Brie

My little sister is getting married today!

Brianne Kristin Viar, aka Brie cheese or stinky cheese, got engaged to James last year.  James, being a Scottish boy, got his work visa, transferred across the pond and got a house for everyone to shack up in.  This was occurring at the very same time Bri was in the hospital after a difficult delivery of the cutest nephew ever, Aiden.  Even though he was early, everything seemed to come together!  Bri and James planned to get married in the Fall with her amazing sister as the maid of honor (I hope I'm not a matron now that I've been married…).

Fast forward to last Friday.  
Text from Bri, "Getting married Tuesday at 3:20pm"
"um. what?!!", I reply.
I was a little irked that I was learning this by text AND that they couldn't give me enough time to get down to Houston to witness such an event,even if it is at the courthouse.  I called her right away and learned the reason and calmed down.  They learned that immigration is two years out on processing citizenship.  This means, that if they waited, there would be a chance of a gap and he would have to return to Scotland for a bit.  "OK,you win.  I'm not upset at you anymore", I think to myself.

Since Friday, I've been reflecting on the past 32 years of Bri.  Why do weddings do this to us?  I remember when I convinced her to let me cut her Barbies hair by telling her it would grow back.  I remember not once,but a few times convincing her that if she touched the electric fence holding in Grandpa Evans horses with a piece of grass that it would not electrocute her.  Haha!  Ok, I may have been a bit of an ahole big sister.  In her defense, she was much stronger than me.  Being three years younger, this made me feel like a big wuss.  But I did have longer arms so when she would try to hit me I would just push her to the point that she was swing her arms in the air not making contact.  What else do I remember?  Her bedroom… OH MY.  I may be sharing a bit more than Bri would like, but hopefully she will agree that it now brings a chuckle.  Dolly Parton plastered the walls from when she was a wee lass all the way until high school when Reba McIntire took her place.  Bri was obsessed always singing out loud "Texas has a whore house in it!" (In retrospect, why did our parents let us watch that movie?)  The other memory is her floor.  You couldn't see it.  When she was told to clean, she would just clear a path from the door to her bed.  It's hard to believe that she was so messy since she now is very tidy.

My most recent memory is from this year.  After a string of events including the tragic deaths of my cousin and uncle, losing my job and other personal events, I was having a really hard time. One day, I was feeling so low, that I asked if there was any way her and Aiden could come visit me.  Seeing my little nephew would mean so much.  She booked a ticket the next day and flew in the next week.  It was the biggest gesture she had ever made in our sisterhood and I will never forget it.

I could go on and on with the memories and Bri, maybe you can add more in the comments, but I'll bring this to a close by saying I love the shit out of you and I'm happy that as the years have passed that we have become closer.  It's been heartwarming to see you as a mother and caring sister.  I wish you and James the best of luck in this journey of life. And remember my marriage advice: Never stop putting out and never go to sleep without a kiss goodnight.  If you're fighting agree to shelf it and comeback to it in the morning and still kiss each other goodnight. 

Love you!