Mountain trip with grandparents

The last weekend in October, Jonathan's parents came for a visit. We decided to head to the mountains to see all the beauty and have some fun. We were not sure how it would go since it had rain so much for the few days before, but it turned out to be a beautiful day! We went to to Sky Meadows first since they had some events going on. When we first arrived, the events were not happening so we went hiking. Of course, we picked the shortest hike which all so happened to be pretty much straight up. We all made it to different points up each seeing a breath taking view. When we made it back down, we went to the old kitchen to see some different items being made with apples. The boys really enjoyed this and Chloe just enjoyed eating some apples. There was also an old sort of barn and they were able to climb up and see into the loft. Next, we headed to Skyline Drive to see all the leaves and views. As you can see from the pictures, it was gorgeous. It was fun to stop and see the different views. We had a wonderful time and were all very tired by the time we arrived home.

Just a side note. . .For some reason I had blogged awhile back about a trip to Maryland and not published it. I realized it tonight and published.

Chloe's party

We had her party on October 26 with Nana Jo, Granddaddy, and a few friends at the local Burger King. (Yes, this is the same BK where she knocked her tooth out:) Chloe enjoyed playing in the playland with her friends. We had supper, then cake, and last presents. She enjoyed her first cake which was a pumpkin. Opening presents is all new to her, but lucky for her she has 3 big brothers willing to help show her the ropes. She will enjoy playing with her My Little Ponies as well as wearing the cool new outfit. Ater the fun, we returned home for more presents. Nana Jo and Granddaddy had more for her to open. This time, she really for into the spirit of it. She was VERY excited to get a shopping cart with food and a stroller with a baby doll. She pushes the shopping cart around constantly and talks all about the food.

Today, we headed to my sisters in Maryland and once again celebrated her birthday (as well as Thanksgiving and my dad's birthday). She has totally gotten the opening gifts routine down now. The horse and pink Dora truck were quite fun to play with. Of course, chocolate cake made the deal even sweeter. Aunt Wee Wee had even fixed Chloe her own small birthday cake to enjoy. So, I'm guessing she's going to think her birthday is just a several week affair!!

Happy birthday, Chloe!!

Today was Chloe's big day--she turned 2!! We began this morning with many happy birthdays from the boys (who have been waiting ALL week to celebrate) and chocolate milk. She celebrated her birthday at Mrs. Bonnie's with all her friends and cookies mom had brought for her to share. Afterschool, we came home to change to go eat. There was a birthday card from Nana Jo and Granddaddy and a box from Nama. Chloe was quite excited over the talking Dora doll. We then left to meet Jonathan in Fredericksburg. We went to Target to hang out until he arrived. While at Target, we picked out some more tights and a new toy. She liked this little interactive talking book that has nursery rhymes. She played with it the entire time we walked around. Then, we headed out to eat Chinese. This will be our yearly tradition. She was in such a good mood and enjoyed eating all the food (it was a buffet). She seemed enamoured with the ladies working there. Next,we were off to Toys R' Us for some fun. Chloe walked around, more like ran, and looked at everything. She had tons of fun. We are celebrating with a small party next weekend with family and a few friends. We will also celebrate, again, in the beginning of November with more family:)) Wow, a girl cannot have too many cakes or parties! We love you and we know somewhere across the ocean, your birthmother is also thinking of you right now. We hope she knows how happy and loved you are and that we are thinking of her. So, happy birthday little one!!

Pictures

Daddy, Chloe and all smiles

Nana Jo, Granddaddy, Chloe

Granddaddy, Nana Jo, and most of the grandkids

Uncle Danny, Aunt Carol, Cara, and Chloe

Just Chloe being awfully cute

Chloe showing off the missing tooth

Even though it's missing, she still is as cute as ever

enjoying ice cream

Keegan looking really goofy as usual

Can you say Village People?

Aunt Wendy and kids on the pier

Why are they so tired?? We are the ones dealing with the kids!

September news!!

Ok, so now on to September! We started off the month with Jonathan heading to Virginia Tech to watch a football game. So, the kids and I got together with some friends and went to the Bug Box and then to the mall. It was tons of fun and a good time was had by all. The funny part is one of these friends has lots of Asian in her so she gets a kick out of how everybody probably thinks Chloe is hers:)

We spent Labor Day hanging out with many friends as well as cooking out. It was a nice day. Before we went there, we went on what we thought would be a short hike near our house. It turned out to be a VERY long hike. Chloe fell asleep on Jonathan's shoulders. She slept almost the entire time. We were able to see several deer right in front of us on the path. A turtle almost lost his life and we walked and the kids almost stepped on him. He was busy eating a mushroom. So, it was a great family day!!

