Special Desert Guests

Our first home in Cincinnati was a modest little house on Orion Avenue, and we were truly blessed, and I believe led there, because of the family that lived next door. We moved in with an 8 month old baby, and Judy and Alex had three sons ages 9, 12 and 15. The 9 year old, "Little E", was a rambunctious, bright, mechanically gifted boy. "Joshy Boy" was a charmer and talented basketball player. And "Big Trey" was a soulful, loving teenager always at the ready to babysit through the years.

This wasn't just any family. This was an incredibly special family, who opened their home and their lives to the young couple with the small baby. We were fast friends, and soon there was no need to knock before entering and endless summer nights were spent on the front porches sharing stories, parenting tips and laughter. When the second baby entered our life, the boys received a second sister. They were at the house minutes after we arrived home from the hospital, and every day after school, the then 17 year old would come to our house first, drop his backpack on the front porch and come in and hold her. It was incredible how ingrained our families became. They watched our babies walk, talk and go to school, and we watched their boys fall in love, play ball, and just be teenagers.

Life, being what it is, threw some tough curve balls to both families, but with each other's love and support, we weathered each difficult situation with courage knowing that the other family was there. We moved off the street a few months before Ben was born, and they moved out shortly after that. We couldn't share nights on porches talking about life, but we stayed in touch. Then we moved out to California, and this made it more difficult to stay in touch, but with e-mail and blogs and summer trips home, we were part of Big Trey's wedding and met his first child.

Imagine our sheer delight when we got a call informing us that Little E and Joshy Boy were coming to the desert. We were thrilled, even though the visit was just an afternoon. We visited at the house, took them to the top of the mountain overlooking the Valley and ate some great Mexican food. It wasn't long enough, but it was long enough to bring back the feeling I would have walking out onto the porch of Orion Avenue seeing my girls laughing and playing basketball in their backyard.

We miss all of you...Judy, Daddy E, Big Trey, Joshy Boy and Little E (who I must now note is not so little). Not a day goes by that I don't think of you. The love between those two houses happens once in a lifetime. I know God brought you to us, and we are the better family for it. Love to you all.