Lapeer Living

We've Moved!

2010-01-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

The Fat Lady is Warming Up

2008-08-26T09:21:00.001-04:00

As you can see my posting has been sparse this year. Between kids, their activities, work, etc I find myself without the time or energy to post on several different sites. I'll be primarily posting to Facebook from here on out. You can click on the link to the left to get to my profile. You'll need to add me as a friend to see all of the photos I post. I will continue to post to Flikr. Click here for my Flikr page.

Edit: My Flikr page is a mess at the moment. I'll be working on organizing and tagging all of the photos.

Oh Dolly

2008-08-05T18:08:00.001-04:00

Some shots from south Texas. Not much going on here. I'm not going to win a Pulitzer this year. It's so hot that everyone stays inside all day with heat shields on their windows. It's like stepping into a bar from the bright sunshine. I could not live here, that's for sure.

Texas, Wetter Than You Remember

2008-07-28T22:42:00.000-04:00

Ollie, Attack Dog in Training

2008-07-15T14:48:00.000-04:00

4th of July 2008

2008-07-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-04T11:58:00.000-04:00

Dragonfly

2008-06-25T13:44:00.002-04:00

Click for the larger and better looking version.

Earth First

2008-06-18T12:02:00.002-04:00

Saw this while driving the other day and had a good chuckle.

Crawly Bug...

2008-06-18T10:37:00.002-04:00

Flip Flopper

2008-06-18T10:34:00.002-04:00

Beach Bucket

2008-06-18T10:25:00.003-04:00

Baseballs, Bikes, and More

2008-06-18T09:47:00.004-04:00

Long time, no post. We've been very busy lately. Here are a few shots from the past weeks.

A Day at the Beach

2008-05-25T11:55:00.004-04:00

We spent the day yesterday at a state park near our house. We had a little cookout and the kids played on the beach. The weather wasn't quite warm enough to get into the water, but it was a nice diversion for a few hours.

Camping Part II

2008-05-11T20:45:00.003-04:00

Metamora-Hadley Camping Weekend

2008-05-11T20:36:00.002-04:00

The first camping weekend of the year has come and gone. We had a very nice time at the Metamora-Hadley State Park. The weather was great. It got a bit chilly overnight, but we were lucky and had the rain hold off until after we arrived home. Here are a few shots from the weekend.

Shoot Em Up

2008-05-06T08:24:00.002-04:00

Well, I discovered that I'd starve to death if I had to shoot things to eat. It must have been the gun, because no one could be so bad as I was trying to shoot the clays.

Elvis Has Left the Building (with my luggage)

2008-05-03T14:40:00.004-04:00

I've arrived safe and sound in Memphis. The same cannot be said of my luggage. I'd like to take this time to give American Airlines the finger...Anyway, it's nice down here. We're sequestered at the Grand Casino in Tunica, MS which is about 35 minutes away from Memphis. We have the week ahead planned to deprive us of our per diem. Here are a few photos I took after I settled into my room. I've got a pretty nice view.

Declan's Last Scheduled Day!

2008-05-02T23:50:00.003-04:00

Declan's last scheduled day of school is today. Thanks to the crazy winter, he has a makeup day on Monday after his graduation on Sunday. The four year olds have an actual ceremony for graduation, which I will unfortunately miss. I leave for my conference in about four hours and won't return until Wednesday. Jenna has a vid cam and a camera to capture the moment.

Reagan's Last Day!

2008-05-01T11:21:00.001-04:00

She has her last day of 3 year old preschool today. More photos to follow.

Too Busy

2008-04-30T08:42:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, pictures, and updates. We've been very busy this past month. I'm heading to Memphis for a conference on Saturday. Declan's graduation is Sunday. Reagan's last day of school is tomorrow. Jenna's brother and I have gutted and renovated a camper. We sold our Jeep. We bought a Durango. And on and on. Anyway, here's a photo of a horse in my front yard. (Wow, that sure is a blurry picture - thanks, Panasonic!)

Happy Birthday(s)

2008-03-30T22:34:00.000-04:00

The kids had a fantastic birthday season. Well, it seems like a full blown holiday. Declan's birthday was on Easter. Reagan's was three days later. We then headed over to my folks place yesterday. March is quite a month for us with the kids birthdays, Floyd's birthday, Floyd & Lucy's anniversary, our anniversary, St. Patrick's Day, Easter - all in 10 days, whew. I'm looking forward to Christmas when everything will slow down a bit...More pictures to follow.