The annual Davis' reunion was also held during September. We headed to NC and stayed at my dads on Friday night. We got there late, but hung out for a little while. Then Papa made a wonderful breakfast to enjoy. He also of course showed off his garden and such to the kids. We then headed to Kinston to the reunion. There were many extras included this year that we had never met. It was neat and the kids had fun. Chloe enjoyed running around and ate many cobs of corn. Next, we were off to Greenville to Danny and Carol's to watch an ECU football game. Nana Jo and Granddaddy also joined in the fun and we all hung out. The next morning, we were again treated to a superb breakfast. I also gained a new fascination for a waffle iron. So, I am now the proud owner of a brand new waffle maker!! The kids and I have enjoyed homemade waffles quite often. It was a weekend that went way too fast, but was loads of family and fun.

We celebrated Wendy's birthday this month as well as Isaiah's. Wendy and Matt came over to the house and we cooked for them. I also made waffle brownies for dessert which were tasty. Isaiah's birthday was at the Lake of the Woods fire department. The boys were thrilled to visit and enjoyed themsleves.

This month, we visited Hartland Orchard. Church friends had recommended this place highly. So, we decided to go see what it offered. It was a beautiful fall day to head towards the mountains and pick apples. We did lots of walking, but we ate enough apples to keep ourselves fueled. The boys enjoyed being able to climb the trees to pick apples and Chloe just enjoyed eating many apples.

At the end of the month, Pillar Church had its own outreach. We showed the movie Cars outside for the Dumfries area. We set up blankets and chairs and had popcorn and drinks. It was exciting and fun although it did get a tad bit chilly as the night worn on. Even with that, it was a nice night.

Well, wow, I have completed all of August and September in one day. Aren't you guys proud????? Now, I can maybe add some pictures for yal:)

Making up for lost time in August

August was a very busy month. We began the month with a visit to my sisters new house in Maryland. It is very cute and right on the Chesapeake Bay. It was an extremely HOT day, but we walked over to the water anyway. It was beautiful!! Keegan freaks at being on piers in general, but this was was even harder since there were no sides!! We had to drag him out to get some pictures and keep him from going crazy over Chloe being free. A great day was had by all and Chloe especially enjoyed the corn on the cob.

Then, Sunday August 5, Chloe officially joined our crew and not in the way you might think. Our family as well as the Clifton family were at Burger King for supper. The kids were all in the play area having a grand time playing. They had eaten supper and moved onto desserts. Suddenly, Noah ran in to tell us Chloe was bleeding. OK, we don't necessarily jump when we hear that (too many times our kids have been bleeding, I guess). I went in and realized it was a little more serious than I thought. She had blood all over everywhere. I quickly scooped her up and went to clean her up so we could see what was wrong. After finally getting blood removed, we realized she has knocked a tooth out. Not only a tooth, but a upper front tooth and it was the ENTIRE tooth. WE were trying to assess the situation and all she wanted to do was get back down and play. The Clifton's were getting the kids ready to go because we thought for sure Chloe was heading to the ER (previous experience in Iceland sound familiar???) However, Cody and Kale had dentist appointments the next day and she seemed fine, so we all just headed home. Somehow, the Cliftons and Davis' together equal losing teeth:)

The dentist visit went well. The dentist said if she had to knock a tooth out, she had done it the right way. There were no more injuries to her mouth as seen by the x-ray. She will be missing the tooth until the permanent tooth grows in. The two boys did great at the dentist and only need a few very small cavities filled (so small they didn't even need numbing).

At the end of that week, we were involved in a Pillar Church family mission project. This involved passing out block party invitation in Quantico in the rain, helping a church plant in Midlothian with a block party, and putting on the block party in Quantico. Although, it was extremely hot, we had a great time and enjoyed helping the two churches out.

Then real life began on the 20th , as I had to go back to work. It is always such a sad day. I began a new position this year, so everything is new to me. Keegan also had surgery during this week to have much needed dental work done. He had 7 teeth taken out and 5 silver caps put in. We hope this will help with his permanent teeth in the future. He was typical Keegan and woke up ready to eat:)

On the 27th, school began for the boys. Cody is in 4th grade this year and has a wonderful teacher. He also has many friends, including Spencer, who he enjoys spending time with. Kale is in 1st grade and enjoying school somewhat. He is not necessarily the most motivated child, but we are working on that. We made the decision to retain Keegan this year, so he is also in 1st grade in Mrs. Carey's room. This has been an excellent decision!! We have already seen such a difference from last year. He has matured lots and has lots of effort and support. WE are very proud of all of them and can't wait to see all that this year holds. Chloe began going to Mrs. Bonnie's and after crying and screaming the first two days, loves hanging out with her friends each day.

