The Family Creed

Fashionistas!

2009-07-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

Our girls are modeling the fashion shows at Dillards these days. A good friend who manages there asked if the girls would be interested and they were excited to participate. They absolutely love the runway and we love seeing them on it too. This, by the way, is their second show.

Beating the Heat

2009-06-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

It is summer in Tucson and we took part in the time honored Tucson-summer-time tradition of heading up to Mt. Lemmon to get out the heat. We went fishing at Rose Canyon Lake (pond by any sane measure) and had a cookout at another site on the mountain. Personal highlights were watching everyone but me take a dive at one time or another while walking in the woods and catching crayfish at the lake and teasing the girls with them. Somehow the crayfish made Daddy revert to his 10 year old self.

From Summer 09

Rachel's Graduation

2009-06-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

This happened a while ago, but Rachel graduated Kindergarten. It was a sad day in a way, it means Rachel is growing up and getting big. It was also sad to watch her crying (triggered by her teacher's tears) during the ceremony. Overall a good day. We are proud of her.

From Summer 09

Sammy

2009-05-21T09:37:00.001-07:00

From Pets

Sammy passed yesterday, May 20th. Even in death Sammy was a good boy, he simply went to sleep and passed during the night. We will miss him and his endlessly sweet and loving ways.

Disney Trip

2009-03-05T06:06:00.000-08:00

From Spring 09

We surprised Rachel and Erin with a Disneyland trip this week, which was lots of fun. Ostensibly this was as a reward for Rachel's excellent report cards and parent-teacher conferences, but really we did it because it was fun and an opportunity to visit with some FPLC friends, the Parson's family.

Because of our friends we were able to go to Club 33, Disney's members only dinner club. We thought it was fantastic! Where else can you have seared ahi tuna, lobster tail, and lamb in the park? We also owe a debt of gratitude to them because we stayed at a family members (empty) condo over looking the ocean in Laguna Beach. Not too shabby either...

It was a great time for us and we, along with our friends, hope that we can make this an annual event.

Marie's Party

2009-03-03T20:57:00.001-08:00

A pair of old friends, Ken and Marie Roberts, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a party and renewal ceremony. It was a great time. Rachel was particularly interested in the ceremony because she claims that she is getting married at her next birthday party...

I thought the nicest part was that another old friend's daughter, Ed Xia, and Rachel were fast friends and played and danced all night together. They were cute as can be!

From Winter 08/09

Desert Snow

2009-02-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

We had quite a surprise the other morning - 2 inches in snow! Unlike earlier this winter, we actually had 2 inches of snow on the ground. It made for a good pic of the house...

From Winter 08/09

Party Time

2009-01-11T07:47:00.001-08:00

We held Erin's Birthday Party yesterday and had a blast. The house was overrun with little girls in princess outfits screeching and screaming as they played. Erin had fun and I think she really enjoyed being the center of attention for a change!

From Winter 08/09

Here is a pic of Erin and her big sister playing with Erin's favorite new toy:

From Winter 08/09

Oh Noes!

2009-01-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

Warning - this is a two part post.

First, when your kid gets ahold of your camera you are bound to find some gems the next time you copy photos to your computer. Evidence for this hypothesis is as follows:

From Winter 08/09

I am blowing that one up for the foyer just in time for her first date!

Second, this morning was one of those "oh noes" moments for me. On the ride to school Rachel asked me this one "Daddy, are the Disney Princesses real?" To which I replied "I think so, why do you ask?" At that point I thought I was off the hook. She replied "sometimes I think they are just normal people in costumes and I would be very upset if you were lying to me."

Crap. She used my own words against me!

2 Years Ago Today...

2009-01-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

From Winter 08/09

our little Erin came into the world in a terrifying hurry. The events surrounding Erin's birth remain some of the scariest in our memories, with the massive blood loss and all, but we are so happy with the end result! She is a little doll and we love her.

It is so hard to believe she is 2 today, it is crazy how time flies...

Christmas

2008-12-26T12:52:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of our friends out there. As usual the girls did quite nicely in the gift department.

From Winter 08/09

The big news out here is that we got snow today, December 26th! It is a rare thing so we are enjoying it while it lasts. It is a shame we didn't have this for Christmas...

From Winter 08/09

A Day On Mount Lemmon

2008-12-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

We spent the other day on Mount Lemmon so that we could get a taste of winter. It was nice and chilly with temps in the low 40s. As we walked around it began snowing lightly, which was nice. We have been missing New Hampshire and the change of seasons a bit lately so seeing a little snow was perfect. We finished the day with some hot chocolate outside in Summerhaven at "The Cookie Cabin."

A couple of photos:

Rachel showing off a pair of pinecones

From Winter 08/09

Erin flashing her smile

From Winter 08/09

Killer Sunsets

2008-12-18T21:39:00.001-08:00

For whatever reason we have been having spectacular sunsets. It is definitely one of the advantages to living in Arizona.

Here are some pics from our backyard:

From Winter 08/09

Christmas Newsletter Time

2008-12-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

For those of you on the list, it is in the mail. For those of you not on the list, contact me and learn how to get on the list. And click below...

From Winter 08/09

and page 2

From Winter 08/09

More Photos From Our Trip

2008-12-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

Rachel on the beach

From Fall 08

Erin playing in the sand

From Fall 08

The family sitting on a wall in the old port area overlooking the Sea of Cortez

From Fall 08

Bargaining with a fish monger

From Fall 08

Aunt Lu and the girls

From Fall 08

Aunt Lu and Tom

From Fall 08

Our Mexican Vacation

2008-11-30T07:32:00.000-08:00

From Fall 08

We spent Thanksgiving in Mexico with my Aunt Lu and her boyfriend Tom and we had a great time! We spent a good deal of time haggling over junk in the shops and on the beach just having a good time. After a few drinks Lu and I began to bargain like there was no tomorrow, so bad that Tom even began tipping the salesmen after we would walk away!

It was great to have some family out for the holiday and even better to not have to cook!

Puerto Penasco (aka Rocky Point) has grown up quite a bit since we were last there. There are huge resorts where there used to be only sandy beaches (and people from AZ camping on said beaches) with bars and shops everywhere. We were a little sad to hear that the Mexican government has decided to make the town a cruise ship destination and is replacing the old port with a spanky new port that will be very nice but devoid of charm.

