This beautiful young lady...

broke my heart and turned sixteen yesterday.

It was also her golden birthday...I made her wear the traditional golden birthday accessories.

In addition to her birthday, she took the PSAT. Yeah, I wasn't too emotional today.

She wanted peppermint ice cream.

We are having a party next weekend, Hobbit-style.

My sweet girl

Wait, did you say 16 years?

Daddy's girl

I love you so much, Rach. You are a thing of beauty inside and out.

I am so proud of who you are becoming.

God bless you on your sweet sixteen.

Love, Mama

Punkin' Patch

Ever since the color orange started coming out (and around these parts that was in August - think UT football), Danny has been asking to go to the pumpkin patch. What with the weather being a tad warmer here than we are used to in the fall, we thought it would be a good idea to wait until after Rachel's birthday so the pumpkins wouldn't get squishy before it was time to carve them.

Well, to day was finally the day he has been waiting for...

PUMPKIN PATCH DAY!!

really?

The Davis head tilt

note the crazy girl in the background

As soon as we left Danny said, "Daddy, will you put eyes and a nose and a bog smiley face on my pumpkin tonight?"

Sorry buddy, gonna have to wait at least one more week for that.

We have a great book about the pumpkin patch that we have had ever since Zach was a toddler.

Very sweet, and Danny was referring to it the whole time we were there.

His favorite part is the "slimy pulp".

He saw the "farmer's house waaaaaay out in the country where there aren't even any stop signs.

He asked Scott if he was going to wrap up the insides in newspaper and put it in the garbage never to be seen again.

It's worth picking up if you see it when you are out and about.

Happy pumpkin-ing!

In which we are four

Today was Danny's fourth birthday.

It was a fun day from the start.

He woke up and said, "Today is finally my Happy Birthday! Yesssssss!"

We prepped for the party for part of the day, but what a party it was. 

All about Thomas the Train was the theme of the day.

Chugga chugga, choo-choo it was fun.

The cousins, new friends...awesome.

Rachel and her friend Lydia

Danny and his friend Patrick coloring train frames.

Whooo whooooooooo, make way for the train!

Too cute to not put this in

My how four years have flown.

Best. day. ever.

Waiting for the next train....

Lydia also happesns to be Danny's swim teacher

I'll call this one boys....and girls, a juxtaposition

The four year old cousins....just so sweet

Oh Danny boy, I love you all the way up to the moon......and back.

Happy Birthday my Cha-cha

Homecoming

My nephew, Travis, came home on leave yesterday.

He is stationed in Germany with the Unites States Air Force.

He was deployed for six months in Djibouti, Africa. In the summer.

We have not seen him in seven years, since before he graduated from high school.

You better believe that I was going to the airport when he came in.

The pictures are a little fuzzy (because I was using Scott's camera and don't know how to use it), but I'm post them anyway. I know you'll forgive me;)

This is my favorite. He has never met Danny. Danny wanted to introduce himself.

I know, you'd think I would have taken more pictures. I was trying to balance taking pictures and living in the moment and keeping track of Danny.

Travis left today for a vacation in Florida with his buddies. He comes back next week and we can't wait to get to visit with him and hear about all his adventures.

Travis, thank you for your service to our country. We love you buddy!

A different kind of fall

As much as I hate to see summer wave it's farewell, I have always loved the arrival of fall and all of its glory. It's a good thing this season is forced upon us, because I would remain forever a resident of summer. One of my favorite things about fall is unpacking the fall decorations. At our house, this is a pretty big day. The older Davises love the nostalgia that comes with the sights and smells as the boxes are opened. The youngest of our clan is simply excited with all things pumpkin-ish and, of course, loves to help find a special place for each treasured item.

This year's unpacking was, admittedly, bittersweet for me. Last year, when I was opening those special storage chests, enjoying the aroma of fall that come with the first crack of the lid, life was normal; well, Washington normal. We had no idea how much our lives were going to change in just two months, in fact, with the change of season. We were busy decorating with pumpkins and leaves, cutting beautiful fall colored berries off the trees, even getting ready for the wedding of a friend. Then the fall storm blew in. 

I am so grateful that my sweet friends affirmed my decision to decorate for Christmas early, on Thanksgiving weekend. It went against every bit of my liturgical year style, but I really wanted to make sure that everything got packed carefully. I also knew how fast we would need to be working and that if I didn't do it then, it wouldn't happen at all. So the fall decorations were packed away early, more carefully than usual. And up went Christmas, on the tail of the turkey. You will never know how much that helped me cope with the holiday weekend. 

Thanksgiving was usually a really hard time for me. I was always extremely homesick that weekend, knowing that my family was together. Last year, Scott was in Tennessee with them as he was interviewing for jobs. Ouch. The decorating was a much needed distraction.

So, when I opened those fall boxes this year, I was greeted with all the familiar sights and smells, and new plans for where all those treasures would find a place. But I was also greeted with a welcomed and unexpected happiness. This year the fall will find me celebrating with my family. The napkin rings will bear the names of those I hold most dear.  I have marveled at the fact that this season of my life, I would probably not have chosen willingly. Just as the Father wrestles me away from summer and thrusts me into fall, he wrestled me away from what I knew and loved, and thrust me into a different place that I also know and love.

A different kind of fall, indeed.