Christmas Fun...

Christmas was wonderful for the Davidson family! Last Monday, we headed off to Columbus to have Christmas with Chris' mom (MaMaw), sister, and niece (and Samson, Kelli's dog). I'm normally super busy before the holidays cooking food to take to all of the relatives' houses, but this year, I took a break from cooking to just soak in all the wonderful time with family. We had a very yummy brunch Tuesday morning at MaMaw's house and then all opened presents. Hayden was so excited to receive lots of fun gifts and was especially excited about all of his big boy clothes and his MSU baseball piggy bank.

We headed off Tuesday evening for my mom's house to spend Christmas in the Hatchie (or Pelahatchie, as some call it) with my mom (Gran), brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew (and Gus and Bridgett, the dogs of the family). My brother and Tracie had bought their kids (or was it really for them?) a Nintendo Wii with some money my grandmother gave them and had evidently already allowed them to open it before the holidays. We plugged it in Tuesday night and played it most of the time, and oh my, is it addicting or what? We had lots of fun playing games from the Wii Sport pack that comes with the Wii as well as Mario Kart. Oh yeah, and Christmas....we actually did have Christmas. We ate a yummy lunch provided by my mom on Christmas Eve and then opened presents. We even stopped long enough to take a family photo.

Around dinner time on Christmas Eve, Chris and I headed back to Clinton so we could get ready for Santa's first visit to Hayden. Chris and I also opened our gifts to each other that night...Chris got me a beautiful antique, pearl/diamond ring....I was super excited...it's beautiful! After that, we had to make sure the chimney was ready for Santa to come, and I think it must have been ready and that Hayden must have been good....because Hayden got lots of fun things from Santa...a jumper, a Teddy Ruxpin, some books, a musical table, a MSU Mr. Potato Head, and a lamb that you can load songs onto. After Santa's visit Christmas morning, we had a family brunch at my house. Hayden jumped in his jumper the whole time! He loves that thing!

On the day after Christmas, Chris and I did one of the most senseless things we've ever done. We went shopping! We had to take my ring back to Albriton's to get it sized, and then, we headed off in search for a Wii of our own...we were addicted to Kris and Tracie's Wii. After a long search, we found some in stock at the Game Stop in Clinton. Well, let me tell you, I really don't think it was senseless for us to buy a Wii (because we used some Christmas money to buy it), but it was super senseless to stand in a line THAT long for a Wii. We couldn't even use the excuse that we were standing in line for our children, because Hayden was obviously fast asleep in his stroller, not too worried about the Wii. But, after a long stay in Game Stop, we have our Wii and our Mario Kart game.

That evening, I was able to see some of my college friends. I meant to take some pictures but didn't. Leslie lives in Memphis and was my college room-mate for all 4 years and my matron of honor...can you believe someone would actually WANT to live with me for 4 years? :o) Abby lives here in Ridgeland and was one of my roomies in the sorority house, and Elizabeth lives in Portland, Oregon and was my roomie one year in the sorority house and my big sis in the sorority. It was great to see all of them!

Since then, Chris, Hayden, and I have just been enjoying quality time with each other. Chris is out of work through Thursday of this week, so Hayden and I have really enjoyed our time with him. We've just been Wii nerds most of the time, but it sure is fun to all be nerds here together.

We are so blessed! Hope you enjoy our pictures. I'm even posting a video of Lindsey and I racing each other on the Wii....and, yes, that is a Pearl shirt I have...from my days of teaching there. Oh, and Lindsey was right...I did smoke her on Mario Kart...but she made it a really close game! I have some video of Hayden's Christmas morning that I'll try to load from the video camera sometime soon.

So Thankful...

It might seem like a weird title for a blog entry on Christmas, since Thanksgiving would be the natural time for reflection about being thankful. But, it seems right to me, because that is how I feel today. As I sit here right now, I am full from visiting family members and having lots of yummy food, and I am also brimming with thankfulness.

I am thankful for Hayden, our little gift from God. He is such a bright light during this holiday season and is such a reminder of joy that I can't help but smile when I see his sweet, happy, smiling face. Around this time last year, I knew I was pregnant, but it didn't seem quite real. It didn't seem real that such a special gift could be with us this year, and I had no idea of the love that I would have for the little baby growing inside of me. Shortly after Hayden was born, I had a short time (when certain things I wanted to work out weren't working out) when I got upset because I felt like I wasn't providing things that Hayden needed. During that time, God taught me that Hayden isn't mine. He is God's, and God has chosen to give him to Chris and I to take care of and grow under His loving wing. I hope I continue to realize this and that I remember daily to thank God for the gift that he has given us.

