Thursday, December 12, 2013

Happy Birthday!

He is going to L-O-V-E this (I wish there was a sarcasm font.) I will keep embarrassing stories to a minimum. This kid has more crap on me then I could EVER write on him.

Today is my little brother's 31st birthday. I still don't quite get how he is now older than me, but whatever. For those of you who have little brothers, you know what it is like growing up. You also know what it is like as an adult. We were 2 years, 5 days apart (we still are, he's just the older one now.)

 When we were younger (6 and 8ish) we'd get into trouble at church and have to spend some time in our rooms. Instead of that, we'd lay our our doors and yell at each other for getting the other one into trouble. I sort of forgive him for standing on the rocking chair in the front porch and announcing to the neighbors that I was being a bitch (he didn't say that, but I was) because I had just got my period.

I use to take his G.I. Joes and his Wrestlemania guys and marry them off to my barbies. We'd build houses in the back yard (aka- take all my dads tools and nails, and go pound them into pallets, and then leave the hammers outside to rust.) We'd pack backpacks with food and go exploring in the woods behind my house.

My.poor.parents. We're sorry mom and dad!! I think my parents spent most of our teenage years keeping us from killing each other.

I do have one story that I have never shared. With ANYONE. When I was 17 a friend and I were drinking beer on the beach at my parent's camp with some "dudes." (Irresponsible and stupid.)  My brother (up to this point) liked to get me into trouble whenever he could. (The feeling was mutual.) While we were sitting there I heard my brother say in the scariest tone ever, "What in the hell are you doing?"

I thought I was dead. I was convinced I was dead. My friend and I thought we were through. However, he wasn't talking to us, he was yelling at the "dudes." He proceeded (my 15 year old, little brother) to yell at them and tell them to go get girls their own age (they were 19...maybe 21, so not totally creepy) drunk and to leave us alone. I STILL thought we were dead. 100% sure we were dead. I would never see the light of day again. He grabbed us both and told us, "We are leaving. Now."  I figured we'd get home, he'd open the trunk, and yell for my mom.

He threw us into the trunk of his friend's car because his friend thought we were going to puke. His friend drove us back to our camp (we were already in the campground when he found us.)  Once we were there my friend and I said our last good byes to each other since we were about to be separated forever, and were 100% convinced that we were not going to see the light of day for 20 years. (My parents had high expectations of my behavior, I appreciate that now.)

Instead, my brother's friend went and talked to my mom while my brother picked us up and carried us up to my bed and threw us in it one at a time. He went and told her parents that we must have fallen asleep, and she was at our house.  He never said a word to my parents. Not once. (Although I think they knew something was up, they woke us up at 6 am to go running....WORST RUN EVER.)

Things started to change after that.

I would like to say that even though it took until we were adults (well adult age, I'm still trying to act like an adult) to be friends, that he is one of my best friends. I have taken him on multiple adventures. One of my favorite is when he came to Seattle to visit for the first time. We drove to the coast and there were horses to ride! I did not own a horse at the time, and MAN did I want to ride horses on the beach. He said, "No way in hell." I did what any 25 year old would do, and called my mom. She talked him into it, and SOMEWHERE is a photo of my brother on a horse. He looks thrilled. I don't have that, so you'll have to settle for this one (where he is smiling you'll notice.) I'm wearing only the latest in equestrian fashion.


He came to visit us when we lived in Denmark for my birthday and his birthday. On his birthday there was an earthquake. He was staying in a closet room at a hostile downtown. I spent the entire night worrying about him. The next day he didn't even notice. He fell out of bed, but he thought that was because the bed was crooked. (It was.)

I also love my brother because when I DID get my own horse, he came to meet her (well, to hang out in Seattle, but let's pretend it was to meet Denali.) Denali had an opinion about life that sometimes made people nervous around her. This was as close as he'd get for our first family photo. (Smart man.)


As a side note here. In 2010, Denali got super sick. Healthy as a horse is the BIGGEST LIE EVER. I had all but paid off my vet's medical school loans and was at my wits end. Being the worlds best brother he paid one of her bills. A big bill. I won't even mention how much, but it's a horse. It wasn't cheap. I will NEVER forget that. BEST BROTHER EVER.


Another time he came to visit, and he could no longer handle watching our 1992 TV. We went to Costco and he BOUGHT ME A TV! I knew that giving him 30$ once would pay off eventually. I obviously love my brother for more than the stuff he has bought me.

Taking our TV to the dumpster

I love him for listening to me go on tangents about NOTHING and everything.
I love that for the past 9 years that he has been the first person (other than my husband) to wish me a happy birthday.
I love that he can make me laugh at the most stressful situations.
I love that he has the best sense of humor of anyone I know.
I love that he is an amazing dad, and an amazing uncle to Bug.
I love that he makes sure that I'm okay and he's more of a "big brother" than a little brother.
I love him because he takes me to Sheetz when I'm home. He even offers to take me for late night Sheetz Runs.
I love him because when he was 19 he promised me 1/2 his liver one day.
I love that he visits us!
I love that he is going to be Bug's Godfather (Bug demands he wears a tux.)
I love him a million times over and I can't list them all. I love him even though he ate my cheesecake :).

Everyone would ask me growing up if I wish I had a sister. Never. I love my brother.


 When he DID come to visit he brought Chicoteague PONY TAIL! Aka- best taffy EVER. 


One thing that did rub off on him eventually was my love of horses, although his choice in feeding and watering his horse was questionable.


I tried to tell him to wear a helmet and to not drink and ride, but have beer-ride horse.



 Happiest of birthdays buddy! I hope to be getting birthday calls from you for at least 70 more years! 

I'm 6' tall...he's a bazillion feet tall. 





3 comments:

  1. That was very nice of you not to spread all the embarrassing stories you have about Brandon to the rest of the world...I'm sure he'll be grateful for that! Love the story of him "protecting" you from the older guys and then keeping it all a secret!

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  2. What a nice post about your bro! I have not one but two little brothers, and while they drove me (and each other) crazy when we were kids, I don't know what I'd do without them now. I love them tremendously and I always know they've got my back. I wish we didn't live 1500 miles apart - I'd give a whole lot to have even one nearby but that's not going to happen any time soon (I'm never moving to Maine, sorry), so we get by with phone calls/FB/emails. I'm glad you have your brother and if that's HIS baby photo first, dang, he looks exactly like Bug!

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