An Expectation. A Blessing

Lord willing, our family will be blessed with a new baby by the end of the year. Our little one's due date is December 20, 2011. Your prayers are coveted for a healthy, safe arrival of this blessing.

Random Pictures of My Monkeys

The children decorating their small Christmas trees.

Mercy dressed up in her princess costume. She loves this dress because she says it looks like the one that Taylor Swift wears in her Love Story video.

Lucy at Disneyland.

Joshua - a self portrait

More Picures from Oak Glen

The children posed in front of Willowbrook again this year.

And another cute picture.

After Willowbrook Apple Farm, we went over to Sno-Line to see if they had any Winesap apples to buy (they didn't). We did get some apple donuts to nibble on and they did have a few animals to pet. This llama really liked Jason, but didn't like pictures. Everytime I tried to get a picture of Lucy with the llama, it w0uld hide behind Jason and peek over his shoulder!

Oak Glen 2009

On Saturday we made our yearly trek out to Oak Glen. Before we went out I checked out the web sites and was disappointed to read that a late spring frost had wiped out most of this year's apple crop. We decided to go out and make the most of the day.

We started out at Law's Cafe for breakfast. They have a wonderful buffet that is served on the weekends through apple season. Their french toast is the best! They also offer eggs, bacon (Joshua says it is the best he ever tasted), potatoes, sausage, ham, freshly made cinammon rolls, pastries, apple butter, apple topping, fruit, home made salsa, waffles, and more I am probably forgetting. I wish I had a bigger stomach!

Next, we went to Willowbrook Farm to make cider. We always start out at the tasting table. They offer most of their products to sample. This year they offered their first batch of apple blossom honey. It was tasty!

Mercy and I found a pretty picture spot while waiting to make cider.

This was Lucy's first trip to Oak Glen. She really enjoyed being outdoors. It helped that it was a beautiful cool day.

Jason and Joshua were hanging out waiting to press cider. The owners and workers at Willowbrook are so friendly and helpful. They remembered us from past years & were happy to see our new addition.

Mercy posing for another picture.

Joshua and Jason worked hard turning the wheel for our gallon of cider. Mercy helped by throwing the apples in the grinder.

This is the cider being poured through the filter. There were a couple of bees that got into the cider while we were pressing it.

Our beautiful children!

We found this lovely pumpkin in the pumpkin patch.

Update

Well, it has been awhile since I have posted anything. It has been asked that I begin posting again, so I will try to keep you all up to date.

Sometimes I think that the only ones who read this are my Uncle Alex and Rosanne. But I think even if it is only the two of you, you are both worth the effort!

We enjoyed a beautful Fall day today. We don't get very many of those out here in Southern California. I am pretty sure that Redwood city gets nice Fall weather, and I am sure that Des Moines has perfect Autumn days. But we don't usually enjoy such days. There were even a few drops of rain this afternoon. And tonight has brought sweater weather!

We all recently were hit with the flu. I don't know if it was the H1N1 virus, but it was pretty bad. What made it worse was that all five of us came down with it. Little Lucy was so pitiful but she was a strong, brave girl through her first sickness. Praise God that we are all feeling better (besides this terrible cough I have).

In late August, we started home schooling again. Joshua is in fourth grade and Mercy is in Kindergarten (we are calling it year 1). Lucy sits on the floor and plays or talks (she sounds like a little Wookiee). It isn't as hard I thought it would be to school and take care of a baby. God is good.

We are looking forward to some Fall activities - apple picking, decorating the house with pumpkins & leaves, Joshua's birthday, Thanksgiving, and baking. I will keep you updated.

Laughing Lucille

Lucy at times finds anything that Joshua says or does hilarious.

The Blog Slacker is Back

I know I have been remiss in my postings of late, but I am back! Let's see... what has been happening in the Davis household?

We had our house painted in May. Besides it looking cleaner, you really can't tell as the color we picked looks the same as the color we had. The swatch we went off of looked darker. Oh well, we really did like the color we had.

