DAVIS REPORTS

UPDATE

2010-01-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

Well it's been a long time, but I am back! My Mom has been here for rehab for her broken hip and I am glad to report that she is better. We are going back to Atlanta next week to get her settled in back at her home. She is very anxious to see her dogs and be in her home. We will miss her. Our family has been complete with her here. But I guess all good things must end.

Elise spent the night with us last night. She showed up looking like a movie star!!! she is such a hoot!

SATURDAY NIGHT OUT

2009-07-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Our family decided to go out on the town this past Saturday night. We rarely drive into Houston for anything since we can do most everything we like close to home. A trip into the city on Saturday night is not a common thing. We decided to go to Dave and Busters and have dinner and enjoy the game room. Elise was so excited about the games that she started asking if it was time to go at 9:30 Saturday morning! She loved the games but does not like to lose....EVER. As long as she was winning she was happy but if she lost she had a meltdown!! She told me, "Dave and Busters has more games than Chucky Cheese!"

GUS GOES PATRIOTIC

2009-07-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Gus has been with us for a year now, and he got his name at last year's 4th of July celebration. He is in a party mood today and wishes all our friends and family a HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

MY LITTLE DANCER

2009-05-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

Elise had her first dance recital today. It was just the cutest! She did a good job of not getting stage fright and actually knew the steps. It reminded me of Melanie's recitals. We started Melanie in dancing at about this same age. It is amazing the resemblance of Melanie's pictures at this age and Elise!

A PORCH WITH A VIEW

2009-05-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

I spent some time on my back porch with a book this holiday weekend. I haven't spent much time outside since we moved to this house but the view is quite nice and I hope to spend more time out there this summer. The birds like he place and I was able to get some pictures of one of the redbirds that visits often.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS

2009-05-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

My Mothers Day was indeed as good as it gets. We all went to church together and came home and had lunch and visited. Then we went to dinner together. Then we came back to the house for coffee and desert. Jamie's parents joined us and we had a great time together as a family. We are so blessed that we all enjoy one another and look forward to our time together. Jamie's family have taken in Melanie and Elise and have truly been great to them. On the other hand, Greg and I count our blessings every day that Jamie came along into our family. He has certainly completed our family and we love him like a son. As the commercial says....you cannot put a price on that.

Melanie and I are already planning something special for the guys for Father's Day.

Our Men surprised us with a gift certificate to the spa and have informed us that they will babysit while we go!! They are just the best!!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

2009-04-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.He said, 'My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.One is Evil.It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good.It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.The grandson thought about it for a minute
And then asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'The old Cherokee simply replied,
'The one you feed.'

DISNEY ON ICE

2009-04-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a very exciting day. About 3 months ago I purchased tickets for all of us to attend Disney on Ice. Little did I know when I bought the tickets that we would have a flood the day of the performance! We were all a little hesitant to venture out as we watched the weather all morning but Melanie said she would not tell Elise we weren't going after doing a count down to the day of the show for the past week. The weather was awful with lots of wind and rain. Jamie was our driver and he was certainly a good sport about it. All of the way there we were observing how deep the water was and sometimes choosing the route or lane that was the least flooded. It was a slow treaterous trip to say the least. Once we parked the rain had let up a little so we got under umbrellas and ran for it. Our seats were second row so we had no issues seeing. It was such fun to watch Elise. She never took her eyes off the show for even a second. Of course the big hit was Tinkerbell!! She just happened to have gotten her own Tinkerbell doll while we were there. It was lots of fun. We went from the performance to eat pizza. Other than the weather it was a great day!

EASTER FUN

2009-04-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Melanie and Elise colored eggs at our house yesterdsay so we could watch. Elise loves anything to do with art so this was fun!

Then Elise and I did a Build A Bunny that my Mom sent.

We had lots of fun family time.

FUN WITH FRIENDS

2009-03-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

We had a visit from some friends on Saturday afternoon. We always say we are going to get together but life is so busy that it doesn't happen as often as we would like. We finally made it happen and we all enjoyed our time together very much. Aaron and Cindi were really good sports and gave Elise some attention. First Elise and Cindi played the rabbit race game. Then Aaron played flick fishing with her.

We hope we can make the time to get together more often (and if all goes well maybe these friends will go to Alaska with Greg and me next summer).

FISHING WITH PAW-PAW

2009-03-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in previous posts we have a little lake in our subdivision. This lake has been a great place to go and feed the ducks, take a walk, and enjoy the fresh air. we throw bread to the ducks and in addition to the ducks getting a meal we also have a lot of turtles who enjoy the treat. For a long time now we have been observing catfish who come to the top to eat the bread. They are quite large and Greg has been threatening to go down there and go fishing! Elise thought that sounded like a lot of fun so she and Paw-Paw decided to get the rod and reel and go try it. This was a first for Elise. She caught on quickly and they actually caught several. She thought they were scary and did not want anything to do with them once they were out of the water. Greg is delighted to have a new fishing buddy.