So this is the official wrap up for August 2007. I will add pictures later and blog on September. hopefully before October ends I can get caught up. Thank you for all the wonderful people who keep reminding me I need to blog:))

We are still here!!!

Hi all,
You never realize how many folks read your blog until you don't blog for awhile and everyone asks about the blog. So, yes we are still here; life has just been really crazy. I'll do some updating, including pictures, tomorrow. Thanks for all those who have asked:))

FINALLY!! Part II

If you read the blog below this one then you know that Chloe has finally turned the corner when it comes to her dad. Yes she will even let me steal kisses from her now. It is an awesome thing and it took way to long to happen, but God is in control of that and I think he built it up so it would make me appreciate it even more.

When I get home from work (especially during the summer when the boys are home) I walk through the door and I'm bombarded by three boys who are running full speed and just want to see their dad and give him hugs. It doesn't hurt that I'm the one who takes them out and lets them ride the motorcycle, but I'll just assume that it's because they missed me greatly and can't wait to see me. Chloe, on the other hand, when I walk in the house will run away in absolute fear. She can't get used to the fact that this man is not there in the morning when she wakes up but comes in and messes with her territory. She is an absolute wreck. She'll see me and take off for her mom where she can find comfort and solace.

So I always joked with her mom that one day I'm going to come in that door and Chloe is going to be the first one that will be running to me to give me hugs. I've seen some progress since we've been home from NC, she doesn't scream and cry anymore, but she hasn't come running when I've gotten home. This past week I came in and the boys were outside playing and Chloe was inside and I walked in and here comes Chloe. She's running full speed and jumps right in my arms. Woo-Hoo. How awesome is that? To see how far she's come is amazing and I'm blessed beyond comprehension.

FINALLY!!!

As most of you know our little Chloe is absolutely adorable. I think she is the most beautiful girl in the world, next to my wife of course. But for some reason, in the past, she didn't think to fondly of her old man. In the past couple of months we have been making small steps like her letting me hold her, letting me change her diaper (I can do without this one), and letting me feed her on occassion. Well things have changed!


Jenn's dad was here a couple of weeks ago and when he went back to North Carolina he decided to take Jenn and the boys back with him on the agreement that I would come later in the week and pick them up. They went and I missed them greatly. So I headed down on Friday to see my beautiful family. I arrived at my mom and dad's and was greeted with running hugs from the boys and the wife. But to our surprise little Chloe come's out of nowhere and she wants a hug too. So of course I abliged. All through the weekend she kept wanting more hugs and wanted me to hold her. I loved it. However, I thought once we get home she'll get back to her normal self and will not have much to do with me. But it has been the total opposite. She will sit with me now and let me hold her and she'll even let mom go to the gym and leave us by ourselves. It's been an amazing transformantion and I am so excited. I knew this day would happen I just didn't think it would take so long. I can now say that FINALLY she loves me!

Trip to Maryland

Yesterday, we went to see Wendy and Matt's new house. It is in Maryland at the Chesapeake Bay. It was VERY hot and HUMID!! We did walk to the water and the pier. Keegan and Cody were very afraid to be on the pier. We practically had to drag Keegan out on it and Cody had to hold someone's hand to go. Kale ran right on out and wanted to know if he could jump off. (We did not let him.) The house is really cute and we all had fun. The boys enjoyed the legos and Chloe just ran around. They cooked hotdogs, hamburgers, baked beans, and corn on the cob. The food was great!

Keegan did it!!

Back to reality

This week I have attended workshops for school. It just reminds me that soon it will be time to head back to work. That always bring some dread as well as excitement to begin a new year. This year I will take on a new position as a Title I teacher for reading and math. I am not quite sure what grades I will be working with, but it will be a new adventure.

Jonathan also will begin a new position soon. He will be an account manager for Coca Cola. This is a good move that means not having to get up so early to go to work. Right now he leaves very early which means he often goes to bed before the boys or at the same time. His new job will also not be out int he heat and as much stress to his body. He will begin in early September.

While I have been gone to workshops the kids have gone to Mrs. Bonnie's. They enjoy going there and playing with all the kids. Chloe has done well and has several little friends her age. Mrs. Bonnie will keep Chloe this year. I am excited for her to be around other children her age in a new environment.

The boys will soon be back in school and of course have mixed emotions about this. Kale is the least thrilled about going back to school. In fact, he has told us MANY times that he would like to move to Papa's house to live. Guess he doesn't realize that he'd still have to go to school!

