Blessings number 11

Yes, I realize that I wrote Blessings number 11. I have two today because I didn't want to pause my family blessing and I didn't feel like I could pass up Veteran's day.

To start, I will be forever grateful for the service men and women who serve our country. It's a scary job, defending a country, but you go and do it because you know what you have to do. I don't think you get enough credit for all you do.

The other day I went to the ISU vs. Sacramento State volleyball game. They played the national anthem and we all stood to salute the flag. I couldn't help but notice that 5 of the 10 or so girls on the Sacramento team were not saluting the flag.

Idiots!

Every one of them. I don't think they realize what they were doing. That was 100% unamerican. I may have been able to understand it if we were reciting the Pledge of Allegiance (even though I think that two little words shouldn't offend someone so much), but this was the NATIONAL ANTHEM for goodness sake.

Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now and leave you with this, I love this nation and I love all those who fight to maintain our freedom. Thank you! A thousand times, thank you!

Now...

On a different note, I am very much grateful for my older brother BRENDAN.

Man, Bren and I used to hate each other I think.

It is still fresh in my mind all the fights and arguments we had that started something like this, 

"Brenda!"

"Oh yeah! Emma!"

Now that I'm older, I totally see how mean it was to call him Brenda.

I may not have liked being called Emma, but at least it was my name ;)

We weren't always that way though.

We still have pictures in our family albums

of Brendan and I helping Grandma pick peas in her garden

and playing games on the computer.

Brendan used to take a nickel to school in Kindergarten (I think)

and buy me a pencil without mom's knowledge.

I had quite the collection going before she found out 

and made him stop.

Another thing I remember about Brendan is the term

WAY TO BE.

He used to say it all the time!

He would see someone running down the street

and he, being a runner, would say, "Way to be!"

I haven't heard him say it in awhile though.

He is a very talented poet when he puts his mind to it.

I remember one poem he wrote in 9th grade

about a black mother and son.

The mother tells her son that they are different

because of the color of their skin

and the son says that they are different,

but the difference is within.

That's not the whole poem of course, but that's the gist of it.

On his mission he would send us all letters for our birthdays.

This is the letter he wrote me for my 17th birthday:

As I sat to write this letter

Poof! I thought of something better

One poem it is, coming your way

Emmi, yes it is your birthday!

Making you...well, let's see

Four...seventeen! I can't believe!

Only yesterday you know, did we

Refine the art of picking peas

Trade our pencils during your nap

Have our turn on daddy's lap

Eat after-lunch pickles at Gramma's house

BEFORE our lunch of spaghetti-os      
Invent ways to hide from Taffy and        

'Gree to make your Knex wand

But you can see, we're older now

Only our memory can tell us how

Once upon a time we were that small

Grow up we did to be so tall

Everything went by way too fast

Remembering now that it's the past

(The pickles and spaghettio's line needs a little explanation. Grandma would always offer us a pickle for our after lunch snack, but Bren and I would always hide under the table and eat it before lunch. Lunch was usually Spaghettio's cause they rock my world).

If you read the first letter of every line it says, 

A poem for the big booger

That's his nickname for me, and mine for him is

Bigger booger.

Brendan has definitely had some difficult times

recently, but I don't remember him ever complaining.

He was very much humbled and he never doubted 

what he knew once. 

He's such an excellent example to me.

This was our second attempt at a picture. He made me take another one because he "looked stoned" in the other one...
Now he's not even looking! However I think he has a cute smile in this one haha

I love this boy more than any words can express.

He is truly one of my best friends. 

I love you Brendan!