GUS GETS A HABITAT

2009-03-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

If you have ever been to our house you know who Gus is. He is Greg's bronze pelican. While we were building the house Greg decided that he had to have a pelican to remind him of all the days he spent out on the boat fishing and seeing the pelicans on those trips. He went on line and found the artist he liked and ordered a pelican from New York. On moving day we had the pelican loaded up and brought over. We placed it in the back yard where we could see him out the back windows. We had a Fourth of July gathering at our house and everyone who attended was advised that at the conclusion of the evening we would take suggestions for a name and vote on it and name the pelican. You have probably guessed by now that the vote was to name him Gus.Once we got settled and were about to turn our attention to some touches in the yard along came Ike. We lost our back wall with the storm so we had to wait to get the wall rebuilt. By that time along came the holidays. And then the cold weather held up progress. As the months passed and we looked out back at Gus Greg decided that we needed to put some ornamental grass around him so he would appear to be in a natural habitat. This is the first warm weekend we have had so I went out and built Gus a little habitat with some tropical things and some grass that I thought might resemble a marsh. So now Gus has a habitat and Greg a can look out and remember all of his good times out in the boat looking at the birds!

DRAMA ANYONE?

2009-02-26T18:28:00.000-08:00

The definition of a drama queen is one who turns something unimportant into a major deal; blows things way out of proportion.
This person craves attention and will go to any extreme to attract attention and/or sympathy. We all instantly think of someone we know when we hear the words drama queen. These people are shameless in the extremes they will go to in order to put themselves in the spotlight. Bless their little pea picking hearts....they have no idea that others laugh at them and find them to be totally outrageous. I now have proof that species other than humans engage in this behavior. Here is the proof:

CAREER NEWS

2009-02-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

I am starting a new job tomorrow. After 14 years in stem cell transplant and 2 years in ifectious diseases I am making a big change. I will still be employeed by MD Anderson Cancer Center and will still work on research projects but rather than to coordinate the trials I will manage the area that audits the National Cancer Institute's multi center clinical trials. These trials are conducted all over the world and MD Anderson is the lead center on the trials. I am excited that the new position will include travel (both domestic and international). I know already that one of my big sites will be in Italy. I know as some people near retirement they sort of kick back and coast across the finish line but that just isn't me. I still feel the need to grow and learn and be challenged. I love meeting new people and doing new things so I am excited about this change. Having said that I also know that change is hard (even if it is good change). I am about to have to learn a new area, new duties, new people, a new physical environment, and a very different approach to research. I expect to feel the stress of adjusting to all of this. The one thing that I am very clear about is that I will always do something that will contribute to improved knowledge and treatment of cancer. I am very devoted to the cause. I am fortunate that I chose a career that I believe is my calling at a young age and have been blessed to be a part of some projects that have been significant advances in my field. Some 20 years go MD Anderson gave Greg another chance at life and I will forever feel the need to give back to that great system. So here I go on a new adventure...

IT'S A MYSTERY TO ME

2009-02-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

We have a small lake in the community where we live and Elise has aways loved to walk down and feed the ducks. We have about a dozen white or brown regular everyday ducks. Well this winter we have had some new residents move in. I have no idea what they are but we must have 2 dozen of them and they seem to have moved in for good. Anyone out there know what they are???

DO I HAVE TO HAVE A BIRTHDAY???

2009-01-31T07:31:00.000-08:00

I hate birthdays. I have never been truthful about my age. I avoid or lie about my age in every instance except for legal documents. My birthday is usually not a happy day for me. This year was different. I had the best birthday ever. I didn't even mind that it was my birthday, and in fact, I had a great day!
My family made it so special. They started a week ago and it just went on and on. They put a lot of thought and effort in making it special and it was indeed special.
My friends also made me glad it was my birthday as I received numerous texts and e mails from many friends both close and far away.
Thanks to everyone for all your well wishes.
I was having such fun with my birthday this year that I went out and bought myself a present. I have been admiring Melanie and Jamie's iphones ever since they got them and I just took my happy self over and purchased myself one yesterday! I still cannot believe I was so bold as to do it. My old phone was fairly new and there was nothing wrong with it. I cannot justify such unneccesary spending but it sure was fun. I love the iphone. I am still learning what all I can do with it. So far it sure is a fun toy.
I don't mind birthdays anymore. That does not mean that I will tell anyone my age. I will still avoid the subject or lie about it!!!!

MY NEW FAVORITE PLACE

2009-01-25T08:49:00.000-08:00

I found a place last night that is perfect for any chocolate lover. My family took me out for dinner at The Melting Pot. The first course was the next best thing to chocolate....melted cheese with garlic and seasonings in it. We were served cubed bread, vegetables and apple slices to dip in the cheese (yum)! Next came a choice of probably 6 different salads. Mine was spinich salad and it was GOOD. Then came the entree...it was filet mignon, teriyaki sirloin, shrimp, chicken, and salmon. We dipped that in a seasoned wine sauce. The best came last. We had smores chocolate that we dipped cheesecake, bananas, strawberries, pound cake, and marshmallows in. The entire meal was very special but I could have made a meal of the chocolate.....it was the best! The evening was a special time with my family and a very special meal. Thank you Greg, Melanie and Jamie.
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NEW HEADER

2009-01-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

I have added some photos from one of our favorite trips to my header. In 2005 Greg and I went to Alaska. It was a dream trip that we hope to repeat if the stock market ever recovers! We went to Brooks Falls during the salmon run and watched the bears catch and eat fish, saw the glaciers, went whale watching and fishing. We were in the back country most of the time and we got there via a 4 seater plane that landed on rocks, dirt and even a water plane in many cases. We also flew right over Mt. McKinley and took a train ride. We were there for 10 days and could have easily stayed another 10! The scenery, and wildlife including puffins and eagles was just spectacular. We have been blessed to take some geat trips. I will post segments from time-to-time of some of our favorite places.

