Is this a talent?

My sweet Bennett has a talent. Well, I guess you can call it that. None of us share this talent. He is an anomaly. Although, if this was inherited from a blood line, I haven't determined yet which one. But, here he is in all his glory. Yes. He can burp ..on demand. And lately, when I give him a hug, it makes him burp. We laugh together about it. I tell him "I squeezed the burp out of you". And he laughs hysterically. The question is....is this a phase....or a long term talent. And, in the midst of this new development, I am trying as diligently as I can to teach him to say "excuse me" each time. I am determined to have my kids become civilized members of society....someday!

All Because a Boy Met a Girl

September 27th is a special day around our house! Today it's been thirteen years since Greg and I got engaged at Silver Falls State Park. In our photo album, Greg described the day as a "brisk, crispy fall day, with autumn sunlight sparkling off of waterfalls (and a diamond or two)." Sigh. I always melt into tranquility when he writes like that. The picture above was taken right after he popped the question. The picture below was earlier in the evening when we were hiking (Look how happy I am!). He was so cute that day...and awkward in a way. He was so quiet. I couldn't figure out why. His sentences weren't as well put together as they usually were. Well, I found out why later. He was trying to decide how to ask me....and the ring was burning a hole in his pocket. That is such a special day to remember. Makes my heart well up. I sure love this guy of mine! And I'm glad he asked me to be his all those years ago! Love you Greg!

Bye Bye Braces

Lowden got his braces off yesterday! Such a nice smile!

Boys Went Backpacking

The boys went backpacking last weekend to Mount Jefferson! They hiked a total of 15 miles. The boys are enjoying a cup of warm cocoa after dinner...they look like they're in their element.

They went fishing at Russell Lake. Lowden apparently caught one right away. (Must be my genes in him.) Anyway, apparently Parker has Greg's genes. He caught lots of other stuff in the lake but no fish. Until 3 hours later...he finally did. And as you can see below it was a whopper!


Love these pictures below of Lowden the Mountain Man!



And the last bit of excitement. A black bear. Far far away...as I was told. You can barely see a black dot in the center of this picture walking up the ridge. I love that the boys kept emphasizing to me that it was "far" away. They must know about my worried mom nerves.

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Note from Greg:

Jefferson Park in the fall is amazingly beautiful, picture-perfect days and chilly nights. A few of my favorite photos from the trip....

Mt. Jefferson from the north, framed by wind-gnarled hemlocks and the deep red fall color of huckleberry bushes.

Mt. Jefferson reflecting in Scout Lake at sunset.

Parker and Lowden hiking toward Russell Lake...to show the fish who's boss. :-)

Guess What Bennett's Going To Be For Halloween?

Duck Madness

Greg took Lowden and Parker to the University of Oregon vs Fresno State game today. Greg said the boys had 10 questions for every play of the game. Thankfully, the Ducks had a big win so everyone came home in a good mood :-)! Seeing them together like this makes me smile!

Local Airshow

Lowden and Greg crack me up too! More silliness...this time from the local airshow!

More of Parker's Silliness

Parker...as silly as ever!

Handsome Hair

Bennett calls this his

"handsome hair". He has decided he likes it spiky on top. So, it's fun to watch him feeling all cool after I finish doing it.... Just love him!

Everbody loved Grandpa Great!

Grandpa Lowry (Grandpa Great as he is known) passed away this last Sunday. We all loved him SO much! He will be missed.

Funny!

Apparently, the comic strip Stone Soup was about a boy getting a concussion. Kinda funny that the boy almost looks like Parker. And he got staples like Parker did. And that Parker is back to his normal self too!

Duck Football and Fall Saturdays

There is something so greatly satisfying about seeing two of my favorite boys together enjoying their favorite thing - Duck Football. They were hooting and tromping around in delight for most of the UO vs Michigan game. Greg was heard through the house saying "I can't believe they did a fake statue of liberty play". That made his day! So happy again that Parker is well after all he's been through. Love them both so much!!!

Bennett's First Day of Preschool

Today was a big day for Bennett. His first day of preschool! Surprisingly, he was a little nervous this morning (although all summer he was super excited). But, when he got to the school. He took off... without looking back. Sat himself down at the playdough table and rolled, cutted, and punched out shapes to his desire. So cute to watch!

When I went to pick him up, I asked his teacher how it went. She said, "he needs to work on taking turns and sitting in a circle." (Not surprising to me). I'm glad he is having these learning experiences! :-)

EWW!

So...Parker was out looking for interesting things again in the field this afternoon. And this is what he found. A preying mantis eating a grasshopper. Eww! Parker, and boys in general, seem to have this amazing ability to find buggy delights like this.

First Day of School

The first day of school was yesterday. Lauren woke up at 6:15am. We had to tell her to go back to bed. :-) Lowden said, "...ahh I'm going to enjoy a few more hours of freedom." (Note to self: I should give the boy more chores next summer since he thinks it was easy street for him the past few months.) Parker was up and dressed and ready before I could blink. I didn't have to remind him to do anything. (Truly amazing!) So we hurried around and packed their lunches. And off they went...to another year of educational bliss. :-) They all had a great first day! Lowden is in 4th Grade. Parker is in 3rd Grade. Lauren is in 1st Grade. Bennett starts preschool on Friday...stay tuned for more pictures in a few days.

Tents

Kids had fun making tents in the living room this afternoon! I had fun helping them!

Article in Local Newspaper

I took the kids to a local park the other day. A lady walked up to us and said she was from the local newspaper and wanted to ask us a question. Kinda funny. I don't know if this is exactly what I said but she quoted Lowden almost word for word. Lowden is pretty sure he's famous now. Here's a link to the full article. Our quote is at the very end. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/09/01/a1.kicker.0901.p2.php?section=cityregion

(In regards to an income tax rebate being received by Christmas)

"Eugene resident Margaret Hansen, 32, warmed to the idea of even a couple hundred bucks arriving among Christmas cards this year. "Ah. That would be nice, wouldn't it?" she said. Her son, Lowden, a fourth-grader at Meadowview Elementary School, was already thinking. "If I had $250, I'd buy myself a Wii," he interjected. "He knows exactly how much they cost: $249. He's been saving his money," Margaret said, and then to Lowden: "Unfortunately, you don't get an income tax (rebate)."