Pumpkin Time

We finally made it to the pumpkin farm this weekend. The girls had a blast picking out their pumpkins. Usually we get one for each family member, but somehow we now have five on the front porch and two inside. Daddy is just such a pushover when it comes to Kylie's sweet puppy dog eyes.

In other news, things are super busy around here. Melanie's 2nd grade teacher broke her ankle and we are now in week three of a substitute teacher. Rumor has it that her teacher won't be back until Christmas! Anyway, things are stressful with that change in more ways than one.

I have had 3 job offers in the last week or so. I think I will accept one and a half of them. When it rains it pours!

Go Red Sox!

Playoff baseball starts tonight and we're ready! Even Jayhawk is getting into the spirit!

Hey. . .aren't those daisies in front of my house gorgeous? I was really excited to see my favorite flower start to bloom last week. I never know what's going to come up next.

Reunions

Even though the reasons for traveling to Kansas were grim, it was great to be able to see our family and friends. I hadn't been home for over a year, so any chance to see them all is welcome. One friend in particular, Karen, I hadn't seen since we were freshman in college. I hate to admit it but that was 15 years ago! Yikes! Above is a picture of my reunion with Karen and Kim. We were voted as best friends in our high school yearbook and served on the Lionettes dance team together. It was great to be with both of them again.

I am happy to report Kim is doing awesome. She just got back from Hawaii and looks terrific (and very healthy!). She bought herself a zippy little convertible that I got to ride in. Wow! I'm jealous! She also brought me an authentic Hawaiian pineapple which I carried all the way back to Massachusetts. The girls and I are enjoying it!


I spent an afternoon hanging out with a couple of my OT buddies, Michele and Amy at Michele's house. It was a low key day, letting the kids play while we watched the Chiefs win their home opener. They have grand ideas of our Fab 5 taking a Disney Cruise together next summer. Our little group of 5 has now turned into 20 members (counting husbands and kids). Next year will be our 15th year since we met each other in cadaver lab. Seems like just yesterday we were bonding over the lovely smell of formaldehyde and our deceased guy's body parts.

We got to spend lots of time with my brother and his wife, Joni and Alex. The girls love hanging out with their cousin. They have so much fun together. We really enjoyed the Norman Rockwell Exhibit at Kansas City's Union Station and of course the Deanna Rose Farmstead is always a must see! Everytime we got there, they have new things to see and do. Here are the girls at a Rockwell soda fountain, Kylie feeding a goat a milk bottle at the farm and the cousins posing on a cow.



Tom missed us while we were gone and we missed him too. He has been crazy busy at work and it's not slowing down for awhile!

What I love about Kansas in September

Beautiful! Need I say more?

In Memory of Kay Simon

September has brought us unexpectedly to Kansas for the funeral of my grandmother, Kay Simon. She passed away on September 14, just 3 weeks after turning 95 years old. She had fallen a few weeks ago at the assisted living facility breaking 3 ribs and had difficulty recuperating. Here is a photo of her on her 95th birthday.


We had the funeral in Washington, Kansas, a small town where my grandmother played the organ at the Methodist Church for 35 years. My favorite memory of my grandmother was her playing the church bells for us (you could hear them throughout the town), calling us to church.

Here is also some photos of the the great grandchildren who could make it to the funeral. Melanie and Kylie are joined by their cousin Alex and my cousin's two daughters, Kelsey and Lauren. Also here is a photo of Grandma's house that my grandfather built with his own hands in 1937. In this two bedroom home they raised three daughters. It holds tons of memories from my childhood. We would visit along with our relatives from around the country and somehow Grandma would find room for 10 or more of us at once. We used to play croquet in the backyard, marbles in the living room and take long walks up and down the sidewalks. It is now on the market for someone else to start some of their own memories.

August Fun

Yikes! Only a week and a half left until school starts! Where did the summer go? We had so many plans at the beginning of the summer and suddenly it's almost over! I guess we did accomplish quite a bit and I think the girls had fun, so that's what counts.


