Sweetest Friends Ever

Dear friends, these two!  Jen and Karen became my friends years ago in high school when we were all on drill team together. They are dear to me for many reasons.  For one they are real and have proven to be my friends even in spite of a life lived mostly apart from them.  My busy life mixed with their busy lives doesn't always make it possible to get together.  But I love them the same each time that we carve out a little lunch or fun time.  This meeting held a bit of sadness for me...Karen moved to American Samoa where her husband is now working.  We will miss her and live our dreams of tropical adventures through her beautiful pictures and tales of warm sunny beaches and carefree days!!!  Haha.  I love you both forever!

My Love



I sooooo love my sweet hubby! I appreciate having him each day as my very best friend and companion throughout life. I love traveling, hiking, shopping, eating, watching movies, reading books together.  I love sleeping beside him each night and going to the gym with him each morning. His constant help and companionship in the house along with raising our five children together each day is irreplaceable.  He will always have my undying love, commitment and support.  Even when we must at times be apart we are always forever together.  Each moment with him is precious....oh how I love him!

My Talented Tay

My cute talented daughter Tay showed up today to show me the costume she made.  She is an absolute lover of everything Disney, so as you can see...Minnie suits her well.  She wore this to the Treehouse spa today where she is a hair stylist!  So Cute!!!

One of my favorite nieces: Fiona

Today I had the pleasure of a visit from my sweet niece Fiona Davis.  This girl is a joy and delight to anyone who knows her.  I love when I get to have her come and see me. She just finished Kindergarten and said she is one of the smartest girls in her class...I must agree that she is right!

Teaching Self Sufficiency

I used to think when someone around me was dealing with a problem I must do all within my power to help them. To a certain degree this is a Christ like and wonderful intention to have,  after all the scriptures teach us that we are to  "bear one another's burdens" and "lift up the weary hands that hang down".  There is nothing wrong with helping those we love to endure the challenges this life can bring.   However many times I have found myself consumed with others worries.  So much that at times it has put my own happiness and state of mind in peril. 

Years and wisdom have began to teach me that there is also another great option:  Let the person own their problem and grow and learn by having to solve it or work through it themselves.  By allowing myself to do this I have been able to experience empathy without overwhelming anxiety.  I have found it is mentally and spiritually a much healthier approach.  As I learn to do this better, I am able to be a stabilizing, calm and positive force for those around me, whose problems may be causing them temporary chaos and stress.  I can be faithfully optimistic and encourage them to come up with some inspired solutions of their own. Seeking for the Lord's help in resolving their troubles can build their faith and confidence in understanding how the spirit works personally with them.  This spiritual tool is an essential one that they can learn to use throughout their entire lives with any problem or difficulty that may encounter.

   

Some time ago I wrote these words that apply so well to what I was thinking today.
I must learn after doing all that I can do, to let things go....take for instance my children's schoolwork.  After helping my kids by encouraging them to do homework, showing them how to fill out a planner and trying to enforce a study time each day, they must then be in charge of their grades not me.  I cannot feel like a failure if they choose to fail...they must learn to be in charge of their own destiny.  Another example.... My oldest child is now an adult, who must be in charge of her own life.  She is able to learn things through trial and error, and to establish values and beliefs based on her own experiences in the world.  It is my job to be her exemplar, mother, confidant and cheerleader.  Encouraging her towards becoming her best and showing her I care by loving her and leading a gospel based life. The rest must be left up to her.

Being a micro manager over everyone- my husband, my kids and my extended family can be exhausting.  But when I  learn to let some of it go I feel free and recognize my role as a leader, wife, mother and friend who must simply set the pace not continually carry everyone's backpacks for them.

