Mes Belles Lettres

Okay, its time for another birthday tribute. Today is my baby sister's birthday. I can't believe you're 15 Madalynn! I feel that should be illegal. I remember Madalynn as a little baby chicken. Her first word was "hi." She wouldn't say the whole thing, but whenever she left with anyone, when she came back home and they were carrying her through the door her eyes would get big and she'd smile and say, "h." It was so cute. She was also a singer as a baby. She'd sit there and sing notes, no words yet, but just notes. The first time we took her to California the only word she'd say was "no!" I think the new setting stressed her out. Our cousin Tara thought it was hilarious. It was pretty funny. She used to love to play peek a boo with the dogs. She'd pull herself over to the door and peer out the window at them, it provided hours of entertainment for her. She also used to pull herself up so she was standing, and then she...

(Dave does have a whole head. The guy taking the picture just forgot that I guess.) Last night I did something at a concert I don't normally do, I cried. Dear Dave, Zach, Mark, Rob, and Jacob, I don't know where to begin. Your music is to me the transcript of my soul. I still remember that September night in 2006 when you showed me what a rock concert really was. Your album The Everglow is incredible. Everyone should get the opportunity to hear it from beginning to end to understand it and the concept you had with it. It is the encapsulation of a story for me. Its my love story; from being so ready and waiting to fall to the breakdown. Then it seems to me that in all the seasons of my life, short as it may seem, your music has been there. It is a chapter in my life, the rise and fall of something I hoped for and wanted; then the change and moving on, when you constantly reminded me, "please don't give up when its easy. Don't you know that me and Jesus...

In the Reynolds home, October is the month of birthdays. Both of my sisters have October birthdays, as well as myself. Then my older brother went and married someone with an October birthday. We didn't want my younger brother's wife to feel left out, so we've designated an honorary October birthday for her as well. Today is Alicia's birthday, she is turning twenty two. Of everyone in my family, Alicia is the one who has already gotten blog posts written about her on her birthday. So today I'm going to do something a little different. I'm going to write her a letter. Dear Alicia, I have known you all of your life. I remember when you were born; you were a heavy crier and you were so very bald.  You have mostly grown out of these two things, but I still remember them. I remember one night when you were in your crib and you were crying and crying. I think I was only four, so you must have been one. I didn't know what to do to make you stop. I discovered ...

Yesterday it started: October. Its no secret to anyone that October is the best months of all the months there are to choose from. I celebrated the advent of this, the best of times, by: 1. Starting my day off with being a little late to work. I work from 9 to 1 in the Dean's Office. That means I need to leave Randolph by 8:30 AM to get there on time. Yesterday there was a torrential downpour of rain (more on this later.) I was driving along when suddenly traffic was stopped. If you've ever been to VT, you'll know this is a strange phenomenon. Slow because there is a tractor on the road? Yes. Completely stopped with a long line of cars waiting like its a big city during rush hour? Completely unheard of. I had no idea what was going on, but I assumed it had something to do with the rain, so I turned around and spent 15 minutes driving to the freeway, thus being late for work. Fortunately, my supervisor wasn't there, so it didn't even end up mattering. 2. Aft...