B+C+B+C+B+C: Neighborly

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Neighborly

I've never had better neighbors. They've taught me what "southern hospitality" means. Deborah and Tom are from Alabama. They bought the home next to us a few years ago (their third home) because they "just want a lil place out west." From the day we knocked on their door to introduce ourselves, they've been inviting us over, feeding us, playing with Brianna, letting us borrow things we didn't even know we wanted to borrow...
These pics are from last weekend when they invited Brianna and I to join them at the fair. They were so disappointed that the rides hadn't opened yet, because they were ready to buy a bucketful of tickets for Brianna.

But the petting zoo was open:

Brianna was crazy about the "buneeez," "titkens," and " "seep." She would've stayed all day.

Deborah lured her away with some toys she bought for Brianna at the booths:

Then they were so excited to see these "lil doll houses!"

I told her to say "cock a doodle doo!" I wish I could type the way she said it... twas pretty funny.

But even more funny was how excited she got - not at the dog - but at the BOW in the dog's hair. Cuz she has the same one. She said, "MINE!"

More than all the treats and kindness... I'm most grateful they helped wear her out for the day:

They've invited us to use their condo on the beach in Pensacola. Think we should take them up on it?

9 comments:

Megan Smith said...: That's so great. We had some neighbors like that back in Seattle, they took us to the zoo took our kids for us, treated them like their own grand kids and were just amazing people. We still exchange Christmas cards every year.; September 10, 2009 at 9:53 PM
Amy Hunter said...: That's the most adorable post I've seen in a long time. I'm in love with your daughter too, and if I had a condo on the beach in Pensacola I would offer it so I could spend time with her too! p.s. I covet your neighbors. That's it. I'm moving to Cedar.; September 11, 2009 at 12:02 AM
Becky said...: YES!!!!; September 11, 2009 at 5:32 AM
Julie said...: How fun and what awesome neighbors!! My goal one day = to be like your neighbors - rich and willing to share! :):) Where is pensacola?? regardless of course you should go!!!; September 11, 2009 at 7:59 AM
Julie said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; September 11, 2009 at 7:59 AM
Crystal and Jordan said...: that is super fun!!! do they have kids at all? Maybe we could meet you at the condo? :); September 11, 2009 at 8:36 AM
Melanie said...: so sweet! I just love it! I can't believe how big Brianna is getting! What a little lady!; September 11, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Meredith said...: I would like to be your neighbor - I think I may have already mentioned that :); September 12, 2009 at 7:35 AM
Unknown said...: fabulous neighbors. I think pensacola is beautiful!; September 12, 2009 at 1:47 PM

Quotes I want to remember

"The Lord knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and to comprehending, and He will not give us more to bear than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise. Just as no temptations will come to us from which we cannot escape or which we cannot bear, we will not be given more trials than we can sustain."
- Neal A. Maxwell

"It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters. We become enamored with men's theories such as the idea of preschool training outside the home for young children. Not only does this put added pressure on the budget, but it places young children in an environment away from mother's influence."
-Ezra Taft Benson

“Perhaps there has never been a time when we had greater need to pray and to teach our family members to pray. Prayer is a defense against temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made. And bear your testimony! Don’t just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own.
-Jeffrey R. Holland

"We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith."
-Neil L. Andersen

"Certainly there are times when getting the family together to read the scriptures does not stack up as a spiritual experience worthy of a journal entry. But we must not be deterred. There are special times when the spirit of a son or daughter is just right and the power of these great scriptures goes down into their heart like fire. As we honor our Heavenly Father in our homes, He will honor our efforts."
-Neil L. Andersen

President Hinckley admonished both men and women to be nurturers. He said, ‘How much more beautiful would be the society in which we live if every father . . . and . . . mother regarded [their] children . . . as gifts from the God of heaven . . . and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord.’ ”
-Susan W. Tanner

"Children are like trees. When they are young, their lives can be shaped and directed, usually with ever so little effort. Said the writer of Proverbs, 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it' (22:6). That training finds its roots in the home. There will be little of help from other sources. Do not depend on government to help in this darkening situation. Barbara Bush, wife of former U.S. president George Bush, spoke wisely: 'Your success as a family, our success as society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house.' "
-Gordon B. Hinckley

“I give counsel to husbands and wives. Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion’s joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion.”
-Henry B. Eyring

“Reverent behavior is not a natural tendency for most children. It is a quality that is taught by parents and leaders through example and training. But remember, if reverence is rooted in love, so is the teaching of it. Harshness in our training begets resentment, not reverence.”
-Margaret S. Lifferth

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."
- M. Russell Ballard

“As parents, we should remember that our lives may be the book from the family library which the children most treasure. Are our examples worthy of emulation? Do we live in such a way that a son or a daughter may say, ‘I want to follow my dad,’ or ‘I want to be like my mother’?”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things.”
-Kent D. Watson

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Neighborly

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