Happy Birthday, Greg

If you had asked me when I was six years old, I would have told you my brother Greg was the coolest guy on the planet. He was athletic and fun, kind and straightforward, and he had a lot of friends. When he gave up a starting position on the basketball team to star in his high school musical Oklahoma!, I was pretty sure there had never been a cooler, more confident person at Hillcrest High School (and not just because the school had only opened the year before).

Today, that opinion hasn't changed much. I still think Greg is pretty cool, and I still harbor an undying love for Oklahoma! (and Rodgers & Hammerstein in general). Greg is always the one who calls everyone in the family to make sure we all know what's going on, and in that way, he helps keep our family close. I love him for that.

Today is Greg's birthday, and even though he's turning 37, he's still my youngest brother, the one closest to me in age. That means that I actually remember the day he opened his mission call and I remember taking him to the MTC--the only sibling I remember doing that with.

Greg as a missionary in Australia. Photo taken from Facebook.

I remember getting news that he was going to propose to his then-girlfriend-now-wife Adria, and I remember the first time I met her. I went to Greg's house for a blessing when I was single and living in Provo in 2008. Last time I sat down with him, I talked to him about being a parent--something we have in common now. And because of the difference in our ages, it's pretty cool to me that we finally have something like that in common.

When I think of Greg, I think of how he and Adria invite Ryan, Lyla and I over for dinner a lot, and I've loved having that time with them before we move to Texas. I think of BYU football games and watching them at his house. Lyla loves playing with Greg's kids, and his house feels like a home away from home to me. Greg has the best taste in TV shows and has introduced me to some of my favorites. Friday Night Lights, anyone? Sherlock?

Greg is the one wrestling Ryan. He is also hilarious.

Greg, like everyone in my family, has a quick wit and fantastic sense of humor. He is a writer like me. He is one of my role models.

Happy birthday, Greg! Hope your day is as fantastic as you are.