I am thankful for my husband, who has chosen me to be my life partner. Chris is such a wonderful man. We met on a blind date when we were freshmen in college, and the rest is history. We were engaged in April 2004 and were married in July 2004...a 3 month engagement, because we were READY to be married. During our first year of marriage, we were tested time and time again with one hardship after another, and basically, our marriage was either going to sink or swim during that trying time in our lives. Thankfully, that time only made us closer together and more determined to stay together and keep our marriage vows. I am so thankful for such a Godly man and to have such a wonderful friend and husband. And, he has given Hayden a wonderful Dad. It means so much to me to have Chris in my life. God sent him to me. I know He did. If you know much about our story, you know what I mean.

I am thankful for family and friends. We have just returned from what seems like a whirlwind of get-togethers with family, and I am so thankful for that time. These family members have performed so many roles in our lives and have provided us so much support, love, friendship, direction, and fun during our lives! In the upcoming days, I am going to be getting together with some friends I haven't seen in a while. God has sent so many wonderful people into my life. I am more blessed than I can ever deserve.

And, most of all, I am thankful for Christ, the gift that we celebrate today. I am thankful that He came into the world to become a man and to be the perfect example to us and show us what our relationship with God and other people should be. I am thankful that He came to die on a cross to redeem the sins that I commit daily. I am thankful for the grace that is given to us each day...just enough grace to handle all the hurt and hardship and confusion that will happen that day. I am thankful that when life seems to make no sense that we can rest in the promise that God is sovereign in all things. I am thankful that I have been given all the people and things that I am so thankful for, but ultimately, God is all I really need. Time and time again, people will upset and will come and go. If we place our hope and trust in people, we will always be upset. But, God is our constant companion and will never leave us. Is it hard to remember that? Absolutely! So many times, it is so easy to let people and things come before what is most important, but God continuously forgives me for being so selfish. Thank you, God, for sending your perfect Son into the world and for sacrificing Him so that we all (those who believe and accept Him as their Lord and Savior) might live in this world and look forward to a perfect world with no hardship and no sin.

On a different note...I know I haven't been the greatest at keeping my blog updated this month, but preparing for the holidays with a (now) 5 month old is more difficult than I thought. Anyway, I will be updating my blog with some events from the month in the upcoming week, so look back occasionally.

Merry Christmas! May your holidays be Merry and filled with joy!

It's Beginning to Feel alot Like Christmas

I have just come to realize that Christmas is right around the corner. This is a wonderful and exciting thing, except when you have hardly done anything to prepare. Hayden has just a few Christmas gifts, and that's about it...so if you are expecting to get a gift from us this year, hope you don't have your hopes too high. Hehehe...

Anyway, I have just ordered Christmas cards, and they should be here on Friday. Yay! I've never done Christmas cards, so this will be a new adventure for me. I was going to try to get a picture of Chris, Hayden, and I outside at my mom's house, because we only have two pictures of the three of us - one from the hospital and one from the beach trip when Hayden was 5 weeks old. But, it's been too cold to get Hayden outside since I had the idea. So, I created my own "photo studio" at the house this past week, and I took some pictures of Hayden myself. After a little editing with a free program I downloaded to edit out a huge line of drool, I'm really pleased with how the picture I decided on turned out.

Chris and I also purchased a Christmas tree for our house this weekend. We have the Christmas tree I used to help Pap (my grandfather on my mom's side) put up at my grandparent's house, and I'll always keep it since it's so special to me. We'll probably use that tree for all of Hayden's future hand-made ornaments. The tree we bought is a 9 foot pre-lit tree (artificial because of my allergies). One of the things about having a house of my own that I have most looked forward to was having a big tree in the front that you could see from the street. Strange thing to want so much, probably, but it's always been my dream. Well, our tree is right in our front foyer, and it will look even better when I actually buy some ornaments for it. Chris is also going to put some lights outside sometime this week. I'll take some pictures of our Christmas decorations when we get it all done.

We even had a little taste of Christmas this weekend, because we went out to eat with my mom's side of my family at a restaurant called Biaggis. The food was great, and it was great to see everyone. Hayden had never met most of them, so he had lots of fun getting passed around before the food came. Madi, one of my cousin's children, really loved holding Hayden and was even excited about changing his diapers. I would love for her to come live with me if she's that excited about changing his diapers. :o) Anyway, I'm posting some pictures from our get-together. It's so wonderful for me to see a picture of my grandmother with all of those great-grandchildren. Some of the pictures at the end aren't the greatest, so if I get some better ones from Tracie or my mom, I'll add those later.

A Really Great Book

Okay, I have just finished reading an outstanding book, and it is so outstanding that I must put a plug in for it on my blog. The book is called The Shack, and you'll also notice that I've added a JPEG with a link to the book's website on the side of my blog as well as a link under some of our most visited websites. First, you must understand that I'm not as avid of a reader as I was in my younger years, which is probably caused by letting the business of this world invade my life in more areas than I should. Anyway, I have recently decided that I would try to set aside more time to read more books, and this book was a great place to start.

