Mini-Me

This is what Will has been calling Jack as of late....can you see why? There are days when the resemblance is uncanny. Not only do Will and Jack share the famous gap and crystal blue eyes, they have many personality similarities. The photos below are evidence.

Life is a stage and every man needs a good costume. Yes, father and son share the same love of dressing up. Any day now, Jack will be performing skits with Will at church! Here is Jack in his "goggies" and "wartch!" Some days he wears his glasses all day.

This boy loves the pool - well, mostly he loves getting in and out of the pool. He loves water - playing in the sprinkler, bathtime, and splashing around in the backyard are among his favorite activities. He obviously got the Davis water gene.

This could only be the face of Will Davis' child....our little Irish boy.

To Market

Every Wednesday my parents load up their produce and sell it at the local Farmers Market. This year has been a great one - plenty of tomatoes, okra, squash, and onions. My Dad, the marketer, decided to also grow and sell flowers this year. Here are a few pics of the kids in the zinnia garden. Beautiful! Jack likes to sniff each flower, walk down the rows and name each color. Way to go, Doc and Mam!

We're Thankful For.....

....our Dad and husband Will on Father's Day. He preached an excellent sermon on "The Marks of a Fruitful Father" and truly lives out his exhortation to follow the guidelines given in Deuteronomy 6: 4-9. We had a nice time as a family on Sunday - church together, a special lunch, a long nap and a few hours of swimming! That's a perfect day in this house. The kids sported their "I Love Dad" pajamas and we gave him a framed picture of Jack and Jo in these pajamas with their handprints molded. Thanks to our Dads, Pops and Doc, for their unconditional love and support as well. We love you!

....our Davis family. On Saturday we joined the extended Davis-Tynan-Sweeney-Wendler gang for a family reunion in New Braunfels. Here is Jack with his Pops playing in the Comal River. By the end of our time at the get-together, Jack was soaked head to toe and wired from eating brownies and Dr. Pepper. (thanks to his Dad!) ....our cousin Connor. It was fun being with Sam and Shannon and their baby boy Connor who is a month younger than Josie. He has a fun, playful personality and is a real mover and shaker. Josie enjoyed pulling his hair and Jack enjoyed playing with all his toys!

...Will and Sam Davis, as they celebrated 31 years on Friday. We had a surprise party in San Antonio for the twins where many friends and family gathered to express their love and gratitude to these guys. Happy birthday guys - you are our heroes!

Good Times, Old Friends

Thanks to the Merricks who allowed our family to have a mini-vacation at their wonderful home last weekend. We got to keep little Andrew - who is not so little anymore. When we began working for the Merricks in 2001, Leslie was pregnant with Andrew, and four and a half years later, he is a buddy to our little Jack. It's hard for us to believe, but a definite blessing. Staying in their home is really like a vacation - swimming pool, huge backyard, sport court, spacious living areas and master suite!

We love the Merrick family and count them as some of our dearest friends. It will be our privilege to continue to be involved in their lives and watch our kids grow up together.

Nine Months In, Nine Months Out

Happy 9 months to our Josie-girl. We can't imagine our family without her! This month was a big one for her. She has learned to scoot quickly around the house and pull up to her knees. This new found mobility has come with some extra crying and bruises but she is quite proud of herself and tests her abilities all day. We hope we never forget what her little scoot looks like.....on her tummy with her left foot in the air, and her right foot pushing off to propel her forward. Her long arms reach out in front and pull the rest of her body. My prediction is that she will skip crawling all together - she loves to pull up and wants so badly to keep up with big brother. Her gummy grin gained a tooth this month and she has learned to eat finger foods which makes Jack very happy to share his fruit and veggie puffs! She babbles all day - ma ma, da da, ba ba and is quite the copycat. She copies us smacking our lips, sticking out our tongues (blue swimsuit pic) and waving. (pink swimsuit) I am excited to start baby signing with her! Right now her favorite games are peek-a-boo with the curtains (white dress) and pat-a-cake. It's so fun to see her initiate these games with us.

I thank God for knitting her in my womb for 9 months and for her 9 months of life here with us! She is a gift from Him and we treasure her life.

Man on a Mission

The psychological battle has begun. We had a nice run at successful persuasion - about 24 months to be exact. Our little boy is no longer interested in our suggestions but is a man on a mission....which usually includes something having to do with "outside," "pool," or Sesame Street. I wish I could read his mind as he watches me attempt to persuade him to fulfill my agenda for his day. He very kindly says "no" with his Texan twang and moves on to his next project. Here he is at the farm. While watering with Doc, he was determined to soak himself. Mission complete!
And don't worry - we don't always let him do what he wants. But how can you deny his love for water, outside and running around in the nude during a Texas summer!