Chinese Chunk

Today I am reminiscing...I remember strange things. The little details that most people forget, seem to stick with me. Of course if you asked me where my glasses where or what I did yesterday I wouldn't be able to tell you. It's a strange phenomenon. Anyways, a few unique stories seem to be playing through my mind and so I would like to share them.

I was 4 almost 5 years old and my small little family was traveling down a dirt road (not uncommon for Kansas) in our little tan Maxima. I was smashed in the back seat between my brothers Hunter and Caleb in their car seats. Dad and mom in the front seat were discussing the baby that mom was going to have. I know today almost everyone finds out if they are having a boy or girl and announces it in a cute way on facebook but that wasn't the case here. (besides facebook didn't exist back then...man I feel old.) Mom was saying that if it was little girl her name would be Brooke (adorable) and if it was a little boy his name would be Garrett.

"Carrot!?!" 

Laughter burst from the back seat! Hunter thought it would be hysterical for our little brother to be named Carrot. I laughed too. When Hunter laughs, I laugh. It's infectious, ok! The next couple of months passed quickly as we awaited the arrival of our new sibling. During that time, my prayer life became really strong! I was constantly going before the Lord. I prayed and prayed and prayed...for a little sister! I loved my brothers but I already had two. So, I prayed for a little sister. Someone I could play dolls with and dress up with share pretty dresses with like Kendra, Kayla, and Kelsey got to do. 

Finally,  the morning arrived. My dad came into my little pink room and shook my shoulder. I woke up and saw my dad with a smile on his face and Caleb riding his john deer tractor down the hallway. (I told you, random memories!) I got up and followed my dad into the master bedroom. There in mom's arms was a little chubby, red-faced bundle. At that moment I fell head of heels! The moment I first met my little brother, Garrett Joseph. 

That morning I wore my favorite floral dress as family and friends came to meet the new member of the Davis household. I bounced from one person to the next following my baby brother has he was held in the arms of grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. You can bet anytime someone was done holding him he found his way back into my arms. He was MY BABY BROTHER. 

The years passed quickly, too quickly. I did get a little sister a few years later, and we moved out to Grenola, KS. There I was 10 years old and Garrett was a chubby, squinty eyed 5 year old. (which earned him the nickname Chinese Chunk via Landon Lucas) One of the things we loved to play was orphans. We all had our special names and before we started playing we always agree on our names and ages. We were all gathered around an old pine tree out in the yard about to play orphans. "My name is going to Maria. Garrett you are going to be Rachel." You see, even though I had a sister, she was a baby and she couldn't play with us so for years Garrett had been Rachel. Since I didn't want to be the only girl...I know, I know, I am a horrible older sister! But, he played along until that fateful day when he stomped his foot on the ground and replied. "NO. I don't want to be a little girl anymore! I want to be a little boy and I want my name to be Johnny!" I was DEVASTATED!! But, there was nothing I could do. That little Chinese Chunk was growing up. So, from that day on he was no longer Rachel when we played but Johnny. 

He wasn't all grown up though. It was plain to see when one day while mom was taking a shower she heard someone knocking on the door and a little voice calling her name. My mom always said the same thing when we disrupted her shower time. "Garrett, the house better be on fire or you better be bleeding. Otherwise don't bother me." A painful little voice answered her, "But I am bleeding!" Well that got mom's attention. She quickly jumped out of the shower to attend to her little boy and as the older sister I was summoned in to help. Apparently, he had sliced his finger open with a knife cutting an "apple." The wound was pretty good so mom wanted to know what kind of knife he used to cut his finger. I was sent into the kitchen to find the weapon. However, when I entered the kitchen there was no apple anywhere to be seen. Instead there was a huge piece of chocolate that mom had made for valentines day. Well, as a brilliant older sister I knew exactly what happened. So, I admit I went to mom with a smug face, and said, "I didn't see any apple." That is when he confessed to trying to cut the chocolate. HAHAHA! Silly boy. He ended up getting a cast on his finger. It wouldn't be his last cast either. Garrett has broken bones for all of us. 

