MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hi Yah! (karate chop) It's your Birthday!

Holland's 6th birthday. If she has a party, I try to have it either early December or late January so it's not too close to Christmas. Since the early December idea set sail weeks ago, we'll try to have her party late January. But on her actual birthday, we declare a national "holly-day"(kind of proud of that one) and spend the day doing what she wants.Birthday corner.

As of 8:29 AM, she is officially 6 years old.



Giftwise, December rocks for Holland.

After Holland opened gifts, the 4 of us headed over to Chuck E Cheese where we met up with our friends Ms. Liz, Hope, and Faith. Technically, we were there to celebrate Holland's birthday, but we were also there for the Americans vs the Canadien basketball challenge.

Me and my best girl.

Yeah, that's right, I'm 6.

You gotta have Faith.

Holland told us her birthday wish was to "go to work with Daddy."

So, Mac relit her candle and gave her a 2nd chance at a birthday wish.

Looks like she'll be heading to work with Mac. Guess she'll be needing her own blackberry.

Then we loaded up with our friends and headed to the recovering side of Galveston and ate at the Rainforest Cafe. We practically had the place to ourselves.

Then we cruised on over to Moody Gardens for a 4D short version of the movie "Polar Express". We saw snow, felt Santa's whip, smelled hot chocolate, and wore glasses that would make Elton John green with envy, all from our theater seats.

Then we walked through the Moody Gardens Festival Lights. We had a good time. It was cool enough that the humidity from the misty rain was barely noticeable, until I got a good look at my hair. It was Ike hair all over again.

Sandwiched between the nativity light display and the kettle corn tent,was a musical act, so naturally we stopped. Holland was on the dance floor less than 3 seconds when the singer called her on stage. Holland didn't hesitate for a second. A year ago ,Holland was shy and barely spoke and now she was on stage shaking it. What a difference.


I only got the last bit of her dancing to that old Christmas carol, "That's the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it..."

"Shake it,

Don't break it,

Took your mama nine months to make it"

Happy birthday, Holly-Bear!! We love you sooo much!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

11 years and only 89 more to go....

Our future's so bright, we have to wear shades.

Christmas Card 2008 Disclaimer

As far as Christmas cards go, I think last year's is probably my favorite. Mac and Grey dressed in tuxes, Holland in a pretty flower girl dress, and I, in my bridesmaid dress flanked by poinsettias and candles flickering in the background. Classy. Here's a reminder.

I told Mac that it is hard to maintain that level of class every year. So this year, I lowered the bar....way down. I figure we have nowhere to go but up over the next couple of years, and I can live with that. So there, I have sufficiently warned you. Open our Christmas card at your own risk.


Now, I can sleep better tonight.

Holland's Christmas Dance Recital 2008

Holland had her Christmas dance recital, and she was all over it. We had her hair and makeup done. Rest assured, I do not personally own any red glitter eye shadow. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Holland and Madison

Her friends in her class that were also in her class last year.

That made sense, didn't it?

Holland, Madison, Emma, & Tori

You can click on the link below to see the show. It begins with her saying her name and what she wants for Christmas.

Then the dance starts.

Holland's Christmas Dance (and Lipsynch) Recital

Though the hair and makeup are professionally done, the camera work is not. Feel free to hold on to something if you feel dizzy.

The Davis Elves

Because this is just as much a tradition as putting up the tree.

Click here.

It Was 76 Degrees Yesterday.

Houston has a major hurricane and almost an inch of snow in the same year.

Maybe I should read through the book of Revelation one more time.

Trimming With Leftovers

Though the Christmas tree went up the 2nd week of November, we didn't get around to the yard until this past Sunday. Last year, my neighbor decorated our yard while we were out one night. That's really the way to go, if you can swing it. However, this year we were left to our own devices which is a scary thought all on its own.
We made some plans and then went to purchase the paraphernalia to make that dream come true. Around here, if you wait until December 8th to buy Christmas decorations, you get the leftovers and picked-throughs. The nativity scenes, white net lights and flood lamps were gone weeks ago. The lady at Home Depot just laughed when we asked for them. Undaunted, we bought what we could find, and pressed on toward the prize, (a decorated yard). After we were done and the grass was a snakes' den of extension cords, we stood across the street and admired our workmanship.
Mac turned and looked at me and said, "I think it looks classy....."
And I said, "Really?.. must be because the 7ft inflatable penguin is wearing a top hat, because without the hat, it would be just another gaudy yard."

Yep, the top hat makes all the difference.

The Fam

Me, Mom, Hank, and Chris

Our spouses, the lucky ones.......ok, more like the patient ones.
Christie, Mac, Suzy, & Myron

Thanksgiving 2008

Chances are if I haven't posted in several days, and there's a holiday sandwiched in there somewhere, I have been out-of-town. I don't always like to announce that beforehand, because I don't want one of you taking advantage of our absence and breaking in our house and stealing our valuables....ok, more like valuable, you know, just the one. Anyway, we made the 10 hour trek to Mississippi last Tuesday for family, food, and more family and more food. I have eaten a shameless amount of food. I'm thinking hibernation is an option. I ate enough to sustain me at least until March. I felt like a newborn, eating every 3 hours. If only I was kidding.....

MONDAY
We had our first Thanksgiving feast on Monday. It was a POD/Thanksgiving get-together with some familiar POD faces and some non-POD church staff. We had a really great time! The kids played outside in the dark, ate outside, and then came in to play the Wii which is exactly what they did when there was no power. Turns out kids can entertain themselves without power even when they have power. Who knew?


