Happy Birthday Bubba!

My one and only sibling is celebrating his 24th birthday today! He was born on a Saturday evening in 1985, and I remember seeing him just a few minutes after our mom had delivered him. He had big brown eyes that greeted us as we entered the room.

I remember the day well since I was eight at the time and old enough to realize what was happening. I had wanted a little brother or sister for a long time. My dad was mowing the lawn, and my mom was starting to feel labor pains, so she called my grandmother to come and get me while my parents headed to Alachua General Hospital. 

When my mom arrived at the hospital that afternoon, they told her she wasn't far along yet, and she should go to the mall and walk around for a while. My mother, being the smart woman that she is, said no, and she said no because of a football game. While she enjoys watching the games on television, this was not her logic.

On the road from the hospital to the Oaks Mall in Gainesville is a rather large structure known as Ben Hill Griffin Stadium where close to 80,000 people had gathered to watch a football game between the University of Florida and the University of Tennessee. My mother knew that if she made it to the mall, she might not make it back to the hospital in time due to all the post-game traffic. She made the right decision since Jason was born only a few hours later.

My nickname for my brother when we were younger was Bubba Lee. It was actually meant as a joke, but it has stuck, so in honor of his birthday, I'm posting some entertaining and slightly embarassing photos of us.

One Halloween when I was a gypsy and Jason was Mickey Mouse. He's actually wearing his pajamas.

We're watching television in my bright yellow bedroom!

This is one of my favorites since it looks like we're joining the circus, but we're actually going to church and showing off our Bibles. Notice how the 1970s yellow theme carries into the kitchen. 

Happy Birthday Bubba Lee! Thanks for being a great younger brother. Thanks also to our mom for delivering us and to our dad who took all the photos above!