The adventure has begun...

I'll sit down later today and share some of our trip thus far.

In a word...incredible.

As we drove through Antigua yesterday Gustavo remarked "Mom, everyone here looks like us. You don't look like the people here but I do." It didn't take long for him to verbalize his observations.

I'll leave you with the opportunity to share in the view from our upstairs patio this morning.


Gustavo just ran downstairs yelling for me to come up to the patio because the little ones noticed black smoke coming out of the volcano. He turns around and exclaims to me "Is that the fastest you can run? Come on!" Ouch.

Yes, indeed the volcano is smoking and the 3, 6, and 7 year old nature buffs discovered it all on their own. They are in paradise!

Stories to follow later today...

Our luggage is supposed to be delivered today. Cross your fingers. We are on day 3 of the same clothing. In a word - gross.

The precious gift of family

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."
~Desmond Tutu

We've had the pleasure of spending time with immediate and extended family for the past week. My brother and nephew traveled home from North Carolina and spent a few days with us. We enjoyed hanging out and exploring Findlay Market here in Cincinnati. My children LOVE Uncle Doug! The little ones barely leave his side while he is here. Poor Uncle Doug...very happy kids.

My grandmother's 90th birthday party was yesterday. We traveled home to Indiana to join others to celebrate. My grandmother is one of the loveliest people I know. She has always been an important part of my life. I grew up living just 4 houses down the street from Grandma. I have been walking or riding my bike to her house ever since I can remember. At Grandma's house we played in her backyard, played aggravation for hours, played cards, played with the red metal cash register, put puzzles together (my favorite was the one of the covered bridge), listened to record albums on her stereo, and so much more. I spent most Thanksgivings at her house, and every Christmas Eve.

My grandmother has been widowed for nearly 40 years. Can you imagine? She is an independent and strong woman. She loves to laugh and is one of the greatest storytellers you'll ever meet. She laughs until she cries. I sometimes do the same (or pee my pants). Laughter is an important part of our family.

Grandma introduced our family to Guatemala. She traveled to Guatemala on a mission trip in the early 1970's. I remember sitting in her living room listening to stories about her trip and anticipating the gifts she brought back for us. Who would have known all those years ago that Guatemala would become so important to our family? She loves her little "black-eyed" Guatemalan great-grandchildren. Several years ago she gave me the slides from her trip to Guatemala and they are a treasure.

I am so thankful that my children are growing up knowing their great-grandmother. They call her "memaw". When we are in Indiana it is tradition to go down to Memaw's to visit. We sit in her living room and talk. The children know just where the toy box is stored and head straight for it as soon as walking in the door and giving a hug and kiss.

There are many times I miss not living in close proximity to my family. How wonderful it would be to drop in at my parent's house any week night or walk down to Grandma's. I do believe we have managed to make the best of our living in different cities and states. My parents and grandma live in Indiana, as well as my sister and her family. My brother and his family live in North Carolina. We spend holidays together, we vacation together occasionally, we visit whenever we can, and make it a point to "do life" together. We laugh, we play cards and games, we cook and enjoy meals together, we tell stories, and truly treasure time spent together. Even though separated by miles our children are all growing up together and are thick as thieves.

I hope Grandma looked around yesterday at all the people gathered to celebrate her and realized how loved and respected she is. She has made a positive impact on so many lives.

I love capturing memories in photos and will share just a few to illustrate the past week with my family.

Grandma with her brother Jack and sister Betty. They each traveled several hours to attend the party and surprised Grandma. It was wonderful to see the look on her face when she realized they came.


4 generations - Grandma, my parents, my crew


My sister Holly and Ana Lucia - my kids adore their Aunt Holly


My brother Doug with Marco and Gustavo - checking out life at Findlay Market


This weekend we'll be visiting with foster families and birth families in Guatemala. Goodness, we are so blessed!

"To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there."
~Barbara Bush

The Griswolds, uh Davis's, do vacation...

9 days from today we will be off on our adventure to Guatemala. As you know I am a planner. The planning gurus are all laughing at me right now.

