Big Guys and Little Guys

"Big Guy" and" little guy" are terms of endearment in my family. At least I use them as such. It all started with This guy: The Big Guy

The Big Guy aka "Bob" with Wills in '02

Notice I use the article "the" when calling this guy The Big Guy. That is because he is "The" original, "The" first, "The" Big Guy. It's true. The term has been used since when talking to my boys and one or two other guys who qualify for various reasons, but it originated with Bob, my dad. Why is he called The Big Guy? well for one thing, he is big, he is tough and he has a big heart. To tell you the truth, I don't actually know where the name originated from, we just accepted it and never questioned it, it just is. Here is the Big Guy when he was little:

My Grandma Edna curled The Big Guys hair for this photo. Let's keep that to ourselves, if it got out it might ruin his reputation as a tough guy.

Then we have the Little Guy, or as we like to call him yetta guy, Rob--he is my younger brother. Yetta Guy took after The Big Guy in looks and in manner, hence the name, of course he had other nick names capt. barf, and The Fonz for example, but Yetta Guy stuck.

The Yetta Guy aka "Rob" in '75

Here is The Little Guy now that he is Big:

Rob and I last Summer at Santa Cruz Island

Here is The Little Guy and I when we were young.

in the front room of our house in Diamond Bar

Here is both The Big Guy and The Little Guy in the Aug. '85

Outside the Chicago Temple at the Open House before it was dedicated.

Now here is this guy. This is my yetta guy, Os.

This Little Guy takes after The Big Guy in looks and manner as well. Like The Big Guy, he is the biggest of all his siblings by comparison. One day we will call him Big Guy too. I am sure of it. And this is where the story begins. . . This guy has a friend. Not any ordinary friend, mind you but an amazingly brilliant, talented, incredibly privileged, and remarkably nimble friend. I have never actually met this friend, but I hear about him all the time, in fact we all do and feel like he is part of our family. His name is Little Jacob. . .

Here is Big Jacob. . .

Big Jacob is like another brother, in fact he is Mitchell's brother from another mother as we like to say. I am pretty sure that Little Jacob, Owen's best friend, stems from this Big Jacob, whom we all love.

Now Back to Little Jacob. . .

Here is what we know about Little Jacob. Little Jacob lives in a match box house, I am not sure if that means it is small like a match box, or is full of Match box cars. Another thing I know is that he has every toy imaginable and thousands of legos:

"Wow," I said, "Thousands? where did he get them all?"

"For his birthdays!" Owen shares enthusiastically.

"Really, how many birthdays did Little Jacob have?"

"A hundred!" Owen says confidently. And I believe it too, because it seems like every week Owen is invited to another one of Little Jacob's birthday parties. And they are themed parties too: spiderman, superman, batman, or GI Joe parties. Owen is always invited because he, of course, is Little Jacob's best friend.

Little Jacob can do some amazing things. Just yesterday, Owen told us that Little Jacob could stand on the wall upside down. Emma retorted that she could do that, and immediately began forming a head stand.

"No," Owen corrected, "Little Jacob can stand on the wall upside down!" and then he points to the ceiling.

"Really! You mean Little Jacob can stand on the ceiling like Spider man?" Owen, wide eyed and smiling, shakes his head yes. We all are amazed. This little Jacob is quite the phenomenon.

Little Jacob goes to school, but not your average school, he goes to Camp School."Camp School?" Mitchell questions, "What do you do in camp school?"

"All camping stuff, and he has to set up tents, and then he does his school work in the tents."

"Oh wow, that's fun, what else does he do?"

"He cuts wood with axes, and he goes in the mountains, and he plays with sticks, and he climbs on things."

"Wow little Jacob is really lucky," we acknowledge.

"Yes he is and, (a pause). . . can I go to camp school?"

"We can go camping, but I can't send you to camp school. Little Jacob is really lucky."

Little Jacob has some amazing strength. He can lift cars, jump off houses, run through fire, climb up rocky cliffs and other super hero feats that would make the hair of any mother stand on end. I am just glad that I am not Little Jacob's mother or I would never sleep restfully at night.

Surprisingly, however, Little Jacob can't swim. We were all amazed. But, he can walk on water.

"He can walk on water?" Richard questions.

"Yes, on hot water." Owen pronounces, "Little Jacob can run on hot water!"

The adventures of Little Jacob continue to weave through our lives. I felt I should write just a few down before they are gone forever.

We love our little Jacob, just like we love our Big Jacob. Keep those stories coming Os. Oh and by the way, We love you Big Guy!!! and the yetta guy too!!!