We are an affectionate family.  Kisses and hugs abound.  But, for Liberians this is not the case.  Brown sugar learned quickly how to give kisses.  She even learned quickly that she could kiss Mama and Papa on the lips but no one else.  For Scharffy it has been a longer process but quicker then we expected.  About three weeks ago Scharffy came out of nowhere and planted a kiss on my cheek.  He then quickly ran off to play.  I was absolutely shocked. 

There was even more shock when two days ago he planted my cheek with all kinds of kisses.  He was giggling while kissing but, make no mistake, this was not an accident.  This was deliberate and I was elated.  It took him hardly any time at all to warm up to us but to seal our relationship with affection was more then we had even hoped for. 

I will never forget love's first kiss. 

Last night we were greeted with very sad news for our family.  Our dear friend, Mr. McWhorter, died on Saturday night. 

The news came via his oldest daughter whom I have met a couple of times.  I did not recognize her at first but when it "clicked" I just knew what the message was that she was delivering to our doorstep. 

Mr. McWhorter was 86 and he lived a full life to the glory of God.  We met him a few days after we moved into the neighborhood.  He introduced himself as Mr McWhorter, the man who has four children just like there are four quarters in a dollar.  He was full of stories.  He walked down to our house weekly with his dog Bandy.   The kids would play with his hat and his cane.  And, after a few stories of the past he would ask if I would play the piano for him. 

The Old Rugged Cross, Take My Life, It is Well With My Soul, Finlandia, The Church's One Foundation.  These were his weekly requests. I had the honor of playing these for him recently and to see the smile on his face and now I will have the honor of playing them for his funeral. 

This man became our family.  He became our Grandfather and Great Grandfather.  We shared a mutual bond as believers but we also shared a love that went beyond being a neighbor.  We thank the Lord for all of the time that we did have with him.  And, now it is time to say good-bye.

We truly are as happy as we look

Boo, our oldest daughter is seventeen almost eighteen.  For our Reformation party she wanted to sew a new dress.  So, my Mother-in-law spent time with B helping her do everything right. 

The dress turned out beautiful and it sparked an interest in B for sewing.  Wow!  I did not see this coming.  B went down to the library and checked out all kinds of books on sewing, alterations, and how to make your own patterns.  She has spent time going over different patterns and just can't wait to get started. 

Boo is also interested in learning how to play the violin.  She has had this interest for quite a few years now but it has become even more intense as she is around many who are learning.  Hubbie and I went to see Natalie MacMaster, a professional fiddler from Nova Scotia, and I was hooked on the piano/fiddle duets.  So, Christmas and Birthday (which are very close together) mean violin instruction books and a violin.

Boo has also decided that she really does like piano.  So, she has started to pick out pieces that she loves and has really taught herself.  In some ways, this is just too sad considering that I am a piano teacher!  But, she is motivated to do it now and is learning quickly due to that motivation. 

Then there is the opportunities that God has given Boo to challenge and encourage other young ladies.  After reading So Much More she has been able to share it with others and encourage them to travel down the Godly, and yet sometimes lonely, path that they have been called to. 

Yesterday I was listening to Dr. R. C. Sproul Jr.'s Training up Children.  It is basically everything that I read in his book When You Rise Up. But, it was a great reminder that our primary goal is to teach our children godly precepts.  And, for the Davis family this means Life is School.  When you rise up, when you go to sleep, when you walk on the path, when you read the Word, when you sew a dress, when you know your math facts.  When they are ready their interests will merge with those godly precepts.  All to the glory of God. 

to bring you Brown Sugar at her best.  As Hubbie was reading the Word and a portion of Table Talk to us all, Brown Sugar was doing all kinds of things to distract her Daddy from reading.  She was cuddling against him and say "ah".  Then she would blow kisses.  But, when that did not get his attention she just stood up on his lap and started kissing him over and over again.  In between the kisses she would start babbling. 

I love baby babbling.  She sounds like she is saying blehba-daba-doo.  Having her walk throughout the house "talking" is such a pleasure. 

So, throughout family worship, we all chuckled under our breath so as not to encourage her but to still enjoy the moment. 

Take time today to enjoy each beautiful moment your children bring into your home.  What a great way to glorify God.

This entry has been deleted.  I have been convicted by another Christian sister that my comments were not kind nor loving toward the women that I wrote about.  After reading her message to me I admit that even though I do lead a much different life then the women at table two I did not show love towards them. 