First, he bit all the way through his tongue while sliding on the kitchen floor. (that might have been my fault...) Then, he broke his arm jumping out of the jeep. (freak accident) He broke his arm again trying to be cool swinging from this swing we made but jumping from a higher spot. (Trying to be cool is not always smart.) One year he broke his arm in basketball and it made him sit out the rest of the season. Soon as he got out of his cast it was time for baseball and the first game he slid into home and broke his collar bone...there went baseball season. I'm just glad it's him and not me. He is a whole lot tougher than I am. He may be rash, running into things to quickly and getting hurt or in trouble but somehow he always finds a way out. He has always been a brown noser. He could be in deep trouble and then give mom the puppy dog look with his chubby little face and it was hopeless. Whenever we need to do fundraisers for sports we always relied on Garrett. He could sell ice to an eskimo. He just has a way about him. Instead of being mad at him you end up laughing. And boy does he make me laugh. I have had way to many awkward and strange conversations with that boy!

Years passed by and I had graduated high school and moved to TN. I remember coming home for a visit and when I met my family at the airport something strange had happened. Garrett was suddenly taller than me! During that vacation I realized my little Chinese Chunk was not only not chubby anymore, he wasn't little either! We were messing around at grandma's and I challenged him. There was a day when I could take all three of my brothers with one had tied behind my back! But that afternoon, in one quick motion he used one arm to swing we up over his shoulder and slam me down on the couch. All I could do was sit there stunned. Well, I guess it is official...my brother is all grown up and doesn't need me anymore. 

I know it's true but it is hard for me to remember sometimes. Garrett, I will always remember the first day I met you. I will remember taking care of you, babysitting you, carrying you around and pushing you in a stroller. I will remember playing orphans with you and the boys and I will remember caring for your many wounds. You will always be my little brother. But your all grown up now and I am so proud of the man you have become. Thank you for making me smile and singing me silly songs. Thank you for bringing me coffee in the mornings and talking my ear off and always being willing to take selfies with me. Thank you for being my little brother.

I am so thankful that God answered my prayer with a no and that he gave me you! I love you bunches broski!! 

HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY CHINESE CHUNK!!!!

Kansas 101

I was thinking today about my home state. About how amazing it is and that there are so many people who know so little about it. So, today I wanted to write a post about my beloved Kansas and all the things you probably don't know about it. HEAVEN'S TO BETSY I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!! AREN'T YOU?!?!

So, I'm From this State...

The name Kansas comes from an indian tribe, the Kansa. A person from Kansas is a Kansan. We were granted statehood January 29th 1861, we were the 34th state to be granted statehood. Our motto is Per Aspera ad Astra which means, To the Stars through Difficulty. Our state flower is a Sunflower. Our state animal is a Buffalo. Our state bird is a Meadowlark. Our seal depicts the indians chasing buffalo, a steam-boat making its way up the river, a log cabin, and a farmer plowing a field. Oh, and our capital is Topeka NOT Kansas City.

Did You Know?

1. Did you know Kansas was the geographical center of the contiguous United States? Our first stop, Lebanon, KS.

Monument in Lebanon, KS

2. You have heard Chicago called the Windy City. But did you know that it is actually Dodge City that is the windiest city in the United States? It's average wind speed is 13.9mph. Dodge City, KS,  is one of the most famous Wild West towns. Bat Masterson, Matt Dillon, Wyatt Earp, and others walked the streets of this frontier town. The old western show "Gunsmoke" was all about life in Dodge City with Marshal Dillon.

Dodge City

3. Have you ever heard of Monument Rock? Ya, there are Rock formations towering the Kansan sky line! They are gorgeous and proof that all of Kansas isn't flat.

Monument Rocks

4. We are home to the biggest ball of twine! Yep, Cawker City is proud to be the home of the largest ball of twine, weighing over 19,000 pounds! The people of Cawker City are continually adding to it so that it may continue to be the largest ball of twine.

Biggest Ball of Twine

5. We don't have alligators, monkeys, elks, or bears but we are home to some interesting animals. Including Buffalo, Grouse or the Prairie Chicken, White-Tail Deer, and the Prairie Dog. Just remember that it illegal to hunt a rabbits from a motor boat or a duck from the back of a mule. Also, it's illegal to ride any animal down the road in my home town Derby, KS. Oh, and if you want to hunt Whales, you can't do it here...its illegal.

Kansas Buffalo

6. Have you ever eaten at Pizza Hut? Well, Pizza Hut began in Wichita, KS. The first store opened in 1958 by Frank and Dan Carney.

