B is for Be careful....and best friends!

As in.....
Be very careful who you invite to dinner.
They may show up, move in, and become some of your very best friends!

As most of you know, my daughter plays volleyball. She has been playing for about 3 1/2 years.
One of her very first coaches was a fellow named Coach Mike! He seemed nice, quite knowledgable about the sport... and extremely eager to help the girls improve their skills and learn to play better!
Coach Mike's daughter was on the team also. His family... as in wife, son, and grandparents on both sides would come to every game. We would see them and speak casually...and go on back to cheering and shouting and coaching from the stands (that would be me!) When that season ended..we went our separate ways...then we played for another league the next session.
The following year, we had Coach Mike again. We planned it that way. Emily only wanted to play if she could be on his team....so we did a little coniving..and it worked. That year, the team was undefeated. It was so much fun! On the last day of games, we had a little trophy party. That was the first time we all got to really talk. Somewhere in the conversation, someone said..."We should get together sometime over the summer."
The summer was nearly over and after several failed attempts, we finally set the date for a backyard cook out at our house!
The Coach and his family came...we ate, talked, told stories, and played games. At one point, when there were about 17 kids, no lie, playing in our cul-de-sac,  the coach said.."We really like your neighborhood...there are so many kids."
His family lived in a very nice part of the Big City, however, there were very few kids...and none his kids ages.
Of course, I said, "Well, there are lots of houses for sale in this neighborhood...you should move in!"
"Oh we can't, we just refinanced...blah...blah...blah", was the reply.
A little later...as the 17 kids were lined up in our very driveway playing 4 Square... "We REALLY like this neighborhood!" was said again.
I'm sure you can tell where this might be going.
That night, their kids spent the night at our house...and Coach Mike and his wife went home to make their list of things they needed to do to get their house ready to put on the market!
Within 2 months...they sold their house to the first person that looked at it....and moved into a fabulous house right down the street from us!
Since then....almost 1 year ago....we have gotten to know this family and grown to love them dearly!
We have gone trick-or-treating together... we have been sledding and shared big pots of soup... we have watched movies on their GIANT tv screen...we have visited their lake house where my children learned to drive a boat...we have gone hiking....we have cheered for our sons and daughters on the baseball field, volleyball court and at swim meets ..... we have been out on double dates where we completely lost track of time because we were so lost in our conversations...we have been dancing (ha!)...and we have enjoyed every bit of it!
Our kids love each other like brothers and sisters (you know what I'm saying, right?) and we have even accepted the fact that our dogs have a thing for one another.
It is a rare thing when you find people around you that you feel you've known all your life.
How is it that we were only aquaintances such a short time ago?
You never know what you might find when you invite someone over for dinner....
Be careful....
they might come... move in ...and become some of your very best friends!

Mike, Beth, Haley and Michael...thanks for accepting the invitation.
You guys are the BEST!


Today's letter in alphabe-Thursday is the letter "B".
To read more "B" day posts, head on over to Jenny Matlock's blog!