Looking a Hurricane in the Eye...Then Running!

A generator and enough food and fuel for five to seven days won't protect a family from the storm surge and flooding from a hurricane.

We were ready to batton down the hatches, hole up in our house and live simply. We are equipped with emergency supplies for at least five days until the winds and rains blew over and power is restored.

Tonight we confirmed with our Parish FEMA liason that we are, in fact, expected to mandatorily evacuate, starting at 10:00 Sunday morning because we live south of Highway 22.

Travis boarded up the windows today and I've been doing laundry in anticipation of not having power for a while. Glad we did that. We'll be packing those clean clothes tomorrow morning and we already have our home ready to weather the storm.

The reason we were asked to evacuate is the certain storm surge from the HUGE lakes Maurepas and Ponchatrain that are actually connected to one another and the coast. Each lake has it's own high and low tide and the storm surge they are predicting is 18-20'. We THINK our house is about 22-26' above sea level (at least we hope). That means a 20' storm surge backing up into the marshy coast of lake Maurapas we live along woud come within 2' of our house! Yikes! We are praying our house doesnn't flood! We've actually seen this water backing up thing happen on a smaller scale, when the spring rains from up north totally filled every waterway from Illinois down. The areas within about a mile of our house just filled up like a bathtub! Some people were parking on the street and using their airboats and fishing boats to get to their front doors.

Making the decision to leave our home in vulnerability was hard, but we have no choice now. Our family safety is more important than our belongings, and we're heading the warnings of the experts on this one. Please pray for our home to stay intact and for everyone to get our safely!

Our K-State Photo Stroll Down Memory Lane

Travis and I got to take a trip down memory lane revisiting places of significance in our lives at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, this summer.

We met, became parents, and lived our first married months together with Madalynn at K-State. K-State holds a special place in our hearts, for sure. We, of course, also left with college degrees!

We had a blast on our photo field trip. I've attached photos with captions explaining what the picture is of and why it is of significance to us. To our fellow Wildcats and the Manhattan Christian College grads we know, enjoy a look at K-State 2008!

(The above picture was taken in the old football stadium in front of the new alumni center and AstroTurf field.)

This is the Pizza Hut in Aggieville where Travis and I first met during a weekly Thursday night Navigators Campus Ministry meeting. My friend Gi introduced me to Aaron, whom introduced me to Travis, his roommate. Our first conversation was about baby names?! He already had the name Madalynn Eileen Davis picked for his first girl before we even met!

This is the ADPi (Alpha Delta Pi) sorority house. I lived here with about 100 other girls my sophomore and junior years of college. This is also where Travis picked me up in his shiny red '77 Ford Bronco (with the top off) for our 1st date!

This is Rock-A-Belly Deli in Aggieville, the restaurant Travis took me to for our first date. We double dated with Travis's roommate, Aaron and his girlfriend (and now wife) Kristy. We are all good friends to this day.

Seaton Hall is the building on campus where Travis and I logged many academic hours. The Ag Technology Management and Architecture departments were both housed in Seaton Hall. Travis enjoyed looking at the PowerCat Pullers tractor team pictures. He was a part of the National Champion team for two years while at K-State. I enjoyed perusing the many floors and hallways full of architecture projects. I peeked into my old landscape architecture studio. I miss the joy of designing, but not the burden of many, many sleepless, stressful hours!

This is the K-State All-Faiths Chapel. Travis and Aaron always went to the campus-wide weekly praise and worship evening held there. I remember Aaron being torn between missing the first few minutes of praise and worship or watching the last few minutes of the TV sitcom "Friends." He would usually finish up friends then RUN to the chapel so as not to miss out there, too!

This is Travis and Aaron's apartment, which was located right on the edge of campus. Definitely a bachelor pad, the boys slept on bunk-beds in the one bedroom in the apartment, ate ramen noodles as a staple and kept the thermostat so low in the winter you could see your breath! I was living alone in this apartment (which I was sub-leasing from Travis and Aaron) , taking summer classes and working when I found out I was expecting Madalynn.

