HAPPY BIRTHDAY - JACQUIE

OK...OK...the family has just gone home from the party and now we can have a look at those birthday pictures I promised you.

It's June 5th and that means its our baby girl's birthday. Well, I suppose I should clarify. Jacqueline Michelle Mooney was born on this day in a previous century...actually in a previous millenium. She was our last child, and our only daughter, so she will always be daddy's little girl...gotta grab a hanky and catch that tear...gimme a minute...

This is Jacqueline on the day we brought her home from the hospital.

Notice the dresses.

This is the first time Judy took a dress to the hospital to bring a baby home.

You may wonder why that is significant. In the old days we didn't get weekly ultra sounds and we had no idea going in to the hospital if we would be bringing a boy or a girl out of the delivery room with us. We had gone in to the hospital four times, prepared each time with a new colourful hand knit sleeper. Each time we came home with a new son. This time was different. Judy was aching for a daughter and she was determined to bring this baby home in a dress. Not only did the baby have a new dress to come home in. Judy had made a matching dress for herself to come home in.

I still have this little doll in my top dresser drawer.


Our little girl grew up quickly with three big brothers to try to keep up with.



She didn't have much hair though.



Here's Jacqueline's first birthday cake. What a lovely combination of green and pink.

This is Jacqueline, Joshua (sucking his thumb) and their cousin Matthew Stanley Tucker.

I had to throw in this picture just to show you the tongue. Jacqueline had more tongue than an RCMP boot when she was a baby. She could barely get the whole thing in her mouth.

She was always a sweet child. But never more sweet than when she powered out and fell asleep.

This is Jacqueline on her second birthday.

She always loved pink and frills...didn't she?

Here's Jacquie and Josh feeding the geese in Wascana Park in Regina.

Later that fall I came home from goose hunting and Josh and Jacquie were really upset. When we finally got to the bottom of their trauma Josh explained through his tears that he had fed that goose...

Jacquie was a whirlwind of activity. She went hard and fast all day long...but when she powered out she just tucked in and went to sleep.

This is Jacquie sleeping on the mat just inside the front door...and it's winter...in Saskatchewan and not a very warm place to sleep. I like to tell people she loved her dad so much that she was just waiting at the door for Daddy to come home...but I took the picture...so the truth is she just ran out of gas and crashed.

This is the four kids on Jacquie's fourth birthday. Don't you just love those huge glasses...and party hats?

Here's a better look at the princess.

Outa gas again.

This looks like number six.

Here's one of Jacquie's school pictures. Every kid loves their school pictures...don't they?

Maybe there was a spider on the ground.

This is without a doubt my all time favourite picture of my little girl.

She was a flower girl for her cousin Bradley's wedding.

Oh, he was a lot older than she was...

Another school picture...with her teeth grown back in.

I think this is about nine years old.

This is Josh and Jacquie on our deck in Calgary. She sure looks serious....like she is just about ready to punch somebody out...

Good thing schools take pictures...

...cause parents just love to drag those pictures out...

...and show them to people...

...to embarass their kids....

...and get a little revenge....

...for all of the grey hair....or no hair that they have caused them over the years!

I know this look well...

I don't know...looks like Judy conned Jacquie into something...maybe Judy is going after a little revenge of her own.

High School graduation.

Gotta say I was proud of the way this girl stepped up in High School.

Student body president.

It took a wheelbarrow to haul her awards home at the end of the year.

Brains...and an athlete too!

Oh...I couldn't resist the 23rd birthday picture!

University of Calgary Graduation...with a degree...

And today on her birthday, just before she went off to work...saving lives.

Happy Birthday darli'n. Your dad is very proud of you.