We took a cruise on a oceanography boat out of Woods Hole a couple of weeks ago with some friends. The kids got to test the water quality, measure the depth, drag up lobster traps and hold some sea creatures. Here's Kylie with a seastar and Melanie with a lobster.

We spent last weekend on a little family getaway. We went to Boston on Friday for Tom to go to the Red Sox game while the girls and I hung out in the pool at the hotel, then spent the evening glued to the Disney Channel for High School Musical 2. Saturday we headed up to New Hampshire to Canobie Lake Park where we met some friends for a day of fun at the amusement park.



I have been working on getting my living room just the way I want it. Tom just recently redid his office and web sites for a whole new look (check out the links to the side of my blog to see his blog and TWO new web sites). We got the old furniture from his office for my living room/library and I have spent the last couple of weeks getting it organized the way I want it. We bought a new bookshelf which you can see in the corner of the top pic. I'm so excited to have a library to sit and read at night with the girls!

New Car

Well, it was finally time to trade in the ole Camry. After 8 years and 140,000 miles we made the plunge. We spent the weekend car shopping, checking out the Subarus, Volvos, Toyotas and Jeeps. To both of our surprises, we ended up with a Jeep Compass. I had never even heard of them, but when we were test driving the Libery, the Compass caught my eye. Once I started looking it over and saw the gas mileage was way better than anything else we had driven, saw the option package was awesome (sunroof, 6 disc CD changer, lots of plugs, bells and whistles), the space in the backseat better than any of the other cars and the price was low I was sold. Then when we test drove it, I was really sold. It doesn't drive like a Jeep - it's a really smooth ride and easy to maneuver. The only potential drawback we could see is that it loses some space in the backend because of the rounded hatch. But it definitely has more room than my Camry or the station wagons we had driven. The color is silver and we pick it up tomorrow night.

Summer Daze

What I love about summer -

Taking walks
Relaxing on the beach
Reading in my adirondak chair while the kids play in the backyard
Playdates
Sleepovers
Catching up on movies
Not having anything to do
Eating seafood
Staying up late
Sleeping late

I wish this was what summer was really like! We are busy, but we find time to do some of those things. Two weeks ago, Kylie had Princess Ballerina Camp which I think was specifically designed with her in mind. She chose her outfit carefully every morning, dressed head to toe as either a ballerina, princess or fairy. They got to watch a bit of a movie everyday, do a princess themed craft and learn to dance. At the end of the week they did a little performance for us, which was unbelievably cute.



This week we all had Bible school at our church. I was one of the bible story teachers for the 1st-6th grade, while Melanie and Kylie attended. We all had a great time and we all learned tons of new songs, made great crafts (a really cool birdhouse and a jewelry box painted like the beach were my two favorites), and made lots of new friends. It was a great week.

I have been catching up on my reading as well. A couple of weeks ago I read The Liar's Diary by Patry Francis www.simplywait.blogspot.com . She is a local writer and The Liars Diary is her first published book. She was the person who inspired me to start my blog in the first place after reading a story about her in the Cape Cod Times. My friend Wendy gave me her book and I couldn't put it down.

Then I read the novel, The Edge of Winter by one of my favorite authors, Luanne Rice. She is very inspirational to me in my writing. She writes beautifully about New England in all of her novels.

The next book I read was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the second time. I wanted to read it again before I see the movie. I had forgotten a lot of what happened.

Now it's on to Janet Evanovich's 13th book about Stephanie Plum - Lean Mean 13. I started it last night and am almost finished today. All her books are a quick, fun and relaxing read. I love that she is seeing two men at once. It keeps things interesting!

Next I'll be reading Harry Potter's 6th book before I read the newest book (I hear a rumor that I'm getting number 7 for my birthday, so I'm not buying it yet!).

As far as my book sales go, things are great! I can't believe how many have sold already on Lulu! And the reviews have started to come in. I have two gracious reviews on Lulu (one is from my mom, of course she loves it. . .Thanks mom!) and I've gotten some great feedback via email and in person. I can't share those because most of them are spoilers to the ending. If you liked the books, feel free to leave feedback for others and pass along the word!

