The Best Bubba

My husband and I first moved to the neighborhood in 2001, but we mostly kept to ourselves mostly because we are a bit shy to meet others. One neighbor in particular I thought was an annoying and obnoxious country boy. To be honest, I had a brief history with one country boy and swore them off! And to think I am a country girl by heart. His grandmother stopped by a couple times to say hello and to not be shy. It took about 6 years for Justin and I to finally come out of our shells to finally start mingling with them.

Turned out I was partly right about the man I now call my Bubba. He was not annoying, but a little obnoxious :) His two kids were close to the same age as my oldest son Kaden so they hit off really well. Kody was just 2 months old when we first started being around Bubba and his grandmother. She was and still is a huge help to him due to at the time he was in the oilfield, and now he is doing the fire academy while being a volunteer firefighter. Bubba is 100% country boy to the core. He has done the rodeo, oilfield, loves his country music, has the cowboy hat, drives the big Dodge Ram truck, the true East Texas accent, and going muddin'.

A brief history about Bubba (yes, I will continue to call him that in true Texas nature). He has lived in this town his whole life. He has seen more than anyone I will ever know! He has done more than anyone I will ever know! Some might think, "Yea, right!" If you could just spend 5 minutes with him, you will find that he has an outgoing personality, adventurous, and has had his fair share of laughter and heartache. Too many women think "When will I find the right man?" Bubba thinks just the same and has been hurt just as much as woman has been hurt---I've witnessed that a couple times and talk about big sister mode coming out! That is when I think we bonded the most because he was getting out of a difficult relationship with a girl (she does not deserve to be called a woman) that I had actually introduced him to. Bubba, my husband, and I stayed up until 3 am talking and laughing, trying to keep Bubba in good spirits. Since then, we developed a brother/sister relationship.

My kids have grown to call him their Uncle Arien. Kody is the one who really looks up to him. He actually took a marker and decided to draw pictures on his arms like he had tattoos, saying he was going to be just like his Uncle Arien when he grows up. When he gets a fire call, Kody waits until he is gone then starts making siren sounds as he rids his bike. Kaden just simply thinks Uncle Arien is cool and crazy. They all love it most when he gets out the 4 wheeler. Bubba is safe and cautious when he takes them around the block. Sometimes, they like to ride their bikes beside him. Kaden used to be very closed off and shy almost to the point I was getting very concerned. I honestly give credit to my husband Justin and to Bubba for helping him becoming more social and more confident.

I could write all day about my Bubba! Today he turns 33 years old which is why I decided to dedicate a blog post all about him. He has been more than a friend. He has been a brother to me who even helped my husband and I work through a rough patch of our marriage. Sometimes, I wish we had met him a lot sooner than we did, but I think God just waits for the right moment for people to come into our lives. We had our moments of not speaking to each other, but the bond is just way too strong to be broken. Justin and I are like many other people who have crossed paths with Arien--he makes an impact on your life and makes you a better person. Happy birthday to my little big brother! The man who gives the true meaning to friendship.