First, Let me introduce you to my wife, Sandra, and my son, Joshua. This photo was taken in June of 1995 on Joshua's 1st birthday. It was also the day before our fifth wedding anniversary. Joshua was born the day before our fourth anniversary. How is that for an anniversary present! He has been bringing joy into our lives ever since!

Here is my lovely wife, Sandra. I get teased sometimes because of the way we met and how long I chased her. In the summer of 1974, her family moved to Decatur, Ala from Savannah, Tn. That fall when school started, I was in the fourth grade and became friends with a new boy to our school named Ken. It turned out that he only lived half a mile from me so we started getting together after school. The first time over to his house, I met his sister (Sandra), and I haven't been the same since. It took 14 years of persistant chasing but she finally said "I Do" in June of 1990. That was the happiest day of my life and I thank God everyday for sending her to me. She (and Joshua) is truely the light of my life.

Here is how he looks now in April 1996. He is 2 years, 10 months old and think he rules the house. He is 37 inches tall and weighs about 30 pounds. Over all though, he is an exceptionally good child. Like everyone, he has his moments but we couldn't ask for a better son. He enjoys coloring, putting puzzles together, anything outdoors, and anything his "pawpaw" (Bill Newton) is doing. His favorite food is french fries (wouldn't you know it <BG>. He is all boy and loves life. The first thing I like to do in the evenings after work is find Joshua and get a hug. His Uncle David, my younger brother, gave him the cowboy hat. He LOVES it. Thanks Uncle David!

These are my parents, Bill ("pawpaw") and Bev Newton. My father is the one who started me in genealogy. In the second grade (1972-3), I had to do a project for school. It consisted of making a pedigree chart starting with me and (hopefully) going up to my grandparents. Well, what the teacher wanted and what she got were slightly different. My father had started working on our family history several years earlier and had our "tree" back several generations. It helped that almost all of my Great grandparents were still alive and of sound mind. He helped me draw a pedigree chart on a large peice of paper and fill in the names for 5 generations. It was truely exciting and hooked me on genealogy. Since then, I have eagerly awaited family reunions, weddings, and vacations "up north" to see relatives. They also instilled in me a strong work ethic and good moral and christian values for which I am thankfull. I hope I do as well raising my son as I think they did (or tried to do) with me.