brothers.

 as i have often mentioned my brother is my best friend, one of the most influential people in my life, and basically a superhero. but his friends. they have always been his wingmen when it comes to me. always lookin out. always ready to step in and "beat up" anyone who tries to mess with me. even after seth moved. angelo, lesmes and jerome took over. haha.

 tonight at dinner i was talking with mom about seth's friends. whose getting married. the ones i would like to marry. the ones i should marry. we laughed. because no one was in any of the same categories. i always have loved them.

 on my snowy drive home i was thinking how i grew up having crushes on almost all of his friends, wanting to go everywhere with them, saying i'd marry this one or that one. i would sit and watch them play video games for hours just to be involved. beg to go to applebees for appetizers late at night. i got yelled at for walking in front of the fifa game on many occasions. and they pranked me too many times to count. i was driving literally laughing because my childhood revolved around so many stinky boys in the house and i loved every moment.

 honestly. not much has changed. and i like it that way.

 i still have major crushes on so many of them. i still tell seth i'll marry one of them. i still beg to go everywhere. there is still N64 played in the basement when everyone is home. i'm still sitting and watching. and i still get yelled at if i walk in front of the screen. it's just the life of a little sister.

 thankfully the pranks have stopped.

 i have vivid memories of seth and blake putting on these sick masks and scaring the crap out of me. they also tied action figures to fishing line and told me they "shrunk" and i would stand at the bottom of the stairs totally convinced they were tiny. oh. they also put me in the basement. and they also told me i was in trouble and gave me bread and water. there was a lot of fighting with brett and nick. a lot of asking for keith's phone number and getting denied. hahah. more fighting with brett. an incident that involved angelo in a mcdonalds french fry costume throwing himself at the back windows and me throwing up. long story. another incident with blake wearing a nasty mask, and so many more but needless to say i'm glad those days have passed.

i have so many great memories though too. i would say i have had the best little sister experience ever. playing the puzzle game with seth and blake. i've been strapped to the back of a bike to go to card shops, dressed up in jerseys and backwards hats to be taken to basketball games, played kickball at chapel hill late at night with seth, jerome, caleb and kyle. i was used as a "chick magnet" on vacation. dragged all over the place with seth and benni and angelo. i almost got keith kicked out of a china buffet because i ate an eggroll and he didnt pay for me to eat.  vacation in florida where angelo went on the aligator tour with us. too many crazy days to count of being with seth chad and jacob when the parents went out of town. vacation with keith in SC & NC. where i was still denied a phone number. hahah. caluza teaching me guitar. lesmes being okay with the fact i'll always love him. california adventures with seth and benni, chad and jake, and gregg. working with angelo hahah what an adventure. a hilarious dinner in columbus with jerome after which i sang with one of my songwriting heroes. hahah. i could go on forever.

and on top of all that. i have so many stories. some of which should never be repeated. and some of which you probably wouldnt believe me. so i'll refrain.

i am one thankful little sister. God blessed me with one brother, and that turned into so many more. i probably drove the boys nuts. but yet they still love me. and trust me. i love them.

just a blast from a past entry.

Blessed by a Heavenly Daddy,

Shelby Elyse