Happy Birthday Ryan

Hi everyone-

Ryan is now three! What a good day we had today celebrating Ryan's 3rd birthday. We all went out to deliver our diapers, formula, and wipes to Loaves and Fishes food pantry. They had an immediate need for a family I was told. Thank you Ryan.

We then traveled to Target to get some books that would be age appropriate for Ryan, some bubbles and a new bear. The books are added to the collection at home for the family to read; the bubbles are left at the cemetery as is the bear. We all went to the cemetery after nap. Replaced his bear, played with the bubbles and read the stories.

The hardest part was finding some private time with Ryan -- the girls are still young to totally understand what is up with Ryan. I'm sure that next year or over the course of this year they will start to understand that Ryan is in heaven and we goto the cemetery to be "closer" to him.

Onto Kimbles for the sundae's -- a local ice cream farm that I'm sure he would have fun with.

All in all a great day.

Miss you son.

Sping is coming

Hi everyone-

Finally no snow in the yard. Now lets see if we can keep it that way. Our first snow storm was in November and the snow has finally melted. Onto mud season.

Have fun,

Green Lent

Hi everyone-

My wife and I attend All Saints Episcopal church in Chelmsford, MA. This year we have had a tough time actually attending Sunday services due because our twins are at the age where sitting still is impossible. Enough about that more about lent -- anyway usually every year we "give something up" to remind us of the sacrifices that Jesus did during his walk on this earth. Well this article from the Boston Globe give new meaning to "giving something up" for lent.

Carbon.

Interesting article and I think it should be something that everyone does this year. Could you imagine it if 10% of the worlds Christian community which observes lent would do this?

Have fun...

"Be Prepared"

Hi everyone-

As an eagle scout -- I have always made sure that I was prepared - prepared in life. Things kinda come your way when you least expect it sometimes. So here is a web site which I have found to be a good starting point for "Being Prepared".



Not that I have bought into everything they offer -- it is just another good source for ideas.

Have fun....

Getting ready for the Nor'easter

Hi everyone-

Well at least with this storm it won't take me 2.5 hours to get home -- and only 30 miles from work. Granted that commute isn't very long considering once while I lived in DC it took 4 hours to get home. But still it took a very long time.

So with the storm it should be very interesting. They are only calling for 4-8 inches of snow with a change over to rain sometime tomorrow around noon. Yuck. If it is going to snow it should be all snow...

Have fun

Okay so now I am an emotional reck

If only Aline and I had known about this -- we have some wonderful pictures but more would have been nice.

Finding this I decided to start a Loss Information Archive area on the page. I will be adding more as I find the time to put some in.

Miss you Ryan.

Shake, Rattle, and Role

Hi all-

Well it wasn't much of a shake, or a rattle or a role, but we did have a magnitude 2.5 earthquake at the house last night. Actually, this is the closest I have ever been to an earthquake epicenter.

No damage.

Check it out.

Local News Station Coverage.

Boston Globe Article

Having fun

Having lunch

Last weekend at church - because church gets out right around the Rachael's and Hope's lunch time we decided to feed them at church. Being an family oriented church -- they have a table made just for little people. Out come the portable chairs, some yogurt, cheese, and turkey - the girls ate lunch very well.

Have fun...

Apple Picking

What a wonderful fall activity. The local orchard near our house was simply wonderful -- Carlson Orchard. Family friendly and as the largest shipper of fresh cider for the north eastern united states -- a very nice place to get some great cider.

Hope and Rachael had a wonderful time picking apples. And since it happened on Aline's birthday it was a great treat for her as well.



Have fun.....

Ear Surgery

Hi all-

A week ago today our girls (Rachael and Hope) went in for ear tube placement to hopefully cure them of the constant trips to the doctors for antibiotics. Since January of this year between the two ladies we have had ~14 ear infections. Luckly we have not developed any hearing loss and to prevent that we decided on the surgery.

We got there at 10AM -- Surgery was at Noon and half-past. Everyone was in the car ready to go home by 2:30. The funniest part of the whole day was when Hope and Rachael where in recovery. A cry into the waiting area from a nurse was "Hope Davis' parents please". We go to the recovery room find Hope just crying uncontrollably. The quote from the nurse "She is a little spitfire". Yup that is Hope. Rachael - being Rachael -- was taking a nap. At around 2pm the nurses said "Okay you can go home now" as both kids started to run around getting into everything.

Aline and I must say that we are very impressed with the nurses and doctors at Children's Hospital . Such a nice group of people. Thank you for making the experience and the outcome better than expected.

Tom Barrington -- our Rector at All Saint's Church in Chelmsford -- also showed up for a better part of the day. Tom it was wonderful to have you here to help us through this simple surgery. Your presence made the time fly by faster and the prayer of support was welcome. Thanks.

Having fun...

A Vacation

Hi all-

Well 2 weeks ago we got back from our very first extended vacation with the twins. It was a very interesting time. We had a family birthday to attend -- you know one of the major 10 milestones -- so we picked up the family and transported them to New York. Now in November we purchased a Toyota Sienna. I was truely amazed at the amount of "stuff" you need to bring to support the twins. The entire back end of the Sienna was full. Floor to ceiling -- wall to wall. It was truely amazing. I should have taken a picture. Aw well. Anyway we had a lovely time at the lake house. It was a ton of fun.

But a vacation that my wife and I have had in the past have forever changed -- and for that we are greatful.

