January 10, 1971 was a good day. My brother-in-law was born, that’s a pretty good day, don’t ya think?!

Well, 1971 was a good year, right!? One guess who was also born in 1971! Well, there goes the secret of my age, ha ha! Yup, 1971, a good year. It’s crazy, we’re the same age for about 3 months, but for the other 9, he’s a year older.

I always call ACS my little brother, right now, he’s my older little brother, but I call him my little brother because he’s married to my little sister, that makes sense, right? In my mind it does!

I remember the first time I met him, he was quiet and nice, and if you know me, I reserved my opinion until I got to know him, he was, after all, dating my baby sister and I am a tad bit protective of her, was he good enough? Would he live up to my expectations? My hopes for my sister?

One thing I didn’t know until my sister started dating and then married ACS is that, and this shows my true lack of sports knowledge, there was was a rivalry between New York and Boston teams, specifically NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox and don’t get me started on the Giants/Patriots! [And now it’s doubled because of PSM! Oh brother!] Before they started dating, I was oblivious and happy, now, I have to step up and have some fun emphasizing the rivalry. He really is a big Boston fan and I appreciate that, I’ve been big and given him a few things that had Patriots logos, see, I can do that! My favorite was when EJS was born, dad and I got a bunch of NY Yankees baby stuff for her, it was awesome!

Since they got married, I’ve gotten to know him better. He’s a great husband, loves my sister and it shows in his words and actions, which, as you know actions speak louder than words. He’s stuck with her through a lot that has happened to them and I admire that.

He’s been an amazing dad to my two nieces, EJS and MGS, you might have heard me talk about them before…He is more than just a father, he’s their daddy and they are daddy’s girls, even though they might not think it. He loves them to ribbons and what more could I want. He coaches them in soccer, goes to all their events, throws great birthday parties with my sister and doesn’t shirk any family responsibilities and he likes to have fun with them.

To his friends and family, he’s goofy, fun, caring and involved. Some of his friends, he’s had since childhood. I always tease him when we go out near where they live that we can’t walk five feet without running into someone he knows and it’s usually someone from camp. It’s a true testament to his character.

So, there you have it, my brother-in-law, ACS, that’s him. Happy 47th birthday, I hope it’s a great one and here’s to the next 47!

Happy birthday little brother!