Thankfully this comes at a time where God has been already working on my heart.  Softening it to be more like Him.  Loving one another is the greatest commandment next to loving God.  As I was teaching my children that loving your brother or sister shows that you love God I was not being a great witness to them on how to do this. 

I have said this before but I am beginning to see more clearly how true this is:  Homeschooling, family integrated, reformed, adoption, quiverful, etc does not make one greater then another.  For the Davis family it is the way of life BUT it is all for naught if we do not have love.

Eric has been reading I Cor. 13 nightly for us.  It has not only sunk in but has become much more then just a passage read at a wedding.  "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbol.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

So, Table two (you know who you are) please accept my sincere apology for not loving you as Christ would have me to. 

There are many things that I treasure in life on this earth:  reading the psalms, a very dry cappuccino, rain, reading a book to my little ones, playing the piano, the sound of the ocean waves, snuggling with Hubbie, anything with butter and garlic on it, listening to incredible music, the smiles of all my children and the list goes on and on (and in no certain order). 

I have a new one to add to the list:  holding my black baby.  I am astounded at her beauty.  Her skin is so soft and smooth.  Her smile melts my heart daily.  I love little fingers already but little black fingers are so cute.  She pats me on the back when I hold her.  She gives me kisses and cries when I leave the room.  I love it when she lifts up my shirt to reveal my very white skin.  It is funny to watch her expression go from questioning to laughing at the differences.  

This morning as Hubbie and I were preparing for him to leave for a couple of days on church business I heard this little voice from our room, the crib to be precise. "Ma-ma, ma-ma".  My heart leapt.  I look forward to every new day to spend with my children.  And, I am so grateful to be able to add Scharffy and Brown Sugar to the mix.  Being greeted by all six children in the morning is another latest treasure that I am adding the ever increasing list. 

As my list increases I am realizing that more of my thoughts are filled with a gratefulness and gratitude for all that I have.   Cultivating a heart that is thankful for the little things in life helps us focus on those things that are more important then what the world deems worthy.   And, hopefully molds our hearts into being more like Christ.  That is the ultimate treasure.

I have had two websites and domain names through Go Daddy.  But, I found out recently that the company has decided to promote overtly sexual behavior and porn through their commercials. 

I found this out through a friend who works in the industry.  I went to the website and I was shocked.  I have really enjoyed working with Go Daddy but I  have decided to take steps to close my websites and ultimately lose my domain names.   Not a fun decision but one that had to be made. 

I called Go Daddy to let them know of my decision.  I am sure that one voice is not going to change the world but I have to, for my own conscience, not be affiliated with this company. 

I wanted to post this so that we can all be aware and not use this company.  There are other options out there that choose to not promote their business in such immoral ways. 

We are cleaning up the trailer, packing clothes, and making all kinds of goodies for our trip.  One of the greatest parts of living in California is that it is overflowing with incredible places to visit.  The terrain is so diverse.  We have beautiful beaches and great rocky shores.  We have several Redwood forests that contain the oldest trees on the planet. We have incredible lakes and waterways: the San Fransisco bay, Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, the Sacramento Delta, etc.    We have huge cities and quaint little towns. We have some of the best skiing in the U.S. and every other sport you can imagine.   We have the highest peak, Mt. Whitney, and the lowest point, Death Valley, in the continental U. S.

We try to get away in the fall as a holiday kick-off and a break from the normal.  This time it is to Morro Bay.  We love Morro Bay state park because it is absolutely beautiful, it has hook-ups for a low cost, and the campground is deserted. There is so much to do there.  We ride our bikes everywhere, visit the local museum, walk out to Morro Rock and look for otter out in the bay.  We fly kites and go for long walks along the swamp where we can see the most incredible birds like blue herons and cranes.  It is just an all around relaxing get away.  I still have to fix all the meals and we still have to do dishes but we are getting away Davis style. 

There is something rather fun about living in tight quarters for a week.  We have never fit eight people into our 24' trailer but everyone is really excited about how this is all going to work.  We play games and read a lot.  I am goin to work on some geneology info this time around.  We eat brownies, pies, apple crisp and lots of other homemade goodies.  Hot Chocolate with marshmellows is a must.  It is our fall S'mores.  Can you tell that I am looking forward to this time away from home? 

So, off we go tomorrow.  I will have internet access but I probably won't use it.  Why spend the time when there is so much playing to do? 

We do have the best dentist in the world.  Most of you know him or know of him.  Dr. Mango is not only our dentist but also a friend of our family.  And, sometimes friends help out in ways that you would never expect. 