Pregnant me lived in the rented basement apartment of this house the fall semester of 2000. I was poor and ate a lot of mac and cheese and crackers, since I had morning sickness most of the semester and had no microwave in which to cook! I was six months pregnant the last month I lived in the apartment and barely fit in the shower. :)


This was Madalynn's first home. My best friend and sorority sister Gi moved out of the sorority house to live with me in this apartment for the spring semester Madalynn was born. Gi sacrificed so much to move in with me and help me out during a very difficult time. She swears she never heard Madalynn cry for her 3:00 a.m. feeding from her room across the hall, but I still don't think she would ever admit if she really heard. She's that kind of friend. I love you, Gi!

An empty little apartment in K-States Jardine Apartments (low-income family housing) was our first home we shared as a married couple and little family. We certainly lived on love, as we had nothing but one another, little Madalynn and all of our wonderful friends who supported us by sitting with Madalynn during the times in the week Travis and I had class at the same time. I'll never forget the night I was cooking Hamburger Helper on the range and a cockroach fell from the cabinet above the range right into the Cheesy Hashbrowns I was making. I shook my head, thanked God for food, a husband, a daughter and a place to live, fished the roach out with a spoon and went on cooking. Travis and I kind of looked at each other and shrugged. We ate the food gratefully and still have cheesy hashbrowns (minus the roaches, THANK GOD), to this day! I also found out I was pregnant with Justis in our little apartment when Maddie was seven months old, and I remember craving red and yellow sweet peppers.

We went to look at the specific apartment we lived in at Jardine and it was gone! This beautiful new Jardine apartment building was standing in its place. I bet there are no roaches in that apartment! Looks like they're slowly tearing down the old apartments and building the MUCH NICER ones to take their place. WOW! I wonder if it's still for low income families? Pretty fancy.

Madalynn took her first swing on this playground behind our apartment at Jardine, and the little building you see is the laundry building, where I washed and folded many-a-bib and onsie! You can see all of the new, fancy Jardine housing going up all around the old apartments in this picture.

The Camouflage Arctic Cat

(Please bear with me while I blog about some past summer happenings. I will slowly catch up to the present, but home school is upon us and my free time has been cut in half.)

Camouflage is essential if you are male and part of our family. Justis and Dawson naturally LOVE anything camouflage because it reminds them of Travis, hunting, hunting dogs, guns, pheasants, geese, ducks, bucks, quail. You get the picture. Four-wheelers go right along with all of those hunting-type things, so what could be more impressive to Justis and Dawson (and Travis), than a camouflage Arctic Cat?

Dawson didn't ask. He just climbed up on it the first time he saw it. He was already driving through a grassy field heading to a duck blind in his mind when we turned around and found him sitting on the Arctic Cat and holding the handles. We had him get down ASAP.

Turns out Justis got to take a spin on the camouflage Arctic Cat, too. Mike and Lisa are the fun and gracious couple whom took Dawson, Madalynn and Justis for a FREE spin on the Arctic cats. They are guides for the guided tours they give.

Once those "Cats" fired up, all of the kids had a little bit of doubt on their faces as to whether they should be excited or jump off and run for their lives. Thankfully, Mike, Lisa and Travis (whom was driving Dawson on the third Cat) are all calm, gentle people. The kids knew when they stayed completely cool that everything would be okay.

They took a little ride around the ranch and I took a few pictures. Dawson's deep-seated need to ride a four-wheeler that he vocalized again and again was fulfilled. Madalynn and Justis had a blast, too!

Jillian and THE ride of her life

Waterslides. Who doesn't love them? Jillian. Why? Because of me.

The waterslide at the Living Water Ranch in Kansas was the highlight of the family reunion for the kids, Travis and I.

The waterslide at the ranch is "fueled" by a natural spring. The spring water is a BRISK 57 degrees all year round! The slide is lined with old swimming pool liners. One look at the slide makes one think it's kind of a slow go. NOT SO!

Travis was the first to go down. He went by himself and then took Justis on his lap. Madalynn and I finally got brave enough to sit down in the cold water and give it a go. Madalynn went with Travis, then Jillian, as I stood at the bottom taking pictures. The absolute shock of hitting the 57 degree pool of water was hilarious to watch and capture on camera. I love the two of Jillian going down with Travis the first time.

