A Brother's Love (93/366)

Two weeks ago, my older brother celebrated his birthday.  On this day, I wished him a very happy day.  He is so blessed in so many ways - and he returns those blessings on other people.

I've often thought about all he and I have been through over the years.  Yes, I have two brothers, but my little brother's birthday isn't until August, so I'll save that post for, well, August!

My older brother and I are 3 years apart.  Almost to the day.

I remember as a middle-schooler, he was a Freshman in High School and he always had the coolest clothes.  Of course, he had a job to buy those clothes with.  He delivered pizza with my mom's Geo Tracker - I still cannot forget the smell when we got into the car after he had been delivering pizzas for 6 hours the night before.  Ewww!

Anyway, back to the clothes - he had this one pair of Guess jeans.  I LOVED those jeans.  At the time I was going through a "grungy" phase, so it seemed appropriate that I would wear his jeans that were a little too big for me, and had started ripping out in the knees.  Every chance I got to put those jeans on I did.  I'd wait until they were laying in the dirty laundry pile and wear them for days.  When he finally realized they weren't clean and put back in his dresser, he figured out really quickly where they were.  One day after school, he busted me!  He got so mad and yelled, "Kris! If you don't take those jeans off right now I'll rip them off of you!"  He got his jeans back... sometimes.

Then came High School for me. I want to say I was in 9th or 10th grade, which would make him either a senior, or just out of school.  He was still delivering pizzas.  And he had met a girl at work that he was CRAZY about!  I mean NUTSO!  But she had a boyfriend.  Like a very long time boyfriend.  As I was sitting in my room late on school nights, listening to music, he would come in to my room after he got out of work and ask me what he should do about this girl that had a boyfriend that he loved so much.  All on his own, he put flowers on her car (she thanked her boyfriend for those... they weren't from him :\), he made mixed tapes for her (actually I did - he just took the credit), and eventually bought her a promise ring when she finally agreed to go on a date with him.  Of course, she and her boyfriend had broken up by this point, and my brother seized the moment.  I'm pretty sure he gave her that promise ring before they were even "official".  I told him he was crazy and rushing things.  He didn't listen.

He proposed to her on Bozeman Mountain in Montana on a vacation they took with some of their friends.  She had bought brand new, not broken in hiking boots before the trip and was crippled with blisters.  When he asked her to walk just feet from where she was resting (to a more scenic view), she yelled at him!  They have this on video tape.  When she finally conceded (he's stubborn and didn't give up), he got down on one knee and proposed.  She cried, he cried, their friends cried - we cried when we saw the video. 

This fall marks their 12th wedding anniversary.  They have 3 year old twin daughters, and another miracle baby on the way.  He is an amazing daddy and husband (still no lack of stubbornness).

Through the years, we've been in different places - and we've grown apart some.  But not in a bad way.  We just both have our own lives and very busy schedules.  He is good friends with my husband and the four of us (before kids) had some AMAZINGLY FUN times together.

As you know, I didn't grow up with a sister.  As life goes on, it doesn't really matter.  I like my brothers.  They're all I know.  And I know that now, in (almost) mid-life, there's no distance or circumstance that can keep us from being there for each other in the most important, troubling, special, happy, sad or what may you times.

Happy Birthday Old Man Brother!  I hope it was happy, and blessed.  You are such a blessing to so many, including your little sister!  Thanks for everything - I love you.

Never Let Me Down (22/366)

Thursday January 26, 2012

I've never had a sister - a full blood, all mine sister.  I've always wanted one. 

I have a step sister who was not a part of my life until a few years ago, and we are just now getting close.  She just recently got married and she and I are carving time out to talk on the phone and have coffee together when we can.  I look forward to having her in my life from now on.

I was blessed with 2 brothers.  2 brothers that would someday marry. My sisters.

We live kinda close to each other. Not states apart, but sometimes you'd think we were a world apart. 

I can't believe how busy life gets, and how different our schedules are.  Before we all had children, we were free to do as we pleased.

My oldest brother married first, and his wife and I hit it off - and that's an understatement!  To top it off, my brother and my husband became "brothers" which is something my husband had never had.

My youngest brother married a couple of years ago. He spent the beginning of his adulthood in the Marine Corp. and finally found the love of his life.  She and I grew very close as he was finishing the last year of his reserve duty.

We all came from different backgrounds and life experiences.

We've had kids, and there are more on the way.

We've all had hardships - some we kept private, and some we talked about together.

We've had disagreements, hurt feelings, and distance.  We each have expectations of what we need in our relationship.  We haven't always communicated those expectations, but somehow manage to meet them or adjust.

We've had TREMENDOUS good times.  I can't say that enough.

All of that life experience has made us far apart at times. 

BUT...

I know that no matter what time it is, no matter what's going on, NO. MATTER. WHAT.

We will always be here for each other. I know they will never let me down. I know that I will never let them down.  It sounds so cliché, but it's true.

The fact that I've never had a true-blood sister doesn't matter. I have the next best thing, and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

I don't always tell them, in fact, I never do, that I love them. I love the wives that they are to my brothers, I love the mothers that they are to their children. 

Sometimes I struggle with life a little too much that I forget that they do too. 

I look forward to the years we have left to share in the good and the bad. I look forward to watching our children grow up together.  We might not see each other every week or every month, but when we do, all is well and good.

My sisters, my friends.

Baby Steps (13/365)

Today was FULL of baby steps.

First of all, my baby nephew who is just over 10 months old is WALKING!!!

This is Levi with his Daddy (my baby brother).

My oldest Hannah was walking by 9 months, and speaking sentences by 12 months.  It was amazing, so I know how proud they are of their little man (and so is Auntie)!

The next baby steps that I experienced today was the exhilaration of working out again!  It's been (shame shame) since April of last year that I've really worked out.  I played in 2 softball leagues last summer, but that was the only exercise I got.

So, today I spent an hour with Bob Harper in my living room.  Let me tell you... this is one of the workout DVD's that I've had for over a year and have never used.  WHOA! What an amazing workout!  It felt soooo good! I actually can't wait to get up tomorrow and reintroduce myself to my treadmill.

Every time I think about how hard I worked last year to lose the 35 pounds I did, I get down on myself thinking that if I had never quit working out, I'd be to my goal weight by now.  But every time I do that, I turn my thoughts around and tell myself that I'm doing it now, and I can't take back time.

I have a couple of friends holding me accountable. We're going to tag-team the workouts and encourage each other to keep going.  It feels so good to know that I have support and positive thinkers around me - - the days will come that I don't feel like working out, or I stayed up too late and don't want to get up early to get going... excuses excuses!!

I am SO excited!  My motivation, among wanting to be at a goal weight, feeling and looking healthy, is standing up in one of my bestest friend's wedding in December of this year.

I am incredibly thankful for motivation today.  Whether it's mine or someone else's, it's positive either way.

I'm also so thankful and amazingly proud of my baby nephew - walking like a little man. I can't wait to see him!