Considering the convenience and how cheap the trip was, we will have to start going regularly!

Do You Boys Like Mexico?

2008-11-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

We are heading to Mexico for a little R&R this week. I will post pics when we return!

Art Day

2008-11-23T18:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had the opportunity to go to our good friend Elizabeth's art studio and do some painting. As Elizabeth stated, it was just "art happening". The girls were having fun, mixing paint, and just making their "masterworks" (as Rachel called them).

We definitely owe Elizabeth a big thanks and will look forward to the next time!

From Fall 08

Doing Great

2008-11-19T07:19:00.000-08:00

Rachel received her progress report for the quarter and we are happy to say that she received "Exceeds Expectations" marks for her school work and "Consistently Excelling" marks for her behavior across the board.

We are so proud!

Meet the New Boss...

2008-11-10T05:16:00.000-08:00

smaller than the old boss.

Don't let her looks fool you, this kid is bossy! Nobody escapes her pint-sized wrath these days, especially our dog Pete. Normally Erin is a sweet kid who loves to kiss (and make you kiss every stuffed animal in her arsenal) and snuggle, but when she gets in the mood watch out! Our favorite is when she yells at the dogs "Don't Poop!" or at her sister "Rachel, STOP!". Little kids make for good comedy.

I wish I had a video of her ordering everyone around, but instead I will reuse a pic from our pumpkin picking excursion...

From Fall 08

Halloween

2008-11-08T05:54:00.000-08:00

The girls were black cats for Halloween and were, as always, cute. We didn't have a big candy haul as Rachel wanted to go home after we did our little neighborhood and could not go on. How a girl can have so much energy around the house but be unable to walk half a mile without complaining about being tired the entire time is beyond us.

And now, your photo goodness:

From Fall 08

The Thing?

2008-10-29T08:58:00.001-07:00

From Fall 08

On the way home from our pumpkin picking excursion we decided to stop and see "The Thing? Mystery of the Desert". Let's just say that it is something everyone driving along I-10 should do, it is fun and campy and is well worth the buck it costs to see it.

And no, I won't tell you what it is nor will I post the pic!

Lance's note: Yes Bill there is a pic but it is top secret...

Pumpkin Picking

2008-10-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

We went pumpkin picking with Rachel's kindergarten class last weekend and it was a fun day. It seems odd to me that you can go pick pumpkins out here in the desert and after spending the last few years in the northeast the temps (upper 80s) did not remind me of fall at all. Nevertheless we had a great time and we were able to get a ton of shots of the girls.

And here they are:

From Fall 08

MIA

2008-10-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

So life has been insane since that post about Pete...

For one my job has kicked into gear and I have become somewhat busy at work. Additionally, a couple of members of our family (not any of us) have had issues that have taken much of our time and energy. I'll will likely begin posting again this week and catch things up...

The Newest Addition to the Family

2008-09-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

Some time ago we decided that we needed to bring another dog into the family as Sam is terribly lonely for canine companionship and we wanted someone who could keep up with our high energy children. It just so happened someone at my work (Lance's) is friendly with a local small dog rescue and they just happened to have a Llhasa Apso for adoption. We picked him up on Saturday and felt he was just the doggie for us.

So everyone, meet Petey!

From Summer 08

School Portrait

2008-09-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

Rachel's school portrait came back and it is cute, no surprises there!

From Summer 08

First Harvest

2008-08-31T09:31:00.000-07:00

Rachel and I planted a habanero plant not long ago and we recently had our first harvest of the bright orange peppers. I have no idea what to do with these are they are too hot for the girls, maybe I'll try my hand at making hot sauce...

Fist Wildcats Game

2008-08-31T09:20:00.001-07:00

We took the girls to their first U of A game last night and if we look like a bunch of drowned rats, well, that is because it began pouring right as the teams lined up for the opening kickoff. The stadium was evacuated and we took refuge beneath the bleachers for over an hour before we were allowed back in. It rained on and off for throughout the first half and when halftime began the rain began to really pick up again. It was at that point we decided to call it a night as, this being the desert, we did not have rain gear with us. Regardless, the U of A was crushing the poor Idaho Vandals 49-0 at that point and we felt pretty secure in our victory.

All in all it was a great evening, Rachel loved the game and all that went with it. Erin was a little more difficult to gauge as she really had no clue what was going on, but seemed to have a lot of fun nonetheless. I think we will have to make this a regular event.

My sister Sarah and our friends the Morrison's, Jim, Clair, Georgia, and Alexandra, joined us as well for the rain-soaked event.

Here comes the photo goodness

Rachel's First Report Card

2008-08-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

Rachel received her first report card and we are happy to report that she received almost all E's as in excelling. The lone satisfactory came in the writing properly category (using capital and lower case letters and placing them on the lines properly), which isn't too shabby.

Rachel is on Blue

2008-08-19T23:46:00.000-07:00

That title shouldn't make any sense to anyone who is without a child in kindergarten, but to us it is music to our ears. Basically Rachel's school uses a behavior scale where green = good, yellow = bad, red = principal's office and blue = outstanding behavior. Rachel has consistently been on green with the exception of 2 blue days, today being one of those.

So why am I posting this? Simple, it brings up a good story...

After a few weeks of school we were having a conversation (Mindy, Rachel and me) about the behavior chart. Rachel talked about all the levels and finished with blue stating something to the effect that "you have to be super good to be on blue and, well, I am never that good". It cracked us up.

Apparently Rachel is that good, even if it isn't for her parents...

More Potty Talk

2008-08-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

Erin is still obsessed with the potty and loves to talk about poop ("yuck stinky poop" is her favorite phrase), which brings about a funny story.

The other day I was sitting at the counter, on a stool, when I felt Erin grabbing at my shirt. I was reading something and didn't pay much attention to it until I felt something cold and wet go down the back of my shorts. This caused me to turn around and what did I see? Erin holding a wipe and scrunching her nose! She looked at me and said "poop" so I felt I had to explain to her that Daddy goes poop on the potty and not to worry he will take care of things back there...

10 Years and Counting

2008-08-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Min and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary. I dutifully sent flowers to Min's work and later that evening we went to dinner at the Grille at Hacienda Del Sol which was voted Tucson's most romantic restaurant (to my surprise Nico's didn't make the list!). It was a great place for a special occasion, with great food, an extensive wine list, and even better atmosphere. I highly recommend it to anyone celebrating a special occasion.

