Good-Bye, David

David Wayne Stevens
(28 January 1968 - 30 June 2008)

וְעַתָּ֣ה׀ מֵ֗ת לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ אֲנִ֣י צָ֔ם הַאוּכַ֥ל לַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ ע֑וֹד אֲנִי֙ הֹלֵ֣ךְ אֵלָ֔יו וְה֖וּא לֹֽא־יָשׁ֥וּב אֵלָֽי׃
"I shall go to him, but he will not return to me..."
2 Samuel 12.23

From Fisher Funeral Home:

David Stevens, 40, of Albany lost his long battle with diabetes and died Monday at his home. He was born in Albany and lived his whole life in Albany.

He leaves behind a family who loves him dearly and will miss him more than words can express. He loved everyone and always tried to make everyone happy. He was happiest when he was outdoors - dirt bike riding, skiing, or any outdoor sports. He had a great time singing Karaoke at JP's. He loved to draw, sing, and write poems and songs. He loved to sing because it made everyone so happy.

David is survived by his mother, Charlote Bridges and step-father, Dave Bridges, who David always said was the best dad he ever had; son Keegan, sisters Michaelle Williams and her daughter Miranda Williams, Tami Butler and her daughters, Tonya & Tiffany; step-brother, Kyle Bridges: grandmother, Virginia Stevens; uncles, John Wood & Tom Leys; aunts, Karen Leys, Ruth Wood, Elizabeth Smarr & Roselyn Stowell, and many cousins. David will join his grandparents in heaven: his Grammy, Dorothy Couch who was his best friend and roommate for many years, and his grandfathers: Willis Wood and Jim Stevens.

Memorial services will be held at the Albany Eagles Club, 127 Broadalbin St NW, at 2:00pm, Saturday, July 5, 2008.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be given to any Central Willamette Community Credit Union or to Fisher Funeral Home, 306 SW Washington, Albany, Oregon 97321 to help with his final arrangements.

First Fish of the Season

To celebrate Tristyn's last day of Second Grade we took him out to Shevlin Pond to go fishing. We all had a great time and both Tristyn and his mom got two fish each, which we then grilled up for dinner!

The first fish of the season!

Tristyn learns to clean his first fish!

The Big Catch!

Three Generations on the Butte

A few weeks ago my folks came up to visit for the weekend. While they were here we got this great shot of me, Dad and Tristyn up on Pilot Butte:

She Said Yes!

Last Saturday I asked my girlfriend, Justine, to marry me and--of course--she said Yes! We're planning a Summer 09 wedding in one of the local parks :)

Haircut Day!

A few days ago Tristyn had his first haircut in quite a long time:

Before

During

The Mohawk!

Still some left, Mom!

The HAIR!!

Finished! Isn't he cute?

The Oregon Coast

This weekend we took a little after-Thanksgiving trip to the Oregon Coast. We had a great time & I thought I'd share some of the pictures we took.

Justine and I

Sunset over the water

Justine and Tristyn

Our first Family Portrait

Sunset

Tristyn and a Giant Crab at the Oregon Coast Aquarium

The Three of us outside the aquarium

Tristyn and an anchor in Depoe Bay

Tristyn and Santa (We ren into Santa when he came to light the Christmas tree in Depoe Bay)

Justine, Santa and I (See, Duck, Santa does like Jews!)

Taking an Ice-Cream break

Tristyn at the petting tank in the aquarium

Me at the Newport docks

Tristyn on the Newport docks

Justine

Camping

Last weekend my girlfriend, Justine, and I went on a little camping trip in Eastern Oregon. We rented a nice little cabin at the KOA campground near Madris. We didn't take too many pictures, but here are a few of the good ones we did take:

Our Cabin

Some of the other cabins in the site.

The most uncomfortable bed in the world!

The bunk-beds we used for a dresser, cabinet and dinner table!

Our idea of roughing it: Laptop, DVDs and Whiskey!


The complimentary Cabin-Cat

Justine pretending she can't see the camera


Justine

And Me!

34

Just wanted to share some photos from my Welcome Home/34th Birthday party last Sunday.

Wiburys Reborn

Great news via Billboard.com (via a good soul at the George Harrison.com forum). After being out of print for over ten years the Traveling Wilburys' two albums are being rereleased by Wilbury Records/Rhino. For those who don't know, the Traveling Wilburys was a "supergroup" made up of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynn, who all assumed pseudonyms for the project as Wilbury brothers: Nelson, Lucky, Charlie T. Jr, Lefty and Otis Wilbury (and Spike, Boo, Muddy and Clayton Wilbury on their second album).

From what I know this is a project George Harrison was working on when he died in 2001 and which Olivia Harrison and Barbara Orbison had taken up in his stead. The story describes the rerelease:

"Traveling Wilburys Volume 1" and "Traveling Wilburys Volume 3" will be available together in one package with bonus tracks and a DVD of rare footage, as a deluxe linen-bound edition, a vinyl set and a digital bundle. The DVD boasts a 24-minute documentary and five music videos.

I'm very much looking forward to holding that in my greedy little hands!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Two Years Already?

I feel kind of bad that I had to be reminded that today is the anniversary of another death.

I posted this two years ago & I'm not sure I could say any better today:

Three Strikes
For Michael Thomas Cunningham, 1967-2005
by John W. Leys

When you took ill
I prayed for you.
Every day I prayed.
Three times a day:
Morning, noon and night
I begged for God’s mercy;
Begged for a miracle

But the time for prayer is passed
Mourning is now here.
Enriched by your memory,
Wounded by your absence.
Nothing will bring you back,
Your miracles are spent.

The path you walk
I will one day follow,
But you can never follow it
Back to me.

Zoo Anybody?

Still going through old pictures. Found this one taken at the Washington Park Zoo in Portland, OR in circa 1978:

All Those Years Ago...

I was just going through a few old pictures that my Mom sent to me & ran across this great one of my folks and my late maternal grandfather, Willis "Woody" Wood. It was taken in the bar of the East Rockaway Yacht Club, where Grandpa tended bar:

The Mike Cunningham Memorial Fitness Center

Long time readers of this blog will recall my cousin, Mike Cunningham who died from ALS last year. Last night the school he worked at as a teacher and football coach (and from which we both graduated High School), West Albany High, dedicated its Fitness Center in his name. I don't think there could be a better tribute to Mike. He was an athelete and he LOVED that school. Having a part of it named for him, especially a part of it that will be used by other West Albany athaletes, would make him very proud.

Below are a few pictures my mother took at the dedication ceremony: