First, the Family Friday meme has a new home.  You’ll find it here on Blogger.

This week, we take a break from reporting on those that have gone before.  My thoughts are never very far from two men.  I hold them close to my heart and keep them in my prayers these two are my sons.  They are very different in some ways, and yet much alike in others.  I especially remember their early days.

There are two photos that I particularly like.  The first was taken near the barn on the place where we were living in 1971.

Bryant and Suzy Q

He had picked out this dog because her red matched his red.  The smile tells you exactly the kind of youngster he was as does his attachment to Suzy Q.

Two years later, the dog was back with the original owners.  We were living in Costa Rica.  The language school that Sylvia and I were attending organized an outing–a visit to the dormant volcano Irazú.  We went.

Scott is not happy sitting here by the volcano

It’s really not as bad as it looks.  Later, it began putting out more steam.  And we ran for the bus.  Some of the students were trying to calm the driver while others were rounding up the rest of us.  When we all got back and quickly boarded, the bus driver took off.

Just a few weeks earlier, an earthquake had done heavy damage in Managua, Nicaragua.  Tremors were not uncommon and a few years earlier another “dormant” volcano had covered San José in volcanic ash.  You can understand the driver’s anxiety.

While his older brother ended up in the business world, Scott became career military.  He is now retired from the USAF.  He stays active by teaching martial arts.

My strongest desire for my sons was to see them become men of integrity.  They have done that and filled my heart with joy.