so we all got to enjoy it from the big windows of the garling house.

So now back to West Haven, where we had a cold snap in December/January that Nate decided to take full advantage. A man with a dream sets out to make....an ice skating rink in our front yard. Now this is not an easy undertaking, it takes tenacity and questionable sanity spending HOURS out in sub freezing conditions into the late hours of the night grooming and spraying fine misted spray over and over which inevitably ends up on Nate, freezing his coveralls solid... but here are the results, many dear memories made and Nate gets to pass on his childhood passions along to his children.

I have to put stacking hay as a fond winter activity this year, the boys sure loved helping their dad every step of the way, even when the sun went down, they played in the back of the Yukon and eventually Baby C submitted to the sleep gods...

Time Out for Women 2010!

2010-02-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

I got to go to Time Out For Women in Ogden this year with Kim Keeler and Aimee Morrison.

I had such a great time. My oil lamp feels like it got filled to the brim. Now I just need to keep it filled! We got to hear from John Bytheway,Chieko Okazaki! "You never run out of smiles, greetings, prayer", Amanda Dickson (KSL Radio)"Is dissapointment really that bad? Don't be so scared of it! God knew we were going to mess up and provided a way to make it all better, so get out of your comfort box and hope for high things, During tough times we long for people to tell us 'everything is going to be O.K.' because we know deep in our heart that these words are true and we like to be reminded of this truth." Emily Freeman"When you don't have enough faith there is always Hope", Mariama (African Holocaust survivor)"I watched my parents be shot to death, my brother's arms were cut off and he died, I was forced to watch my sister be raped and her legs cut off and she died. I was all alone, but God had a plan for me. I found the church, we were given a humanitarian kit which I shared with over 25 women, when I was called to serve a mission at temple square we toured the Humanitarian Center where I saw where the kits came from and I just sobbed. Your little efforts in providing these kits gave me hope that there was good left in the world." Mercy River, a women trio performed amazing music and so did Jenny Oaks Baker who was awe-inspiring on her violin, she held me in rapture listening to her intensity and interpretation of music.

On Saturday we sat 2 rows behind a favorite musical artist of mine: Hilary Weeks. I started to freak out when I realized it was her and Kim took me up to meet her, get her autograph and give her a hug. It was awesome, except that I blubbered like a baby. It was really embarresing. Her music helped me through some of the darkest moments of my life and helped me celebrate some of the happiest moments too. So thinking about how much her music has been a part of my life for the past 10 years just made me so emotional, plus I was at TOFW where we were already experiencing eye leaks as it was....!

Here are a couple of links to a couple of articles written about the event. They share the stories much better than I just did, and give them justice.
http://www.mormontimes.com/people_news/people_church/?linkTrack=mtEmail&id=13208

http://www.mormontimes.com/people_news/people_church/?linkTrack=mtEmail&id=13218

Christmas 2009

2010-01-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

Little C always willing to drop everything for a picture, "tcheeeeeeze"

Santa brought Little Sue her dolly! Snack J is trying to take it all in.

dancin' on the beach

2009-06-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

slide show of photo shoot, enjoy!

2009-06-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

twooo wuvvv, aahhhhh

2009-06-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot from the Thursday evening photo shoot at the Hawaiian Village, Hilton, they had this staircase designed for bridal pictures and they took advantage of it! Josh and Rachel

Thursday, June 4th 2009 in Hawaii

2009-06-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

I learned at the pineapple plantation the it takes 18 months to grow pineapples, and that's why Hawaii is such a great place to grow them because they have warm weather year round.

So during the Waimea Valley botanical garden walk it was so lush and breathtaking to feel the warm humid air, see the green foliage, hear the birds throughout the forest, and lucky for me it was a paved 3/4 mile trail so it wasn't a big deal to tote the baby along. We were surprised at the top of the hike when we reached the waterfall with a pond at the bottom of it to find lifeguards with a rack of lifejackets and bodyboards. They were free and they had an infant lifejacket with head piece for my baby so I stripped him down and got ready myself in the changing room they had conveniently, and I sat my baby down on the board and he was soooo good he just sat there and let me paddle him across the pond to the waterfall, and we sat underneath the waterfall. It was once in a lifetime for sure! My baby just kept trying to catch his breath with the cold water splashing on him but he didn't cry, I didn't make him stay very long and he almost dry before I made it back to shore, cause it was so warm. I'll never forget it, it was quite a memory for a mom of 3 young kids to be able to go do. Oh, the pond water was like 70 degrees F. So it wasn't like freezing cold, don't worry I'm not that mean of a mom!

