1. today is my brother CJ's birthday.
2. CJ and I had an extreme love/HATE relationship as kids.
3. we were close in age and had similar interests, so we were stuck doing everything together.
4. we were together all the time, which made for lots of interesting fights. very physical and aggressive, mean and just horrible.
5. i feel so much sympathy for my parents, now that i am dealing with a tiny little fraction of that sibling rivalry.
6. CJ and I became very very close in high school. It was nice having somebody to always do things with, even if my "real friends" couldn't go out.
(during our unfortunate hawaiian shirt phase)
7. most of my girlfriends thought CJ was sooo cute. like "pinch his little dimpled cheeks cute", as if he were four years old or something. now, most of them are in relationships or have moved on and a few of them are probably kicking themselves for not waiting on CJ to grow up into the little hottie man that he is now. complete with little dimpled cheeks :) 
8. when i got married, i asked CJ to walk me down the aisle with my Dad. other than my Dad (and Dustin, of course) , CJ was the most important man in my life. he was literally there with me through almost every single thing i've ever been through. 
it's such an interesting relationship, that of siblings, i mean. it's nothing like friends, because no friend ever really knows what it was like to grow up in your home, with your parents and rules and habits and traditions.
it's nothing like a parental relationship, as my mother has never sat on me until i gave her the remote control(although my dad has!) and my dad's never chased me out of the house with a baseball bat. they never lazed around the house, applying elmer's glue to their hands, and then slowly trying to peel it off in one layer. they never played games like "toss the loaded mouse trap at each other", or had to walk to the store every time Dad was in the mood for Ritz crackers and hot links sausages.
CJ and Amy (my sister) know me as much as any other person on the planet, and that creates this bond that is just unexplainable.
9. as much as we denied it, my parents were right.
- my dad was right in saying that this little brother that i routinely pounded and beat the snot out of, WOULD someday be bigger than me. and when that day comes, i better pray for his mercy.
- my mom was right, that when i grow up, i will value my relationship with my siblings above all other friendships that i've ever had. and that if i'm ever far from them, i will miss them in a way i could never imagine.
i NEVER believed those two things, and it's funny how they became so true, so completely true.
10. i had such a rough day with the kids today. they fought and cried and whined, before annabelle had even made it out of the car from school. i put them down for cat naps, and prayed that they would call a truce before i donated them to Goodwill.
they didn't. they fought all night long. and then, because of that little cat nap, Julian was such a pain to get to sleep.
he was up every 5 minutes, needing something. he came into the kitchen as i loaded the dishwasher, crying for me to "make his bed, cause it's messed up AGAIN". i told him he would have to wait until i was done.
a few minutes later, i walked in to check on him, and he was tucked in up to his chin. i asked how he tucked himself in and he said, "it's okay mom. bella fixed my bed and tucked me in."
such a good sister.
i know, with 100% certainty, that someday Annabelle and Julian and Ezra will value their relationships with each other above all other friendships. and if they are ever far from them, especially on their special days or birthdays or when they have good news or deeply sad news, they will miss each other in a way they could never imagine...
i'm just hopeful that when the day comes that Julian is bigger than Annabelle, he will be as gracious and forgiving to her for her bossiness, as CJ's been to me. :)
happy birthday brother.
Oh My Dear Mindi - you doeth my heart good! I am crying (imagine that) and drying my eyes with a bath towel, as i was folding laundry when i decided to check your blog before bedtime...such sweet words and delightful stories of yesteryear - but I must confess- we have sat around with Elmers drying on our hands, but only after a hard days work!?! :) I love you and miss you greatly - but YES! Happy Birthday CJ!
Posted by: Lawana | January 15, 2008 at 11:34 PM
i love this post, mindi. you are to funny, girl :) You and your brother are both very cute ♥
Posted by: Lisa O | January 16, 2008 at 12:34 AM
i love seeing good relationships form between siblings...i especially have lots of interest in the "baby brother" introduction. thanks for this wonderful trip down memory lane :) happy birthday cj!
Posted by: marie | January 16, 2008 at 07:14 AM
HOW I enjoyed the pictures, Mindi. AS WELL AS the stories. Sweet sweet pictures!
Happy birthday, CJ! I love you like crazy! Enjoyed you SO MUCH at Thanksgiving. Come again SOON! You are such an entertaining blast!
Love
Mimi
Posted by: Mimi | January 16, 2008 at 09:12 AM
Happy B'day CJ. These pictures took me way down Memory Lane. It was such a sweet journey thinking of how precious you were (and are, of course). I look forward to lots of time together someday. Love you both very much. Valerie
Posted by: valeriedykstra | January 16, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Oh man. I know how this is. I was the torturer in my sibling relationship and now we get along quite well. I am glad that there is always a way to get over these little tifs in our childhood. :) Happy Birthday CJ!
Posted by: crystal Toole | January 16, 2008 at 12:52 PM
I love your posts, Mindi! My husband and I are only children, and the older we get the more we wish we had siblings. It's quite the rude awakening to watch our twin boys (16 months) tackle eachother - totally didn't know that siblings could be so brutal!
Posted by: Sara*P | January 16, 2008 at 01:59 PM
i'm pretty sure i could swap out the pictures for my own and write this same post. except that i'm not married and don't have children, but i still imagine it'll be the same. ;) my brother and i weren't that close growing up, but it all changed when he went away to college. we're four years apart, and it seemed like that distance made a world of difference because we're so close now. we still fight sometimes now, but i haven't had to chase him around the house with a knife for a solid 12 years. ;)
happy birthday cj!
Posted by: nadine | January 16, 2008 at 04:37 PM
Awwwwww!!! That is so sweet! Happy Birthday CJ...from your sister's blog stalker...
Posted by: Shawna | January 16, 2008 at 08:01 PM
this is one of the most beautiful blog posts i have ever read. seriously. i love the one of you walking down the aisle. can we see more? just beautiful. also, i don't think Julian or annabelle could look any more likeyou!! that first (or second I can't remember which) photo is amazing!! and is that your little brother? um. ezra?? :)))
rosie.........:)
Posted by: rosie | January 16, 2008 at 08:49 PM
so sweet little cj. surprised you did't put the one of him reading on the pot, for that is still his favorite place to read. i too cried, why did i have to inherit that from mom...lol... happy birthday again bubba! love you guys!
your lil sis
Posted by: amy | January 17, 2008 at 03:14 PM