All in all the last 10 years have been great for both of us, Min even says so despite me dragging her off to law school for 3 years!

Erin and the Potty

2008-08-04T14:46:00.001-07:00

Erin has become extremely interested in the potty these days and so we went out and purchased a training potty for her to practice on. And wouldn't you know it just the other day she successfully went pee! She likes to sit there, pants around her ankles but with her diaper on, and say poop (pronounced more like pope) for what seems like an hour at a time. We are not ready to call her potty trained yet but it wouldn't surprise me if we worked with her over the course of a couple weeks that she would train quickly.

In commemoration of that momentous event, here is a photo of Erin - with her diaper on and all - sitting on the potty having a good time. If only we could all be this entertained in the bathroom...

Old News

2008-08-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

I have neglected to post this one for a month now...

Rachel learned to swim! In true Rachel fashion it involves much more noise than is necessary but she is doing a good job nonetheless! The vid was taken soon after her first solo swim and she has improved (noise level is still the same) significantly since then...

First Day of Kindergarten

2008-07-17T08:01:00.001-07:00

I should have posted this earlier but Rachel started kindergarten on Monday (yes our district has year-round schooling) and it was quite overwhelming for us. Rachel handled it like a pro, as she always does, and loves every minute of school - even riding the school bus!

Here are some photos:

Rachel in front of her classroom on the first day;

at her desk;

lined up with her classmates;

waiving goodbye as they begin their march to class;

and finally leaving the classroom at the end of the first day!

So far they have read a number of stories and have sung a number of songs. Some of which were so silly, according to Rachel, that she didn't want to tell us about them! After a few minutes of intense interrogation, waterboarding excluded, she broke and sang these silly songs for us, they were quite cute.

All in all she loves school, which is great for us.

Lucille Creed 1924-2008

2008-07-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

I learned today that my grandmother has passed away. It is particularly sad because she was a vulnerable person in her advanced years and certain family members saw this as an opportunity to steal from her. They isolated my grandmother from the rest of her family - so much so that they denied us contact with her for the past two years. Our Birthday and Christmas cards were returned with nasty messages scrawled on the envelopes and they would hang up the phone when one of us attempted to call her. My grandmother even told me once, right before she was finally sent away, that they went through her purse and threw away the brag book containing photos of Rachel that I had put together for her. I immediately replaced it despite knowing that it would just be thrown away again at some future date. Things got so out of hand that we took these other family members to court to try and save her from the abuse. Unfortunately the judge felt it was a family issue and as soon as she received a letter (after over a year of litigation and complete non-compliance on their part) stating that all money held by those two daughters was the result of voluntary gifts, she summarily dismissed our case. We couldn't afford to continue with an appeal at that point.

They successfully hid the fact that she had died from us for over a month.

I last saw my grandmother at Rachel's birthday party in 2006. We talked at length about what was going on. She seemed bewildered about what I was attempting to explain to her. At the time, unbeknownst to my grandmother, her home had just sold without while she was staying with one of the infamous family members who had conveniently become her power of attorney. She had no idea that all of her possessions were thrown in a dumpster, that her pets were cruelly put to death, and that her life as she knew it would never be the same.

The funny part is that, unbeknownst to me, my grandmother was being put on a plane two days later with a one-way ticket under the auspices of visiting one of her children (another Aunt) in Missouri. She had no idea that she wouldn't return. When I heard that news I realized that I would never see her again.

So it was then that I began my monthly Google searches for her name knowing that this day would come. It was all I had left as every other form of communication had been denied to me. I was sad to see that there wasn't even an obituary for her, only a death notice in the local paper. I was able to track down the funeral home's number and the lady on the other end of the phone was quite kind, but unfortunately she didn't have all that much information for me. She knew that Na Na (what I called her) died on June 3rd, which in an unfortunate coincidence is my Mother's birthday, and that she was cremated and her ashes were supposedly being taken back to New Jersey. Hopefully they will at least respect her wish to be placed next to my grandfather in death.

Telling my Mom and my Aunt the news was an awful experience. They both broke down on the phone and expressed their guilt. They lamented that had they been able to keep custody of her or if they had won in their civil suit she would still be alive. I didn't know what to say.

I grew up at my grandparent's house, quite literally. Many of my fondest childhood memories took place there, whether it was kicking the soccer ball with Pop Pop or watching the Incredible Hulk on their black and white television. I'll never forget my surprise when they bought a color TV! I learned how to ride a bike in their driveway. I remember shoveling snow off their front doorsteps during the blizzard of '78 despite being only 6 years old. I lived with them until just after my seventh birthday and again with Na Na (Pop Pop died in 1984) from the age of 12 until I was 17. My grandparents were unbelievably poor but they were always so good to me and they were the primary reason why I changed my name back from my stepfather's name, Brown, to my birth name, Creed. I was proud to be a part of their family. We are Creeds, for better or for worse, and I wanted my girls to know that fact.

Perhaps my fondest memory of Na Na is the one I once found the most horrifying. When I graduated 8th grade Na Na, all 4 feet 9 of her, rushed the recessional line as I was leaving the stage and clung to my thigh due to the pride she felt. Naturally being all of 14, I thought this was the most embarrassing moment in the history of embarrassing moments. Now I can look back and see the pride that she felt. To her graduating 8th grade was such an accomplishment as she did not make it past 2nd or 3rd grade from what I understand. I wish she could have been at my law school graduation.

I feel awful that she never even was allowed to see the photos of Erin that we sent, let alone see her in person.

I am going to write her obituary and place it in hometown paper. It is the least I can do.

It is Official

2008-07-07T10:02:00.001-07:00

Our little Rachel is registered for kindergarten...

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately the golf course cancelled their fireworks display this year, which is a real downer and forced us to cancel our 4th of July celebration. The 4th is normally our big shin-dig and we truly love throwing a party for this holiday. So this year we will be celebrating the birth of our nation at our friends, the Morrisons, in Oro Valley to watch the fireworks put on by the nearby resort.

Here is a photo of the Jefferson Memorial taken last summer while we were living near DC. I felt it was appropriate given the man (Jefferson) was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

Rachel's Root Beer

2008-06-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know, I brew beer as a hobby. Rachel is always curious as to what I am doing and always wants to help. So for the fun of it we decided to try out brewing some root beer for the family. We took the simple route by using a root beer extract that you can purchase at any home brewing store and are quite happy with the results.

