the pickle ornament

Hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas! We have certainly enjoyed our time with our family. We received some very special gifts and also gave one... which brings me to my tale of the pickle....
All the presents had been opened and it was time to hunt for the pickle. Brandon found it in the tree this year and his extra present contained gift cards to Chipotle and Panera plus an orange box, containing.... Pacifiers, yeap... Pacifiers. It took everyone a minute but then they figured it out. We're expecting a little package, Lord willing late July, early August. The Davis will be adding one more little one!
It was a similar story at the Davis only this time it was Nick's treasured ornament that was hid. Such fun, I think we surprised everyone!

Merry Christmas

Dearest Friends and Family,

So thankful for you! This is our e-card if you will to all those who have cared and prayed for us. Those we don't know, yet count you as our friends. Those we one day hope to meet.... Our family ~ our friends!

Want to take this opportunity to thank you even though thanks simply isn't enough! Your prayers, emails, cards, notes, calls, dinners, hugs... all the donations to Children's, Make a Wish & Give kids the World, the crocs (we get a little note each time something is donated in Mikes memory, you should see our stack of notes!). You have blessed and encouraged us so.

We would also like to honor the pastors and their wives at Covenant Life Church. Joe, you beat us to Children's Hospital, Jan 16 2006. You and Erik were there right after Micah passed to glory. John, Brian, & Joe came busting into ICU to pray for our little man. You prayed for us many times as a pastoral team, like all 25 of you (something like that). Many of you have counseled us during this time, prayed for, encouraged, babysat, brought meals, wrote many notes and cried with us. We feel so loved, thanks.

Covenant Life Church, you are an example of selfless service. You have invested so much, time, money, talents in serving our family. You've prayed for us, your children have prayed for our children. Our Care Group leaders Sol & Eva, who walked with us from begining to end you are dear to us. And our now Care Group leaders Dave & Jen, thanks for jumping in and wanting to serve us. Campbels, Dabbs you are great!! You not only speak the christian life you live it louder than your words. Thanks for walking with us, for carrying our burden too.

Code 6130...the Corrosion division at NRL. Keith, Ted, Liz, Paul, Bruce , Farrel and so many more who made is possible for Luke to work from home, you gave so much. How can we say what having Luke home did for the health of our fam. I couldn't imagine not having here. He led are family so well. We so appreciate all your kindness and generosity!

Our family... this goes without saying but you're the best. Thanks for the endless hours of serving us. Just bieng with us for the long haul...visits, long days and nights at the hospital. Laughing and crying. We love you guys...

Childrens' Hospital~ our docs and nurses, Dr Rood, Yaun, Lawyler, Susan, Debbie, Kathy (so many more, he so had his ownTeam) thanks for not only your skill but your heart. So appreciate all your tender care for our Micah and each one of us. Volunteer Services, you will forever be dear to us, how can we not love you, Katie, Nadia, Terry & Julie!!!

To those we have yet to meet. Thanks for having the Fathers heart of love, following our story, praying for our family. There is no greater kindness that you would pray for us. God has provided much encourgement and comfort through your notes and prayers!

Thanks so much!

All our Love

the Davis & Millers'

Merry Christmas

“The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory—because at the Father’s will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross. It is the most wonderful message that the world has ever heard, or will hear.” J.I Packer

An Offer on a Home

Hey Guess what!
We settled on home on Thurs (which went wonderful our buyer even gave a White House Christmas Ornament!- so sweet) and then we put an offer on a home Fri!

Luke & I went last night to look at more homes (I think we've seen a least 20 now!). We walked in an loved it (except for some of the carpeting that will have to go=) but other than that and fresh paint it seems perfect for both our families. It even backs to parkland. So last night at 8 we meet our realtor Tom (who works with our friend and Care Group leader Dave Dabbondanza) to fill out the paper work. The home is in a "short sale" so we will have to wait and hear back from the bank to see if they accept our offer.

Thanks as always for your prayers in this endeavor. If you would specially pray for a quick and favorable response from the bank. But more importantly for our hearts. We would really like to own this home yet at the same time we want to hold this desire loosely. Trusting in the Lord and in his good plan for us, remembering that this place is not our forever home. And while it seems like this would be the perfect home for us, he knows. We'll keep you updated!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him,and he will make straight your paths. Prov 3:5-6

Snow Pics

One of my favorite things to do on the first snowfall is drag my family out in the freezing cold and take "Snow Pictures." It doesn't always work out but this year we got a few good shots and had alot of fun.

Luke, Braet, CC thanks for blessing your mommy!

Also thanks for sending in Micah Moments for our new tradition. What a blessing those have been and will be to us... keep em coming =)

Like to share one that a received, I'm just reading a few here so I can still be surprised on Christmas Eve. This ones from our good friend Adam...

My favorite Micah Moment was the day I joined the entire Davis family at Disney on Ice. I was sitting in one of the seats in the suite watching Mickey do his thing, and I look over my left shoulder and Micah is there standing over me, shirt up, rubbing his belly. So of course I poked him in his belly, and he turns around and does a complete lap at full speed around the suite performing his Indian Chant. He came right back to my left shoulder... shirt up... belly rub. Again, I poke him in his belly and blast off... he is running rampant around the suite like a crazy Indian. He finally tired out after 14 glorious laps. Thank you Micah!

