Really, I only wanted a pony.

I always talk about my 'brothers' and my 'cousins' but I probably confuse a lot of people who have known me for awhile. I have only 1 natural, by birth, from the same mother and father brother, David. My parents are from the country, so yes, while I do have LOTS of cousins who are really cousins in one way or another, I have cousins that I refer to as cousins that aren't really blood cousins. (It's a southern thing.) Most of these 'brothers' and 'cousins' came from my brother attending USNA. It's amazing how your little brother attending a school of 4,000 people can expand your social (and family) circle. The Naval Academy has a sponsor program where people, normally families in the area near the school, volunteer their homes so the sad, pathetic looking Plebes (freshman) to have somewhere to go to get away from the yard (campus) on the weekends their first year at the school. In turn, they eat all your food, dramatically increase your water and electric bill, and turn your house into a laundry mat. Oh, and they don't leave after that year, you keep them for all 4 years and beyond it.

I lived at my parents house til I was 29. Strange for this day and age, I know, but I didn't go to college like most, I attended school and worked full time as I lived there. But while I was at my parents, my beloved baby brother his junior year of HS decided he wanted to go to military, the officer route of course. So after some strange and amusing twists of fate, he ends up at the United States Naval Academy. This is how he brings home my first, and most loved (not just cause he lets me use his house that really, really close to the beach) sponsor brother.

After figuring out that he could come home on weekends, David brings home country as he wants to be, accent so thick sometimes you cant understand him, if he was actually awake long enough for you to have a conversation with him; Cameron.  For those times that he was actually awake, Cam mostly said yes, no, and thank you, mainly because he was either eating or thanking my parents or me for the ride back to school.  Now it was Cam that brought my next sponsor in; Eric.  (Thanks Cam, I still owe you on that one.)  Before Eric came around, I didn't know it was possible to put your foot in your mouth, swallow it, and then kick yourself in the ass repeatedly with it.  Like that time where he was talking trash about the WNBA, saying that it, wasn't a real sport. My mother told him to shut it or she wasn't cooking dinner. He didn't; she didn't.  It was David's and Cam's feet in his ass after that. They were hungry too.) My next sponsor brother was Clayton 'White Chocolate' Sands, he was kind of a default brother cause he was David and Cam's roommate.  He came over and did what the rest of them did, ate, slept, watched tv, ate, and slept some more.

My next sponsor brother is the fault of the woman who gave me my first brother, my mother.  She meets Kim. Kim has the same last name as we do and they bond. Oh yeah, guess what? Kim has TWINS!! Oh joy, what I've ALWAYS wanted.  Trevis came through first, Travis went to the Prep School in Rhode Island.  So now instead of picking up 3 people, its 4, and that year wasn't too bad with the track meets, football games, and boxing matches.  The next year, the best AND worst year, David, Cam, Eric, and Clay are 2^nd class, Juniors. They can DRIVE now!! Yippee! No more early morning and midnight trips to the Academy!! Trevis can ride with them.   

Dammit, a whole 'nuther set of sponsor brothers.  Travis we knew was coming.  Travis brought E.J., E.J. brought Brian. (He's white too so Clays no longer alone.) Three, THREE of them all at one time, arrgh! Do you know what it smells like for 6, sometimes more, guys to share 1 bedroom? Not good. Just thinking of the smell gives me nightmares.  There were a couple of other guys that were came around, Marcus, Will, Matt, Eddie, Corey..the house but not as much/often as the 7 did.

I can honestly say I'm proud all of them. 

It's amazing how times have changed. David, Trevis and EJ are all married and dad's now. (Wow, that's still weird to say.) Travis is also married and Brian just married earlier this year. Clay, Eric and Cam are still swinging bachelors, though some are trying enjoying it more than others. Who'da thunk those young knuckleheads would grow up to be such nice upstanding men? I really did just want a pony, but since I got my brother, his beautiful family and all these guys, I'm ok with not having the pony.