Seven Sweet Years

Travis and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary the 28th (Monday) with two hours with NO KIDS!

Travis's sister, Holly, graciously and bravely took the four kids out to eat at a kid-friendly place, while Travis and I dined at a "grown-up" place. THANK YOU, HOLLY!

Outback Steakhouse provided a quiet atmosphere and good food for Travis and I to catch up on some much-needed one-on-one time over. We talked about our dreams together and shared in the excitement of the fact we are living some of those dreams now! I just liked sitting, uninterrupted, listening to Travis and looking into his pretty brown eyes...

We had a hearty chuckle before we went to bed that night. Travis had given me the nicest card when he greeted me for our date earlier. My "card" to Travis was a note written on a piece of shopping list paper I left on the bathroom vanity for him to see before going to work.

I asked Travis, "Travis. Tell me the truth. Did you buy my card today?"

Travis looked at me kind of panicky, but then (when he saw I was smiling), said seriously, "Yes. I had to do it today, because I was too busy yesterday."

I laughed and laughed and he looked at me kind of funny.

"What!?" he asked.

"Do you realize what you just admitted?" I asked, still laughing.

"What?" he asked again.

"You admitted you wait until the day before, anyway!"

"He busted out laughing, but then said, "Seriously, I am just so busy right now, it was the first chance I had to get you one."

I said, "Oh, Honey, I TOTALLY understand! That's why your card was a note written on a shopping list!"

We were too tired for any honeymoon-type behavior that night, but we had a great laugh with each other. We went to bed exhausted, but in the security of a wonderful, strong marriage that will only continue to grow in depth.

I love you, Travis!

Jumpin' Jillie Beans! She's 2!

Miss Jillian embraced the princess treatment she got for her birthday today! She's two now and loving it!

Her morning started with a breakfast date with JUST Daddy at the donut shop. What little lady doesn't feel like a princess when shes on a date!

Princesses have to have lots of pretty clothes, too, you know. She unwrapped box after box of the CUTEST clothes everyone gifted her with. She received a quilt that matches Madalynn's that will go on her new "big girl" bed. We're going to get her a new twin mattress set tomorrow. Thank you so much grandma's, grandpa's, aunts and uncles for the wonderful gifts.

Jillian tried on a few of her pretty outfits on before she lost interest in being our modeling entertainment!

Homemade cake and ice cream came next. A pretty pink princess cake paired with Grandma Rader's WONDERFUL homemade vanilla ice cream was a nice before-nap treat. She requested big bro Justis to blow the candles out, but made double sure she experienced what frosted hands feel like.

Two years old meant Jillian got to go to a new Sunday class at church tonight. Dawson accompanied her to her new class. She felt like big stuff and they had lots of fun together.

We enjoyed a very special meal after church at Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, complete with two HUGE pieces of cheesecake we all shared.

Jillian didn't put up much of a fuss at bedtime. The birthday girl was plum worn out!

Sweet dreams and happy birthday Jillie Pearl!

Davis/Leach Reunion

Watersliding, ATV riding, clay shooting, archery shooting and eating meals together brings a family closer! Those things are exactly what we did July 3-6 at Living Waters Christian Ranch/Resort Center in Olsburg, KS, right outside of Manhattan!

Sleeping arrangements were a treat for the whole family. Scott, Cheryl and Holly volunteered to keep ALL 4 kids in their cabin, so Travis and I had a nice hotel-like room all to ourselves.

Girls of ALL ages can ride ATVs, too! Phyllis (Travis's maternal grandmother), Great-Aunt Bev, Rebecca and Holly (Travis's sisters), Cheryl (his mom) and I took tour over the rolling hills along and overlooking Tuttle Creek Reservoir. The wildflowers were beautiful, and I have to give Phyllis and Aunt Bev the good sport award, as they pulled on a helmet and got through some very tricky terrain on their Arctic Cats. You go, girls!

Travis's dad spanked Travis and our brother-in-law, Seth, at clay shooting contest. Go, Scott!

Living Waters overlooks Tuttle Creek Reservoir, so we went down to the rocky shore to light fireworks. Scott, Seth and Travis entertained the kids and us ladies by shooting off pretty fireworks for us all to see. The sparklers were a hit with the kids, as usual.

We got the royal tour from Mr. Allan, the ranch owner/director on the "people mover" a "vehicle" he retrofitted out of an old automobile. Holly rented a pontoon boat and Travis, Seth and Travis's uncle Brad all took the kids out for a ride.

