Day 93: Eeyore

I know that my Nana will love these socks. She definitely loves Eeyore. My Mom's dog, Jacob, always reminds me of Eeyore. He has big, sad, puppy dog eyes and always seems down on his luck. Example -- the chair's too small:

What a cutie.

Completely unrelated, I spent Sunday in Banff with my Dad, Stepmom and my two stepbrothers. The day was fantastic.

There is honestly something amazing about getting to an age where you realize the value that siblings have. As younger kids we might think sometimes "yeah, I like my brothers" or "ya, I guess they're alright". But coming to the realization, as an adult, that my stepbrothers are actually both really cool individuals is way better than any flippant remark I've made about it in the past. These two guys are so unique -- and I totally love them for it.

For starters, Chris is an incredibly talented guitarist. And I don't mean like he can sort of play a tune on a guitar and make it sound like someone else's song. I mean he recorded his own CD in high school and is actually ridiculously talented. I hear him playing downstairs sometimes and I'm just in awe that he can make music like that. If I picked up a guitar, let's be honest, I wouldn't even really know how to properly hold it. I am constantly impressed with his musical abilities. And it's not just guitar. He's a full out recording engineer with a studio in our basement. He writes lyrics, writes music (guitar, drums, keyboards, etc.), records music, and then mixes it to make it sound even better. I can't imagine the talent, and patience, it takes to do all of the above. While Chris and I had our differences when we were younger, I definitely can appreciate him now as I never could have as the self-centered 16 year old girl whose Dad married his Mom.

My other stepbrother Chad has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I've ever met. Truly, he would lay down his life for his family and friends. He works at a non-profit organization and just adores kids. He took a promotion there with the stipulation that his job still had to allow him interaction with the kids and families that he works with. He is warm hearted and not in a mushy-gushy, annoying, crying all the time kind of way. He is warm hearted, but fun. I envy his spontaneity and ability to adapt to any situation he seems to find himself in. He's an adventurer at heart. He's a total goofball. And yet, some of the most serious discussions I've had in my life have been with him, sitting on a counter in the kitchen, talking until midnight when we had school the next day. Some of his ideas stretch my thoughts of what is possible in my own life and I am so grateful for that. While I couldn't stand it when we were younger that he would cheat in games (seriously! pet peeve!), I can now appreciate Chad and all the qualities that make him who he is.

Family days are definitely in order more often. How lucky am I to have more than one family. Seriously, blended families are the best.

xo