Well, I didn’t send out holiday cards last year. So this holiday message will cover our family’s activities during the past two years – and what eventful years they were!

The biggest news of the past two years is that we added one member to our family. On February 18, 2013 (President’s Day), our daughter, Helen, gave birth to Maya Anna Davis. Here is a picture of Maya at home with her parents soon after she was born:

Yes, that’s right. Angelica and I became grandparents! Here is a more recent picture of Maya in our kitchen. Angelica is standing in the background:

Despite everything we heard before about being a grandparent, we did not anticipate how happy we would feel every time we visit with her. She is a never-ending source of delightful entertainment. Here is another picture of Maya with my mother:

As you can see, Mom really enjoys being a great-grandmother. And Dad really enjoys being a great-grandfather, too.

Both of Maya’s grandmothers are former school teachers. In addition, she is enrolled in a preschool program operated by the local synagogue. As a result, Maya’s vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds, and she forms statements with multiple words. She likes to sing, and already knows the lyrics of several songs for children. She counts to ten, recognizes colors, and assembles simple puzzles.

The other big news from 2013 is that our son, Max, is engaged to be married! Max did a summer internship at Pratt & Whitney, a manufacturer of aircraft engines located in East Hartford, Connecticut. At the end of the internship, two important things happened. The company offered him a permanent job as a senior engineer starting as soon as he graduated from the University of Florida. Then while on vacation in Rehoboth Beach with his sweetheart, Marina, and her family, Max asked Marina to marry him – on the beach. She said, “Yes.” They recently set the date for the wedding: September 6, 2015. Here is a picture of the happy couple taken in Westfield on August 4, 2013:

In late June and early July of 2013, Angelica and I did something that I had wanted to do for many years. We traveled to Seattle for the first time, and toured the city and the surrounding area with my Uncle Jack and Aunt Frieda. After we became acquainted with that region of our great country, I could understand how it captivated their affections and stole them away from New Jersey about 60 years ago. If you would like to read an account of our trip to Seattle, click here.

In September 2013, Max attended a professional conference in Austin, Texas where he submitted a paper and delivered a presentation based on his work in graduate school. This conference was well attended by scholars and researchers in the field of materials science from academic institutions, industry, and government labs. There were 50 papers submitted. The committee that reviewed the submissions selected Max’s paper as the best at the conference. The committee announced its decision at a dinner and gave Max an award. Afterwards, the committee chairman invited Max to apply for a faculty position at Purdue University. Max informed him that Max already had a job in industry.

Late in 2013, Marshal and Helen had the opportunity to expand the fencing club to an adjoining space with a front entrance, and increase the club’s floor space by 50%. With the new expansion, they now have 11 permanent strips, 2 bathrooms, 3 changing rooms, a cross-training/weightlifting area, lockers for personal equipment storage, and a pro-shop, as well as an entrance and parking in front of the building. Since then, the business has increased substantially. Here is a hyperlink to the club’s web site:

http://www.libertyfencingclub.com/

In April 2014, Angelica, Marina, Marina’s mother, and I traveled to Gainesville Florida. On April 25, we attended the graduation ceremony in the Stephen O’Connell Center where we watched with pride as Max received a PhD in materials science and engineering from the University of Florida. Here is a picture of us with our son outside the O’Connel Center following the ceremony:

The next day, we drove to Orlando where we stayed at the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa. During our stay in Orlando, we visited the Sea World Aquatica water park.

After our brief vacation, Max moved out of his apartment in Gainesville, with some help from his Mom, and moved in with us where he stayed for about one month while he looked for a place to live in the vicinity of East Hartford, Connecticut.

On May 17, Angelica and I drove to Pittsburgh where we attended another graduation ceremony. This time, it was Marina’s turn. The ceremony took place at the Petersen Events Center. Marina’s entire family was there and Max, too, of course. We watched Marina receive a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from the Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz College. It was colorful event accompanied by a group of bagpipe players, a tradition dating back to its founding in 1900 by industrialist Andrew Carnegie who was an immigrant from Scotland. Following the ceremony, everybody went to the Cheese Factory for dinner. Here is a picture of Marina with her parents and younger sister at the Petersen Center:

Angelica and I stayed that night in a nearby hotel. The next day, we explored downtown Pittsburgh and observed a historical re-enactment at the Point State Park.

On June 1, it was all aboard for the Kaplans, the Valentins, and the Davises. In honor of father’s day, we did something that my father had always wanted to do. We took the Circle Line Cruise completely around Manhattan. We had a great time. Unfortunately due to illness, Mom and Dad couldn’t make it on that day. Dad and Norah did the cruise at a later date, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Here are a few pictures from the cruise:

Max found the perfect apartment in a house in West Hartford within easy walking distance of the downtown area. He and Marina moved there during the last week of May. On June 2, Max began his career as an employee of Pratt & Whitney. In September, he returned to Pittsburgh where he attended a professional conference and made another presentation based on his research in graduate school. He is now putting the finishing touches on the last articles to be published resulting from his work at UF. Here is a picture of us in front of the Noah Webster house in West Hartford:

In September 2014, Helen accepted the job of coach for the varsity fencing team at Lafayette College. She enjoys being a coach very much. You may recall that Marshal is the coach for the Swarthmore fencing club. Recently, the two of them had the peculiar experience of coaching against each other when members of their respective teams competed in the same tournament at Rutgers. Between the club, coaching at Lafayette, and caring for her daughter, Helen keeps busy. She gets some help from her mother and mother-in-law.

That’s all for now. Angelica and I would like to wish you and your family a delightful holiday season. May you enjoy excellent health, prosperity, and many more happy occasions during the new year. Happy holidays everyone!