Time with friends

Gretchen, Me, Amy

I really enjoy being able to follow friends through life. It's not something that happens naturally with everyone, but sometimes we are blessed with relationships where you're able to keep up to date on each others lives throughout the decades that pass and the miles that separate. Growing up in Eugene, Oregon, my family lived next door to the Ruddicks from our elementary school days on. We had so much fun growing up with their 3 kids, Erin, Josh and Amy, as we built forts, road bikes and roller skated about the neighborhood and had water fights over the strip of bark-a-mulch that separated our lawns. Some evenings we would get together with their family and worship together, or the kids (we combined our last names and called ourselves the "Ruddlunds") would put on music, make a train and dance about the house. Many of my memories from youth involve the Ruddicks.

All grown up - Josh, Amy and me

When I was in middle school, a new family moved to town that had a girl just my age. Over time, through church youth group and school, Gretchen and I became close friends. She, Amy Ruddick and I spent so much time together over the years, and it was well known that she had a huge crush on my neighbor and Amy's brother, Josh, which we loved to tease her about... aren't middle school girls great? In the college years, they fell quickly in love and married. :O)

Me with Gretchen in 8th grade

6/2008

Whenever I get back to Oregon, I make sure to spend some time with Gretchen, Amy and their families. This vacation, I spent one evening at a park with Gretchen and her boys;

Griffin (19mo), Colson, Ronan (nearly 4), and Kaden

The kids pretending to be animals in a cage.

And an afternoon at Amy's visiting with her and her sweet 19 mo. old twins;

Ethan and Macey eating lunch

Later that evening, our three families got together at a pizza parlor with a great play space for the kids. It was a fun time and all went well until... my mother bear came out in its fiercest form ever!! I usually have an easy time being firm and setting boundaries with my own kids when need be, but always want to be the "nice guy" when in charge of other kids. However, a little girl really pushed my buttons when she threw balls at other kids in the ball pit and when I asked her to please stop so that she didn't hurt anyone she threw ball after ball at me, smirking all the while. I could handle that, but when she turned around and purposefully jumped onto my Kaden's belly while he was gleefully stretched out after a backwards jump, my mother bear broke free. I rather surprised myself (and I'm sure my friends and kids as well) as I jumped into the balls, scooped up my screaming child and quite firmly and intensely told the girl, "NO! We do not jump on people's stomachs!" I think I was even shaking my finger at her. I have never acted so firmly towards another child before, but I felt fiercely protective of my little boy... there are a lot of unprotected organs in the abdominal cavity and the girl was much larger than my little guy.

But, beyond that little episode, it was a fun evening of watching our kids play and interact, and getting a little adult conversation in as well. It's amazing how much that changes after kids arrive!

Kaden jumping before his stomach stomping incident

Kylee "back floating" in the balls

Ethan really loved the balls

Top Row - Ethan and Macey Green
Bottom - Ronan Ruddick, Kylee, Cole and Kaden, Griffin Ruddick