The Missing Link

One of the reasons we went to Colorado when we did was so that we would be there when Jeff's 16-year-old brother, Clayton, was there. This was not your ordinary family get-together, though. I have never met Clayton and Jeff has only seen him once or twice. Jeff and Clayton share the same dad, who left when Jeff was only two. The word Deadbeat doesn't begin to describe him. We have had very limited contact with Clayton. In fact, we were married before I ever found out about him. I found a picture of Jeff with some little kid and asked him who that was. He said, 'Oh, that's my brother.' What!? That's how I found out I had another bro-in-law. Strange, but that's what I have come to expect with this family. Several years ago we lost touch all together and hadn't heard from them since. Recently, Jeff's sister got in contact with him and he seemed very happy about that. Clayton ended up deciding to spend nearly a month with Marinda this summer. I think he's about the bravest kid around. Basically, he flew out to stay with a stranger and her large family, who happen to be your sister and her family, for an entire month. Not only that, but he met Jeff and I, and the kids, plus the odd assortment of relatives and quasi-relatives that came through the door. That takes a lot of guts if you ask me. Turns out, he is a pretty cool guy, or as Clayton would say, 'hella cool.' He seems to share the same mechanical aptitude as Jeff. He has fixed up an El C@mino that he plans of driving when he gets his license. He likes to hunt, listen to AC DC (maybe that is genetic after all), and be outdoors. Since we don't know their Dad's side of the family at all, he really filled us in on what they were like. He told Jeff that he has the same sense of humor as Grandpa Groves. He and Jeff both say 'What?' after telling a joke, especially a lame one. I told Clayton he was like the missing link to the family we don't know. It was really fun getting to know him, and it will be great to keep in touch with him from now on. Even if he does eat squirrels. We'll just have to look past that one redneck tendency of his. :)