5500+ miles later......

   WOW! We have been a whirl wind tour of the Southeast U.S.  We started out going to Louisiana and Texas for a family visit and the ATI  conference at Big Sandy Texas. This was such a wonderful trip for many reasons. First off was conference. What a blessing this year was. Big Sandy is the best ATI conference we have ever been to. Well worth the drive. We are blessed, our kids so enjoy this time each year.  The girls start the count down for conference months ahead, researching the speakers, praying and preparing their hearts for what God has for them to learn. It is a blessing to know they enjoy more than just the fellowship and meeting new people. We knew no one going into this Big Sandy trip. They were still excited to be going. After arriving we learned there were a few people we knew from back home that were attending so that was an extra blessing I feel God gave the kids. The speakers were wonderful this year, as always. We left up lifted and ready for a new year. 

It was a long drive.... ;)

The Louisiana part of the trip was wonderful as well. It is always a treat and a blessing to spend time with family. JP's family in Louisiana are a pleasure to be with. Land to roam, Grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins lot's of outdoor activities. We were met our first night by family, a bon-fire, a weenie roast, smores and lots of laughter.  I have a wonderful sister in law who is a treasure to be with. I love sharing with her God's revelations in our life and listening to what God is doing in their family. We cry a little, talk about the Word of God and laugh a lot! The property is peaceful and a nice retreat all in itself for relaxing, meditating, reflecting and rejuvenating. I always leave rested (well mostly lol).  GREAT VISIT LOVE OUR LA. FAMILY!!  I needed it for what was coming next. First home and.........

Cousins! :)

The kids rode their dad's dirt bike from when he was a kid.

Shooting is also a fun active we can do while we are there.
Eli is here shooting his BB Gun with his cousin sitting safely behind him. 

After getting home from this trip JP had a quick Business trip to San Antonio. We were Glad to have him back.

Then we came home and started our garden!

 Just a few days later.......

 We had a dear family come and visit us. We love them and there encouragement. Such a blessing. Thanks Shoughs for sharing your time and making a 3 hour out of the way effort to visit with us. We love you.

Cades Cove on Elijah Oliver's trail.

We had a great day of worship and fellowship

Then on to  Florida, visiting family and friends. This is always a much anticipated trip of the year for the children. This is where home is. Grand parents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends! CRAZY BUSY!! There is never enough time here to see and visit with everyone. So glad we have mom and dad to stay with and visit. I must admit I love it when people come and see us. Then we have one family to ourself. Mom and Dad are understanding of the kids desire to run here and there. We are never in bed before 1 or 2 am. LOL Home is always such a comfortable place. You never out grow that. The kids come in and it's like they never left. Thanks Granny and Papa. My dad was ill while we were in town so we do not have pictures doing anything. We will make up for it in August.

They are blessed to have such wonderful friends here, so are we. Kindred Spirits are few an far between. What an awesome God we serve! No matter how many miles, what continent, country, state it's like we were never apart. I love it. God brings them just when we need them. No mater if it is a note, email, skype call or a real visit. It's a great time. So many we can't name you all,  but you know who you are. 

We came home to this, dad really missed us while we were in Florida !

 And this! :o Our garden exploded! 

No time to gaze in amazement because in just 8 short hours we were back in the SUV. 

"On the Road Aagain!" 

Last but not least back to Louisiana for the Davis Family Reunion which our wonderful host and cousin "Johnny" pointed out...."no one here is named DAVIS!" LOL! Anyhow we love getting together with all these fabulous people from all over the country. We have family come in from as far away as Chicago, Utah, and Florida. WOW! So none of us being officially Davis's seems to be OK. I think it is the host and hostess with the most! Cousin Johnny and Ann are so fun to be with and Yes cousin Johnny, "It's the Shirt!".All of the effort put in to this by all the first cousins Johnny, Tookie and Aunt Mary ( I think I am leaving out a first cousin, maybe Bobby??? Correct me if I am wrong family.) We love this new family tradition.

Cousins

 "It's the Shirt!".

;D

It was Boudin....we ate it all, this is sausage

                                                                  The whole crew

Brothers deep in conversation

Surprise...a Scott man Fishing.

Beautiful Sunflowers at Tookie's!

 So after all of this.. over 5000 miles in 2 months, we are home! THANK GOD. Thank God for family and friends and thank God for home. We had a blast all the way. Now we are home and tending to the school we do in the summer, our garden and some much needed hiking! (I will post pictures from our next hike.)
Psalms 34: 1-3
¹ I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.

³ Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

                       
Love to you all and thanks for making our travels so so special! You all mean so much to us.

Check This Out!

It's Mean and you fight it with a Machine!

Does anyone know or remember what this is?

It's called the color Green and it's growing in our yard!

I opened my window one morning and the "green beams" of color blinded me.

Once recovered I was at first a little skeptical of this "green" stuff. Then I remembered it from last year! I went from utter terror of this green invasion to absolute jubilance at the remembrance of what green means. So if you are hiding in your house and occasionally mustering up the courage to peeking thru the window shades at the "green raid". If you too are having this same sort of experience, don't be scared! The english word for the green stuff you see outside is "Grass". Webster's definition of it is this :

grass

 [gras, grahs] Show IPA

–noun

1.

any plant of the family Gramineae, having jointed stems, sheathing leaves, and seedlike grains.Compare grass family.

2.

such plants collectively, as when cultivated in lawns or used as pasture for grazing animals or cut and dried as hay.

6.

grasses, stalks or sprays of grass: filled with dried grasses.

7.

the season of the new growth of grass.

–verb (used with object)

8.

to cover with grass or turf.

9.

to feed with growing grass; pasture.

10.

to lay (something) on the grass, as for the purpose of bleaching.

–verb (used without object)

11.

to feed on growing grass; graze.

12.

to produce grass; become covered with grass.

Now too much "Grass" in your yard and you can't see your house so, you must "mow".

Described here by Webster:

mow

¹   [moh] Show IPA verb,mowed, mowed or mown,mow·ing.

–verb (used with object)

1.

to cut down (grass, grain, etc.) with a scythe or a machine.

2.

to cut grass, grain, etc., from: to mow the lawn.

–verb (used without object)

3.

to cut down grass, grain, etc.

—Verb phrase

4.

mow down,

a.

to destroy or kill indiscriminately or in great numbers, as troops in battle.

b.

to defeat, overwhelm, or overcome: The team mowed down its first four opponents.

c.

to knock down.

(line 4 is the "slang" term for mow)

Here is Daddy showing Eli how to tame the "green beast".

You too can be a yard Knight! :D

The only survivor of the Eli yard Massacre!

Behold Sir Greenyard, Knight of Scott-land!

The youngest yard Knight of all!

May his story of the taming of the yard be past down for GENERATIONS!

(Yeah he's the Man!)

Now not everything is green! Like this little flower so white and clean that my sweet brother Sir Greenyard presented to me after his conquering of the Scott-land! ;)

See, it's Natural! It happens every year and it CAN'T HURT YOU!

So, on another Sunny nice day get out there and roll in it. Yes I said ROLL-IN-IT!

It wont eat you! I promise! It's just been a while since we have seen it.

SPRING IS SPRINGING!

(Side-affects for some may be itchy watery eyes and sneezing or even a rash.)

(If this sounds like you consult a doctor for some minor treatment that will help you get back out there!)

I Hope this post has helped you to embrace the coming change!

God Bless

Alyssa