For instance, Dr. Mango has stitched up our older sons head after a lovely back flip into the side of a pool.  He has given me a beautiful smile through dental implants on my two front teeth.  And, then there is the latest incident.  Scharffy and Goose were wrestling and Goose's hand ended up in Scharffy's mouth.  Oh bummer! 

Scarffy started bleeding profusely but amazingly was in no pain.  Hubbie filled me in on the happenings and said that Scarffy's tooth was broken.  I looked at his mouth and commented that I thought there was no tooth at all.  (And this coming from a woman who is going blind!).  At this time, Goose walks in with a huge tooth in his hand.  It had been on the floor.  Time to call Dr. Mango and figure out what to do....oh, by the way, it was 9:30 PM.

To make a long story short, Hubbie and Scharffy left for Dr. Mango's office with a cup filled with saliva and one big, permanant tooth.  Dr. Mango then proceeded to put the tooth back where it came out of and wire it to a couple of teeth.  We are not sure if it will take but we are praying it does.  A crooked tooth is better then no tooth.   

The problem?  Both Scharffy and Brown Sugar suck their tongue for comfort.  They have pushed their teeth close to the front of their gums.  Scharffy has a tongue as long as a giraffe. Not sure how he can keep it all in there.  So, we are just hoping that he does not lose any more teeth.  But, Brown Sugar is only a year old and so we are doing something I would never recommend doing.  We are trying to break one habit by giving her another one:  the pacifier.  I am hoping that she will just not be interested in either tongue sucking or the pacifier.  We will see what happens but for now we are hoping that our diligence and perserverance will help keep Gabbie's teeth from having similar problems. 

So, THANK YOU Dr. Mango for your time and effort.  Some hot, home made choco chip cookies and cold milk are definately coming your way soon. 

It has always been hard for me to say good-bye.  And, today was no different.  Our dear friends are leaving Wednesday morning to head back to Quebec where they are missionaries to a very remote island. 

I held back the tears this time but it was not easy.  I have said good-bye to so many friends over the years.  On one hand it is a wonderful blessing to have friends all over the world.  On the other hand, it can sometimes feel like I am destined to another hard good-bye if I do develop a close relationship with someone.

This time the good-bye is bittersweet just like the first time that we said good-bye to these friends over two years ago.  Bitter because we have so much in common and we cherish our coffee dates with them.  Sweet because we know that they are doing exactly what the Lord has called them to do.

And, we are doing exactly what the Lord has called us to do: stay.  We stay because we have been called here for now.  In staying we get to spend time with those who come and visit.  Since time is precious during these reunions we get straight to the point challenging each other and talking about how God is working in our lives.

But, staying means good-byes. It also means looking forward to the next time we meet again. So,to our friends, as they journey across the U. S.:  grace and peace to you.  May the Lord bless you and keep you on your travels.  And, we pray that the Lord will bring us back together again to enjoy great fellowship and even a coffee or two. 

O-kay, well, he has been home for over a week.  He came home a week ago Sunday instead of Monday when we thought he would be coming home. 

He called me on Sunday while I was at church.  I was sitting with other ladies, knitting, while our kids were playing out in the field.  My phone rang out "I'm Already There" from Lonestar.  It is the ringer that I have given for Eric's phone number.  Kind of ironic, huh?

I think I jumped up three feet!  As one of the ladies in our church said, I was giggling like a newlywed.  I can not tell you how thrilled I was to here his voice.  And, then to know that I would see him in a few hours gave me the chills.  Yes, even after twenty years he still stirs my heart!

My Hubbie is out on the big blue ocean.  He is literally working on a floating city that we call an aircraft carrier.  My hubbie trains others in the art of plotting and keeping charts.  That is about all I can tell you because that is about all I know.  His job requires top secret clearance and so I have no details.

He has been out for six days now but it seems much longer.  I am used to him being out at sea.  He goes out for weeks at a time and when he was active duty he went out for six months at a time.  So, the nine days that he is out this time is not very long but having two new children that don't understand why Papa is gone is a different story. 

As far as I can tell, they are doing fairly well.  Scharffy has a little check off list of the days that Papa is gone so that he can see that there is an end and Papa will be coming back.  He had a bit of a crying spell last night but we have not seen many negative side effects yet.  Brown sugar is showing her feelings through frustration motions (i.e. shaking her arms and grunting).  When we get through this we think it will be great for the kids to see that Papa does come home. Hopefully building more trust between us.