We saw Travis's Aunt Rhonda, her husband and four kids; his grandma, Phyllis, his great-aunt Bev and her husband Dave; and some friends from Wichita, the Dexter family. Playing, relaxing and eating together as a family was so fun.

I would probably have to say, however, that the most fun the kids, Travis, and I had was probably the WATERSLIDE! I have enough to devote a whole blog to that tomorrow...so more on that later.

Holly coordinated the whole shebang (including food) and she did a fantastic job. I told her I can't wait until next year's "reunion!" Thanks, Holly!

Justis is 6!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Justis! We had a wild and busy day, which matches the personality of our wild and busy Justis.

We went and picked Aunt Holly (Travis's sister) up from the Baton Rouge airport this morning and then drove an hour to Travis's office so Justis could have ALONE with Daddy. Justis chose Subway and he and Daddy had a great lunch together while we girls and Dawson ate Chinese at another restaraunt.

Our WILD time happened when we picked Justis back up and made a "quick run" to Sam's Club in New Orleans. Our quick run turned into a 2-hour ordeal because the van key fell off my keychain. After both Holly and I scoured Sams and the parking lot, the back of the van, the shopping cart we used and under the van several times, I finally found the key under the van and behind the tire.

I fixed Justis exactly what he wanted for supper the "squishy" meat (baked bone-in ham), macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy and strawberries. He blew six candles out on his birthday cake only after he noticed Travis (whom was joking with Justis) had only put five candles on the cake. Like father, like son!

A remote control Wall-E robot and a pair of Incredible Hulk "boxing gloves" and Hulk short set from the grandparents were a hit! The new boom box we got him is currently playing his first CD, The Beach Boys' Greatest Hits.

Justis has matured in personality and smarts this last year. He has a memory that never fails him and shows signs of a budding engineer or architect. He finds out how everything works and then explains it to whomever will listen. His favorite activities are loading and busting water balloons and any other activity that involves the backyard water hose. He sat down at the table for supper last night and informed us all that "Air Force One is the President's airplane, and it's the biggest airplane, because it's the President's." Jeopardy, here comes Justis!

Miss Piggy (Tails)

Jillian got the royal hair treatment when we were in Kansas for vacation, a hair cut by Great-Aunt Vicki (Travis's aunt) and styling by Aunt Laci!

Aunt Laci (my sister) has always had the knack of doing hair and, since she doesn't have little girls of her own, she always loves doing Jillian's when we see her. Jillian loves getting her hair "pretty" (as she calls it) by Aunt Laci. She sits still on her lap #1, because it's not Mom, and #2, because she knows the outcome will look "pretty." Laci managed to get her tight curly 'fro into two round little pig tails that matched her little round cheeks. Those piggy tails were too cute!

Great-Aunt Vicki has always cut hair, and she generously offered to give Jillian a hair cut. I was so relieved she offered. I'm not going to take her tight-curly hair to just anyone to get cut, so her hair had only been slightly trimmed once (by me). Vicki has years of experience cutting hair and it showed. Jillian stood on a folding chair out on the driveway, while Aunt Vicki carefully and patiently trimmed. Her hair looks so much healthier and shapely now! I told Vicki Jillian would probably not get another hair cut until we came back to Wichita!

The last picture is Miss Piggy the morning after having piggy tails!

Goofing, Golfing and Goats: Our time in Ulysses!

The kids and I had a relaxing and fun visit with my parents, my sister, and her sons in Ulysses when we visited Kansas. My favorite thing about going home is good ol' small town fun.

To clarify for you "city folk," small town fun doesn't include a shopping mall, concerts, multiple activities going on during one day, etc. Ulysses has fewer than 10,000 residents, didn't get a McDonald's until I was a sophomore in high school and still has a main street movie theater with one screen, and the nearest Wal Mart is still 1 hour away! Ulysses summer fun includes the local swimming pool, 4-H and the county fair, summer recreation leagues and golfing. Most importantly, you make your own fun! ;) Some farmers' kids don't have time to do any of that, because they're busy helping on the farm!

We didn't miss out on any of the small-town fun while we were in Ulysses!

Water was a theme of our stay in Ulysses. Mom and Dad have a pool they put up when the grandkids come. They were in and out of that pool about 5-10 times every day, and when they weren't in the pool (and sometimes when they were) they played with the water guns and water balloons. Dad and I took the kids swimming at the local pool (where I lifeguarded for a job through high school and some of college) and they loved it.

