Sibling Love

I have to admit, I've never really gotten the whole sibling rivalry thing. I am nearly 8 years older than my brother and 10 years older than my sister. I kind of took on the role of keeper/guardian and let those two duke it out amongst themselves. And boy, did they ever! I would watch, in confounded awe as they would fight over EVERYTHING humanly possible... from the last cookie, to who got to sit where in the car or at the kitchen table, to who got to go first at whatever game we were playing. And it was like they enjoyed fighting. They revelled in it. One of their favorite things to do was chase each other around swatting each other in the arm....I swear it could go on for hours as neither of them could stand to be the last one hit. I never understood the compulsion to beat on each other or the competitiveness. (What can I say, I'm a lover not a fighter.) But don't let this fool you...the three of us were/are thick as thieves. Being country kids with working parents, we spent ALOT of time together....creating a unique and quite honestly comforting bond between us.

One of the aspects of our relationship that I find most enjoyable is our shared sense of humor. We spend much of our time together cracking jokes, delivering one liners and just generally goofing off. Get the three of us together and watch out. In fact some of my favorite memories are of the three of us joking around at dinner and getting my grandmother to laugh so hard she could barely breathe. I will forever see her in my mind's eye wheezing through her laughter, taking her glasses off and wiping away the tears....good stuff.

My brother with my grandmother.

Needless to say, my sibs are very special people to me, and no matter what life may throw our way I will always love, respect, and be oh so very proud of them. So, you can imagine my elation when last week my brother's son was born. Meet Owen, my first nephew on my side of the family.

Isn't he adorable?

My sister and Owen.

My brother with his first born son.

Perhaps the best part about getting to meet little Owen for the first time was getting to do so with my entire family. As we get older, and lead our own lives we don't all get to be together as often. I sat in the waiting room, watching my exhausted little bro try to keep his eyes open while we waited to see the baby for the first time. My sister and he soon started talking and singing a comedic song that probably had no right being sung in public....but it was fun watching them interact much the way they always have throughout the years.

Later, my sister and I were making shocking remarks about a particular piece of art in the hallway, much to my mother's dismay...as the halls filled with our irreverent laughter. My poor mother. She is often found standing next to us with her face in her hands, shaking her head. My dad, would be the one with the mischievous grin, trying to hold in his guffaws...torn between adding his own wit to the conversation or behaving himself for the sake of our embarrassed mother.

One of my favorite pics of the the contributor to our humor gene (dad) and my sibs, taken a few years ago. Congratulations Eric and Andrea. I am so very proud of and happy for you.

And welcome to the world, and the family little Owen. Don't worry...you'll get used to us! ;)