..."boys & their toys..."

When our oldest son was three my husband bought his first 'toy.' .... Friends of ours have two sons as well... the husband of the couple is a fraternity brother of Brock's... as a boy he and his father raced dirt bikes... so he has carried that family tradition on.... racing with his two sons through out the Midwest... they travel to the race... camp .... great family memories... when their oldest had out grown his first Honda 50, they offered to sell it to us ... so at the ripe old age of three our son had his first dirt bike.... complete with a 'tot-wheel' ... jumbo dirt bike training wheels, actually made & patented in our little Indiana town....

This wasn't actually his first toy... my Dad bought a go cart at a local Kansas auction when he was .... about 6 months old.... our oldest was the first grandchild for both the maternal & paternal grands .... needless to say, they were all excited about their first grand...

This summer the boys spent 11 days out in Northwest Kansas with my folks while we were on a Mexican vaca.  ... I flew to KS & drove out to fetch them... our youngest had a half dollar sized scab on his side during his bath... I inquired about it... he said, "We're not supposed to talk about that Mom..." ... apparently they were riding double on the single seater.... & he got munched by the tires... the perils of farm life... after that he rode with Grandpa instead of his 'brudder' (brother with the 'th' pronounced funny) ...

A few years ago the boys spent a week out with my in-laws... they talked Grandad into restoring their dad & uncles old 1979 go-cart... Santa left it under the tree for all of them to share ... my boys and their Grandad installed a new motor... reupholstered the seat.... the only problem is... it does not have a roll bar.

So we bought our second son his first toy when he was four ... another Honda 50... second hand also, off of Craig's List... he was a little more apprehensive, cautious rider than his brother...

So we always told the boys, that we bought the first toy & they would have to sell their first & use the cash... along with the 'commission' they earn mowing the lawn... scooping dog poop... shoveling driveways full of snow...

Our oldest sold his dirt bike last spring... 1 year ago, to his cousins... he has been borrowing his brothers when the weather permits... he looks a bit like a 'Shriner'.... knees up past the handle bars...

He has spent the winter dreaming on eBay... Craig's List... waiting for the perfect deal... trying to catch the best 'off season' price.... but of course the sellers waited 'til spring to list their hand-me-down toys...

This week he finally found one... in Valpo... only 30 minutes away...

He talked his younger brother into going in on half of it with his Dave Ramsey 'save money' (1/2 earned after giving 10% to needy)....

After school we stopped off at the bank... they filled out their withdrawal slips... requesting 'hundreds'...

We borrowed a trailer & made the trip to look at it... explaining that if it wasn't a good deal, we might return home with an empty trailer...

All three boys took 'er for a spin... handed over their 'hund-ies' ... shook hands... & loaded 'er up....  giggling in the truck 'bout how the tires were barely worn... hardly used by a city kid...

It was a down pour on the drive home... so we pulled the trailer into our Auntie & Uncle's spare garage...

After school Friday the sun was shining... not a cloud in sight... it was 59 degrees, but felt like 80 ... we headed to the garage to start 'er up.... they road for an hour & a half... (yes, wearing their helmets & goggles Grandma & Granny) ... the oldest actually fought me about the head gear... I told him that was the rule his dad & I agreed upon... wear the head gear or don't ride it.... it was his choice...

When my husband got off work he joined us, enjoying watching the boys make laps... reminiscent of his childhood spent circlin' the farm yard on his 'ride' ...

Our youngest needed off... a pit stop to 'water the grass'... my husband went to help unbuckle the helmet... our oldest took off, just a few laps 'til he picked up his passenger again... he took the corner too fast... the wet grass from the down pour lubricated the tires... the centrifugal force won... the go-cart was air born... flipping two & a half times.... landing upside down... with my precious cargo hanging by the seat belt... he lifted himself with the steering wheel to unbuckle... dropped to the ground... got up shaking...

the Lord had kept him safe....

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart... and lean not on your own understanding."  Proverbs 3:5

In Genesis 22: 1-19 the Lord tests Abraham, asking him to sacrifice his first born son Isaac.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2022:1-19&version=NLT

Abraham trusted the Lord... even raised the knife to be obedient and kill Isaac... then the Lord called out to him...

Genesis 22:  11 "At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”   “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”  12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” ........


15 "Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you."

... the Lord will certainly bless you... if you completely submit... trusting your children to Him & His will...

Now ... should I prohibit the boy toys... no, that wouldn't teach any life lessons... only making them live in a bubble....
...the chain slipped off the motor during the collision... after taking it apart, it needs some welding... lucky for my boys their dad is very handy with a welder... the Lord grounded the go-cart for a few days....

When they 'get back in the saddle' they will wear helmets and goggles... I will pray for them each day, just as I have done since I carried them in my womb.... for they are really the Lord's children... He is only loaning them to me....