Boys and their bikes

So Michael and Dan have been hanging out quite a bit - everyday to be exact - for the last week or so. Now don't get me wrong, I think it's great! I love that they get along so well and have so much in common. Their latest 'adventure' has been really fun to watch. I have a front row seat, as it is in my front yard! Dan and Michael have the same ramps, and one day I open the front door to discover that they have brought Dan's ramps over and combined to two sets to make one big set. They have put them out in the middle of the court and are making circles as they 'jump the ramps' with their bikes. Of course I grab my camera and start taking pictures, LOTS of pictures! They were having so much fun. It was just the two of them...

Then, the next day I open the front door to find there are now 4 of them. Sam, Dan's brother and Kevin from down the street joined the fun. Dan and Michael quickly ask me to get the camera and take more pictures. I am happy to do so!

Then, the next day, I open the front door to find there are TONS of kids out there! Two of the kids I had never seen before! At this point they inform me that they have organized a 'BMX club'. As I take group pictures, they want pics of the whole club, the scooter club, the jr. club, etc. Didn't know they had so many clubs. Then they inform me the name of their club is TMFZ - which stands for Total Mature Freak-Z. (This is the same name Michael wanted for his 'band') I just think it is so cool that they are having so much fun with it. It has been fun to watch them as they perform their tricks. I am not sure the neighbors in the court love it as much as I do, but it gets all of us out of the house. Just 2 days ago we had 16 or more kids all out in the court playing!

I just LOVE this! You see, I have been complaining for years (10 or more to be exact) about how kids don't play outside anymore! Everywhere we lived we never saw kids outside playing. In our last house, back in CA, we wondered if there were even any kids in the entire subdivision. Our kids were always out playing - we didn't have cable or a game system, so they hated being cooped up insied, they loved being outside! There were even times that I had thought maybe kids just didn't play outside anymore. I would talk to people at church and -kinda- complain about how when I was a kid, we played outside and why don't kids play outside anymore??? It seemed that it was just a normal thing that kids didn't go outside. I dreamed of finding a place where kids play outside, walk to school, neighbors know each other, people are friendly and that there would be more LDS families close by. Once again, I am reminded that the spirit brought us to Arizona, and to this neighborhood! I am so grateful...