"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor..."

"...would you be mine, could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor...."

"I have always wanted to have a neighbor, just like you...."

"I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you..."

"So, let's make the most of this beautiful day. Since we're together, might as well say...
Would you be mine, could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor?"

They just don't make shows like Mister Roger's Neighborhood anymore. Yo Gabba Gabba doesn't even come close. While corny, the intro to this post is most deserving. We have some wonderful neighbors.

With scenes like this being all too common, our neighbors could easily complain, or try their best to ignore us completely... (Yes, those are little cheeks you see.)

Fortunately for us, our neighbors love our kids and their crazy antics. Or, at least they pretend to. We live around two retired couples, one couple with kids in high school, one with kids in college, and one other family with two small children. They are some of the most patient people we could live near. There are always bikes left out in the road, toys strewn across the lawn, and sometimes children wandering where they shouldn't. More than once, I'm embarrassed to admit, Mr. Stan has returned a toddler who had escaped. The first time it happened, I could have died. Lightning was only 18 months old, and I had no idea he could work the dead-bolt. Mr. Stan knocked on the door and when I opened it asked, "You missing one?"

Sad thing is, I hadn't noticed yet that he was gone!

We are truly blessed by each of them.

They have brought us dinner when we were sick, trays of brownies and cookies "just because," put our stray bikes up by the garage, clipped coupons for baby products, and entertained our children for hours on end.

Recently, we came home to a freshly cut lawn and I could have cried. Being the tail-end of tax season, Bert hasn't had a chance to get around to the yard work lately, so Mr. Stan took care of that for us.

We have impromptu fish frys and cookouts. Some evenings when one set of neighbors are out talking, more will come out into the cul-de-sac and visit too. It's fun to catch up with everyone that way.

This weekend, "Mitter Nick and Ms. Kaffy" as Hail calls them, invited the kids over to swim. No, it's not a heated pool, but ever since Mr. Nick has been working on it, the kids have been begging him to swim. The temperature in the water couldn't have been over 58 degrees. But, my crazy monkeys didn't seem to mind one bit.


Hail's lips were literally blue. I kept asking him, "Are you cold, honey?" He would shiver and say as his teeth chattered, "Nanana no!" No one would admit to being cold, because they were all afraid we would have to leave.

We are so blessed to live around such a great group of people. We truly appreciate their kindness, patience, generosity and love for one another. They have taught us the true meaning of community.

We sure do love our wonderful neighbors!