Officer Williams

I'm sure everyone knows of how we came to call you Officer Williams (can you see the name tag in the picture?), that was funny, along with several other things I heard about when you were on the job......... like your first trip to the nudist camp. But I look at the picture of you in uniform and I can't decide if it looks more like a man heading to work............. or more like a kid getting ready to go to a costume party for Halloween. Either way, you're one good-looking thing. You and your brothers must take after the Watkins side of the family in that repsect. Ha. Ha. There is no doubt though whose side of the family you take after as far as your mess, mischief, and sense of humor goes. Or I should probably say the one person you take after. Although I'm not sure Earle would have gone so far as to "moon" people who were leaving a party, and I don't think he would have put poison oak in head wreaths for classmates who were in the school play. I'm not sure Earle would have tied a fish to the front of his brother's Jeep either. Who am I kidding? He absolutely would have done all that and did do mess like that all the time. I heard more stories this summer about the both of you and the crazy stuff the two of you did. The only way I can smile right now is to think of some of them, and to think that the two of you are sharing those stories with each other right now.

I have to agree with Jackie and Sara about the dog. There is NO doubt in my mind where and why she appeared the very day she did. There is just something special about her, and I am not even a dog lover. That dog has so many of your characteristics as well. Loves to eat, loves the water (or at least she did the day I was chasing after her around the Pope's house), loves attention, loves playing/messing with Cameron, and most importantly..........loves to aggravate the crap out of your mother. I can still see Darby jumping on Anne while she was trying to sleep. And of course tinkling on the rugs after tricking Anne into thinking that she was house trained was like a stunt you would have pulled. So yes, perfect sign for the family.

And I have to agree with Sara and Jackie that nothing will ever be the same again as far as holidays and vacations go. But we will try our best to find fun/laughter again..........the fact that I know you want this for all of your family/friends will help. And again, knowing you're with Earle helps a little too. My last memory of you will be how you made all of us smile and laugh, even Betty, on what was one of the saddest days of her life. When she was trying to get rid of all the food in the refrigerator that people had brought, you kept speaking up and saying "I'll take it!" Every single thing that no one else even wanted to look at, let alone take ............you kept raising your hand and saying "I'll take it!!" You could not possibly have had an inch of room left in the car, truck or whatever you drove home that night. I'm still smiling when I think of that.

Your favorite aunt, Christy