Jordan and Her Pennies

I’ve described Jordan before as the girl wearing the most sparkly of all princess dress playing in a muddle puddle.  

She loves all the girly stuff from her favorite color being pink to shoes with glitter and lights.

She loves to find my perfume and use the entire bottle on herself.

She loves painted fingernails and if I don’t do it she find the nail polish herself and paints the nail along with half of her toe or finger.

She also loves to play rough and get dirty and sweaty.

She has such a contagious spirit and so full of personality.

Most mornings while I sit and work from home she will sit next to me and just watch me work occasionally whispering something to me.  This morning she had an agenda:

J: Mom, you’re the best

Me: Thank you

J: I think you are beautiful

Me: Thank you

J: So you can take me to gymnastics again now

Me: No baby, we don’t have enough money

J: its ok you can take all the money from my envelopes (her chore money)

Me: Baby, that still isn’t enough money

J: But I have dollars in there!

Me; You need $60

J: Is that more the $100?

Me: No

J: Then I think I have enough dollars

Me: No you don’t

J: How about when daddy’s not looking you take his pennies from his car and then when he looks there tomorrow he won’t know where they goed

Me: That’s stealing, that’s not ok

J: Its ok I always take his pennies ::runs to other room and comes back with an Easter Egg::

J: See ::cracks open Easter Egg and about $2 in change drops out::

Happy Birthday To Me!

The Davis’ has a happy and busy weekend.  It was the weekend of birthday celebration for me which really just followed almost an entire week of birthday things too:

Monday: Delicious Baked goods from Stephanie (that's a Marscepone Cheese Tart MMM)

Tuesday: All Day Seminar with Lunch at Red Robin (That's a BluCheese Burger)

Wednesday: All Day Relaxation and Bible Study

Thursday: Birthday Lunch with the Girls (I have THE BEST friends)

Then on Friday night with a few friends coming over to play a game.  What did I find out this eve?

1. A 5 player game can quickly turn into a game of 5 players with 2 spectators.
2. Cady is pronounced Kay-Dee and not Cad-Dee which drastically changes your thoughts on the gender behind the name
3. Sometimes there is just no hope for the Heroes
4. Brad would be a great person to gamble since he can roll the least likely roll about 80% of the time.  Good for Vegas bad for Overloarding

On Saturday my Daddy came over to take me on a Costco run.  As soon as we got back we headed to Joe’s Crab Shack for a delicious lunch with friends followed by an embarrassing moment of hula and birthday music.  We then headed back to our place for some games (round 1) and games (round 2).  What did I find out this day?

1. Crab is Delicious, but when you are one of the few people out of 20 that orders it you find yourself still eating while everyone just watches with an empty plate in front of them
2. Kids will always find a way to get themselves as messy as possible
3. Even with 6 kids in the house the adults can manage to get a few good games and conversation in
4. It’s hard to find an impromptu nail salon that you can trust (FYI we did not find one)
5. I enjoy making people happy more then entertaining myself (seriously)
6. We (Phil, Megan, Justin, and I) just need to start a campaign already

Then there was Sunday.  No worship team rehearsal for us so we didn’t have to be at church until 9! That’s an extra hour of sleep theoretically which didn’t happen, but in theory sounds great.  We went to Sunday School then ditched the main service to meet the Key’s at Disneyland.  We left around 4 and spoiled ourselves with biegnets, snow cones, and spicy awesomeness.  What did I find out this day?

1. If you FINALLY remember to put sun block on your kids AND yourself for a change – don’t forget your back or you’ll end up with a random strip of burnt.
2. You can go to Disneyland fully prepared to spend money and spend nothing or go prepared to spend nothing (or very little) and end up spending a ton of money.  Note: 1 of those puts you in a very good mood and the other puts you in a rather bad mood
3. The rapids ride version of 42 inches is different then all other 42 inch rides at Disneyland
4. If there are 4 adults and 6 kids and 2 of the adults leave to go on a ride, the remaining 2 adults get asked if they are a married Mormon couple.
5. Also in the above scenario at least 1 of the 6 children is lost at any given moment…and it was usually Jordan (surprised? Of course not)
6. Leaving early because of a tired child is actually a blessing in disguise
7. Stopping for biegnets after a day in the sun is ALWAYS a good idea
8. Stopping a Mexican man with a Cart of spicy yummyness is always a BAD idea.  Don’t let the taste of delicious mask the fact that you will probably be vomiting up that deliciousness several hours later and it burns much more coming back up then going down.
9. Going to bed at 9PM with your kids because of the above mentioned scenario does not make you any less tired at 6 AM because you just spent the day walking around Disneyland 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Just a Boy and a Girl

9 years ago I woke up and got ready for work.

