Christmas 2010

Someone recently introduced me as "the girl you wouldn't want to stand next to in a lightening storm".

While I chuckled at the innocence of my friend's candid comment, it really got me to thinking. I would have to argue that if God's purpose for my life at this particular point in time is to be a lightening rod for His glory, then so be it.

This year has been one of beautiful chaos. If our front porch could talk, oh the stories it would tell! Our prayer warriors and precious friends and family have blessed us beyond comprehension this past year. Our rocking chair has held pints of ice cream, baggies of mustard seeds, gallons of sweet tea, vases of fresh cut flowers, tiny baggies of Nams Cookie bites, comfy pajama pants, and numerous other gifts of encouragement.

God has brought Chris and I to-and-through so many trials. In the midst of the struggles and chaos, He has given us beauty and splendor.

He has taught us how to be genuine. How to be "raw". How to live for today and praise Him for the gift of tomorrow.

As Christmas rolled around this year, I was left trembling at His feet, in awe of His mercy and grace. As He finished moving one mountain for us (farewell kudzu, so long), He brought us to the valley of another.

My mom pulled me aside this past week and shared with me her wisdom on why bad things happen to good people. "We live in a fallen world" she said. "God doesn't cause bad things to happen, He simply places himself in the midst of what this world presents us with".

I will always treasure those words. When we want to cry out "Why, oh God, why?", we must remember that we worship a mighty God who loves us and knows the plans He has for us.

"Sometimes it is hard to accept that God can bring about His purposes through our trials. It is hard to see past our circumstances to a future that, for us, doesn’t exist yet. But God is not constrained by time. He is not reined in by our circumstances. Because of this, we have to trust that our limited perspective simply can not process His higher purpose."

There is something comforting in knowing that our perspective is limited. If we relied on ourselves and our view of the world, we would be left staring at our feet. Shifting uncomfortably, lacking understanding. Tonight I am most thankful to have a God who's purpose is so mighty that it is simply incomprehensible.

We didn't get Cooper's picture made with Santa this year. We didn't even get our Christmas tree up. We didn't have our annual Starbuck's Caramel Apple Spice date, or watch the Christmas Story start to finish. Our Pink Pig tickets hang untouched on the fridge.

Our Christmas picture this year is raw. We aren't wearing coordinating Christmas outfits. Cooper doesn't even have on his "Santa" jammies. Chris and I might not have showered in two days.

Our prayer is to remain real. To remain true to each other. To cling to our faith and to praise God for giving us the opportunity to walk with each other down this road of life.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know that this love that surpasses all knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17-19

Merry Christmas, from our family to yours. With love and blessings...

r

Stephen Patrick Davis

The first time I met Stephen was 10 years ago this past August. He was riding a little boy's bicycle in our apartment complex parking lot in Athens, eating pizza, and laughing. The handle bars were turned backwards--I can still see it clear as day. It was late. And he was silly.

The first meaningful conversation I had with him was on Christmas Eve that same year. We were wrapping Christmas presents at Chris' mom and dad's house, talking about poop. Chris' dad overheard our shenanigans and burst into the room to scold Stephen and Chris for talking about such inappropriate things with a "lady" present. I never told James that I was actually the one who brought up the topic of conversation.

Stephen was (and will always be) Chris' little brother. He would have called Chris today to congratulate him on being officially done with Chemo and radiation. He cried the day Chris told him the news. He went to the alter at church every single Sunday and asked for prayers for Chris. He was a gentle giant. A humble man of God.

The love he had for his sweet, sweet wife, Dori, was absolutely incredible. Words can't even describe it. He loved her like crazy; adored her; treasured her. They were two peas in a pod. Crazy in love.

When God blessed them with Ludi Mae this past spring, you would have thought he won the lottery. He just beamed. "Proud Papa" doesn't even begin to describe it. His precious baby girl meant the world to him. Stephen Patrick Davis was one incredible man. A son. A husband. A daddy. A brother. An uncle. A friend.

We will never understand why you were taken from this world so soon.

We know that God's grace and mercy will carry the Davis Family in the days ahead. We are surrounded with love and covered in prayer.

