Happy Birthday to Kathryn!

It's a big birthday for Kathryn today! Since women sometimes prefer to keep their age confidential, I won't reveal which one she's celebrating exactly. But if this post were done like an old episode of Sesame Street, it would finish by announcing, "today's program was brought to you by the Number 3."

To honor Kathryn on this special day, here are a few old photos:


I don't know much of the context of this picture which was taken in the late '70s. She looks a little similar to Sawyer (my youngest), who also loves to eat at night right before going to bed. Looks like a graham cracker in one hand, and a binky in the other (a tough decision for a tired child).



The next picture sheds a little more light on Kathryn's comment a few days ago. In her "Smart Santa" post a few days ago she wrote that a Ramona Quimby diary helped foster her love of writing. The photo above indicates that perhaps story-time with Dad helped to plant that seed even earlier. She is really enjoying this book!

Now some of you might look at this & think that Dad's look is pretty stale, but believe me, it couldn't be more current. The thick framed glasses are back. And I'd bet there are about 500 hipsters in Brooklyn scouring the thrift stores & vintages clothing racks for old colorful Puma's & western cut shirts. Way to go Dad - quietly blazing a fashion trail, 25yrs ahead of the hipsters.



Now speaking of fashion, I don't know who posed the final shot here, but I think it's pretty cute. It looks like it belongs in a Gap Kids (or Mervyns or JC Penneys) catalog. While David is busy flossing his teeth with the knuckle of his thumb, Kathryn is acting cool & unfazed in front of the camera. This was developed in early 1985. It think it shows how early in life a person's real personality begins to show.

Well, Kathryn, may you always stay so cool & unfazed. Have a Very Happy Birthday!

Creative Sledding

Ever notice how creative some people get with their sledding equipment. At BYU the students borrow cafeteria trays to slide down the Marriott Center slope. In New York's Central Park the kids just use flattened cardboard. A few years ago Laurel & I tried to use our landlady's flat shovel to sled down our steep street (I think I saw that on "It's a Wonderful Life", but it didn't work well for us).

Today's photo shows how creative we were in finding sledding equipment for the little ones. When the twins were little, they were put in a standard plastic dish bucket to brave the slopes.

Here is one of the twins, positioned in her bucket at the top of a slope (looks like she is preparing to push off).

Smart Santa

One of my most memorable Christmas gifts was a little something I got in second grade: a Ramona Quimby diary. Ramona happened to be my hero that year, and I think my love of writing began with that journal. Who would've thought it'd lead to a journalism degree 15 years later?

Santa always seemed to bring the Dougall kids toys we could learn from. Tinker toys, books, legos, even games like Monopoly and Mastermind (and yes, Risk, too!). Even the fun stuff pictured below turned out to be great learning tools. Is this where Rob acquired his skill for managing money? And the humble beginnings of Heather's domesticity?

Rob and Dave in 1979

Alison and Heather in 1977

p.s. Who else misses the living room's killer yellow/orange carpet?

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care

When looking at the Dougall's home in December there was no mistaking the fact that it was Christmastime. There were lights fastened along the roof, the wooden Grinch standing guard out front, a tree lit up in the front window. In the living room there a coule nativity scenes carefully assembled in straw, and there were as many as a dozen bags stuffed with presents. But the primary decorations on display in the family's main gathering space were the stockings -- all thirteen of them, individually named, hung on the fireplace in the family room.

Here we are in 1990, posing with our brand new Dougall Sweatshirts.

(this photo seems to indicate that when I hit puberty as a teenager, my growth began at the neck first - at age 15 it looks to be twice the normal length.)

Could there be a better tradition

There were many Christmas traditions that kept the Dougalls busy: cutting a tree, gatherings with friends, lights, decorations, carolling & music, delivering cookies, Peacock Lane, electric train set, the Grinch, the Man who Missed Christmas (please drop a comment and remind me some that I'm missing). The tradition that stands out the most to me was the annual Christmas Eve trip to the mountains.

The trip to Mt Hood was always the most exciting part of Christmastime. I loved taking the inner tube down the slope beside White River Lodge. But I don't know how mom managed to keep it organized. In the mid 80's there were 11 kids, and two adults. That means there were at least 13 pairs of boots, 13 hats, 26 gloves, 52 socks. . . . I can't even begin to fathom how to keep that organized within the big brown van.

In addition to keeping the family dressed, there was the logistical problem of keeping the family fed (chasing an inner tube up & down a hill burns a lot of calories). Not only did Mom have food covered at the mountain (I remember drinking copious quantities of hot chocolate and eating warm chex mix) but we were bound to be greated by the scent of a Christmas ham or turkey baking in the oven upon returning home. Ahh, what could be better than a traditional Dougall Christmas Eve.

Today's photo is either Emily or Julie (sorry, it's hard to distinguish at this age) in 1982.

The Hunt for the Perfect Tree

The Dougalls always kicked off the Christmas season with an outing. Dad, armed with a small saw, would gather the kids in the car, perhaps as early as Thanksgiving weekend, and drive the family out to the woods (or a tree farm), on our hunt for the perfect Christmas tree.

These trees weren't the full-bodied, symetrical, vivid green, well-manicured trees that are sold at your average Home Depot. These were trees that were bound to be a bit more unique and with a little more character. Finding the perfect tree could take quite a bit of hiking, because (let's face it) mother nature doesn't naturally produce full-bodied, symetrical trees all on her own. We'd have to pass by many unacceptable trees before finally finding a suitable candidate. Selecting the tree was a democratic process, someone would spot a candidate & others would have to vote on it. When concerns were raised, they would have to be addressed:


"this tree is no good, do you see how scraggly it looks on this side"


"well that scraggly side will obviously be against the wall"


"but three quarters of the tree is scraggly"


"then we'll have to position it in a corner . . . ."


Today's picture was taken during Christmastime 1980. We are posing with the Stevens family, who joined us for our expedition that year. (For some reason I recall that they chose a tree that was about 18 feet tall.)

On the First Day of Christmas

Happy December to all the Family. To kick off the Christmas season I want to post some photos of the Dougall's Christmas Past. The first one goes back to Christmas 1965. Here is the tree which decorated the apartment of newly-married John & Marilyn Dougall, for that sunny California Christmas.