Smiling Faces

Most fathers hope...trust...desire...even plead to a higher power, that his children will somehow reflect the better part of his life.  We all want to pass on that part of us that could not be obtained from any other source in life.  Our children are without a doubt a melange of hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals that have played a part in their life.  We've heard it said that "...it takes a village to raise a child."  But I have heard just as often the phrase, "hey, the village called...they want their idiot back."  Years ago I had three of the hoodlums in the same place, at the same time, and attempted to get a picture of them together.  Let's say it took more than three attempts.

Let me not forget the "Photo-bombing" oldest.  (Not that my pose is all that GQ either).

Now, throw the wonderful addition of grandchildren into the mix.  The next generation where we truly see the self-definition of heritage.

We have a total of five g'kids, however two of them are much younger and have not yet been trained in the ways of our family.  However, from the photo below it is apparent that one g'daughter is getting tutoring from her aunt.

The continuum of life, character, integrity...goofy-ness???  Yes, my grandkids are as goofy as those that I personally sired.  I could post a long list of the character traits I'd desire my kids and g'kids to claim to have gotten from me...determination, work ethic, a rationale mind, a quest for simplicity!  But what do they claim from me???  My sense of humor and goofy-ness!!!  Every time something is said, do you know what I hear?   "We get it from you Dad!"  =)  I think it is a cope-out and I am the scape-goat.

One case in point, on their behalf is a photo of when Lizzie and I got married.  Two of the kiddos were present and we decided to do a "silly" photo pose.

However...this was thought of after the photographer took the one below.

Perhaps they should blame me...but for some reason I cannot find ANY other photos of me making a face.  So until they come up with some...don't you believe them for a second!