Then came Jillian's second time. I decided to take Jillian on my lap, and it was also my first trip down the slide.

I haven't been on a waterslide for over 10 years, although I absolutely LOVE them. I was like a watersliding pro at our annual church camp at Horn Creek in Colorado! I went headfirst on my back and stomach. I turned around. We would go down in three-at-a-time pyramids, and I was always the one crazy enough to ride on top. My sister and I also so looked forward to our waterslide day in Manitou, Colorado on our annual family trips. I got a lot of bruises, and even a piece of fiberglass stuck in my toe from waterslides. The fun I had sliding made the injuries worth it!

Did I mention I was at least 50 lbs. lighter last time I went down a waterslide? One "little" detail I forgot to factor in before taking my precious baby down the slide.

Jillian and I gasped as we sat down in the cold water. Jillian gave a nervous smile and laugh, and I pushed off for a good start. I didn't need ANY extra momentum.

Everything next happened so fast, I was in response mode. Before I could blink my eyes we were rounding the BIG curve going WAY TO FAST. I laid down and cupped my shoulders and arms around Jillian's head and body so she wouldn't fly off the slide or hit her head. Jillian was screaming, I was screaming, and before I knew it we were over our heads in FREEZING COLD WATER at the bottom pool of the slide.

Jillian surfaced screaming. I surfaced screaming. I don't know if Jillian was screaming because of complete fear or because the water was so cold (probably both). I was screaming because the stinkin' water was so cold! I would describe the water as hypothermic.

Jillian just kept saying, "No, mommy, NO!" as we got out of the water. She wanted nothing more to do with the slide.

Madalynn, Justis and finally Dawson all loved it so much, they were going down by themselves the second day. I kept going down on my own over the two days. Travis banned me from taking the kids down after I scared Dawson with a fast ride, as well. Who am I kidding? I scared myself!

School Speed Ahead

Did you know the first plunger was invented before Jesus was born? Did you know that Greek men exercised together buck naked?

Home School started for Madalynn, Justis and Dawson on Monday! Travis asked the kids what their favorite part of school was Tuesday, and they answered the above. He! He! Who knew science could be SO impressive and entertaining?

Madalynn is a second-grader this year and Justis is a first-grader. Dawson does pre-K activities lying in bed with me before nap time. Both Jillian and Dawson will learn by listening and watching as well.

We are an unconventional family, so what better to serve our home school needs than an unconventional home school "curriculum?" An "all-in-one" curriculum would just not do for my curious, hands-on little learners. I built this year's curriculum around what piques their interests.

We use Sing, Spell, Read and Write for reading, writing and spelling and Math-U-See for math. We used both of these curriculums last year and they fit us perfectly. I added Early Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind for grammar, The Story of the World, Vol.1: The Ancient Times for social studies, history and geography, and A History of Science: A Literature Based Introduction to Scientific Principles and their Discoveries for science.

We still round out the whole curriculum with the Five In a Row curriculum based on classic children's literature. Reading is such an important part of our schooling. We focus on the art, culture and literary elements of the stories. I will be teaching two classes of "Exploring America with Five in a Row" for this fall's home school co-op. The kids will be taking that same class at home!

Madalynn and Justis will be participating in a Tangipahoa Parish soccer league this fall, which is new to ALL of us. We've got to go get cleats and shin guards. Madalynn's eyes got really big when we explained what shin guards were for! She's a little apprehensive about soccer now, but I think she'll like it!

I cannot express the joy and fun home schooling brings me. It takes work, don't get me wrong, but to watch the kids learn, grow, explore what they love and thrive is all worth it!

What a Friend Justis Has in Jesus!

Justis prayed to ask Jesus into his heart Friday! August 8 is now marked on the calendar as "Justis's Spiritual Birthday!"

Travis was praying with the older three in Justis's bed Friday evening. Travis was saying prayers, just talking to God as usual. We always pray that each of our children will come to know Jesus personally, seek God's will for their lives (with our help) and grow to become an individuals that can experience and influence the world grounded in Jesus.

