Sam demonstrates the throw on her, and then Sam sets down on her chest. Grinning in her face Sam says, “Because my Daddy is your teacher, and he already taught me.”
I am afraid the young lady was going to get angry especially being thrown, but as many of the other students begin to laugh she joins in. Sam even tries to help her up, but that ends with Sam in a hug from the young lady. She sets Sam down and offers Sam her hand saying, “Ms. Meyer my name is Crystal, I’m very happy to meet you.”
Sam’s face has a bright smile as she is shaking her hand and says, “Hello Crystal, you can call me Sam.”
Sam really doesn’t disrupt the class, but as the girls are released from matches they seem to migrate to her as Sam sets in the stands. Sam sets beside Kathryn and a lot of the girls, talk to both when they’re not required to be on the floor. At the end of the class I bring everyone down to stretch before I send them off to the showers.
At the beginning of next class Kara spot Sam in the bleachers and goes and gives her a hug before the class begins. A few of the girls from the last class after finishing the showers go to Sam to say goodbye before going to the last class of the day.
After a short practice that afternoon I drive Kathryn and Sam home. We are met Jeremy Junior his wife Martha and Janet on our arrival home. Mom has dinner ready and calls us all in. A few of the other members of the family are there Joan, who is also a senior, Johnny a freshman this year and who I will usually work with a lot as he is a Junior varsity quarterback. Kara has joined us this evening. She wants a little help with some of her homework. Kathryn finished last year Kara was going to get a little help from her little sister.
Jeremy Junior, who prefers to be called Jerry, and his wife Martha are very cool. We find a lot to laugh and joke about during dinner. Of course both of them are taken aback learning my age and then even further taken aback by learning Kathryn’s age. I think Martha’s and Janet’s chins actually hit the table when Kathryn said she was only fourteen.
Kara giggles and said, “And my youngest sister. Who has already graduated high school gotten married and is a mother and is pregnant. Sometimes it makes me a little jealous, but we are always sisters and I love her.”
Kathryn smiles brightly and says, “I love you too Kara.”
Sam says, “I love you too Aunt Kara.”
By the end of the evening their shock is gone, or at least they learn to see us as individuals not just the stereotype. Janet seeing the pool asks, “Do you guys swim often?”
Sam giggling says, “Daddy says I am part mermaid because I get in the pool every chance I get.”
I asked Sam, “Did you do your laps this morning?”
Sam giggles saying, “Yes Daddy, I did all thirty laps like we do.” I think that shocked Janet.
The next day Janet asks before class, “Did Sam make $15 million in just one day?”
Smiling I returned, “I was going to play it a little safe, and only invest half as much but Sam insisted that we should double or more our investment. I did double the investment, and Sam, Kathryn and I made fifteen million each. Her uncle Marshall invested more for him and his father and made fifty million on the same day.”
Janet just a little shocked again asks, “You actually listen to a four-year-old when it comes to investing money?”
I say to her, “Janet, I made half a billion by the time I was fourteen. Don’t let people say you can’t do something because of your age.” Janet smiles but shakes her head as she walks away to get ready for class.
Friday right after school George and Alyssa arrive and most of the family is there to meet them. The Coach couldn’t get away his duties required him to stay with the team. We’re taking them back to the ball game with us. It’s one way for us to keep them away from the cottage a little longer. During halftime some of the family will slip away to put the finishing touches on the cottage. By the end of the game everything should be perfect.
Sam helps distract George and Alyssa by telling them of her adventures the weekend before. Sam even tales about the part where she was scared to death that we were going to leave her at her old grandma’s house, and how we promise to never leave her.
Alyssa and George hug Sam and tell her, “Sam you have a very large family that love you. We’re never going to give you up, give you away or leave you our Princess.”
Sam hugs them back and tells them, “I love you too, Aunt Alyssa and Uncle George.”