St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-19T00:36:00.003-04:00

We enjoyed a fun and safe 7th anniversary and St. Patrick's Day yesterday. Here are a few photos.

Shoot the Duck

2008-03-13T23:13:00.003-04:00

After we returned home from Autorama on Sunday, Declan headed over for a classmate's birthday party at the roller rink. He really liked trying to follow around the disco ball lights on the floor...

Autorama

2008-03-13T23:05:00.003-04:00

The family went down to Autorama last weekend courtesy of Jenna's brother Mike and Eaton Automotive. We had a great time and the kids especially liked that there was a toy show mixed in with all of the cars.

Bear II

2008-02-20T14:50:00.004-05:00

If you know how tall Jenna is, you can get an idea how big Ollie has grown. And yes, we still have a play table in our living room...

Big Bear

2008-02-20T14:46:00.002-05:00

Virginia III

2008-02-17T09:06:00.002-05:00

Virginia II

2008-02-17T08:58:00.001-05:00

Virginia

2008-02-17T08:47:00.004-05:00

We were down in Virginia over the weekend for the funeral of a relative. We had a chance to see where Jenna's father grew up on the mountain.

Shoot the Duck

2008-02-12T18:00:00.001-05:00

Reagan enjoyed a little roller derby at a classmate's birthday party. I didn't see James Caan, but there's was a nice 70's vibe in the rink.

No Anti-Dentites Here!

2008-02-07T14:29:00.001-05:00

The kids went on their first visit to the dentist's office yesterday. They actually handled themselves very well. It's hard to see but Declan had quite a look of trepidation on his face when he first saw the table full of instruments. Jenna did a great job of preparing them for the visit by going to the library and picking up a bunch of books. They were able to recognize some of the instruments and the chair from our reading to them.

So Busy

2008-01-31T12:29:00.000-05:00

Been away for a while. We've been remodeling the kitchen and have been busy to start the new year. I haven't had much time to update the site, but I hope to have some before and after photos of the kitchen. It's nice having an oven with all the burners working and a fridge that doesn't have shelves duct taped in place.

Here's some trivia, Jeopardy style.

A. The number 29.

Q. How many cans of beer can a standard veggie drawer in your fridge hold. It will break at 30. This has been scientifically tested. We thank our old fridge for the sacrifice.

Halloween in January

2008-01-14T20:21:00.000-05:00

Declan's classmate Gabby invited the preschool class over for her birthday party yesterday. She asked for a Halloween party and all the kids where thrilled to be able to dress up for the fun. Gabby is the one doing the Gene Simmons impersonation. Declan is doing his best Tommy Boy in the last photo. He wasn't able to explain how he got the welt.

Merry Christmas, er Happy New Year, ah, Well...

2008-01-03T01:23:00.000-05:00

It's been a while. I've been slacking. Here are a few pics of the kids from Christmas. I'll get a decent update in the next day or two.

The Polar Express

2007-12-11T23:55:00.000-05:00

We visited Santa's Village in Chesaning over the weekend and the kids were able to see the actual Polar Express pull into the yard outside of the village. They were absolutely thrilled. The engine is pretty impressive. It's a huge machine. I regret to report that there were no dancing stewards singing 'Hot Chocolate' as they arrived. The photos show Declan and Reagan with our godson Brody, and Jenna holding my nephew Owen.

Happy Thanksgiving II

2007-11-22T11:54:00.001-05:00

There is a little bit of joy in me now that the kids can play outside alone without direct adult supervision.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T11:43:00.001-05:00

We had a bit of snow fall overnight. The kids were thrilled when they woke this morning. After they had some pancakes they headed out to enjoy the fluffy stuff with Ollie. Jenna and I joined them and we made a Lions snowman.

Wagons West!

2007-11-19T17:56:00.001-05:00

Well, horses. Reagan had a chance to ride her cousins' horse, Levi, the other day. Now she wants one of her own. Thanks Uncle Brian!

Halloween III

2007-11-02T00:31:00.001-04:00

And my costume. I went out as a zombie...

Halloween II

2007-11-01T23:27:00.000-04:00

A quick video of our front yard from last night.

Halloween

2007-11-01T22:58:00.001-04:00

Some shots of the kids from last night. The weather held off just long enough to get trick or treating in.

Hunter's Moon

2007-10-29T00:37:00.000-04:00

Camping and Halloween II

2007-10-28T09:08:00.000-04:00

Part two: the Trick or Treat Parade and actual trick or treating! The kids were able to get a practice in for the real thing. Many of the campers hand out treats and decorate their sites for the weekend.

