A very large boat

So today we will be getting aboard a one week cruise with Joya's family so The Gridbook Blog will be silent for a while. I'm not so sure what my feelings are about a pleasure cruise around the Caribbean. I'm pretty sure with my feelings on travel and America's use of the tropic I wouldn't have chosen to do this on my own, but I do love my in-laws and appreciated being invited. Hopefully it will be fun. I am curious how such a different experience the Caribbean will affect me.

We have a Son!

We had the Ultrasound yesterday. It is most certainly a male child. It was a bit of a surprise because I had a hunch that it would be a girl, even though I knew the laws of genetics were chances of 50/50. So we will be having ourselves a little boy!

The Yearly Christmas Letter

I know it is a bit late for Christmas cards, but I also posted it late last year. Joya is so good at getting this out, but Jonathan's poor friends never get the card in the mail because he isn't good at keeping up with addresses. But here it is in electronic form:

Dear Friends,

For some of you, this Christmas greeting is our only contact all year long, but that makes us all the more excited about Christmas time! We look forward all year to being able to send you Christmas greetings from our family and hearing from you as well. We think about you throughout the year and embrace the tradition of Christmas greetings.

We hope that your year has been as filled with good things. Here's an update on our lives.

• We are expecting the arrival of Baby Davis the end of May! What joys and change that will bring. We have loved every minute of our lives together as a couple and filled them with unforgettable adventures and spontaneous fun. Although life will be different, we are thrilled to introduce a new life into the amazing lives God has given us.

• We spent the month of July traveling through Europe together. We bought rail passes and traveled through Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France and Spain. You can see pictures here. We got to visit Jonathan's grandfather's hometown of Ortona, Italy which was a real treat. Italy was definitely our favorite.

• After a year at Campbell Law School, Joya decided that she did not want to continue her legal education at that school for several reasons. So we moved to Athens, Georgia to be closer to family and friends. We bought a home and are settling into the area. It is wonderful to be able to make day trips to visit Jonathan's family and many friends who have been a part of our lives since childhood.

• Joya is teaching piano and violin and hoping to start a graduate program at UGA next year. “Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.” -John Dewey

• Jonathan graduated from residency in June and is working in an Emergency Room near Athens. This has been an exciting and challenging experience and he is always filled with fascinating stories. He is adjusting to being the sole caregiver and having the final responsibilities of medical care rest with him.

So it is with the Davis Family. We eagerly await hearing from all of you. Know that we love you and even though many of you hear from us just once a year at Christmas, you are dear to us all year long.

Jonathan and Joya Davis

PS: More news to come on a post later today.

SEC Football!

Another beautiful night for SEC football in the BCS Championship! Reminds me of last year when once again an over-ranked Ohio State team was demolished in the Championship Game by a team that just barely made it through a brutal season in the SEC.

I only wish that Georgia could have done the honors this year instead of LSU! I think Georgia was actually playing better than LSU at the end of the season. We certainly showed it by humbling the unbeaten highest scoring Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. How 'bout them Dawgs!

The final rankings just came out: number one and two for 2007 LSU and Georgia, both SEC schools.

The SEC has yet to lose a Championship since the BCS. The BCS is a joke and stacked against teams from harder conferences like the SEC, but isn't it beautiful to see our teams get in there and demolish other conferences? At least we can enjoy these games until college football wakes up and puts together some sort of playoff. Wouldn't it be great to see Georgia, USC, Kansas, West VA, and LSU keep playing to decide who really is the best team in the nation?

Ron Paul Wins My Vote

The Gridbook Blog has endorsed Ron Paul for President in 2008.

So I just threw my two cents into the crazy world of presidential politics. I endorsed Ron Paul over on the Gridbook Blog. I may not agree with him on everything, but I think he is the best horse in this race. You can read about it here.

Birthday in the Hospital

So today is my 30th birthday, and I'm stuck working here in the ER. Thus far the day is going well, but I would rather not be here. I would much rather be someplace like this:

I know that I'm liking this kayak a bit too much especially considering it is a thing, and a thing I don't need at that. Please forgive my selfish materialism over my Christmas present. I pray I'll be better next year.

Well I must go back to work. Merry Christmas everyone!

Recent Life

Update on recent life:

[or for the full picture version: click here]

-Our baby continues his/her prenatal progress. We are grateful he/she isn't making Joya so sick these days.

-I just finished my Family Medicine Boards. I'm now back at work. Hopefully I will get good news in 4-6 weeks.

-The yearly joy of hanging out with my old roomates and friends each Thanksgiving took place in McConnells, SC this year.

-Joya's birthday was a lot of fun. We went out to a fancy restaurant in Atlanta and stayed in a cabin with some friends.

-Joya and my folks got me the coolest birthday gift in the world. A kayak. They gave it to me early because it is so nice out here in GA. 77 degrees yesterday-- so we took it out on a lake.

Well that's about it for now.