to my bub

Zane and I share the middle of the family.
He is the only boy,
but somehow inherited more sweet than all of his sisters combined I'm pretty sure.
He was the brother who would take out your trash if you asked...
even if you had nothing better to do than to take it out yourself.
No questions asked, just served you with a smile.

Sure, he was a boy sometimes.
He forgot dinner dates and made silly mistakes.
But oh boy, I sure love that kid.
From trips to Texas, to high school track practice,
to Sunday dinners at college.
We've been through a lot together.
[as evidenced in the lovely pictures below]

And today is his birthday!
Right now he is far away, and I miss him dearly.
Not because he's my brother- because he's my friend.
He will be gone from us for two years,
as he preaches what makes us both the happiest in the whole world:
The good news of the gospel.
The message that Christ lives and loves you.
Very much.

So, to the boy who women of all ages adore.
The boy who still lets me call him bub,
and is the cutest uncle to Baby Clara I've ever known.
To the boy who wears a full coyote skin on his head,
and your grandfather's sweaters.

I love you, and hope you have the best birthday.
And I hope somebody feeds you something good tonight.
Because as awesome as the paper cake I sent you was,
it will only fill your heart.
My bad.

childhood, brotherhood

I only had one brother,
so I don't think I understood the concept of brothers until I married Jay.
I mean, I heard stories about my dad and his brother....
but fist-fights, Bb guns, and gruesome dares?
I figured they were an extreme case.
Let me tell you, I was wrong.

And these two.....
let me start by telling you that Elliot had no groomsmen.
Jay was away on his mission during his wedding,
so if Elliot couldn't have Jay he just wouldn't have anybody.
[or so that's what I was told] 

Basically, they love each other.
[and I believe picture 2 shows it]
My husband will undoubtedly not approve of my posting that picture,
but I think it shows their relationship very near perfectly.
You see, in Elliot's toast to us at our reception,
he talked about how Jay has the ability to help you laugh through the hard times.
He talked about hard times in his life,
and how Jay was the one to help him through.
Now that I'm married to that wonderful boy, I understand what he meant.
He knows them, and I won't state them here, but he has a million ways to make me laugh.

When we went to the little league fields,
[I'm not going to say that was the only time it happened]
Lilian and I were left to chat while the boys enjoyed the nostalgia together.
Playing "baseball" and silly dancing were most certainly involved.

After reliving so many "brother" memories Jay has often remarked that he hopes to have boys.
Mischievious, fun loving little boys.
In a way, I think he wants a mini version of what him and Elliot had.

Half of me hopes we have a whole passel of them.
The other half of me hopes not.
After all, I've heard all the stories.