First Monsoon

2008-06-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

We received the first monsoon storm today and it was awesome! We were pounded by wind, rain, and hail for at least an hour and we loved every minute of it. The temperature dropped from about 103 to 64 in a matter of minutes which was a nice break from the summer heat. For those not in the know the monsoon as it is called is the annual summer storm weather pattern southern Arizona experiences. We receive about half of our annual rainfall during this season. Wikipedia has a decent explanation of the monsoon, feel free to check it out here.

After the rain we decided to take advantage of the suddenly cool weather and ate and played outside. The girls hopped in the jeep and cruised the backyard for a bit. Check out Erin's new bulldogish smile, what a character!

Dog Blogging

2008-06-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

It isn't everyday that Sam gets mentioned on TFC but I thought I would post on his recent happenings. Specifically, I wanted to mention that he seems to have new life since we moved back to AZ. My sister Sarah is staying with us along with her dogs Daisy, Rusty, and Rex and Sam loves the company. We have long suspected that Sam needed a friend but due to various reasons (moving, et. al.) we refrained from adopting another dog. Now it is apparent that once Sarah takes her pack away we are going to have to adopt a friend for Sam. Nevertheless we are loving the new, or depending on your point of view old, Sam!

A Family Photo

2008-06-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

Thought I would post a pic of the family taken in Boston Common right before we moved.

Changes Everywhere

2008-06-10T06:38:00.001-07:00

It is surprising for us to be back in Vail and to see all of the changes that have happened while we were away. New roads and new schools are everywhere. Best change, in my opinion, is that now we have a Nico's Taco Shack which, for those who are not in the know is a local mexican food joint that has the greatest food. Vail even has a sit down restaurant, a Dairy Queen, and a Quiznos now! How our little suburb has grown!

Eagle Has Landed

2008-05-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Tucson safe and sound a few days ago. We are staying with a friend as our renters were unable to move in to their new home until today (saturday) and we can't wait to get back in our home. So far we have been spending time with friends and family and, of course, today is Rachel's 5th 5th birthday party.

All in all the move went well and we are happy to move back into our home!

Travel Blogging - Part 2 Breakdown Boogaloo

2008-05-26T17:40:00.001-07:00

Currently I am sitting in a Starbuck's in Aurora, Colorado waiting for a Penske repairman to come fix the truck. I thought I would take the time to gripe, not about the truck breaking down, about the number of tolls on e470 in Colorado. In the last 15 miles I have hit 3 toll booths each requiring me to pay $2. I think the state should post warning signs before you enter the roadway because "toll road" doesn't even begin to describe this one...

Penske said that my description usually means that the clamp for the turbo popped off, which is a relatively minor repair and that I should be back on the road soon after the repairman gets here. I hope that happens soon.

Otherwise, it was sad to leave the Laguzza's this morning and leave the girls behind. We had fun at their new condo and enjoyed our time in Omaha. Hopefully, if the truck gets fixed tonight, I will be able to see them tomorrow in Tucson. I will keep the interwebs posted if things are not fixed in a reasonable amount of time...

There, now I feel better about my predicament!

Travel Blogging

2008-05-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

We are currently in Omaha with Mindy's mom and her husband Jim. For those who are out of the loop on the city, Omaha is pretty happening for a middle of nowhere type of town. Last night we celebrated Rachel's birthday (#4 for those who are counting) by going to the "old market" district and heading to a brewpub (my idea) for dinner, then having ice cream at Ted and Wally's (Omaha icon) and then having Rachel and the girls take the Cinderella carriage back to the condo.

Before we arrived in Omaha we spent a few days in Cincinnati and New Jersey. In New Jersey we visited with my family for a little while and packed up the moving truck. In Cincinnati (just outside actually) we visited with Mindy's aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was quite fun and we got to have a cookout, which is something that we always love to do.

Graduation Photos

2008-05-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

Because I have to post photos at every opportunity, here is one of my family at graduation:

Left to Right: Brian (Sarah's husband), Mom (Stella), Lauren (sister), Erin, Lance, Rachel, Sarah (sister), Don (Step-father), and Mindy.

One of me with Aunt Lu, the girls, and Tom:

Me with Nick, Brandt, and Tony:

Here is another of the ol' alma mater:

And a candid of me on my way into the ceremony:

On the Road Again

2008-05-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

We are currently in New Jersey on the first leg of our journey back to AZ. Tomorrow we leave for Ohio where we will visit with Mindy's extended family and then Friday we will head to Omaha to stay with Mindy's Mom and her husband Jim.

Mindy and the girls will fly out of Omaha to Tucson on Tuesday where they will meet me, my sister Sarah and her husband Brian. We will drive the last leg of the journey and will probably arrive on Tuesday as well.

Graduation!

2008-05-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the day. I am still in shock, in part because it is all over and in part because I had to say goodbye to so many friends all at once. Nonetheless I am now Lance M. Creed J.D. so take that!

We are currently traveling to Arizona and I do not know where the camera is at the moment. If I find it anytime soon I will post a photo.

Busy Week

2008-05-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is it - my graduation week. I don't know if I will get much chance to blog this week but I will give it the ole college try regardless of my time constraints. So sorry if I fall behind!

Here it goes executive summary style:

Rachel has had her hair "fixed" but we (especially Mindy) are all sad that it is gone

In other Rachel news she has decided to become my personal fashion consultant, but I think she needs some practice

Erin has made the word "Daddy" sound oh so cute, she calls for me all the time... Now I have to get her saying Momma before I get in trouble with this!

Rachel is tickled pink that I am wearing a dress to graduation (as in cap and gown)

The first of Rachel's four (yes four!) scheduled birthday celebrations took place last Thursday at Chucky Cheeses in Manchvegas. I'll post on this one when we arrive in AZ and complete the quartet of celebrations

Speaking of Arizona, we should arrive on the 27th of May

I just scheduled my first lunch with friends and am excited to see their familiar faces

I think we have picked out our new TV

Did I mention I graduate on Saturday?

Our law student yard sale rocked!

We are going to North End Boston to eat at my absolute favorite Italian restaurant - Giacomo's - on Wednesday, you should be jealous... $50 says Tom S. utters the words "this is my best day ever" at some point during the meal... Just wait until we hit Mike's for dessert!