I walked by my parents and sister as I left with a simple good bye.  It seemed like any other day, but it wasn't.

 I got to work and what was my job for the day? Helping several kids celebrate their birthday as their party host.  I spent the entire day singing Happy Birthday, serving Birthday cake, watching them open their Birthday gifts, and watching all of the Birthday smiles.

On my breaks I would check my phone for texts or voice mail looking for something to indicate this special day.  I had nothing, it seemed like any other day, but it wasn't.

I got off work and sat in my car as tears filled my eyes.  It was my birthday and nobody had called.  Nobody had texted. Even everyone I saw at work and home treated the day like any other day.

As I cried I got a phone call from my BEST friends in the world, "Us". They hadn't forgotten!

My friend's voice came through the phone, "What street is that theater on in Chino?"

I answered and thought, Sweet we're going to see a movie!

My friend, my best friend, thanked me for the info and hung up.  I wasn't invited.  It seemed like any other day and I accepted that fact and headed back to campus to drown my sorrows in late night TV alone in my dorm room.

As I got to campus I got a phone call.  A call from a boy I was in choir with.  A boy I had only known for a month. Just a boy.

This boy said Happy Birthday and asked how my Birthday was going.  And that boy listened to me cry.

That boy listened to me as I told him about the most lonely birthday I have ever had.  The first Birthday away from home as an "adult" and how miserable I was.

That boy said he was going to make sure this day wasn't just another day, but a special day.  He asked me my favorite place to be and took me there.

There we sat Just that Boy and Just this Girl.  On the breakers at the beach watching the waves crash.  On my Birthday 9 years ago this Girl fell in love with that Boy even though she didn't know it yet.

It became a special day, the most special of all days.

THANK YOU! To everyone who has helped (and will be helping) me make every Birthday since, (including this one) special.  I love you friends.

And in case you were wondering, a little over 2 years later That Boy asked This Girl to marry him while sitting on those same breakers at the beach.

So Sayith Tay and Jay #44 - Doctor Who Edition

What is Doctor Who?

Taylor: Um, Doctor who is a show about space and time.

Jordan: Doctor who is a play thing and he flies in his play thing.

Who is the Doctor?

Taylor: Um, a time Lord that travels space, um through space actually.

Jordan: Um he has light things.

Who helps the Doctor?

Taylor: Well his people that help him.  Well they are there and they are not there anymore because they don't have them anymore and after that happens he gets a new one.

Jordan: Who helps the Doctor is the girl

If you could go with the Doctor where would you go?

Taylor: Um, the time when I was a baby because I wanna see when I was a baby.

Jordan: I would go at Disneyland because I like to go at Disneyland.

Who's the scariest in Doctor Who?

Taylor: Well, the pretend God because I saw there was four of them and it scared me.

Jordan: A dragon.

Who's your favorite in Doctor Who?

Taylor: The Doctor, the one that travels in space.  I like the first one (she means the 10th Doctor) because I really want to do that to see how he died (she hasn't seen that episode/movie).

Jordan: It's the girl, Daisy (huh?)

With An Open Heart and Open Womb

I know a very brave woman who has decided to become a surrogate.  I’ve tossed the idea around a few times over the last year or so.  Done a little research to see what it takes to be surrogate or an egg donor, but it never really stuck.

Even now I’m torn. Just about a week ago I had a conversation with a friend of ours about how I could never picture myself being a surrogate. What a blessing it would be to help nurture and grow a baby for a family who can’t.  But could I handle it? Could I carry that baby for 9 months, feel it move, watch it grow, and then hand it off to never see it again?  How difficult will that moment be?

To be honest, what I am struggling with most is the payment.  1 Surrogacy is the equivalent of ¾ of my income for a year.  That’s a lot of money!  1 Surrogacy could easily cover a 10% down payment on a house for us.  The struggle then is, why would I being doing it?

It is wrong to do it for the “money”?  Would I ever actually even consider this if we were only in it for the money?  Maybe the idea of the money is just distracting me for what is deeply hidden in me that I do want be able to bless another loving GODLY couple with a chance raise a child.  Maybe that’s what is going on, but I don’t know.

I’ve spoken with Justin.  We’ve spoken to some family and friends.  We’ve decided to move forward.

Does it freak me out a little? Crap yes.  I have tons of fears floating around in my head, but there is also a sense of peace and excitement.

