For My Son, Kelly

My son, Kelly, is gearing up in Texas for deployment to Afghanistan as a Chinook helicopter mechanic. He views this blog from time to time, and I want to share a visit his family had over the 4th of July holiday in my small town where the festivities abound.

His wife, Melissa, shares a cup of tea with me and Lovella as the kids play a game of Rummy-O in my studio.

Kelly has few pictures of Melissa, and he can download these to his computer for his viewing pleasure in Afghanistan.
I taught the five kids and Melissa how to do an art project called "Keep Away".
This is her final copy.

And, here she is working on the project as the kids worked beside her. She is a lovely woman, strong and wise for her young age...with three foster kids and three of her own. One of Kelly and Melissa's foster kids, after graduating high school, has come back to join the family and help out while Kelly is gone. She works next door to the family home and can help with the household when Melissa is in need. She doesn't replace Kelly, by any means, but she sure is helpful, Christina is!

For this project you draw three or four shapes in various places across the middle of the page, and then draw lines from the top to the bottom frame "keeping away" from the shape you initially drew. Outline all the lines in black permanent marker, and color the project using three colors. I'll do a post on the project later.

This is for you, Kelly, my precious son! I love you.