Taking a trip to the golf course to drive the golf cart is always a must when we visit grandma and grandpa Chadd. Mom and Dad gave us a behind-the-scenes golf cart tour of the construction of holes 10-18 of Bentwood Golf Course, where my mom is enjoying her post-retirement "fun money" job and Dad golfs daily, sometimes twice a day. The kids all got to take a turn steering the cart Mom said she wore out several strollers because before the cart paths were paved, the white "chalk rock" on the cart paths ruined the stroller wheels. That was back before my dad bought that first three-wheeled gas-powered golf cart with the pimpin' sparkly blue paint that I turned over on its side while driving it too fast and turning on hole 5! Grandpa gave the kids putting lessons on the putting green and they each got a turn steering the golf carts as the adults controlled the brake.

A visit to Grandma and Grandpa Chadd's would not be complete without at least one visit to the donut shop, Rod's goat farm, and a trip to eat at both Alejandro's and El Ranchito for REAL mexican food. The goats are doing fine, the donuts are still the best I've ever had, and Alejandro's hot sauce is still better than El Ranchito's. :) The best food was Mom's, however, hands down!

Thank you for the fun times Mom and Dad! We can't wait until next time.

Going it solo (with four kids) to Kansas

God helped me accomplish something I NEVER IN MY WILDEST IMAGINATION would have thought I would (or could) do during my lifetime. I was the "tour guide" of a 16-hour, two day car trip to Kansas with the four kids ALONE!

95% of our trip was super duper! The kids watched their movies, played with whom they were sitting beside and talked to me. I navigated the Davis bus, while occasionally talking to friends and family on the phone to keep me company while the kids snoozed or watched their portable DVD players. They went to bed within 1 hour after we hit our hotel room the first night and we got away pretty early the next morning.

5% of our trip got a little interesting, but nothing we couldn't roll with. Jillian started having terrible (explosive) diarrhea a few hours into our trip. Three outfits and about seven diaper changes later, we arrived in Paris, Texas, where we spent the night in a hotel. Madalynn and Justis acted so calm and grown-up the next day just before lunch time, when Dawson (sitting beside Madalynn in the back seat) threw up all over the place. She, holding her nose (but being soft-spoken and encouraging) assured them that we were all with him and it would be okay. I randomly picked up a beach towel right before we left home, but I remember wondering to myself why in the world are you putting a random beach towel in the van. God prepares us for what he gives us, in this case diarrhea and vomit. Lets just say the towel saved us TWICE!

My parents welcomed us to my hometown of Ulysses Friday night (June 27) about 7:30 p.m. We ate and the kids got busy getting their pent-up energy out. I got out the huge black Hefty trash bag with the four diarrhea/vomit outfits and blanket in it, laid it all on the lawn and gave it a good spray down and "presoak" with the good ol' garden hose. My sister and my nephews got in that night. We had a good "family reunion" chat and went to bed happy and full of love!

Travis is in love with a red head!

Travis even invited "her" to share a bedroom with us! And, no, I didn't dye my hair, get a cat or have another baby.

Travis got an early birthday present from his parents Saturday...A new "Red Head" (brand name) gun safe!

Scott sent Travis home from Kansas with money for a gun safe for his August 2nd birthday. We spent Saturday with Travis as he shopped for his safe. We left Cabela's empty-handed, but he found "the one" at our next stop at Bass Pro Shop in Baton Rouge.

We loaded her up in the U-Haul trailer we had specifically rented and hooked up to our minivan hitch for the sole purpose of bringing the safe home.

Just the two of us and a small dolly, with a lot of pulling, pushing and southern engineering, got the safe off of the truck and out of the way so I could turn the trailer in on time. I rented an appliance dolly before coming home. Travis decided we would need some leverage to get the safe moved into the house while keeping it and the two of us in one piece.

Travis and I, with much tension and a 1,000 lb. cardboard box we could not see around between us, shared a few tense moments and a lot of breath-holding while getting that monster in the door and to our bedroom. Our dialogue got louder and shorter by the minute, as we clumsily maneuvered in through the french doors and through our bedroom door while trying to avoid running over a child or each other's toes.

That Red Head upstages all of the rest of the furniture in our bedroom, as it is the biggest! Our bedroom was the only room with enough space available for the safe.

Travis, believe it or not, has plenty of guns that relatives and friends have passed down to him (including his own) to put in his new safe. He already has plans to pass certain guns on to Justis and Dawson as they get older. The safe has a humidifier to prevent the guns from rusting in the Louisiana humidity, too!

The key pad lock and fireproof qualities will make it a good place to keep important documents or whatever else we need to keep away from the kids. They will NOT know what the code for the safe is!

