Little Brother and his family

 Saturday my little brother and his kids came over for some family pictures.  Terry is the youngest of my large family.  He is number 11, he is the one that broke the tie of 5 girls and 5 boys.... 

I remember taking a family photo when Terry was about Ian's age and he cried and cried and cried.  The photographer couldn't get him to stop pouting and neither could any of us.  Mom finally said that she didn't care that he was pouting and to take it anyway.  There we are all 13 of us and Terry is sitting on mom's lap with the biggest ole' pout face ever.  Mom and Dad never really yelled at us, I know that sounds crazy but they didn't, who wouldn't be losing their voice yelling at 11 kids???  Mom didn't yell at Terry that day she just took what she could get and she was happy with it.  I don't remember getting yelled at ever, I got grounded once for running in Grandma and Grandpa Emmerich's strawberry patch but then by the afternoon we were going over to the neighbors....so I was ground for about 3 hours.  Before mom got the photos back with Terry pouting my sister ran away from home.  They didn't find her for 2 weeks, during that 2 weeks Mom was so thankful for her photo of all of us together but it was still very hard for her to think that may be the last photo of everyone that she will ever get.

Terry knows how important it is to have family photos and has taken way to long to do it.  He finally set the date and it got canceled about 3 times but they are finally done and I'm sure he feels much better now.  Terry has two step children from his marriage to Shannon and then they had little Ian together.  He later divorced Shannon but has continued to be a step father to Amanda and Austin.  He is a lucky guy to have them in his life and I think they might be just as lucky to continue to have him as a father figure.  

Here's little brother and his family.

His little Ian is such a cutie and looks just like him.  

However, Ian gave us smiles not pouts :)

I know I was young when my mom died and at the time I had 3 little kids at home to take care of.  I thought of myself and how confused I was that I lost my mother just when I started to understand a mother/daughter relationship.  I finally realized she did know something and I didn't know everything, you know how that is.... you get to a certain age and then you realize you like your mother.  Well that was me but just like that she was gone and I didn't ever get to do fun things with her.  Sorry I know this isn't about me it's about Terry and I'm getting there.  As young as I was Terry was much younger and at that time I never thought a minute of how he was coping without a mother.  He still lived at home, he had to greave by himself, he didn't have anyone to cook for him.... he goes from a full house to being the last one there and then he was way to young to be without a mother.  The rest of our family went to their own houses and took care of themselves.  Who took care of him??? 

He did a good job of taking care of himself and now I think that's why he continues to be a role model for Amanda and Austin even after the divorce.  I give him a ton of credit to realize they still need him and I think he still needs them too.

Ian is pretty much just like Terry growing up..... spoiled (loved) by all his family.  

We got Amanda some height so she could have one picture that she is just as tall as her "little" brother.

I love you Terry, Amanda, Austin and Ian.  It was a lot of fun spending time with you.  You are all beautiful inside and outside.