Happy 3rd Birthday Davis!

Our little guy is three today. How did this happen so fast?!! It feels like just yesterday that he was born. Everyone says it will go by quickly and they are right.


Here are some of the things you've loved over the past year


#1. Trains. You are obsessed with anything train. When asked "do you like oranges?" you'll often reply with, "no, I like trains." Your favorite trains are ones with faces. Often when we see trains you think it is a little bit strange that they don't have faces like Thomas and Percy.


#2. You are potty trained! Mommy spent a weekend doing "Potty Training in Less then a Day" with you and it worked after a few days. No more diapers!!!


#3. You have gone from just a few word sentences to now you can say pretty much everything. I love it when you repeat a word and ask us what it is. -- you love to learn.


#4. You still love to read. You love it with us, you love to do it alone. You still love going to the library for storytime and to see Miss Maggie. One thing that has been added is that you love to go to the computer while we are there and "play the games"

#5. You really enjoy riding your tricycle and have persevered to be able to ride it all the way to the other side of the neighborhood. It has been a big deal for you to begin to be able to pedal up hills.

#6. You've begun to develop friendships with other kids. You come home telling us who you enjoyed playing with and were able to share who you wanted invited to your birthday party. I love seeing you be a good friend!


#7. You still love pup pup so much . Your little blue and white doggy still sleeps with you every night while you suck your thumb.

#8. You are a wonderful big brother. You are learning to share with Isaac and becoming pretty good at it! Of course you have your moments of frustration with him, but we are so hopeful for ya'll to be great friends. The other day you said he is your best friend -- Daddy and I hope that will be very true through your life!

We love you so very much and are very proud of you! Happy Birthday!!

Pictures will follow but here are the links from your birth, 1st birthday and 2nd birthday!

Davis's 3rd Birthday Party!

To say that Davis loves trains is an understatement! If you ask him "do you like bananas?" his answer often will be, "no, I like trains." We've tried to explain that you can like more then one thing, but he has an obsession -- and we don't mind it!

Davis, on our way to his birthday party, showing two of his absolute favorite trains, Thomas and Percy. He loves to "chug!"

We had Davis's party in the birthday caboose at the Huntsville train depot. It was the perfect place for our little guys party, though it was very chilly outside and just a little bit crowded in the caboose. I think the kids had a good time, though as the mommy I think I spent a bit of time hoping that everyone was doing ok!!

The crowded caboose. :) Note, my mom is hard at work, it would have been a lot harder without my parents helping at every turn. And, these pictures -- well, my sister was the official photographer, which was a great thing or we may not have many pictures!

Davis's accessory that he has really wanted is a Useful Engine Shed. (this is where Thomas can sleep) so he was excited to receive it! Many trains have slept in it in the last few days. :)


Thank you Aunt Annie, Uncle Will, Mom and Dad for coming!!! It was such a special time!

As for the cake. I looked up a very video on you tube on how to make a train cake. They made it look so easy! It wasn't quite as easy as they made it out to be, but with help from my good friend Miki it turned out pretty cute. I'd definitely do it again as it was a lot of fun to create! (I may never be able to look at icing though without my stomach churning as it has 4 pounds of sugar and 4 sticks of butter.

Happy Birthday Davis! I'll do a more official post on his actual birthday, but here is his celebration with all of his little buddies! Happy Birthday our precious Davis!!

Birthday celebrations!

Yesterday was filled with a happy birthday boy and a happy celebration! I really need to blog about our celebration with all of our family over 4th of July, but as we speak we are getting ready for David and Laura's wedding this weekend, so I am just going to tell you about our celebration on Isaac's "actual" birthday!

Isaac woke up happy as can be after waking up a couple times in the middle of the night. See those adorable big teeth?! Well, I think their neighbors to the right and left are trying to pop through for his birthday. :) (or maybe he was just so excited about his big day that he couldn't sleep!)

For birthday breakfast I served a couple of Isaac's favorites, eggs and watermelon. He can eat his weight in watermelon, and he LOVES it!

Before Dan left for work, we had Isaac open his card and a present.

Fast forward to dinner time, we had our good friends, Sharon and Oren over with their son, Aiden, to celebrate. Thankfully, they are very easy going as we served them burned hotdogs, burned corn, slightly overcooked sweet potato fries and less then frozen icecream. We had such a great time and Isaac loved it all! (well, except the icecream... not yet, but we did give him a cupcake which you can see he is devouring!!

Brotherly love. This is a small example of how it is hard to share as brothers. Isaac received a really fun toy from Aiden, but Davis was really the one who instantly wanted it after he helped him open it. Now that Isaac is mobile a whole new facet of this has come up as he can now "take" Davis's toys and "tear up" his things. (words in quotations are Davis's) I'll take any pointers ya'll want to give!! I know this is only the beginning!

