let every heart prepare Him room....

Like most people, I love Christmas.....so much hope, joy, and promise. But what I really love is the waiting and anticipation of Christmas. The word "advent" means coming, and there are so many teachable moments as we wait to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Every year we add something to our advent traditions. This is our 5th year to do the Jesse Advent tree, which traces the heritage of Christ by adding a symbol to the tree each day leading up to the birth of Christ. So far we have walked through creation, the first sin, Noah's ark, Abram's call, Isaac, Jacob's ladder, Joseph's coat, the Ten Commandments, the Promised Land, Ruth and Boaz, King David, Josiah, and the Stump of Jesse. It is so exciting to see how the stories and prophecies in the Old Testament lead to the baby Jesus being born in Bethlehem.
This year we added an advent candle wreath as the centerpiece on our table. It is a simple wreath with four candles around the circle. Then, in the middle is a big white candle. We light one candle a week on Sunday to remind us of the coming of Christ. The circle of the wreath reminds us that God's love is everlasting. The evergreen wreath symbolize the ongoing life and joy that the birth of Christ brings to the world. The lighting of the candles helps us to remember that Jesus said "I am the light of the world." John 8:12 On Christmas day we will light the big candle in the middle and sing happy birthday to our Savior!

Joy to the World!
The Lord is come.
Let Earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room....
And heaven and nature sing.

We are making room in our hearts for the baby Jesus this season.

good gifts

"Every good and perfect gift comes from above." James 1:17
This is one of the kid's ABC memory verses and it has been on my heart and mind so much this season. We had a thankful jar during the month of November and the kids loved talking about these "gifts." At dinner we wrote things we were thankful for on little strips of paper, then hung them as a garland in the dining room entryway. We thanked God for: His son Jesus, our church, Daddy, Mommy, grandparents, cousins, our house, the farm, food, the new fence, swings, Jack, Josie, Kate, Sam, good health, school, flowers,friends.
The kids and I loved our time at the farm for Thanksgiving. A full house of family - seven kids, ages six and under, good food, laughs, an Aggie win, and lots of cousin time. Aunt Kat and the kids made an adorable tablecloth and we had our meal in the new barn. We also were able to share a meal with one of our favorite friends.
Will spent Thanksgiving in Louisiana with his family. We missed him but the four siblings loved having their parents to themselves! They too had lots of laughs and shared good food and company.
We don't take for granted these good gifts from God.

God sighting

This past summer at our VBS, we were encouraging the kids to look for God in our days....in the smile of a friend, a kind word, or a hug.

It's humbling and awesome when you have a God sighting in your own home, talking to your son.

Jack recently had a bad fall that led to a bruised back. He needed a few days of home health visits, 3 doses of his iv factor meds, and a trip to the physical therapist. That would overwhelm most six year olds. Shoot, that would overwhelm most adults.
But when God made Jack, He didn't just make him with Hemophilia. He gave Jack extra doses of wisdom, courage, and sensitivity to the Spirit.
I was tucking Jack into bed one night after the fall. He seemed deep in thought, as he often does. He internalizes things so I am always ready to listen when he is ready to talk. He asked simply, "Mommy, did God want me to fall?" I told him that God never wants to harm us because He loves us so much....but that sometimes He allows us to fall. He smiled. And then, I saw God. My son ministered to me and said - "Mommy, God knows everything about me, and He knew I would fall! But He will always be with me."

I feel like God was speaking to me through my child....reminding me that He will be with Jack. Reminding me that He made Jack and knows him better than anyone, even me. I needed to hear God that day. I needed that God sighting. Thank you God for my son. Thank you God for making him, loving him, and never leaving him.

to know Jo.....

is to love Jo!
We are always finding new things to love about our 5 year old! She is truly one of a kind. She's just so easy to love. Here are my top five things to love about JoJo:
1. She puts others before herself - so kind and loving. She prays sincerely and has a genuine empathy toward others.
2. She is a great example to others and a leader among her peers. She is a great big sister to Kate and Sam!
3. She has her priorities in order. I love that she doesn't care about material things like clothes and toys. She is content and thankful for what she has.
4. She is so fun to be around! Her creativity and silliness make for fun days here at home. She is always creating new games and ideas for she and her siblings to play.
5. Josie's easygoing personality reminds me of her Daddy. Yes, they are kindred personalities! She might be the lowest maintenance little girl I have ever met and you can count on her to go with the flow.
Thank you Lord for our Josie!

kate update

Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts as we started a new adventure with Kate this school year. She is part of a program in GPISD called PICS to help her with receptive and expressive language and speech. It is a small class of 10 three and four year olds (she is the youngest) that meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Kate only goes on Tuesday mornings so she can be with us for Sonshine Club on Thursdays. The class is taught by a speech pathologist and has been wonderful for Kate. They sing, dance, read, play and work on all their speech objectives for two and half hours. She is always happy to go and happy to see us when we pick her up. She has received two report cards and shows progress in all 8 speech and language objectives. We are so proud of her! We praise God for the way He made our sweet, yet feisty little girl.