So as our summer winds down, we look forward to the last few weeks. We are ready to head out in the canoe, our church mission project, and hopefully a family trip to Busch Gardens as well as a few other small trips. I also have a few home improvement projects I'd like to complete. So, as sad as we are that summer is coming to an end, we will enjoy the last of it!!

NC trip part 2

After arriving at Nana Jo and granddaddy's house we just chilled out. The boys and Chloe promptly pulled out all the toys and played. Chloe likes trucks and would sit for quite awhile and play. We also enjoyed an afternoon snack of chocolate cake right after frosting -- it was fantastic!!

Aunt Cindy and Amber stopped by to visit us and meet Chloe. The boys always play hard to get when they are around, but Cindy and Amber won out and got hugs from all.

Kinston has opened a new spray park and that where we were heading for Friday. It was a very hot morning!! It was crowded, but Chloe and the boys had a ball. They ran threw the water, stood under a big bucket that dumped water, sprayed the "hose" and stood on top of several fountains. We hung out there for awhile and then headed back home for lunch and naps.

After lunch, we all crashed (minus Keegan) for naps. Apparently, we were all very tired. Jonathan was on his way so the boys were quite excited. Uncle Danny, Aunt Carol, Cara, and Travis were also stopping by to see everyone. Everyone arrived at the same time so it was lots of fun. Keegan would not leave Jonathan's side -- he is very much a daddy's boy!! We all ate supper and enjoyed hanging out. After Danny and crew left leaving Cara behind, we settled down for some TV time. Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Rose stopped by later to visit and meet Chloe. Chloe had already gone to bed, but they hung out with all of us. Uncle Ronnie got in trouble a few times for getting everyone so wound up. Finally, we all were sound asleep!!

The next morning, Nana Jo cooked up a big breakfast for everyone. Uncle Clyde, little Ronnie, and Aunt Innes all came by. It is nice to see everyone since we see all these folks so little. Aunt Faye and Uncle Steve brought Wilbur's BBQ for lunch. We also received news that Stephanie became engaged!! Congrats to her!! Cindy joined us for lunch, also. Jennifer, Barry, Allison, and Skylar joined us for the afternoon. The kids played hard outside all together while everyone else hung out inside catching up on each others lives. We left early evening and headed back to VA. We had a nice trip back with our canoe (thanks Papa) and the kids slept for a good portion of the trip. We will see everyone again at the reunion in September!!

North Carolina trip

On Sunday, July 16 Papa was heading back to NC and we joined him. I am not sure who was more excited. . . Papa or the boys?!?! We rode in my dad's conversion van which the boys love. They laid in the back wrapped in their blankets and watched CHiPs. They looked awfully cozy.

Chloe, however, did not do quite as well on the trip. She was very fussy and slept on and off. Once arriving at my dad's we took her to an urgent care. She had a double ear infection!! No wonder she was so fussy; who wouldn't have been? She began her antibiotics and was fine by Tuesday morning.

Papa and the boys had many exciting events planned for the next few days. My dad always makes sure they have their fill of ice cream. We visited Burger King and all had milkshakes as well as pie. Dad had a big dirt pile out back with shovels and trucks so they could enjoy. The dirt is VERY black so instead of being orange (which they are at home), they became black. He also had a few items left in the garden for the boys to pick. We also went to New Bern to get life jackets for the BIG event.

The BIG event was riding the boat and fishing!! The boys were extremely excited about being able to fish with papa and ride in his boat. On Tuesday night, we went to a nearby pier and the boys fished. They have never really been fishing so we needed more hands than we had. Keegan and Kale like to reel in quite often and therefore, my dad and I were having to throw out for 3 boys way too many times. We could not keep up with that or the fact that they needed bait often. The boys all caught some fish and had lots of fun. They enjoyed for my dad to give them the fish to throw back in. I was able to snap some nice pictures while out there. Chloe chilled int he stroller while we were there due to Keegan being scared she was going to fall off. He was freaking out to the point he made me paranoid!

The next morning, we woke up to thunder and rain so I was a little worried we would miss our fishing trip. Papa, however, had a feeling it was a storm only right there and we could head out and be fine and he was correct. It was a beautiful day -- not too warm and not too chilly! We rode for awhile and just enjoyed looking around. Eventually, we stopped for some fishing. The boys did a little better. Again, they all caught some fish. Papa made a few stops along different shores where the boys and Papa all explored in the water. Chloe enjoyed watching from the boat. Later, she feel asleep on the front of the boat and stayed there for the rest of the time.