Joshua's little league season is over. His team made it to the playoffs & finished second in his division. Mercy continues with gymnastics & Joshua with violin. They both have recently started swimming lessons. Also, Jason is playing softball & soccer. All this makes for a very busy family.

Officially, we are done with the 2008-2009 homeschool year. I have some subjects that we plan to work on throughout the summer. We are going through How to Teach Art to Children which will teach the 7 elements of art. We are also doing unit studies in geography and astronomy. Joshua will do math review (so as not to forget). And Jason and I will continue to teach Mercy to read. In the fall we will have a fourth grader & a kindergartener. Boy time flies!

And let's not forget the tiniest member of the family, Lucy! She is four months old and growing bigger everyday. She can roll, but she'd rather not. She drinks water from a sipper cup, but she usually spits it out. And she brings such joy to our home. Speaking of which, I must go attend to her. I will post more updates and pictures later.

Mercy is 5!

Mercy is now five years old.
Jason & I let her plan a special night out. We started out with her favorite pizza at Jojo's. After, we went to the Shoppes for an outdoor viewing of the movie Wallie. It drizzled a little throughout the movie but Joshua, Mercy & Jason stuck it out while Lucy & I sat in the car. Then it was off to the bookstore where Mercy asked that she and her brother each get to pick a book. We finished the night with hot cocoa at Starbucks.

It was a long night (we didn't get home until after 10pm), but it a fun night spent witth our little blessings.

This is a picture of Mercy wearing the dress that Grandpa Steve & Grandma Sandy gave her. She was so excited that the dress came with a matching dress for her doll that she insisted on putting it on right away!

Lucy: 8 Weeks

Lucy is now two months old! She is such a joy to have!

Lucy sleeps about 6-8 hours every night, but she is a cat-napper during the day. She is very alert. She will look at someone walk across the room, and try to turn her head all the way around to continue watching. She smiles, coos, & loves to swing.

Lucy in her Easter dress

On her way to her first egg hunt

Our happy little girl

Relaxing at the park

Please Pray For My Dad

I just got a call from my mom, telling me that my dad is in the hospital with an intestinal blockage. He went in sometime last night with what he thought was food poisoning. The doctors are treating it with medication but if that doesn't work he will need surgery.

Please pray that God would give the doctors wisdom in diagnosing and treating my dad, also that my dad would recover from this without the need for surgery. Pray also for my mom, that she would be comforted & strengthened in this trial.

My parents with the children

Three Little Kiddies

Jason & I took the children out for ice cream today and I was struck by the fact that we now have THREE children. As is often said, we are out-numbered! I am so thankful to God for these blessings. I am also thankful for the grace that He daily gives me to look after these little ones. And how I need it!

Joshua loves to hold Lucy, and he is always giving her kisses & rubbing her head. Lucy loves to look at her big brother, her eyes will follow him as he walks by & she tries to turn her little puff head all the way around to continue watching.

Mercy and Lucy have inherited my big cheeks. Poor little girls!

Mercy always wants to hold Lucy, she is always hugging, kissing, & putting her arm around her baby sister. Lucy does not usually like this attention, but this morning Lucy was smiling and cooing at Mercy's antics.

Life with Lucy is much more hectic. I am tired all the time, & my house is a mess (more so than usual). But life is also much fuller. When I see those three beautiful faces each morning, I thank God for His goodness.

Daddy's Girl

I love this picture! She loves loves her daddy!

In moments like this, I am overwhelmed with my love for Jason.
He is a wonderful, godly father & husband.
I am very blessed.

My Brother, the Officer

Last night, my brother graduated from the San Bernardino Sheriff's Law Enforcement Academy. He has been hired to work for the Claremont Police Department. I am very proud of my little brother! Whenever he sets his sights on something, he works hard to achieve it and doesn't give up. I really look up to him for that.
I have been praying that God would bless his career as a law enforcement officer, keeping him safe & humble in his duty.

Lucy @ 2 weeks!

Lucy is already 2 weeks old! We are so very thankful that God has been gracious to us in giving us this beautiful and healthy girl!

Lucy has been a very good baby. She is very alert, flashing us those pretty gray eyes. And she is very strong!

