Happy Birthday Bruce!

My big brother Bruce is 54 today. 

( If you will look back five days ago,you will see that I married a man only five days older

 than my big brother...kinda creeps me out but, that's a different story)

There are so many things I could say to pay tribute to my big brother.

In fact, I already did post about him last year right HERE.

The most important thing you really need to know about him is how much

 I love him.

He has always been very important to me and still is.  We are eight years

apart in age so I really didn't get to grow up with him like I would have liked to, but he was an

amazing brother to me.  I don't ever remember him being mean to me or making me feel less

than I was.  He still hasn't.  In fact, through happy or sad, tragedy or triumph, he 

exudes a quiet strength that I haven't seen in anyone else.  He makes 

those around him more comfortable than he feels. 

Perhaps, he is holding it all inside to protect everyone else.   That's just who Bruce is.

He is a word wizard.

He has a masterful wit that I only try to mirror but don't even come close to.

He is the strongest person I know who has experienced things

that only the very elect and strong are asked to bare.

And even though he and Larry cut the tip of my middle finger of while

cocking a pellet gun when I was four years old...

I will ALWAYS love him.

Bruce is my hero.

Look at how handsome he is sitting there on his boat with his grandkids.

This picture made me miss my dad.  Just like Bruce, our dad always let my girls

fix up and mess up his hair.

Best. Grandpa. Ever.

Cool four generation picture. 

L to R:  Grampa Matthew Leavitt, Dad (Ray Leavitt), Bruce, and Chad.

Bruce is the third one over.

(Larry is the sixth)

This is my favorite picture of my brothers.  Bruce is in the bright blue.  

Can you see why it is possible that they did that 

horrendous act of violence on my finger?????

But at least they were cute.