happy birfday little brother!

Alas, I made it through my crazy, busy day! Who says teachers dont work during the summer? I have not had a second of peace all day! Moving on...

After all my errands, I got ready to go out to dinner for my brother's birthday. I ate a snack because we were going to a Chinese buffet - no dinner for me. When my brother told me that was where we were going, I really was totally fine with it. It's his birthday, it's his day... his dinner choice should not have to revolve around my food intolerances and eating habits. However, he is a boy, and honestly did not even think about it until we got there and I said, "I'm not eating" to the host at the front. Needless to say, he felt really bad. This particular kind of situation has been a constant struggle for me since I found out about my intolerances. I feel bad if I say something or I feel bad because the other people feel bad that I can't eat. What is a girl to do? Has anyone else been in this particular situation? How do you deal - do you tell the people ahead of time you won't be able to eat or do you just roll with it?

snack: fruit salad topped with walnuts

I love my little brother - no, honestly, I do. Of course, there was a time where I antagonized him, rolled my eyes at him, or was just plain mean. Matthew and I are almost three years apart. There are some fond memories I have of him as a child. One of them includes my sister and I dressing him up in a "Belle" (Beauty and the Beast) costume, complete with gold headband, and calling him Matilda. Another memory I have of him is him chasing me with a butcher knife - he likes to tell me that never happened but my sister and I beg to differ. I do think, though, since my sister and I dressed him up as a girl, he was entitled to chase use with whatever he liked.

My brother and I were not super close when growing up - he was known as "the boy". Since he was the youngest, the only boy, and kind of in a different world from my sister and I, he inevitably got left out. My brother is a particularly deep person - very artsy. He has a passion for music and song writing which blows us all away. Although I feel as if I live in a dorm room some days due to the fact that I have to pound on the wall to get him to stop playing his guitar, his music is unbelievable.

Little brother is also very chivalrous. I found this out for the first time when I was about 13. 13 year old Chelsey was very awkward - verrrry awkward. I really don't think my body did what it was supposed to until I was about 20 years old. Needless to say, I was very self conscious about the way I looked. One of little brother's friends were spending the night and we proceeded to have the following conversation:

Friend: Hey, Chelsey! I know why you don't have a boyfriend.
Me: Why?
Friend: You're really ugly.

Insert little brother here - knocking the crap out of said friend. Matthew has always acted like an older, protective brother to me for as long as I can remember, which I have always loved. People always say if you want to know how a man treats women, look at how he treats his mother (and sisters). This man is kind, loving, and compassionate. I am so blessed to have such a great sibling!

Earth Mother and Hippie Child

You may think that caption is weird - but this is honestly what we are called (hence the peace signs). My parents think it is so funny how I am so "pure" in the sense of what I eat and what I expose my body to. Matthew's taste in clothes and music depict a "hippie" character. Apparently we were meant to live in the 60's (which I really wasn't). Oh, and this picture was taken about 10 times - my mom needs serious help with her picture taking abilities.

I had fun sitting and chatting with my family - and watching the BIL eat. We have an ongoing joke in my family about how much he eats. It's fun to just mess with him.

BIL with his first two plates of food

plate #3

Insert cupcakes after dinner - there were 20, but my cupcake holder would only hold 18. Oh well...

Can you read what it's supposed to say?

this little guy was in poor condition

birthday boy!

probably a little embarassed we were singing to him - it was so much work just to light the dang candles. We were definitely singing.

When I got home, I was ready to chew off my arm, so dinner was not pictured. It was just a salad and some taters - I had to eat quick in order to get to my house to help FH with taping down paper to our new floors. Our trim is going in tomorrow, so we had to make sure it was down so no one would track anything in on it. Before I left, I snacked on another cookie dough ball, some raisins, and cashews!

I have overnight oats waiting for me in the fridge - I have a feeling tomorrows will be a replica of what I ate today! They were just too good to not eat again. I have to get up early anyways to let the guys in to do the trim at 7:00 am! It takes me a good 20 minutes to get to my new house, so I'll be an early riser again!

Sleep tight! xoxo Chelsey