Every neighborhood has one.

You know the one I’m talking about. The house where the cars are always in the driveway (or in our case, dirtbikes), where the door swings open more than it stays shut, where something’s always going on. We are that house, and honestly, it makes me so happy.

It started with the garage attached to our house. My husband and I handed it over to our son, Tyler, a while back, and that garage has become something of a headquarters. (My hubby has a huge garage off to the side of our house, so that’s why we were so generous.) Ty’s garage is packed wall to wall with motorcycles and four wheelers, and on any given day — especially when the weather’s right — you’ll find a crew of young men out there wrenching, riding, laughing, and just being guys. The sound of two strokes and four strokes revving and the sight of wheelies going up and down the road have become the soundtrack of our home, and I have grown to love every bit of it! They have a lot of area to ride around our house, and for years, our house has just been “the spot.” I love watching them ride.

But here’s what really gets me. These boys, Ty’s best friends, are something special. They are polite, respectful, and genuinely good-hearted young men.

After my heart surgery, so many of them stopped in to see me, texted me, and even brought me the most thoughtful gifts. They truly are the best group of guys. I always tease them, saying they are my adopted sons. They are always willing to lend a helping hand at the river or carry in my groceries when I pull in, and they are all gathered in the garage. I seriously don’t even ask. They just do it because, like I said, awesome kids. Awesome kids = Awesome parents, by the way!

In a world where it’s easy to worry about the company your kids keep, I look at this group, and I feel nothing but gratitude. They found each other, and I truly believe that was no accident.

Now, if you want to know the real secret to keeping a garage full of young men happy, it’s my famous sweet tea. I am not exaggerating when I tell you I keep a gallon (sometimes two) made at all times. It disappears faster than I can brew it, and somehow that makes me happier than I can explain. There is something deeply satisfying about knowing that something as simple as a cold glass of sweet tea makes our home a place they want to return to! And I absolutely love it.

That’s really what it comes down to for me. They are older now. They have their own lives, their own schedules, and some of them have their newfound freedom to drive. They could be anywhere!! And they choose to be here. They chose our garage, our driveway, our sweet tea, and our home. I don’t take that lightly for even a second. There are young men at our house at least five days out of seven. I love to feed them when I can and try to cook bigger portions nowadays, as I never know who could be here. I’m glad I finally feel well enough to do it, too. It feels so good. Praise God!

I want our home to always feel like a safe place. I want that door to always be open. I want every one of those boys to know that when life gets loud or heavy or complicated, there is a place they can pull up a chair, grab a glass of tea, and just take a big ol’ breath. That’s the kind of home I’ve always wanted to have, and somehow by the grace of God, that’s exactly what we’ve become.

So if you drive past our place and see the dirtbikes out front, hear the engines, and wonder what in the world is going on over there, well, now you know. That’s just us, being in that house. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything! (Don’t mind all the Subarus in our driveway either, our friends stop by too.) *Insert a huge smile here!*

Enjoy this tea on your patio, around the pool, or at any gathering with friends and family!

Famous Sweet Tea
Directions:

Boil 6 cups of water.

Steep 6 TETLEY tea bags for 20 minutes with a lid placed on the pot.

In a gallon pitcher, put in 1 ½ to 2 cups of white sugar.

Remove tea bags and pour hot liquid into the pitcher.

Stir until the sugar dissolves, then dilute with 6 more cups of cold water and chill.

*Must be Tetley to get the full effect of this Liddick family tea tradition*