Happy Birthday, Dar!

Today is my oldest brother's 36th birthday! All 4 of my brothers have strange nicknames that they picked up earlier in life. Aaron's nickname is Dar. At one point it was Darwin and eventually got shortened to Dar. This is what all of our family and close friends call him. It always sounds so strange to use his real name because even before "Dar" came to be, when I was really young I called him Bobby. To this day I don't know where I got that or what the story is behind that name but he was Bobby to me for a long time.

I've always had a close relationship with Dar and could always count on him to be my "nice brother." He never teased or picked on me and he always let me tag along with him and his friends. I remember going over to play with his girlfriends' (sorry, Heather) little sisters all the time and always feeling so accepted by Dar. I always felt like he protected me.

I was so devastated when Dar left on his mission when I was 9. I felt like he was my only ally in a house full of boys and I was sure I wouldn't survive two years without him. I did survive though and when he got back he was as great to me as ever. I specifically remember going on a "date" with him soon after he got home from Argentina. We went to Taco Bell and then to hear his friend play the piano at a Christmas party. I was in heaven following my big brother around!

When Dar moved to Provo to go to BYU I was devastated again but he was always so great at still including me in things. Quite often I would go down there for the weekend and stay at one of his female friend's apartments. I thought I was something else hanging out with college kids! When he & Heather started dating I would stay with her and have so much fun. I was there over her birthday one time and Dar & I went to the store to get stuff for a cake. He knew she would want Cherry Chip and I remember thinking that one day I wanted a husband who would know what kind of cake I like. What a silly quality to want in a husband but I could tell that Dar really cared for Heather and wanted to make her happy.

When I first moved to Provo I lived in Dar's old apartment complex which was across the street from where they were living at the time. I had many dinners over there with Dar, Heather & baby Whitney and they made my transition of living on my own much easier.

I will never forget the morning of September 11, 2001 when I got a call from Dar telling me about the terrorist attacks. He told me his classes were cancelled and that I should get over to their apartment right away. I spent all day there watching the endless news coverage and feeling reassured that I was safe because I was there with my big brother.

The next summer they moved to Michigan for an internship and used their frequent flier miles to fly me out for a week. The condition was that if they did that I had to stop procrastinating and get in school. It was a great motivation and that fall I finally started classes at SLCC. While I was on the trip to Michigan though we went to Niagara Falls and the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra. That was a huge turning point in my testimony of Jesus Christ and in His gospel. I think they were inspired to sacrifice what they did to get me there because that experience got me through some very tough times in the months that followed. I still look back at that whole trip as one of the best of my life.

Dar & Heather have 4 kids now and I love watching what an incredible dad he is, especially to his girls. I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of Dar's love and support and his daughters will be able to accomplish so much in life because of him. He is an extremely hard worker and puts his family above all else.

One of my favorite things about Dar is his contagious laugh. It makes whatever is happening seem more funny because it is so extreme.

Happy Birthday, Dar and thank you for being the perfect older brother to us all. You have always set such a good example for the rest of us and I am extremely lucky to know you. Sorry if this is embarrassing to you! I love you.