There are many things about me that may end up making me a horrible candidate and I could VERY easily be disqualified right away or somewhere along the way.  So having just clicked “Submit” to my surrogate application I prepare myself to wait and see.

And if you have any questions please feel free to ask. I don’t mind sharing.

Taylor and Lincoln

Taylor has an odd relationship with Lincoln.  And Yes, I do mean good ol’ Abe Lincoln our 16^th president.  And No I did not know he was our 16^th president until I looked it up on good ol’ Wikipedia.

I digress.  I enjoy using the word digress it makes me feel smart even though I don’t actually know if I am using correctly.

Taylor learned about Lincoln around Presidents Day for understandable reasons.  She learned what he looked like as she made a Lincoln head out of construction paper.  She learned that he helped free slaves (which I believe her teacher did not fully explain – you’ll see why shortly).  She learned that he died.  She probably learned other things, but these are the only things I know for sure based on the following series of events.

1. Dead President

Justin took the kids to Disneyland to see Abe Lincoln talk.  Taylor cried at the end of the show because she was upset that Lincoln was dead.  Which gives even MORE confusing based on a later conversation that went like this:

2. Lincoln the C3PO

Justin: Taylor do you want to go see Lincoln again?

Taylor: He’s not a real Lincoln he’s just a C3PO.  My friends told me he’s a robot, he’s not real.

Justin: You didn’t know he wasn’t real? I mean you cried because you were sad he was dead.  Who did you think he was?

Taylor: ::silence:: He’s just a C3PO.  I’m serious.

::Justin and I laugh since a talking robot to Taylor means C3PO::

Jordan

Also “I’m Serious” is her new thing…she says it ALL THE TIME, I’m serious, she does – quite annoying)

3. Child Slave

After asking Taylor to put her blanket back in her room she muttered under her breath “We’re just like slaves”

SAY WHAT?!  Justin took the pleasure in explaining to her what slavery really is and how since the PERSON that is slave is personal property of another nothing they have is actually their own and if she really felt like we were treating her like a slave we would then take all of her things since they aren’t really hers anyways.  She was not a fan of this idea.

Taylor: “I’m Serious! We’re just your slaves!”

So it looks like I’m going to be looking for a movie/documentary or something in the very near future to fully express to her how un-slave like her life actually it.

Baby Step 2 CHECK!

Giddy. Excited. Ecstatic. There are so many words that can help describe this feeling but none will do it complete justice.

WE’RE DEBT FREE!!!!!

In 7 years (almost 7) we have:

Paid off about $3,000 in credit card debt

Paid off about $14,000 in car loans

Paid off about $20,000 in Student loans

Along with other minor crisis’ along the way that have depleted our $1,000 emergency fund several times.

That’s $37,000 in debt, gone!

We’ve lived on a puny food budget some weeks eating almost only Mac N Cheese and eating out maybe 1-2 times a month if we were lucky.

We’ve paid cash only for food and gas and if the cash wasn’t in our pocket we wouldn’t buy it (yes that means on occasion we were stuck at home since we didn’t have the cash to put gas in our tank).

We’ve gotten hand me down clothes and furniture and avoided buying things we could wait to buy no matter how inconvenient.

We’ve gone cable-less (until recently that is).

We’ve gone without seeing movies, going to concerts, or just any night out really.

We’ve even had to scrimp and sometimes not even buy birthday or Christmas gifts for our kids or extended family and friends.

We’ve struggled.  It’s been hard and we’ve made mistakes along the way.  But we DID IT!

Does this mean our life is changing dramatically? No, we’re still super broke and really the debt we paid off only adds $40 a month to our budget that will be used for afterschool care for Taylor.  But the burden of debt is gone.

We owe nothing to anyone but ourselves now.

We’ll still be on an insanely tight budget as we now start the saving process, but at least we’ll have a little wiggle room so we can splurge on occasion.

So in this moment I’ll enjoy the relief from debt.  I will make the promise to stay out of debt (until we buy a home of course with ONLY a 15 Y Mortgage and that Mortgage being ONLY 25% of our income).  I will promise to teach my children a life of living within their means and staying debt free.

Hopefully this is the start of a new way of living for the Davis family that will surpass our generation.

The most important thing to note is all of this is by the GRACE of God and not by our own means.  We have continued to tithe 10% of our income faithfully since it is only through him we have it.

So now we move on to Baby Step 3 which should take us a couple of years.  If you want more info on the plan go to: http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-steps/