In the Recording Studio!

 

 Guess who's hanging out in a real recording studio these days?

Yep!  Your's truly!  I know.  I can't believe it either.  Over the coming year, a dear friend in my church is putting together a wonderful church curriculum for kids, as well as a parent/child devotional that includes songs.  I could not be more excited or humbled to be a part of it!

Today was our very first day of recording, and while I am happy to report that we feel really good about what we completed, we still have a good number of sessions to go.  So I'll keep you updated along the way... you know, on all the ins and outs of being a recording artist. ;)  It should be a fun ride, and we're praying this project bears much eternal fruit in some sweet, little lives for many years to come.

I also promise that I'll keep you posted as resources become available for all you parents out there. And finally, I promise that before all our recordings are done, I will get a picture of me belting out some crazy Mariah Carey note... because then I can check that off my bucket list.

In the meantime, how great is this?

There's a sign above that reads, "Please remain seated for the entire performance."  

Never thought I would have a favorite toilet... but here it is!

Oh, and look who else likes to sing these days:

She'll be in a studio before we know it!

Happy Friday from our world to yours! 

(And yes, Bella is actually saying "Cheeeze!" for this picture.  Love it!  Love her.)

Lost in Translation & Loving It

So, Bella has started talking.  Sure, she says things like "up" and "hi" and "cheeeeese(?)", but when I say she has started talking, what I mean is that she has this language that only she knows, and she's serious about it.  This language- which is a mix between cute and crazy and just plain loud- has taken over our household.  It has taken over our dinners, our Bible study group (who gave it their best shot at talking over her last night), and yes, even nap time:

So, what do you think she's saying?

I just love how her best shot at "boo!" sounds like a mouth explosion.  Oh, and her hair... naps do such a wonderful number on that head full of hair.

I find I'm smiling and laughing more in these days of parenting.  It just keeps getting better and better.

Texas, Our Texas

I'm a Texan.  I love, love, love being from Texas.  I also love talking with people who've never been to Texas... you know, to really help them understand what it is about the place that makes people from there so proud. 

Oh, I'm sorry.  Some of you out there don't know what I'm talking about?  Well, let me explain. I'm sure those of you from Texas can bear to hear yet another explanation of what makes us so great. :)

Ask anyone, and right up there with the fact that everything is done BIG in Texas, they'll tell you it's the people that make the place so grand.  Over the Christmas break, we had the opportunity to visit a good friend's ranch for a day of fun and good eatin'.  No wait, actually, let's go ahead and call them what they are: family.  In Texas, you actually call your acquaintances your friends.  But the real friends get lumped in with family.  And when this fun family gets together, we like to call it "circling the wagons." 

This particular "circling of the wagons" over Christmas captured everything I love about where I'm from.  I'll just let the pictures tell it all:

See what's behind us?  In Texas, I love the rolling hills and the trees that grow wide and low to the ground.  Perfect for sitting under.  

(And hello, Bella's snarl face.)

And in Texas, I love watching kids do exactly what kids were meant to do.

 In Texas, I love how the men push the boys on tire swings that hang from oak trees in the backyard.

 And I love how the adults teach the youngin's how to fish off docks.

Oh, how I love the fine lookin' family men one finds in Texas!  Especially the one that belongs to me.  

Did you know that Mike is an honorary Texan?  Perhaps someday I'll blog about the crazy initiation he underwent during one of our engagement parties.

Hey, there's another fine lookin' family man!

Nothing beats family chats around the Gator.

Or even better, how about family chats while sittin' on the back porch?

And if nothing else convinces you, then the fact that these three faces were hanging out in Texas recently makes the State pretty grand to me!

 Like I said, everything is bigger in Texas... including hugs.

And finally, to close my whole "Texas is great" rant, I would like to point out that the adorable girl you see above lives in Texas.

Need I say more?

Christmas in Texas... Finally!

It's been quiet on the blog since Christmas.  We've been just a little busy.  Our ten days of traveling to three different homes came to an end on New Year's Eve, and we immediately had to move out and back in to our home for some new carpet installation.  It's actually not so bad now that we're on the back end of it.  Let's just say spring cleaning came early for us this year.

I've also been working on this here blog of mine.  I figured it needed a new face for a New Year. 

Oh, and then Bella decided to get three molars these past two days.  Sleep, where are you?

So I realize most Christmas trees have already been taken down, and most people have already broken a New Year's resolution or two, but I still have a Christmas story to tell.  So, here goes:

If you want a quick snapshot of what Christmas looked like at the Davis house, then I think this picture captures it perfectly. Christmas was full of fun and family and excitement and giving and warmth... and it whizzed by!  (By the way, that baby doll in Bella's hand was totally thrown in to the toilet today.  Nice.)

It whizzed by so fast, that we really stunk at getting good pictures of Bella and Kate.  Take these shots, for example:

A poking war gone picking.  Gross.  Sorry, Kate.

But Bella loved the gifts... er, boxes.                    And Cole's reactions were priceless.

And the boys loved being, well, boys.  

And the kids loved lovin' on their GREAT grandmothers.  Yes, that makes for four generations in one house this Christmas.

The adults loved having the kids to make things extra crazy and extra special. After the kids had opened presents on Christmas Eve, Papa read passages out of Isaiah and Luke to everyone, and then he read a special rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" just for the kids.  Well, minus Kate... she was already nestled, all snug in her bed.

