Jaci Dawn

I was looking through old photo albums and came across a few treasures.

Cross-country skiing at Mt. Hood Meadows! Levi with the funny pose, Arwen with the sexy orange sunglasses and me in my home-made knickers.

I miss skiing.

Cheesy grins. Camping gear packed in the background. I always thought of this photo as a homeschooling photo but it was in the public school photo album. I honestly cannot remember why I asked the kids to make a clay picture. But who cares? It’s great! Just like the cheesy grins.

Here’s a classic: Levi on his first BMX bike in the Molalla 4th of July Parade. Arwen carried the banner. Cub Scouts. We got free tickets to the Buckaroo: we all love to rodeo. RODEO!

A homeschool diorama of some Native American something. Love the use of Thundereggs and other rocks, moss, lichens and aluminum foil. I’m pretty certain it was all Levi.

Digging for petrified wood on USFS land. I took the photo and then hiked back to our camp by myself while Don & the kids dug up rocks. I’m pretty certain we still have bits of the petrified wood in our possession (it wasn’t much).

The USS Missouri on her last voyage back to Hawaii. Don & Levi went with a friend & his two sons from Cub Scouts. This is a bittersweet photo as the friend later died as a young father of throat cancer. But the boys sure had fun that day.

Looking down from the balloon as Levi and friend Mary clean up the launch site of Miray’s hot air balloon.

Miray’s – the hot air balloon that Levi crewed on for years.

This photo never ceases to amuse me. I was taking a group from my church on a hike up to see Eagle Creek falls in the Columbia River Gorge when we met – of all people – my next door neighbor and his two boys! Keith, Darrell & Daniel coming down while we went up.

The kids who were hiking up the trail that day in 1993: Levi, Harmony, Arwen, Nathaniel & Josiah. So hard to believe all of those kids are graduated from high school now…

In fishing, it is all about “holding your mouth right” – I don’t care what bait you use, if you don’t hole your moth right, you don’t fill your stringer. Levi learned at an early age how to hold his mouth right. He even out-fished his father a time or two.

Probably the most un-PC photo I could have located. Levi at the firing range after passing Hunter’s Safety at the top of the class. he was younger than all of the rest of the students but a whole lot more engaged on ballistics and the mechanics of weapons. He was also a darn good shot. Notice his hands aren’t even close to the trigger because it isn’t his turn to aim and fire. But he’s ready.

Ah, memories… 🙂