Please, please pray for Dori and Ludi Mae. Dori is an absolute rock. Her faith is awe-inspiring. She is a precious child of God. Ludi Mae is a gift from above, sent by God to give her strength. We love you both to the moon and back and are lifting you up in constant prayer.

Please pray for his mama and daddy. His brothers and sisters. The Davis' and the Banks. His nephews and niece. Just tonight Austin called and asked to talk to his Uncle Stevie. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. He asked where he was and what he was doing.

Stephen, we all miss you so very much. We keep looking for you to walk through the door. To come down the stairs and ask what the fuss is all about. We know you are getting settled in heaven and we can only imagine what an awesome place heaven must be...

If he could give us all a little advice on this thing we call "life", he might say: Cling to those you hold dear in this world. Love each other a little more each and every single day. Adore the things that matter and disregard the things that don't.

Be still and know that I am God. -Psalm 46:10

Crinkle Lion

A few weeks ago I witnessed one of the most beautiful things in all the world.

As I saw it unfold, I squeezed my eyes shut and willed myself to remember it forever and ever.

I was drying my hair in our bathroom and heard the sound of giggling coming from our room. I peeked out the door and saw 2 bald heads bobbing up and down, giggling away. I heard a crinkle-crinkle and a lot of foolish jibber-jabber noises. More crinkle-crinkle. More giggle-giggle. More jibber-jabber.

Chris was playing with Cooper and his most favorite toy in all the world--"Crinkle Lion". Crinkle Lion was jumping on Super Coop's tummy and creating all sorts of silliness. Chris was happy. Cooper was happy. And all was right with the world. I could have stopped time right then and there.

Crinkle Lion goes EVERYWHERE with us. He is a jack of all trades. He entertains Coop as he cruises around town in his big boy car seat. He makes appearances at every restaurant. Highchairs across Atlanta have been introduced to Mr. Crinkle Lion. He goes for strolls in the park and marathon shopping trips at the mall. He has saved the day on more than one occasion.

You can imagine my excitement when I was invited to the Kids II/Bright Starts Product Launch Party last week. A room filled with oober-cute and oober-fun toys? What!? Pink cupcakes sprinkled with darling confetti sprinkles? Innovative ideas and cutting edge technology? Precious patterns and plush baby accouterments?! And Tony Gonzalez to boot?!

I rejoiced in a morning spent sans scrubs and headed off to the Kids II Corporate Center to check things out.

Let me just say: It. was. fabulous.

I had oh-so-much fun browsing all of Kids II new product lines and learning about the philosophy and values that stand behind items like "Mr. Crinkle Lion".

My most favorite product was the SELF propelled baby bouncer seat. Seriously. It bounces itself. No acrobatics or yoga moves necessary (please don't tell me you haven't caught yourself standing on one leg in the kitchen with one leg stretched across the family room tap.tap.tapping the baby bouncer just to get dinner cooked...or my personal favorite, go-go-gadgetting a leg or two out of the shower to keep the little one a-bouncing so you can rinse the shampoo out of your mommy hair). It takes talent folks.

Well no more. The geniuses over at Kids II have solved mommy-woes near and far.

A personal favorite; the sensory-based nature of most Kids II products. Being a pediatric speech-language pathologist comes with all sorts of perks. Namely, I get to play all day long. Although finding sensory-based toys is not always the easiest feat, it's crucial to our success as therapists. Bright Starts has a fabulous line of sensory toys and guess what?! They are AFFORDABLE! Better believe I will be spreading the word about these little beauties!

And the best part? The part that yanked at my heartstrings and still has me thinking? Their philanthropic nature. They are involved in mucho wonderful charities and community oriented events. From their recognition of Pink Power Moms each year (inspirational mamas who have/are battling breast cancer) to the generosity that unfolds as they provide the homeless children of Atlanta with toys at Christmas...it was so refreshing and inspiring to meet a selfless corporation with outstanding morales and values.

And did you know that they have partnered up with my company, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta!? Who knew! Two of my favorite organizations partnered up to do good!? LOVE IT.