The side effect of hubbie being gone is that I am exhausted though.  I probably look it too.  I need my husband.  He keeps me calm and helps me be a better parent and a better person.  He also is a huge help since, as most of my friends know, he has an unlimited amount of energy. 

One thing that gets me through though is the fact that Eric loves what he does.  This is his hobby and it give him a break from everyday life.  He loves the Ocean.  He loves charts and navigation.  And, the best thing is that he gets paid for it.  Oh, and the reunions are pretty great!

Okay, I am officially nervous.  I realized that I have introduced my children to the world.  That would  be just fine if we still lived in the Garden of Eden but instead we live in a fallen, sinful, depraved world.  I can no longer trust that my children are going to be protected if I continue to broadcast our names and pictures all over the web. 

I will still post pictures that do not have close ups but I am changing all of our names.

Here is the run down:  I am Mama, my husband will either be Papa or Hubbie, Our seventeen year old daughter will be Boo, our sixteen year old son will be Goose, our twelve year old daughter will be Miss M, our eleven year old daughter will be Muffin, our six year old son will be Scharrfy (short for scharrfenberger chocolate), and our baby will be Brown Sugar. 

J and Brown Sugar were baptized a week ago. 

It was a wonderful morning.  We dressed in the African outfits that Hubbie brought back from Liberia and caught the eye of all in our congregation.  It's not every day you see bright colored embroidered gowns with colorful head-coverings. 

But, the best part of this Lord's day was watching our son and daughter being baptized into our covenant home. 

We were blessed to have Hubbie's parents and dear friends from Canada here to celebrate.  In fact, I think that most of the families of our church were there today.  What a blessing to have so many witness such a special event in our lives. 

Our pastor reminded the congregation how J and Brown Sugar are a wonderful reminder of our adoption into a bigger Covenant. 

It has taken me a while to write because we have had many, many guests in our home over the past week.  So, I have been a bit busy.  But, as for today, Hubbie left for Navy duties today and the rest of our guests are finding their way back home. 

Since we brought home J and Brown Sugar life has been rather.....hectic.  Today, I was musing over lunch and realized that really we had not changed one thing about our already very filled lives when we added two more children. 

But, as I was continuing my musing I realized that there is really nothing that we would take out of our lives.  We love the Young Families group that we connect with every other week.  We love the families that our kids regularly help with household chores, babysitting and such.  We love the many families that come through our doors weekly for dinner and fellowship.  We love setting up and tearing down our church.  I love the music in my life whether it is playing for our services or teaching others.  We love homeschooling our children and watching them grow up. 

We love our life.  It is just busy. 

But as busy as it is I can not complain at this time.  I have a newfound friend that attends our church that has just been told that she has inoperable cancer on her brain.  She is married to a wonderful guy and has three little ones. 

As we sang, worshipped, and partook of the Lord's table this past Sunday, we were all reminded of the fact that our sister in Christ was in a hospital recovering from surgery.  Life seems to be put in perspective when things like this happen to us or around us. 

Yes, I am exhausted but what would I give up?  Not one thing.  We have few days to work for the Lord here on earth.  We must take advantage of the time and rather then complain remind ourselves that our rest is in the life hereafter. 

*****On a side note:  Please pray for Karen.  Her world changed completely within a matter of moments.  God gives grace only when we need it and we have seen His grace shining through this family.  We are now praying for complete healing if it be the Lord's will. 

We were reminded once again that we are not of this world but just live in it for a very short time. 

Hubbie hiked up Half Dome (in Yosemite) Thursday and Friday with three of our kids and four other kids from our church.  They were going to come home on Saturday but it was very cold and so they decided to come home Friday night.  While they were driving through the valley the Suburban started shaking.  And, as Hubbie was pulling over the back tire completely rolled off. 

Now here is where God's incredible mercy comes in....Hubbie was only driving ten miles an hour and Mr. T, one of the guys that hiked up with them, was right behind him.  IF he had been going faster or going downhill it would have been serious.  IF they had waited to leave until Saturday they would have been stranded because Mr. T had to leave on Friday. 

Hubbie called me and asked if I could drive around and get some parts for him since it was getting late.  Well, many of you know that I can not drive at night due to my vision loss.  It was 6:00pm when he called.  I had about an hour to go to several stores to get all the parts.  As I got through the first store I got into the truck and it would not start.  I am usually prone to tears but I fought them back and started praying.  I called a friend and they came over to rescue me.  In fact, her husband and my Hubbie are both going back up to Yosemite to fix the Suburban. 