Frank and Dan Carney

7. For all of you who hear "Kansas" and can only thing Dorothy Gale and Oz, you should visit Liberal, KS. There you can visit the home of Dorothy and take a trip to Oz yourself. Max and Katie Zimmerman had this vision after meeting a waiter in San Fransisco who said he would expect to see Dorothy's house in Kansas. In 1981, their vision became a reality and today you can walk down a yellow brick road in Liberal, KS.

Liberal, KS

8. The first woman pilot, Amelia Earhart, was from Atchison KS. I love her story! It's mysterious and exciting. I think it's pretty awesome that she came from my home state.

Amelia Earhart

9. Superman not only grew up in Kansas but he was Jayhawk! I have proof! :D

10. There are so many awesome things about my state, this is just a few. However, my favorite piece of Kansas is found in the middle of nowhere on 240 acres... Ahhh the Land, the Land... Grenola, KS.

Thanks for bearing through my outburst of state loyalty. But as Dorothy Gale so eloquently put, 

"There is no place like HOME." 

A List of Happiness

Today it feels like fall, I slept in, drank some coffee and had a very interesting (and by interesting I mean kinda awkward and totally hysterical) conversation with my brother. It's been a pretty fabulous day and it just made me think of all the things that make me happy and so I wanted to share some of them with you! So, with no further ado, here is

Jack's happiness list:

1. FALL DAYS! Seriously, how can they not make me happy? It's snuggly, fire, coffee drinking weather! It involves sweaters, jeans, boots, leg warmers and scarves, my favorite pieces of clothing. HELLO!!! I LOVE FALL!! Especially when there are heaters and fires.... 

2. GIVE ME FLANNEL! Flannel sheets, flannel shirts....I just like flannel. It's cozy. I guess I could change this list to my comfy list. My favorite is my brother's flannel plaid shirt he accidentally left with me in TN a couple years ago....I never returned it. (SHHHH...) It's comfy and it smells like him...well not so much anymore but sometimes when your away from home its nice to have things like that. 

3. COFEE, COFFEE, and more COFFEE! I can't really add anything to this. The smell in the morning, the warm mug in your hand, the strong, slightly bitter taste...its just great. 

4. BOOKS...for days... LITERALLY. Yes, I can read books for days. Set me inside an old book store and I may never come out. As someone great said, "I have lived a thousand lives..." people who don't read need help. And books are always better than movies. Take Maleficent for instance, only a movie would ruin the perfectly classic tale of Sleeping Beauty by taking out Prince Phillip's true love's kiss! SERIOUSLY!!!! ok, sorry for that little rant but really...read books people.

5. CLASSIC MOVIES. Yes, I love once upon a time and Captain America, but there is nothing like Anne of Green Gables, Les Misrable, Singing in the Rain, The Sound of Music, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Shop Around the Corner, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Wives and Daughters...the list goes on and on. Man, I need to go watch some movies! Janzen's come home!!! I need my library back!

6. QUILTS! It's like old houses or family Bibles. Quilts hold a piece of history, a story with every scrap of fabric, every stitch. It's like a family museum wrapped up in a cuddly way. They just make me smile.  :D

7. THAT SONG. You all know what I am talking about. It changes with time but its always there. That song that just leaps through the radio and grabs your heart. Every time you hear you smile and think, "how on earth did they know?" 'Cause they totally pegged your life at this moment. Yep, those songs.

8. JOURNALS! I seriously have a problem. I have notebooks for days. But, I believe you always need a notebook around. As Jack London said, "Keep a notebook. Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it. Slap into it every stray thought that flutters up into your brain." and if you keep that advice, then you can be like Oscar Wilde who said, "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train." Yep, I may have a lot of journals but I always have something to write on and something to read.

9. DISHES!! Guys, I don't even have a kitchen!! Why is it that teacups call me from every antique shop window? Why is it that the moment I enter Target I'm drawn to the dish section like a magnet? Maybe that is why my favorite disney princess is Belle, because we both understand the importance and beauty of dishes...