Camping and Halloween

2007-10-28T08:50:00.001-04:00

The state parks around the state have Halloween weekends and provide all types of activities and some trick or treating for the kids. We headed over to Sleeper State Park and had a blast (in a tent)!

Night of the Living Democrats

2007-10-16T23:38:00.001-04:00

Zoo TV

2007-10-04T23:46:00.000-04:00

Detroit Zoo

2007-10-04T23:33:00.001-04:00

The whole crew headed out to the Detroit Zoo last Saturday. It was the longest time I've ever spent there and the fewest animals I've ever seen. It was unseasonably warm for Michigan, so we were able to see how most of the animals sleep. It was great to get together with everyone, and I won't complain about 80 degree weather the last weekend in September. The kids had a ball, and we also celebrated my youngest brother's birthday with some lunch and cake in the park.

Declan's Photos

2007-09-25T22:32:00.000-04:00

Declan got hold of the camera the other day and showed off his photography skills. He got a shot of Ollie, me, and Dirk Dastardly and Muttley.

Renaissance Festival

2007-09-25T21:35:00.001-04:00

We spent the day at the Renaissance Festival on Saturday. The kids always love seeing the people dressed up for the event. There is only one weekend left this year, the weather was beautiful, and the place was packed. It was the Irish theme, but we didn't really see anything more than the normals (anyone not dressed like a gypsy, knight, court lady, pirate, or pirate wench) wearing green and some pipers.

Reagan must be rubbing off on Declan. He seems to be losing some of his shyness. He was walking up to other kids and talking and playing. He met a boy from England (who's father thought it was quite funny to hear Americans shouting God save the Queen during the joust). He also sidled up to a little girl to show off his sword.

A Girl and Her Puppy

2007-09-25T21:27:00.000-04:00

Field Trip to Past Tense

2007-09-21T00:32:00.001-04:00

Reagan and her class went to the cider mill up the road today. The kids had a fun time and Reagan was thrilled one of the kitties there let her hold it like a baby.

Metamora Camping

2007-09-12T00:27:00.001-04:00

We spent the weekend camping at the Metamora-Hadley recreation area. It was really quite nice, and only 15 minutes from home! Our site was situated perfectly in a cul-de-sac with a playground to one side and as the picture shows, the lake to the other. Declan and Reagan brought their bicycles and really loved biking around the campground. As you can see in the photo, we actually camped - in a tent. No cabins for us this time. It went very well and we've already made plans to camp during a harvest festival at Sleeper state park in October. The kids will be able to trick or treat and we'll all freeze our butts off at the same time.

Why Insurance Isn't As Boring As You Think, Reason #743

2007-09-05T19:48:00.001-04:00

Just another day in the life. This was shot in a basement of a burned out house I looked at today.

Declan's 1st Day of 4yr Old Preschool

2007-09-05T19:41:00.000-04:00

Declan started school today. He and Reagan really enjoy it and have no problems being away from mommy and daddy. Declan is posing with his teacher and some classmates, and showing off his new backpack to his friend Austin.

More Preschool

2007-09-04T19:32:00.000-04:00

Some more shots from Reagan's first day. Declan got into the act also. He got a haircut to get himself ready for his first day. He also has a crush on the girl that cuts his hair. He was talking about Ashley all day.

Reagan's 1st Day of School

2007-09-04T19:21:00.000-04:00

Reagan began 3yr old preschool today and seemed to get along fine without us.
She ran into the classroom and was ready to play and learn. We had to remind her
we were leaving.

Labor Day

2007-09-03T19:52:00.000-04:00

Woops. Here's some huge photos from Labor Day at Floyd and Lucy's place. I'm too lazy right now to resize them.

Orientation

2007-08-29T00:11:00.001-04:00

Reagan had orientation for preschool today. It's hard to believe she's already starting school.

Dream Cruise

2007-08-28T23:45:00.000-04:00

Some shots from the Dream Cruise. Reagan really loved the pink Thunderbird.

Catching Up

2007-08-28T23:11:00.000-04:00

I've been falling behind on photos, so here's a bonus for you. Reagan singing away while we were in Mackinaw City a few weeks ago.

Fun in the Sun

2007-08-11T22:55:00.001-04:00

Just some random photos in the backyard. Jenna took all of these
photos.

