Our Day Trip

 Yesterday Andy and I took a day trip up to McCall after church to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. Our anniversary isn't for a month but Andy will be working in New Mexico next month and we wanted to be sure we did something to celebrate. And we did, it was perfect! I can tell you that I never imagined getting married in the winter because I had always dreamed of an outside summer wedding but God had different plans for my life. I am so glad I trusted Him because one thing I enjoy the most year after year is taking trips up to the mountains and enjoying the beauty He created.

 

We walked around the beach area first and took in all the scenery. We practically had McCall to ourselves, we only saw a few people here and there. It was quiet, peaceful, and just what we needed! We shopped a few of the local stores but the best part was when Andy found a ski jacket for $1,000. We could not believe there was such a thing. It was a nice jacket, we both really liked it but not for that price! Then we drove to Paradise Burger, it was amazing! I highly recommend to anyone driving through McCall. I am craving it now as we speak.

On our way back home we stopped at Gold Fork Hot Springs and took a dip for a few minutes. On the way there I made Andy stop the truck so I could capture this picture. It was just so beautiful EVERYWHERE!

It was freezing outside but after we left the hot springs we were warm the rest of the night! That concludes most of our trip. We enjoyed listening to some older CD's we had of Bob Caldwell preaching while we were in the car. I think that listening to God's word and being alone with my husband might have been one of the highlights from the day. I love the man I married 4 years and 11 months ago. It has brought many years of happiness already! It's not about the destination, it's about enjoying the ride along the way!

Christmas Challenge

I was visiting a new blog yesterday when I came across a fabulous idea for this holiday season! Apparently this idea is floating around on Pinterest, but I found it on a blog. It was so uplifting that I couldn't resist passing this idea on! Visit the following link to find out more information about "Random Acts of Christmas Kindness: RACKed" I am taking some of her idea's for giving back this holiday season.  If you go down to the bottom of her page you can click on a PDF version of the RACKed cards and print them off as well! :) If you have any ideas or suggestions for this challenge, please share!

http://tsjphotography.com/blog/random-acts-of-christmas-kindness-summary/

My amazing mother-in-law got my RACKed cards printed today! I cannot wait to start this challenge!

Define Necessity

The picture below has been on my mind since the first time I saw it. I have felt incredibly convicted anytime I buy my kids more clothes or things for ourselves that we don't need and can live without. I know that God is teaching me to be more frugal and content and that is why I feel so convicted. I thought this was perfect to share since we are right around the corner from Christmas.

30 Days of Thanks

I have seen it year after year. A number of people share what they are thankful for every day in November. I have decided to jump on the Thankful bandwagon and join this group of humble thankful people. I should do this all year long but for now I will commit myself to do it everyday in November. I am excited to see the outcome!

30 Days of Thanks
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name." Psalm 100:4 

November 1st: I am thankful for my husband. He is my rock. He makes me a better person and completes me. He has taught me what it means to love unconditionally and has been my best friend through thick and thin. I can rely on him to provide for our family and always be a hard worker. I am thankful he is the man God planned for me to marry. I am blessed beyond words!

November 2nd: Today I am thankful for my bible study. I am currently studying the book of Revelation with Beth Moore and it has been such a humbling experience. I am learning so much about myself, life, and the word of God. It has been a revelation to read Revelation, if that makes sense. God has revealed himself to me in ways I didn't think was possible. I love getting into the word and breaking it down. 

November 3rd: Today's thanks may not sound genuine but I say it from the bottom of my heart. I am so thankful for these silly things: a working shower, washer & dryer, dishwasher, working utilities and a roof over our head. Sometimes I take for granted the little things like hot water. Last month our water heater stopped working and we had to get a new one. It was $350 we didn't have to spend fixing a water heater but I was so thankful we were able to get it fixed. People all across the world don't have enough clothes, food and water, or even a place to live. I am always wanting something new so I have been praying that God will give me a heart of contentment and peace and that I will be more grateful for what I have. 

November 4th: I am thankful for my parents and all that they have done to make me the person I am today. On Wed. Nov. 2nd my mom turned 50! Today we are celebrating her birthday. She has been a great person to look up to and has recently become an amazing Christian example in my life. My mother became a born-again Christian as well as my dad last year and watching them grow with God has been a joy! 

November 5th: Thankful for my kids. They are my life! I am so happy I am a mom! The best thing is watching them learn. Going through each new stage brings excitement! It's been the best thing to happen to me next to marrying my best friend! 