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

2008-05-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

At least around here...

As some of you already know, Mindy cut her hair recently. In her own words the style is the "angle bob" or something like that and it looks really nice on her. So nice, in fact, that my sister Sarah was inspired to do the same.

Yesterday Rachel and I were watching a show on TLC and afterwards one of the numerous makeover shows came on. Surprisingly when I offered to change the channel to something else Rachel did not want me to do so. I didn't think anything of it nor did I think anything of her going to her room soon thereafter to play with her toys. Later, while I was washing dishes, I heard Mindy exclaim "Oh No!" and when I asked what was wrong Mindy told me that Rachel had cut her hair! It was nicely placed in a gladware bowl in her room. Needless to say a 4 (almost 5) year old cutting her own hair is not the best plan and this didn't go against the common wisdom on that one. Today I took her to a local hair cutter to get it fixed and she does look cute, but different.

There is no doubt that Mindy and I are the ones suffering the most. We are sad that she is never going to be the little girl with the long and beautiful (and as she would say "glamorous") hair anylonger. It is also sad because she looks so much more grown up with the shorter do. Rachel, on the other hand, loves it and asked me if she could "get it colored" now. I tell you she is too smart for her own good!

And of course here are some photos of the hairtastrophy:

Dinosaurs Live!

2008-04-24T08:02:00.001-07:00

We went to "Walking with Dinosaurs" last night and I must say the show didn't disappoint. While there wasn't a whole lot of action in the show the true draw was just seeing the lifelike dinos walking and roaring. As always the most enjoyable part of the show was watching Rachel's expression as the dinos came out and did their thing. She especially enjoyed the brachiosaurus because "it is a leaf eater". I must say Rachel is a bit of a paradox as she wore earplugs and placed her hands over her ears the entire time because of the loud noises. This despite the fact that she is the single loudest person on earth!

Erin, on the other hand, loved the show despite the loud noises. She pointed to the dinos and said her all-purpose word (it sounds like "Cigar!") throughout the show.

We completely recommend the show, even if you do not have little kids. You can get more info at dinosaurlive.com.

Here is a little clip of the show via youtube:

And the obligatory photo of the girls at the show:

Another Weather Related Post

2008-04-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

So it looks like we will have to settle with the second worst winter in New Hampshire history as the temps are climbing like crazy. The high today is 77 and it is gorgeous outside. We spent all morning at the park and I must say that I was a little hot out there in my jeans, long-sleeve T-shirt and baseball hat. That doesn't bode well when you consider that when we arrive in Tucson it will surely be over 100 degrees.

We are a little sad that our chances of living through the worst winter ever are all but gone but at least we can say we've been through the worst winter in well over 100 years!

Pay No Attention To The Snow In The Background

2008-04-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying some great weather up here this past week. Today the mercury hit 60 so I decided to take the girls to the park for some playtime. Despite the patches of snow on the ground it was a great day to get outside and run around. Rumor has it we will hit 70 by weeks end!
As always some photographic goodness:

Oh No

2008-04-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last night we watched a National Geographic Channel special on chess grandmaster (mistress?) Susan Polgar and now Rachel is all about learning to play chess. It has been something that she has wanted to try but after watching that show last night I think she is serious. So this morning I showed her the basics and let her play the computer for a while. While she still doesn't have a clue as to strategy I know that it will come. And I think we are all in trouble.

You can view the documentary below (thanks google video!). It is quite fascinating, she is remarkable in that she is able to simultaneously play seven games of chess in her head. And of course she always wins...

The show spends a lot of time on memory, the different types of memory, how memories are formed, etc. It is quite interesting. Of course the focus is on Susan's incredible ability to memorize chess formations and keep those organized in her mind. As you will see she doesn't seem to think at all when she makes a move, it is incredible.

A Rare Photo

2008-04-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

It is a rare day when we have someone handy to take a photo of the entire family, but Cher visited us last week and snapped this one while we were visiting Portsmouth. That town (or city depending on your perspective) is amazing and we will truly miss walking around, enjoying its restaurants, and visiting all of the shops. I hope that in the future we can vacation along the New England seacoast as it is a special place for us.

And now for the photo goodness:

Rachel's Big News

2008-04-05T18:38:00.001-07:00

Rachel got her ears pierced today! She had considered it for the past few months but finally took the plunge this afternoon. She was very scared while sitting in the seat waiting for the girls to do the actual piercing. Here is the photo evidence:

I don't know if that photo does justice to the amount of fear she exhibited. Like a true soldier Rachel carried on and let the girls pierce her ears without shedding a tear. Here is the final result:

Rachel is so proud of herself and her new earrings. She is already asking for new pairs and is disappointed that she has to wait so long to buy them. Another funny part of this story is that Rachel is confident her big news will be featured tomorrow on the evening news here in New Hampshire and can't wait to watch it.

Snowfall Update

2008-03-27T15:23:00.001-07:00

We have officially hit the second highest snowfall total in New Hampshire history. We currently stand at 115 inches which is just 7 inches from the all-time record. Mindy and I are still rooting for a few more storms just so that we have bragging rights when we go back to Arizona.

Easter

2008-03-24T05:34:00.000-07:00

As usual the girls made out well gift-wise on Easter. Overall it was a nice holiday for us, Mindy did not have to work and the whole family sat around, watched movies, and ate good food. Here are two pics of the girls in their Easter dresses, unfortunately we couldn't get Erin to sit with Rachel for a photo...

Worst Winter Ever

2008-03-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well not quite but as of today we sit at #4 on New Hampshire's worst (snowiest) winters ever. Mindy and I are rooting for another foot of snow so that we can claim to have lived through the worst ever before heading back to AZ. Knowing our luck this summer will end up being the worst in Tucson history as well!

Snow fall total for this winter: 112 inches

Amount needed to break the record: 10 inches (122 total)

Sad and Sweet

2008-03-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

We had Rachel's best friends, Avery and Sydney Burnett, over last night and surprisingly it evoked quite an emotional response from Rachel. After all the playing was finished for the evening, Rachel became overwhelmed and told us that she didn't want to move from New Hampshire because she would miss them so much. It was both sweet and sad as we all know that this is it, we are about to move on. Soon we will say goodbye to our friends with whom we spent so much time the past three years. Avery and Sydney are moving to Michigan after graduation but that didn't seem to change Rachel's feelings either, she wants us all to stay in Concord

Here is a photo from a few years back of the three girls. Enjoy!

