Every Girl Needs a Big Brother

I have awesome siblings...I will even count Micah in on that:) My mom loves to remind us that she wants us to be close forever. I know some families where the brothers and sisters actually do not like each other, but we are not that way. Growing up I used to say that I had four parents because April & Bill loved to tell me what to do, now I would say they are two of the best friends that I could have.

The four of us on vacation in 2009.

 

 

Some would say the age gap between us is weird but I think it worked out really great. Bill & April will tell you that they cried when they found out they were getting a little sister. Little did they know it was the best thing that ever happened to them, I was always getting into so much trouble I am sure I saved them from some things!

Just the three of us in Gatlinburg in 2010.

 

Bill & I have always been a lot alike. When I was really little, before he went to college he taught me to play with Hot Wheels cars and watch Michael Jordan. After he graduated from college he came back to the changing world of a teenage girl. Somehow he still managed to look out for his little sister. I can't remember going through a break up, no matter how silly, that didn't end up with me watching some action movie with Bill and him asking if he needed to hurt anyone. He made sure to educate me on comic book movies and I think we saw every X-Men movie together. He taught me about basketball (and other sports) and was there when dad took me to see my first Piston's game. He also taught me to be picked on and pick on others pretty good. We ganged up on April a little...

Now that Bill & I have both been in OKC for 5.5 years I think I value my friendship with him even more. He has saved me and helped me through more then he ever had to. In the beginning he would lecture me about what I should and shouldn't do. Then he would do a good job of knowing things and just telling me to be careful and ask me to let him know I was safe from time to time. (By the way mom, I never did anything that crazy, and I am sure I was better behaved then him!) Now I tell Bill just about everything and he often my sounding board for the things go through. It took me a long time to realize that the days he was giving me lectures were just because he had been through everything already, I actually think it really didn't fully hit me until we were on the way back from Ohio at Christmas.

Sunday lunches are easily one of my favorite parts of  the week. Every Sunday Bill & I go to lunch after church. We get to talk, vent, and share about our weeks. Starting my career, he has been the best person to help me through the ups and downs of corporate life. I have even started to let him in on my dating life. Sometimes, I even get to give him a little advice on things but not too often:)

How many brothers do you know that would request tickets from work to take his sister to the ballet? I have now seen every form of the Wizard of Oz possible thanks to him!  We both agree we will probably never willingly go to the ballet again though. I will definitely never forget it though.

Two weeks ago after a really bad day I told Bill I needed to go to basketball game to clear my head. A few days later he informed me that he requested tickets for every game coming up and tonight he made that possible (Thank you Chesapeake). He does not have to take me to games when he wins tickets but he usually does. One of these days we may even have season tickets. Its something I love doing with him because we can just sit and watch the game with no questions or distractions.

Home Opener for the Thunder in 2013.

Bill is the best big brother a girl could ever have and I really think I would be lost without him some days. If you don't have a big brother you are missing out because there is always someone looking out for you, no matter what you think. I wish April & Micah would go ahead and move to OKC so that they could hang out with us too. I miss spending lots of time with her and Micah too. Either way we are all lucky to have each other and I love them very much.

Family Vacation 2011.

 

Keep Smiling:)

Alli