Brothers

I have 3 amazing brothers. John. Charlie. Greg.

John is just 2 years younger than me. Apparently when we were super little I stood up for him a lot - I think I even offered to get spanked on his behalf (is this right mom?) - if it's true, I'm was a little crazy. I remember one time we both got soap in our mouths -as in the whole bar had to just sit there - and I actually asked my mom to let John's time expire early and I would continue with the punishment. I think he got soap in his mouth a lot and I just felt bad that it happened again...

Then as we got older, we started to fight more. He'd hit me; I'd antagonize him with my words (probably not in that order). It's sad really. It's also a shame we didn't learn to be friends sooner because let's face it, we would have gotten away with a lot more! Even though John and I fought and I picked on him a lot, there was always this look in his big blue eyes I will never forget; it was a look that told me he was sensitive. Not in a cry baby way, but in a "I really do care about you" way. Why that didn't stop me from being mean, I'll never know. Because really, I cared about him too. I've always loved him.

We started to become friends as we got older though... pretty much when I moved out. John came to visit me a few times when I was living in Montana. He came out for Thanksgiving and we even made our own Thanksgiving dinner! Our friendship was growing strong but life took a neat turn; a turn that happens when you meet the person you are going to spend the rest of your life with. I didn't meet that person. John did. He met Tiff.

I remember when John wanted to ask Tiff to the Christmas Banquet that Montana Bible College was putting on (the school they met at). John liked Tiff a lot, and Tiff knew it. Tiff liked John, and John had no idea. I knew they both liked each other; actually everyone knew it but John. John was afraid that Tiff wouldn't go with him to the Banquet so I had to reassure him that it would go well if he'd just ask her (since I knew she'd say yes). Then once she said yes, I went with John to a flower store and he picked out a corsage for her (awwww)!

And when John was 19 years old, he made the best decision of his life. He married Tiff.

Since then he's made 2 other great decisions: Taylor and Hannah.

John is quite an amazing guy; a godly man. He's a great husband to his wife. He's an amazing daddy. And John has turned out to be quite the handiman - check out John and Tiff's blog to see all the work he's done on their house.

Then there are Charlie and Greg. I remember when my parents went to the doctor's office to find out if my mom was going to be having boy or girl babies. I wanted sisters. John wanted brothers. When my parents came home from the doctor's office, my dad brought me flowers. A consolation to my mom being pregnant with "brothers" and not "sisters." But the flowers represented more than brothers; they also represented the first moment that my dad officially was only ever going to have just one daughter and the bond we'd share from that day forward.

I am glad that my mom had twin boys. Brothers. Before Charlie and Greg were born I remember talking to my mom about their names. Baby A (the baby who was going to be born "first" based on his position in her tummy) was to be named Charlie; Baby B was to be named Greg. My mom asked me if I wanted to switch the names and I said no. It's a good thing because I can't imagine Charlie as a Greg, or Greg as a Charlie (and who knows, maybe my mom really wouldn't have switched the names).

Charlie and Greg had the most "bonus points" of any other kid in the world. They would earn them by doing things for me and John. "Go get the mail for me! 15,000 bonus points if you beat the record of 17 seconds!!" They'd run out the door really fast; bonus points were at stake and they were not about to lose them! And of course, they'd always make it back in 16 seconds! hehe

Charlie and Greg are both in their first year of college and like John, they are amazing young men; young men who are godly and have strong character.

They might disagree, but I'd say my brothers and I are pretty close. We don't talk every day but we certainly are in touch. And when we do talk, it's about things that matter. And sometimes, it's about things that don't matter. And other times, I want to talk to them because I thought of something funny that only my brothers would appreciate or laugh about as much as I did. I would do anything for them.

I can't imagine my life without my brothers.

*****