Golden Rain Now Available!

Thanks to everyone who has given me words of support after my publication of Cape Bounty. I have sold several copies on-line and received tons of emails about it. You guys are great. Now the novel I have been working on for a long time is available for purchase as well on-line at www.lulu.com. Do a search for Kelli Davis and you'll see both of my available books. Golden Rain is available in hardcover, paperback or downloadable from the internet.

Here is the synopsis:

Golden Rain is the coming of age story of young swimmer, Jessica Martin. When Jessica attends an intense summer camp for elite swimmers, she finds herself immersed in the toughest competition that she's ever experienced. A young, novice coach, Brad Davenport, discovers Jessica's hidden talent and takes her under his wing. Together they find a budding romance as they take the swimming world by storm. Brad believes Jessica's got what it takes to become an Olympic champion.

A tragic setback turns Jessica's world upside down. She must find a will to survive and battle back against all odds. Along the way she meets Jon, someone completely different than anyone Jessica has ever known. Now she has many tough decisions to make including whether she wants to follow true love or follow her dreams.

Cape Bounty

OK. . .you can now purchase a copy of my book - but Not Golden Rain yet. Golden Rain is a really long book that took me 12 years to write. After I finished it, another story flowed out of me. It's a much shorter, simpler story. . .a perfect summer read for the beach. Since Golden Rain is so long and I made it into hardcover first, it takes much longer to print, that's why I don't have my copy yet. But I did get an email today that it's on its way.

So, now to tell you about Cape Bounty. I got my copy and made a few changes and I have now made it available to the public.
OK? So, here's the synopsis:

Maggie Baker has the perfect life - two gorgeous little girls, a devoted husband and a nice home on Cape Cod. In one tragic instant, her life is changed forever and leaves Maggie lost, alone and confused. Matt Bennett is the new doctor in town. Moving from New York City to become a family physician, he plans to work on his marriage and start a family with his wife, Judy. When old flames Matt and Maggie meet after 18 years apart, they are taken back to a time when life was not so complicated and remember what it is like to feel love from another person.

So if that interests you at all, here is the link to purchase the book if you are so inclined. It's $10.99 plus a couple dollars for shipping. If you do buy it and like it, feel free to spread the word to your friends. If you don't like it, well maybe just keep it to yourself. Thanks!!

www.lulu.com - Search for Cape Bounty

Busy Week!

We had a great week this week (and it's not over yet!). Our friends Ken (Tom's best friend and college roommate) and his girlfriend Kim came on Saturday from Florida for a week's stay. My brother, Eric, his wife Joni and their 3 year old son Alex got here on Sunday from Kansas. Here's how we spent our week:

Sunday - Clambake day! We had several friends and Northern Images employees over for our annual Northern Images clambake complete with steamers, lobster, corn on the cob, burgers and hot dogs. The kids had a blast throwing water balloons and the top employees were awarded with plaques for all their hard work.





Monday - Whew! We're tired after the clambake but we headed to the beach early for the kids to play in the water and sand. Unfortunately it wasn't an ideal beach day, so our Florida guests were bundled up! The kids didn't mind the weather and had a blast. Then we had lunch at Seafood Sam's, fed the fish at the Fish Hatchery then headed to Heritage Museums and Gardens for a tour of the grounds, museums, carousel and the pirate exhibit. Joni and I took the kids for ice cream while Tom and Ken went to the Red Sox game in Boston.



Tuesday - Up early for me, Eric, Joni and the kids as we head off to the Pirate Adventures cruise in Hyannis. The kids had a great time (other than my kids being a bit nervous) finding clues, searching for a hidden treasure and blasting the bad pirate with the water gun cannons. Then off to lunch at Tugboats on the water in Hyannis, a bit of a stroll down Main Street then we met up with the rest of our group for a Whale Watch out of Barnstable Harbor. We saw 5 different Humpback whales, which the kids thought were amazing. We tried to go out to dinner after but it was crowded everywhere so we ended up at home with pizza.