Justis excitedly prayed, thanking Jesus for dying on the cross for his sins. He humbly told Jesus he knows he "does bad things" and needs Him. He then said he believes in Him and knows he is real and opened his heart to Jesus!

How beautiful is the simplicity in that?! Travis and I are overjoyed to be able to share with our kids that nothing they DO will get them into heaven and that God is a God of grace, requiring only that we ask Him into our hearts and believe He is the ONE true God.

I'll end on this note. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son (Jesus), that whosoever believes in him will have eternal life!"

Justis Got His Wings!

Notice the wings!




Justis earned his wings Sunday when he flew to Decatur, Illinois (ADM corporate headquarters) with Travis for a business trip!

The ADM regional safety and operations managers were invited to bring their children to Decatur for the end-of-the-summer intern wrap-up. All of the ADM summer interns gathered with their mentors and all of the ADM big-wigs to send the summer out in style. The wrap-up included a softball round-robin, "business formal" dinner, and a river clean-up day with a barbecue on the Illinois River.

Justis had a blast. Four days and three nights with Daddy was so special for both he and Travis. Justis got a taste of what Travis does on business trips. Well, at least what he does on business trips that are light on the "business!"

Justis rubbed elbows and dined with the same corporate employees Travis did. He remembered some of them from our weekend trip to Galveston earlier this summer. He got to watch his daddy's team (the "old guys") get spanked by the other team during just the second game of the round robin.

Justis was the youngest child at the ADM events by SEVERAL years, so having Justis along exempted Travis for the "business formal" dinner. They opted for dinner and went to the theater to see the 3D movie, Journey to the Center of the earth.

As if staying in a hotel with Daddy wasn't fun enough, Justis's impression of the "popcorn" machine pushed the experience right off the scale of fun! Justis excitedly explained to me on the phone that, "It's like this popcorn machine that I don't think you've sawn [seen] before. You put money in this machine and turn a wheel and this popcorn thingy comes out. Then you take the thingy and put it in the microwave and popcorn comes out!" I was a bit confused, but Travis explained later that the vending machine provided microwave popcorn bags to pop in the microwave provided. Despite the fascination with the "popcorn thingy" justis ultimately chose candy from the vending machine. I got a chuckle. Who knew popcorn could be so much fun? Justis also slept right beside his daddy, despite the fact there were two queen-sized beds in the room.

Travis and Justis helped prepare, serve and clean up the barbecue during river clean-up day because Justis was too little to go out on the river for liability reasons. Justis felt so big just by bein part of Daddy's business trip that he never once noticed he was the littlest there, though!

By the way, Justis had pretzels and Cherry Coke or Sprite on all of his flights. Justis notes details and I'm sure he'll never forget the details of his business trip with Daddy!

Grandpa Scott and Grandma Cheryl's House

Jillian and Bo (who likes to swim, too!)

Justis taking yet ANOTHER turn on the horse ramp

Holly and Madalynn sharing some girl time

Madalynn proudly smiling after jumping off the board and swimming to the side all by herself

Dawson looking cool at Nu-Way

We had a great time staying with Travis's parents in his hometown of Wichita before and after our family reunion at the ranch in early July. The kids (and the big kids) all have things we look forward to doing every time we're visiting.

Tickle Chase is a one of those anticipated events. Grandpa Scott has "tickle bees" in his pant pockets. They get stirred up when the grandkids come to town. He pulls the "tickle bees" (fingers) from his pockets and grandpa makes the bees buzz and chase the kids until the bees can to their job...tickle!

Riding in Grandma Cheryl's Ford Expedition with HER is another must for the kids while we're in Wichita. Sitting up high in the seats, they feel so big and can see so much more of the scenery as they ride.

Swimming is another given. Madalynn learned how to go off the board in the deep end and swim herself to the side comfortably on her own. Jillian and Dawson loved playing on the play ledge at the shallow end of the pool. Justis was having a good time until I let go of him in the shallow end so he would kick his feet and swim. Let me just say that was NOT the way Justis will learn to swim. He was scared to death and started sinking before I pulled him up. He's only been in the water once since, with Travis. I asked him to forgive me for scaring him and letting him go and promised not to ever let go of him again!

