What I love about Michael

Since Michael has "left" for his mission, I wish to express my gratitude for him. We love him with a pure and tender love and feel so blessed to have him as our son.

I am so grateful for a son who is kind and loving and sensitive. I am grateful for his ability to laugh and enjoy life. I am thankful for his fun loving nature and for his ability to find joy in life. He loves to tease and joke and play around.

I am grateful for his unique talents and abilities. Michael has always been incredible with children. He has great patience with them, and works well with them. Our granddaughter, Addie loves him so much and would rather be with him at this point than with her grandparents. One of his jobs at the YMCA has been to work with local children as they learn basketball, soccer, sports in general, etc., He is a natural with ALL children. I have always told Michael he will be a GREAT father because he loves children so much!


I am grateful for Michael’s goodness. He wants to do the right thing and has been willing to serve wherever he is needed. In our small church branch, Michael has usually been the “substitute” whenever one is suddenly needed. He has been a relief teacher in Primary, and nursery quite often.

I am grateful for Michael’s willingness to serve. His last church calling was as a branch missionary. He has gone on MANY splits with the Elders. He has learned much from them and their examples.

I am grateful for Michael’s desire to cleave to his family. He has always had an internal need to know where the members of his family are, what time they will be back, when they are home, etc., The biggest sacrifice he will experience while on his mission is missing his family. One of his greatest wishes before his mission was to meet his future sister-in-law Sarah before he left. Thank you Ryan and Sarah for making that happen!

I am grateful for Michael’s love for the gospel. Michael’s major desire before his mission was to attend General Conference. We were able to fulfill that dream and he was so grateful and said it was one of the best weekends in his life.

I am grateful for Michael’s enthusiasm. He seems like a quiet child (he even has a label from his aunt, “The perfect child”), but he can hoop and holler when he watches football. He has a great love for football (especially college football) and we will miss his excitement for the game.

I am grateful for Michael’s perspective. He injured his shoulder (big time) playing football (the guy who injured it is now an Ohio State football player) and had to have surgery on it and forfeit playing High School football. His perspective was amazing (for one so young). He told me “Mom, I think I am supposed to learn something from this”, and also said “I know this trial will make me stronger.”

I am grateful for Michael’s compassion. He has a special friend in our village named Jake. Jake has down’s syndrome and has a hard time fitting in. He is about 16 and goes to school with the other kids his age. Jake was always calling our home and asking if Michael “could play”. Michael was truly a friend to Jake and Jake knew it! They would go play basketball together, go to the YMCA and swim, play video games in our attic, watch movies together, etc., I really believe Michael understands how special Jake is. I am grateful for Michael’s example in this area!

If I could describe Michael in several words, the first word I would use is that he is valiant. He has shown courage in many situations of standing for the right. He has been an incredible influence and an example to many, many people in our community. It has not been easy for him in many circumstances living in the mission field, but he has been strong and valiant and has overcome what he has needed to overcome.

I would also describe Michael as family-oriented. He loves the sociality of a family and loves being with his family. He loves the closeness and togetherness of a family.

I know so many of you love and appreciate Michael also and are praying for his success as a missionary. Thank you for your kindness to him and to our family!

Well, you can tell how much my heart is involved in this bittersweet moment in a mother’s life when she lets her missionary go. The main emotion I am feeling however is GRATITUDE (roller coaster high) to God for blessing me in such incredible ways!

A "modern" family portrait

Our family picture (with Aunt Missy in it). Addie our granddaughter was in bed!
Hey, it's the best we could do for two years!

Michael with family on the day before he entered the MTC

Michael went out to lunch with family (thanks mom and dad) and were able to have a fun memory of being together.
I love my family!

Michael at the MTC with Jeffrey and Jennifer

Jeffrey, his girlfriend Jennifer, and Michael's Aunt Missy were able to drop Michael off at the MTC. We are so grateful they could do this. Thank you to all three of you. You are very loved!

Saying goodbye to Michael at the Dayton airport

Wow! I’m a missionary mom again. I count it as one of my greatest privileges and blessings in life! There is nothing else like it! My heart swells with gratitude and love. This week has been an emotional roller coaster. I have such thanksgiving in my heart for Ryan finding Sarah (thank you Missy) and for the fulfillment of their anticipated engagement. I honestly couldn’t have hand picked anyone more wonderful than Sarah. I feel the same way about my son-in-law Marc. I never knew I could love others like I love my own children, but I do and it’s wonderful!

