Family trait

Apparently my youngest child has inherited a very distinct feature that has run in my family for years. You may have noticed that Augustine's ears stick out, just a wee little bit, in a very adorable kind of way. When my parents were here for my surprise birthday visit, my mom mentioned that my dad's ears stuck out in the same way as a child. She has pictures to prove it and I can't wait to check them out the next time I am home. :)
Now, here's a seemingly unrelated side story that I promise will all tie back together at the end.

This past summer, my mom and sister had the opportunity to take a trip to England and Ireland. My aunt had recently moved to London, so it was a wonderful chance to visit her and do some sight seeing (not to mention the fact that the free lodging made the trip much more affordable!). They also took a short side trip to Ireland for a few days. They saw so many amazing things over the course of their trip such as this...
I love English gardens!

And this...
These gorgeous cliffs are along the southern Irish coast near a town called Kinsale in County Cork. My father's ancestors are from County Cork and so my mom and sister had their eyes pealed for any evidence of Dad's family. While in Kinsale, they came across the statues of two men that share our surname. Check 'em out...
Now, go back and look again.

Closely.

Do you see anything familiar?

Check out those ears!

We laughed so hard when Mom showed us this picture. Thankfully, the prominence of this feature seems to have gotten a bit watered down over the centuries. The guy in front has got Augustine beat, hands down.