Travis has gone on and on about the safe and feels blessed to have received such a generous and special gift from his mom and dad. Travis and Scott have always enjoyed outdoor sports together and receiving the safe as a gift from his parents was very meaningful to him.

Scott and Cheryl, thank you so much, on behalf of Travis and ALL of us!

The Birds and the Bees, According to Justis and Dawson

Here are two very cute/funny observations Dawson and Justis have made about the reproductive necessities of life lately.

Upon finishing our tour of "Our Bodies, The Universe Within" exhibition, where we saw REAL preserved humans and parts of their bodies, we told each of the kids they could write a thought in the comment book provided at the end of the tour.

Madalynn wrote, "Yor things are intrsting. Madalynn." (spelled like she did).

We then asked Justis if he would like to write something. He asked, "What do you mean?" I explained that he could write about what he remembered most, what he liked most, or what impacted or surprised him the most.

He looked thoughtful. "Okay," he said, looking over toward Travis. "Daddy, how do you spell penis?" he asked with a totally innocent and serious look on his face.

Travis and I looked at each other and tried to stay calm and be equally serious.

"Justis, what are you going to write about the penis?" I asked.

"Well, it was cut in half!" he said, still very serious.

"Okay," Travis said. "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready," Justis said, pen in hand.

"P-e-n-i-s." Travis said.

Justis finished off the sentence.

"Penis was kut in haf. Justis."

"There." he said, putting the pen down. "I'm ready now."

Somewhere along the way in the exhibition, Cheryl allowed Justis to listen to the walking audio tour at the male anatomy display. Justis had a 360 degree view of the male anatomy, which was lying on a black table enclosed a Plexiglas box. He intently listened to the audio tour guide tell about the testes, scrotum, penis, etc. while holding the audio player up to his ear like a phone. He would look for the certain part of the male reproductive system as the tour guide talked about that part. I wish I would have had a video camera. He would look at the male reproductive quizzically, trying to stay on track with what the audio guide was saying. He was innocently fascinated by the whole exhibition, which was such a testimony to God's creativity. Apparently, however, he was concerned and surprised by the fact several penises had been cut in half for the sake of science!

Dawson was walking beside me on the driveway today when I made a comment about my black-eyed-susans.

"The bees are lovin' those flowers!" I walked toward the flowers and stopped, Dawson at my side the whole way. "See all those little bees buzzing around in there?" I asked him.

"Uh-huh. Dere are lots of dem bees!"

We started walking again. "Are dose bees lovin'on dem flowers?"

"Yep," I said smiling, "They're lovin' on them."

"Dey're kissin' dem too." Dawson pointed out. "Dey stop and kiss dem flowers, but dey haf to share. Dey haf to kiss de flowers to make more of dem flowers."

"You're exactly right," I said, surprised at the concept he was relating to me. "The bees help make more flowers by lovin' on them and sharing them, huh?"

"Yep!" Dawson said with a big grin. "Dey love dem."

He has the pollination thing figured out, huh?! I never knew I'd be getting the birds and bees explanation from my three-year-old.

You can take family out of Kansas, but you can't take the Kansas out of the family!

We just got home from our Kansas vacation!

Tumbleweeds, feedlots, wind farms, wheat harvest, wind, Amish buggies, the Flint Hills, Yucca plants, sweet corn fields, sunflower fields, REAL Mexican food and FAMILY all greeted us back into Kansas!

Our home is Louisiana now, but Kansas cannot be compared with any place God has created, in my opinion. Both states are very special, but Kansas was home to Travis and I for over twenty-seven years. It will always be part of each of us, no matter where we live.

The thing I enjoyed most during the 16-hour drive to Kansas was seeing the farmers harvesting wheat with their combines and trucks lined up at the elevators, bringing in their harvest. I used to "help" my grandpa harvest as a child, when my mom and her two sisters went to Grandma and Grandpa's in Mullinville, KS, to work to bring in Grandpa's harvest. Mom and her sisters drove the wheat trucks from the fields to the elevator and back and occasionally drove the combine. My cousins and I got to ride with our moms/aunts and get in the back of the wheat truck to "swim" in the wheat. I remember kicking off my flip-flops, climbing up the trucks tall tire wells with Grandpa's help, and stepping in to feel the warm wheat kernels trickle between my toes. We literally submersed ourselves in wheat. We had it in our hair, socks, pockets, etc. when we got out, but being filthy was SO worth it!

I'll spend time blogging about our trip over the next week or so.