Pig Rib Night

When asked how she wanted to celebrate her twelfth birthday, Faith said she wanted to have ribs with the Lee family.  We have had ribs with the Lees before, but it was when they invited us over.  We thought it would be in poor taste to invite ourselves over for rib night.  But then we remembered what delicious ribs Evan prepared and we decided to swallow our pride and good manners and extend the invitation to ourselves. 

Candice and Evan were so kind to agree to host us.  The Lees are like a second family to Faith and their oldest daughter, Tristin, is Faith's very best friend.  Candice has proven to be a trusted friend and confident of my teenage daughters.  She has mentored my girls in sewing and cooking.  She does their nails (and mine)  and teaches them (and me) about bargain shopping.  I could not ask for a better example of a wife and mother for them to look up to.  Over the last few years she has become one of my dearest friends as well.  So I wasn't surprised that they agreed to celebrate Faith's birthday with us, but I was very grateful nonetheless.  

And Oh! THE RIBS.  Good gracious day!  They are divine.  He smokes them, and bakes them, and puts them on the grill, and I know not what else he does to them.  But they fall off the bone and are about the most heavenly thing I've ever tasted.  It's sort of hard not to make a scene while eating them.

I like Faith's eyes staring down the ribs.  That's just how I felt.

Peter kept referring to the evening as "pig rib night".

It may seem normal to many people to think about raising their family in the same neighborhood for years and years and seeing the children grow up together.  Having grown up in the military, that is not something I take for granted.  

That I get to teach the Lee kids piano lessons and see them progress.  That Clark got to do a reptile show for Little Evan's birthday party six years ago and now Little Evan loves and plays with Greta.  That Bethany used to babysit Tristin and now Tristin babysits my little ones.  That Candice was Primary president after me and taught my children as I had tried to teach hers.  That Bethany's first real dating experience is with Candice's nephew.  The ways families connect and support one another and help one another raise their families is so beautiful to me.  I am so grateful for Abe and our children.  I love them and love to be with them, but to me, our lives would be so much less meaningful if we didn't have the love and support and friendship of other good families just trying to do their best to raise their families as well.  

Bethany made and decorated the cakes.  Faith and Tristin call each other "Old Chum" and they have all sorts of funny nicknames and secret signs and games they play.  They are as delightful of twelve year olds as I have ever seen.  Faith is not much interested in makeup, earrings or boys.  

The same cannot be said for Bethany.  Although she is 17, rather than 12.  That makes it better.  She and Connor (Candice's nephew) are still hanging out quite a bit.  They are both really good sports to endure all the teasing that Big Evan and all the kids heap upon them.  I wanted to take a picture of them and the instant I pointed the camera, the peanut gallery came alive with their best photo bombing bits.

They are both very playful with and quite beloved by the younger siblings and cousins.

To say nothing of how Greta feels about Connor.  

It would seem that in Clark's absence, Connor is the new Clark.