At Waimea Bay, North Shore, in the picture you'll see Josh and Adam, they are just walking back from that big rock in the background where they jumped off like 30 feet. They're crazy, but it looked fun. I was going to go jump off a smaller rock height but never got around to it. Josh and Adam went snorkeling and baby C discovered that he likes the taste of salt water beach sand and he would grab handfuls of it and smash it into his mouth faster than I could stop him and he would mutter MMMMM, MMMMM, MMMMM, like it was the best thing he'd ever tasted. Needless to say, I didn't get much beach time after that day, except Sunday, when I held him the whole time and just walked along the shore looking for shells. So when it was my turn to try snorkeling, which Josh borrowed his roommates gear for us, Josh watched baby C, (thanks!) and Adam and I went out, it was my first time and it was kinda tricky cause the water got choppy, I accidently swallowed a mouthful of water and it made me throw up, gross! Besides that though, it was amazing, and I saw so many colorful fish and the highlight was within the first 10 minutes of snorkeling I saw a large sea turtle, like the size of my trunk, swim right under me. I pointed it out to Adam who thought I saw a shark cause I was freaking out so much! He dove down and grabbed the turtle's shells with both hands and held on for like 5 seconds before his hands slipped off the slimy shell. It was surreal. The turtle just glided around the water to gracefully. What an amazing day.

Hawaii Tour with Josh

2009-06-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

We are in Hawaii to come to my brother Josh's wedding. He got married in the Kona Temple on June 6th. The temple on Oahu was closed for renevations. So we island hopped over to Kona for the day on Saturday, but stayed on Oahu for the duration of the trip. This is where Josh lived for 3 months, less than a mile from my friend Elba's house. He sold security systems. Rachel and Josh had met country dancing in Rexburg, ID, before Josh came to Hawaii. Rachel had made plans to come to Hawaii before she knew Josh was here, and she was a caretaker for an older lady. She was on the same island, about an hour drive from Josh. When they found out they were going to be on the same island, Josh and Rachel would talk into the night getting to know one another via phone, until Rachel came to Hawaii. After a short courtship and deciding that since their direction and goals in life were similar, they decided to get married (and they loved each other ;o). It's been a rollercoaster of events ever since, but when Elba invited me to stay with her, and Adam decided to come with me, I decided to make the committment and go to the wedding,,, in Hawaii!!

Rachel had busy getting ready for the big day stuff Thursday and Friday so Josh gave Adam and I an insiders tour of Hawaii, it was a dream come true...he still had his car so he drove us around and he also had food so he took care of breakfasts and lunches for us. I ended up spending only 45 dollars in food for the entire trip Wednesday through Monday morning! Is that crazy or what!

Oh, detail to make the above paragraph make more sense...Josh and Rachel decided to move back to the mainland, Twin Falls, ID after their honemoon on Kona, so Josh sold his car Friday night, and had to get rid of his kitchen food by then too.

So Thursday Josh took Adam, my baby, and I to go to the Dole pineapple plantation, beautiful waterfall hike through a botanical garden, Waimea Beach on North Shore snorkeling, and awesome crazy snowcones with icecream, japanese red beans soaked in sugar, and sweetened condensed milk. All that before heading back to the hotel where Rachel and her parents and sisters were staying along with Ted and Kaylee for a photo shoot on the beach with Rachel in her wedding dress and dinner at Tony Roma's. It was a busy day....Can you say Jet lag??!!!

We made it!

2009-06-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

This is Elba, who Adam and I stayed with in Hawaii, with her friend who helped drive us from the airport to Waikiki beach, (because Elba drove her Miata to the airport ;o ) Incidentally, we flew from LA to Hawaii on the same flight, but were unable to sit next to each other. Elba lives in a gated community in a home across the street from the ocean on a private beach, it was sooo peaceful and beautiful. She was such a gracious host and I didn't get to spend nearly enough time with her. (Guess I'll have to come visit again!!!)

Hawaii

2009-06-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Hawaii for my brother's wedding. I got to travel with my brother Adam who is 25. I brought my baby who is 9 months old along for the ride. I could not have done the trip without Adam! He was a lifesaver, I just hope he'll still come around after spending 24-7 with me for almost 6 days straight!