Uncle Bill is quite a character.  At first glace, he is gruff and not particularly approachable.  At second glance, you will probably get a better idea of the strong, hard-working person that he is.  Look a little harder, and you will see a man with a very caring heart.  It has taken the kids a while to start a relationship with their Uncle Bill—for most of their lives his work has taken him out of town, sometimes for extended periods of time, and they just didn’t have much contact with him.  A few words at the occasional family function just doesn’t add up to much.  This last year, however, a few different things have changed that.  Now, they are old enough where they ask about him, and Auntie Noelle has shared enough about him, that he no longer seems so distant.  In addition, he has always been patient enough to talk to them on the phone during Auntie’s weekly visits.  It doesn’t necessarily seem like much, but the difference is obvious to anyone who will see them together, now.  They are still rather shy around him, but it is obvious they do love him.  At the parade, Franny and Cole took turns bringing Uncle Bill some of the candy they collected—they would timidly approach him, hand him the candy, and then rush back to Auntie.  It was very sweet.  

But, also very sweet was the seat that he arranged for the kids to sit on for the parade—the shovel of a John Deere tractor!  This in itself probably would have been enough for them, but then he also gave them several rides on around the yard and raised the shovel up so they were very high.  Even Delaney thought this was the greatest!  Uncle Bill helped create some very special memories, yesterday.  It was a very unexpected source, but I think that made it all that more special.