10. HUGS... I know some people will read this and be like, "Ya, right. JP does not like hugs." But sometimes in the perfect moment, a hug is exactly what I need. They are important. Like hugging Caleb just because he LOVES hugs. (haha) The moment you're wrapped in your dad's arms and you feel like his little girl again. The time your brother gives you a side hug as you smile for a photo can make you feel like the luckiest sister ever. I love it when grandpa pulls me into a hug and begins singing. Hugs are just great. They make you feel safe, and loved and they make me look forward to one day when I stand before the throne of grace and the moment I see HIM face to face. I know exactly what I am going to do in that moment. I'm going to run right into his arms. That will be the best hug ever. 

So, there you have a few things that put a smile on my face. Oh, there is one more, one word that can instantly put a smile on my face. What is is?

KANSAS!!

New York, New York!!

I can officially say I have been to New York!!! Ok, ok, so I flew OVER New York.... That is the way to sight see,  let me tell you. I love flying! You can smell the adventure and excitement. The whole world is at your hand in a matter of minutes. I love the way you feel as the plane leaps from the ground to the air, and the way masses of people rush here and there. It's like everything goes into fast motion as you stand there taking it all in. Flying makes you feel like you own the world one second and then that your tiny and insignificant the next. The sights you see are incredible! I have always said that one of my favorite views of Kansas is from an airplane. It looks like a beautiful giant patchwork quilt.Views like that remind you how great our God is. How can anyone fly past a crescent moon in the midst of a black sky and not think about awesome our God is!? YEP, I. LOVE. FLYING.

"I might have been born in a hovel but I am determined to travel with the wind and the stars." -Jacqueline Cochran

So, this past week I once again hopped onto a small little airplane, flying out of Wilmington, NC. (That airport was smaller than Wichita! Which is saying something.... Michael Lincoln, poor man, almost had a heart-attack when he saw how small it was...City Boy. :p) Smaller airports just mean smaller security lines. I have it down to a science by now.

Pull out ID and ticket. Hand them to first guard. Pull off shoes. Grab two boxes. Put in shoes, ID and ticket. Grab out liquids, conveniently placed in carry-on, and throw it in box. Pull out Ipad and throw it in box. Throw first carryon on conveyor belt. Put suitcase on conveyor belt. Pull out laptop and place in the second box. Walk through the scanner. Retrieve my items. Success.

Like I said, down to a science. :)  Then its time to find your gate and hopefully start boarding. Once on the plane I find my seat, put my suitcase in the overhead and my bag underneath my seat, just like they tell you. I usually have a window seat. :) Open up the shade, grab some gum and wait for the best part of the flight! TAKEOFF!

This airplane happen to be a very, very small airplane. In fact, I had to check one of my bags because they didn't have very much overhead space. My seat was by the window (thank goodness!) but, it was the last seat in the plane. There was no one sitting next to me, so I could just look out the window and stare at the place they call New York.

 "I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." 

-L. Frank Baum

The moment we reached New York and began our decent I was glued to the window my jaw on the floor. Every single square inch of property had a building on it!!! And the buildings were ginormous! The only place I could actually see the ground was when we flew over a cemetery. Let me tell you, that is a lot different than flying over Kansas. I have never been terrified to land in my life...until that day. Maybe it was the fact that 9/11 is still etched in my mind.... There is always that thought "what is something goes wrong." I have often thought through the possibilities in my travels. Flying over Kansas my thought was, we just land in an empty field...which is everywhere. As I looked down at the city below me my thoughts were....if something happens we either hit a building or land in the ocean. (I didn't like those options) We circled the city and began to descend, getting closer and closer to the ground. I sat in my seat intensely staring out the window, my stomach in knots. All I could think is, "there are buildings, there are still buildings. Please don't let us hit a building!" I looked and looked but didn't see a runway. Next thing you know I didn't need to worry about buildings cause we began to fly over water! At which point my thoughts changed to, "Oh there is water, and still water. Please don't let hit the water!"

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow." -Lin Yutang

It turns out the runway was jutting out into the water and we landed just fine. I guess the pilot is use to landing in big cities with lots of tall buildings. This Kansan however was almost at her wits end. It took us a while to pull into the hanger and I was able to watch as plane after plane after plane landed. They just kept coming! Apparently a lot of people want to visit New York. All I could think was "how on earth does someone live this way...with no land." I'll take good old flat, boring, not so populated Kansas, any day of the week! :)