Thank you, thank you, thank you dear friends over at Kids II and Leader Enterprises! What a honor to attend such a wonderful event. I would write more, but a) I wrote WAY too much already b) the clothes dryer has honked at me approximately 15 times since I embarked upon writing this post and c) I'm sprinting out to Target to pick up one last Christmas gift for Coopie:

Hold on to your jingle bells, cause Super Coop's going to be beside himself when he meets Crinkle Lion's best buddie, ElliePhant. Could life get any sweeter??

7 months!

Cooper Wyatt, you are 7 months old today! Seven. S-e-v-e-n. How in the world did this happen!!?

7 things you do that make us smile:

1. 2 words: "Mama". "Dada". The sweetest sound in all the world has just got to be you babbling those precious words. It's also pretty darn cute when you get into stuff and turn around and say "uh oh!".

2. JUMP! You are a jumpin' bean these days! Jump, jump, jump. Jump all day!

3. Sleepin' with your little tushie up in the air, hands tucked under your belly.

4. Ready, set, go! You are a crawlin' crazy man! You are ALL OVER THE PLACE.

5. Reaching oh-so high for Mama and Dada to pick you up. Melts. our. hearts.

6. Saturday mornin' cartoons. And Sunday mornin' cartoons. And Monday mornin' cartoons...you love to snuggle in our bed first thing in the morning. One hand on Dada. One hand on Mama.

7. Drama Mama! You know how (and when) to turn on those big ol' crocodile tears. And we have to say, those tears are effective. Highly effective.

We praise our great God above who sent you to us, sweet Super Coop. You are the biggest ray of sunshine we ever did see. We love you inside out and upside down!

6 Months!

Cooper Wyatt, you are 6 months old now! Holy Toledo, we can just hardly believe it! What's next? Eating solids? Pooping in the big boy potty? Footless pajamas? Kindergarten? Prom? Establishing your 401K?

Here's a little bit about you these days Mister Cooper:

Favorite Food: Bananas. And Chick-fil-a.

Favorite Sport: Pacifier Hurling

Favorite Time of Day: 4 o'clock. AM, not PM.

Favorite Color: Blue. We still get lost in those Baby Blue's of yours.

Favorite Way to Make a Mess: Blowing (what we ever so graciously call) "raspberries"... during dinner. But only when eating orange colored foods such as sweet potatoes or carrots.

I thought about framing my white shirt last week after you had a wave of inspiration and created an abstract canvas out of it.

Favorite Past time: Peek-a-boo. Anyone who walks into our house is likely to find Mommy or Daddy hiding behind something. A trash can. The island in the kitchen. A pillow. A blanket. A spatula. A piece of mail. Each other. You know, "PEEP EYE! PEEP EYE!"

Favorite Person: Your Daddy. He is a real life hero. You are beyond blessed to have him, and you already know it.
Favorite Body Part to Grab (on others): Noses. Or bottom lips.

Favorite Body Part to Grab (on yourself): Still remains, the wobbly bits. Sigh.

Favorite Song: This old man, he played one. Oh, and Applebottom jeans, but only while riding in Daddy's car.

Cooper, you are an absolute doll. We love you like crazy and are in constant awe of you. Looking back over the past 6 months, we are absolutely certain that God sent you to us as a reminder of His Grace. He knew what we were up against and knew the perfect remedy for it. He sent you, and for that, we are forever grateful.

If we were to look up "blessing" in Webster's dictionary, it would read: small package. big blue eyes. sweetest giggle. little fingers. little toes. cooper wyatt davis.

We love you to the moon and back!!

Kristin Benton Photography

Holy Heavens. We are in absolute LOVE with this little fella.Because, I mean, clearly Fargo hats are made to be worn barefoot.

Kristin Benton, you are our superhero. Cooper says, "will you come play and bring your stick?"

-

The Original Jacuzzi Tub

So there's this "thing"...it's a silly little "thing", but, still it's a "thing".

It's not "thing one", it's not "thing two". It's this silly little house "thing".

I'm having some sort of internal battle and I think the resolution involves a bathtub.

When Chris and I found the darling house we put an offer on, we not only learned about the spacious front porch or the two story family room with the cozy stone fireplace, we also learned a little bit about the owners. They are around our parents' age. They are about to lose their house to a short sale/foreclosure. The wife has MS. They have two boys.