I have a feeling this trip is going to replace Griswold's European Vacation with "The Davis's Central American Vacation".

I plan by making lists and then implementing the lists. My list for this trip has officially gotten OUT OF CONTROL.

Mark stood in the garage with me last night as we discussed checked suitcases, carry-on suitcases, and all of the loot we will travel with. A simplified overview:

*1 stroller
*1 car seat
*5 children
*2 adults
*3 rolling suitcases to carry on the plane holding 2 cameras, 1 video camera, an assortment of chargers, batteries, media cards, medications, change of clothes for the littles, and paperwork for the trip
*Lap top computer to carry on
*7 backpacks - 1 for each individual to transport snacks, books, magazines, leapsters, action figures, crayons, paper, ipods, headphones, lovey/cuddle items, and anything else which keeps a human happy for six hours on an airplane
*At this point we are up to TEN checked suitcases to hold not just our clothing for the week but gifts we are taking for foster and birth families, food items, medicines, and most importantly many donations of shoes and clothing for families in need

Lord help us. We can't even get all of our suitcases and people to the airport in one vehicle!

The excitement is starting to build. The last minute panic will begin in a few days. I'm not sure when the 7 of us will be able to take this trip again so we are going all out, doing it up big, and going for broke!

The plan: visit with foster and birth families, spend some time helping others, settle in for a week of living life in Guatemala, no big expectations, just "being" in the birth country of three of our children.

Oh, yeah, and we still have semester exams and the end-of-the-school-year activities to accomplish before leaving.

Our dining room has become the staging room for packing. Hopefully it won't look like this...


The children are talking about seeing their foster families and/or birth families. Each has decided on a few gifts they want to pick out. Ana Lucia decided she wanted to draw a picture for her birth mother as well as take a necklace to her. She then decided she also wanted to take snacks and a Diet Coke to her birth mother. Precious. Gustavo wants to take a necklace to his foster mother and requested that I take him shopping by himself in order to choose just the right necklace. Ana Lucia reminded me the other night at dinner that she was not in my tummy but in her birth mother's tummy. The dialogue is so awesome. It has always been my goal/hope that the children would grow up being totally comfortable talking about being born in Guatemala, birth families, foster families, adoption, etc. It is happening. A few months ago Marco came up to me, hugged me, and out of the blue thanked me for adopting him. Be still my heart.

I can't wait for them to be in their birth country, be surrounded by people who look like them, experience life in another culture, and begin to truly understand what Guatemala is. Yes, they are just 3, 5, and 7 years old, but my hope is this trip will be the beginning of many more to come.

School is out next Thursday and we fly out on Friday. Ready or not - here we come!

Can I get a shout?!

If you know me then you know I detest winter. Snow at Christmas is acceptable and then on January 1st I am ready for spring. Somehow living in the Midwest tends to drive me a little bonkers several months of the year.

I am thrilled to have arrived at summer weather and all things related to enjoying spring and summer at our house. Memorial Day weekend around here includes fishing with Daddy, planting flowers, and enjoying the pool. This weekend the weather is fabulous and the traditions continue.

The littles are ready to go fishing with Daddy

Marco helps Daddy with flowers

Renewing her trust in the life jacket

The 5 year old's dive - we think he might be part fish

The boys can spend the entire day in the pool

Swinging is always fun when you need a break from landscaping


Gus has proven to be quite the hula hooper


Notice that Ana is holding Wolfie in the video. Yes, Wolfie went fishing with her.

13 more days of school - I hope we make it!

Three weeks from today we will be in Guatemala - can't wait!

Ode to Wolfie

You know when your child has a special "lovey" and it gets really worn, or worse yet lost? Tragic.

Ana Lucia's "Wolfie" has become her special friend. Wolfie goes most places with us. Occasionally he stays behind in the car seat. Truthfully I'm not even sure the poor little animal is even a wolf. Ana Lucia says it is so it is! She has gotten so attached to Wolfie that I decided it was time to purchase a back up. The problem is I have no idea where I found Wolfie. No problem, I just looked at the tag and found the company online. I'm smart like that! Problem is I cannot find Wolfie on the company's web page. Crap.

