brotherly love

Mail. When did we stop sending it? When stamps started changing prices every 2 weeks so that we have to keep on purchasing those pesky 1 cent stamps and throw off the balance [or chi if you will] of the outside of our envelopes? Being a lover of real mail when my pesky beloved child dog ate my address book and I became too lazy and forgetful to remember people's addresses. This not knowing addresses part doesn't stop my brother though. He called the other day to see if I had gotten mail from him, he had "guessed on [my] address." You know where this is going...he guessed wrong. Apparently it was something important. I assumed a nice thank-you note for the Bean Pillow. I knocked on my down-the-street neighbors door where the mail had gone, but they had sent it back with the neighborhood mailman. Trusty mailman that he is sent it back, and then my trusty sister-in-law, who doesn't guess on mailing addresses sent it back.

This was not the thank-you note I expected (I already got one of those from my very prompt and always on top of things sister-in-law) thanks Ash! Instead, on his last trip home, Adam had been given a box of his things from my mom to dig through. This is not uncommon - mom is always trying to pawn things off on us from her house, and especially now that she is getting ready to move. Usually it was junk. This time there were treasures, treasures that he wanted to share with me to remind me he loves me and is glad I am his sister, and his mother's favorite child. {okay he didn't add that last part, but I know he meant it.} Here are the treasures:

I doubt you can read this, it is a letter I sent him while we were at camp, our first summer. Keep in mind our camps were across the highway from each other, and I sent him mail [and the date is "Food Fight Night."]
Dear Adam,
I know this might sound strange but I miss you a whole lot! I'm a little homesick and hope mom will take me back home! I miss taking care of Laura. I sort-of even miss getting in fights with you! I'm glad your disease is getting better {side note, NO idea what I was referring to here} Today in choir a bird crashed through the chapel window and broke it! Some people helped me make a grave for it. Sometimes I feel like crying because I miss everyone. Like right now I feel like crying because now I know how hard life would be without you! After Crestridge went back to their cabins, I had a HUGE lump in my throat!
Bye![my exclamation point had a heart as the dot!]Love,
Ellen
P.S. I hope you get a care package soon.
P.S.S. Just in case you rip the envelope, my address is: ...

PEOPLE. I was eight years old. This letter is hilarious and very sweet to me. Who knew this camp that I was so homesick at for so many years would become my home for the next 15 years? Camp was a great bond for Adam & I, even though we added it to our list of competition of whose camp was better of course. I conceded on this one in the end.

Maybe we remember a lot of big brother little sister fights from being little; and he gave me a hard time my whole life for not eating meat, but I also remember sobbing when I would tell on him and would be given the chance to hit him back, and helping him hide books in the butt of his pants as fast as we could before my dad came up the stairs to spank him for picking on me. A little sister can't not love and look up to her big brother, especiallywhen he is a smart nerd who married a great woman and is getting ready to have a baby bean who I will be the FAVORITE aunt to. Even though this is the only picture of my brother and I on my wedding day, he's been a huge part of all the big important times in my life!

Not to mention, who could resist this brotherly love - this was on a trip to Disney, we were whooped, and look at how he is loving on me. This picture has been up in my house since college (when my mom sent me home with a box of random stuff with this one treasure in it).

We tried to start an annual camping trip together. The first year it was just the two of us [love the sunlight coming in through the tress on him in this picture - yes that's sunlight not over-exposure; and the leaves being kicked up under his feet in this picture] the next year we brought Laura along with us, and the next year...oh wait, there were only 2 years of tradition!

But they were fun years and great memories, and I can't wait to take Caleb (the Bean) with us on another trip to Dickey's Knob so he can learn to build a fire from the pro (me)!

The extra one cent stamp was worth it on this envelope, thanks brother figure.