Spencer's Birthday!

I have decided this year to do a tribute to those birthdays that are special to me.

Today is Spencer's Birthday. His 16th!!!

We have a home video where my parents are telling us that my mom was pregnant with Spencer. It is priceless.

Kevin: "can we have another girl? so then it will be 2 against 2 and we can fight!" kevin was 5

Curtis: "how, how, how, how, how the baby get in the tummy mommy?" curtis was 3 1/2 and had a studdering problem

Me: I was just laughing uncontrollably. I was 7

This is my favorite picture of us. I think I was his age in this picture, 16. So he must have been 8. It's sitting in my living room. I just pulled it out yesterday. In my mind he has kind of always stayed around this age.

Us at my wedding...

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So I remember when I got the call at recess that I needed to go to the office. My parents picked me up and we drove to the hospital. Kevin and Curtis had to stay at gma's with my uncles... I think. And I got to stay at the hospital. I was pretty brave for the most part. I really wanted to be there when he was born. We didn't know what my mom was having, and I wanted to be there when the doctor's told me that I was going to finally have a little sister.

I started getting all pale and whoosy when my mom started to push, so she sent me outside. I think Scott was there in the waiting room with me??? Anyways, my dad came out and told me it was a boy... Spencer Ryan Routson.

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I'm getting all teary just thinking about my little brother. He is so special to me. He has always been the most tender hearted kid I know. We used to tease him about it, and try to toughen him up when he was younger. . . but we quit that a long time ago. It's who he is. He is always so worried about everyone. He didn't go to school for a week when Kevin left on his mission. He looks up to his big brother's a lot. For the most part they are great examples to him. When the boys were both on their missions Shawn and I got to have Spencer all to ourselves for a bit. We loved it when he would text us and ask us when we were coming over.

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Spencer is an old soul.

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He by far has the best teenage relationship with my parents.

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I was a b*tch! I cared too much about everything. Kevin gave my parents the silent treatment and never filled them in on anything going in on his life...and Curtis was an air head that didn't care enough about anything...and was beyond sarcastic!

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Spencer is extremely responsible.

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He checks in with my parents constantly. My parents know all of his friends. He is a great student. He takes all of his church/preisthood responsibilites very seriously...with out my dad pushing him. He can totally fend for himself. Recently my parents went to seattle and left him home with Kevin. Pretty sure Spencer watched Kevin. I called to check in on him and this is what he said...

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"I'm fine, but Kevin is driving me nuts. He is such a slob. His dishes are everywhere. He doesn't know how to do anything for himself, I have to do everything for him"

And he is right.

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How many kids do you know that have been doing their own laundry since they were 8 years old?

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Spencer has...

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Spencer is funny.

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He has very mature, simple, humor.

He knows how to make all of us laugh. He is friends with anyone and everyone. I love that about him.

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Even though I was very upset that Spencer wasn't a girl...I'm over it.

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When I was little I used to ask my mom why I didn't have a sister...she would say "honey when you are older you will have sister inlaws...and they will be great and you will have so much fun".

And I would say, " Sister inlaws will not be the same, mom you and your sisters have so much fun together".

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I DREAD sister inlaws. They are going to take my little brothers away from me. . . and I'm going to be forced to be their friends.

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But listen. I'm not worried about Spencer.

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I know I can count on him to give me a nice, cute, fun sister inlaw.

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Spencer is awesome. I love him so much. One day he will be a great uncle to my future kids, an extremely great missionary, and a fabulous husband.