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when i was eleven years old, my mom had levi.  i was rudely shoved from my place of baby of the family.  the place of cutest.  the place of funniest.  the place of could do no wrong… oh wait.  that was holly’s place.  anyway, you get the picture.

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i was now a middle child.

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i really didn’t care in the least.  what eleven year old isn’t excited for their very own live baby doll to play with?  and play with, we did.  holly and i would dress him up, feed him, take him for walks, show him off to our friends.

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i credit myself for his rearing.

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and look at him now.  levi.  he’s pretty stinkin’ amazing, if you ask me.  thank you.  thank you.

i always liked levi as my baby.  and even still liked him through his obnoxious adolescent years.  but as an adult, i have to say i like him most.  he’s one of my best friends.

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he shares my affinity for funny picture poses.

and he makes up cool handshakes with me.  and only gets a little frustrated when i forget them after we’ve practiced a million times.

he’s got this really cool girlfriend, bekah, that we consider a bigger part of our family then even levi.  i can’t explain it in words.  but anyone who knows these two will testify to the truth.  that this picture epitomizes their relationship.  makes me laugh.

he’s got pretty cool style.  a few years back, he got into the skinny jeans phase.  was a little on the goth side.  he pulled it off, no doubt.  but still.

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kelley and i once saw this man at a concert that we decided would be levi in 40 years.  we took this picture.

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levi usually has a pretty good sense of humor.  he didn’t like this one.

when he first went to college, levi was planning to major in sport’s medicine.  something in that didn’t click.  and he changed to business.  but that just wasn’t fitting the bill either.

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being an artist myself, i always encourage my siblings to pursue the arts.  hopefully in a way that will earn an income.  but either way.  when levi decided to study graphic design, i was ecstatic.  and proud.  and a little jealous.

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for his birthday last year, he was given charcoal pencils.  he liked to show them off.

through his study of art, he’s shown himself to be incredibly talented.  far beyond what i expected.  far beyond my own ability.  and every time he receives high marks on a piece or gets complimented by a professor or is especially excited about his work, he tells me.

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he knows that i know how hard his work is.  how much time.  how much energy.  how much grit.  and determination he’s put into his art.  and how much joy he gets out of it.  and he knows i’ll be proud.  exceptionally proud.

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while he has proven himself in drawing and painting and sketch work.  he is finding his passion lies in photography.

and his ability to capture beauty through the lens of his camera.

and create something quirky and interesting with his manipulations.

and so nowadays, my brother is not marked by the hand full of pacifiers.  one for every finger.  that was his constant companion as a baby.  instead, you will see this.

a camera around his neck.  at every turn.

and given my photogenic looks, i couldn’t be happier.  the truth is, once the baby.  always the baby.

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i’m proud of you, bub.  and the man you have become.

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love you.