We fell in love with the wooded back yard. We fell in love with the open kitchen. We fell in love with the idea of finally having a guest room (Hi Grammie! Hi Nana!). We fell in love with the neighborhood.

And I fell in love with the family who lives there.

We placed our offer and prayed constantly about the house. Every time I went to pray "God, please please please show us grace and mercy as we purchase our first home" I found myself praying for the family instead. Strangers. Complete. I don't even know their names.

For 4 straight days I prayed that God would give that precious couple exactly what they needed. Obviously we were the answer to their prayers, right?? I tried to pray for God to shower Chris and I with blessings. I tried to bargain with Him. "God, if you bless us with this house, I will never spend over $20 at Old Navy again. Never. Ever".

Each time, I fell to my knees in prayer over this couple.

So when we got the word that we didn't get the house, I instantly knew that we were not the answer to this couple's prayers. I had prayed so faithfully and knew God had answered my prayer by simply telling me "no".

So naturally, I did what any good Christian girl would do. I cried. And cried. And cried. The human part of me threw a classic two year old temper tantrum. Why? Whhhy? Whhhhhy? Oh the porch! Oh the wooded yard! Oh the open kitchen!

My mourning began.

Then in small group last night, we were asked to tell about where we go for our "quiet time". "On the ski slopes", Jesse said. "In my fishing boat, out on the still, quiet lake at 3am", John said. "In my car on the way to work." "Cuddled up in a blanket on the couch"...

Me? In the bathtub. Every single night. It's just me, the tub, and a glass of sweet tea. It's true, I don't miss a night. It's just me and God. No TV. No cell phone. No Facebook. No Blog. No nothin'.

When Chris and I toured the owner's suit of that darlin' house, my first comment was "oh my heavens, an original Jacuzzi tub!". Gold accessories and all. Waterfall spout. Room for 2. Later that night I commented to Chris "You know my nightly baths will have to stop when we move into our dream home". 673 gallons of water just to fill that sucker up. Yep, my baths will definitely have to stop.

So there you have it. It all came down to a bathtub.

God knew that if He blessed us that house, my quiet time would come to a screeching halt. And so he answered my prayer. With a Big. Fat. "No".

And I'm done being a 2 year old.

Kudzu Mudzu!

We haven't mentioned the words "cancer" or "Kudzu" or "chemo" or "juice" in over 2 weeks now. And let me just say, it has been absolutely FABULOUS!

I haven't even really blogged, because, well to be honest, the blog has just reminded me of Chris' diagnosis.

This morning we woke up, put on our big boy/girl panties and headed to the oncologist to get the news regarding the latest scans.

We waited an hour and fifteen minutes to see Dr. Szabo.

Coopie made approximately 15 friends during that time.

We shuffled. We paced. We rocked. We swayed.

Dr. Szabo finally walked in, shook Chris' hand, informed him he was "done", and instructed him to "get up and go and enjoy his family".

We sat looking dazed and confused and instantly started praising God. After a few quiet minutes we followed Dr. Szabo out of the room and he said, "what I mean is that you are in COMPLETE REMISSION."

Awe struck wonder.

Chris will undergo 25 radiation sessions in order to finish the battle and he will see Dr. S every 3 months to make sure the kudzu stays at bay.

In conclusion, best words ever, ever, ever uttered: COMPLETE REMISSION.

PS. For those of you following our "home sweet home" adventure...We placed an offer on the house in Edgewater over the weekend. We dreamed of rocking on that darling front porch, sippin' sweet tea and watching Coopie ride his tricycle in the driveway. I perused furniture stores looking for cute sitting room furniture. I even got a quote on plantation shutters. (Bad Ali.) We started our day with the words "You didn't get the house". Funny how those words don't even seem to matter anymore :)

Here's to Chris' new BIRTHday. Praise God!

mischief

i'm getting into all sorts of trouble tonight. decorating mischief at it's finest.

my obsession with home decor began when i was eight. something about that laura ashley floral pattern. i just HAD to have it. the coordinating blue and white striped print just did it for me.

a few gallons of wallpaper glue and sweat beads later, i had the room of my dreams.

