LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR...

"Love your neighbors as yourself." That statement certainly held true in our neighborhood over the weekend. It started Saturday morning. Scott and I woke up to a huge task. Landscaping our front yard. We had planted the shrubs and Hostas the previous weekend, but on Friday afternoon, seven ton of 1-1/2 inch buff limestone rock was delivered to our house and dumped in our driveway. Saturday would be spent raking up the mulch in one area that we landscaped last summer, installing the flag pole and pulling up sod from around the newly planted shrubs. After that, we'd shovel rock and fill the designated areas. Hopefully we'd be done by the end of the day.

While Scott was digging the hole for the flagpole and cementing it in, I was raking up the mulch. I ran next door to Dave and Cindy's to see if Dave had a wheelbarrow we could borrow since Scott was using ours. Sure enough, he did. Scott stopped to say "hi" and Dave asked who we had coming over to help. We said no one...just us. Pretty soon Dave had on work gloves and he was helping me with the mulch. When Cindy came out, she watched over the kids for us...their two and our two. No worries, there. The kids get a long great and ours love all the neighbor-parents. Pretty soon I hear a hello from Marie, the neighbor on the other side of our house. We visited for a few minutes and I went back to work. Next thing I know, there's Marie, ready to work in our yard while her husband mowed their yard. One more helper...two more kids added to the play group and things were moving along great! Pretty soon, I hear Scott say, "Jeanine...look." I looked up and here comes Shawn walking down the street pushing a wheelbarrow and wearing his "always smiling look." I asked him if he is EVER crabby and he laughed at me and said, "yes." I don't believe him, though...he's always chipper! So, add another worker and another child to play in the back yard (Rebecca, Shawn's wife, was home with their new one week old baby girl). Soon, Matt and Stacey from down the street came adding another helper, one more mom to watch kids...and more kids.

By Noon, the rock was in...which was the time Scott was hoping to START the rock. At one point, I teared up thinking how very blessed we are to have such great friends and neighbors. We didn't even have to ask for help...which Scott NEVER does (why take up someone else's time)...but there they all were anyway. We ordered pizza for lunch and when I counted there were nine adults and eight kids hanging out in the garage eating pizza and admiring the results of all the hard work.

It was amazing! Our neighbors are amazingly great friends...Dave & Cindy (Owen and Mason), Terry & Marie (Derek and Trent), Matt & Stacy (Mitch and Luke), Shawn & Rebecca (Norah and Ruby Lee). We are thankful for the neighborhood in which God has placed us. He knows where we need to be.

Thank you everyone for all your help. Thank you for your friendship and love!