Sibling Revelry

Chip and I, circa 1980.

I have been blessed with many super, great, amazing, wonderful (insert every happy adjective here) friends in my life, but over time I have realized that the best of them all is the one my parents gave me when I was 19 months old... my little brother.

Growing up, people were constantly amazed that we got along so well. Some even asked if we were twins because we shared a special sibling bond. It didn't matter if I had hair like a boy or teeth like Laura Ingalls Wilder, he was always right there by my side, a friend through it all.

When I spend time with Chip, I can totally be myself at a completely different comfort level than I can be at with anyone else. There are no secrets, nothing to hide - because he already knows it all. I can bring up topics from kids to food to education to poverty to shopping and he takes it all in with complete interest. I never have to watch what I say or worry about offending him. If he or I bring up a topic that the other doesn't care to discuss, we can say so and move on with no hurt feelings.

Because we were raised in the same environment, the same culture, we agree on most things. And who doesn't like someone who agrees with them most of the time?

Chip is also one of the only people I am comfortable crying in front of. He's seen my ugly, scrunched up, blotchy red crying face and it doesn't faze him one iota.

We laugh, we cry, we sing, we dance. We get animated and talk with our hands when we're passionate about something. We know the words to every theme song and commercial jingle from the late 70's and early 80's and feel perfectly justified in random acts of performing them for and with each other.

Best of all, I can let out a nice belch after downing a carbonated beverage and he doesn't even blink. I mean, we used to have contests in that regard when growing up, so big whoop if one slips out in the middle of a conversation. If it's a really spectacular one, I may even be complimented with a casual, "Nice one!" before the banter continues.

(Not that I ever burp anymore. But if I did, that's how it would probably be...)

Regardless of any of that, the point of all this was simply to say that I could not ask for a better brother and friend.


And for that, I count myself as lucky.

Happy birthday, little brother. I have always been proud to be known as "Chip's Sister."

Getting Out

Last Saturday I had the chance to get out in the community and do some sign language interpreting again. It has been awhile, but despite my nervousness I was really looking forward to it. I met up with my brother, Chip, and we carpooled to Salt Lake City together to work as two of the ASL interpreters for the General Relief Society broadcast for our church.

Can I just say I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!

We had an amazing crew:
The green room was loaded with plenty of things to snack on:

I was so excited that Chip suggested I get out a little more often. (Wouldn't you be excited?! Look at all of the chocolate!! And you can't even see the fruit and veggie trays, or plethora of drinks!)

This is the set, with the hot seat:

Here are Chip and I, reviewing the talks we will be translating for:


The talk I was assigned to interpret went great, especially considering I have not done this in quite awhile. If you want to watch me at work, click on this link then click on the link for Silvia H. Allred's talk in American Sign Language. If I ever figure out how to embed the video here, I'll do so and make it easier for all of us. But for now, click.

As we were leaving, Chip pointed out this poster of a former event at the Conference Center:


He told me about how he got to interpret for this concert, featuring the Oak Ridge Boys. And how everyone in the Tabernacle Choir kept asking the Oak Ridge Boys during rehearsals if they were going to sing Elvira but they kept saying they didn't think it fit the program. And then how it came down from the top that they could go ahead and sing the song, and that Chip was told to not hold back in his interpretation, but to put on a show. And then he gave me a small sampling of his performance, the likes of which I would pay handsomely to see again. I mean, who knew he could move like that when signing, Giddy-up, a whoom-bop a whoom-bop a maow maow! Apparently Chip's hips are not a force to be reckoned with.

Every once in awhile it is just a great thing to spend some time with my brother, enjoying some tasty treats and doing something that we love.

How Monday Became Fun Day

Today started out great with a phone call from my favorite younger brother.

"I'm in Provo. Let's celebrate your birthday! Figure out what kind of somethin'-somethin' you want for lunch and I'll bring it over."

He brought all of this:
Along with this:
And totally made my day.
My brother is awesome.

Just Chip

Can I introduce you to my brother, Chip? He has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Sure, we've had our differences at times, but he has always been there for me and I adore him. We were born only 19 months apart and were practically inseparable for most of our early lives. We spent all kinds of time together with our good friend, T.V., and can both still sing most any commercial from the 70's-early 80's as a result of it. Romper Room, Sesame Street, Electric Company, 3-2-1 Contact and Land of the Lost (does this picture bring back memories?) were among our preschool teachers. (Sleestacks still freak me out, and I hold a massive grudge against that dumb lady from Romper Room who could never see us in her "magic mirror" despite our bribing her by waving mom's homemade cookies in front of the television.)

(Mom tried to get a picture of us playing with Dad, but one of our favorite commercials came on...)

It was nice to know that, as we went through our awkward stages where our permanent teeth were coming in & Mom made all our clothes, we had each other. (Thank you, Chip, for telling people I was NOT a boy despite my "Dorothy Hamill" haircut.) We endured some interesting things together, which are themselves stories for another time. As a teenager in high school, when I had issues with low self-esteem, Chip was there to make me feel loved and included - and to cheer me on. And I forgive him now for not letting any of his friends (or the guys on the wrestling team...or the surfer boys) ask me out, although at the time it was maddening! Actually, not only do I forgive him, I am grateful. I hope my boys look out for their sisters like that.

I was known as "Chip's sister" from about 5th grade to the present day, a title which I am proud to hold.

But I still like to embarrass him sometimes...Sorry, Chip. I couldn't resist.