Friendship

 

Jake, my madre, me & my belly.

{note to self: do not put it on display next time! yeesh...still have 3 months to go!}

Meet Jake.  He is my brother's friend who just got baptized on Christmas Eve.  And while that is a great story in & of itself, the better story is the story of their friendship & childhood.  Jake met Kevin in 1st grade & proudly came home to his mom, Lisa, proclaiming, he met, 'Little Kev & he is smaller than me!'  I'm sure Lisa was glad Jake wasn't the smallest in school & we were glad Kevin had found Jake.  They were fast friends & I think played just about every.single.sport. possible together.  It started with soccer.  Lisa coached & my dad was the assistant coach & disciplinarian {there were a lot of neighborhood boys their age who my dad likes to say, 'were independent thinkers.' haha}. 

Funny note: I once went to pick Kevin up from Jake's house only to have his dad comment to Lisa, 'wow, I know those Mormons marry young, but isn't Kevin's mom really young?'  Haha.  We've had a good laugh at that for a long time.  Now Kevin gets that same reaction when he is out with my kids & I...and he loves it.  No.  Really, he hates it.

So the sports started with soccer, went to basketball & baseball, where they had their own batting coach for a while {I still think that is so funny...and probably will until I do the exact same thing for Scoobs!} & I think Lisa coached every single sport.  They even put together a YMCA basketball team their Senior year of high school & had her coaching them.  Needless to say, Lisa was the neighborhood mom & all the boys have loved her.

I've loved watching it all from the sidelines.  Remember how much I love ballgames?  I am pretty sure this is where it all started.  And now, it has transferred to Scoobs.  He is even called Little Scoobs around the neighborhood as their is another older boy with his same name.  I love seeing him start to develop these little friendships that seem so minor to begin with, but over the years turn into these life-long friendships.  Jake & Kevin started playing soccer in first grade when they were 6 years-old with all the boys in the neighborhood.  Fast forward 12 years...all those same boys are now going to college together, preparing to serve missions & yes, still playing sports together...in fact, today, I think, they were meeting up to play basketball.  It makes my heart all warm & fuzzy.