Our wonderful friends (and thankfully, neighbors also!!) Thank you for coming for Isaac's special day!

Happy 2nd Birthday Davis

Over the last 2 years Davis has brought so much joy to our family. Dan and I have been reminiscing about some of our many, many favorite memories and events/milestones that have happened in Davis's life over the last 12 months. Here are a few!

1. Davis began to walk! Now he is running, chasing and jumping

2. Davis has become quite the conversationalist. He went from only saying "mama and dada" and from "quack quack" being anything that he saw in the air, to now he is saying 4 word sentences and can count to ten! Two of my favorite phrases include "Mommy hold you" and "Chase you"... In both he means "me" instead of "you." He also loves to wave and say "hi daddy" "hi mommy" "hi grandma" without being prompted. SO cute!

3. He has become such a big boy in how he interacts with people. When you see him he might ask you for a "high five," "big ten," "knuckles," "double knuckles," "fist bump," or "thumbs up." These actions are thanks to some of our neighborhood boys who spend time with him, even though he is many years younger then them.

4. Some of Davis's favorite things to do over the last year have been to swim, read, toss and throw balls, have pictures and movies taken of him, draw, dance to music, go to library story time and see "Miss Maggie," and get cookies at the grocery store.

5. Some of his favorite songs have been Hakuna Matata, War Eagle Fly Field (as he would say!!) Away Manger, Rocketship Run, and the Lady Song (which is the Brady Bunch theme song.)

6. He loves to eat macky (any kind of pasta), grapes, oranges (sometimes with sometimes without seeds.) and doesn't seem to be able to wake up in the morning until he has had his morning juice.

7. He loves being a big brother and is now quite wonderful at sharing with Isaac, though sometimes that means that Isaac gets things piled all over him... :)

8. Davis sometimes seems like the spiritual leader of the family as he often will want to pray several times at a meal, and will list off his aunts and uncles and other folks to pray for... what a precious little guy.

One thing that has remained the same is that "pup pup" is still his favorite stuffed animal and that he sucks his thumb to go to sleep...

We love our little Davis so much. Sometimes I look at him and just think that I don't want him to grow up anymore. Can't he just stay little forever?? Then I remember all of the special things that he can do now that he used to not be able to do and it seems alright for him to keep learning, exploring and growing more and more into the person God would have him become.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Davis!

We love you!

I'm linking his previous birthdays below for anyone who would like a stroll down memory lane about our cutie!!

Davis's Birth

Davis's First Birthday

P.S. Davis climbed his first tree today. :)

Special People -- Nanay & Tatay

Happy 67th Birthday Nanay!

Since we have been in the Philippines we have a couple who have adopted us as their kids. :) They have been married for 48 years, have 6 kids and many grandchildren. Their love for the Lord, each other and all they meet is shown in their lives. Yesterday we were invited to celebrate Nanay's birthday with family and friends.

Davis was passed around. Here he is with his Lola. (Tagalog for Grandma)

Davis playing with some of the grandkids. He even got to taste some fried lumpia (similar to egg roll) and fried chicken -- as soon as Mom noticed the cuisine was changed to cheerios and banana! :)

At the party there was a program of worship music, yummy food, speaking words of encouragement to Nanay, and even some dancing! Nanay danced with Tatay and also her sons. It was very special.

I had the privledge of sharing what Nanay means to me in my life.

We love Nanay & Tatay!

Welcome, Davis!

On Christmas Eve, Davis Jonathan Brooks was born here in Manila. He weighed 6 lbs, 8 oz, and was 19 inches long.

December 24, 2006, 12:13pm. First picture--only seconds after delivery.

Getting cleaned up right after delivery.

Me, Ellen, and Aunt Anne watch his first feeding.

Davis's first portrait. Taken on Christmas Day.

Mommy and baby's late night feeding.

Mom and baby are doing fine...but we are ALL a little tired. Aunt Anne has done a great job in helping where needed. Fortunately, the nursing staff let her stay in the delivery room, so she was able to get some really great pictures. For the grandparents and relatives, these are pictures of (mostly) Davis. In the coming days, we'll tell more of the story of this Christmastime birth!

Happy Birthday, Dan!

"Huh? Happy Birthday? Uhh...my birthday's in January. What are all you people doing in my apartment?"

These were the first thoughts that bounced around in my head after I opened the door to our home. More than 40 people had shoved themselves into our little apartment and we celebrated my birthday more than a month before the actual date (it's Jan 16, if you're wondering). My wife (the devious little socialite) had been planning this for months, knowing that she wouldn't be able to give me an "adequate" party when I turned 30 because the baby is set to arrive around the same time. I've never had a surprise party before, and don't know if I can handle another one.

This is me, being filled with shock and awe.

Score! Chocolate Pecan Pie! (a brightly lit chocolate pecan pie...)