What's In A Picture? Well Zoom Right On In And See!

My nephew and his beautiful wife went to Panama last week to serve in the missionary field for one year....and we attended a goodbye in their honor last week. Aaron (my neph) gave the sermon at his church, and of course I'm a bit biased, but I think God's using Aaron's abilities in just the right way. He and Jessica are expecting their first child this summer, so my SIL is just gonna have to go down there to do her first-time grand mothering! This is a lucky child, and will have grandparents that will bless his/her booties right off.

Following the service, we had a nice dessert reception. I didn't take nearly as many photos as I usually do. Niki wasn't there that night and my photo-taking has been kind of down with all the stress. I know I always enjoy seeing my blogfriends' lives on their blogs. I need to do better at introducing you to my family, and with John being one of seven, I have a lot of family. I call a great deal of wonderful, unique and loving people family through John.

This is John's mother on the right, his brother Jeff's wife (Dorie) and John's brother, Jeff. We're very close to them, we have boys the same age and spent many many nights in our leaner years playing cards and drinking coffee. Mom clearly has something on her mind here, and no matter how hard I tried to convince her, she still thinks I ate all the nuts in the nut bowl. Pshhh..I didn't eat all the nuts. Dorie did it! I ate all the little mints. I'm not sure what they decided to do about the 'situation' but from the looks of it, I might sleep with one eye open next Fourth of July trip to the lake.

This is Aaron's sister and my niece, Angela (Angie). She's married now to Dustin, Derwin, Derwood, Darwood, Darwin...he answers to them all. I like to think I'm her favorite aunt, but some of my SILs read this, so I won't proclaim it. (But I am, Ange, right? Ange?) Clearly she's a beauty.

John doubted my wisdom in posting this, but I don't' think he gives his sister Jeanne, my SIL, the credit she is due. Cody took this shot of us, and I don't see a THING wrong with it:

Ohhhhhh.......wait, let me....just...zoom in here. What?!! Oh, Cody Cody Cody, tsk tsk! Why'd you have to go take this shot...didn't you notice Aunt Jeanne was still eating? Jeanne, if I didn't think you loved me dearly and that I was amongst your favorite SIL's, I would nevah nevah show this. I feel, however, because it's obviously a teaching moment--when NOT to take a photo--that it's a learning opportunity for my friends. Besides, you're adorable anyway.
Just to show Jeanne good faith (and after Angie showed us how to zoom in on the camera screen) and after the laughter had subsided long enough to breath, we took another picture. We didn't laugh too hard and we put a kabash on it after the appropriate laughing time frame had come to an end. But still, I don't know. I think she looks slightly less than excited this time around.

But being the beautiful sister she is, she recovered nicely. Here's one of my favorites--her standing with my Nephew and his wife, who are safely deposited in Panama as I post this. And who, as I post this, can look to the North skyline and be sure there is an extraordinarily large family that way who loves them, who is excited for them, who is proud of them, and who prays continually for their safe return next year. I sure hope they get an apartment with a spare room, though, I'm thinking about it.