My brother is home... After living away for ten years, he and his family have come back. I am so happy. I am so glad to be a family of four again -- and now really a family of thirteen. It's nice to not be an only child anymore, to have a brother and a sister (my sister-in-law has been so wonderful to be with). I am excited to build our families together. 

My brother and I have gone through a lot together -- moving every few years drew us closer together, we relied on each other for support. We were each other's cheerleaders (Well, that was true as we got older-- I remember when we were young and I said "When you get married I'm gonna warn the girl you want to marry about how you really are"). As kids we yelled and kicked and scratched out our differences until we nearly drove my parents mad, then as teens we became the best of friends and we were able to see the ways our differences complimented each other and  how we did not have to compete, or have everything "fair", we could just enjoy laughing til our sides hurt and annoying German foreign exchange students (who, in my defense, was annoying first), and generally causing hilarious havoc. There is no one I would have rather grown up with. And I am excited for the possibility that we will be able to grow old together-- in the same country, hopefully the same state. Sigh, life is good and I need to remember how blessed I truly am.