You will always be older than me!

There is a saying that goes something like "you can pick your friends but you can't pick your relatives..." Well, I am a pretty fortunate gal to have been able to pick some of my relatives as my very best friends. One of those that is near and dear to my heart is celebrating his 52nd birthday today!

Happy Birthday, Kubby!

Can you believe how young and thin we were?!

Kevin is so much more than a cousin to me. He is the older brother I always wished for - over the years, he has been a friend, confidant, adviser, shopping buddy, shoulder to cry on and someone to give me that reality check I needed at times. "Snap out of it!" he would say to me whenever I was moaning about something ridiculous. When our girls were born, Ron and I asked him to be godfather to our 3 girls and he never took that title lightly. We knew that if anything had ever happened to us while the girls were growing up, Kevin would be the ideal person to care for them. JB, Mandi and Beckie ADORE their "Kuncle" as he does them. Luckily, Ron and I survived and he wasn't put in the position of having to raise them! In the meantime, he has been present and active for every milestone each of them has had...countless dance recitals, birthday parties and graduations.

He had his hands full with the Beeson Girls!

at JB's college graduation

at Mandi & Beckie's high school graduation

Kevin is often hysterically funny - so much fun to spend time with.  I don't know of a more generous person on this earth - he is a person that doesn't know how to do something halfway - "More is More" is his motto. He would go to the ends of the earth for his friends and the people he loves. Kevin is a wonderful person and I'm so grateful to have him as cousin and friend. He's not totally perfect, though. I know for a fact that Kevin is capable of falling asleep and snoring like a chainsaw during the performance of an opera. (Ask me how I know this!).

Here we are - The Fab Four at the Santa Fe Opera - (right before Kevin's nap!)

I was so glad to be there for his 50th birthday a couple years ago and he was there when I hit the big 5-0 last year...I wish I could be there to watch him blow out the candles on his cake this year, too! Since I can't be there, I will send this virtual hug and best wishes for a beautiful birthday.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, primo! ¡Te amo!

Cheers! Here's to 52! And many more!