November 6th: Having a roof over my head comes as one of the top things I am thankful for! We have almost owned our house for 3 years (in January) and it's been such a blessing! The fact Andy has had work consistently with this economy plays a vital role and all thanks goes to God! I love being able to have friends and family over to our house and the game nights that go down as well!

November 7th: Thankful for my amazing In-Laws. I love them to death! They are such great people and have been amazing examples for Andy and I. They have been there to support us through everything. They are wonderful grandparents who are very loved by Ethan and McKenna. They have the biggest hearts and are always going out of their way for others! Excellent role-models! I am a blessed and proud daughter-in-law! 

November 8th: I am so thankful for my new fleece sheets for my bed! I am in LOVE! They are the most comfortable warm sheets I have ever had. I used to use flannel sheets until I got my first set of fleece sheets for my birthday from Grandma Sue! Thanks again Sue!

November 9th: I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom. It isn't always easy but it's always worth it. I love being able to focus on my family. It has been a huge blessing that will leave me forever thankful! God knows what He is doing and I am glad He knows what is best for me! 

November 10th: Today I am thankful God forgives. There have been times in my life where I have made wrong choices but I have been able to turn to God, fall on my knees, and repent. I am fully forgiven by God and this have given me the ability to learn to forgive others as well.  

November 11th: I am thankful for the "Talks" I get to have on Friday's with Grandma Sue. It has been a great experience sharing things with her and opening up. I have a connection with her and admire the way she has raised her family. I look up to her and hope to be half the woman she is one day. She is an amazing Godly example.

November 12th: I am thankful for days when I get to spend time with my little family. Andy might drive me nuts by the end of the weekend after he's chased the kids up and down the house but hearing the kids giggles and screams never get old. It's the little things. Laughter is contagious! 

November 13th: Today's sermon at church was exactly what I needed. I am thankful we made it to church today so we could hear the message. I love getting into the word and breaking down scripture. I am thankful we live in a country where we have the freedom of religion! 

November 14th: Thankful for my families health. We don't have any major medical conditions or diseases. We continue to praise God for our health! 

November 15th: I am thankful for the friends in my life! Each and every one of them are special to me in their own way! My friends have been there for me and allowed me to be there for them. No matter how long I have known some of my friends or how short I have been friends with others...I am so happy that I have such great people in my life! 

November 16th: I am thankful for my sisters! I don't know what I would have done if I was an only child! Who would I annoy, look up, and grow to love if it was just me!? My sisters share a piece of my life that no one else does. We have some amazing memories in our lives and amazing parents that we can look up! Love you Jamie and Jen!

November 17th: I am thankful for Les Schwab! I got the struts fixed on our truck today and now the truck drives smooth! It has been a 'rocky' month or two for us (literally!). Glad she is all fixed up and ready for the wintery months!

November 18th: Today I am thankful for a washing machine with a sanitize cycle! Last night McKenna go the stomach flu and this came in handier than ever! Nothing more reassuring than clean bedding! It is a materialist thing to be thankful for but I really am grateful I have it! 

November 19th: I am thankful that my children have friends! Friends are so important to have in life! McKenna has given me the opportunity to realize what it means to love your friends. Haha! She loves to see her best friend Sophia and when she does get to see her she loves to stop anything she is doing and hang out with her. It's the little things!    

November 20: I am grateful my in-laws came over today and put garland and Christmas lights on my front porch! It's little things like this that put a perma-smile  on my face! I will be excited for the next month as I plug in our lights every night when it's dark and pull the blinds open so the kids can look out the window! 

November 21: Thankful that I got to sleep in today in my warm cozy bed! I have spent the weekend catching up on homework and stayed up way too late each night and got up early the next day! Although it puts me behind for the day, it's night to sit at home and be lazy!  

November 22: I am thankful for coupons! Couponing has allowed me to buy my kids clothing for cheaper than regular price! It has been a blessing that we can buy our necessities for an affordable price and stretch our money further!  Now to learn how to coupon grocery food!!!! 

November 23: Thanksgiving Break officially starts today! I am unbelievably thankful I got my homework finished and all my assignments turned in for my final portfolio! Now I can focus on baking, cleaning, and spending time with my family! YAY! :) 

November 24: I am thankful for MY FAMILY on this special day of Thanks! I look forward to over-eating, laughing, and making the most of this holiday with my family! Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for!  

November 25: Thankful God forgives. His forgiveness has made it possible for me to see his love and graciousness. It is because of Him that I am able to love and forgive others. Such a big blessing! 
  