Wednesday - Happy 4th! The day started with Tom and Kim (Ken's was sidelined with a back injury this year) running the annual 4th of July road race in Sandwich, followed by us all walking in the Sandwich Town parade. The kids loved throwing out the candy from the wagon. After the parade we enjoyed a picnic (lobster rolls!), ice cream and field events, followed by the fireman's muster and foam (unbelievably fun). Then it was home for a rest, then out to dinner at the BBC in Falmouth where we stayed until fireworks time.





Thursday - Tired yet??? We babysat Alex Wednesday night while Eric and Joni stayed at a bed and breakfast in Falmouth. Alex spent the night in Melanie's room and they had fun waking up together. We took the kids out to breakfast for Mickey pancakes, then home for some playing and down time. When Eric and Joni got back from Falmouth, we took the kids to bowl at the arcade. Then Eric, Joni and Alex left from there for Boston where they will be until Sunday. I plan on taking the girls tomorrow (Saturday) for a day in Boston with them (Swan boats and Aquarium are in the plans). Last night we got a babysitter and went to dinner with Ken and Kim at Sam Diego's (Thanks guys)

Friday - Ken and Kim left early this morning for the airport to head back to Florida. Today we are catching up on laundry, groceries, cleaning and RESTING!!

Published!

Well I did it! I finished my book. Finally after days staring at the computer screen, rewriting and editing I have finally created a product I am happy with. I went on Lulu.com and spent a couple of hours creating the actual book. And now I am officially published. . .self-published that is.

I ordered a copy for myself to see before I make it available to the public. Once it's available, I'll put a link on for anyone to be able to order the book.

Here is the synopsis I finally came up with:

Golden Rain

by Kelli Mustard-Davis

Golden Rain is the coming of age story of young swimmer, Jessica Martin. When Jessica attends an intense summer camp for elite swimmers, she finds herself immersed in the toughest competition that she's ever experienced. A young, novice coach, Brad Davenport, discovers Jessica's hidden talent and takes her under his wing. Together they find a budding romance as they take the swimming world by storm. Brad believes Jessica's got what it takes to become an Olympic champion.

A tragic setback turns Jessica's world upside down. She must find a will to survive and battle back against all odds. Along the way she meets Jon, someone completely different than anyone Jessica has ever known. Now she has many tough decisions to make includeing whether she wants to follow true love or follow her dreams.

Happy 80th Uncle Walter

Today we went to a local race that Tom was running. The kids enjoyed face painting and balloons before the race. Tom ran well and we all enjoyed the morning. Then it was straight to Kylie's last day of soccer (which she is very happy it is over!). Then it was off to Tom's Great-Uncle Walter's 80th birthday party. We were entertained with magicians and clowns. It was fun seeing Aunt Alice (Walter's sister) too! What a great day!

Last Day of School - Finally!

Today was Melanie's last day of school and it being a half day, we had several of her friends over for a party. It was tons of fun with the water slide, sprinklers and FOOD! We all got to find out who everyone's 2nd grade teachers will be, so that was fun comparing classes.




We also enjoyed watching our adorable mom and dad Chickadees keeping track of their baby in the birdhouse. They were very guarded and watchful with all those noisy kids around.

Tomorrow we are going to sleep in!!!

Here's some photos from our party and of our birds!

Brownies 2007

My first year as a Brownie Girl Scout leader has come to an end. We ended things on a high note with a camping trip over the weekend. The weather was perfect for canoeing, archery, games, crafts, songs and s'mores around the campfire. We did lots of awesome things throughout the year including service project for hospice, the MSPCA, and our soldiers in Iraq. We also marched in the Memorial day parade last week, took field trips to a horse farm and to the Coast Guard station where we met two real female pilots.

Here are photos of the girls getting ready for the parade and Melanie's fairy boat that she made at camping.