Vacation

2008-03-06T06:57:00.000-08:00

We drove down to sub-tropical New Jersey (at least when compared to New Hampshire) during break and were quite excited as we headed south and were able to see the ground again. Overall the week was nice, we spent lots of time with my Mom and my sister Sarah, and even had the opportunity to spend time with my Aunt Lu and Tom as well as my Uncle Roy and Aunt Cory.

Mom was well prepared for the news about us moving to Arizona, but I don't think she believes it or just doesn't want to deal with it at the moment.

Highlight of the trip, for me at least, was that my Uncle Roy opened up about our family history. He provided me with a ton of names and stories about our relatives and history that were both interesting and tragic. The funny thing was that I don't think anyone realized he had so much knowledge about our family history and he is a fantastic resource.

All in all, it we lived it up in the warm (40s!) weather and were quite sad when we returned to New Hampshire only to discover another foot and a half of snow piled on top of our already gigantic snow banks. Well spring ought to arrive right before we move so I ought to see a little nice weather before hitting the desert.

The Cat Is Out Of The Bag

2008-02-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

Q: What does our family have in common with the Pentagon?

A: Just like the Pentagon we have a high level information leak within the family...

Mindy spilled the beans regarding our move back to Tucson to my sister Sarah and naturally the information slowly trickled out to the rest of my family. I hoped to break the news face to face so that we could present our reasoning and to perform damage control.

Oh well... Apparently secrets are like sushi, they can't be kept for long.

Happy (Belated) Birthday!

2008-02-15T05:17:00.000-08:00

We finally celebrated Erin's first birthday yesterday. Why yesterday? Well Valentine's Day was Erin's due date and since there were some problems with celebrating on January 4th, we decided to throw the party on the date that should have been her birthday. We went shopping all day and bought her a bunch of new clothes (Mindy is just too practical) followed up with a nice dinner and hot fudge sundaes. As you can tell from the pic above, Erin LOVED hers.

She has come so far in just a year, from a premature baby who couldn't eat on her own to the little lovable toddler who does full flips off of the couch and just keeps on going. I must say thus far it has been a wonderful journey and can't wait to see what the next year has in store for our little Erin Reese!

Miss Smarty Pants

2008-02-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

I realize we are biased when it comes to assessing our daughter's relative abilities, but the other night Rachel woke up late and came and sat with me on the couch while I was watching a shark week show. The show profiled the "10 most dangerous sharks" or something like that where they would show the range of all the different sharks as they profiled each one. One of the sharks, I think it was the mako, had a range that included the area around New York/Long Island. Rachel upon viewing the map said "good thing that shark isn't in the ocean by New Hampshire" which I wrote off as a typical Rachel statement. This time, however, she followed it up with "it is by New York and New York is next to Connecticut and Connecticut is close to New Hampshire so that shark might come up here!"

I thought that was pretty impressive for a 4 year old!

Can a Baby in a Bear Suit Catch a Cab?

2008-02-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

David Letterman used to have recurring gag on his show where he would send an assistant out on the street in a bear suit and see if he could catch a cab. For some odd reason Mindy and I always found this to be hysterical.

So naturally we have dressed our kids, at least while they were young in bear suits to keep them warm in the winter. Rachel never really wore hers with the exception of one winter when Mindy and Rachel flew to Ohio to visit Mindy's grandmother. Erin, however, is a New Hampshire native and has always worn her bear suit. In fact, we bought her a new one at L.L. Bean this year. The best part is that she loves wearing them and they are extremely warm. So I thought I would post the pic of Erin in her bear suit because she is cute as can be in it.

A Photo I Overlooked

2008-02-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

I was looking through some of our photos from this winter and I happened upon one that I thought I should post. It is Rachel and Mindy visiting the National Tree in front of the White House.

All in all I was a little disappointed in the tree as all they did was drape a cargo net like arrangement of lights on it which somewhat distorted the shape of the tree. It was fun to see, but I prefer the tree at Rockefeller Center any day!

Video Evidence of Erin Walking

2008-02-10T16:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick video of Erin stumbling about...

The Big Decision 08

2008-02-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

Keeping with the theme of this blog this is a family related post and not a political one. So we apologize if you were dying to hear who we are voting for... Instead we are pleased to report that we have decided to move back to Tucson, AZ. We debated this for a long time but when all is said and done we just can't justify supporting two homes any longer. Had the housing market been more generous to us or a better job offer come my way things might have worked out differently. Now we just have break this news to my family...

So AZ here we come! Can't wait to get some good Mexican food!

Catchup

2008-02-01T04:38:00.000-08:00

OK so a lot of things have gone on in the past month and for much of it we were sans internet connection.

Erin turned 1 on January 4th. We didn't get to celebrate it due to my hospital stay and our move back to New Hampshire. We have decided to throw a party for her on her due date, Valentine's Day, so look for a picture or two at that time.

Speaking of Erin, she is walking all the time now but still drops down and crawls quite a bit. She is also saying a few more words now, of which her favorite is "hot". It has become her all purpose word and she uses it for everything.

Rachel has been a complete daddy's girl the past month, I think she was scared of losing me while I was in the hospital. In the interim she has become a pretty good Uno player and we usually spend an hour or so every night after dinner playing. Rachel hasn't quite grasped the whole good winner/sore loser thing yet but we are working on that and hopefully one day she will learn the joys of winning and/or losing graciously! Additionally, it appears that she is going through another growth spurt as all of her pants are high waters now. I swear this girl is going to be 6 feet tall one day!

We moved back to New Hampshire for the short term. Like the pair of geniuses we are Mindy and I forgot the big bin that contained our winter clothes - not a good thing in New Hampshire during the winter. So we are making due with the bare minimum. We bought Erin a bear suit that is quite warm and Rachel already has her winter coat with her. Mindy and I are making due with the jackets we were wearing in Virginia, which aren't made for a New England winter. We are staying in a house previously occupied by a family that we were good friends with, the Andersons, while they are in California doing an externship. So we have yet another address until May 31st! Seriously it is scary how many addresses we have had in the past few years.

Mindy's mom Regina (AKA Grammy Guzza) came out to help us out for a few weeks while things settled down. She was an immense help and I told her that will have to find excuses to get her back out here again to "help out".

