Back to Your Roots

   All my children have a vagabond soul, I should know, I helped create it. When they were small I moved them frequently to new homes and new schools, sometimes more than once in a year. I experienced the same as a child, moving four times and attending four elementary schools over a twelve month span between the 4th and 5th grades. I think it has become the 'norm' though not necessarily the ideal custom  in America. Surely, it was the vagabond spirit that settled this great country, my family roots originated from England and immigrated to 17th century Virginia, spread down to North Carolina in the 18th century, traveled west through the Appalachians to Kentucky, then north to Indiana  and then west again to The Nebraska territory just before the Civil War, and then south to eastern Texas where my Dad was born in the early 20th century. Maybe we just naturally have the urge to search out new lands and opportunities and solutions to the perplexing problems that assail us. I have come almost full circle back to North Carolina and my son David and his family are completing the family circle by settling back in Virginia where it all started. Interesting, that after over 300 years of migration, through many generations, we are back where we started.
   Dave's family is a combination of three sweet children from a dad who left this world much too early, and a  four year-old child of his marriage to Kodi. God intervened in their lives and blessed them as he united them all in spirit as a family. I am thankful that they found each other and they are on their journey together. I am most thankful that they cared to spend a week with Cheryl and I on their sojourn to Candlers Mountain in Virginia. The kids are precious, and in between viewings of all the classic Star Wars episodes and Lord of the Rings Trilogy (plus a few others), we all finally got acquainted.
   We even got to know a special companion of Tyler who is travelling with them from California. Sweet Emilie was a delight to meet and we wish her and Tyler the best in the future. We can all agree that we like Nana's cooking and we enjoy a good movie. We are excited that we will have the opportunity to see them often and get to know them even better.



Chase, Kodi, Joshua, Dave, Maci, Poppy, Tyler



Dave and Kodi and the little man of a thousand faces



Chaser, Texi-Cali-Maci-Inia, Emilie de la Viola, and Ty



Emiliana (La dulce nino') and Ty with the west Texas drawl



"Poppy, what is that tree with the big leaves?"



"Now remember not to shoot Poppy"

"There's nothin' in there"

"That looks like the picture you showed me"
"It is, that's Bennett's birdhouse"



The many faces of the little guy, never the same twice.