Before I ever met her, my wife Ruth had a daughter named Shelly.

While Ruth still lived in Dallas (Texas),  she participated in what was then the Introduction to the Forum Leaders Program.  She introduced one of her fellow participants, Stacey James, to Shelly.  They got married and did the things that married people do, and so when I first started going out with Ruth, a baby was on the way.

Thus, I became a grandfather without ever going through the "short-on-sleep-years," the "should-we-call-the-doctor-or-is-this-normal" years - all the experiences parents have had in common for centuries. So I get to be a proud grandfather who loves nothing more than to spoil his grandchildren at every turn. I'm a very bad influence, I suppose. Here are some more recent pictures:

Here's one of Jordan - the eldest - from a recent visit:

                                Next in line is Jacklyn, who has perhaps the widest range of expressions I have ever encountered:

                                                  Then comes Madison:

(Madison is now 5!!!!)

                                    and finally, the youngest member of the James Family, our grandson Aaron (an avid fan of Batman, the caped crusader!):

        Of course, no picture set of the James family would be complete without Shelly:

                                and Stacey:

                      (he's a masterful chef who loves his work - at home or on the job - and we certainly dig it!).

And just because it's one of my favorites - here I am surrounded by the most wonderful grandchildren in the world!