School started up again and after all that time out there working I really don't feel like doing the school thing again. Its a real drag but the good news is I will have a JD in 4 months!

Mindy and I decided to go on diets, well in all honesty Mindy told me we are going on diets and so far it has worked out well for us. My appetite still hasn't recovered from the hospital stay, which is a good thing while trying to lose weight.

I'll get new photos posted soon. Sorry for the long absence.

Hiatus

2008-01-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

I have been on hiatus from this thing due to an illness, which I am not going to get into the details of right here and/or now, that kept me hospitalized and down for quite some time. If you have an inquiring mind and need to know give me a call or drop me an email and I am happy to discuss it further. I am fine discussing it with anyone of our friends out there so please do not feel uncomfortable contacting us. Mindy is probably the best source of information on the incident as I was unconscious for most of it so you may wish to call her first.

Let's just leave it at this: it was a harrowing experience for all involved.

I'll resume writing again soon.

My Present Came A Day Late

2007-12-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

All I wanted for Christmas was for Erin to take her first steps. I was a little disappointed that she wouldn't give it a try yesterday choosing instead to drop down and crawl to me each and every time we attempted to induce her to walk. Well fast forward a few hours to this morning and Erin took two steps to me. Then she did it again and again, it was awesome. She was so excited by my excitement and was so happy to walk to me! Of course I rushed her downstairs to show Mindy and she did it again before becoming too distracted by the piles of toys at my Mom's house. Nevertheless it was extremely exciting.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Sign of the Times

2007-12-16T05:35:00.001-08:00

I always wonder what should count as baby's first word. Is it when the say "mama" or "dada", when they parrot something you say or is it when they say a word and obviously understand its meaning?

Erin has been saying mama, dada, and all the usual baby words for quite some time and recently she began parroting our speech. The funniest example has to be when I use my "authority voice" to get her attention, usually when she is climbing the stairs, to which now she responds with a "no". It is hard not to laugh and often I do.

This is the usual exchange now:

Me - "ERIN!"

Erin - "No"

Me - laughter

I really wish it wasn't so funny because I am trying to establish boundaries, such as don't climb the steps or put small objects in her mouth. Oh well, so much for being an authority figure in her life...

The Dreaded Christmas Letter Online Edition

2007-12-12T06:26:00.001-08:00

In even more glory than the Santa photo, here it is...

Front Page (click to read)

Back Page

Unfortunately the original images are not working correctly because of an issue with Blogger so they are now linked through Picasa. You may need to click on the zoom (magnifying glass icon in the upper right) to read the letters. If and when this is fixed I will get things setup properly again.

Giving it a try

2007-12-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

Erin, despite cruising the furniture for months now, has yet to take her first step. It is a bit of a puzzler as she practically runs when she cruises and has fantastic balance. So in keeping with the tradition of this blog I am going to complain that she hasn't begun walking yet to spur her on. If you look through past posts you will see that every time I mention that "Erin hasn't done x" she immediately does x to prove her old man wrong. I'll report back in a few days.

A Little Early But...

2007-11-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

Here is the official Santa photo in all its glory!

Erin, if you couldn't tell, was completely terrified of Santa. Rachel was a little shy at first but the big guy did a great job of listening to our attempts to pump her up and picked up a lot of details that really got Rachel's attention and made her warm right up to him.

Oh well, the girls were cute in their matching Santa dresses!

Happy Halloween

2007-11-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

I realize this is a few days after the fact, but here are a few pics from Halloween. We went trick or treating in Old Town Alexandria which was a good time. The stores were giving out treats from 4-6 then one of the neighborhoods just south of King Street blocked off its streets and the whole neighborhood was out and about. Rachel received so much candy that we had to get a second bag to fill. We had a great evening.

OK, now for some pics.

Rachel went as Alice, as in Alice in Wonderland and was adorable. She entered a costume contest and was quite unhappy when she didn't win. Her first words after she came off stage were "Dad aren't you mad that I didn't win?"

Erin slept through much of the evening...

but then she woke up later and had a good time trick or treating. And yes that is Rachel's old pumpkin costume.

Updated Career Plans

2007-10-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

Rachel informed me yesterday that not only does she want to be a "premie baby doctor nurse" she also wants to be a bike racer and a swimmer. It was also important to note that she wants to be all three "in the same day" as well.

The premie nurse and the bike racer come from Mommy (for those who didn't know Mindy was a big time bmx racer when she was young) and the swimmer comes from Rachel's sometimes baby sitter Meredith (she is a competitive swimmer). It is sweet to see who she looks up to and admires, even if Dad isn't one of those people...

The Girls Being Goofy

2007-10-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

A quick video of Rachel being a goofy big-sister shot in a Starbucks in New Hope PA during Columbus Day weekend while we were visiting my family.

Rachel is a great big sister to Erin. There have never been any jealousy issues and she genuinely appears to enjoy her little sis. I find it impressive that when you tell her that she is beautiful without complimenting Erin as well Rachel will reply "I think Erin is prettier than me". I find that touching.

Erin Claps

2007-10-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick vid of Erin clapping. It usually doesn't last long but it is cute nonetheless.

Erin is a little overconfident...

2007-09-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Erin has decided that holding on to things when she is standing up in completely unnecessary. If she didn't come crashing down every time she lets go that would be a good plan, but of course she isn't able to stand without holding on to something. I am sure she will figure it out soon enough.

The other sad news is that her bottom teeth are showing now. My favorite thing about a baby is that toothless smile they have before they get teeth. It broke my heart when this happened with Rachel too, but I guess I just have to get over it...

Erin Update

2007-09-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Don't know how I managed not to post this, but in a time period of about 2 weeks starting at the end of August Erin began crawling, eating solids, pulling herself up to a standing position, cruising the furniture, and her first two teeth broke through.

She loves eating food, here is a little video evidence.

Some more video of Erin showing her love for food.

Soccer Rachel Style

2007-09-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

Only Rachel would play soccer dressed like this...

New Photos Added

2007-09-12T05:30:00.001-07:00

I finally uploaded some recent pics of the family. Take a look in the Summer 07 file to the left...

Vacation is over

2007-08-28T18:09:00.001-07:00

We arrived back in VA on Sunday and we had a great time with my family. It was especially nice to spend time at my Mom's house and see the girls spend time with their grammy. Unfortunately I was bad with the camera so no photos...