THE GIRLS

2009-01-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

I managed to get a few shots of the girls new years day:

I'M A GRANDMA

2009-01-03T17:31:00.001-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am Elise's Grandma but what you might not know is that Melanie and Jamie have 2 boys! Here they are:

Bailey

Dexter
They are beautiful and very well behaved children.

WELCOME 2009

2009-01-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

Greg and I brought in the new year with some very special friends. Leah, Tito and Diolino joined us for the evening. They are a very sweet couple with an amazing love story. Leah and I worked together in the transplant department for several years and then she and I both transferred to other departments several years ago. We have kept in touch since and occasionally had lunch together and shared photos and e mails since then. Greg and I were very pleased that they joined us for the evening. Here is the star of the show, Diolino:

Such a cute family!
Elise in her new pretty pony PJs with Diolino
The girls

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-25T11:58:00.000-08:00

We began our celebration last night by having dinner and singing happy birthday to Jesus.

Then we put on Christmas music and opened our family gifts.

This morning we all assembled at the Crocker residence to see if Santa had visited. Sure enough Santa had made a visit.

We will have dinner tonight and watch a movie and after that we will all wonder how it was all over so fast after all of the planning and anticipation!

Celebrating with Friends

2008-12-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

Elise, my Mom and I went over to Mary's house for a little Christmas visit today. Eric is home from college for the Christmas break so we got to see him also. We had a great visit complete with gifts and some yummy treats. We had a great time (thanks Mary).

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas! I especially love it now that we have a four year old in the family. Elise is so into all of the magic. She is into the Elves that get into mischief every night in her house and totally relying on Santa to arrive in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Her little eyes are as big as saucers when she talks about it all. Every time I see her she tells me with great enthusiasm what the Elves have gotten into the night before! She is not so focused on the gifts as she is all of the wonder of the season.

I am on vacation next week so Melanie is taking her out of school so Greg and I can keep her with us. I know she is very excited and hyper so I have planned a lot of structured activities for her. She and I always do an art project and some cooking together so I have stocked up on lots of materials for that. I also got her a new movie (Horton Hears A Who).

My Mom arrives tomorrow and she and Elise are excited to see one another. My Mom is great with little ones so they should have fun.I just hope she has enough energy to keep up with Elise!

Greg and I wish all of our family and friends a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2009.

IT"S A BARBIE TREE!

2008-12-07T14:41:00.000-08:00

My Mom has collected Barbie's for a long time now and when she found out that Elise loves Barbie she sent her all of the ornaments that she has collected. Elise was thrilled. I got a little tree and put lights on it and let Elise decorate it with all of the Barbie's.
Elise loves her tree and she takes the Barbie's off and on and plays with them. It is soooo cute.
This will definately be an annual thing as long as she enjoys it.
Of course I just happened to have the camera close by!

2008-12-06T07:27:00.001-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to decorate for every season/holiday. It was a real challenge this year because when we moved I got rid of tons of my stuff in the interest of downsizing. I now have more space for decorating in spite of the smaller house since I designed this house with decorating in mind! So I found myself with more potential decorating space and fewer items. I have completed putting out what I have and it is clear to me that I will be forced to purchase more (sorry Greg).
Here is some of what I have done:

2008-11-28T08:24:00.000-08:00

This was our first Thanksgiving in our new home. It was a special day with family, food and friends. Melanie made her famous deviled eggs and Jamie did the traditional chocolate pies and mashed potatoes. Jamie's parents arrived with a mince pie (much to mine and Greg's delight)! We all ate too much and UT won the game so they all went away happy!

FAMILY TIME

2008-11-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

Greg's Mother who is 91 years old came from Amarillo to visit us. She is remarkable for her age.
We have not had her for a visit in 4 years so we were very pleased that she made the trip. She loved the new house and seemed to enjoy her time here.
Elise bonded with her right away and they had lots of tea parties together.
Of course we took many pictures!! Here are a few:

2008-11-11T18:58:00.000-08:00

Washington, DC

2008-11-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

Greg and I went to Washington last week. The weather was cool and the leaves were changing.
I attended a conference by day and Greg did the museums. I did catch an afternoon at the zoo with him. That zoo is great. If you ever get a chance I highly recommend it.

Fall Colors

2008-10-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

I went to my Mom's in the Atlanta area last week and we took a trip to the Smokey Mountains.
The leaves were changing and the colors were awsome. we had a great time.

Just to prove my point

2008-10-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

DavisReports

2008-10-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

I have decided to create a blog to update out of town friends and family.