my baby brother

This weekend Liam and I made the trek to Harrisonburg, Virginia to celebrate Isaac graduating from college.  It was a great weekend filled with laughter and fun, but it was also a short weekend.

Liam and me getting ready to board the plane.

We left Friday night from Chicago.  Liam did a great job on the plane sleeping the entire way, much to the VERY apparent relief of the man who was forced to sit next to me.  My parents picked us up from Washington D.C. and we drove down to Harrisonburg where we arrived late at night.  The next day we went to visit my aunt and uncle who semi-recently moved into a house that was built in the early 1700s.  There was so much history in their home and the land surrounding it.  There we spent the day enjoying the warm weather, great food, and delicious drinks while we just sat around and talked about funny things, serious things, and great things. 

My Uncle Delmar and Aunt Joan in Edinburg, VA




The next day was Isaac's graduation.  Right after graduation we had to fly home to Illinois, even though I wanted to stay and hang out with my awesome family some more.  Again, Liam was awesome on the flight.  Even though he was awake for most of it, he had a mini-mob of adoring fans by the end of the flight.  He was flashing smiles left and right, and I think I even saw him give the flight attendant a wink at one point.

But that's beside the point...
That's right, my baby brother graduated from college....magna cum laude of course. :)

Almost 22 years ago my "older" brothers (Collin is actually a year younger than me, but everyone thinks he is older) and I had our world rocked by the birth of our baby brother.  We actually thought he was going to be a girl - my saving grace in a house full of testosterone.  Sure, I was disappointed when my mom and dad called from the hospital with the news of a new baby boy, but what I got in return was so much cooler.  I didn't realize how great our family was going to become because of this one tiny little addition.

For those of you that don't know, my brother is something pretty special, and it's not just because he rocked the bowl cut for most of his childhood.  Everywhere he goes people love him.  Everything he does he is great at.  And everyone he meets he is kind to.  (Well, as far as his adoring older sister knows.)  I think he is going to be great someday and I hope that he does something great with all of the strengths he has.  I hope he becomes everything he wants to be while being true to himself.  As for now, he leaves for New Zealand tomorrow where he will be spending his summer. (Major bummer, huh?)

I hope he comes back with the answers he wants and the renewed energy he needs.  I hope he knows how much his big sister loves him and how much we're all cheering for him.  Someday I know he'll do something great in the field he wants.  In the meantime I don't care if he comes back and bags groceries with his degree, because I know, like everything else, he would be great at it.

And with that I'm going to leave you with one final word of wisdom I gathered from this weekend.  If you ever don't want anyone to sit near you on a flight, take a baby with you.....unless absolutely every other seat on the plane is already taken, everyone will walk past your row thinking that there has got to be a better option than the lady traveling alone with a baby.