Final on Camping

2007-08-07T22:40:00.001-04:00

Just Keep Your Hands Away From Their Mouths

2007-08-07T22:30:00.000-04:00

Colonial Michlimackinac

2007-08-07T22:20:00.000-04:00

Camping 2007

2007-08-07T22:10:00.001-04:00

Camping 2007 attracted 70 friends and family to Mackinaw City this past weekend. The weather was beautiful and we had a blast again.

The Week in Photos

2007-07-22T00:40:00.001-04:00

We had an interesting week of weather here in mid-Michigan. The kids enjoyed the rain by playing in it with their bucket hats and towels to keep from getting too wet.

Our 7 month old puppy weighs 81 pounds. We're thinking about having him pull the Jeep to save on gas.

The kids love bugs and find roly polys especially interesting. And just to show you how tough Reagan is, she has both a tattoo and a bloody knee.

It looked like Survivor: Lapeer in the woods behind our sub. Some of the local kids have put together a hut made of twigs and snot (well, grass, twigs, and mud, Top Secret movie reference there).

Daring Young Lady on the Flying Trapeze

2007-07-22T00:33:00.000-04:00

Avast, Ye Scurvy Dogs!

2007-07-22T00:27:00.000-04:00

We purchased a sword for Declan. Crazy? Yes, yes it is...

Miracle Twin Drive-In

2007-06-27T12:22:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to get some of the photos from our trip last week to the Miracle Twin Drive-In posted. The kids had a great time. No need to try to keep them quiet like at the theatre. The movie didn't start until 9:45pm. The kids were crushed we couldn't stay for the second feature that started around 11:30pm...

Declan Tossing

2007-06-16T12:55:00.000-04:00

Fun is where you make it. We picked up a slip n slide yesterday and the kids are having a good time with it.

Father's Day

2007-06-15T08:53:00.000-04:00

There's a great article in the Wall Street Journal today by Tony Woodlief, the author of Raising Wild Boys Into Men: A Modern Dad's Survival Guide. Here are a few excerpts:

Judging by the greeting cards, Father's Day is like a Sabbath for many men, a
day Dad puts his feet up. I think the Almighty was able to rest one day a week
because he had just the two kids, only one of whom was male. I could really use
a restful Father's Day, but recently I found my sons huddled over a book on
traps, which makes me fear that they're planning for my gift to be something
live. Already this spring they've captured a snake, a bullfrog and at least one
deadly spider. While other men think about golfing or napping tomorrow, I'm
praying I can weather the day without getting bitten.

*****

Not only do I believe that trying to take the wildness out of boys is a
doomed social experiment, but I'm certain that genetic scientists will
eventually discover that males carry the Cowboy Gene. That's my name for
whatever is responsible for all the wrestling in my house, and the dunking
during bath time, and my 5-year-old's insistence on wearing his silver
six-shooters to Wal-Mart in order to protect our grocery cart. I only pray
that when the Cowboy Gene is discovered, some well-meaning utopian doesn't
try to transform it into a Tea Party Gene.

Be sure to also check out The Dangerous Book for Boys. A podcast of an interview with author Conn Iggulden can be found here.

Prince Ollie

2007-06-13T19:44:00.000-04:00

Unlike Aladdin, he doesn't enjoy the desert-like heat we've had the past few days.

Jobs Americans Won't Do Part 2

2007-06-13T19:43:00.001-04:00

Doing Jobs Americans Won't Do

2007-06-13T19:21:00.000-04:00

Declan and Reagan doing a little roof work on their house.

Kids Update

2007-06-12T16:50:00.001-04:00

Reagan was excited to wear her cherry dress to our friend's birthday party the other day. Unfortunately we found that juice and trampoline hopping don't mix. We think all the stains came out of it. Declan was crushed seeing a bunch of toys being sold at the garage sale last week so we cheered him up by purchasing a set of lacrosse sticks and a ball. He's pretty good at it, but his game quickly devolves into his turning into Peter Pan and swordfighting against Captain Hook.

Ollie Update

2007-05-23T22:53:00.000-04:00

He's huge, hovering around 70 pounds and now five months old. He has a funny personality, not at all like our old Berner, Murphy. Ollie was really trying to adjust to the 90 degree weather today. He spent some time with me down in my office this afternoon trying to cool off.

Splish Splash

2007-05-23T22:44:00.001-04:00

The city opened up its new Splash Pad on Monday afternoon. It's basically a cement playground with a bunch of wacky sprinklers. Well, the kids enjoy it, although the water is quite chilly, even in 80 degree weather. They had the requisite ribbon cutting with the city council. I wish I had the video going as the kids booed the speakers and cheered once they were done and turned on the water.

