The Getaway......Dallas 2010

We decided to take a short family getaway before school let out for the summer. Actually, it was more like we invited ourselves on Mac's business trip to Dallas. Call it like you want to. Anyway, it worked out well. Mac gave his meetings on Wed and Thurs mornings and was pretty much free for the rest of the 2 days since Dallas is not his territory and he couldn't see any accounts.

So, we totally took advantage of that. For some reason, the kids love hotels. There's just something exciting about staying in one for them.
Coincidence? Our room number was the same as their school bus number which turned out to be helpful in remembering which room was ours.

Of course, there was a pool. You could see several of the roller coasters across the street at Six Flags over Texas.

Grey spent most of his time in the hot tub. All the stress associated with 4th grade and TAKS test just melted away.

We hit Six Flags just after opening. Grey was finally tall enough to ride all the big roller coasters, but alas was too chicken. This plus his love for Bama have me wondering if perhaps he was switched at birth.

Nah, he's got our offbeat sense of humor and Mac's laid back style.

The stripes were so I could easily spot her.

Then Thursday was really Holland's day. We took her and her American Girl Doll, Chloe to the American Girl Boutique and Bistro for some fun and lunch. Holland loved it.

Chloe, on the shelf awaiting her hair appointment.

Getting her hair styled for $20.

And then lunch at the Bistro.

Grey, here, under great protest.

Mac said we should come up with a generic version of the American Girl Doll. We'd call her the USA Doll. We could do to the American Girl what Donald Trump did to the Miss America pageant. He totally ran the franchise out of town and made Miss USA the new standard. But then we figured the USA Doll would have to wear skimpier clothes and we'd have to offer a stripper pole. We decided to leave the innocent, classy, lady-like, over-priced American Girl Doll alone.

3 generations, sort of.

That's what a $20 doll's 'do looks like from the side.

As I finished my purchase of matching t-shirts for Holland and Chloe, the employee offered me her card and her services as a personal shopper....for Chloe....the doll. I thanked her and as we left I asked Mac if I had "sucker" stamped on my forehead.

After leaving the AG store with Mac's wallet a little lighter, we stopped in at Buc-ees. I feel real sad for those of you who don't live around here because you don't have access to a Buc-ees. They are the best. They are the nicest, cleanest, neatest gas stations around. As one of their shirts says, " you have to pee to believe."

And we believe.

So ended our 2 day stay in the Big D. It was fun and ate up 2 days of school.

And everybody left happy.

Flat Stanley Rides Again

Flat Stanley has made his way back around. When Grey was in the first grade, he sent Flat Stanley off to Starkville, Ms for some MSU basketball, some hunting and 4 wheel riding, and even met Bully. This time, Holland wanted to send her Flat Stanley to Poppy Tom and Mops in Foley, Al. So off he went for a very fun and busy couple of days. He returned home tired, crinkled, and faded which is always how I return home from the best vacations. If I don't come home from a vacation with a limp, a lost voice, and a case of pink eye, I just don't feel like I got my money's worth. Flat Stanley got his money's worth. Flat Stanley hanging around.

He did put in a few hours....seconds of actual labor.

Who wears a tie to the beach? Flat Stanley does, and he does it with style.

Not a hair out of place.



He climbed aboard a shrimp boat.

He met the mayor of Gulf Shores, (there's a job) who wrote him a very nice letter which we displayed on Holland's Flat Stanley's Travels poster board.

He also got to go with Holland's cousin, Madison (in the middle) to the National Cheerleading Competition in Disneyworld. He hung out with cheerleaders, Disney princesses, rode Space Mountain and so on.

Some paper people have all the fun.

Holland showing her Flat Stanley's Travels poster board at school. I only touched on some of the highlights. He rode a train, worked at the post office, ate at LuLu's, went to Souvenir City and so on and so on. I'm suprised he decided to even some back.

I'm not sure I would have.

The board is currently on display in the Holland Davis Art Museum located upstairs in her room.

Grey and the Alpaca

The resemblance is a bit frightening.

Easter 2010

Happy with her dress and shoes, but unhappy with her hair,

a feeling every woman understands.

Totally unaware that they match ever so slightly.

New hairstyle and much happier about the whole situation.

Their "America's Next Top Model" pose. We have been known to watch a marathon or two.

Any show that kicks someone off each week draws us in every time.

This is technically a family shot. Holland and myself in the obvious front, Grey in a frame above our heads and Mac coming down the hall.

Some days that's the best we can do.

The 'Stache

One of our favorite fine dining establishments, CiCi's, has those "gumball" machines full of various and assorted junk that ends up as clutter at the house. But in the moment when they finally get that plastic container open, it's the greatest trinket ever. This time around Grey got fake mustaches. I have to say it did provide us with a few minutes of entertainment.

Grey looks like he just stepped out of an episode of Starsky and Hutch.