What happened?  Something that NEVER happens (except to us!).  The studs, or screws, that hold the tire onto the car were all sheared off.  All eight of them.   The average person could experience one or two breaking off but not all eight of them. 

So, what is God trying to teach us?  We chose to adopt two orphans rather then remodel our kitchen or buy new cars.  My resolve is still there that this was the right thing to do.  But, every once in a while I question whether having two older cars  is sensible.  Then, as I was praying last night, I was reminded that cars are not eternal.  Hearts are.  Cars are only here to get us from one location to another.  Spiritually, we are on this earth for a very short time.  It should not be our goal to seek those things that will not last. 

My hope is that I will continue to be content with the cars that God has provided us.  I will continue to thank Him for his protection and also thank Him for showing us how He protects us.  What a wonderful gift!   

Let me die, let me die in the army

Let me suffer, let me suffer in the army

Oh Let me die, let me die in the army

I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord

This is one of the songs they sing at the Acres of Hope orphanage. Joe tells me that he had never heard about Jesus until he arrived at AOH.  And, in six months he learned a wonderful selection of Christian songs.  The one above is probably one of our favorites mainly because it is what we are called to do.  And, what better illustration of our lives as Christians, for a young boy, then that of a soldier. 

Last night at a bi-monthly Young Families Group that we host, we sang this song.  One of the newer couples was rather struck by the words and reminded us that this is what Paul calls us to in II Timothy 2:3-4

Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

As I read the passage, I was ashamed of the fact that I had been feeling rather frustrated about the accomplishments that I had not been able to achieve due to a crazy schedule over the last couple of weeks.   And, I was even more ashamed of my grumbling spirit over our food budget. 

But, scripture clearly teaches us that we should not entangle ourselves in the affairs of everyday life. 

And, if you read on vs 11-13 say:

For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him;

If we endure, we shall also reign with Him;

If we deny Him, He also will deny us;

If we are faithless, He remains faithful;

for He cannot deny Himself

So, today I am going to not entangle myself with all those things that keep frustrating me but rather please the One who called me by being faithful to that call and dying to myself.   

Call me a bit biased but I really do think that Brown Sugar is one of the beautiful babies around.  Our little baby is now walking all over the place and exploring all kinds of new territory.  Right now she is playing with some empty boxes sitting by the back door.  Isn't life grand?

Hubbie calls her his "brown sugar", Boo calls her "sugar", Goose calls her his "dark chocolate scharffenberger (my favorite chocolate company), Miss M, Muffin and J call her by her name.  I call her "baby" with a big smile.  I am beyond smitten with this newest addition to our family. 

Ask her to praise Jesus and she will lift up her hands.  Ask her to make a silly face and she will squint her eyes and wrinkle her nose.  She knows the signs for yes, no, more, please, thank you, all done, up, and down.  But, all that a side it is her smile that gets me.   She has a five tooth grin that is to die for.  And, who can resist her when she is practically running to me with arms stretched up and saying "ma-ma". 

I am blessed.  I am blessed to have such joy after ten years of baby drought.  I am  blessed to have this little sweetie call me ma-ma when I did not give birth to her. 

I am tired but I AM BLESSED! 

As you walk through the Museum of Modern Art you are repulsed by the constant barrage of nudity on the walls and in the sculptures.  You wish that you hadn't brought your children...what were you thinking?  Is this glorifying to God or is it another attempt of our culture to desensitize us to God's commands of modesty?  But everyone says that our kids need a bit of culture in their lives.  Hmmm.

Now, really, the majority of us would never think of walking through a museum like this ourselves, let alone take our childen.  But, recently I had to tiptoe through a homeschool purchase. 

I bought Omnibus II (Veritas press) for my highschoolers to use as a humanities, history, and literature program.  Needless to say, I felt like I was walking through the Museum of Modern Art but the art in this book was all deemed appropriate because it was classic art and not modern art.  The nudity was just as blatant and absurd but because it was painted by the great artists we set it aside as beautiful.

I see a huge problem here.  This is where I part ways with 'classical' education.  It may seem simplistic in a way but the little children's song "Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See" seems to reverberate through me everytime I am accosted by an art piece that is blatantly godless. 

After Adam and Eve sinned they instinctively covered themselves in shame.  God covered Adam and Eve when they left the garden.  God did not just suggest or request that they cover themselves.  He actually clothed them with the hides of animals that He killed. 

I am in the process of 'covering' the photos of classic art in my new book.  In the meantime, am I the only one that cringes when I see the homeschool 'classical' movement take liberties here?