Chewed on a Good Book Lately?

2007-04-28T10:24:00.000-04:00

Ollie has. I guess he's not ready to roam free while we're out for an hour. We're still trying to figure out how he got the king sized comforter off the bed. And how he got some of Jenna's lingerie out of her dresser (I'm gonna ask him his trick for that). You'll also notice his box of toys remains untouched...

Wide World of Sports

2007-04-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a big day for us. Reagan began gymnastics and Declan had his second week of soccer.

Brian Getting a Little Jungle Love

2007-04-22T21:56:00.000-04:00

Soccer Bear

2007-04-21T09:28:00.000-04:00

The pup has talent I tell you. Oh, Declan is crying about Reagan dropping snow when she should have been loading it into his dump truck.

Happy Easter 2

2007-04-09T17:40:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter

2007-04-09T17:33:00.000-04:00

Here are a few shots of the kids and their cousins, Shelby and Hadley, yesterday after church and just before the Easter egg hunt.

Party Pics

2007-03-27T20:53:00.000-04:00

Pajamas of Steel

2007-03-27T20:48:00.000-04:00

Declan received many wonderful gifts, but one among them has really caught his fancy.

Happy Birthday, Reagan!

2007-03-26T19:37:00.000-04:00

Well, I said time was flying when Declan turned four. Heh. That's nothing compared to our second child turning three a few days later. We celebrated both of their birthdays over the weekend and Reagan received a few more gifts on her day from Jenna and me.

Happy Birthday, Declan!

2007-03-23T21:56:00.000-04:00

Declan turned 4 years old today. Jenna and I can hardly believe it. I thought I lost time in college, but man, it's really flying now. After he opened his presents we went outside for a bit to enjoy the nice weather. For some reason, he doesn't like deck because it's made of wood. He likes my friend Bill's deck, although his is made of wood also. I guess it's time to get the stain out and freshen mine up.

Leprechaun in Mobile, AL Tree

2007-03-17T15:44:00.000-04:00

We're off to celebrate and I thought I'd post this jewel. It's a newscast video of people who think they saw a leprechaun in a tree in Mobile, AL.

Ollie is Confused

2007-03-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

along with Jenna as to why St. Patrick's came before Anniversary before in the previous post.

Happy St. Patrick's Day (and Anniversary to us)

2007-03-17T11:53:00.000-04:00

The kids are off with Jenna's parents so we'll be able to enjoy our 6th anniversary today!

Pinconning Prickly on Poaching

2007-03-14T16:32:00.000-04:00

The Beast Gets a Brush

2007-03-14T01:00:00.001-04:00

Ollie getting a little TLC this evening.

72 Degrees Today, Snow in the Forecast

2007-03-14T00:32:00.001-04:00

It was absolutely beautiful out today. We took advantage of the weather this evening and let the kids go wild for a few hours. A nice spin around the block on their bikes and some time on the swing set. Ollie got a little grooming in also.

Like Mothers, Like Daughters

2007-03-11T20:08:00.000-04:00

Reagan and her cousin, Shelby (left), picking up the torch
this morning at a shower for one of Jenna's old friends.

New Photo and Video of Ollie

2007-03-04T18:17:00.001-05:00

Ollie has been growing like a weed. At his vet appointment last week he tipped the scales at more than 23 pounds at 10 weeks old. You can also hear Reagan in the background. She's done! And she doesn't like to wait.

Indoor Icicles

2007-02-23T21:35:00.000-05:00

Icicles on your gutters are bad news. Icicles in your basement are really, really bad news. I took these photos at a property I inspected today. A pipe burst and this is the result. I'm still not sure how it stayed in such a small area. The ice got to about 8" thick in the middle.

Teenie Weenie Orange Polka Dot Bikini

2007-02-23T21:32:00.000-05:00

Reagan is ready for summer. She already has her bikini out. We're going to have to work on where the top goes...

Reagan and the Chili Peppers

2007-02-23T20:37:00.000-05:00

Reagan dancing to Snow from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The white blur running past is Declan dribbling an imaginary basketball.

Hi-5

2007-02-23T20:21:00.000-05:00

Declan and Reagan reenacting one of their morning shows. Reagan shows the finer points of form tackling while they're at it. The lighting stinks for the video. It was just before bedtime when the video was shot so we had the lights turned low.