2 Looks Good on You

I have loved Jack at every age but I think he is an extraordinary two-year old. Since he turned 2 in March, he is has become our big boy. He starts his little preschool program this Thursday and it has caused me to reflect on how he has grown up. We are already amazed by his talent, wit, and intelligence! We know that we have nothing to do with it so we thank and praise God for making him so unique and gifted.
Our days at home are fun and busy! Jack loves costumes, things that "go," going to church, "jumpey" on the couch, and reading Sesame Street books.
Some of our favorite Jack-isms:
1)He always asks for "help here."
2)No matter who he is talking to, he always answers with "yeah, Mom." Will says he sounds Jamaican.
3)"What's this thing?"
4)His new thing is to label everyone as a boy or girl. Each day he goes through the long list of people he knows - including every high school student in Will's youth group - and tells us if they are a boy or girl.
We think 2 looks good on Jack. Check out our favorite two-year old.

Shocked

This describes my mom's face when, last Thursday morning, she walked into our living room and there sat all three of her grandchildren in their pajamas. Wish I had a picture of her face as she tried to figure out how her Hawaiian baby was at the Little House in GP. (Don't worry, though, Mom, we do have it all on video.)
We have been referring to Clif and Kat's recent SURPRISE visit as the shock and awe tour of '06. Even though Will and I were in on the big surprise, this was by far the best family moment of the year.
We had a great week together at the farm....swimming, eating, playing, sleeping, visiting, shopping and more visiting. I think Jack will always remember his time with "Cway, Unc, and Kat." Josie and Clay will probably not remember their faux birthday party but they are destined to be best buddies. Will and I are thankful that Kat and Clif decided to spend this time with us and look forward to doing it again next year. Thanks to Doc and Mam for, once again, being the best hosts, child caregivers, and friends to their own children. The shock and awe tour story will be retold for years to come!

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

Little Miss Josephine has come a long way in 11 months. She is trying to grow up too fast...standing, cruising, climbing and communicating with those around her. Sometimes she forgets she's only 11 months old as she copycats her 2-year old brother Jack. She loves to blow kisses and wave to Will in the morning and give open mouth kisses to Mom and Jack! She tells me when she wants "more" of something or if she's "all done" by using sign language, and points to her mouth when she is ready to eat! Smart girl! New signs she has learned are "hat" and "hair," and you have to watch out or she will grab your hair as well! I wrote down her first word this past month - "night-night." She still smiles each night as I lay her down in her bed with her pink blankie. Some of her new favorites this month are: climbing stairs, dancing, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, touch and feel books, and drinking pool and bath water. Dislikes are: church nursery, (still!) vacuum cleaners, and being forced to wear a costume by Jack. Ready or not, first birthday, here we come!

No Boundaries

The sky is the limit for this 10, almost 11-month old. Suddenly she has no boundaries. Instead of following us around the house, she is blazing her own trail....and ending up in some unusual places. Her favorite getaway is the bathroom because of the ever-so-much fun toilet paper. Thank goodness for the toilet locks. She can also be found closed up in the closet - yes, she opens and closes doors - chewing on shoes or pulling Jack's clothes down. Today Jack and I found her in this little serving cart in our living room, just having a good ol' time. She had emptied the little tray of it's contents - blocks and frames, and climbed up in there. She was so proud, and so was I...after my heart skipped a beat.

NIMBY

Not in my backyard. Remember this phenomenon? Well, it is also happening right here at the LHIGP. If you've been here, you understand that being in our backyard is often, well, just plain annoying. On either side of us you will find the yappiest dogs. A few blocks down the street is the local firehouse that likes to set off the yappy dogs. And to top it off, both the Grand Prairie airport and DFW airport are so close we can hear many planes in flight. Anyway, haven't they heard of the sacred naptime each day between 9-11, then again from 2-4? I guess not. So, we have decided to bite the bullet and try to ignore the annoyances in our backyard. Each day Jack and I play outside from approximately 9:30-10:30 while Josie naps, and then we all try to play again right before dinner in our splash pool. This is the new hit of the Davis backyard. It has a slide that Jack attacks with exuberance and is covered with sprayers that cool off little Jo, and give her a daily portion of flouride. It is very shallow - perfect for our little girl who likes to crawl around and pull up to her knees. So, yappy dogs, firetrucks and planes...I dare you to try and ruin our summer in the backyard. I double-dog dare you. NIMBY.

Where's Will?

July was a busy month for Will. He had two great opportunities - one to serve with his youth group in Utah with Lifeline Community, and one to learn at Evangelism Explosion in Memphis. We missed him for those 2 1/2 weeks but he came home revitalized and excited about ministry. This past Sunday the youth shared about the mission trip and their testimonies brought tears to my eyes - they are forever changed by the ministry they had there to the Mormon population. When I become selfish about Will's time away, I need to remember those testimonies....
Thanks for all your prayers and support for our ministry and family.