The next morning a couple of semi-trucks block the view of the bridge from the driveway. I have to meet them in the driveway to keep them looking towards the house, if they didn’t they might get a good look at the bridge and wonder what’s there too early. Breakfast is really good, and it feels great to have everyone here. Kara seats in Daniel’s lap as she feeds him, a few of the family members joke about it. Daniel seems to fit right in, and he merrily jokes back.
At the end the breakfast we tell Alyssa and George we have a surprise for you. First you need to put on these blindfolds so we’ll take you to where the surprise is. A little reluctantly after some coaching both of them wear the blindfolds. We lead them to the dock, placing them into the pontoon boat with Kathryn at the wheel, we float down the river a little and then back up past their docks, Kathryn slows the motor allows the pontoon boat to float into their dock and we tie off. All the floating and so forth took a good 15 to 20 minutes and they were good sports about setting there are not trying to peek.
The two trucks were removed once we were far enough away that the engines wouldn’t give their location away. Michael senior and junior is at the docks and helps us lead the blindfolded couple of the stairs and into a car to drive into the cottage.
The whole family awaits them, be placed them on the driveway and moved the car before moving them together. Spinning them around a couple times just for the fun of it, Johnny and Marshall hold their parents when they have them pointed at the house they bring them to a stop. We asked the ready for the surprise. They both say, yes. I think they want to get the blindfolds off.
Johnny and Marshall removed the blindfolds at the same time, the couple blink in the sunny midday light. As soon as their eyes adjust they both have a surprise expression on their faces, the family stands around in the semicircle allowing the couple to see the cottage. A large red bow is on the door. Marshall hands the keys to Alyssa. He says, “Here’s your weekend getaway cottage.”
Alyssa begins jumping up and down, and George joins her. The two act like excited teenagers. Alyssa runs to the door and quickly uses her keys to open it. Alyssa and George step inside, she practically squeals with joy and George chuckles. Looking around she constantly shouts I love it.
George finally steps back to the door and invites everyone in. He stands at the door shaking everyone’s hand; Alyssa hugs everyone especially Marshall, Joan and Johnny. We explained that everyone put in an equal share to pay for everything. We all had a little time we put into it as well. Downstairs, is a pool table and a wet bar in the large game room. Home theater almost as large as mine and the utility room completes the basement. An overly large master bedroom with huge master bath tub big enough to fit four people, as shower equally as large, a sitting area with a writing desk and loveseat in a comfortable chair and coffee table, a California King Master, and night stand bed furnish the master bedroom suite.
Very comfortable living room with a wide fireplace, and one of Misty’s paintings, a very comfortable sofa loveseat and a pair chairs along with end tables, and a large coffee table in the living room, a large picture window looks out over the river and Valley without actually seeing another house. A large kitchen and dining area, even larger than mine or any other of the houses near here, a very large dining table we had specially made which will fit more than the whole family at the moment. Marshal and I both know that this family is definitely going to grow. The secondary bedroom is a little smaller and has a three-quarter bath off of it. We call it a cottage, but it’s a little more than two thousand square feet in living area with a double garage, and unfinished bonus room above it. There is a bath halfway up the stairs to the bonus room.
George and Alyssa are definitely overwhelmed; both have tears of joy at our gift. Jokingly we tell them guess where next Saturday’s breakfast is going to be held.
George says, “I love it, the only problem is it so far away from everyone else.”
Alyssa agrees, “It’s great, but I wish you could’ve put it close to everyone too.”
Everyone begins chuckling, which confuses the couple until we bring them out onto their patio and point across the River. Chuckling Marshall says, “Look you have a nice big wide bridge so the grandkids can come and visit easily.”
Alyssa giggling says, “You did that just so you charge me the toll of the meatloaf a month.”
Marshall chuckles and says, “Now that you mention it…” Cut off by an elbow to his ribs from Misty. Turning he looks at her face before he says, “No, don’t need one. My wife makes a great one too.”
Alyssa and George giggle at the two.
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