Happy Birfday, Ben!

My sister outdid done me, beat me to posting about my brother's birthday today! She called me and said, "You should do a post on Ben's birthday. I did." Only, now that I have read hers, I think it's better than what I would have done! Only, allow me to elaborate on some points:

It is NEVER safe to go anywhere with Ben. She referred to his first date with his wife. He took her to the Nutty Putty caves in Utah. "Bring an extra flashlight, Ben!" Ah, those words could have been the difference of ten long hours had they been heeded. You see, it would seem that someone dropped the flashlight, kicked it down a hole, and then got stuck hanging out in the caves for the rest of the day. People were there and could have helped them, only they thought it was a joke when they were yelling for help.

Next story-for some dumb reason we knew this story, and yet when Ben offered to take us to the caves a couple years later, we happily agreed. Did we take the jeep to drive out there? No... we took a '76 iroc camaro. And two bottles of soda. And no money. Sixteen hours later we had been stranded in a sand field, attempted to dig the car out for hours, drank out of a hose meant for cattle, stole someones shovel, had our lives threatened, ran several miles for help, and eventually rescued.

But hey, those kind of things only make you stronger, and for that Ben, I thank you. So, in honor of his birthday, I am going to post some life lessons that he has taught me:

1. We were visiting again and for another dumb reason, decided to let Ben take us on another trip to see a ghost town. We took my Mom's new van, Tonia volunteered to stay home with the baby, and we headed out. Looking back, I realize who the smart one was... sitting at home... with the baby... Anyway, we drove out to the middle of nowhere Utah where the roads were so small we scratched the side of the vehicle on trees. We passed quite a few, "No Trespassing" and "Trespassers Will Be Shot" signs. Ben said, "Oh, it's OK. They really don't mind." But, when we parked the van and got out and started to head to the trail, we heard some ATV's coming through. That is when Ben pretty much shoved us into a shrubbery and made us hide. Forever. When we finally came out, we wandered around lost as he said, "I think it's this way..." Eventually, we found ourselves way far from the van, the ATV's making their way back, and in a hurry to leave before they did. Ben thought it'd be a good idea to climb straight up a cliff and see if we could get to the van quicker that way. It probably would have, had the side not crumbled and he pretty much rolled down the hill in a way similar to Wesley in "The Princess Bride." I have a picture of his hand so covered in cactus needles you could hardly count them. Sadly, I don't have the scanner hooked up and they're in a giant box under four other boxes. I learned that people don't always mean it when they say they are going to shoot you. Sometimes it's just a scare tactic.

2. Ben has tried to kill me several times-but I don't hold that against him. I appreciate his efforts to make me stronger. He's responsible for eight of the twelve stitches I have had in my life. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be able to blame him for the second time I was knocked unconscious in my life. These little instances only taught me that crying doesn't fix anything-running fast does.

3. Ben was the best babysitter. We used to play a really fun game, it didn't have an official name but we called it "Rubber bands." Ben would sit on the couch and talk to random girls (I assuming there was someone on the other line) on the phone while we ran back and forth in front of the TV. If we could make it from one end of the entertainment center and back without getting shot by a rubber band (usually in the eye), we would get AN ENTIRE PENNY! On super days, we'd get nickels. I earned a quarter once. This is where I learned the value of money, and how to work hard.

4. The first time I was knocked unconscious was when Ben made Tyler and I box each other. I was probably five years old, and Ben put about ten pairs of socks on each of our hands and said that we could box each other, or we could box him. We learned quick decision making skills. Tyler uppercutted me ... and I woke up ten minutes later, bleeding from my mouth and crying. This also taught me that violence is silly, and to fight with words. They hurt less.

5. One of the best "big brother" talks we had was when I was dating a pretty scroungy guy in high school. He wasn't particularly bright, or nice, and I remember one night Ben taking me for a walk as we talked about dating and what was important. I don't remember now everything we talked about, but I remember him saying, "Think of what kind of guy you would want picking up your crying baby in the middle of the night when you're both exhausted and frustrated." I still think about that comment, and definitely included it in my dating life from then on out... and of course, when I met Jeff I knew that squishy little face of his would just hug and kiss any child we had, regardless of how much he screams.

6. Why doesn't anyone else I know have stories like this of their childhood? Everyone else's brothers stayed home with their sister when she didn't go to homecoming, did facials and watched chic flics. My brother just tried to shoot me with a bow and arrow while I hid under the Christmas tree.

7. The value of a laugh is important. Ben would tease, harrass and make me soooo angry I would burst into tears. Then, he would say something funny and I'd have to laugh, therefore making my mood less furious. He would then leave before you remembered you were angry. Punch lines-delivery is everything.

8. When he was almost thirty we were all hanging out. He came up behind me, cut a CHUNK of my hair off close to the scalp, and tried to tell me no one would notice. Until a month later when it was so short it stuck up like Alfalfa's. Awesome. Because I wanted to go to college like that. I learned the difference in a good haircut and a bad haircut is two weeks. And he's not allowed to have scissors.

All joking aside, Ben is really a model of hard work and responsibility. When he was in college, married and had a baby, he not only went to school full time, he worked full time, had a second job, and kept grades so well he got scholarships. That has always impressed me, and he didn't stop there. Ben has always been consistent, loyal and a great example. He really is a hard worker, occasionally is thoughtful, and makes life interesting. And for that Ben, I thank you :)