My oldest brother, Enrique is now 31!

I want to extend a special shout out to my brother Enrique who turned 31 today. Unfortunately, he is now here to celebrate with us but I know he is well taken care of. Many of you have heard me talk of my brothers. I have the utmost respect for them, becuase they in part had a role in raising me. My brothers have been a veryspecial part of my life. They are the angels taht God placed on this Earth so that even when I stumble, they are there to help me up, dust me off and every once in a while look back to make sure I haven't fallen again. I could share a million stories of how they have been great people, bust most of you already know these stories and they don't do them justice anyway. Specifically, enrique has beena great guiding star for Gerardo and I. He led the way, and left directions for us to follow. he has been a great leader, and taught Gerardo and I how to lead in our lives as well. He is the example of the All-around great guy and I am honored and blessed to call him Brother.

Let me share a story that is very dear to Enrique and I. In the winter of 1994, I accompanied my brothers to a couple of days of hunting at our beloved ranch, Santa Rosa. It was December 31, probably around 4 or 5 in the morning. Enrique and I were dropped off to begin our walk hunting. It was perfect hunting weather: cold, a little wind, and enough light to see. We began to walk and walk, and walk – nothing. No deer, no movement. Like any normal bored child, I began to drag my feet. My brother scolded me so harshly that I started to tear. After about two hours of walking, he turned and asked me if I wanted to go home. “We started this, now we are going to finish it” was my response. We continued our walk. All of a sudden my brother hit the floor, so I kneeled down next to him. He said he had seen something move, so he checked with his binoculars, and there it was – a buck. My brother sighed and said it was too small, but we stayed on the floor to rest. Then, we looked at each other and he said, “ Clarissa would you like to kill your first buck?” I nodded not knowing what else to say. I had no clue on what to do, so he drew a rough diagram of a deer with his finger on the dirt and circled the target area. He handed me his .243 caliber Winchester bolt-action rifle and put the barrel on his shoulder and used one finger to cover his ear. I then aimed at the chest area, took a deep breath, and as I let it out I squeezed the trigger. Next thing I know, the deer was on the ground, and while I was crying of happiness, my brother instructed me to kneel next to the deer and thank God for this opportunity.

Enrique, never once doubted me. To this day, I can always count on him. He is a special guy. Kudos to him on his special day!!! Te queremos mucho Enrique!!!