Cinnamon Rolls or Donuts? Yes, please!!

When Samantha was a little preschooler, if somebody asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would tell them that she was going to be a doctor. If you ask Trey, he’ll tell you that he’s going to be a pilot someday. Toby, nutty Toby, always proudly told everyone that he was going to live at the Embassy Suites and work at the Krispy Kreme bakery.  He is a child with a passion for donuts, a fact he is quick to remind us of of every Saturday morning.

Every year at Christmas time, my family plays that crazy gift exchange game where you bring a gift that costs a specified amount, wrapped but untagged, and take turns stealing the best ones from each other (because that’s so Christmassy). You might snag something pretty nice, or you might go home with soap-on-a-rope. No pouting.  Now that they’re a little older, we let the kids join in the adult game. Toby, who has learned the strategy of stealing and clutching the most coveted gift while giving the evil eye to anyone who glances in his direction, brought home a mini donut maker last year.  (Can you guess who brought the mini donut maker as their gift?)

Of course, we tried it out as soon as we got home.  We made a mountain of mini-donuts, both glazed and covered in cinnamon sugar.



They were simple to make and turned out really cute. However, they tasted more like cake than donuts, and the thing is, we Davidsons don’t really like cake. So, I reluctantly found space in the kitchen to store away the mini donut maker, thinking that someday somebody might want one and I could secretly give them ours.

Then earlier this week, I saw a recipe on Pinterest for making cinnamon rolls in your waffle maker, and since cinnamon rolls and waffles are number 2 and 3 on Toby’s list of loves, I wanted to give it a try. However, because my waffle maker is a Farm Yard Waffler and makes waffles in the shapes of cows, hens, pigs, and barns, it was a little tricky and took more patience than I was willing to invest. Then I thought, “What if I put the cinnamon rolls in that donut maker?” So I did.



They were delish, super simple, really inexpensive, easy to clean up, and took only 1-2 minutes to make. That’s how I like to do it.

Here’s how you can:
1. Spray and preheat donut maker.
2. Unroll pre-packaged cinnamon rolls into strips. Cut into thirds.
3. Wrap into wells of donut maker and cook 1-2 minutes.
4. Drizzle with frosting.
5. Be loved.

(Notes: I used the store brand cinnamon rolls and they were the perfect fit. One can made about 18 donuts. Don’t worry if you need to cut a few extra pieces to fill in the gaps; they bake together perfectly.)

Our Hillbilly Holiday

This year we broke tradition.  Rather than making our usual trip to Clear Lake, Iowa, to celebrate the 4th of July, we loaded up and headed south.  Every year, a group of girls from Sammie’s gymnastics team travel to Crossville, Tennessee, to attend Flip Fest, a summer gymnastics camp owned by Olympians, John Macready and John Roethlisberger.  Sammie was not going to miss out this year, so at 5:00 a.m. on July 1, Dave, Toby, Trey, Sammie, Maddie Roth and Allie Zimmerman (Sammie’s friends), and I packed the car (and I mean packed) and kicked off Summer Vacation 2012.

Seven hours later, we arrived at Lake Frances in Crossville and checked the girls in at Dogwood cabin for a week of back handsprings, flyaways, layouts, yurchenkos, dancing, tubing, tug-of-warring, tightrope walking, and  more.  The girls, who had been looking forward to the trip for months, were ready to jump in.  So we pulled away, leaving them in the 108 degree gymnasium and shouted, “Work hard and have fun!”


Since this was Samantha’s first year away at camp, we wanted to stay relatively close and had decided to turn the week into a trip to the Smoky Mountains.  Neither Dave nor I had been to the Smokies before, but we were excited to be spending the week exploring the great outdoors and were ready for a peaceful stay at the Riverstone Resort in the sleepy, little town of Pigeon Forge.  Silly us.

Here’s what we were expecting:

(photos from the resort website)

And this is a little bit of what we were greeted with as we drove into town:


What???  We had been bamboozeled!  This was not at all what we were expecting!  Why had our friends (that means you, Karen Grimshaw :) not warned us that Pigeon Forge, the delightful town “nestled in the foothills of the mountains with beautiful scenery for every season,” was not entirely that?  Shame on y’all, and  shame on me for poor research and overlooking the fact that our resort was located at 212 Dollywood Lane.

In fairness though, the resort was very nice and the mountains were really just a few minutes away.  So, we decided that even though a trip to the local Food City was a bit like NASCAR with grocery carts… and you needed to travel 20 miles to a liquor store to buy a bottle of wine that wasn’t Boone’s Farm… and you could roar down the streets with your kids rolling around in the back of your pickup truck…we were going to have fun with it. 

Here’s a little video we put together to help us remember the good times we had.  We’ve mixed in a little hiking, a little gymnastics, and a little of the local “culture.”  Feel free to clap along.


Hillbilly Holiday 2012 from Dave and Robyn Davidson on Vimeo.

