NOT IN THIS HOUSE!

Leave it to the three boys to come up with a new way to play with their geomags-magnetics, whatever you want to call them. For those of you unfamiliar with this toy they're like magnetic legos...you can build things with them. WELL....the three Davis boys discovered that you can also use these toys to have "pretend" body piercings. Something their parents are NOT too proud of..EVEN if it does represent a creative mind! The magnetic forces are so strong that 2 pieces can hold through human flesh enabling them to look like the all too familiar..."artsy" people in our world today! (I had to think of a nice descriptive word-"artsy") Well, it might have been "fun play" for those 3 rascals but it was made quite clear piercings would never be allowed within the Davis Herd- not in this house! Or this neighborhood-imagine what the neighbors to the north would think!

Go HAWKS!

OK...I hate to admit this but 6 months later we finally celebrated Jaxson's 8th birthday. (August is a busy month-that's a terrible excuse-we're stinky parents!)

Sunday, Dan & I took Jaxson and 2 friends to the Iowa vs. Michigan basketball game. The excitement of three 8 year olds attending their first "big basketball game" lead to some pretty big dreams in their wishful young minds. At first they wondered if they might get chosen to be water boys? Then, this excitement lead to the idea to make Go Hawks-Hawkeyes are the BEST! signs to hold up during the game. It was an AWESOME game with the Hawkeyes winning in overtime. The atmosphere had the boys pumped-every basket made-they cheered, BIG!

I shouldn't fail to mention that the game was only half the excitement in the arena that day. You see, WE caused quite a stir in Carver Hawkeye amongst Hawkeye fans. One of Jaxson's friends showed up supporting "his team", the Iowa State Cyclones! (My thoughts-YIKES!)
During our travels I wondered how these loyal Hawk fans, we were soon to encounter, would handle this mighty brave devoted Cyclone? Is it possible we will return him to his parents with a black eye? NO black eyes were given(thank goodness)...only finger points, strange faces, smirks and "words of wisdom" from the 70ish year old veteran(probably season ticket holder) Hawk fan at the end our row:ha, ha!)

This experience had me reflecting....I've decided that once a fan ALWAYS a fan! Boys pick a team and it becomes "their team" for a lifetime! Think about the sports fans in your life....Any chance on changing them?

Iowa 70 Michigan 60

GO HAWKS!!

The new music: Iowa's warmup song, fitting for this blog entry.

Who knew???

On Monday(NO SCHOOL!) we took the boys to the Iowa Science Center. I'm not sure who got more out of it..the kids or Dan & I? In one area they had a quiz set up on Iowa history via the computer. Jaxson and I hopped on testing our Iowa knowledge. Although we were able to answer a majority of the questions right-we had a few questions/answers that really surprised us....

Who knew.....Iowa has an island city? Sabula, over on the Mississppi created because of the lock and dam system.

Who knew.....Iowa was the first state to offer a point-of-sale "shazam" system. Yep, in 1985 used at Hy-Vee or some grocery store.

Who knew.....Iowa is the 26th largest state! I just think of us as little ole' Iowa...the heartland. We're bigger than NY, IN, LA NC....really!

Who knew....Iowa holds the "world" record for growing the largest strawberry? Yep, in Strawberry Point.( I think I knew that...Jaxson loved that fact!)

Who knows...Iowa's motto? "Our liberties we prize & our rights we will maintain." I'm sure I've heard that before but as an adult the words mean so much more. I like it!

This is just a glimpse to what our day was like at the ISC. We also participated in Zapp2; an interactive show on electricity, created our own paper airplanes to launch through the air with an air shooter thing, attempted to make gigantic bubbles, played meterologist Ed Wilson on WHO-TV 13(note picture) & the boys conducted energy with water & stones by designing a water fall with maximum water force.

It was a fabulous, fun day thanks to Grandpa & Grandma Mart & their Christmas gift of a years membership....we look forward to many more visits!

Love....

My intentions were to post this on Valentines Day BUT...that didn't happen. Anyway, here is a list of a few of the things I love....

Family(ALL OF U!)
Our faithful God
Sunny Days
Dark Chocolate
Happy Faces & Good Laughs
Outdoors(doing anything!)
Friends
Music
Fresh Snow
Hugs(especially morning hugs!)
Good Books & a Cozy Blanket
Campfires
A Delicious Salad
Coffee anything! (the taste & smell of!)
Listening to the kiddos play & their amazement with life's simple pleasures!

SPRING FEVER!

Yesterday was awesome(high 60's)and only made me crave the warmer temps of spring-now they're talking snow! (Iowan's love their change of seasons:lol!) Anyway...Dawson & I spent most of the day outside, along with Dexter who was home sick, or so he claimed! They rode the dune buggy and looked for treasures in the ole' milk house to add to their fort. I added a little color to the walk-thorough doors outside, a deep cranberry color, and went for a 2 mile walk with my 3-legged canine companion, Dewey.
Looking at our shoes as we walked through the grass, imagining the beautiful green to come, Dawson & I recited a list of all the things we want to do this spring. It was something like this: plant flowers, plant garden, look for worms, ride in the paddle boat, rope, hike down by the creek, trail ride with snacks, get new sand for the sand box(maybe a few new toys), buy baby goats....and the list went on & on & on with a 5 year old. My thoughts were: wash windows, stain the deck, plant a few more shrubs, pick up the rocks fron the yard(left over from snow removal), get some algae stuff for the pond, take a major trip to the dump, "that sounds funny-recycle center", and everything Dawson wants to do"which sounds much more relaxing & fun!"

cowboys....

Saturday we attended the IRCA banquet in Osceola. This photo is of 1st generation calf ropers Dan, J.D. Sinniff & Bill Huber with their sons, the next generation of rough & tough champion cowboys!

life amongst "the herd"

Ok...the name! Thanks to http://www.thesaurus.com/ I found our blog name. And, how fitting it is! With a house full of boys(right,one man!) we are a herd! The energy level is high, wrestling is daily and stampedes through the house are part of the norm. But....regardless of how well the herd is "getting along" when the sun sets, night falls & the dust settles the boys know their best friend is "amongst the herd", in a brother.

A dAvIs bLoG?

Hmmmm....I'm not sure I'm smart enough to figure this out but I've decided to give it a whirl! I truly enjoy reading other blogs and hope I can commit myself enough to the "Davis Herd blogspot" that it stays interesting for those following:) Perhaps, enticing faraway family and friends to join.