I am so grateful for Ryan and Jeffrey and Marc who have served a mission. I am so grateful for Michael who has made that decision and is just at the commencement of his mission. My life has been blessed in countless, amazing ways because of my son’s (including Marc) decisions to serve missions.

We dropped off Michael at the Dayton airport on Monday, October 20th 2008. We had a delicious breakfast beforehand (which is a tradition in the Davis family). I must say we all (Lynda, William, Michael and Tanner) cried many tears. It was so hard to say goodbye. (This was the downward spiral of the roller coaster.) Michael did not go to college before his mission so his leaving seemed very abrupt to us. Although it was difficult to say goodbye, our gratitude is so much greater than our sorrow and deep inside it feels so right. A missionary mom recently wrote to me about the idea that the Lord can do more with your son in 2 years than a mom can do in the first 19 years, it’s so true! I am so grateful he has the opportunity to serve the Lord (and others) and learn more lessons about humility, relying on the Holy Ghost, charity, and focusing on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful he can lead others to Christ. What more could a mother want for her child?

Michael was so ready to go on his mission and we have heard so many comments from others about how well prepared he is and about what a great missionary he will be. The woman who sat next to him on the airplane even called us and told us what a special missionary he was! It warms our hearts when we hear from others how special they think he is. Every mother joys in that. One of my favorite scriptures is found in 3 John, which says “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”.

My feelings have been especially sentimental lately. It has been such a privilege to be a mother of four sons and one daughter. “My cup runneth over”.

Michael - on the day he was set apart as a missionary

This is a picture taken right before Michael was set apart as a missionary. It was a great day! One of our good friends, President Dennis Smith set him apart. The Smith’s gave him the suit pin he is wearing in the video (below), which stands for “Endure to the End”. We all had dinner at their home after that. I was grateful Laura Lee, Marc and Addie could come. Thank you Marc and Laura Lee for being so influential in Michael’s life. He looks up to you in so may ways!

Video of Michael entering the MTC

This is a beautiful video that my son Jeffrey made for us. Jeffrey dropped off Michael at the MTC and we were so grateful to see it like we were there. This video goes right to our hearts!


Michael MTC Video from Jeff Davis on Vimeo.

GUESS WHO'S ENGAGED!!!!! YEAH!

We are thrilled to announce that Ryan and Sarah Davidson are engaged to be married on December 30th, 2008 in the Idaho Falls Temple. They will be married by William's father.

We are so excited to have Sarah join our family and we love her so much!

Congratulations to you two! We couldn't be happier!

To see Ryan and Sarah's story visit their cute new blog: ryan-sarah.blogspot.com

8 Random things about me (Lynda)

I have been tagged again. Here goes:

Theses are 8 random things about me.
#1. I am a romantic at heart. I love romantic movies, music, sentiments, letters, etc., I have learned however that most of the time I need to be a realist in rearing a family.
#2. I love musicals- any kind. I like them better with good dancing! I recently went on a movie watching spree and rented movies with with Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Ester Williams, etc., and had the time of my life.
#3. I have never mowed my lawn. I have gotten behind a mower before and done some mowing but have never completely done it. (I don't like doing it either. Maybe that would change if we had a riding lawn mower?).
#4. I color code my scriptures and have about 18 categories. I have done this for about 25 years now and wouldn't know how to mark my scriptures another way. When marking them, I mark every word a color. Crazy, huh?
#5. I enjoy exercising! Every time I am introduced to a new form of exercising I am intrigued and learn to really like it. Right now I am into "Zumba" which is a Latin dance class which is geared to make you work up a sweat and yet feels like a dance party. I love Yoga, Pilates, Cycle (Spinning), Step, Walking, and like Swimming and running. I teach Yoga, Pilates and Cycle sculpt right now at the YMCA.
#6. I needed to get reading glasses this year. It's the pits! Enjoy your close vision while you can!!
#7. My secret wish for my family (before I was married) was for us all to sit around the piano and sing songs together. Talk about faulty expectations!!!!
#8. One of my "favorite things" is cards and letters of any kind. I love sending them, receiving them, reading them. I love to receive them from children, family (hint, hint) and others.

Miss Addie

Addie at 19 months old. Her hair is now growing!! Yeah!

Fun times!

I looked out the window the other day and this is what I saw! I had Tanner go take a picture of this cute scene.

It's autumn time!

Our family walked to the local "pavilion" where we took these pictures. Actually many of you may not know that our village use to hold the record for baking the world's largest pumpkin pie. I just looked it up on the internet and it looks like someone in South Africa may have beat the record last year. Anyway, these pictures were taken just a block from our home. (Note the pumpkin man patterned after a snowman.)