The girls absolutely loved Flip Fest, didn’t want to come home, and are already making plans for their return next year.  That’s the year we’ll start carpooling like everybody else.  Although, there is one thing we will miss, which in my opinion was the crowning jewel of Pigeon Forge…corn fritters.

A Boy and His Sister

A Boy and His Sister by Trey’s friend Chloe Grimshaw (age 6)

Preschool Graduate

Trey graduated from Adam Lamb preschool a few weeks ago.  It was a great experience for him.  His teacher Mrs. Stellhorn was a peach.  He easily made friends with all of the children in his class.  He was often greeted with a chorus of of little voices calling out his name.  On one occasion he remarked, “Mom, I have all deez friends.  It diz so many friends I have.”  And the teacher didn’t say so, but I’m pretty sure he was at the top of his class when it came to hopping on one foot and marching.

In the fall, Trey will start kindergarten.  He is looking forward to going to the BIG school that has four playgrounds.  He can’t wait until he can climb on the bus with the other neighborhood kids.  However, he’s most excited that - for one year – he’ll get to go to the same school as this guy:

HaPpY 13th BiRtHDaY SaMMiE *<:D

Happy, Happy Mother’s Day - Over $3400 Raised for Kind Hearts!!

All of the Mother’s Day cards have been sent.  Over $3400 was donated to help build a school in Ethiopia in honor of our moms!!  What an incredible blessing that will be.  Donations were made on behalf of mothers, grandmothers, wives, aunts, teachers, friends, and daughters who had become mothers.  A sweet 10-year-old named Caroline had been saving her money and ordered six cards for the special moms in her life.  A donation was made on behalf of a friend who volunteered her time to visit sick children in the hospital.  I also noticed one daughter made a donation in honor of her mother, and a short while later, the mother made a donation in honor of that same daughter.  I wonder if they had planned it that way or if it was a true case of “like mother, like daughter”.  Oh, and two cards were sent by a daughter who was my babysitter 35 years ago! (To her, I’m sorry my brother threatened to shoot you with the toothpaste :)

The craziest part of the fundraiser, however, was that we ran out of cards!!  All of the cards were pre-ordered so they could be sent in time to arrive before Mother’s Day.  I thought when we placed our order that we were dreaming big and wondered what I was going to do with a bunch of left over 2012 Mother’s Day cards.  The donations kept coming though, and on Friday morning, I had to post that all of the cards were gone!  It was a bit of a disappointment knowing there were others who wanted to give, but what an incredible way for things to turn out – love and generosity exceeding expectations.

So, thank you again to everyone who was a part of this.  I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend.  I especially hope your mother enjoys knowing that her card will make a lasting difference in the lives of the children at Kind Hearts CarePoint.

What Will Your Mother’s Day Card Do?

THANK YOU for your interest in the Mother's Day cards. We had an enthusiastic response and all of the cards have been sold! We created a specific number of cards in advance and they have all been designated for specific Moms in honor of Mother' s Day. All of the funds given will help fund a new school building in Ethiopia for orphaned and destitute children! On behalf of the children who will now have an opportunity to go to school - WE THANK YOU!

UPDATE!!  OVER $3000 HAS NOW BEEN DONATED ON BEHALF OF OUR MOTHERS
TO HELP BUILD A SCHOOL IN ETHIOPIA!!

I’m very excited to share that in the past few days, over $800 has been donated on behalf of our mothers to the building project at the Kind Hearts CarePoint. WOW!!! To those of you who have chosen to be a part of this, I can’t thank you enough. If you are just reading about this for the first time, here’s what’s happening:

Outside of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, Children’s HopeChest manages a carepoint named Kind Hearts. Currently, there are 150 children who are either orphaned or from very poor families that are served at this location. They are provided with food, clean water, clothing, medical care, Christian discipleship, and education. It is a wonderful program that is having a life-changing impact on the kids who attend. However, the classrooms are overflowing, the furnishings are in disrepair, and still more children are waiting in hopes of joining the program.

There are plans underway to construct a new school building at Kind Hearts, creating the potential for the older children to advance and making room for new students who will be enrolling. This will allow the carepoint to DOUBLE in size and serve up to 300 children!!! In addition, the plans include bathroom and shower facilities for the kids. For most, this will be their first experience with running water, flushing toilets, sinks with faucets where they can wash clothes, and showers where they can actually bathe. It is hard for us to comprehend the reality of daily living without these things, so you can imagine the excitement this new project will bring.

If this sounds like something you would like to be a part of, would you consider making a donation to this project in honor of your mother or another special woman in your life this Mother’s Day?

For each donation received, I will send a card to a special mother in your life letting them know that a donation was made on their behalf to help build a school in Ethiopia. What mother wouldn’t be proud to be celebrated in this way?