Vacation Time!

2007-08-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

We are in scenic New Jersey for a few days. It is nice to get away and visit with my family. Rachel particularly enjoys being with her Grammy and swimming over at Aunt Lu's pool. I don't know if we have any plans for our time here, but if we do anything interesting I will take pics and post them here.

How Quickly I Have Been Replaced

2007-08-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

I think every Dad secretly enjoys it when his little girl says that she wants to marry him. It is one of those things that I always thought was strange before having children but when Rachel first said it to me I nearly cried. It was just that sweet.

Well fast forward a year or so. Mindy decided to show Rachel pictures of Princess Diana and her wedding (princess research?) which naturally led to Mindy showing Rachel pictures of Prince William and Prince Harry. Apparently Dad can't compete with Prince William, which is ok, and now I have been replaced.

I am just happy to be the Captain

2007-08-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

Rachel assigned our family members our "pirate ranks" and there was at least one that made me laugh out loud...

They are as follows:

Lance: Pirate Captain (yes!)
Rachel: Princess Pirate (obvious)
Erin: Baby Pirate (another obvious one)
Same: Puppy Pirate (again)
Mindy: Witch Pirate (due to her love of the wicked witch)

So given Mindy's station in life (or at least on the ship) I am happy to be the captain!

Erin Sits Up

2007-08-03T18:24:00.001-07:00

Title says it all, Erin had been doing the "tripod" thing where she half sits up and supports herself but last night while hanging out on the floor (without us paying close attention) the little chica just sat up... She still isn't really crawling, she tends to take a couple of "crawl steps" then sit up or flop on her tummy.

An Overdose of Cute

2007-07-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

Rachel always loved lemons, but she used to make "the face" with every bite. She still eats them, with salt, today.

I Spoke Too Soon

2007-07-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

So ever since I wrote that Erin doesn't laugh all that much she has decided to begin laughing at all sorts of things. Maybe I should post that we are frustrated that she doesn't do calculus or paint masterpieces yet...

4th of July

2007-07-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

We had quite the 4th here. My Mom, my sisters Sarah and Lauren, and Aunt Lu came down to spend the holiday with us. The day began with a lot of BBQing and eating. Later we pulled it together to watch the fireworks on the National Mall. The crowd was large, but generally everyone was pleasant and we had a great time.

When we first arrived it was pouring and apparently there was a tornado warning in effect. We sat near the Capitol with the hope that we would hear the National Symphony Orchestra. Unfortunately we were unable to hear a sound. Regardless the fireworks were amazing as they exploded behind the Washington Monument.

As you can see, Erin had her usual good time. And yes those are earplugs in her little ears...

Leaving the District was insane as hundreds of thousands of people pushed their way on to the Metro. It took nearly 2 hours to get home because of the number of people travelling. I think next year we will watch from the Virginia side of the river and just avoid the insanity. That being said, I am happy we went this year.

Catching Up Part 1

2007-07-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since I last updated this, so here it goes. I should have a little time to myself today and tomorrow so I hope to catch up on the blog.

Erin is nearly crawling, now she is doing the whole "rocking" thing. It is all downhill from here as she will begin to get into everything and won't want to be held as much. She still doesn't laugh all that much, it takes quite an effort to get her going enough to laugh out loud. I think she is just much more reserved than Rachel ever was at this age and it takes a lot more work to get her going.

Rachel spent her 1st night away from home last night. She is in New Jersey with my family and is having a blast. Somehow I knew she wouldn't miss us one bit! I guess if I was getting spoiled like she is right now I wouldn't miss us either!

Also, Rachel has begun swim lessons and I hope that she can swim on her own by the end of summer. I think that would be great.

We Hired a Nanny

2007-06-22T13:42:00.001-07:00

We finally broke down and have someone watching our children on a part-time basis. She is nice, a college student and a swim teacher. She was Rachel's favorite out of all the candidates interviewed and since Rachel has to spend time with her we figured she could make the final decision.

I have a tons of photos to upload and someday soon I will get around to it.

Nanny Wanted

2007-06-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

We are interviewing for a part-time nanny for the mornings after Mindy gets home from work. Interviews begin tomorrow!

We are in VA

2007-05-17T18:18:00.001-07:00

We arrived in Alexandria on Sunday and are beginning to settle in at our new residence. We immediately took the opportunity to visit Old Town and loved it. A number of friends familiar with the area had said that was the place to go and that we would love it. It is nothing more than a waterfront with many beautiful row-houses and many shops and restaurants. Overall we have a good first impression of the city, it is pretty clean and the district around the PTO and Old Town is simply amazing. Definitely a livable city.

This weekend is Rachel's birthday and hopefully we will have our first opportunity to venture into DC proper and visit the National Zoo. It looks as though we will be getting a lot of rain on Saturday but Sunday, her birthday, should be pleasant. Who knows, maybe we will get the camera out and take a few photos.

Moving Tomorrow

2007-05-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

We are packing up today and tomorrow and will hopefully arrive in Alexandria on Sunday. We plan to stop at my family's home in NJ on Saturday, have dinner, and then lead the brave souls who volunteered to help us move in on Sunday morning.

We are all very excited about this move and can't wait to see the sights!

Girls Go Away, Come Back

2007-05-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

The girls, all 3, spent a week in Omaha visiting Mindy's mother. It was nice for me as I needed to get a lot of work done in preparation for finals, but did make things a little lonely around here. Everyone had a good time but were happy to come back home.

A Nice Afternoon

2007-04-24T04:10:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we drove to Newburyport, Massachusetts and nearby Plum Island for the day. The weather was great and we had a relaxing day together. Newburyport is a cute seaside town in northern Massachusetts. A former co-worker in Arizona had once recommend that I take some time to visit Newburyport. The town reminds me of Portsmouth, New Hampshire but definitely has a more "Boston" feel to it.

Plum Island had all the charm of a New England beach town and had one feature that is rare up here - a nice sandy beach. Unfortunately the island still had quite a bit of debris from the nor'easter we had last week. That didn't prevent us from walking the beach and collecting shells though. All in all we had a great time.

I Wonder Where She Heard That?

2007-04-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

While driving home from New Jersey today, a woman veered into our lane almost causing an accident. Rachel reacted by saying "what is that damn fool doing?" followed by a very resigned "I know, I know - I shouldn't say damn."

Funny Stuff