The annual trip back east was a little chaotic this year. We went to Paragould for one day, then Wade's Dad came down with a cold, so we went over to Bloomington before we could catch it and not be able to go. We did Christmas Eve with Kimberly's family, then drove back to Paragould for another couple of days to do Christmas there. Here's Frank. This was supposed to be the comparison shot of what he looks like with his teeth in, but we never got around to taking the one with his teeth out.
Kimberly being a good woman once a year, handwashing dishes.
Kimberly's brother Stan. I must have gotten too lazy to get up when I took this picture; he's not really eight feet tall.
Wade gets an opportunity have a dog once a year. Poor Gus never gets any attention (that's what he told me).
It must be a "nephew" thing. Wade's nephew David was taught to do this whenever someone said "smile", so he looks like this in all the pictures from his younger days. They really need to teach him not to smile that way. See how natural Edna's smile looks?
I'm guessing it's a skillet.
Colton is now four. This is him waiting patiently, kind of like when you make a dog balance a hot dog on its nose.
Photographing the photographer.
Now that's a cute smile.
Colton must have fair eyes; a lot of his pictures come out with red eye. I need to get a new camera this year.
We got both the father's a fabulous lined leather bomber cap for keeping their ears warm in the winter. Here is Frank trying on his. You can see Earl's in the Paragould set of pictures.
There. Perfect.
Colton shredding through the wrapping.
Gus checks out my new gym socks. ("Hey, these don't smell at all!")
Nothing like the excitement of Christmas through the eyes of a child.
Frank with one of his weather gizmos he received. I don't know why he doesn't just use his joints to tell the weather like everyone else.
We've even cleaned up some, and it still looks like this.
And a long-distance Christmas wish from Heather, who was down with a back problem.
See. You have to train that out of him before it's too late. Not that Wade is making any decent face for this shot.
Colton gets ready for bed, and gets out his blankie.
Let's wrap up for the car ride home.
Wade gears up for shoveling the driveway. Again.