superdad

I want a send a shout out to Will, aka SuperDad around here.
He is our rock, and we would be lost without him.
This picture speaks volumes. We are so blessed that he comes home and eats lunch with us every day. We make a lot of memories in that small half hour. Here he is - playing "monster ball" with Jack, trying to eat his lunch, and being Josie's prisoner in her latest game of tag. Made me laugh when I looked out the kitchen window and saw him multi-tasking! This guy can do it all, and we do not take him for granted! Love you Will, Daddy, Da-da.

fenced in

When we moved into this house over three years ago, we knew that a new fence was in the future. We love our backyard and spend countless hours a day sporting, creating, and make-believing in it! This past summer it became evident that we must repair the fence for safety reasons. My awesome husband and our handy friend Mark gave the backyard a huge facelift a few weekends ago and transformed our backyard.
Thank you Will for giving up four days to make our home a more safe, fun place for the kids!
It's no surprise that, during our thankfulness time at dinner the other night, one of the kids said they were thankful for our new fence!

to everything there is a season....

"I'm going to miss baseball!"
These were Jack's words after Game 5 of the World Series. He was holding back the tears and sad to see it end. We all were. Sounds silly to many, I know. But the Rangers season meant so much to us this year. 162 games, and we missed maybe 2! It became a part of our daily schedule and routine. And it wasn't just Jack and Will who loved it. This Rangers team was a part of our family. You know it's important when your 3-year old little girl is chanting "do the claw" and your 5-year old girl can recite the batting lineup!
I am not idolizing these players. I know they are flawed just like all of us. But this was a great team, and I believe that God was honored by the way they played and treated each other. I also feel that we were given this gift of a great season during a very difficult season in our son's life. When Jack broke his arm in June, we were all devastated. I will never forget lying in the hospital for 3 days watching the Rangers with Jack. I will never forget waking him early to receive his factor medication here at home from a home health nurse. What did he want to watch to distract him while he was infused? Taped Rangers games. When we travelled to Colorado in July with my parents (who are also huge fans) we were worried that we would miss a few games because we were told the Rangers games were not televised in CO. Guess what? We watched the Rangers there every night as well! Sounds silly, but it's like the Rangers were playing for our family!
I don't know how to wrap up this season in words. I know a new baseball season will be starting soon (less than 90 days until pitchers and catchers report!) and we will be there opening day. But, I will never forget this Rangers team and what they meant to us. I will never forget the delight in my son's eyes when we won the pennant. I will never forget seeing my husband become like a little boy in his excitement. I will never forget the image of our kids' grandparents taking them to the ballpark to make a memory.
We will miss baseball!
See you soon, Rangers.

wordless wednesday

what's on Jack's mind...

Several people have been emailing me or calling to ask if Jack is excited about how the Rangers are doing....the answer is YES! He is thrilled that his team is making history. He made his goal of going to 20 games, and if they make it to the World Series he will make it to 21!
I noticed that, last week during the Tampa Bay series, he was writing in his journal at his desk. He was very serious and thoughtful. I remembered today to check it out. I think his writing speaks volumes about what is on his mind.
It reads, "Rangers! There 1st time in 11 years to the plaoffs the (they) beat the 1st two games in tampa. 13 teams in the AL and 15 teams in the NL."
He is so proud of his team, and so are we! Rangers forever!

faces of an 18-month old

At 18 months, Sam can really have a wide range of emotion in a matter of seconds!
Annoyed, mad, amused, happy, and content.....he is easy to love no matter the emotion. We can't believe he is 18 months. It is such a milestone for our little guy!

wordless wednesday

a room for Jack

Here is Jack's new space. He likes to retreat here to read, look at baseball cards, and set up his baseball game with his stuffed animals! It is such a cozy room! I slept in it recently when we had guests and was so comfortable.
The room change came at a perfect time for our big boy. He doesn't need rest anymore during the day, but since he is homeschooled M/W/F, he needed a place for his quiet time on those days. It is a small space, with room only for his red bed, reading chair, and red desk. It makes me smile that he is sleeping on my brother's old bunk bed!
I have been collecting baseball memorabilia for his baseball room. The canvas print of the Ballpark came from Target. The figure on his lamp is Yogi Berra, bought by my Dad in 1959 on a family trip to California. He has many signed baseballs on display on his dresser and many more in a jar on his dresser. His bedding came from Land of Nod. This room makes him happy, and us too!
It will be fun to watch him grow up in this special place...