And then came Christmas morning: 

The girls loved all the toys (and vitamin bottles) that had magically appeared.

And Bella loved sneaking some snacks from Papa in the pantry.  Isn't this what grandparents' homes are all about?

There are so many special moments that our cameras didn't capture, so I'll stop there and leave you with the classic Davis family pose under the mantle crowded with stockings:

What a second.  That's not the classic pose.

There.  That's much better.  

Here's to Christmas 2011!

Lions, and Tigers, and Trains!

We're in Atlanta now with Mike's side of the family, but here we go again with another episode of a DC Family Christmas.  I think we'll need to wait until we finally get back to DC to bring the full report from the really exciting parts of Christmas... you know, things like Bella and Kate reunited, the gourmet food our parents cooked up, the ridiculous amount of packages under multiple trees and the tissue paper parties that followed, etc.

So, let's get this other stuff out of the way, okay?

Earlier this month, in the freezing cold, we ventured out with some other crazy parent friends to the ZooLights.  Our National Zoo covers itself in lights for the month of December and stays open late so that parents can freeze their children and do so past their bedtime.  Killer combo.  Nevertheless, I think it may be the most spirited place in DC when it comes to light displays.

That's my green marshmallow man and our little frozen statue in the stroller there.

After enjoying our stroll through the festive trees- and after a disturbing encounter with a dancing panda in a snow globe- we stopped by the petting zoo on our way out.  It was Bella's favorite part, of course.  I think in this picture she's saying, "Why did I have to put up with all these cold shenanigans just to pet the goats?"

And may I just add that Mike is equally as excited to be at the petting zoo.  He's a sucker for caged animals.

Onto the Botanical Gardens and the "out of this world" train display:

This place, hands down, had the coolest holiday train display I have ever seen!  It was like something out of a storybook.  See how Bella can't even stop for a picture?

It's the perfect size for our little munchkin!  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the actual trains.  What can I say? This little girl distracts me.

Monticello a la some kind of obscure wood.  We were super impressed.

Daddy's girl + Nature = Mike in his element.

A Merry belated Christmas to all from our world in DC!  I hope y'all have been able to savor Christ this season and enjoy the gift of family and friends.

Christmas at the White House

I love being home for Christmas... in Texas that is.  But before I make the full transition to pictures and memories from this here side of the world, I thought I'd share what this holiday season has looked like from our home in DC.

Earlier this month, Mike had a chance to visit the White House and see the halls all decked out:

It doesn't matter who is in office.  The White House at Christmas is always a treat!  This year's theme is "Shine, Give, Share."

Meet the First Dog, Bo!  Mike says this is a 3-4 foot statue, in case you can't tell.  But unfortunately, he can't tell you what material it's actually made out of.  But that's okay, because I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you that my family once had a dog named Beau.  He was special and loved by all...er... some.  Well, let's just say I sure hope this Bo is nothing like our Beau.  He was loved and all (um, I'm lying to help honor his memory), but a First Dog he was not.

Here is the East Room.  Wait, they have all this stuff on HGTV, right?  Okay, so you could just watch that.  Or you could say that you've seen insider's photos.  Yeah, insiders.  That's us.  No, actually, insider is what we were when we used to come to this House and those purple table clothes were filled with gourmet Christmas food.  Even then, we knew we didn't belong.  Ah, those were the days...

Here is this year's Christmas Tree that can be found in the Blue Room.  It's decorated in honor of military families this year.  See all the medals hanging as ornaments?

And the classic White House a la gingerbread and white chocolate.  Go White House pastry chefs!  And there's Bo again.  Um, not to scale.  But how cool/crazy scary would that be cool if he was?

And that's the end of that tour.  Join us tomorrow for Zoolights and Botanical Garden trains... and yes, some pictures of Bella!

A Christmas Baby Shower

The Christmas season is destined for all sorts of parties.  After all, the foundation has already been laid.  Red, green, and Christmas white.  Great colors.  Garland, poinsettias, cranberries, twinkle lights.  Great decor.  So let's have a party, shall we?

How about a Baby Shower?  

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of hosting my dear friend Melody and her friends for a baby shower celebrating her soon to be little boy.  We celebrated with curried egg salad, chickpea salad, fruit salad, spinach salad, chicken salad, and green been salad.  Wow.  I think we were trying to make up for all the holiday hams and eggnog served at all the other parties.

And don't forget the tea and hot chocolate bar.  I love cold weather drinks.  Pinkies up!

One of my favorite decorations for this shower was the Diaper Christmas Tree:

And of course, we placed all the gifts under the tree.  Perfect!

But my ultimate favorite decoration had to be the Baby Boy Gingerbread cookies.  Nothing like edible decor!  I must admit, I had a little too much fun making these:

They're smiling, sleeping, sucking pacifiers, and wearing onesies and diapers.  And see the one crying on the right?  Just trying to keep it real.

Oh wait, I just realized the one on the bottom left looks like he has the chicken pox.  Oops.  Not encouraging.  

Moving on...

I've always just mixed powdered sugar and milk to make cookie icing, but I tried this twist on the classic recipe this time around, and I won't be going back.  Maybe this will take your cookies up that extra notch this season, too.  Or maybe you're already on cookie overload.  <Insert me with hand raised.>

Well either way, enjoy!  New Year's resolutions don't start until January. :)