"75"

Kevin wrote this letter for Vaughn to start off his birthday celebrations on Wednesday:

"75"

Seventy-five is an interesting number.  Its meaning can vary greatly based on context.  For example, as a percentage, it can be mind blowing – the amount of our bodies made up of water;  or disappointing – the percentage of correct answers on a test you stayed up late for a week studying for.  Seventy-five is also a self-number in the world of mathematics ….. I had to look that up and I still don’t know what that means.

But your “75”  is the culmination of seven and half decades of living on this planet.  A lot has changed in your lifetime – dinosaurs died off, the wheel was invented, the written language came to be, one or two wars, and eventually civilization!  Its amazing to think of what you’ve seen with your own eyes that the rest of us can only read about!  Not only have you been a witness, you’ve also been an active participant and have had your own impacts on the human family – namely your own little human family that you’ve created and raised.  That family includes a beautiful blend of 9 children, 29 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.  

Your kids are spread from the coast of the Golden State to the greenery of the Great Northwest; from the desert valley at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains to the desert with a “dale” named after someone named Scott; and from the Country Capital of the World all the way to the Middle East!  That’s an impressive span. Technology is amazing though – Skype, cell phones and computers for communicating and cars and planes for travel have made it possible for you to keep tabs and all the goings-on.

As your kids, we’re also grateful for all of these tools to help us stay in touch with you.  But at this moment we are especially grateful for airplanes….., even more so for airplanes that fly to Portland…..even more specifically airplanes that carry all of your kids to Portland to celebrate your birthday! !  

Next weekend, the 17th & 18th of May, you’ll have 8 of us here (sadly, but understandably, the cost and time from Jordan was too much for Scott) to help commemorate your 75% of a century on this planet and to celebrate YOU!  We love you very much!   Happy birthday!!!