my brother

My brother's golden birthday was November 25 and I failed to dedicate a blog to him. Albeit a bit cheezy and completely unoriginal, I decided to write 25 of my favorite memories.

Andrew, here are some of my memories...
1. Dancing it up with you at Cassie's wedding. You are such a great dancer. I had a hard time keeping up!
2. Playing Robin Hood in the yard with our very own handmade bows and arrows.
3. Being home-schooled together; just you and me. Such special times.
4. Letting me play "swords" (also handmade) with you and your friends.
5. Watching you hit a home-run your first time up to bat at Sofanwet your senior year.
6. Walking back together from Albright's in the dark after watching the movie Signs.
7. Having great talks on the way home from getting ice-cream with the youth group after Edge. 
8. Watching you be such a good friend to the Whipple kids.

9. Setting up legos in the living room and playing for hours.
10. Beating you in Playstation football......once......right?
11. Eating and loving sushi together.
12. Jamming to Fiddler on the Roof and Oklahoma soundtracks on family vacation.
13. Being the comic relief whenever things got too serious/emotional during family time!
14. Crying Moistening your eyes when you read my first children's story I wrote.
15. Riding bike with me to FES and back the year we were home-schooled together.
16. Riding bike together to ISO and back every day for school.
17. Buying me coffee when you hate it so much knowing that I love it.

18. Giving me a beautiful journal with the words "Trust in the Lord" for my birthday, knowing it would be a year of much uncertainty and great transition for me.
19. Driving all the way down from Minnesota to spend a weekend with me.
20. Being a fan of traditions and then maintaining those transitions.
21. Willing to be Joseph (among other characters!) for so many of the Christmas plays we put on.
22. Having the natural ability to make people laugh and have a good time.
23. Watching you chase your dreams (football) and being a role model for me in many many ways.
24. Texting me verses that you treasured during your morning time with the Lord.
25. Nurturing my heart with truth. During a time of great heartache you told me these words on the phone: "I have two hearts: an African heart and an American heart. I don't have one and then the other, but always both. I just have to put on my American heart right now."

 I love you, Ando. Happy belated 25th Birthday!