Wordless Wednesday - Paper Shoe Designer

Lose's T-Ball Debut

Lose has watched patiently year after year while her big sisters and cousins got to play on their summer T-Ball teams, and then after that their coach-pitch teams. She was so excited to finally get to play, and it worked out that Dad got to be the coach this year! She had such a blast.

This was after she ran home. She always tried to run so super fast, it was adorable to watch.


I love her face of concentration...


She loves to do all kinds of sports. Look at that form...I'm sure she gets it from me...(yeah, right!)


Here we were waiting in the only shade we could find until the team before us finished. Who is that crazy trying to get into the picture?

We were driving on the way to Idaho for the family reunion when her team pictures were taken, so on the day of her last game we took a picture of everyone that was there. The kids all had such fun. I must say, I think they had the best coach ever. He really made them feel like playing was fun, and they learned the rules and skills of the game at the same time. Go Wolves! (The team picked their own name...)

Swimming...

Summer for us is summer because we get to swim. Because of a nifty arrangement with the caretaker of the Amiron Pool, where we used to live, we still get to swim there. I don't know what we'd do without it! It's the pool where all of the girls have learned to swim. Thanks to this guy, they can all make their way safely around the entire pool.

A dear dear friend of ours, LeAnne Toland, has been telling me for a couple of years that she'd like to use our girls to practice on for her hobby of photography. One day last week she was at the pool when we arrived, and she happened to have her camera with her. These are all shots that she took that day. I know there are many many more, but these are the ones that she was the most happy with. They're a bit blurred, because I scanned the pics that she printed out and then posted them.



Naki's done this for years with the girls. Since they were babies he balances them on his hands and then lets them drop into the water, or they jump into the water. They've advanced to the human rocket tricks now. Naki loves to see how high he can get them, and the girls love to see how it feels to fly!
This year Naki's been working with the girls on all the different strokes. We love watching the Olympics so much, and the girls really enjoyed the swimming. So now we've also enjoyed watching them "race" across the pool. It's been such great entertainment, on so many different levels.
Isn't this priceless? I love the wrinkled feet...we really love to swim and that shows it!


The day she was there taking pictures I decided to take Eva's floaties off and see what she could do. She jumped right in and wouldn't stop! The girls, using their goggles, would go under right when she hit the water. They told me that she would sit on the bottom, and then push off with her feet and kick to the top of the water. She was having such fun and felt so proud of herself. However, now we have to watch her even harder because she doesn't feel scared to take her floaties off and just jump right in! *gulp* That makes me slightly nervous...


This is my new most favoritist EVER family picture. I tried to put it at the top of our blog, but because it's a scanned picture it looks way blurry. So I'm working on it...thus the reason for no picture at all. I removed the other one in the process, and don't feel like putting it back up there until I can figure this one out. But I love it!


Happy Summer...It's almost over! Wish we could have tans year round. Oh wait, I'm the only one around here who doesn't.

Sometimes I've learned it's possible to be TOO focused on the finish line...

Davis Family Reunion 2009, Part 2

Here are some more pictures of our time in Idaho at the Family Reunion.


From left to right, Russell Jr., Lose on the top, Grayson, Trey, Mason, and Uncle Russell

Eva...with an overly-filled non-swimmer diaper...Naki and I thought she looked like a duck.

Lose, with the one of the old-time candies that Grandmother was passing out.

From left to right, Eva, Abby, and Eli

Eli loving the sand.

And Lose, loving the c-c-c-cold water. Always knew she was a bit crazy.

Eva sitting on the shore.

Ane-boo was a much happier baby, OUT of the freezing water. Didn't even want to have a toe in.

More of Uncle Russell and his flock of followers.

Cousin Russell, enjoying the sand burying.

Line just love love loved holding all the babies. Here she's holding Liz's baby, Harley.


Gin and Abby.

Check out these cheeks...Cooper being held by his Mama, Cass.

I love Lose's real smile...some people can pull off the full-set-of-teeth-smile, and to me she's one of them. So cute here with her Aunt Ginny.

Wordless Wednesday

Pioneer Day Eve Campout

We started our Pioneer Day the night before by camping in our backyard. We seemed to be surviving our week okay without Line since she was at the 1st Annual Grandparent Retreat... But this night was really hard for Mom and Dad. We missed you, Line! We still managed to have a spectacular time. I know, Line, you're shocked that life went on without you!


It seems we usually do this sort of camping activity with a group, and so it felt different to be just us. Different but sweet. The girls had such fun swinging in the dark, playing in the tent, pigging out, playing card games, and being silly. If there was any doubt before, we now know for sure that Eli hasn't quite developed any sort of "quiet" voice. We kept trying to tell her that it was now dark and we needed to be respectful of our neighbors...she just kept forgetting.


The girls were doing the age-old trick on Mom and Dad while they were eating their hot dogs with ketchup, that they were "bleeding"...girls, we're on to you. We've already done all your tricks. Just remember that for your future teenage years...we know all the tricks so don't even bother trying to pull them over on us! By the way I have to add, for no other reason other than I think it's cute, that Malia is our one and only child who likes to eat hot dogs like her Mom and Dad...with the works. For her that means ketchup, mustard, and sweet relish. We'll have to introduce her to all the other possibilities soon...yummmy.



Eva seemed perfectly content to just sit with her Dad and be mesmerized by the flames of the campfire. What is it about sitting around a campfire that, for us, seems to bring peace, introspection and reflection? Naki and I really enjoyed sitting together by the fire and just visiting with each other. Who wouldn't like to sit and visit with this guy? I am the luckiest...


We of course had to have s'mores. I ate one, although I'm not sure what's wrong with me. These days they seem to be just a little too sweet for my tastebuds. What's happened to me that a s'more doesn't taste good anymore? If that is what getting old means, then I for sure now really don't want to get any older! Eva, however, didn't seem to have any problems with her s'mores. Well, no taste problems, at least. But a whole lot of sticky hand problems.




Somehow, I'm not sure how it happened, but Naki convinced me that he should be the one sleeping inside to listen for Ane, who slept in her crib, while I slept under the stars with the girlies. I love sleeping outdoors, especially the smell of the fresh air when I wake up in the morning. But I must say, this body isn't made for sleeping on the hard ground. It's time for me to invest in some sort of padding to put under my sleeping bag.

The girls had such a fun time, and are convinvced that we need to do this again, soon. Line most especially wants a repeat performance so she can be there this time. We'll see...we'll see.