The people that I’m describing right now were really one of the families that Bob and I will never ever forget in our entire life. It all started when we moved to Ridgefield from Vancouver in Washington State. We used to live in a very nice subdivision in Vancouver. We were house sitting the house of my in-laws while my father-in-law transferred to Canada for his job. Before living in my in-law’s house we used to live near the downtown Vancouver area. Really just 5-7 minutes away from Sylvia’s house (She’s like my sister there). It was really convenient for me to be going to Sylvia’s for a visit. When we transferred to the other part of Vancouver, it was harder for me to see Sylvia more often. She’s kind of scared driving on the freeway by herself. But guess what I learned easily on driving around the area. Being far from Sylvia I had to learned to drive the freeway quickly and liking it a lot. Going to her house through the back way takes way longer. Driving the freeway it’s much easier than going through the busy streets of Vancouver with so many traffic lights to go through. IMHO.
So we transferred to Ridgefield in 1993 just a few months after my father-in-law passed away. We had to find a house because Mom is moving back to Vancouver. So we found a house in Ridgefield. It was a nice acreage subdivision with only 8 houses inside the subdivision. Really it used to be farmland. Even the original farm house was still there. In every house it has 5 acres. So that’s what we had. Our house was one of the newly built house in the subdivision. When we moved in the next door house was about to be finished. When the owner moved in we don’t really know them. Both husband and wife usually were not home during the day. Seeing them sometime we just say hi whenever they pass in front of house . Just months after moving in, they sold the house. The owner moved away, the guy was transferred somewhere for his job.
After a few months of the house next door being empty, we saw some Middle Eastern people with their 4 kids going through the house. the kids were playing outside. We thought they’re just looking at the house. The next day they came back, so we went there and say hello and just being a friendly neighbor. They informed us then that they already bought the house and they will be moving in in a few days. They’re just waiting of the moving truck that’s carrying there stuff all the way from California.
I was so ecstatic having them around they’re so nice and loving people. The kids ages at that time, the youngest must be like 3 or 4 years old, the oldest I think like 8 or 9 years old. The husband he owns a few gasoline stations in Portland area, the wife she’s just a stay at home mom. She already finished up college just didn’t work because she concentrated on taking care of the kids. Both husband and wife were very generous people. The kids they’re loving and thoughtful kids too.
I will give the names of my ever so favorite neighbor.
- Nader, the dad (very generous & thoughtful man)
- Dalal, the mom (very kind and very generous)
- Julia, the oldest child (the reader)
- Zade, the second child (the serious one
))) - Keith, the third child (the studious one)
- Namer, the youngest and the naughty one (his eyes gives it away… LOL)
We do a lot of fun stuff with them like going to the Oregon Coast for a day or two just hanging out at the beach and see the aquarium, eating at the restaurant after Sunday church. Go with the kids games in school or during summer games. Going to see some Disney on ice show in Portland. Going shopping at the mall or go to the play area like Discovery Zone or Chuck E. Cheese or the Clark County Fair and many others.
Chris and Aaron really adored those kids. They thought highly of those kids. They really want to hang out with them almost everyday. Ha ha ha, really we go there to there house every night during summer. They always invite us for BBQ. Dalal wants that we’ll be at their house, her statement would always be “Feyma it’s better that we’ll hang out here at our house, I had 4 kids and you had only 2 kids. Much easier for me here if they messed up something, easy to clean up”. But when I’m baby sitting the kids they’re at our house. Bob and I fed them Filipino dishes. They liked it, especially the lumpia. Sometimes me and Dalal would go out just the 2 of us for some girl time. Bob & Nader and one of our friend from church Randy go out together too, sometimes they went out of town for some conference. It was fun for everyone. It’s really a good bonding.
Seeing the kids on Facebook now really makes me happy. They’re all successful kids. I’m so proud for all of them. So thankful of the Facebook. I’ve been hooking up with all of them. So happy seeing all of them still so loving and so thoughtful.
To you our Best Neighbor Ever, I really missed you guys. Thank you so much for the friendship and the love. I do appreciate a lot what you guys did for me and Bob. I really treasure you guys forever. I love all of you!!!
Cheers!