A recipe
Take five boys.
Add two girls.
Raise them on old movies and puppy piles and enough food to feed a small army.
Teach them card games and board games and silly little games of pretend, where the swing set is an obstacle course, or a house, and the propane tank is a boat, or a horse.
Marinate them in the Christmases (give them presents that will last) and summers (give them trees to climb) and family reunions (send them across the street until it’s time for them to stuff their faces) of years past.
Sprinkle in birthday Phone Calls to taste.
Bake them on hardships and fights and moves across the country.
Rest them on the memories of happier times.
Now take them out of the oven and try to tear them apart.