I was introduced to the book by our guide when we went trout fishing, who gave the book to my mom. My mom read it in two sittings, and she passed it on to me. It sat unread for about a week on my dresser until I picked it up two days ago. Well, I read the book in two sittings, too. I read 60 pages or so the first day and the other 185 the next day. It was that good. I passed it on to Chris last night, who read until 1 am in the morning (even though he had to go to work this morning). I know I keep saying this, but I'm telling you - This is one good book!

I won't go too deep into the book, because as my mom and Chris can tell you, if I start talking about a book, I will give the entire plot of the book. (I'm not too big on summarizing...I'd rather just tell the entire story.) I will say that it gives one of the most intimate pictures of a human's personal relationship with God than any other book I've ever read. The book is fiction, but don't dismiss it because of that, please. There are so many things you will find that relate to you personally. I even had a character in the book named after me...well, not named after me personally, but you know what I mean.

Feel free to visit the website, where you can read more about the book and even can read the foreward and first chapter in the book. Oh, and my mom says she found the book at Wal-Mart, so go buy yourself a copy and read it, please. I guess I must say that you need to be open when you read the book. There's one kind of weird thing in the book, but it serves a purpose. And, there's one paragraph that I totally disagree with theologically, and you'll find that on page 182. If you read the book, please don't take everything the book has to say literally. There are times when the author might seem univeral in regards to religion, but if you read this book in context and know scripture enough to discern for yourself what you are reading, something in the book will grip you and make you rethink your walk and evaluate your faith. The book has been praised by people like Michael W. Smith and Eugene Peterson (author of The Message) and criticized and called heresy by many others, but if you read it with discernment, I believe anyone can get something out of it. After all, we as Christians are called to demonstrate discernment with everything we hear and read. I'll leave you with the summarization on the back of the book.

"Mackenzie Allen Phillips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!"

Thanksgiving 2008

We had a great and fun Thanksgiving as a family, but we're pooped from all the traveling and turkey-eating. On Wednesday when Chris got off work, we headed to Columbus to Chris' mom's house. We spent Wednesday and Thursday nights with MaMaw, Kelli, and Brianna and then headed off to Starkville on Friday around lunch for Hayden's first visit to the home of the Bulldogs. Chris and I ate at one of our favorites (as if we hadn't already had enough food), The Grill, and then did a little shopping for Hayden. We headed off to Pelahatchie for my mom's house Friday evening and had Thanksgiving with Gran, my brother, Tracie, Lindsey, and Kristopher on Saturday. Chris, Hayden, and I all arrived back in Clinton Saturday night very tired, very stuffed, and very much thankful for the time we were able to spend with family.

Hayden was a very good traveler (as always) and had a great first Thanksgiving with us. I can't even begin to explain how thankful Chris and I are for the gift that God has given us in Hayden. He continues to change everyday. He's really doing well with his rice cereal and as of Saturday began opening his mouth in readiness for his food. We've also added a little bit of bananas to his cereal a couple of times, and he REALLY loves that.

Now, as Christmas time is approaching, I must also say that I am most thankful for the gift God has given us in His Son, Jesus Christ. I hope that as the business of the Christmas holidays approaches that I can constantly remember the true reason for the season, the celebration of Christ's birth. On that note (Christmas, that is), I hope you all enjoy the Christmas music that is now on our blog...I could listen to these songs all year long.

Here are some Thanksgiving pictures for y'all to enjoy!

Hayden really enjoyed Gran's exersaucer, and I just had to share this video. He figured out he could jump in it and really went to town after that. You'll really enjoy Gran's comment at the end of the video...I don't think it worked, by the way. Hehehe....

Our Little Big Man

Yesterday, Hayden went for his 4-month checkup and shots, and I was shocked to see how big he was. He weighed 18 pounds, 1 ounce! Wow, now that is a chunk! He is in the 95th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height, so it's good that his height and weight are proportional. The doctor came in, and one of the first questions she asked me was if he was eating alright. I laughed and asked her if he looked like he skipped too many meals.

Anyway, he didn't do as well with these shots and screamed alot longer than he did with his last shots, but he felt remarkably well all day yesterday. I think he already had his feelings hurt at the office, because I had scratched his face up earlier when I was taking off his outfit...that 18 pounds is a lot of body to pull those outfits over. :o)

Along with turning 4 months old comes the exciting adventure of starting cereals and baby food. Hayden had his first experience with eating rice cereal and with eating out of a spoon last night. It was truly hilarious, but he did really well with it.