November 26: Thankful I live in a state where we get to see all 4 seasons. I might complain about the weather from time to time, but I really am grateful we get a little bit of everything here in Idaho.

November 27: I am thankful for God's word. Every Sunday I am reminded of how great God's word is. It never gets old. Today I have been reminded of how I should be and that I have Jesus as a perfect example to follow. So I am thankful for Jesus! 

November 28: Thankful to have the blessing to be at home with my children today. We are preparing for Christmas coming up and have been planning ways to serve others. I have challenged myself to give back this Christmas. I am looking forward to see what God has planned for us. 

November 29: I am thankful for children's laughter. Laughter is contagious and I need it in my life to keep the smile on my face! I am thankful God made our bodies capable of laughing! 

November 30: Thankful that other people have such big hearts and continue to spread hope in this world. With Christmas right around the corner, it's been a blessing seeing people's lives touched by others generosity. It inspires me to give more to others! 

Whew! I did my 30 days of Thanks! Some things I am thankful for I didn't share on here. Some stuff was extremely private and other things I didn't share was to keep privacy for others. This experience has been incredibly beneficial for me. Throughout the day I stop and think about reasons I am thankful. I have done this before but now I am making a daily effort to be thankful for more. I give God ALL my thanks because ALL THINGS are possible through Him. (Matthew 19:26) 

What a Weekend!

Last weekend was a fun filled busy weekend! Andy works out of town during the week which alone creates a busy weekend of laundry, grocery shopping, and packing for the next week of work. This weekend we set aside some of our responsibilities to indulge in family time. We are learning just how precious our valuable time is with our kids at this age. They grow so stinkin' fast! Saturday we had lunch at Jalapenos Mexican Food in Nampa which kick started our weekend of over eating. We took the kids to a park in Nampa to feed the ducks. The weather could not have been any better. In fact, we were roasting and here it is the end of October.

After feeding the ducks we added to our day of over eating by taking a trip to U-Swirl in Nampa. They had 18 flavors to choose from and the flavor was dead on! We sampled close to all 18 flavors making it even harder to decide which flavor to choose. U-Swirl is a self serve frozen yogurt bar with every topping you can think of for your frozen yogurt concoction. We sampled Girl Scout Thin Mints to Pumpkin Cheesecake to Pomegranate Raspberry. It was all amazing!

Our next stop was to Fred Meyers for their game sale. All board games were Buy 2 get 1 Free.We are big on game nights and had one planned for Saturday night as it was. We found a new game that I just have to share about! It is called Quelf.

My first thought when I took a look at the game board was that it was going to be some weird hobbit game. The game board is colorful and busy. But the game made us do some pretty silly things. To sum it up, Steve had to snort like a pig anytime something made him laugh, we had to jump up and scream "Pizza Party" whenever someone's phone went off (or pay the penalty to move back 2 spaces) and players had to hold hands whenever their game pieces shared the same space on the board. Different action cards forced other silly rules like a player having to keep her hand down on the floor the rest of the game unless it was her turn. Or all players being forced to say "Izzle" after each sentence (or pay the penalty to move back 1 space each time). There are 5 or 6 category cards that randomly enforce rules or encourage poem writing, quiz taking, and charade like stunts. I highly recommend this game for outgoing, extroverted, and fun people who like to play games and do things out of the ordinary. We also bought Battle of the Sexes and 5 Second Rule. Both are fun games as well!

We stayed up til 3 AM Saturday night but that didn't stop us from going to church Sunday. After church was over Andy rushed us out the door to drop the kids off to his parents for the afternoon. He was planning on taking me to a "Halloween Party" that some friends were having but somehow we ended up at the Blimpie at Idaho Iceworld waiting for friends before heading to the Halloween Party. Then I saw Nick Schalder sitting by the front door with a Cheesecake Factory bag and a big smile on his face. I knew something was up but wasn't for sure. We ordered blimpie while waiting for our other friends (Jeff and Jocelyn) to get there when my friend Tanja came walking up with Ice skates on. Andy shouted "Surprise!" since his efforts to gather all our friends and have them surprise me failed. Don't get me wrong, I was still surprised! We had the BEST tasting cheesecake I have ever had. It was called Coconut Chocolate Cream something but it tasted just like the Somoas Girl Scout cookie. Worth every calorie! That sums up the majority of our BUSY weekend excluding some other errands and we ran and of course laundry we folded. Hope you had a good weekend too!

