Happy Birthday, Dan and Dave

Today is our twin sons' birthday!  They are both a very important part of this large family.

And Dan is an even more important part of this smaller family.

And Dave is an even more important part of this smaller family.

Forty-two years ago was perhaps the happiest day of our lives.  Every one of our kids' birthdays was a happy day but on this day we had two babies - and they were big (6 lbs 8 oz and 6 lbs 14 oz) and healthy and they were cute and they were BOYS after we already had two girls!  It just didn't get any better than that.

And the blessing that was these two boys had just begun.   They were really young when their Cub fan training began.

 They were cute and sweet together in Jr High.

 They were among the forerunners of computer game players and were very competitive.

Later they went to Airborne school and jumped out of airplanes..

 They've always been hard workers.

 and generous about posing for pictures.

 They golfed together,

 went to war together,

 And came home - almost together.

 They were interviewed on New York television together,

 and still played video games together - every once in awhile.

And they definitely laugh together.

They met their wives when they were going to school in Muncie and I'm proud that they're devoted husbands and fathers and that fatherhood was something that they both looked forward to.

But you can see all this in previous birthday posts.  2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011,  And then you can learn more about them from posts like these  their wives, Independence Day post about them, and deployment posts like 2010, 2011, and An email from Iraq.

What I should be sharing is what they've been up to in the past year.  Both continue to work and both never seem to stop updating their homes.  They'll be leaving those homes soon though because both were selected for War College in locations far from where they live now.  War College, according to Wikipedia is a place where "Mid-level and senior military officers who are likely to be promoted to the most senior ranks are selected to study at the War College in preparation for higher staff and command positions".  So that's certainly an honor and seems to bode well for their futures. 

But here's what they've really been doing. Last summer, they (along with our grandson-in-law, Chris and my brother, Steve) completely remodeled our house.  They added a bathroom, remodeled the laundry room, rewired, put in a complete new kitchen, new floors, new interior doors, and in some cases new walls.

The exterior didn't have to be done because they did that last year - new driveway and sidewalks, new windows and doors, and new siding.  No wonder 42 years ago today was perhaps the happiest day of our lives - maybe it wasn't just about what had happened.  Maybe it was also about what we knew in our souls was going to happen - these boys would be a blessing to us all our lives - and not just to us but to everyone they encounter.  We couldn't be more proud of them and we're wishing them an amazing birthday (despite the fact that Dave is camping with one of his sons' Boy Scout troop and Dan is batching it  while his wife enjoys a much deserved girl getaway, his older son is at college and his younger son is at the prom. I suspect that Dave will have a campfire birthday dinner and Dan will have a special dinner with his sweet daughter.

But I know that neither will feel slighted or unhappy because they are two of the most unselfish, generous, kind-hearted people you could ever know.   Plus they have pride in their country, integrity in their positions, and a work ethic few can match.  For these and so many more reasons, we're inordinately proud of them and wishing them a wonderful birthday and a successful, happy upcoming year!