Picnicking with friends (May 1957)

Charles, age 2, is adorable in his cowboy hat.  I'm not sure who our friends are or where this is.  This must have been right before we moved from Alvin, Texas, to Peru. I turned 4 that July.

Charles in Talara, Peru (early 1961)

Martha/Martita/Tita was born in Talara, Peru, on November 8, 1960.  I'm guessing she's about two months old here, which would put us into early 1961.  At that time, I was 7, Charles was 6, and Martin was 4.

Charles (December 1960)

Charles, age 6

Charles in Bayou Vista, Louisiana (1963)

No date on the back of the photo but this is our back yard in Bayou Vista, where we lived from about June 1961 to June 1963, if memory serves.  Later that year, we moved to Lafayette, where Donna was born in November.  I wonder how tall that tree is now?

Martha looks younger than in the above photo, so this must have been our first year in Bayou Vista.  Dad's hair is darker, so Donna couldn't have been born yet. (Just kidding, Donna). I like how Charles is looking at Martha.

Charles in Lafayette, Louisiana (December 1963)

We're ready for Christmas with the best gift of all: a new baby sister!  Martin (7), me (10), Martha (3), and Charles (9). Charles gets to hold baby Donna, who was born on November 26, our Mom's 29th birthday.  I guess Martin and I could have moved over to give Martha a little more room.

The siblings (1967ish)

I remember having that very bright green dress in 9th grade, when I was 14, which would have been the fall of 1967.  Assuming the November kids have had their birthdays, we would have been, from left to right, Martha (7), Martin (11), me (14), Charles (13), and Donna (4).

Are Martha and Donna wearing eye makeup?

Charles with what would become his VW (June 1971)

Charles, age 16, with Mom's VW bug which eventually became his.

Charles in New Orleans (December 1971)

Charles is standing between Mom and me.  His high school friend Henrietta Blackwell took the photo.  I was on winter break from my freshman year at Baylor.  Love those red boots, Donna.

Charles and me in front of the VW and champagne gold station wagon.  The following summer, when the rest of the family was on vacation, Charles would take the grocery money they'd left behind for us to buy metallic blue spray paint and white pinstripes to give the VW a new look.  Came out pretty spiffy.  Wish I had a photo.

Charles in Waco (Fall 1972)

The family took me back to Baylor in the Fall of 1972 to begin my sophomore year.  This photo was taken near Lovers' Leap at Cameron Park.  That November, Donna would turn 9, Martha would turn 12, and Charles would turn 18.  Can't leave Dad out.  He turned 44 in January 1972.

Charles in New Orleans (May 1973)

Charles cheerfully mowed the grass at our house on Beck Street in New Orleans.

Europe by rail pass (summer 197

Martin, Charles, my friend Diane Gray, and I traveled Europe the summer of '74.  Diane and I traveled from Norway to Copenhagen with the brothers, then split up.  We ran across each other again in Austria.  Remember, no cell phones back then. Purely happenstance.  Martin took this photo of Charles and me outside Innsbruck, where we were hiking.  Charles was obviously tougher than me when it comes to freezing weather.

Charles and me (June 1975)

Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) is a steep cliff that rises 1,982 feet above the fjord below.  The sometimes steep hike to the top is on a 2.4-mile trail. By the way, the final fight scene in Mission Impossible: Fallout features Tom Cruise climbing the face of the cliff.

New Orleans (1977)

Charles, age 22, is on the left.  His pal Sherlock is sitting between Martha and Donna.  Mom and Dad are holding hands, so sweet.

Charles with Ryder (1979)

Charles, age 24, visited baby Ryder in Round Rock, where we were living at the time.

Charles with Amon (1987)

Amon isn't so sure about Charles's cap

Christmas 1991 in New Orleans

Charles and Blake and someone's hair.  Donna's?

Charles after Sharon's law school graduation (May 1994)

Mom, Dad, Charles, and Martin

Charles at Tom and Sharon's wedding (June 10, 1995)

Charles is on the far right, in the back row.  Micah's friend Timothy is looking over Charles's shoulder.

Where's Tom?

The five siblings

Charles (February 1999)

In New Orleans, enjoying Colton's third birthday party in February 1999.

Charles in January 2019

Dad, at his 91st birthday celebration in January 2019, with all five of us kids and Tom. Craig took the photo.  Charles is peeking over Dad's shoulder.