Some things you can't change, so you go forward

Today is our son's 33rd birthday.  He's celebrating it as he has for the last two years, alone.  For 30 years there was always someone to celebrate it with.  His brother, his identical twin brother.  He said that after celebrating that long with someone, you don't want to celebrate it.  So he lets us do something in lieu of a brithday party.  This year, like the first year, we went to the Duck Spring Game.  All of us.

We got up early and packed lunches for everyone.  Sandwiches, chips, fruit, carrots, the usual sack lunch.  We wanted to tail gate but the game was at 11am, too early this year for a tailgate party.  Next year, we'll tailgate After the game while the traffic clears.

 Tummies full before we headed into Autzen and excitement was running high.

 Photo ops were in abundance.

After the game, and the exchange of the shirts and coins, they opened the field up for the fans. 

 We pinned them down for a few pictures, bad pictures.  They were too excited to be on the field and didn't want to sit still for something as mundane as a picture!

 There was some awe too.  I mean, they were in Autzen.  Where the Duckies play!

 Some were pretty excited to be there!

 And just had to have a picture at the goal posts.

 Q-U-A-C-K!!

The Ducks honor the military with their spring game.  It is full of patriotic moments:  a flyover, the Star Spangled Banner played by the UofO band, TAPS, a moment of silence, an Honor Guard folding the flag, and ending with an exchange on the field between the players and military.  The military presents each player with a coin and the players in turn give the military the shirt off their back.  It's a great moment.  The whole day is a great one to be an American and a Duck fan.

 It never rains in Autzen, or so they say.  It certainly didn't this day.  It was a sunny warm day.  Just perfect for snoozing when the novelty wore off.

We tokenly celebrated our youngest's birthday the night before.  She'll get a real family celebration later but we couldn't let the day go totally.  I mistakenly lumped her birthday and her brothers together the first year.  Her brothers were hurt a bit.  I vowed never to mistake that again.  So the game was all about her brother.  There are plans for a zoo trip for her birthday later.