My Birthday Trip to San Francisco

Wow the Redwoods in California are breathtakingly beautiful. Just outside of Santa Cruz we ventured down the coast from our hotel in San Mateo. On our travels we stopped and shopped in a quaint little seaside village called Half Moon Bay. We also saw a beautiful old lighthouse which was built back in 1871. They were doing a restoration so we got to see the lens that goes inside of it, it was very intricately designed. On Wednesday Matt and I ate at a restaurant called Jacks in Pleasant Hill just across from our hotel. On Thursday we spent most of our day in Sausalito. It was a beautiful place to watch all the boats at harbor. Gorgeous houses dotted the hillside and shopping there was great, we even purchased some fun artistic sculptures for Miguel and Mikayla. We ate at a yummy place called the Salsalito Taco shop. We loved our trip here and most of all were impressed by how friendly everyone was, service was phenomenal and the people who live there equally as nice!

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

The perfect cookie in my book. Soft and sweet and simple to make. Served with a scoop of your favorite sherbet or better yet a sherbet float made with sprite, makes a very refreshing summertime treat.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 and 1/3  cup sugar
2 eggs
(cream above ingredients together)
2 and 3/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
(mix dry ingredients together then add to wet mixture)

Roll dough into 1-2 inch balls then roll in a cinnamon sugar mixture. Smash slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes (I take mine out right at 8 min. even if they look a little under done.) Let sit 1 minute on pan and then place directly on a cooling rack. They come out perfect every time. Yum!
Recipe source: my friend Lori

Lovely Perrenial Gardens

We visited Park City today with Matt's parents, Alesa and our youngest kids.

We went to this beautiful hotel just to tour it and see the lovely view from the balconies.

It was all quite a sight to behold.  I was especially take with the perrenial gardens.  It inspired me to one day plant something of such beauty myself.

Latest updates

Okay so I didn't take a before shot but this is our kitchen table which used to be all black. The table top had several scratches and dings in it.  I updated it to match our newly painted kitchen cabinets which are white and gray.  I love how the tabletop turned out with the darker stain.  Looks much, much better!

Carpet...we are so happy to get new carpet throughout most of the house.  After over 15 years we really needed it and I love this neutral color we chose!!!!

A Flash from my Past

So my cute hubby Matt found this pic somewhere on the internet and it brought flooding back a ton of memories. This is an exact replica of my first car ever....beauty isn't he?  I actually named him Melvin and picked him up for a mere $500.  What a steal right?  Haha.  Mine actually had the added bonus of luggage racks on top, no air conditioning but a heater that had been hard wired to stay blasting on even through the hot summer until my Dad so generously disconnected it for me.  Whew, thanks Dad!   I was the envy I'm sure of every person in Provo driving this baby around.  In fact you may laugh now but this $500 car was paid for and got me around for the next 5 years to everywhere I needed to go...my husband even got the pleasure of driving it once we were married. Because he's a chivalrous gentleman he let me drive his newer, sportier Volkswagen Scirocco.  Thanks babe, and I'm still sorry about the time you got stuck at that light because Melvin didn't want to move and almost got beat up by an impatient road rager!  Love you lots and thanks for sending me this pic : )

Neighborhood Bicycle Parade

 

Mikayla and Miguel both rode in our neighborhood bicycle parade.  We didn't have much time to decorate but they were troopers and rode in it anyway.  Summertime Fun!

Jackson Hole

 

 

 

 

Truly one of the great perks of Matt's current position with his company is that occasionally we get the privilege to ride along for a little out of town trip.  This one was short but proved to be beautiful and gave us some good old fashioned R&R.  While Matt was working we swam, hiked around a little in the Grand Tetons (located right behind our hotel) and even took the kids later on up to the top riding in a giant gondola.  It was a very pretty time of year to visit and the hotel room was gorgeous!

He's Going, Going....now Gone!

 

Ronnie Green, who served with Caleb in Italy is now one of his favorite roommates

So... having our son Caleb home was shortlived but joyous none the less.  I knew it couldn't last forever.  Provo definitley beats having him away in Italy.  And I am almost guaranteed a visit from our cute boy each week when I cook a nice Sunday dinner and invite him over to do his laundry.  We are so happy for him and all of his aspirations to attend school at Utah Valley University.  We know he will become all that he wants to be.  Anything he can dream, he now knows how to achieve!

Miguel's last month of school: a Success!

 

Can I just say how proud we are of our son Miguel.  He is graduated from the 5th grade and has made some great progress this year.  His teacher Mrs. LaDuke was a gem (very patient with Miguel) and he really seemed to like his year with her.  We attended his Dare program, he won star student of the month in May and was in a puppet play in which he played "Prince Cutie".  His big sister Tayler was such a great girl to come and support him at each of his events this year. Congrats Miguel and we are looking forward to your middle school experience next year!!!  Great things yet to come...

Pioneer Children sang as they Walked

 

This is my Mimi at her 4th grade field trip this year at This is the Place State Park. I was lucky enough to get to be a parent helper and really enjoyed spending this time with my girl. While there they learned about what it was like for the pioneer children who came to Utah to live in the 1800's.  We went to a schoolhouse and learned about the Deseret Alphabet, how animal hides were used and very valuable to the pioneers and many more things.  They even got to pull a handcart to see what it might have felt like to travel so far carrying only a few of your most precious belongings. Mikayla has had a fun year and really looking forward to her summer.

Sunny St. George

 

 

 

 

So with all of Matt's traveling around this year we have been able to sneak away on a couple of  trips with him.  We love southern Utah especially when we are still a little chilly up north.  This was just a fun quick getaway with the kiddos!

Beautiful Snow Canyon Area

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Blossoms of Spring

How can you not just see these and feel instantly Happy?

 

Sowing Sweet Relationships

Relationships are formed by what two people put into them.  They are reciprocal and cannot be formed without each others consent and effort.  Being merely related to a person, does not necessarily mean you automatically form a bond with that person. They are not one sided, but born out of what both people put into them.  If both are selfless, kind and caring about one another, the relationship yields fruits of love and will be sweet all of your days.  If the relationship is sown with seeds of discontent, criticism and selfishness, the fruit born out of that relationship will be bitter. You cannot will a good relationship onto your children, your parents, your spouse or anyone elses marriage; no matter how good your intent or example may be.  A relationship is a personal matter of ones own heart and mind.  The end result depends on YOU!  What are you willing to give in order to have a sweet relationship with others?  Choose your path wisely:-) Remember you reap what you sow.

"...for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward."

-D&C 6:33

Our Traditional Davis Easter Egg Hunt

Digging for the coveted grand prize egg!

 

My Aunt Jackie, one of the sneakiest hiders...giving the kids a tip on the child's grand prize egg

 

My cute nieces, Mckell, Maddie and Aspen

 

More cute cousins.  Brittney, Bailey, Braiden and friend

 

Colton

It's that time of year again and my wonderful parents hosted our annual Easter Egg hunt once again this year, down at my Grandpas farm.  Fun was had by us all.  I think I may have noted before on my blog what we all do for this tradition.  But if not here is how it goes down.  My Mom and Dad have us over for a first of the year barbecue.  My Dad is from the South and makes the most delicious sauce (his recipe is secret but good)! Dad cooks the meat and we each bring a dish to go with the meal. No one ever leaves hungry.  All participants bring a gift to give away and my Mom and Dad are generous contributors of our cash grand prize eggs.  We also each color and bring 1-2 doz. eggs to be hidden.  Some eggs are then numbered like 1- 30 (or however many people are in attendance, so that everyone gets a prize).  When looking for eggs you want a low number so that you can pick from the prizes first.  Everyone is generous and shares a numbered egg with those who may not have found one. Each person gets one prize.  Grand prize eggs are usually very tricky to find, (as in digging may be involved at times, Hehe!)  They are very valuable $50 for Adults prize and $25 Kids grand Prize.  It is mostly just a fun way to get together and enjoy each others company.  We all really do love each other a lot!!!!