Day Eighteen

My siblings are better than yours.

No offense, I'm sure your siblings are awesome. But mine are better. How do I know? Because they're the best, and nothing is better than the best.

Playtime!

I know I brag about them every year at Thanksgiving, but hey! That's what Thanksgiving is for! We look at the people in our life who bring us joy, and thank God for them. Often in the form of public bragging.

For those who don't know, I'm the oldest of five kids. Being in a military family growing up, my family was the one constant in my social circle. Friends came and went, but my siblings were always there.

When I was younger, I didn't fully appreciate my sibs. Who does, really? But even in our youths, we played a lot, pulled weird stunts, had private jokes, and generally enjoyed each other's company. We fought sometimes, yes, but all in all I think we had a pretty good relationship.

When we all grew up, though, we discovered that our friendships only strengthened. We look at each other as peers and equals now, in spite of the years between us. Age doesn't really matter anymore. We're very tight.

This is also how they play with each other.

The one exception to this is my youngest brother, Joseph. This isn't because we don't love him, because we do! But age is still a factor in our relationships with him, because he's twelve. I have no doubt, though, that when he reaches adulthood, we'll have that same kind of friendship with him. And in the meantime, he's a really fun kid to have around!

Toothpicks are for wimps

So we'll start at the top. Well, okay, I'M technically the at the top, being the oldest, but I'm not going to write about myself. So we'll start with the next in line, my dear brother Andrew.

Andrew is sometimes mistaken for a monkey in disguise by small children at Olive Garden, where he works. But it's okay, because he probably IS part gorilla. He's a big, cuddly guy who gives wonderful hugs. More importantly, he's hilarious. I'm pretty sure the whole "monkey in disguise" thing was his idea anyway. If the mom of those little boys was smart, she tipped Andrew well, because she practically got dinner AND a show.

He's a pink smurf.

My brother has made me laugh so hard that I spit water all over the room. He may or may not have also made me pee myself from laughing in the past, but I can neither confirm nor deny that rumor.

Most importantly, though, he's just an awesome guy. He's amazingly good with kids. He speaks fluent Russian. He's generous. He's hard working. And he wants to teach teenagers about religion as a career. I think it takes a special person to do that. And he's great at connecting with, teaching, and uplifting kids. He did it every summer for several years as an EFY counselor, getting paid hardly anything. But he kept going back to it because he loved it, and he was good at it. So this career choice to teach teens about the gospel sounds like a perfect fit for him.

My brothers. Aren't they pretty?

Andrew is one of my favorite people in the entire world. I'm very thankful for him, and I love him tons.

My sis and nephew

Next in age is my fabulous sister, Alyssa. She's seriously one of the sweetest people on the planet. She has a heart of gold, and it's overflowing with kindness and love. She has a strong gift for empathy, and is constantly considering other people's feelings and needs.

Lyssa and Jack

Lyssa taught elementary school for a year before she started her own family with her husband, Lewis. She says she had a great class. They didn't bully each other, and they were constantly watching each other's backs. My guess is that they were such a great class because they had such a great teacher. They were probably happy to go to school every day, having my sister there to teach them.

Pinata!

Lyssa is a mom of one and a half. She has a ridiculously cute little boy, Jack, who's one. And she's pregnant with #2, a little girl who's name is still undetermined. I'm still crossing my fingers for "Jill," so I can send her and Jack to fetch water for me whenever I'm in town. They probably won't get it, but it would crack me up. Because I'm very amused by very silly things. That one would delight me for years.

My sweet little nephew!

My sister's husband is a great guy, too. He's a perfect match for her, and he makes a killer homemade pizza. Did I mention that he's also an elementary school teacher? Their kids are going to be well-educated, whether they like it or not!

Lyssa and Lewis taking a Sunday nap

Speaking of their kids, Jack is the cutest little nephew in the world, hands down! He's got these huge baby blues. You can't help but want to give him hugs and kisses when you see him. And I'm sure the next baby is going to be just as beautiful. Lyssa and Lewis make some ridiculously cute kids.

I love my sister, and I'm grateful to have her in my life.

Daniel and Lewis play hockey together

My little brother Daniel is the next in line. I talked about him briefly on his birthday last week, but not in a ton of detail. So I'll say a little more here.

Daniel and Andrew

Daniel is ridiculously generous. He is willing to go above and beyond to help people out, which I find amazing. Selflessness is a rare thing these days, and he's a natural at it. He babysat for me quite a bit when Evie was a baby, often without any kind of payment for his services. And he does the same thing now for my sister and her little one. He has also flown half way across the country just so he can help me drive right back to where he came from, so I don't have to drive alone. And even when he was little, any time I needed something and was too lazy to get up and do it myself, he was willing to help me out. He's seriously one of the most generous people I know.

Pinata again

Like all of my siblings, Daniel is also crazy handsome. He takes it to a greater level than the rest of us, though. Because he's handsome AND cool. Andrew, Lyssa and I were all nerds growing up. Still are, if I'm being completely honest. But Daniel was never as geeky as us. He was the kid who, instead of getting embarrassed, would embrace a situation and laugh. He was the kid who, when he was in kindergarten, walked up to high school girls and honked them on the rear end. And he got away with it, because he was so adorable! He was the kid who played sports and was in a band and taught himself to play guitar. He's just cooler than the rest of us. I don't know how the nerd gene skipped him, but it did.

And like Andrew, Daniel has often made me laugh so hard that I couldn't breathe. He's all-around amazing, and I love and admire him so much. And as always, I'm so thankful to be his big sister. Even if he is bigger than me now.

Shark!!!

Getting ready for ziplining

Lastly, but not leastly, there's Joseph. Joseph was born when I was a month away from turning eighteen, and a couple of months away from going to college. So I missed most of his growing up years. Getting to know him has taken longer than it did with my other siblings. I wasn't blessed to have Joseph in my life when I was growing up. But I definitely feel blessed to know him now.

First off, Joseph is only six years older than Evie, so he's her favorite. He's so great about playing with her and entertaining her. I know that whenever Joseph is visiting, Evie is going to have a great time (and stay out of my hair!). :)

At Nauvoo

Since Joseph turned twelve this last summer, he got to start babysitting Evie, too. I love that he's big enough to help out, and it's great that I can trust him with my child. I know that he'll watch out for her and take care of her, and I don't have to worry.

Playing at Winter Quarters

Joseph is so cute, too. He's a good-looking kid, and heaven help Mom and Dad when he grows up. The girls will be chasing him for sure! He's also got quite a bit of musical talent. And he's smart! He actually ENJOYS science. Crazy, right?

He's a funny, smart, talented, sweet kid. I still feel sad that I wasn't able to be there when he was growing up, because I know I missed a ton. But I'm still his sister, and I love him like crazy. And I'm thankful he came along and joined our family.

So cute! 

 My siblings are seriously some of the greatest people on Earth. I wish everyone in the world had siblings as amazing as mine. If they did, families would be a lot happier and there would be a lot more peace, love, and laughter in the world. I'm so grateful for them, and I love them forever!

This is how my brothers play with Evie