I have lived this nightmare once before. Gustavo became attached to a cute little bunny when he was a baby. REALLY ATTACHED. He rubbed the bunny's ears across his face when he went to sleep. Once I noticed he was becoming obsessed with Bun-bun I decided to buy a back up. It was made by Ty so I assumed I could find one anywhere. No such luck. I finally looked at the Ty web page only to learn that Bun-bun had been retired. What?! Ebay saved the day. I almost had to buy one from someone in England but a domestic Bun-bun showed up on Ebay and I snatched it up. Pitiful.

Back to our current dilemma - no Wolfie. I looked for the blasted creature under every animal classification on that darned website...cats, dogs, farm animals, forest animals, cold weather animals. Yes, those are actual classifications on a stuffed animal company's web page. Wouldn't you love that job?

So we surfed through the website as I showed Ana Lucia their selection of wolves. There were several to choose from. I think I may have her excited about ordering a different wolf so that Wolfie can have a friend.

Dear Lord help us.

Ana Lucia and the very loved Wolfie

Happy Mother's Day...one day late

The official holiday is over. Allow me to wish you a belated Happy Mother's Day! I hope yesterday was a fun day for all moms out there. Isn't it fun to have a day devoted to us?

Of all my roles and responsibilities in life I must say being a mother is one of my favorites. It is exhilarating, exhausting, fun, frustrating, rewarding, overwhelming, and soooo much more. I have learned so much since becoming a mother. I have learned that I would go to hell and back for my children - and felt like I was on that path a few times. I have learned I am a "mother bear" and would take on anyone or anything to protect my kids. I have learned that being a mother has absolutely nothing to do with sharing DNA. Mothering is being given the blessing of parenting a child entrusted to you through God's plan for your family. I have discovered that a lot of parenting is learning as you grow with your children. I have learned that mothering 5 children is an adventure of a lifetime! Remember those "my child will never..." or "I will never do/say..." statements? Yeah, those comments come back to haunt us don't they?

At the end of my life my desire is that my children will know I loved them more than life itself and tried to lead them to a life of living for Christ and fulfilling God's will for their lives.

Our Mother's Day weekend highlights consist of a Cincinnati Children's Choir concert of Katie's, Zack's high school baseball end-of-season tournament, Katie's Freshman dance, and the little ones swimming in the freezing cold pool. My family gave me a beautiful card, trees and flowers for the pool area, and my always favorite Barnes & Noble gift certificate. They know what I love! I also received adorable handmade cards from the little ones and precious gifts made at school.

Due to the baseball tournament being on Mother's Day weekend Zack's coach gave each of the players a huge chocolate bar and insisted they give it to their mom along with a hug. Chocolate and a hug from my 17 year old son - awesome!

I'll share a few pictorial highlights:

Zack - our baseball player



Katie and friends before the dance

Our girl


Of course no holiday would be complete without at least one child having a fever. Yeap, Gus mystified us with a come-and-go fever throughout the weekend.

23 days of school left! Wahoo!!!
33 days until we leave for Guatemala! Holy moley!!!

Time Well Spent

Winter is behind us. This spring has been chilly for the most part. Summer is coming. How do I know? Our pool is uncovered and we are happily getting it ready for swimming. It is a group project.

Putting the pieces back together after a long winter...


The little boys were assigned grounds clean up. Creating an adventure is key to making it fun! If you look closely you will see Marco and Gustavo beneath the deck. They thought it was very cool that Mommy sent them under the deck with a trash bag. I told them to pretend they were Indiana Jones.


"Help! Our parents sent us under the deck. Can we come out now?"


Starting them young - Daddy showing Ana Lucia how to sweep


Miss Independence is a quick learner. Doesn't every 3 year old clean the pool while wearing her High School Musical 3 pajamas?


The first camp fire of the season was enjoyed tonight. S'mores before bedtime is always a hit!

Bring on the sunshine and warm temperatures - we are soooooo ready!