until i turned nine and became obsessed with a green and white ivy print. i just HAD to have it. and a daybed to boot. and so i got it.

i LOVED moving every year in college because it inevitably meant that i would get to redecorate something. a kitchen. a living room. my bedroom. t-r-o-u-b-l-e.

after college, gidge and i got our very own big girl apartment. complete with cherry cabinets. i was in heaven.

and so i decided to learn to sew so i could make all sorts of home decor fabulousness. i have hand sewn curtains and pillows and shams and foot runners ever since.

approximately 2x per year, i decide i simply MUST change something. a new pattern. a new accent color. something.

tonight's mischief started with this little beauty:

robin's egg paint. 4 wheels. the letter "w". and a vintage twist. cooper's big boy room is in the works.

*did i just say "big boy room"??? what i meant was "cooper's-we're-moving-to-a-new-house soon" room. shesh, they grow up so fast.

he so desperately wanted to help me pick out accent pieces but instead, "hitched his wagon to a star" and went off to the land of nod.

oh how i love that little boy.

bill, i have you to thank for this obsession. and "thank you", i do :)

beautiful mess

i haven't done laundry in over a week. as a result, i am sitting here in my rainbow reindeer pajama pants and hot pink maternity t-shirt. my hair seriously needs to get "did". like yesterday. coopie's finger nails are so sharp he could carve his name in the side of his crib. and he just might. we have unrecognizable items in our fridge. the toilet paper roll is on the holder upside down. and has been for 3 days now. i paid our car insurance only to forget that i paid it so i paid it again. i didn't even have enough brain cells to realize my mistake and spent 15 minutes arguing with the liberty mutual man (in my rainbow reindeer pjs) over why he billed me twice. blush.

i am the happiest i have ever ever been. somewhere in the midst of the chaos of the past 5 months, my type a-ness took flight and left me here dazed, confused, and absolutely blissful. i don't care about my hair. or my house. or my fridge.
i have the sweetest most beautifulest family in all the world. i love them more than i love perfection and that, is what i believe, God has been trying to teach me.

now off to find some different pj pants. chris says the reindeer have to go. their psychedelic-ness makes him dizzy.

8/8, Aint it Great!

complete (verb): to bring to conclusion.

finish line (noun): a line marking the end of a race course.

celebrate (verb): to observe a notable occassion with festivities.

praise (verb): to lift high a mighty and sovereign God.

party panties (noun): what we are lookin' for right this very second. ok, well truth be told, i can't even get chris to say the words "party panties", but i assure you that mine are big enough for all of us :)

8 out of 8, and we are D-O-N-E! so long "juice", it's been real.

F-I-V-E M-O-N-T-H-S old.

Cooper Wyatt, you are five months old today!
And mommy is um, five days late posting this.

You learned how to give "high five" this month. Daddy is convinced that Mommy is just making that one up, but we know better than that.

You count your toes one by one as you stretch them all the way up to your little mouth. One-two-three-four-five!

You graduated from five ounces every three hours. You're a big boy now and take six ounces every 3-4 hours.

Five. The number of nights you have stayed up ALL. NIGHT. LONG. Hoo. Hoo. Night owl, that's you.

Your top five fav foods are: rice, oatmeal, peas, bananas, and apples. Yum yum. It takes you approximately five minutes to crush a meal. And five more to burp like a grown man.

If we were asked to tell you five things that we want you to write on your heart for ever and ever, they would be:


One. You have a God in heaven who loves you more than you will ever know.
"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

Two. You are an absolute BLESSING to your Mommy and Daddy. You bring us great joy.

"And this is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Three. You make every single day five-zillion times sweeter. Five-zillion times more fun. Five-zillion times sillier. Five-zillion times more fabulous.


"Rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say Rejoice!" Phillipians 4:4


Four. There is a plan for your life so incredible that we just can't wait to watch it unfold. Day by day we see God's purpose revealed in you and day by day we thank Him for giving you to us.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord." Jeremiah 29:11.


Five. You. are. loved. (To the moon and back. Oodles and oodles. Bookoodles).

