Happy Birthday Nathan!

One of the things I like about having a blog, is that I get to brag about the cool people in my life. Today is my brother, Nathan's, birthday so it is his turn to be in the spotlight.

Even though Nathan is my younger brother, I haven't been able to call him my "little" brother for years. It seems like he has always been taller than me. We went through a stage where people thought we were twins because we were so close in size. He passed me in height when I was in the fourth or fifth grade.

Nathan is one of the most genuine and generous people I know. He always knows how to make you feel comfortable. He would do anything for anyone. He is the easiest person to buy a gift for because he has so many interests and hobbies.

I have so many Nathan memories. Here are some of my favorites:

• On day there was company gathered in the living room and Nathan, unaware that there was company, went dancing through the swinging dining room door. When he saw the room full of people, he reversed the dance to go back through the door.
• He has always been a total boy. He would spend hours hunting for snakes, mice and grasshoppers. By the end of the day his hands would be covered in dirt and grasshopper spit.
• He would wear mismatched tube socks that would be hanging clear off his feet most of the time (I say mismatched because even though they were both white, the lines at the top wouldn't match). He also had a pair of shoes that had mismatched letters on the side, one had an orange K and one had a blue K. He called them his Krunchy shoes.
  
• He has always had a contagious laugh. He laughs a lot, and you can't help but laugh when you are around him.
• One day my brother Stephen and I were sitting in the Kitchen. We heard a low voice singing the National Anthem, we both looked at each other in amazement when it was Nathan who came walking into the room.
  

One of the memories that had a powerful impact on me was during a Family Home Evening lesson. My parents were teaching us about the Plan of Salvation. We started the lesson in the basement Family room. To give us a lesson on the afterlife, my Dad went upstairs and one by one he called each of us to "Heaven" to have dessert. He called all of us up, except for Nathan. I don't remember at all what we had for dessert. All I remember is being so sad that Nathan wasn't with us. All of us were crying and begging my Dad to call Nathan up. I can't imagine how my life would be without my brother Nathan. He is an important part of our Family.

Happy Birthday Nath! I love you.