Almost Home

I just can't believe it...my little brother Spenser will be returning home after a two year mission in Brazil in about 30 days! It is so crazy. These two years have just flown by. He will not believe all the changes in his world. When you serve a mission in another country you kinda become extremely far removed from whats going on back home. I'm sure he is aware of the economy and all that is going on, but I don't think he knows the extent of it all. Not only is that different, but he is going to be meeting his only nephew for the very first time! I cannot wait for him to meet Brody! Spenser is closest to my age out of all the siblings. It really was just he and I for quite a while before the other two came. I would have to say that he and I definitely had a love/hate relationship growing up. I think for the most part we liked each other, but there were times when not much love was involved.

Every childhood memory I have is linked to Spenny. When we were little we shared a room and he slept on the top bunk. One day he and a friend decided to see if my barbie van could fly off the top of the bunk. Of course it didn't, and they broke the wheels off the van. That was not a day that I liked Spenser.

Every Christmas Eve, after we no longer shared a room, Spenser would come sleep in my room on the floor. After the two other kids came along and were a little older they would sleep in my room as well. I don't know how or why this tradition started, but we did it pretty much every year until I no longer lived at home.

My senior year of high school was Spenser's freshmen year of high school. I drove him to school everyday. He wasn't old enough to drive, but sometimes in the morning he would go start the car for me to warm it up. One of the very last days of school that year was my birthday and Spenser kept pressuring me to hurry up. I couldn't figure out what his deal was until I got in the car. As soon as I was in he pushed play on the cd player and he had that song, "its your birthday" by like 50 cent or nelly (i can't remember). That was a good day for us.

Often times when Spenser and I would fight he would scare the crap out of me. I would lock myself in my room afraid that he was going to stab me with a butter knife. Why I thought this, I don't know, but come to find out he thought that I was going to stab him with a butter knife so he would go in his room and lock his door! Now that is funny.

When I graduated high school I guess Spenser cried a little at the graduation ceremony. I had no idea of this until one day after when he was mad at me and told me that he didn't know why he cried for me, because he was glad I was leaving. I guess he didn't like me that day.

I can't wait! The time is almost here for Spenny to be home. Now I really feel like the countdown has begun. I can't wait to make new memories as adults now. I can't believe that we are no longer little kids ourselves. Time flies.