Of all the families that have ever been, I have the very best brother and sisters that could ever be.
As long as I can remember, Dave has been there. Growing up in an Air Force family, and moving so frequently, we really were each other’s best friend. Always there, the sidekick/gang that made it possible to immediately fit into society, no matter where life dropped you.
Dave was born in England in late 1962, so we’re a little more than 2-1/2 years apart. But like most #2 kids, they think they are the same as you, so, expecting to be included in everything you do, he picked up everything fast and always was. Once we got back to the States, we sstil basically did everything together, We hung out on the beach together, built forts, climbed logs, explored the woods, went to Mike and Lane’s house, or went to Aunt Carolyn’s to see what the big kids were up to.
I think when Susan and Sandy showed up, he might have gotten upset that he wasn’t the center of attention as the youngest anymore, but by then we were at George AFB, and we had the base to explore. Baseball fields, riding bikes, new playgrounds, etc. We got a black dog named Trixie, and as I remember, he really loved her.
Having twins thrust into our lives was very disruptive, to say the least. It DID feel like we got the short shrift of a lot of things, but to me it was all part of the package. I actually liked being considered older and able to “take care of myself.” The fact that we had to, and were successful, was proof I was growing up. Maybe that’s just being the older child and having to break in the parents on everything, I don’t know.
In Libya and Italy, Dave and I were still the new guys and hooked up at the hip. In Libya there were lots of base kids to hang out with and do stuff with, but it was usually a package deal. We roamed our neighborhood in a pack, usually one or two siblings from various families. In Italy we lived off base and didn’t have any english-speaking kids nearby. So we made friends with some of the local Italian kids, One girl, Valaria, was the daughter of our housekeeper. Her father had a farm he worked and we would go to their house and climb around the barn, or walk to the ice cream shop, or down into the little town a half mile or so up the road.
I don’t remember much about the girls back then. Obviously they were around, but to us, they were distractions for the adults, and took the majority of their attention. They progressed from laying in their cribs, to standing and rocking back and forth yelling to be let out. Then following us around the house and yard. In Italy, they were three and four, starting to be their own personalities and went to an Italian nursery school. They were excellent Italian speakers, and could converse with each other in a language we barely understood. But they knew.
Back in the States, I was in Junior High and High School, already looking to the future. A lot of activities took me out of the house and away from our core group. When we moved to Vegas, I went to 8th grade at Jim Bridger Jr. High, downtown North Las Vegas, while Dave and the girls went to J.E. Manch Elementary right outside the housing area. Summers were all spent together though, either roaming base housing, playing with our neighbors (so many kids!) or on trips with our parents.
We did fight a bunch, as kids do. I think I was the tallest all the way until I left for college. Then I came home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, after having been away for months; Dave had hit a growth spurt and was suddenly taller by about two inches. That was a bit of a shock, lol! By this time he was in his Sophomore year I think, and finding his own passions. He is a very creative guy and was finding his writing starting to be his pathway forward. The girls are 7 years behind me, so were at the end of elementary school, but finding their skills on the athletic fields growing, as well as their academic prowess. Mom and Dad were pretty consistent on stressing the expectation of good grades, and the assumption was we were all going to college.
In Libya and Italy, Dave and I were still the new guys and hooked up at the hip. In Libya there were lots of base kids to hang out with and do stuff with, but it was usually a package deal. We roamed our neighborhood in a pack, usually one or two siblings from various families. In Italy we lived off base and didn’t have any english-speaking kids nearby. So we made friends with some of the local Italian kids, One girl, Valaria, was the daughter of our housekeeper. Her father had a farm he worked and we would go to their house and climb around the barn, or walk to the ice cream shop, or down into the little town a half mile or so up the road.
I don’t remember much about the girls back then. Obviously they were around, but to us, they were distractions for the adults, and took the majority of their attention. They progressed from laying in their cribs, to standing and rocking back and forth yelling to be let out. Then following us around the house and yard. In Italy, they were three and four, starting to be their own personalities and went to an Italian nursery school. They were excellent Italian speakers, and could converse with each other in a language we barely understood. But they knew.
Back in the States, I was in Junior High and High School, already looking to the future. A lot of activities took me out of the house and away from our core group. When we moved to Vegas, I went to 8th grade at Jim Bridger Jr. High, downtown North Las Vegas, while Dave and the girls went to J.E. Manch Elementary right outside the housing area. Summers were all spent together though, either roaming base housing, playing with our neighbors (so many kids!) or on trips with our parents.
We did fight a bunch, as kids do. I think I was the tallest all the way until I left for college. Then I came home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, after having been away for months; Dave had hit a growth spurt and was suddenly taller by about two inches. That was a bit of a shock, lol! By this time he was in his Sophomore year I think, and finding his own passions. He is a very creative guy and was finding his writing starting to be his pathway forward. The girls are 7 years behind me, so were at the end of elementary school, but finding their skills on the athletic fields growing, as well as their academic prowess. Mom and Dad were pretty consistent on stressing the expectation of good grades, and the assumption was we were all going to college.
Dave went on to attend Cornell for a bit, then graduated from the University of Washington. Eventually he earned a Masters from the University of Nevada Reno (UNR). He married Debbie and migrated towards advertising, even running his own business for awhile. He now works in the Marketing Department at UNR, and is involved in all levels of multi-media efforts.
Sandy turned out to be the family stud, taking after the elder Branbys. As I understand, both she and Susan swam and played various sports in High School. Sandy kept up with the swimming and working out and turned into a tri-athlete, competing internationally. I am pretty sure both girls started college up in Bellingham, and ended up graduating from UNR after Dad and Mom moved down to Fallon, NV for a few years. Somewhere in all her athletic endeavors, Sandy met Ryan Green, another workout fiend, and the two got married. They now live in Park City, Utah, and enjoy the great outdoors all four seasons.
Both girls worked in Reno casinos while they were in college. Sandy was a valet parking attendant, while Susan worked as a dealer out on the floor. At some Susan met and married a casino executive named George Georgelas. They moved to St. Maartin, then Greece for a while, opening casino operations, eventually ending up in Minnesota to open a casino on some Indian reservation. At some point they got divorced, and Susan went home to Fallon and finished her degree. She met Bob Burkhardt, got married and settled in Lodi, CA. where he worked for Woodbridge Wines.
They have twin daughters, Kate and Ally who are now Freshmen at UC Santa Cruz. Susan ended up getting her Masters at the University of the Pacific, where she works in the administration of the School of Pharmacy.
I know Mom and Dad are proud of all of us!
(These stories are in no way guaranteed to be true, but they sound good.)
(These stories are in no way guaranteed to be true, but they sound good.)
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