This fall has been incredible so far. We have had the windows open since about the middle of September. The weather outside is 79 degrees right now and it's 7:00 PM on October 15th. The flowers are still in bloom and the trees are just starting to change colors. I don't remember a nicer fall in Ohio.

Michael on the day of his farewell

Michael gave his farewell talk on October 12th. It was a special day for our family. William and I have handsome sons if I say so myself!

Crafts

Laura Lee has been instrumental in bringing out the "craftiness" side of me. I use to be arts and crafty  many years ago. Anyway, it's been fun. 

Laura Lee gets most of the credit! 

TAGGED

I have been tagged. Here goes:

Ten years ago, I:

1. Had seven members of my family all under one roof (with the demands of cooking, cleaning, laundry, driving, school activities, etc.,)

2. Drove to Lima to church (one hour away) at times up to three to four times a week, mostly twice a week (now we only drive 15 minutes to church!)

3. I had children at the ages of Ryan- 17, Jeffrey-15, Laura Lee -13, Michael -9 and Tanner 7

4. didn't know the joys of being a grandma 

5. wasn't teaching classes at the YMCA (but was a student there)

Five things on my "to do" list

1. Study Chapter 11 and take my test for my New Testament College Class

2. Choose  music and dances for all classes for the dance recital (Theme: "America" (cities and states)

3. pay bills and enter cleared checks (check them off) into Quicken

4. water mums (chrysanthemums) outside and get out fall decorations from the basement

5. Drive to the post office and mail Michael's driving papers (to go to his mission home) 

Five snacks I enjoy:

1. Sam's choice  Mountain trail mix

2. Smoked almonds/ Cashews

3. M and M's in vanilla ice cream  

4. fresh pineapple

5. chocolate milk 

Five things I would do if I were a millionare:

1. Start serving missions for our church (keep serving them consecutively - up to five or six)

2. (Before our mission) First travel to Israel on a  Daniel Rona's tour (maybe a private tour) and also visit Egypt with him, getting  tutored by him the whole trip

3.  Give all of our children enough money to pay for a home and nice vehicle with cash (no interest), buy food storage for a year  and enough money to stay out of debt their whole lives

4. Travel to the Phillipines with William, Ryan (and spouse)and Jeffrey (and spouse)  (where they served their missions),  and sight see where they served and THEN set up a major program (that Ryan and Jeffrey suggest) to truly HELP the them in their poverty, education, health, etc., starting  a foundation there. (Maybe stay a month or two).

5. Buy 10  lodges in Colorado all next to each other large enough for all of our family (and our future family) and parents to hold family reunions there ( and  invited guests also) with each family getting their own lodge and then a major lodge for all of us to gather together. Hold family reunions there twice a year and pay for everyone to attend.

Five places I have lived:

1. Idaho Falls, Idaho

2. Provo, Utah

3. Longmont, Colorado

4. Austin, Texas

5.  Ohio

Five jobs I have had:

1. Cashier at a drug store

2. Dance teacher

3. Pilates, Yoga and cycle sculpt teacher

4. Piano teacher

5. MOM

What a face!

Aren't grandchildren wonderful?

Addie Kay

We loved having Addie visit us

last weekend. She has 

discovered the trampoline and 

had a ball on it!

She bounced a lot with 

her daddy.

Raquetball Game at the YMCA

One of William's  favorite activities is raquetball. He has loved this game since his college days. We all went to the north YMCA to play a game this past weekend.

At first I  (Lynda) didn't like raquetball. I couldn't hit the ball well and didn't know quite how to play the game. I I finally figured out I had to run around in order to hit the ball. I worked up a good sweat once that happened. Laura Lee still beat me (she actually came from behind) and we had fun! 

William, Michael and Marc are in this photo along with Addie watching. Addie  wanted to be in the court where the action was!

I like to ride my bicycle!

William and I have been "into" biking lately. We finished a 25 mile bike tour recently and we often go for a 10 to 12 mile bike ride together. We bought our bikes in Columbus and now have NICE bikes which make a BIG difference! It's something William really enjoys and a healthy activity we can do together! 

Laura Lee and Marc visited us last week and they brought their new bikes with them. William and I took a nice bike ride with them - it wasn't quite the work out Marc wanted - he went back and did the 12 mile bike ride over again at a faster pace. (I had previously raced Marc twice and got up to 20.5 miles/hour but Marc still won.)  Addie hates her helmet and cries and cries when it's on - so we couldn't take her along (we tried).

I am hoping we will be bikers into our golden years!