"Out of all the people on the earth, God chose you to be his special, treasured possession." Deuteronomy 7:6

We love you Super Coop! Muah!

lymphin' around

line by line, page by page, our story is written.

i have to say that tonight was one of the most beautiful chapters yet.

i don't feel like using capital letters right now. with a God as big and mighty as ours, i just feel itty bitty.

we are sitting here in our "walk with a lymph" t-shirts and pirate eye patches absolutely speechless. 72 people turned out tonight to cheer chris on as he crosses the kudzu finish line.
72 precious people sacrificed their time to spend a friday night in athens totin' around light up balloons.

72 people (and countless others) poured out their love and support, their hope and encouragement. 72 people (and countless others) reminded chris that he is not alone and that he can (and will) finish the good fight. and so tonight we raise 72 humble thank-yous. 72 grateful praises.

we are able to be strong because HE is strong, not because WE ourselves are strong. we are able to persevere because of people just like you. and we thank you from the very bottom of our itty bitty hearts.


"Be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you may go". Joshua 1:9

Toes and Peas and BaBy BrOOkS!

Just a little post about toes, peas, and my new precious bestie BaBy BrOOkS!

I found my feet a few weeks back. I caught them once or twice in my car seat at Chick-fil-a as I listened to Mommy order her sweet tea. She would look back and giggle at me trying to reach them. Well this week I finally figured it out!

Got 'em!

Now about these things you non-diaper-wearing-grown ups call peas. YUCKYUCKITYYUCK. What on earth were Mommy and Nana thinkin' giving me this nasty icky green smashed up paste? Someone please call DFACS. I need real food. STAT.

The best part of my week? My new best buddy made his grand arrival on Monday at 12:50. Baby Brooks Lee Becks. 7 lbs, 10 ounces, 21 inches long. The sweetest little pumpkin in all the world!! His mommy and daddy are going to be the best parents in all the world (they already spoil me rotten!!) Such a tiny little blessing, such a great big gift.

Isn't he just the most adorable thing you ever did see!? I can't wait to show him all of my tricks. We're going to get into so much trouble together. Our Daddy's are going to take us to Papa Jacks as soon as we both get some teeth. Mmm! (Ok, so maybe you can cancel that call to DFACS for now. I'll keep you updated as this whole "food" business unfolds).

We are just so happy for you Heidi and Ryan! Holding that tiny little blessing is just the best thing in the whole wide world!

Oh, and one last tid bit. Goodbye 4 months. Holy cow, you're lookin' at a big 5 MONTH OLD NOW!

7/8

Hey y'all! Just stopping by to tell you 1) I love hugs, 2) I love oatmeal, 3) I'm going to be a hamburger for Halloween, and 4) my Daddy successfully finished Juice Round 7 of 8.

He's pretty much my hero. I try to stay quiet so Daddy can rest, but sometimes I just can't help but shriek and laugh. When I shriek and laugh too much, I start to pootin'. That makes Daddy shriek and laugh too. Then Mommy starts to laughin' and we all just lay on the bed and act silly.

I'm pretty much the best thing since Chick-fil-a sauce.

Life on the Farm

We spent Saturdee down on the farm. It was the most fabulous day ever.

Going down to my parents' place almost always means: 1) a jaunt at the outlets on the way down 2) time spent rocking on the front porch 3) time spent sippin sweet tea 4) catfish 5) time spent swingin' and 6) all things pasture/tractor related. Strange things sometimes happen down on the farm. My favorite story is of the night when the neighbor lady and my mom chased goats in their pajamas. Life's just like that down there.

Simple and sweet. Wholesome and good.

My parents got Coopie his very own rockin' horse.
It was a total hit. After he corralled his little horse, they announced their next surprise. A John Deere tractor. Just for Coop. Gracious day alive. He was just beside himself!

Move it sister. I've got fields to plow.

All that playing wiped Coop out so there was nothing left to do but head to the porch. A nanosecond in the swing and Coop was O-U-T.

Woulda slept longer but the birdies woke him up.

A guess all of the excitement over the horsie and John Deere inspired Coop to learn how to sit up. Things to do Mama. Gotta get moving here.

A day spent on the farm almost always means 1) the need for a good bath (splish splash) 2) full tummies 3) full hearts and 4) long, sleepy drives home. Night night y'all!