Sleeping at Aunt Holly's house is also a must for Madalynn, Justis and Dawson while we're there. Holly lives in a house (Jack also built it, I believe) directly behind Scott and Cheryl's backyard. It was a house, then the office for Penguin Pools, and now it's a house again! We actually lived there before we lived in Haven for a few months. Holly has a room complete with two twin beds and a toddler bed. The kids LOVE taking their turns (or all going together) to sleep at her house.

We did a couple of things unique to Wichita. We had lunch at Nu-Way. Nu-Way serves crumbly hamburger in buns with mustard and pickles. Nu-Way has several eateries in Wichita, where it was started, but Nu-Way (as far as I know) is ONLY in Wichita. They also make excellent homemade onion rings, serve root beer in frosty mugs and have great chili. Yum! Exploration Place is another place we visited. It's along the Arkansas river in downtown Wichita. That's where we visited the human body exhibit. All of the activities there were geared toward kids. The most fun the kids had was on a horse that ran down a ramp. The simplest things are the most fun!

We saw some family in Wichita and a few friends. We saw Travis's Aunt Vicki, whom lives next store to Scott and Cheryl, and her daughter and Travis's cousin, Stacy. Travis's sister Rebecca's birthday party was going on the evening we arrived. We got to see the Camfields, Kirks, Peitz's, Griffins, and Webbs! Seeing them all was a huge treat for us. They are all couple friends of ours, most of whom all got married the same summer we did and we've shared and celebrated marriage and babies together. We also got to have lunch with our dear friends Aaron and Kristy and their two precious kids. Aaron was Travis's roommate in college and a childhood friend. Kristy and I know each other through Aaron and Travis, but she is a close friend I feel I can share anything with.

We definitely miss having family and friends closer than 16 hours away! We had a great time in Wichita and we're already all looking forward to our next visit to Kansas...though we don't know when that will be since Travis is pretty much out of vacation time!

HOLLYwood!

Aunt Holly is a celebrity in my house!

Holly came for a visit during a week for Justis and Jillian's birthday and was here through our anniversary. We had lots of fun with Aunt Holly, as usual.

The most funny note, however, is that every time Holly was alone with Jillian (like even when I would go out to put a dirty diaper in the garbage, she would say, "Where's Mommy? Where's Mommy? Where's Mommy? Where's Mommy?...and on and on like that until I came back in. She would do the same when Travis stepped out of the house.

WELL, the morning after Holly had left, guess what Jillian asked right when she woke up. "Where's Hawlee? Where's Hawlee? Where's Hawlee?" She continues to ask "Where's Hawlee?" I keep telling her aunt Holly flew on an airplane back to Kansas where she lives. Jillian responds, "Oh. (wait for it) Where's Hawlee?"

Holly just hung out and lived life with us, we did a few special activities while she was here, and she helped us celebrate birthdays.

We took a few road trips while she was here. We tried going to the Audubon Zoo one day, but ended up at the Audubon Aquarium because it started to rain. She got to try some REAL Cajun red beans and rice and share a piece of cheesecake with us at Copeland's Cheesecake Factory on Jillian's birthday in Covington. We visited the Baton Rouge Zoo in 97 degree weather and 100% humidity!?

Holly fits in to our daily routine like part of our family. She and Travis played games with the kids and Holly came with us to pick out Jillian's mattress at Sam's. Holly came with us to a bible study fellowship time at the trail head in Mandeville where we chatted with my friends at bible study while the kids played in the water park there. She even sat through one of our classes with us at church that is part of our 12-week Biblical Foundations class! Most impressively, she braved taking all four kids in the minivan to McDonald's while Travis and I had a two-hour date on our anniversary. Now that's a dedicated aunt!

Holly, we loved having you, as usual. Like VISA says, Holly: Priceless! Thank you for all of the fun you brought to our household, as well as serving Travis and I by taking the kids to eat while we had a couple of hours. I think Jillian will be asking "Where's Hawlee?" until we see you again!