Join us for a New Christmas Tradition

Braeton & Dadda 2004

Christmas Traditions

Here at the Davis & Miller house, we have a few Christmas traditions that we've been enjoying this month of Dec....We get the tree and decorate the day after Thanksgiving, out comes the Christmas music (which Luke insists cannot be played before that day =). On family night we make a snowman cake and dress him with yummy candy, we watch fun Christmas movies, paint our own wrapping paper or gift bags (the kids always love giving gifts with the wrapping paper they have made), count down the days to Christmas with the Christmas Story calander. Oh and I must add that on Christmas morning all the stocking stuffers are wrapped in crazy ways so that the gifts are hard to figure out, we all have a competition to see who can get the most right (thanks mom for the endless hours of taping!). We hide the pickle ornament ( yes a pickle- don't tell me you haven't heard that before!) in the tree and whoever gets it receives an extra gift from mom. We sing, we read from the book of Luke, take turns opening gifts, its grand just being together.

It's great to have fun traditions, they bring us together and remind us of the ulitmate treasure we have in Christ. This year we will add a new one.

This year we will write notes and color pictures of special memories with our Micah Man. Things we did together, things he gave us, what he taught us... on Christmas Eve we'll pull down his stocking and take turns reminiscing, reading and remembering our little treasure and all God has given us through him.

We'd love to invite you to share in this time with us with us, if you have a special memory of our "Micah J" or a story of how he touched your life we'd love to hear from you and place your note in his stocking too. We anitcipate this being a very special time for our family, we'll post some stories to share with you too! Thanks!

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, Phil 1:3

Braet 2005


Mikes 2005

Mikes painting 2006

Nana & G paintin bags 2006

Dadda & B 2007

CC first time painting Christmas bags

Christmas Music

Just in case you are looking for some great Christmas music I like to suggest...

Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man

click this link to check it out

"While not traditional Christmas tunes, these beautiful songs are full of the wonderful truths of the incarnation:
God has sent His greatest treasure Shown His love in greatest measure Sending Christ to bleed and suffer Purchasing our joy forever Let the earth rejoice! " Girl talk Blog

You can also listen to some of them online, click the link above to listen. Bob Kauflin, friend and pastor to us is one of the song writers and producers of this wonderful album. You may remember led us in worship at Micah's Memorial. Thanks Bob, for this wonderful cd.

Updates

Oh my, I have so many updates. Guess I haven't been a faithful blogger lately =)

Okay here's the first... My Daddy. He is going in for a small surgery today so your prayers would be greatly appreciated. The recovery time will be 2 weeks. Dad has been quite sick lately and been home most of the month. Last Thursday night he spent most of the night in ER due to another seizure (think they have determined that his seizure med was too low). Dad never complains! If you ask him how he is his answer is always "good", so when most hear he is sick, they had no idea!

And mom, well she has had a lingering cold to put it mildly, maybe she is fighting off the flu- who knows. What can I say, these 2 are troopers!!

A house, we have been looking all over Gaithersburg, Germantown, Damascus, Clarksburg and Montgomery Village for a home that would accommodate both fams at the right price. We have found one that seems like it would work well but doesn't really have much of a yard for the kids. We're still looking. We go to settlement for the sale of our home on Dec 20th and then the plan is to rent back until Jan 30th. It is kinda crazy thinking that it is only about 7 weeks away yet we know the Lord will provide for us and we are looking forward to seeing what he has in store.

Cameron & Brandon are gearing up for FINALS. C just recently got accepted into Maryland's Engineering program and will start there or at UMBC in the spring semester. B still has another year of community college.

Lastly I wanted to share some great pics of our time at Children's Hospital. Our field trip group went to Children's a few weeks ago and it was wonderful!! The kids got to see the new helicopter "Bear 1". This was so great! They also got to ride in the special elevators, chat with some of Mikes nurses (Megan & Pup), climb or should I say cram into an ambulance and our kiddos brought gifts for Doctor Bears Toy Closet for the children at the hospital. It was wonderful to be there. Children's has been such a special place to us and to have our friends there with us was such a joy! Moms, thanks for making that looong drive. Afterwards Katie took us on a tour of the new wing, which is gorgeous and amazing- its so Big! Private rooms are going to be wonderful for those families. The trip wouldn't be complete without a stop at Teddy's coffee shop (a friend of Mo & Wandi -these men started the Sovereign Grace church in Ethiopia). Teddy, like so many prays for our fam often. He dotes a pic of him and Micah at the stand.

Katie, thanks for making our field trip happen. We all really enjoyed it!

the Christmas Message

“The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory—because at the Father’s will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross. It is the most wonderful message that the world has ever heard, or will hear.” J.I Packer

House Under Contract

Hey Friends!
Thanks for all your prayers, our home is officially under contract! It's hard to believe.... We got a good offer and are supposed to go to settlement on Dec 20 and rent back. So we are currently looking for a home for all 8 of us . Pray for us! And please send us any home ideas you may have for us! Thanks!