Our very long 2012 Christmas Letter/up-date ….

To our friends and family,

Every year I consider just sending you the card with a picture and then I have reminders from a few that the really long, long, winded letter is enjoyed by some. So if you are in that group here is an update on our tribe and the adventure that is our lives.

Christopher is 5 and is homeschooling Kindergarden this year with Billy’s mom. She is the best teacher you could ever hope for. He Is quickly learning to read and loves her fun outings. She has taught him to love the library, the park, and even took him to a farm where he got to wear a bee keeper suit and bring home a honey souvenir. One of the benefits of having 5 children is the opportunity to clearly see their “bents” or interests. For years Christopher has shown an interest in wrestling. Seriously! I know. I still find it hard to believe that God would give the gift of “wrestling” to anyone but if you saw Christopher you may become a believer. So after months and months of his pestering I took him to a wrestling club that takes kids as young as 5. I let him observe thinking this would cure him of any interest. Wrong…..he was upset with me that he didn’t get to wrestle his first night and couldn’t wait to go back despite being the youngest and smallest at practice. So yes, next year our letter may be filled with wrestling accolades but this year it is filled with “seriously God?!?!” as I try to process the adventures that await us.

Keaton is now 7 and enjoying first grade. He is the “artist” of the family in every sense of the word. Not only does he constantly want to create but he is in touch, very in touch with his feelings and the feelings of others. One morning I suggested Keaton go outside to play and his response was…..”mom…anyone can go play, I have to create!” This year we sent him to a special art camp. If you could have seen his face you would understand we had finally “found his people!” This has also been the year Keaton’s name has appeared on the “frequent visitor” list of our local emergency room. A complicated arm break lead to his first surgery, he nearly forgot to mention his double sized finger that was his second break and we plan to kick off 2012 with a tonsillectomy. He continues to be the entertainer of the family filling our mac with mini movies of him doing all things crazy. The dog growls at him anytime he is within 3 feet. If i ever get the chance to review all of those movies I am sure I may understand their strained relationship. I think Keaton is probably responsible for the picture we included on our card of the “Underwear Gang.” After taking their picture they insisted I take it again in their gang car…..after all every gang needs a car….even the underwear gang!

Caleb is now 10 and nearing the top of the food chain in elementary school. He continues to be our resident engineer and electronics guru. This year I have also given him the nick name Spock. I know those reading this letter may be the only ones who understand what that may mean, but Caleb is our “strictly facts/no emotion guy.” If it isn’t completely logical he has no capacity to understand it. He will argue at any logic infraction and just drug me through one in an argument about the existence of Santa and whether he was a real person. Keaton’s argument….”yes” because he is based on someone who really did live and help people…..Caleb….absolutely not despite the constant explanation as to Keaton’s reasoning. Somewhere along the way Caleb decided he would become a bit of a bragger at school. I have discovered this as kids are quick to ask me for verification “of facts” when I go to eat lunch with him. It is definitely a trend we are working to curb but it may not be in time to avert a home robbery. Despite our gate and remote location I feel at risk and vulnerable, primarily because Caleb has bragged to his classmates that his dad has a “safe full of money.” At this age he doesn’t yet understand the real value of $2 bills and silver dollars but Billy and I despite previously finding his perspective funny, now fear it may truly pose a security risk.

Kendall is 13 going on 30. (wait isn’t that a movie title.) I think it must be a girl thing, especially when surrounded by a pack of boys. She has a firm grip on her femininity though, and really does seem to have glitter in her veins. Kendall continues to tumble and began running cross country. This year Kendall made a commitment to not eat candy, and if her determination is any indication she is going to accomplish anything she sets her mind to. Before this year she was like elf with all things candy being the biggest section on the food chart, but discipline has become a fruit that is growing strong in her life. Despite the darkening of her hair she continues to be our resident blond. I still find it hard to believe that a naive or ditzy gene resides anywhere in my lineage. A couple of weeks ago she returned a football to some boys who were playing at rec time. “Wow, Kendall you have quite an arm.” She told me the story with a smile, feeling sure she had impressed a few of the football players. “yea mom….they told me that I should play quarter back for the powder puff game…..whatever that means.” So hard to believe this girl is my own at times. At her age I was savoring back to back Superbowl victories of my beloved Redskins. Singing “hail to the Redskins, hail victory…..(yes and the rest which I still know) at the top of my lungs while frantically honking the car horn in our neighborhood. I have charged Billy with getting her “life ready” this year. She must know the basics of basketball, football, the big ones. He took on the assignment and recently took her for her first lesson to the gun range. She proved quite a shot and I now realize I may be the one to do the sports training after all. Billy will do the gun, driving heavy machinery, and pulling off a great practical joke training.

