Today we are going to be talking family. I don't want to ostracize my non-family audience but I have a few very loyal readers who want to see pics of their not oft' seen family members. So, BarbnReed, Roxanne, Debbie, Christine and my darling niece Jessica, this one's for you! (I would include my sister Lynn in this but she doesn't read my blog. At least I don't think she does.)

Today was Bryan Green's missionary homecoming talk in church. For those who aren't sure where he fits in the puzzle, he is my sister Peggy's youngest son. He is now officially on the market so look lively ladies, he won't stay available for long. (see pic below) In fact, there are a number of cutie-patootie eligibles amongst these pics so be sure to pass this post on to your single friends (or your friend's who have single, but adorable-only daughters because if they're aren't adorable, they just won't fit in with the other wives of my darling nephews. They might feel inferior, slighted and "less-than" and we don't want that. It just wouldn't be nice).

The next picture if of my dad, Uncle Bud to some of you, Grandpa to others. He usually sits in a corner for the entire duration of a family gathering where he dispenses little gems of wisdom and wit to those who seek him out. Also, he waits there to avoid the crowd around the food table since he isn't quite as fleet of foot as he used to be. He will be 82 in January but I think he looks at least ten years younger, don't you? He still gardens and works hard at something (or other) most every day. He's a very well-preserved specimen. Before you older widows get any ideas, he is taken, also, by my lovely mother Marilyn who declined to have her photo taken. I snuck her in, though, somewhere later on . . .

The following are a few little vingettes as different groups of people cluster together in intimate, er groups. This is of my sisters Peggy, Holly (my twin) and Kirsten, the skinny-binny sitting on the floor. She is over 40 and the mother of 6 children and she is even skinnier than she looks in this photo. How does she do it? She doesn't eat dessert, dairy or meat. Let me know if I got that wrong, Kirsten ('cept she doesn't read my blog, either. Can you imagine?)

This is Basil with his lovely wife Arlene. She is the mother of four children and she looks so great, too. Personally, I don't know how she does it because I have seen her eat--she does. Eat, that is. In the background is my mother, Marilyn, where she is hovering at the table, no doubt keeping flies off of the food, blissfully unaware that I have captured her likeness to share with all of you. She is a few years younger than my dad but I think she looks ten years younger than she is, too. Love you Mom! ('cept she doesn't read my blog either. What's up with that?) Sadly, every picture I snapped of Basil today were of his eyes closed or some other unacceptable scenario. He was looking very dapper today and I really wanted a good pic of him but, again, sadly, I was the one behind the camera, not him.

This is a picture of Lee Green's flower garden. I have not photo-shopped this picture--those colors are real and natural. Aren't they amazing? He is a real flower lover. There's really not a better compliment I can give someone. I guess my priorities are a bit askew . . .

In this picture we have Colin, the handsome available stud, Marcus, the handsome unavailable stud, his wife Jenny and daughter Samantha. Samantha just turned two. Isn't she cute? I wish I had seen that Marcus' eyes were closed when I snapped this but I can't really see much of anything anymore. The following are even more pics of people making rather odd expressions that I could not see so I snapped the photo, anyway. When I checked them out on my digital camera after taking the pics, I still could not tell that they had their eyes closed, etc. Had no clue until I got them up on my computer screen. Sad . . . (BarbnReed, I think maybe Marcus looks a bit like Eric in this picture--not the seemingly-snide expression--the rest of it).

Now we have my sisters Peggy and Kirsten. Peggy is in the middle of saying something, otherwise she looks more, er, normal (reference family photo at beginning of post).

Here are studly Colin and his mom Peggy, both in the middle of doing something funny with their mouths. What can I say? I live an hour away and I can't just run back over there and re-take these photos so quit the whining already! But really, doesn't Colin look hunky in this picture? In spite of the mouth thing? Or maybe because of it?

Here are Chuck, my sister Holly's husband, and Basil T. With his eyes closed. Again. The man doesn't ever stop moving.

Here are the studly Christopher (available--available--available!!!) and his dad Lee cleaning up the dishes. They help with the dishes! That is just about the highest compliment I can give anybody. Really. That and being a real flower lover. Of course, Lee is doing something funny with his mouth in this photo, too. It must be genetic. Or something. It's a Green thing.

Here we have Ben and Amanda, Holly's two youngest, and William, also with his eyes closed like his dad, Basil T. Another genetic thing going on here, I guess. Or not. Notice how Amanda has her hand on the knee of each young man. Somebody ought to give that girl a shake and remind her that these are her cousin and brother! If she wants to put her hands on guy's knees, she should find ones to which she is not related. Am I right? I thought so! Hmmmm, come to think of it, those boys look a bit flustered.

Phew!, this is a boatload of kids! Let's see if I can get this right. The one on the far left is my youngest, Peter (I was bound to remember his name, at least half the time, anyway, the rest of the time he goes by his brother's name thru no choice of his own) then we have the afore-said Ben and William, then a peek at Rachel's face. Her mom is Kirsten, and Robbie and Ryan's mom, too--then there is the pistol, Amanda. Let's just be glad that she is goofing off with the bottle of pop and not Uncle Lee's flowers as she is wont to do.

Here we have a somber picture of Annie, Scotty and Arlene. I don't know what is being said to make them look so sad. All I know is that it is being said by . . .

PHOTO REMOVED DUE TO WARDROBE MALFUNCTION

. . . this woman, Jenny, the amazing adoptive mother of one, extreme care-giver to another, a marathon runner and super smart former school teacher and that is just the beginning of a very long list. I just can't think why she would want to torture them so! They do look tortured, don't they? (That's studly Bryan, the RM, to her right, our left).

Next we have Basil's oldest, Caleb, and my sister Susan's youngest, Jeffrey. Susan declined to be photographed and her husband wasn't there today. Her middle child is on a mission in Ohio and her oldest, David, another studly RM, somehow slipped through my fingers. I know I had my camera pointed at him several times but I guess he escaped without my seeing him. Darn this eyesight problem!

Lastly, we have Sam, Holly's middle son and Caleb, two future missionaries. Start lining up the girls for these too right now. They are going to go fast!

I just realized that I forgot to add the photo that pictured Kirsten's husband Chris, my husband Roy and the half-face of Basil's Emma (another photo-decliner) but it is too late now to add it in as it would ruin the whole continuity thing I have going here. I also did not get a photo of Basil's youngest, Dylan, which is a real shame because he looks so much like Basil. It would have been hard to get a non-blurry pic of him, anyway, since he is worse than his dad at remaining still. I must add, here, that Dylan has actually smiled at me the last two times have seen him which, if you know Dylan (actually all *Basil's kids during their toddler years) is a real honor and a privilege. In fact, just being with all you Baldwin folks (and in-law folks) is an honor and a privilege. (*The moniker Basil T. Stansworth is a psuedonym per Basil's request--apparently he has some enemies, not all of them mafia, but still . . . )