Time

Time. It never fails to slip away. All day long I try to "manage" my time. I try to get as much done in the time I have. Sometimes I want to go back in time for just a moment to re-live a memory or an emotion. Time gets the best of me sometimes. Other times I am really grateful that time goes by quickly, especially if I anxiously waiting for something. Anyways, you get the point. What I am getting at is that it has been 8 months since I have posted a blog. That's just crazy. I looked over my last blog titled "Change"  and I realize just how much has changed in those 8 little months.

First, I don't babysit anymore. I occasionally will help friends out and sometimes I get to see Lexi and Jayden when their regular babysitter can't watch them. I enjoy those moments because I grew to love these two precious children. Through trial and error I have learned a lot about myself. Some things were worth changing but without being tested I would have never known what it was that needed to be changed.

Second, McKenna has hair. How come no one ever told me she had a slight mullet? Looking back I see how much she has grown and changed. It has been a joy watching her personality blossom.

And lastly, we have made some big changes here in the Davis household. Andy no longer installs hardwood floors for Nampa Floors as he is now working construction for Earth Energy and working on getting his business Moose Creek Construction up and going with his brother Steve. Andy works out of town every week and comes home on the weekends so Steve has been left dealing with all the work. I am going to school at College of Western Idaho taking English and Algebra. I am working on my prerequisites for the Nursing program, but I have been praying about this decision to make sure it is what God has planned for me. Ethan started Pre-School in September when he turned FOUR! He loves going to school and goes on Tuesday and Thursday's. I have enjoyed going through this stage even though I predicted that I would be sad. It's actually one of my favorite stages seeing him learn new things and get excited about school. McKenna is our dashing 2 1/2 year old that keeps us on our toes all the time. She can talk sentence after sentence and even asks questions. Mostly when she is talking on her play phone. She is stubborn, strong willed, and difficult at times but every minute of it is worth it.

Now that I am mostly caught up, I will try to stay on top of things. It's great to be back in the world of blogging. Boy have I missed it!

Our Family. August 2011

Changes

I always thought I would be a regular "blogger" and keep things up to date. That all changed when the Davis house went from two kids to four. Through prayer and God opening new doors I have started babysitting 2 kids four days a week about three weeks ago. Hence why I have not updated anything. It has been such a blessing having this opportunity and I feel great that it's a "God thing" not a "Jill thing". I watch a 2 year old (Lexi) and a 7 month old (Jayden) who are both fun and easy kids to watch. We enjoy crafts, reading, playing, singing, and naps. Yes, naps are a must at the Davis house! I have watched my kids change and grow through this new adjustment in their lives and enjoy seeing them interact with other kids. Ethan is quiet protective of his sister and McKenna likes to copy everything Miss Lexi does.

 

Jayden & Lexi

Other changes happen daily when McKenna sneaks off into her bedroom and comes back with mismatched shoes and a coat or hat on. She loves to dress up and change her clothes. I could see dress up clothes being her favorite birthday present this year when we celebrate her 2nd birthday. She also has a knack for trying on other people's shoes when we have guests over. They are typically way too big and result in a frustrated toddler when the shoes just don't cooperate. Bless her heart!

Yes she planned this on her own

Mommy's boots are almost as big as her!

Left behind cowboy boots

Had to have her hat on!

Barely awake before 7 am and has Lexi's boots on!

Tiffany was over for 5 mins dropping Sophia off and Kenna stole her shoes

And then she stole Sophia's!

Found Mommy's high heels and walked gracefully out of the room

Classsic pic

Jabbers Of Fun

Today the kids got a month pass to Jabbers. I am looking forward to taking them regularly to burn some energy. It's the perfect remedy for our winter restlessness. The kids and I were driving each other nuts being trapped inside all day. So we are venturing out across town this month to hit the most fun place in a kid's world.

Ready, Set, Go!!!

Ethan takes the lead!

 

This is the "I lost" face "But, it won't happen again"

In Kid Paradise!

"My OWN shopping cart!?"

 

Baby in tow and off they go! 

Not a bit surprised Ethan found the train table

 

Ethan's favorite part-The Slide

He can play for several hours solid

 

Playing in the tree house

True happiness!

Oh to be a kid again!

Cute Little Lady

Her favorite toy to plow down on!

In the kitchen, just like mommy

 

She'll take this please.... :)

We had such a great time today, we will be back again tomorrow...and the next day and the next day. As Ethan likes to call it "Grabbers" here we come!