Here’s what the front of the card looks like:


Inside top of card:


The bottom half of the inside, which I will personalize for you:


And the back:


If you would like to make a donation and order a card, you can use the PayPal button on the left. Be sure to include the recipient’s name, your name, and the address you would like me to mail your card to. I would also be happy to send the card to you (tucked inside a larger envelope) so that you can deliver it yourself. Just send a message to let me know. Absolutely 100% of your donation will be sent to a special account set up at Children’s HopeChest. If you don’t have a PayPal account or you have other questions, you can contact me at davidsonfamilystl@sbcglobal.net and we will make it work! All cards will be mailed to the recipients a week before Mother’s Day.

For many of us, we have a hard time thinking of something our moms will really appreciate. If mom’s kitchen cabinets are already stuffed, she probably doesn’t need another kitchen appliance – even if it does make little baby pot pies. It doesn’t matter if you got the Kohl’s 30% off coupon. If mom already has a stash of scented candles, she might not care if she adds Coconut-Breeze to her collection. If you want to show your appreciation for your mom but there’s not a thing she really needs and you’re looking for a fresh idea, I encourage you to start a new tradition and honor your mother by changing lives.

Maybe you already have a special Mother’s Day tradition and mom has been hinting around for weeks about how much she really would like a magic pan that makes perfect little brownie squares. If that is the case and you still plan to run to the store and stand elbow to elbow with everyone else trying to find the perfect Mother’s Day card, consider presenting this one with your gift. I don’t think you’re going to find a more meaningful card. Plus, I looked and all of the good cards are already taken ;)

To learn more about Kind Hearts, visit www.family-from-afar.blogspot.com

In Honor of Inspiring Mothers…

When our family traveled to Ethiopia in 2010 for our adoption court date, we were able to visit the kids at the Kind Hearts Care-Point outside of Addis Ababa. Kind Hearts is a care-point managed by Children’s HopeChest which provides nutritious food, clean water, clothing, medical care, Christian discipleship, and education for orphaned and destitute children. Our friend Karen Wistrom, who is the coordinator for Kind Hearts, encouraged us to make time in our schedule to spend a day with the kids there. We would be able to meet our sponsor child and see first hand the care-point that we had become involved with.

We had no idea what our visit would be like. However, with the exception of meeting our son for the first time, this was the highlight of our trip. Upon our arrival, the children came pouring out of a small school building where they had obviously been waiting for us. They were running, they were smiling, and they were cheering. Every child wanted a hug. Every child wanted to be noticed. As soon as you would put one child down, another would be reaching up into the air hoping you would love on them next. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. They sang for us, prayed for us, and thanked us for coming. While we had brought donations (food and small gifts for the children), it was clear that we were the ones being blessed that day.

At the end of our day at Kind Hearts, before we piled back into our van, one of the men approached Dave and I to say goodbye. He shook both of our hands and with great sincerity he humbly said, “Please, do not forget about us.” Of course we would never forget this place or the beautiful children we had met that day, but I knew what he meant. He meant, “We need you. We need others to help make this work. We need others to keep partnering with us.”

So, I am incredibly excited to be helping with this year’s Mother’s Day fundraiser. When we visited back in 2010, there were 90 kids enrolled at the care-point. Today they serve 150 children, and Karen said the classrooms are overflowing. There are plans underway to have a new classroom building constructed, allowing the older children to advance and to make room for new students who will be enrolling. The plan includes a new school building with four classrooms. They will also need desks, chairs, chalkboards, and school furnishings to replace the broken and rickety furnishings they are using now. The construction of a new school building will allow the care-point to serve 300 children!

Would you consider making a donation to this project in honor of your mother or another special woman in your life this Mother’s Day? 

For each donation received, I will send a card to a special mother in your life letting them know that a donation was made on their behalf to help build a school in Ethiopia. The photo up top shows what the front of the card will look like. Below are pictures of the inside and back. All cards will be mailed to the recipients a week before Mother’s Day.

If you would like to make a donation and order a card, you can use the PayPal button on the left. Be sure to include the recipient’s name, your name, and the address you would like me to mail your card to. Absolutely 100% of your donation will be sent to a special account set up at Children’s HopeChest. If you don’t have a PayPal account or you have other questions, you can contact me at davidsonfamilystl@sbcglobal.net and we will work it out!

To learn more about Kind Hearts, visit Karen’s blog:

 www.family-from-afar.blogspot.com

Note to Mothers:  Please know that it is completely appropriate to give your family hints that you would enjoy being a part of this fundraiser.  You can leave my blog open on your computer (repeatedly, if necessary.) You can send your husband and children links to this post.  You could also try making seemingly random comments such as, “While I truly love the snow cone maker I received last year for Mother’s Day AND the oversized soup ladle I received the year before, I have always thought it would be amazing to help build a school in Ethiopia!”  Let me know if you need more ideas. 

Smiley Face :)

Samantha ~ Age 12

Braces are so much fun…on the first day.

Florida 2012

The GQ Level 7 Girls & the Davidsons at St. Pete Beach

for the Tampa Bay Turners Meet.