Happy Birthday Stu!

Since Stuart seems to have changed his phone number recently and I can't figure out how to get a hold of him to wish him Happy Birthday, I thought I would just write him a blog.


My little brother Stu seems to have a charmed life. ( He is living in Hawaii and he did serve his mission in exotic tropical places.) I know he must have his hard times, but he doesn't seem to complain (Not even when he had to learn three languages, had no electricity or running water, and got boils on our face in those exotic tropical places.) We all love Stu for his easy-going, positive, and charming personality. He has us all wrapped around his little finger. Who can say no to Stu? Not complete strangers, and definitely not his sister Alli.

I just want to wish him a happy 24th Birthday.

Here are some fond memories I have of Stu:

• I was the one who could get him to sleep when Mom couldn't, by pacing back and forth in the dark living room and singing.
• We loved listening to his gibberish baby talk and actually making sense of it. "Deiddle-do"
• The time he convinced dad that he was old enough to go see Les Miserables by proving that even at 8, he knew the music and story better than him.
• The summer that I got to share a room with him when I came home from college.
• When we decorated the ceiling together with glow-in-the-dark stars and listened to "Night Swimming".
• Jr. High bedtime stories of "Maniac Magee" and "Hatchet".
• Dropping off a teary eyed Stu at school on my way to the airport to go to the MTC.
• The time (after realizing that the waves were better than he expected) he asked a stranger on the beach if he could borrow his surf board for a bit.
• Going to see the first performance of "Kiss Me Kate", and being so proud and blown away by how well he did, that I went back to the next three performances too.
• Helping him with the research for his Senior Project.
• Pumicing our feet together.
• Taking the scenic rout through San Francisco from Bec's wedding in Oakland to her reception in San Jose.
• Shining the flashlight while he crawled under the house to scoop up the dead and rotting opossum.
• Sitting on the sidelines of water polo games with Kimball and Mom and cheering.
• He, Evan and I hacking down (with a machete) and bundling the volunteer trees in the back yard.

(I guess the list could go on and on, but baby Isaac is crying and in need of some attention, so I have to cut it short.)

Thanks for being so great Stu. I love you and hope you have a great birthday.

(I can't wait to come and visit you in Hawaii next month.)