Prayer Request For My Cousin Joshua

Early this morning my cousin Joshua was in a car accident. He is now hospitalized and in an induced coma. His face hit the steering wheel of his truck on impact & most of his face, below his eyes, is broken. He also has severe lacerations on his head. The doctors did some preliminary tests and do not believe that there is any brain damage, but we will know for sure when he awakes. He will have to undergo several surgeries in the coming days to repair the damage.

My cousin is 21 years old. He has gone through some tough times in the past few years; the biggest being his father dying of cancer last year. Please pray for Joshua's recovery and that God would use this Providence for his good. Also pray for Joshua's mom, Yolanda and his sister, Amanda. Pray that the Lord would comfort them and use this to draw them to Himself.

Catherine Lucille Davis

Baby Lucy has arrived!

She was born February 22, 2009 at 8:21 pm.

She weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces, & was 20 inches long.

Getting ready to leave the hospital.

Our new family photo!

Rock Star Mercy

This is for you Uncle Alex!



I took this video this morning. Mercy is wearing what she calls a rock star outfit while singing and playing her "electric" guitar. The guitar was a Christmas gift from her Aunt Cathy and Uncle Isaac. I can't wait until they have children and I can buy loud obnoxious toys for them. But really, Mercy loves her guitar and often plays it and makes us lovely songs to go along.

Preparing For Baby

As we are counting down the days until we bring a newborn into our home for the third time, I have been re-reading some of my trusted baby books.

For pregnancy and delivery I have two favorite books. The first is What to Expect When You’re Expecting, it has been called a must-have book for parents to be, and I have found it very helpful through all of my pregnancies. The second book is The Whole Pregnancy Handbook, which is a guide that combines both conventional and alternative medicine. I just found this book during this pregnancy, and I have been very thankful for the advice on how to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery. The only thing that I don't like is that the spiritual or mind/body advice & testimonials in the the book are in no way Christian, but overall I recommend the book.

I have also re-read On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo, & Robert Bucknam. When Joshua was about 8 months old & still not sleeping through the night, a friend recommended Baby Wise to us. I read the book and immediately started using the techiniques in the book. That night Joshua slept through the night, it was hard at first, but it worked. With Mercy we started scheduling her from the beginning and she was sleeping for 7-8 hrs. through the night at about 8 weeks. Again, I don't agree with everything in the book, but it has worked for us. Also note that Gary Ezzo has some controversial teachings (parent-directed feeding) and many people disagree with his work and organization (Growing Kid's International).

I also have taken out my dog-eared and falling apart copy of The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby From Birth to Age Two by William & Martha Sears. I have used this book with both Joshua & Mercy. Again, Dr. Sears is a follower of attachment parenting (which can be considered the opposite of Gary Ezzo's methods) and I am not an adherent to that style of child rearing. I like to think that by using both Baby Wise and the Baby Book I get a good mix, and it has really worked for our family.

Grammy Betty

Tomorrow our family will be heading out to Victorville to attend the memorial service for Jason’s grandmother. Betty passed away suddenly on December 12th after a short hospital stay.

Betty was a beautiful, 81 year-old woman who stayed active through volunteer work and club memberships. She was a voracious reader who passed that love along in her volunteer work teaching literacy. She got around Victorville in her hip, green, Ford Mustang; going to chat group meetings and visiting friends.

Betty was a joy to converse with. I enjoyed chats at family gatherings, she always had a smile and would intersperse Yiddish words or sayings into the conversation.

I will never forget one of the first times I met her when Jason and I were still dating. We were eating dinner, and my meal came with a large piece of broccoli. I don’t eat broccoli. She kept raving about my broccoli. “What a beautiful piece of broccoli!” “Look at that piece of broccoli!” “I hope you are going to eat that broccoli.” Needless to say I choked down that broccoli! Jason and I still joke about that every time broccoli is served.

Betty had 5 children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Her loving spirit is missed by the many lives she touched.

Betty at her 80th Birthday Party, 2007

Eddie and Betty Simon, circa 1967