Birthdays

Well, this is a two-person birthday post.

Yesterday, March 27, was Adria's 17th birthday. When I first met Adria, nine and a half years ago, she was one of Joe's nieces. It was Christmas time and I was meeting all of Joe's family for the first time. We had all met at great-aunt Julia's retirement home to do Christmas music. There was a swirl of brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews...and I fell in love with all of them! Now my niece Adria is a beautiful 17 year-old who is wonderful with children and old people alike. She always knows what to say and has a gift of encouraging others. Adria, I praise God for you and am thankful that you have shared your Uncle Joe with me in such a big way. :)

Today, March 28, is my big brother Chris's birthday. Chris was always one of my best friends when I was growing up and I looked up to everything he did. Chris is one of those people that anything he tries, he can do. I have always been amazed at Chris's memory and talents. I am blessed to call him my brother.

When we were young, Chris was incredible with animals. He used to own many types of pigeons, show and race. He won many awards at shows and enjoyed racing his pigeons for fun. Wounded animals always were attracted to Chris and he nursed many birds back to health as well as a goat or two and was it an opossum?!?

When we were growing up I was always the one that liked to stay inside and read or cook or clean. :) Chris was always busy inventing things, catching things, building things... I remember my mom saying that Chris took the vacuum apart and put it back together when he was three!

Chris liked to go on bike rides with me. We would ride all over Crest, exploring the dirt roads that seemed to go forever. We would ride our bikes down the grade from Crest to Harbison Canyon. We also hiked a lot of the mountains around Crest and Harbison Canyon.

Those were great days of exploring and growing together. Now Chris has his own son, who is an incredible inventor, and a daughter who has one of those unique, always bubbly and genuine personalities. It is precious to see who Chris is as a man and father. May God guide you in this season of your life. Happy 31!!!