Once Again....Where does time go??

I will never forget the evening of June 21, 1995.  I was walking in the hospital to find my family...frantic because I was so late.  No one was in the waiting room, the hospital seemed bare and then I seen my brother burst...literally burst... through some double doors to tell me he had a son.  I will never forget the look on his face....and I haven't seen it since.  It was a look of happiness, joy, fear, relief, and tears....all in one expression=priceless.

Ty Allen Charles became my new best friend instantly - I fell in love.  I would call Julie on Friday afternoon and ask if I could have him for the weekend and she would never hesitate.  I spent many weekends entertaining Ty Allen...and loved every minute of it.  I would pick him up at random times and spoiled him. When I moved to Amarillo it was hard to leave my folks, my family and my friends but it felt like death leaving Ty Allen.  I have so many favorite memories with him...like the time he came to Amarillo to spend a week with me at spring break. He was almost 4 and such cracker jack!  One of the draw backs about Amarillo is the wind from Hereford, Texas.   The smell of the feedlots are just awful and will take your breathe away.  One morning as Ty and I was leaving my apartment the smell was really bad and Ty looked up at me and said "it smells horsey".  To this day if it smells bad me or Randy will say "it smells horsey".

It's hard to believe that my little Ty is 15 and 6'2"...and about 220lbs and still growing.  He is doing really good in high school and his favorite part is the hot girls.  He joined ROTC....he wants to join the military after high school.  I support this decision 100%...or at least I did until my sister sent me these pictures.  They made me cry. Where did the time go??  Is this really my Ty Allen??  It is surreal to me...and how can it be?So serious.....Julie (his Mom) giving him his pin.Despite his look of enthusiasm he really likes ROTC .