Our Grandson, Davis, the Graduate.....

Can it possibly be? It's been no time since our daughter announced one Thanksgiving that there would be another mouth to feed the next Thanksgiving.....seems Thanksgiving is the time for major announcements to be made at our house.

Davis was born on July 4th, l989. He was due on June 15th. His great-grandmother passed away on the June 15th and buried on June 16th. Mindy's doctor advised against traveling so far and she wasn't able to attend the funeral. She and her grandmother were very close. The funeral was videoed for her.

After Davis was born, Chip brought him out to where we could see our first grandchild. He was swaddled tightly in a blanket and a little knitted hat. All we could see were big eyes.....He looked us all over and I guess he decided we would do for grandparents. He was something special to us after having two daughters....We didn't know anything about little boys but we learned quickly....We kept him on several occasions when Mindy and Chip needed to be away....He was a good baby and pleasant to be around......

As he grew older, he was all boy..One of Edward's favorite story's about Davis is when we were attending one of his birthday parties when he was 3 or 4. We were all out on the deck having cake and ice cream. Davis was in the den watching 'The Jungle Book'. Edward went in and Davis was peeping out behind the chair when Kau, the big snake, made his appearance.

Davis had some peculiar eating ideas. His waffles had to be cut a certain way with the direction of the waffle grid....

Once when Mama Jean was keeping him and while she was giving him a bath, she was asking him questions. He finally put his hands up in the air and said, "I don't know Mama Jean, I'm just a little kid!"

Our entire family goes to the beach for a week in the summer, the week of July 4th. When our twin granddaughters Erin and Elisabeth were about 5, we were going down town to see the fireworks after just having a birthday party for Davis. One of the girls was seated next to me and as we were riding along looking at all of the flags waving in the ocean breeze she asked "But Mam, how does everyone know it's Davis' birthday?"

Davis played football all four years in high school. His position was lineman. He was on the tennis team, 4-H rifle team. He was one of the top 25 SAT scorers in his high school.

He is a member of the church and active in mission trips to other states.

Davis will graduate Friday night and will be a Freshman at the University of Georgia in the fall. He plans to pursue dentistry......He has been working for a dentist his senior year in the afternoons and this has reinforced his desire from a child to be a dentist.

He will have three pleased grandparents, Mama Jean, Mam and Pop cheering him on at graduation and on through life.....his paternal grandfather, Philip, passed away when Davis was 18 months old. Philip made the comment when he knew he had terminal cancer, ' the sad part is that Davis won't ever remember me'. Through pictures, stories and conversation 'Big Dad' is very much alive to Davis and his brother, Drew............