Happy Birthday Kaylan!

Happy Birthday to my baby sister. I will never forget the night that Mom and Dad told us that we would be getting a new baby brother or sister. Of course, Sher and I were rooting for a sister. The score was already 2-2 and we needed a tie breaker. We had no idea that this little sister was going to be anything but a follower. Kaylan's independent spirit was evident from the very beginning and it's one of the things I admire most about her. I am so thankful for my beautiful, hilarious, and clever sister. I am the luckiest.

Call of the Wild

So much to say...

so many TV shows to watch. Hmm...

How about a list of future blogs to hold over my one (possibly two) reader(s):

Spring Break in Lovely Indiana with the big cats

Mass e-mails and life altering news

Never-ending birthday

Origin and proper use of the phrase "D-U-N done!"

Stay tuned.

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

I was almost 5 years old when my brother Jonathan was born. I very clearly remember the day he came home from the hospital. My pre-school carpool dropped me off around noon and I remember racing into the house. I really wanted to get to see him first--before Sheridan got home from Kindergarten. There he was, the sweetest dark-haired baby. I remember thinking that he was really long.

Jonathan was (and really still is) an adorable little brother. Big eyes, long eyelashes, and he had that great scratchy toddler voice. From just about day 1, Jonathan and Gregg were a team. One of my favorite Jonny moments is on video--we were all telling our new year's resolutions (circa 1984). Gregg said that he would only watch one cartoon a day. And Jonathan piped in "I watch cartoons every day" Cutest kid ever.

I really hope Jonathan has a son one day that is just like him.

We don't always know

what is best for us.

My brother was on stand by for a flight home for almost a full day. My hopes rose and were subsequently dashed each time he called to say he didn't make the next flight. I was very anxious and frustrated. I'm sure he was very anxious and frustrated too, but you would never be able to tell. He is cool as a cucumber. I was so certain he would make the 11:00 flight. He didn't. Thank goodness. That 11:00 flight didn't make it to Tulsa until 8:45. It went back and forth to Dallas--twice.

Jonathan made it on the 4:15 flight. He got to sit in first class. He got to Tulsa in 36 minutes.

All I want for Christmas...

is for my brother to make the early flight tomorrow. He's already had a long day at airports and is getting ready to "sleep" in one tonight.

Oh...and I also need my sister and her boyfriend to make it here without complications.

White Christmases are overrated.

Selfish

I am struggling with a friendship that has been very important to me over the past few years. I am starting to feel that the friendship isn't really as deep as I thought it was. And the process of figuring that out has been p-a-i-n-f-u-l. I have gotten my feelings hurt. I've felt ignored and unimportant.

But I also feel selfish. I wonder if I'm only seeing one side of things. I wonder if I need to show more grace to this friend. I wonder a lot of things.