TUESDAY
Tuesday morning we headed out. I have to say it's much nicer when we all 4 of us make the drive. I drove and Mac fielded phone calls both personal and business. We made terrible time with several stops, so it was getting dark as we hit the home stretch which doesn't seem like a problem until you begin to see the deer standing a couple feet off the road. In the ongoing Deer vs The Car saga, we have had 2 direct hits and don't care to have another. But we made it without incident......this time. Maybe the deer recognized that it was me, not Mac, driving.


WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, we headed over to see my brother, Hank and his wife, Christie who is due with their first child on Dec. 27th. I checked out all the changes they have made to the house, but best of all I got to see the NURSERY! It was adorable! For a moment I thought I had baby fever. Turns out it was only nursery fever. All I really wanted was to decorate a nursery and get all the baby goodies, not actually have another baby. I know Mac finds that reassuring. Then the boys had a pickup game of football in the yard. They certainly played with more enthusiasm than Mississippi State did.

H.A., Christie, Parker (in womb), Me, Holland, & Grey

Hank uses the "Mr. Miagi" play. Personally, I like the "Statue of Liberty" play, but this is a close second.

Then we headed back to Starkville for a family lunch at Lil' Dooey's, the ONLY BBQ I will eat, even though I live in Texas. Then we ate again that night with different family at a different restaurant. Are you seeing a theme here? See Family, Eat Food.

See, I told you so.....

Holland and Ran do lunch.

Holland, Me, and Mallory Ann

When the girls got rowdy, we made them drop and give us 20.

(without getting their clothes dirty, of course.)

THURSDAY
Thursday, we drove to Tupelo and ate Thanksgiving lunch with Mac's side of the family, stopped by Elvis' childhood home (of course) and then headed to Mac's brother's house for fun and tomfoolery. Then we drove back to Starkville for Thanksgiving dinner with my family.

FRIDAY
Friday, Grey, Mac, and Grandaddy played a little tennis, and then watched Mississippi State get shellacked (I spellchecked that word,by the way)by Ole Miss while eating Thanksgiving leftovers. Then Ran and Papa kept the kids while Mac and I went AND SAW A MOVIE, the new James Bond flick. Love it. Then we headed home Saturday. I drove while Mac fielded phone calls about the just-announced resignation of the MSU head coach. Sigh! Now we need a pastor and a head coach.

To sum it up, which I probably should have done 3 paragraphs ago, we ate 3 Thanksgiving meals and the kids spent time with 4 grandparents, 4 uncles, 4 aunts, 3 cousins, and 1 mannequin. Made the long drive worth it.

The Bear and Grandaddy



Dottie and Holland

Dottie is actually chained to the house with an alarm. She was manniquin-napped a while back (welcome to a college town) and she spent several wild days between fraternity and sorority row. She made it back home, dirty and a little worse for wear, but thankfully not knocked up.


I truly am thankful for our family and the fact that my stomach did not explode from the sheer volume of food I consumed.

The Thanksgiving Feast

Mac and I attended the kids' annual Thanksgiving Feast today. Of course, it was Holland's first year as an enrolled student, but she knew the drill. We didn't actually eat with Holland because her scheduled feast time was 10:30, and we just couldn't work up an appetite for turkey and dressing a la school cafeteria that early. We waited and ate with Grey at 11:30. It wasn't that bad. In fact, Mac said with the economy as it is, we might eat lunch up here a couple of times a week. Hard to beat $1.85 a meal. She made her own vest and headband. We didn't get any pictures with Grey. It's his 4th feast and besides he didn't have a vest or a headband.

After school, Holland prepared Mac a Thanksgiving feast of her own. It was eerily similar in taste and texture to the school's feast.

I Do So Love Christmas....

That's right, I put my Christmas tree up, and I did it last week.

The Cheetah's 2008 Season

Well, I waited until the end of the season to brag on Grey and his run as a Cheetah. I think that shows great restraint on my part. You're welcome.

He had a such a good coach this time. He's always had nice coaches, but Coach "A" actually knew stuff about soccer. Turns out that can make a difference. Their record was 7-1. It's refreshing to pull for a team that actually wins. (Sorry, Bulldogs.)

I am going to brag one more time (without any apology). Out of the 30 goals the team scored during the whole season, Grey scored 20 of them.

Oh yeah!, Uh huh!, That's right! You da' man! Grey "Crazy Eyes" Davis

Holland and Deanna give the sign for "victory."

Halfway To 70

That's right. Saturday was my birthday. Feel free to wave your hands in the air....
For the curious, I am 35....halfway to 70. I had a great day! We went to Grey's soccer game, which they won 3-0, ate lunch at Panera (where I am an honorary employee)with some of my girlz and went to a beaded jewelry place to make ourselves some jewelry. I opened some great gifts from friends and family. Everyone seems to know me well, because all the gifts were dead-on. Then I went to eat with Mac and the kids. If it didn't mean I would have to get older, I would have a birthday once-a-month.

Read the hands, baby.


Grey wanted me to put a little gangsta in it. Very little.

Val and I pick the beads for our jewelry. As I usually do, I spent my time soicalizing and being completely indecisive about what to make.

The Beaded Ladies

Sheri, Birthday Girl, Valarie, Darla