Happy Birthday Rick!

Rick and his son, Nathon, circa 2004.

Today, my second oldest brother, Rick, turns 44. It's not an "0" or "5", but it's another year, and I'd like to wish him a good one. And, I want to wish him the very best for the year ahead. I know the past year hasn't been the best in history, so I especially want to wish him all the good I can possibly muster on today, his birthday.

In honor of his big day, following are a few images I've captured of him and his family from the past few years and some random things I'm sitting here remembering about him.

Family photo, (Rick, Ryon, Nathon, Jessica, Kim) Christmas 2006

When Rick was in high school and I was in grade school, his room was directly under mine at our house. Every morning, he'd get up and blow his nose. Let me just say, when Rick blows his nose, you hear it. It's loud. It's not dainty - he gets it done. Anyway, this noise would travel up the air vent to my room. It was my built-in alarm clock for a few years. No need to set one. I knew when I heard Rick up, it was time to get moving.

Hanging out, Christmas 2006

Rick took me to see CATS in Indianapolis one year when I was home on break from college. It was the first time I'd seen that musical, and I still remember that production. And, the fact that he took the time to take me.

Nathon and Rick, 2005

Rick, while he looks like a thin guy, can stick his stomach out to a perfect basketball shape. We all have special talents. This is Rick's. When he does it - he looks like he could be pregnant or something. It's the strangest thing. He's got it perfected.

My brother Bob, me, brother Steve, and brother Rick, August 2005

Another talent of his is he can eat very slowly. Especially if he's eating a piece of fudge. He can make a one inch by one inch piece of fudge last something like 2 weeks. No kidding.

Rick throwing a ball with his son Ryon, September 2006

He's also a great and resourceful "from scratch" cook, and he sources his own wild mushrooms (I want to call them morel mushrooms - and I fear I'm getting that wrong) in the spring of the year for a special treat. He also loves to golf, apparently with a bunch of really old geezers, but doesn't get to head out to do that too often.

Rick at Nathon, September 2006

When I was very small, he and Bob used to love to tease me, of course. They still do, of course. But, when I was small, they thought it was hilarious to get me to say "green one" and this made up word, spelled for pronunciation, "pop-er-oh-shun". There are audio tapes of them trying to get me to say those things and them just laughing and laughing when I did. They used to also tell me I did everything "like a girl." They'd say, "You run like a girl." Or, "You throw like a girl." It was a long time before I realized that, since I was a girl, it was OK I did things like a girl. Brothers. Oh brother.

Rick at Ryon just last week at McCormick's Creek on my visit to Indiana.
(Ryon is in character for Halloween in this photo.)

He loves his kids, too, and enjoys spending time with them.

Rick with Nathon May 2003

Family photo (Jessica, Kim, Rick, Nathon, Ryon) after a ballgame, May 2007

And, I'm glad he's my brother. And, again, I wish him the very best!

Happy Birthday!