He Ain't Heavy... He's My...??Brother??

When I was in the fourth grade we were given an assignment to create a want ad for a sibling. Whether we wanted an older or younger sibling was up to us. We were to choose a brother or sister with all the qualities we desired them to have. I created an ad that depicted exactly what I always had wanted, A baby brother. I am the youngest child and I have an older sister. I already knew what having a sister was like, so I really wanted to experience life with a younger brother. My ad included the features I hoped for too. I wanted him to have curly blonde hair and I wanted him to be silly.
Little did I know that there was no way my parents would be having any more children, so I brought my ad home and hoped that it would be a mind changer and they would surely see things my way. So needless to say, I'm still a youngest child with no little brother.
I hung that ad on my corkboard and it stayed there for many years.
As I look back at the last few weeks, I've realized that God answered my ad, just in His own way.

Not only do I have one little brother, I have three.

The third time I hung out with Kenton I overheard him say, "my baby brother..." I jumped and turned to him, "Baby?" Being 18, babies were better than puppies and I thought I found a way to be around one. "Yeah, my baby brother Jedidiah, he's three now."
He proceeded to show me a picture of this adorable bald baby with an infectious smile from his wallet. Kenton's no dummy, he knew he had a bartering point with me, a new face he wanted to get to know more. So he worked his brothers for all they had and won my heart.
Yes, I can admit that because Kenton had three younger brothers, I was easily sucked in.
So there you have it, the beginning to a very long story that leaves me here today. Here with three amazing brothers.

One is my co-hort in teasing Kenton and never letting him forget even one little embarrassing moment. He's also one of my greatest friends. Reid is the sorta guy everyone wants to be around, and I'm lucky enough that he chooses me. He's an amazing Uncle and the epitome of the word, brother.


One is my silent partner. Jonathan is a man of few words. He chooses the exact moment to chime in and bust all our chops. He's wiser than he gets credit for and I know one day this nearly 12 year old will blow us all away. He was always the one who hung back and took in the scenery. He manages to find the deeper meaning in things. I wish I could learn to be more still at times. He's my helper with Judah, I know I can trust him to never let Judah get in harms way, he's a very loyal brother.

And finally, one is a mystery. There aren't words invented to describe the presence that is, Jedidiah. He's a ball of creative, humorous, mind-blowing energy. He is all heart at whatever he's doing. Whether he's playing ball, reading a story, or throwing a fit, he's all heart. He's almost ten. (One week, two days, and counting) He's got so much passion it can be contagious. He's not too old to get down and really play with Judah, and I know Judah loves the company. He's the ultimate little brother.
So, as I've sat and had heart to heart talks, played with baby skunks, explored snake skins, watched a late night little league game, visited a dairy farm, fed heffers, read Harry Potter, sang the theme song to H.R. Pufnstuf, memorized what 7 x 3 is, discussed the complexities of marriage, explained why we need to wear socks in our tennis shoes, rocked out to The Jesus Cobras, tried not to laugh at farts at the lunch table, listened to Frog and Toad be read aloud, drank Dr. Pepper together, ran errands, sang the Vanilla Ice song from Ninja Turtle's II, loved on Judah together, and said "Peace out Napoleon," I've begun to realize what a blessing it is to have my desire for a little brother fulfilled.

I Love you guys.
Your sister, Lacy

(We visited "Auntie Maude and a baby skunk on Thursday at the Great Plains Nature Center. Today we went to a Dairy farm in Clearwater. The boys fed calfs, watched the farmer milk a cow, and fed a heffer. Lots of fun that ended with an ice cream bar!)