HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE!!

My little brother Kyle turned 20 on July 14th. He is currently serving his Mission in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission. He was in Harrisburg, but there's been a recent merge in missions. Here are a few memories about Kyle, I'm sorry I don't have any pictures. I don't OWN any of him...weird!

When I found out my Mom was pregnant with Kyle I was super excited and then really nervous I was going to have another sister. While some of my siblings talked and hoped for a girl I prayed and kept quiet about really wanting a brother. We didn't know until he was born what his gender would be and when my Dad called from the hospital to tell us he was a boy I started crying I was happy. He is the caboose of 8 kids...4 girls and 4 boys.

My mom had to go to work shortly after he was born because my Dad has recently lost his job. She had an office job in the late night hours and so I was left in charge to watch the baby and get him his bottle. I don't think she had to work for very long...a few weeks if I remember correctly, but during this time I loved acting like the Mom. I could boss Garen, Adam and Gina and I got to feed the baby.

I was a senior in HS when Kyle started Kindergarten. I had a.m. classes and I got home each day in time to take him to school. I often times enjoyed taking him, sometimes I complained that he should just walk...it wasn't that far!

When I got my first job I spent A LOT of my paychecks buying power ranger toys for Kyle. I loved seeing him happy. Please note that I was not the only person buying him stuff. It seemed that we ALL liked to buy him things...he was spoiled.

I got married shortly after Kyle turned 8, so although I don't feel like we are strangers, I also don't feel like we are super close. As he has gotten older I have enjoyed getting to know him each time I visited home. I am always surprised at how tall he is getting and each birthday he has I can't believe how old he is.

When Kyle was little he had quite the speach problems. A couple of my favorite things he said were:

One day he called from school and asked for a ride home. I told him to walk. (He was no longer in Kindergarten) He replied to me: Dedwa! It's powing down wain! I told him so what and mom made me go pick him up.

I was driving from W. Bremerton to Poulsbo Wa on highway 3 and I was speeding. I rounded the corner by the exit to go to the Scout Shop (Can't remember the name now) and there was a State Trooper right there. There was no way I wasn't going to get stopped. Immediately I started repeating my favorite 4 letter word for situations like this and I heard from the back seat, 'Dedwa, no sweawing.'

Through out the next several years and as recently as last week, I have said, 'It's powing down wain!' and I have said _______, no sweawing!

Kyle, I love you! I am so happy that you are on your mission and doing what Heavenly Father wants you to be doing. You are a good and obediant boy and I know that you are helping people and bringing them closer to Jesus Christ! KEep up the AWESOME work!