Happy Birthday to Rich

Rob is a little belated for now, but I will post a little update saying Happy Barfday to Richard P Dougall. He was sometimes a butt of a brother, but it is good that things have changed so much and we are glad he is our friend.

Happy Birthday to MOM!

And a happy Mother's Day, too!

Here it is again, Mom, Your Special Weekend! If you ever get tired of having your birthday fall on the same weekend as Mothers Day (if you'd prefer to have the attention spread over two different periods) you could always move to England. The Brits have decided to honor their mothers in March.

I'm sorry we couldn't be closer to you, but at least you have a handful of kids & grandkids close enough to make it a special occasion. The best I can do is post my thoughts to this blog, so without further ado . . .

Seeing as these slides are all from dad, I don't have anything of you when you were really young. The earliest picture I could find was developed in June 1962. I'm certain that is Dad in the photo (the thick glasses and slick hair are a dead giveaway), but as I post this picture I'm not 100% certain that he's standing beside his future bride. I mean you guys look so young - Dad looks about the same here as he does in his high school pictures. I would guess that this might be an early date for you two. I'm wondering it was the first time she took that 7 mile long trek south from campus to check out the John B. Dougall stompin' ground in Springville.

Fast forward 25 years. . . here is Mom in Puerto Rico picking up her oldest son at the end of his mission. I want to know how Dad got her to pose as if she were a department store model. The composition is great - the model is surrounded by exotic tropical rainforest, yet leaning against a decidedly urban sign - graffiti tagged and all.

And finally, one of my favorite photos of Mom and kids. I think this is one of Dad's finest early family photos. In this one the family stands at the top of some mountain. (there are recurring themes in Dad's slides: Christmas, birthdays, mountain tops, and rose parade floats) I guess this couldn't be too high a peak, seeing as the three little ones made it, and Mom doesn't look worn out at all or stressed about the kids slipping 1,000 ft off the summit. I like the fashionable clothes of the period (I love the foxy glasses). I also think the kids are really cute (it was before they learned to ham it up in front of Dad's camera).

Of course everyone knows the classic photo that Dad took of Mom is when she was expecting the twins - you know, the one of her in the driveway with the large polynesian dress. But since this blog is essentially open to the public, I thought that one might not be appreciated. It is certain to make it into the reunion slideshow, though. . . .

Well Mom, thanks for all you've done on our behalf. Thanks for the many tireless hours of sacrifice and self-less giving. I hope you know how much we all love you and appreciate all that you've done for us.

Happy Birthday, and Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Belated Birthday to Sheri

Sorry Sheri, I've been out of town so a few days behind on everything. Here's my brief little tribute to you in honor of your birthday. . . .

Because you were born later than the rest of your brothers and sisters you are probably featured in fewer slides and Super 8mm films than everyone else - but on the flip side you're probably featured in more family video footage & digital snapshots than the rest. In scanning through the old slides I don't see that Dad got any pictures at your birthday. Hmmm, well here's what he did captures:

I recall that Sheri loved the pacifier, so this picture seems like the best baby picture we've got.

Your love of the water began early, it looks like you're about to get into the cannonball formation at the motel pool in Utah.

I don't remember Sheri as a horse enthusiast, but aren't all little girls really into ponies. I really have no idea where this was taken, but Sheri looks pretty cool, pretty calm on that big animal.

I don't have any pictures for this, but today is the day to be thankful we have a Sheri Dougall instead of Douglas Dougall. Thank goodness she was a girl... We were all praying for it, but it was nice to hear it on the day she was born.
--David Dougall

It's birthday time again, so let's all give Three Cheers for our big brother John!

Given the nine year age gap between us, I must confess that I don't have a whole lot of insight to contribute here about the nature of our oldest brother when he was young, but I'll share some insights I think we can glean from the family photos. . . . The picture above seems to show pretty clearly that as a teenager he was not lacking in 'Macho'. The picture below shows that he was not lacking in style. Even playing in the backyard as a young boy, he was proud to dress in a classy '70s mod style (even while his siblings were still in their pajamas). If I ever record a ska album, I'd be tempted to lift John out of this photo & drop him on the record cover.

And the trophy he's holding below is evidence that he had skills (I presume this was earned after a piano recital with Ms. Withington).

And, of course, a key trait that's got him where he is today is his hard work & focus. In high school he could shut himself in his bedroom & get so deeply involved in homework, that he couldn't even break his concentration to smile for a photo. (and sorry john, not even a camoflague cap can hide the Perm you've got underneath).

Thanks for all you did to help your younger brothers & sisters, John. Thanks for always being such a great example for us. Have a Very Happy Birthday today!!

Happy Birthday to Heather!

March 3rd is here and that means two things for Heather: (1) she's one day closer to delivering twins, and (2) she is another year older.

Today's photo looks like it was taken for Heathers 7th birthday (it looks like she's standing on the porch of the Tigard house, would that make it the 8th birthday?). I see a couple of similar themes to the Geoff birthday photos that I posted two months ago. First, we see another beautiful cake crafted by mom. Second, the birthday child is in pajamas. It isn't obvious if this picture was taken in the morning (making this a breakfast cake), or later in the day.

Last year was a big year for you, Heather. Good luck with managing all of the challenges (such as your growing family) that lie ahead of you in the next year!

I'm still alive

I am celebrating one year from the dreadful accident in Provo.
I am grateful to be alive. Sheri, Julie and Emily have spent some time here.
--David Dougall