A week from now ...

... my baby brother will be married!

I still remember when ...

... Mom told me that we were going to have another baby and asking me if that was okay! (I said yes.)
... Kristi and I went to the hospital to see our new baby brother.
... I caught him sitting on the counter (18 mo?) stuffing two more chocolate oatmeal cookies into his already full and chocolate-covered mouth.
... he yelled "Cowabunga Dude!" before 'flying' off the monkey bars at preschool--because he truly believed he could fly--and coming home with a broken arm.
... our family would go to soccer games to watch Kreg dribble the ball down and score every time w while all the other little boys would just try to keep up.
... he got third degree burns trying to walk the dog too close to the grill.
... he walked into a swinging baseball bat.
... he fell down an elevator shaft and had staples put in his head.
... he would keep up with me when I was in high school going on several mile jogs ... and he was still in elementary school
.... Papaw Kell baptized him at College Church.
... he told me about his first kiss.
... he helped his football team win the state championship by throwing the winning touchdown.
... he changed my son's diaper.
... he became the second in our immediate family to be a long jump state champion.
... I told him about a cute little girl that I had coached in CO who would be coming to Harding and that they should at least meet.
... we took his senior trip to Destin and all had a time to preach at him. I told him that the woman he married needed to be someone that we actually liked. ;)
... he told me on April 10, 2007 that this Keleigh Good girl might really be "the one!"
... he sent me a message on June 12, 2007 with a picture of the ring he intended to buy.
... he called right after the surprise proposal.

I also remember when ...
... I was told about this family moving to Colorado Springs who had three daughters and they thought that they might play basketball.
... I met Keleigh and how I thought how polite and mature she was for being just 14 (15?).
... Keleigh led her team with unquenchable spirit and sacrificial commitment, and then found out after the season that she had probably had mono the whole season.
... John and I talked about how we wanted to do parenting like the Goods did.
... I showed her a picture of my "little brother."
... I found out she was going to Harding, and I told her to at least meet Kreg and just make the connection between us.
... Kevin (Keleigh's dad) agreed to be my assistant coach in basketball--yea!
... Kevin told me that Keleigh had told him that Kreg had opened the Bible building door for her and not realized it was her.
... Kevin told me that Keleigh had told him that she had to crawl over Kreg at church to get to her seat ... and he didn't realize it was her.

And now we're one week out. What a precious couple! I thank God for bringing Kreg and Keleigh together! I couldn't have hand-picked any better!