Friends like Family
Today was our annual bbq / pool party with our dear friends the Hines family. It's grown from the 4 of us Stewarts and 5 Hines' to a group of 22!
It all started back in 1986. Ron Hines and my dad played racquetball together down at the gym. (Dad, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's how you met.) They were both in the air force and needed to be members of a gym for their P.T. They became fast friends with similar childhoods in common, not to mention their love of sports and phenomenal racquetball skills. They ended up being racquetball partners and were unstoppable champions in every tournament they entered. I spent many a childhood weekend in racquetball clubs watching Daddy. It was so much fun!
Meanwhile, the Lord was working because He had them move in right across the street from us. Their kids were 5 years older than me and 2 years older than me. Their daughter, who was older, and her best friend (who was always there and we consider their third child) were our babysitters and their son, who was 2 years older than me, became my friend. We were always in the woods and up trees. He also was SO COOL because he knew everything there was to know about super mario bros. While he was at the racquetball clubs with us (because our daddies were partners), he showed me all these secret hints to win the game. Yep, to me at 7, I thought he was pretty cool.
The Lord was working, though, because He had them invite us to church. My dad grew up catholic, but none of us really went to church. We started going because the Hines family invited us. Now we are all saved. :-)
Fast forward 27 years, now Ron and Michael are best buds and take fishing trips annually. I LOVE that this is the man my husband hangs out with and looks up to - the man who is like my uncle, who looks after me and loves me and is a GOOD Christian man. 27 years, several marriages, and many children later, another generation of love is coming up. Being military with *ahem* a rough extended family, these people are more family to me than anyone else in my life. Besides the "core four" (my parents, sister, and I), besides my hubby and daughter, these are the people in life I can trust and who are unconditionally FRIENDS.
So, as you can tell, today was very, very fun. I'm looking forward to this year - they're going to home school and we'll all get to see each other more often, and of course there's the annual camping trip, then our epic annual Christmas gatherings, then.....
It all started back in 1986. Ron Hines and my dad played racquetball together down at the gym. (Dad, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's how you met.) They were both in the air force and needed to be members of a gym for their P.T. They became fast friends with similar childhoods in common, not to mention their love of sports and phenomenal racquetball skills. They ended up being racquetball partners and were unstoppable champions in every tournament they entered. I spent many a childhood weekend in racquetball clubs watching Daddy. It was so much fun!
Meanwhile, the Lord was working because He had them move in right across the street from us. Their kids were 5 years older than me and 2 years older than me. Their daughter, who was older, and her best friend (who was always there and we consider their third child) were our babysitters and their son, who was 2 years older than me, became my friend. We were always in the woods and up trees. He also was SO COOL because he knew everything there was to know about super mario bros. While he was at the racquetball clubs with us (because our daddies were partners), he showed me all these secret hints to win the game. Yep, to me at 7, I thought he was pretty cool.
The Lord was working, though, because He had them invite us to church. My dad grew up catholic, but none of us really went to church. We started going because the Hines family invited us. Now we are all saved. :-)
Fast forward 27 years, now Ron and Michael are best buds and take fishing trips annually. I LOVE that this is the man my husband hangs out with and looks up to - the man who is like my uncle, who looks after me and loves me and is a GOOD Christian man. 27 years, several marriages, and many children later, another generation of love is coming up. Being military with *ahem* a rough extended family, these people are more family to me than anyone else in my life. Besides the "core four" (my parents, sister, and I), besides my hubby and daughter, these are the people in life I can trust and who are unconditionally FRIENDS.
So, as you can tell, today was very, very fun. I'm looking forward to this year - they're going to home school and we'll all get to see each other more often, and of course there's the annual camping trip, then our epic annual Christmas gatherings, then.....
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