Happy Birthday, Mr. C!!!

March is a busy birthday month for our family.  But, this guys birthday always is fun to celebrate.  He's so simple.  Buy him socks and nuts and he's thrilled to death.  Feed him salmon and he's even happier!  This year, we kept it as simple as could be, simply because we were all going in several directions on the days surrounding his birthday.  So, on Monday night, his birthday eve, I asked what we could do to celebrate.  Doug said, "KFC and a drive up the canyon."  KFC and a drive, it was!  Check!  And then, fifteen minutes later, we were off in our separate ways.

Tuesday, on his actual birthday, he came home from work and cooked about five pounds of catfish, one of his favorites, outside on the grill, while I prepared for a major presidency meeting.  Then, Zeej went off to a dance, so Doug and Quayd went to a movie together.  Again, not much of a birthday celebration, but he was in heaven to eat all the fish he could and then to spend time with Quayd.  What a birthday. 

That's one of the things that I love most about Doug... he's so easy to please.  Always, easy to please, always happy, always accomodating to everyone and never putting himself first.  What a good man he is!

I'm thankful for our life together and that I get to live with this easy-going, happy, helpful and friendly to everyone kinda guy!  He rocks my world in his own simple and quiet ways.

A few facts about Doug, of recent...

• Doug finally upgraded from his i-Phone 5 to a new one and he's learning to text, to get on Facebook more than annually (more like once a month now) and he even learned to put a gif in our family group text!  He's hysterical!
• He's still serving in the YSA.  Three years is coming up soon.  No word of him coming back to the home ward yet, but he loves the calling more and more every day!
• Doug has become more outspoken this past year than ever.  He has opinions and expresses them, although, ever so kindly.  Even if he disagrees, he states it gently.
• Nothing lights up Doug's eyes like when he sees his cute granddaughters.  It's so fun to watch him facetime with Aylabelle and EdieAnn.  Edie seems to really recognize his voice when he walks in and always leans to look for him.  It's adorable!
• He's reading family history books this past year and learned and captured many many stories of his mother's heritage.  He shares the stories often with us and in his talks at church.
• Doug does not like the hotttub.  OR actually, the hottub does not like him.   No matter what the Ph levels, or amount of bromine we add or don't, the hot water makes him itch for days.  So, he only gets in about once a month with me, usually when he feels that I'm needing some extra attention.  It makes me sad to not be able to share that with him every day!  But, swimming pools don't bother him at all!  It's the heat, not the chemicals.  Doug loves to swim!
• Doug is my silent counselor in the RS Presidency.  I often share things with him and ask his opinions, without names or specifics.  He's very patient and understanding of the time that I have to be gone, due to my current calling.   I love that he's always so supportive of anything I do!
• Doug is not aging.  He still is as physical as ever... cross-country skiing, riding his bike, hiking, working hard.  He's in great shape and every single day, I give thanks for that and pray for it to continue.  

I adore this good man that I get to call my eternal companion.  He's exemplary, he's wise, he's wonderful.  And I get to call him mine!