wittle brudder.

It was daddy's weekend and I was twelve years old. Shannon drove a Dodge truck with an extended cab, and we took that thing everywhere. We got out of the truck at home after running some errands (probably to Best Buy, because we practically lived there when we were growing up), and daddy randomly said, "We could always buy a shell for the bed of the truck." Melanie and I looked at each other as if to say "he has lost his mind," Dustin and Freeman barely knew they were even in the world, and Shannon chuckled a nervous little chuckle. We walked inside, and daddy told us to wait downstairs for a minute because Shannon had something to show us. She walked into the bathroom, came out a few seconds later holding a stick that showed two red lines, and when I realized what that meant and looked up with my mouth wide open, Shannon was already crying. We all hugged and cried (well, to be accurate, I believe Shannon and I were the only ones crying--daddy is a tough guy, and the other three still had no idea what was going on) and rejoiced (in a freaking-out manor) over a new member of our family.

And that's the story of the time I first fell in love with William Michael Henderson.

I've watched him grow up for the last ten years, and the realization that it has already been ten years since he made his appearance onto this earth makes my head spin. I've learned so much about so many things because of that little guy, and it is the biggest blessing in the world to get to be his big sister. He was the best surprise our family could have ever hoped for, and I can't wait to watch him continue to grow up and become a man of strength and honor and dignity.

Wilber, there isn't a thing in this whole world that I wouldn't do for you if you asked (and there's plenty that I would do even if you didn't). I hope you read this one day and get a glimpse of how much you have changed my life for the better over the course of your last ten years (because it really is just a glimpse). I hope you know that I will always do my best to protect you and push you to do the right thing and tell you no only when I absolutely have to and spoil you rotten and love you until you feel it in your soul.

happy birthday, little brother!

I love you more than words could ever, ever say.

"There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother."

-Astrid Alauda