Later that evening, we again went to the pier and the boys caught a few more fish. Keegan was being his usual self and driving us crazy. I said aloud, "I am gonna throw that kid off!" He promptly took off running for Papa's van. When he came back, he was prepared with his life vest. Guess he thought if was going overboard, he'd be ready.

On Thursday, we got up and packed up to head to Kinston to Nana Jo and granddaddys. Papa prepared a grand feast for breakfast and then we headed out. We made a small stop in New Bern and then headed to K-town. We drove all around town looking at things that had changed including the house I grew up in. Papa enjoyed sharing many stories. We ate lunch at Wendy's and then he dropped us off at Nana Jo's.

We had a wonderful time with daddy in both NC and VA. The boys really enjoy spending time with him and he has so much to share. I enjoyed spending some downtime with him and just hanging out. We all love papa very dearly and can't wait for the next road trip!!

Just a note. . . there are over 100 pictures in this slide, so sit back and ENJOY!!

Women of Faith plus more

The Pillar ladies attended the WOF event in DC a few weekends ago. We had a great time and enjoyed the speakers. I look forward to reading some of the books that were mentioned. Anita Renfroe was very funny and has a video that I am hoping to view soon.

Chloe had her first haircut on July 11. Mrs. Lori Kennedy from Stafford Baptist cut her hair. She did great job and Chloe ate about 3 packs of fruit snacks!! She has a little bit of fringe bangs and we are working on evening out the back and sides.

My dad, Papa, came in on Wednesday, July 11. He enjoyed spending time with the boys and Chloe. While I was away at WOF, my dad and Jonathan took care of the kids. Jonathan let Chloe ride the dirt bike with Cody--the things they do while you're away:) On Saturday, they went to the park and Uncle Matt and Aunt Wendy joined them. Of course, no trip is complete without visiting the Dollar Tree. They bought many things to use at the park. We all met at Joe's Crabs Shack for supper.

On Sunday, Jonathan had the pleasure of preaching at Pillar. You can check out his sermon at pillarchurch.sbc and go to resources and then audio for Christmas in July. He did a wonderful job! After the boys begged papa to go, he relented and joined us at church. The boys were thrilled to show off their Papa.

Random pictures

Fireworks, food, and friends

For July 4 this year, we decided to have some friends over to eat and enjoy the fireworks. All of the kids played in the yard while the adults had fun sitting around and chatting. We were worried the rain was going to halt our plans, but it heald off. After eating, we headed over to the lake to watch the fireworks. We were not sure how Chloe would react, but she was thrilled. She laughed, tried to "reach" the fireworks, and oohed and ahhed! After the show was over, we came home and everyone waited out the traffic. We had fun as did the kids as Cody wanted to know could this become an annual event?!?!

NC adoption get together

On June 29, Jonathan, myself, and the kids headed to Salisbury NC for a Taiwan get together. We stayed the night in a hotel on Friday and the boys loved that. We learned Chloe is a great car rider and that is a good thing since our 4 hour trip to NC turned into about 12 hours on the way home (more later on this one).

On Saturday, we headed over to Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury. It is a great park with lots to do. Amanda and Scott had planned this wonderful day. Many thanks to them for all their hard work!! There were many families there some with their children already home and several who are in other stages of waiting. Amanda's little girl, another little one, and Chloe were all little girls from SLC so that was really neat. We took a cute picture of the 3 of them together. Chloe loved on everyone and enjoyed all the events. The boys had fun as well at the water section, playground, putt-putt, and paddle boats. All in all it was a grand time and we plan on joining in again next year.


Saturday afternoon, we headed to Hickory NC to visit some old neighborhood friends, Kim and Keith. Keith was acutally camping with Boyd so we didn't get to see him. However, we had lots of fun thinking of the old days with Kim and meeting her little girl. It was nice to see her again. We spent Saturday night in another hotel where everyone went swimming before bedtime.

On Sunday, we began our journey back to VA where we decided to take a different route. It was a different interstate through the mountains. I really wanted to ride on a more scenic route so therefore we ended up on a different route that was fun, but LONG!! The kids did enjoy the stop at the Dollar Tree and Sonic. Near Richmond, we stopped and ate supper at a state park. The boys also enjoyed skipping stones and playing. It was a cool park!


Even with the long trip home, we had lots of fun family time together. We did lots of singing and talking since ridingin a car for that long there isn't much else to do. Enjoy the pictures!

enjoying a paddle boat ride

our friend Kim's little girl

Kim, Johanna, Chloe, and myself

Samuel, Anneliese, and Chloe

three SLC girls

all the kids (minus Keeg) at the gathering

Melonie with Chloe

Amanda, the great planner of the event