Colby is now a sophomore at Beech High School and oblivious to many of the big decisions that are right around the corner for him. He is enjoying some of his final care free days as he has no idea how hollow the joy of driving will become once he becomes legal in March. With 4 siblings, driving will get old quick but I sure will love the help. This year he took his savings and bought an old forerunner. The squeal it makes seems to be far less important than installing the window sticker that says upside down…..”if you can read this please turn me over.” His budget may be the only thing keeping him from pimping it out with new rims and purple tinted headlights. (This is where you should write us on your prayer list in ink….we are going to need it for many years.) He does well in school and this year also began to run cross country. His greatest love is missions and community service. This year when we went to Disney he took an entire day to go by himself to Epcot to enjoy the different countries and began a flag collection now mounted to his bedroom ceiling. He his recently equipped with a passport so hopefully a few trips are in his 2012 future. He continued on with Student Leadership University this year in Washington D.C. and has recently joined a bible study accountability group that he meets with regularly. We are proud of the person Colby has chosen to be.

Well this year for me has been a bit of a switch. After a few years of community volunteering this year my service has been primarily to my tribe. Billy’s travel schedule has picked up quite a bit so I have had to put my organizational skills to good use to find a way to keep the schedule of my tribe of five coordinated. I really should start a shuttle service in Hendersonville. Between practices, parties, art and music lessons, my droid calendar app is my new best friend. This year I also made a point to schedule having lunch with my little guys at school each week. This has proven to be fertile ground for fun observations. I typically go and have lunch with Keaton and his 1st grade buddies and than hang out to share lunch with Caleb and his 4th grade comrades. After a few weeks the kids really start to get excited when you come. I have learned & laughed a lot. This week Katie whispered and then announced to me 3 reasons that Nora is classified to have poor table manners. She then went on to share this little riddle. Katie….”what do you call a reindeer with no antlers?” Me….”I don’t know.” Katie….”an antlerless reindeer……what do you call a deer with no antlers?” Me….(thinking I had caught on) ….an antlerless deer?!” Katie….”no a baby deer, baby deer don’t yet have their antlers silly.” I also discovered that syrup at lunch should be outlawed. I watched as they poured pancake syrup over their entire plates, all food groups seemingly improved by the liquid sugar. My new friend Katie finding the most pleasure in dunking her Pringles into the sticky pleasure. Other lunchtime observations…..one girl forewent her entire meal to focus on the cream stuffed chocolate cupcake, another managed one bite of salad before shifting his efforts to his rainbow slushy. It appears one parent gave up completely, sending no sandwich, no protein, just a bag of snacks….chips, cheese puffs, pretzels and m&m’s. Admittedly I was thrilled that Keaton really did eat his entire lunch. Probably because most mornings he doesn’t really show interest in breakfast, or maybe it was the thin layer of syrup he had poured over his entire meal. Either way the teacher made my prayer list that afternoon.

Billy continues working with Paragon Hemophilia and carving out time for adventure between commitments. This year he took his dad, Colby and Caleb to Alaska for a fishing adventure. He also just returned from hunting with enough elk meat to fill a freezer. This year one of our greatest thrills has been a read through of the bible chronologically. If you have never done this…it is a must….really! We bought a special bible that does the sorting for you and dove in. It has been so rewarding to share this together and in September started a small group at church to share the joy of Chronological bible study with friends. Billy and I continue to serve with kids in Sunday school, Billy with 8th grade boys, myself with 4th and 5th grade girls. Our church continues to grow and the last couple of years have invested heavily in orphan care. This year Billy was able to go on a trip to Haiti to experience the efforts there. Not sure what God has in store for us next but we are now equipped with passports. As I write this letter we are in Dallas for his annual company Christmas party. Looking back as we make this trip for the 5th time from TN I cannot help but be overwhelmed by the faithfulness of God to our family. My prayer is that we would live worthy of the call to be one of His own!

We love you, miss you, and sure wish you would hurry up and move to TN if you aren’t already here!

Please stay in touch…..our email is thetribeoffive@hotmail.com or you can find Tina on facebook.

Grateful to share this adventure with you!

The Davis Family