Mac has a good start on a Wilford Brimley.
At the very least, he looks like he belongs on a police force somewhere.

Happy Birthday, Mac!

Happy Birthday, Mac!!

We had to celebrate Mac's birthday earlier than the actual day, because he was out of town working hard. I hope he was able to take a few moments and hardly work to celebrate his day.


We love you!

Alabama Christmas 2009

Ok, I know it's been awhile since I have posted. Believe me, I feel your judging eyes. Trust me I do a LOT better job at keeping up with the blog than my scrapbooking. According to my scrapbooks, Grey began life at age 4, and Holland is still 2. So when you judge my blogging by that very low standard, I'm doing pretty well.....

Anyway, I'm going to go back a little bit in time, kind of a warm-up for more current posts. The only reason I'm telling you this is because there are Christmas trees in the following pictures and I figured you would catch on that these pics aren't from this week.

The day after Christmas, we headed over to Alabama for some family Christmas time. Snuggies are perfect for traveling. That was a totally unexpected perk. For some reason this trip involved us wearing a lot of hats. I don't know why, but Alabama seems to bring that side of us out.

Hannah Montana gifts. 'Nuff said.
Grey got that desk calendar that he is lovingly holding in his hand that plays the Alabama fight song. It got lost and never made it back to Texas with us. And no, we didn't do anything to cause that. Of course, I'm not shedding any tears over it, either.

We thought it was neat his shirt matched his magic book.

Me and Pop

Pop, Favorite Grandchild, Banny

The Crew

When it's okay not to wear a hat.

We had a great time!

More to come.....

Let The Good Times Bowl!

I wouldn't have thought Holland would want to have a bowling party, but she had such a good time bowling in Gulf Shores which is a MUCH nicer bowling alley than ours, that she was up for a bowling party. I was hoping she would kind of let the party idea go, but Holland does not forget a party, what she ate 10 minutes earlier,yes...but a party, no. So with scheduling with Mac, we didn't have the party until 5 weeks after her actual birthday.
And this go-round she wanted her classmates and other friends from school. So, instead of inviting my...I mean her church friends, we invited the girls from her school and 3 from church. That was like 19, and I had to cap the number for my sanity and wallet. And to be fair, Grey had a big class party when he turned 6. I remember it well, 'cause some kid ate a big lunch and came to the inflatable moonwalk party and ended up throwing up in the party room and even on Mac. Oh wait, that kid was Grey. Yeah, we got his free t-shirt early in the party.
Anyway, it was her turn and it was to be cosmic bowling, that's like the glowing lights, loud music, kid videos in the background, and bowling balls that light up when you roll them. Only thing missing was the fog of smoke. Can't have everything.
I made bowling t-shirts for all the girls and Grey, to set the mood. It turned out to be an even better idea (I got the idea from someone else.) than I thought. It was much easier to keep up with all the girls in the dark, glowing lights when they were wearing their matching shirts. Then they took the shirts home as party favors. I also put the same design on the cake. ( I, in this case, = Kroger Bakery)

Grey was the only male child allowed and even then he had to bowl under the alias, Amy.....at least until Amy got there.

Girlz from the 'hood.

Some of the crew.

Cami, "can I come over to your house?" No matter when or where I see her, she asks me that.

She's welcome anytime.

Anna is some kind of bowler. She would grab the ball and immediately run to the lane and chunk it. It proved to be the most successful technique of the group because her score was double most everyone elses. The girl is league material.

Cami, Holland, and Deanna

Happy Birthday, Holland!!

(again)

Holland had so much fun!

And let me just say that gifts she opened look so cool under the cosmic lighting. Even the tissue paper had a cool glow about it. That was an unexpected party perk.

Anyway, Holland had a blast, and I left with a major headache which is always a sign of a successful party.

Next year, though, we are doing a smaller party, and I mean it this time.

Happy Birthday, Elvis!

You knew we wouldn't let the King's birthday pass without some sort of recognition or let the chance to get a free meal pass us by. And when we get the chance to marry the two, well, let's just say it's a very special time at the Davis homestead.

This year's "dress like Elvis and get a free meal" was at Chuy's resteraunt. They had a very good impersonator, but we had Mac. We met our friends, the Harvey's, ate and enjoyed the impersonator's show and Mac's.

There's nothing like sharing black eyeliner to make a marriage stronger.


The impersonator.

Holland and Deanna got scarves during the show....

and "I wanna be your Teddy Bear" bears.

The impersonator was good, but Mac had his own show going on. One of the waiters got him to go sing Happy Birthday to a girl. Next thing I know, he's got the bar singing Happy Birthday to someone else. People were asking to take pictures with him. One woman stopped me on our way out and asked me if he had a business card. I guess she wanted to book him. What started as a funny Halloween gag a couple of years ago has turned into a whole different kind of creature, a creature with weird hair.

I tell you what though, we always have a good time.

Thanks for hanging with us, Harvey family.

Thankyouverymuch!