memory monday

joe mama 

^this is joe before i was born. i think he was pretty happy and content with his role of being the youngest. 

joe is my sibling closest to me in age. growing up, we definitely had our ups and downs. there were times where it felt like we were always against each other. i remember when dave would go off to a friend's house joe would say to me, "now dave is not here to protect you from me." and i would run away in fear. i remember being so mad at him and saying things like, "i am NEVER going to talk to you again. you are really going to be sorry." and really believing that i would be able to ignore him. BUT...an hour later, i would end up talking and laughing with him. i remember rolling around on the floor with him, fighting at doug and ali's house and doug had to come over and break us up. 

some of my sweetest memories growing up were spent with him. 

-late night games of uno in my room. 

-snooping through laurel's room.

-giving him kisses on the cheek when he was napping on the couch. 

-hawaii together when he was 18 and i was 14. 

-sharing a room and telling stories late at night. 

even though we got in so many fights growing up, i always knew he loved me. i remember praying so hard that he would go on a mission. i wanted it for him so bad. after we dropped him off at the MTC, i promised myself i would write him every, single week of his mission.  i lived up to this promise up until the last two or three months. 

the relationship i have with each of my siblings is very unique and different from each other. i can definitely say that the relationship i share with joe is special and very dear to me. i think we went through a lot together living under the same roof as laurel when she was going through some pretty crazy times. it was good to know that as brother and sister, we were in this together. nobody can make me laugh like joe can, and nobody can tick me off the way he can either. a year or so ago, i remember my mom looking at me very seriously and saying, "you mark my words, someday he will be the wisest man you know." 

i believe her. 

can you tell how much i love him?