M to the A double T

Dear Ratty Tatt-Tat MatT,


I'm a bit behind in posting this, but I wanted to give you a ShOuT-OuT on (or rather, in close proximity) to your BiRthdaY...So without further ado, here's a list of some of the things I love so dearly about YoU...

#1 One of my earliest memories of you is making forts on your bunk bed in the LitTle house...SoMeOnE else (I won't mention any names) wouldn't let me on his bunk, but you were so kind to humor me...Thank you for allowing me this privilege...I'm so glad to have some memories with you in this place to overshadow the TrAuMa I often endured having WaLtnEr the crazy cat walk all over my face in the middle of the night!

#2 How could I not have the highest admiration for one who produced this BuNdlE of crazy, cute ridiculousness...

...and this one...

...not to mention this one...

I'm so grateful to have such darling nieces :)

#3 I love that there are very few people in the world that can ApPrEciAte the hilarity found in the following sequence of pictures as much as you will...

#4 You look really FlY when you ice skate...

... I'm just waiting for you to bust out with a triple axle, sow-cow, double toe loop with a twist ;)

#5 It's quite possible you have no recollection of this, but when I was in eighth grade, you gave me a heart to heart about BoYs. We were sitting on the steps of our PiNk house in Florida. What you said stuck with me. Thank you for speaking so HoNeStLy to me that night. I truly believe your words helped protect me from a lot of potential heart ache. I really appreciate that.

#6 You help make my DrEaMs a ReAliTy. Case in point: The ShiGgY ShuFfLe...

This moment of FaMiLy FuN would not have been possible without your MiX. I look forward to the Re-MiX when we meet again.

#7 Thank you for bringing the secret to a natural, brilliant smile in every photograph to our family....Inhale....Aaaaaand, SmILe...

Works every time!

#8 When I'm with you, I feel free to be me...sounds CheEsY but it's true. Believe me, not everyone would allow me to perform my BrItTnEy routine in the middle of a car wash parking lot with no shame! It's so good to be loved even when I'm actin' the fool...

#9 To this day, I still remember with great fondness sitting at home watching PoIsOn music videos with you and a plate of CheEsE, ChErRiEs and BrAuNsChweigEr while Chris was at the real concert. You will never know how unbelievably cool I thought you were for this moment, and I'm still trying to figure out how in the world you ever got me to enjoy braunschweiger?!

And finally #10: I love ya just for being my brother...I'm so grateful that you have added these memories and many more to my life. There's not a single person that could take your place. Happy Birthday...a bit late, but as Grandma J says, "Better late than never." Love you Matthew!

Ode to Christopher...

How I LoVe thee my BrOthEr dearest...Let me count the ways...A list of TeN things that make me GrAteFuL to call you BrOtHeR on this day of your birth and every day of the year...

Number 1: You're the only person in the world that I continually catch UnaShAmeDly checking themselves out in the mirror. I can't blame you...you come from a GoOd LoOkIn' family...

Number 2: Even though you sometimes implement ToRtuRe TaCtiCs, you still remain, in my opinion, an InCrEdiBle UnCle. I secretly can't wait to watch you work your MaGiC on my own children one day.
Number 3: You're really CoOl...SeRiOuSly...what were you thinking bringing along your sixth grader sister to the CrAnBeRriEs CoNcErT when you were a college kid? Did you know that was my first concert ever?...I'm glad I get to forever share that memory with you. I never hear DrEaMs without thinking of you my BrOtHeR.

Number 4: One time when I lost a FrIeNd you were the OnE who came to be with me. You put aside your busy schedule to be a BiG BrOtheR. Thanks for just being there. I know others in the family would say the same...

Number 5: As you know FoOd is of the UtmOsT importance in our FaMiLy, and I have to say you do your fair share of CoNtrIbuTiNg to the PaLlaTe PleAsInG meals at our gatherings...give me some of that SwEeT ChiLi !

Number 6: You are the SloWeSt eater on the face of the PlaNeT...I love that I can FoReVeR make fun of you for that :)

Number 7: You picked a RoCkiN' wife...seriously, I'm so thankful you chose ChRiStiNe. She fits in PeRfeCtlY with the Family, and I think she is HiLaRiOuS, CrEaTiVe, FuN, and CaRiNg...all essentials if you ask me.

Number 8: Basically you've always been one of my FaVoRiTe people to HuG. Thanks for putting up with me even in my most AfFeCtiOnAtE of moods.

Number 9: You truly CaRe about and LoVe each member of our family, and you ShoW it. You are one of the best LiSteNeRs I know, and I AdmIrE you for the way you take time to get to know and care about each one of us. You always make sure we have some QuAliTy talk time when we are together. I really VaLuE that time with YoU.

And FiNaLly Number 10: You put up with StuFf like my MaRiaH CaReY AlL I WaNt for ChRisTmaS song and dance...

and ThiS...
...ThIs...

...I can't forget to mention ThiS...

...somehow you're even managing to put up with ThiS...

...ThiS....
and EvEn this...

Yet at the end of the day you somehow manage to LovE us all...you're the BeSt. Thank you for being such an InCreDiBle brother to me throughout the years. I'm grateful for the opportunity to CeLeBraTe you on this day.

I love you Christopher,

Katie Did

On Blogging and Getting Over Myself...

Since I've started BlOgGiNg, things in life that at one time might have HoRriFieD or EmBaRRaSseD me have morphed into opportunities to LaUgH HyStEriCalLy, not take myself so SeRiouSly, and be GraTefuL to those in my life who make it far more InTeResTinG than I could ever manage on my own.

Allow me to explain by sharing a somewhat recent incident that occurred at our cousin David and Heather's wedding. It think it IlluStrAteS my point BeAutIfuLly...

The location was GoRgEOuS...

The BrIdE was RaDiAnT...

The company was DeLigHtFuL...

And to top it all off, I had my HaNdsOmE HusBaNd at my side and a NeW dress I had been saving for the PeRfeCt occasion...

The night was nearly MaGiCaL as we LaDiEs enjoyed TwIliGht in the garden...

Then suddenly, the UnThInKaBle happened, and my state of SeReNiTy quickly turned into this...

ReD, that's right, I said ReD wine SpLaTteReD all over my brand new dress! In great confusion, I turned to see my extremely apologetic brother BeN and his nearly EmPtY wine glass sitting on the table.

Now you see... at one time in my life, this incident would have HaD the potential to RuIn my entire evening, BuT this time, instead of being EmBaRrAsSeD and HoRriFiEd, I found myself enjoying the moment and taking advantage of this opportunity fully realizing its BloGgInG potential...See what I mean...

All I could do was LaUgH as my SwEeT sister tidied me up!

Having recently blogged about said sister, she did this dirty job with JoY realizing that doing so would most DeFiNitEly give her another appearance on yet another Blog Post... Thank you for your HuMbLe service dear sister...

In the end, it turns out a bit of SoDa WaTeR and SaLt does WoNdeRs on ReD WiNe dress disasters. I danced the night away without a care in the world...

And thanks to my place in the BloGoSpheRe, I can sincerely say words that at one time in my life would have been UnImaGinAbLe:

ThAnK YoU Ben for spilling red wine on my FaVoRitE, NeVeR BeFoRe WorN DrEsS.

I dedicate this post to you and consider myself forever InDeBteD to you for giving me a MeMoRaBle story to share instead of the standard slideshow of pictures I would have come up with on my own.