Having fun....

Happy First Birthday Rachael and Hope

Welcome Happy Birthday!

Rachael and Hope turned one today. Wow what a year. From feedings every 2-3 hours, going through 40 diapers in 3 days, getting the best Christmas gift ever -- sleep, rolling, crawling, scooting, walking....

If this is what the first year is like, then I can't wait for the rest.

Daddy

Ceiling Fans

Hi all-

With the girls second summer coming into view it has become clear to Aline and I that the girls are starting to sweat a bunch and wondered why -- because last summer - granted they where weeks/months old last summer - they had a ceiling fan in our room. A few weeks ago our favorite home improvement center had a fan sale - 20% off in stock fans. I wanted to keep the same neutral ceiling so a white fan was in order. Also I would like to keep the same textured look we had with our current ceiling lights -- that way they blend into the textured ceiling a little bit better. Well we found a ceiling fan that seemed to fit the bill and not cost what the other ceiling fans in the house cost -- Hunter Stratford II Textured White.

Thinking ahead I thought that 2 ceiling fans would fit the bill -- guest bedroom as well. Then finding the ceiling fan switches that are Hunter switches because the fans seem to work better with the manufactor of the ceiling fan. Then onto the electical isle -- 14/3. Well then we might wanna pickup the 14/2 and a couple of new boxes just in case we do the light operation on one switch and the fan operation on a different switch. Oh and we also need the re-enforced boxes that go into the attic so the ceiling fan doesn't come falling down in the room.

Then we go home. Installing ceiling fans are normally not a problem -- or they weren't a problem without twins. Installing ceiling fans with twins can be a challenge. Aline gave me 4 hours to completely install the ceiling fan. Which thinking about it shouldn't be a problem. That is if fishing the wire behind the wall is good, and putting all of the parts together on the wall is good. With the girls room fishing the wire turned out to be really easy. No problems. It took 3.5 hours to install the entire room and have it working on the first try -- not even switching the wires in the switch to make the light work on the correct switch. It also involved installing the 14/3 wire and removing the old 14/2 wire from behind the wall -- staples and all. And the girls where completely hip to the new fan in their room once it was done. They keep pointing at the fan and uttering a word that to them must mean fan.

Coming off that installation I thought well I know how I can shave some time off of the guest bedroom installation. I can assemble most of the fan pieces -- put those rubber grommits into the fan blades then installing the fan blades themselves. Also putting the fan motor with some of the support attachments. I figured with this room I could shave down the time to maybe 2 hours. Wrong. The fishing of the wire in the wall took 3 hours to get correct. Multiple holes drilled in the attic and a host of other fishing stories that I am sure everyone will understand. Lets just say -- thank goodness for a clothes hanger, a brass compression fitting, and some string. Then once I got more time it only took a hour to finish up the installation to the ceiling fan. If it had taken me the original 45 minutes to fish the wire as it did on the girls room and an hour to install the fan pre-assembled then it would have only taken me 1 hour and 45 minutes total. Some may balk that the pre-assembled parts time is not included in the total -- but you can do that sitting in front of the TV. Multitasking -- twins/children teach you that.

But I must say the fans look great and now we are going to do the other room as well. One more left for another time. Summer is upon us and the attic is very hot.

Having fun...

Happy Birthday Ryan

Hi Ryan-

Happy Birthday -- you would be 2 years old today. Today your sisters, Mommy and Daddy decided to keep the birthday tradition going -- visiting Kimball's Farm for ice cream. Granted your sisters are much too young yet to partake in the tradition yet -- maybe next year. We also had a lovely day reading books with you and planting a couple of flowers for you in your garden.

It wasn't as hard as last year -- but it was still difficult.

Love you boy,

Daddy

My Condolences to Virginia Tech

My father-in-law said it best last night during our discussion over dinner --

"Why does there have to be so much violence in our society?"

My heart breaks for everyone involved and hope that some good comes out of so much tragedy.

Okay so how much did it snow anyway

We got 12 inches. Then with the freezing rain on top the snow was compacted down a little bit. But with the snowthrow everything was cleaned up in a hour and a half.

Have fun...

Tagged --

dslacher tagged me to answer the question: "Name five songs (or artists) that you love but annoy your significant other." While many of the songs that we are currently listening to are molded for ears under the age of 1 -- when I am listening to my iPod we have some differences:

• Anything from Metallica -- if it is playing she will listen -- but she will not play it first
• Anything

Well like Dan -- I need to say that many of our tastes in music are very similar -- it really comes down to the mood of the moment. Now back to my Nine inch Nails.

Have fun...

Now look what it's doing...

Hi everyone-

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day. We had 73 degree temperatures, I went for 2 walks yesterday - one at work with colleges to have an outside meeting, and a second walk with the family at night. On my evening walk with the family we noticed one of our neighbors putting away some of their winter toys - sleds, etc. We joked as we walked past that the 2 inches of snow they where predicting would get bigger. Well now we are getting 10+ of wet spring snow.

Now I am not complaining -- because I like snow. Maybe the new time shift threw off Mother Nature.

Have fun

Weather people say 70 today

Living in Massachusetts - from what people tell me - this is a typical March. We are going to have a 70 degree day today then Friday into Saturday snow. Well here's to March -- can't wait for April.

Fun with science.....

Found this link yesterday which has a bunch of neat science art sorta things. This one for a baby caught my eye.

Have fun...