room with a story

In August we started slowly changing bedrooms in our house. We decided that Jack needed his own space (he has always shared with Josie) and that Kate needed to move in with Josie, and into a big girl bed. Jack was clear about wanting a baseball room. The girls didn't have an opinion about decorating but liked my ideas for their shabby chic/vintage/family history room. I love that every piece in their room has a story. In fact, recently my Dad labeled the back of several things in their room so we will never forget. A few things to look for....
1. My Granny's quilt topper used as the curtain. She found this in Tennessee while at the Crockett reunion.
2. The antique bedspreads found in Clifton, TX. My Aunt Joyce and Mom are working on the girls handmade quilts (breathtaking!) but these bedspreads are so sweet and fun for the moment.
3. The framed quilt square made by my Dad's grandmother Ollie T. Pickett.
4. The framed rose pencil sketch by my Granny, Josephine Donaldson.
5. My favorite all-time piece of furniture - the old kitchen cabinet. This was in my bedroom growing up. Mom used this as a changing table for the three of us, then it became a desk/workstation for me. I have used it as a changing table for my baby girls and it will be fun to see what they use it for as they grow!
6. The framed certificate of my Granny's - given to her when she was promoted in the church education department in October 1932!
7. The ABC sampler made by Joan Davis, Will's mom, in 1973.
8. The small cowboy boots that I wore as a baby girl in San Saba, Texas.
9. My collection of antique plates from all over, mostly antique stores in Clifton. I love old plates, and was so excited to display them in the girls room!

The girls are really enjoying sharing a room, especially Kate. It means so much for them to be surrounded by pieces of their history.

planting seeds

I am always looking for ways to plant the seeds of God's word into the hearts of my kids. I have memories of my Mom singing scriptures with us and hanging the verses in the kitchen to help us remember what was really important. I am so thankful for this....these hidden verses have been the source of great strength in hard times. And now I have the chance to introduce my kids to the truth - such a great responsibility and joy! Here are a few things we are doing to hide God's word in our hearts...

1.ABC memory verses - these were given to me by a friend a few years back and have been fun and invaluable. I have finally found the best time to work on them each day. We read, sing, and memorize them at snack time each day. When each child comes downstairs after naptime, they grab a snack and sit down at our little table in the kitchen nook. They read and review then while they eat their snack. Then when they finish snack each kid recites as many as they can. I put their name on the back of the card they complete. We add at least one verse a week. They are doing great, and ask to do their "ABC verses" every day!

2. Seeds Family Worship - Our church is using this curriculum in children's church. For each lesson there is a memory verse put to song. We listen to the cd in the car. We started listening to the cd at the beginning of school and the kids have all memorized 12 songs - 12 scriptures! This has been life-changing for me as well. Car time is now meaningful and has eternal value. Can't beat that!

3. Awana - This ministry is in full swing at our church on Sunday nights. Jack is in his 2nd year of Sparks, Josie in her 2nd year of Cubbies, and Kate is in Puggles. All three classes teach God's word in fun, memorable ways. I am enjoying being one of the Cubbies teachers, and doing the lesson with Jack and Josie on Saturday mornings. They wear their vests with pride and I sew on the patches as they memorize the scripture each week. My hope and prayer is that these scriptures will be bound on my kids' hearts all their lives!

davis weekend

we were so blessed by our recent visit from pops, mimi, aunt tynan, and uncle sam!
they drove in for the weekend to celebrate josie's birthday, go to the rangers/yankees game, and eat mexican food! it was a special time together. the girls especially loved having "tyman" stay in their room. kate is still asking when she is coming back...
thanks for coming guys. we love you!

my tiny dancer

Kate has been watching Josie dance for two years now, and waiting for her chance.
She might be the cutest thing I have ever seen in a leotard!
Love my tiny dancer!

five years with Jo

Dear Josie,
We have been talking about this day for a long time. "When you're five, you will...."
And now it's here, and I can't believe it! Out of all of the kids, you seem to be growing up the fastest. I remember so vividly swaddling you as a baby (left thumb out!) and holding you close. I remember your big blue eyes and sweet little voice as you learned to talk. And now you're my little helper. You make Sam laugh, help Kate wash her hands, and root for Jack as he plays endless innings of baseball! You are like our family cheerleader!
At five years old, you are tall and have the longest legs! You still love to snuggle with your pink blankie and suck your left thumb. We started Tuesday school today with your friend Mia and you show all the signs of being ready to read! It's going to be a great school year with you.
I love being around you. You and I have had many special dates in the past year - going to plays, movies, ice cream, or shopping. You are such a joy to be around. You are so silly and love to make others laugh with made up jokes or movie lines. "Guess that movie line" is your favorite mealtime game. No one can stump you!
At five, you wear size 5 and some size 6 clothing. You wear size 11 or 12 shoes. You don't have an opinion about fashion yet, and it's kind of nice. I like that you like to play girly things, like dollhouse or dress-up, but can also hang with Jack in a game of catch, soccer or tag. Let's just say you are very well-rounded. This will serve you well through the years!
Some say you look like me, but I think you are so much prettier. And sweeter. And more joyful. Your cup is always half full, and you think the best of everyone in our family. I honestly wish I were more like you.
This year saw you completing your second year of dance, learning to swim totally independently, moving into a room with Kate, finishing preschool and moving into Homeschool 1, and making your first best girl friend, Mia.
Five looks great on you, and it's going to be the best year yet!
Happy birthday, Sis. I thank God for you.

Love you forever,
Mommy

Labor Day Va-cay

I could go on and on about our recent trip to San Antonio.
We took a birthday trip for the girls to the Westin La Cantera Resort.
We really enjoyed our family time - with our little family, as well as extended Davis fam. I think I will just let the pics tell the story.