Family Photo Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Today is Family Photo Friday, which means another ludicrous photo of the Quinn family. This week features Pat and me when I was about two years old. You might notice a dark area around my right eye, and yes, it is a black eye. My brothers put me on our two year old golden retriever, Katie, and sent me down the driveway on her back. Naturally, that ended exactly how you'd expect-pretty terribly-and I ended up with a black eye and scratch faced. But I rebounded and the moneymaker has remained intact ever since. If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger, right?

So here is week 2 of the caption contest; post in the comment section or tweet at me! The most clever will win next weeks!

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB

3 Times I Felt "So Adult" As A Kid

While reading Buzzfeed the other day, I stumbled across a great article: "14 Times You Felt 'So Adult' As A Kid." Immediately, stories from my childhood popped into my head so I thought I'd share vignettes from just a few.

• Buying your first CD with your hard-earned allowance money. I'll never forget this day or the lyrics to any of the songs on Britney's "Baby One More Time" album. My dad, Pat and I hopped into our tiny red two-door pickup truck and went to the redemption center to cash in Bud heavy bottles for precious coins. After we received the loot, my dad took us to Strawberries' music store and let us each pick our own CD-I chose Britney Spears and Pat chose Lui Vega's "Mambo Number 5" and we spent the rest of that Saturday jamming out to our Walkman CD players. And now I feel really old because Strawberries, CD's and Walkman no longer exist.
• When you were allowed to prepare your first meal by yourself. As the youngest of five kids, we'll just say my upbringing was a little more "lax" than your standard. I can't remember how old we were (old enough), but for some reason Pat and I were home alone and hungry for some breakfast. As the older child, Pat assured me that he'd take care of breakfast for us and popped some Eggo waffles into the toaster oven...along with the plastic plate that our mom always served them on. Well, plastic and heat don't quite interact so well and we had a bit of a situation on our hands. After that, we were allowed only cereal or granola bars for breakfast and banned from using the stove or toaster oven until an adult was home. 
• The first time you got to put some fancy lipstick on. I could write about my experiences with makeup, but a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Me (middle) with my cousins Grace (left) and Eily (right) with blush, blush and more blush, just the tiniest touch of lipstick and matching bathing suits.

Do you have any great childhood stories about wanting to grow up? Comment or share!

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."-AB

5 Reasons Siblings Are The Best

Can't live with them, can't live without them. That's how my teenage self would likely explain my sentiments towards my brothers. They were infuriating, outrageous, over-protective and downright annoying. But, they're also the biggest support system and best friends I could ever ask for-and here's 5 reasons siblings rock.

• You'll always have a cheering section. Even when you'd reaaaaallllly rather not have your 25-year-old brother yelling, "KILL HER!!!!" at your high school tennis match, you will. But it's only because he cares and wants to see you succeed. 

• No matter how bad you mess up, it's only a matter of time before someone else does too. Fail your history test? No worries. It's likely someone else is going to get caught drinking Mom's pinot grigio and or Dad's skunked beer, which will probably be a bigger issue. And then someone else might get a speeding ticket or caught skipping class and you're in the clear. When you've got siblings, take heart in knowing there's a finite amount of time that you're the dumbest.

• Holidays are more fun. Seriously, who wants to be an only child on Christmas? Awesome, I'll sit here, opening presents by myself, unknowingly showing them to the people who bought them for me. No way, siblings always make it exciting and chaotic. *Cue the "Dale got hulk hands?!" video from stepbrothers.*

• People support your ideas, no matter how bad they are. One time Pat encouraged me to open a candle making store and even helped find a property, because someone was definitely going to rent to an 8-year-old or invest in the super lucrative business of candle making. But his support made me feel like I could be the next Yankee Candle Company, which was better than any profit I'd have made anyway. 

• Unconditional, lifelong friendships. In all honesty, siblings are amazing. They're the best friends, the best supporters, the best entertainment. They'll make you laugh when you want to cry, they'll take your side even when you're wrong, they'll fend off anyone who even comes close to hurting you. They'll motivate you, they'll teach you, they'll pave the way or follow in your footsteps. And eventually, they'll fall in love, get married, give you new siblings (finally sisters, in my case), and the honor of becoming an aunt (or uncle). 

What do you think is the best part about having siblings? Comment or share!

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."-AB

Thoughts on Veterans Day

This Veterans Day is a little different, a little special, a little more difficult than others have been. Throughout the duration of the war on terrorism in both Iraq and Afghanistan, I've had family members down in the trenches. My cousin Adam, my uncle Tom, my cousin John. But there's something so different about having a brother fighting in a war. Something so worrisome. Something so real.

I remember the days leading up to Dan's deployment. We went down to Otis Air Field on the Cape and had a departure ceremony for all the deploying soldiers. I was doing alright until I saw tiny little kids with signs that said, "I'll Miss You Daddy," and pregnant women who would give birth to their children without their husbands by their side. All of a sudden, the sacrifice that these men, women and families make became abundantly clear and emotions overwhelmed me. For me, for you, for celebrities in their Beverly Hills mansions to go about our daily routines, others have to risk their lives.

So today, and every day, we should be thankful for the veterans who risk their lives for us. If you feel compelled, here are a few easy ways to get involved.

1. Download the Charity Miles application and log miles for the Wounded Warrior Project-it's entirely free to you
2. Donate to Soldier Socks, a nonprofit organization that sends essential items to soldiers on the battlefield and provides support, employment help and other services after soldiers return home
3. Thank a member of the armed services, even when it's not Veterans Day
4. Get involved with any other nonprofit that helps armed service members, including Soldiers' Angels and Pets for Vets

The men and women who risk their lives daily so the rest of us can live comfortably and freely deserve more than just a day, they deserve our constant praise, thanks and respect. 

And Dan, I'll be counting down the days until you're back on US soil, safe and healthy. 

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB

A Message to Red Sox Nation...From Afghanistan

"All the way from Bagram, Afghanistan, this is the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, Delta Company 3rd 126th Aviation, part of the Massachusetts National Guard, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, wishes the Red Sox the best luck in the World Series...BOSTON STRONG!"

If you didn't know, that's my brother Dan, speaking. I really can't articulate how good it is to actually see him and hear his voice; I suppose relief is really the best word to use. As a tight-knit family, to have any of us missing from any family event makes it feel incomplete. But if I trust anyone to represent the United States of America well, it's him.

During the Boston Marathon bombing, this unit flew directly into Watertown. But Dan said it better than I ever could:

"It was an honor for our crews to be a part, while only a small supporting part, of the amazing job the men and women of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies did on the ground last week to restore safety in the Boston community. We offer a tip of the cap to your incredible work! Thanks for keeping us safe!"

Boston Strong means a little more to a unit that was called into action directly after the blasts and rushed into the city. These men and women risk their lives to keep us safe, whether it's foreign or domestic. 

So, if you can, share this video and tweet at Boston sports outlets. Let's try and get them to air the message and give a thanks back to the soldiers still in Afghanistan, keeping us safe. Go Sox!!!

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."-AB