Sleep and Spankings

Princess Jillian is loving to sleep in her new big girl bed. She's NOT loving the spankings she's received for getting out of her big girl bed!

We all went to Sam's club the day after Jillian's birthday and bought Jillian a new big girl mattress and box spring set to celebrate her turning two. She got her new quilt from us on her birthday (which matches her sister's), and Scott, Cheryl and Holly gifted Jillian with money toward the new mattress set for her birthday present from them. Thank you, Scott, Cheryl and Holly!

A new adventure for Jillian (a not-so-new experience for mom and dad) was presented after the crib came down and the box spring and bed were laid on the floor. Her first sleep and education about staying in the bed was during nap time that day. She was extatic and eager to be tucked in and left to nap. The freedom to get out of bed was just too much of a temptation for Jillian. She was probably in and out of the bed 10 times that first nap. She got a warning the first time, then got nine swats on the butt for getting out the other times. The swats either weren't hard enough or the fun she was having getting out of bed made the spankings worth it!

She's doing excellent now. She and I both love laying beside each other and reading books before naps and bedtime. She still gets out once in a while, but she's learning how to stay in bed and nap BEFORE she gets out of bed.

I'm sad to see the crib go, but the best thing about the big girl bed is that I get to lay right there with her for some special time with my little girl that hopefully she and I will never forget.

The Arm in the Gator's Stomach

I saw this story on TV news last week the night it happened and I was shocked. This is why I was surprised to see people swimming in the swamp down by our house! The story speaks for itself. I copied it directly from the New Orleans Times-Picayune website.

Slidell boy making "remarkable recovery" after alligator attack

Posted by The Times-Picayune August 01, 2008 2:55PM
Categories: Breaking News

The 11-year-old boy whose arm was ripped off in an alligator attacked in Slidell this week is making a "remarkable recovery," the doctor treating him said in a statement today.

Devin Funck, of Slidell, is still in intensive care but has been taken off a ventilator and has been able to speak with with his parents, said Dr. Leron Finger, medical director of Ochsner Flightcare and a pediatric intensivist. Though attempts to reattached Funck's arm were not successful, he is otherwise expected to make a full recovery in the coming months, Finger said.

"Devin and his family's courage during this difficult time has been an inspiration to the entire Ochsner staff," he said.

Funck was swimming in a former gravel pit in the Kingspoint subdivision Wednesday with two friends when he was attacked by an 11-foot alligator. Though the alligator bite severed his arm at the shoulder and left him with wounds on his torso, Funck was able to swim free and climb out of the pit where he was rescued by St. Tammany Parish deputies who had been called to the scene.

After the attack, deputies hunted down and killed the alligator, recovering Funck's arm. But, because the severity of the attack, it could not be "reattached and remain functional," Finger said.

Funck is expected to undergo more surgeries in the coming days to keep his wounds clean and will be eventually fitted for a prosthesis, Finger said.

Forever 29

The glow of the twenty plus candles on Travis's birthday cake was so bright it was hard to see the cake or Travis before he blew them out!

Travis took it easy today. He took Madalynn on a date this morning and took his morning run before the rest of us rolled out of bed. He and the boys "relaxed" this afternoon on our bed with Travis. They all lounged in their shorts reading, snoozing and playing while Jillian took her nap. I made Travis his favorite meal before we went to church, steak with mashed potatoes and gravy! We went to the 6:45 church service and then came home to Travis's ONLY requirement for his birthday, hairy cake (the "hair" is coconut) with homemade ice cream.

Travis realizes he's physically getting older and thanks God for the wisdom and maturity that has come with a few more years under his belt, but he'll never give up being young at heart and doesn't feel a day over 21! He is still in excellent shape physically, I must note. He's training for the Houston Marathon coming up in January! Travis also just glows when he is with the four kids. He's a fun Daddy and husband, whom never thinks any request to do something fun is impossible. His provision and protection for us as the leader of the household proves he can get his responsibilities done and have fun doing them!

What a great man to be on your 29th birthday, Travis. We love you!