Happy Birthday Brandon!!

Today is my big bro Brandon's birthday. What can I say about him? Lots! Brandon is a really cool dude but is known to get a little loud. He is the most understanding and patient guy around and does not speak bad of others. He has a ton of drive and determination and keeps going until the job is done. He is also one of the hardest working people I know. Now are you ready for some memories?

Brandon is about 17 months older than me so of course I always had crushes on his friends. In return he thought it was cool to beat me up in front of his friends.

One time when I was 6 or 7, he and I decided to steal a ton of gum from the grocery store. We LOADED our pockets with those little 5 piece Wrigley packs. Mom noticed our buldging pockets after we left the store but she had to go to a different store before she could take us back to tell the manager what we had done. She had us put all the gum in the front of the van and then she left Brandon and I in the van while she went into the other store. But, she left us with the gum! So I sneaked some back into my pocket. Brandon swears that when we went back to the scene of the crime, that I wouldn't say anything so he had to do all the apologizing for both of us.

Brandon was known to take the rap for things he hadn't done. He was not the most obedient of us Finch's so we would convince him that Mom and Dad would believe him the most if he confessed to the wrong doing. I remember one time when a piece of cake went missing and nobody else could have any until the culprit came forward. We talked him into admitting to the crime even though he swore it wasn't him. Then if I remember correctly we sneaked him a piece since his punishment was no cake.

When he was younger he had a few sticky fingers especially at the candy store on 1st street. We didn't dare steal so we would get him to steal for us. I really do feel bad about that now. Sorry Brandon!

We would play war, kick the can, and cops and robbers all over our neighborhood. That was back when it was safe to let kids roam unsupervised. I miss those times.

He loved to blow things up. You could always find bottle rockets, fire crackers, and other explosive devices buried in his dresser drawers. One time he blew up a toilet with a dry ice bomb. That one didn't go over too well with the neighbors.

We would "smoke" dry pine needles wrapped in paper or stuffed in those green hollow reed plants that grew at our family cabin. We thought we were so cool!

Brandon served his mission in Louisville Kentucky. I remember talking to him on the phone and he asked me out on a date. I reminded him that I was his sister and that we couldn't date and his reply was that people in Kentucky didn't mind dating siblings.

I am married to Brandon's wife's brother.

La-La and Care Bear get nervous around Uncle Brandon because he gets a little too loud and hyper for their taste. They talk about how the next time they see him, they will try not to be scared. La-La will tell Care Bear that he is not being mean, he is having fun but is just loud.

Happy Birthday Brandon! You are an amazing person and your wife and kids are so lucky to have you around! Love Ya!!