The girls...

December, 1988: Sarah is ten, Hannah is one. Yes, our girls might be separated by nine years and three brothers, but in many ways they are like two peas in a pod. Both love music, family times together, and the Lord. Sarah - thanks for being such a sweet big sister to Hannah; and Hannah, thanks for being our dear baby girl! You guys might be in your twenties now, but as your parents we continue to treasure that special love you sisters have for each other.

Ben and Stripe... in 1987

Recently I posted about Ben and his new dog, Cody. Ben has always had a soft spot in his heart for animals (those he isn't hunting, that is)! I ran across this picture today, taken in 1987, when Ben was five years old. He is cuddling with our cat Stripe. We lived in Seaside at the time, and when we moved to the Willamette Valley in 1989, the new owners of our Seaside home volunteered to take loving care of Stripe, to avoid uprooting her. Ben was sad to leave her behind, although he understood that she would be much happier in her familiar surroundings. Miss you, Big Ben! Give Cody some love from his grandparents, OK?

Reflections from David - a few years ago...

Mark and I were rearranging some things in David's old bedroom this weekend, and this was the first thing I ran across in his closet. It was written May 23, 1995. So, the obvious question would be: Dave, did you meet those goals? I miss you lots, big guy! :-)
Here's what it says, in case it doesn't show up clearly enough:

Fourth Grade
Reflections and
Fifth Grade goals

In the fourth grade I have improved in many things such as math, art, soccer, and reading. I could list a lot more but that would be wasting a lot of paper.

My fifth grade goals are:
1. Learn the states' capitals
2. Learn to write stories better
3. Earn a brave pride award
4. Earn a gold card
5. Adjust to the middle school

Philomath honors our home-town hero: Kevin Boss

Kevin's autograph to Coach Dorr shown above.

This afternoon we attended a community celebration to honor one of Philomath's finest: New York Giants tight end #89, and Super Bowl Champion, Kevin Boss. The gym at PHS was packed with people eager to show Kevin just how much we appreciate him and his amazing accomplishments as a rookie in the NFL. Here are a few pictures to show how the afternoon went:Steve Bennett, a teacher at PHS, who is also the athletic director, began the celebration with a few comments about Kevin, and he introduced the other speakers.
Dave Garvin, another PHS teacher, spoke about his experiences coaching Kevin in basketball from the time he was a little guy through the time Garvin's team won the state basketball title the year Kevin was a senior at PHS. Dave, whose family is very close friends with Kevin's family, was very emotional as he spoke, and his voice broke frequently. It was very touching.
Next, C.A. Rath, a teacher at our elementary school, spoke about Kevin. C.A. coached Kevin in football throughout Kevin's years at Philomath High School.
After the speeches, Kevin graciously and patiently signed autographs for all who were interested (which was most of the people in attendance), and posed for pictures. Here Kevin poses with other guys who were at today's celebration who were part of his 7th grade football team. Mark was their coach, and that year the team went 6-1. Pictured are (left to right): Jason Harmon, Phil Kelley, Tommy Bain, Tannen Martin, Kevin Boss, and Mark.

There was a question and answer time during the program, and Kevin fielded a wide variety of questions from the audience. Mark posed this question to Kevin: Did any of the seventh-grade fumble drills that we practiced help you recover that fumble in the playoffs? Kevin's answer: Absolutely. That’s what I thought of right after I recovered that ball. :-)
Finally, here is Kevin with Mark and me. We're proud of you, Kevin, and the quality man you have become. We can't wait for the fall football season to roll around and to see what's in store for your future!