This is me feeding Hayden his first bites of rice cereal. The camera man wasn't doing too well. I got better with feeding him by the end of the bowl, but you'll see here that I definitely didn't have expert technique. I did do better than the first time I ever fed my niece baby food...my mom can vouch for how terribly I did feeding Lindsey when she was a baby. Hehehe.....



This is Chris feeding Hayden later. The canmera woman has a little better skills, and Dad sure did do great feeding Hayden. Oh, and you'll hear us talking about how he would never finish that much and me saying that I mixed too much. Well, he finished the whole bowl, and it didn't take him too long to do it. By the time Chris fed him, you can see he was really enjoying himself and was really excited and happy about getting some real food!



And, here are some pictures.

You can tell he enjoyed the experience a lot. :o) I just can't wait for carrots and peas and bananas and other things to come. I'll be sure and get a bib next time, though. :o)

A Fishin' Trip

This past Sunday, we left for our yearly trout fishing trip to the Little Red River in Heber Springs, Arkansas. My mom has been going yearly (sometimes several times a year) since 2001, and I have been going yearly since 2002 or 2003...I can't remember. Chris went for his first time last year and loved it, so he went back with my mom and I. Chris' mom also went to watch Hayden for us. Thanks, MaMaw for doing that for us!

Anyway, we had a great fishing trip! Usually, if we go about this time, we hit the trout spawn, and there are trout everywhere. However, due to some issues with dissolved oxygen levels and details I won't go into, the spawn is running a little late this year, so the fish weren't quite as willing to bite or willing to come out from their trout hiding places. All in all, after two days of fishing, the three of us (Chris, my mom, and I) caught 5 fish total...usually, that number would be much higher. I will say this, though....we definitely caught the biggest fish that we saw there. Chris caught one that was about 25.5 inches, and my mom caught one that was about 24 inches.

The great thing about going trout fishing is the place where we fish. We always stay at a place called Lindsey's Rainbow Resort and go out with one of their guides, Jared Lindsey. I would definitely recommend Lindsey's to anyone who has ever wanted to go fishing in Arkansas. The people there are great, and they have really quaint little cabins. I would also definitely recommend Jared as a guide if you go....that is, if you can take a little ridicule and joking from your guide. Hahaha.... We always fish at a place called Beech Island, a tiny little island just a little ways down from the resort. As you will be able to tell from the pictures, it is truly beautiful. There are many times I just sit down on the side of the bank (after my fishing arm is tired from catching all those fish), and I just relax and think about how amazing it is that God could create such a beautiful place. I almost said probably, but I will take the word probably out of there....It is my favorite place to be. I can go and not catch any fish and not really care.

Now that being said, I do still love to catch fish, but you will see from the pictures that noone was too worried about taking any pictures of me fishing or catching a fish...I did catch ONE fish. :o) There's one little video of me catching a fish that ended up getting loose from the hook later. Well, I'll tell you why noone took a picture of me catching a fish. That's because they are jealous of all the big fish I've caught in the past years of fishing. I've taken the past two years off from catching big fish, but after all the ridicule I got this year, I'm ready to show them all what I can do next year. Hahaha.... Just kidding, of course.

I'm especially glad Chris caught a nice-sized fish this year, since he didn't catch a big one last year. My mom caught her first really big one last year (a 30-inch brown trout). Anyway, I'll show them next year and catch a big one. My two years of not catching a big fish are over!

I did manage to do something I had never done before. I netted (is that a word?) one of the fish my mom caught while Jared and Chris were on the other side of the island. I can only imagine how funny it must have looked to see me holding the net with two hands chasing that fish around in the water, but I managed to get it in the net. My mom said it was quite hilarious!

Also, while we were down there, I celebrated turning 28-years older (November 18). It was a beautiful place to turn a year older. My mom, Chris' mom, Chris, Hayden, and I went to eat at a place called Michael's with our guide, Jared; his wife, Ashley; and their daughter, Ella Grace. Ella is only 6 weeks older than Hayden, and she is just too cute! I think my mom arranged a marriage between Hayden and Ella Grace. Her big plan is to have Hayden marry Ella so that Hayden can become a trout fishing guide and so that she and I can go fishing every year for free. Sounds like a plan to me! Hayden and Ella really enjoyed meeting each other...Ella is an agressive girl and really took a liking to Hayden...she grabbed on to him quickly. It was too cute!

Oh, the other eventful thing that happened was that my mom ended up in the emergency room. She managed to get a hook in her finger all the way through to the barb, so she had to go get it cut out of her finger. She's fine, though....and even somehow managed to drive herself to the hospital in Heber Springs with a barbed hook through her finger. Owww!!! She said they have a tackle box at the hospital dedicated to cutting off rings and getting fish hooks out of fingers...they must see a lot of hooks through fingers.

Here's a video of Chris' big fish.



Here's the only proof that I actually fished.



A few pictures from a great fishing trip!