Handing over a 6-week-old baby to a sitter is a huge and bold trust factor, but, when the parents of Kayden Young gently placed him in the arms of Pete and Gail Frye, they knew exactly what they were doing.

This school year Kayden enters the first grade at Cooleemee School and he’s 6 years old.

“What a relief,” his mom, Jennifer Young, says reflecting on what all he has learned since his first arrival at the Frye house. “I know he has learned more here than he would any where else. He learned it’s okay to sweat, it’s okay to be a boy and get dirty.”

Andy Young, Kayden’s father said: “Oh, it’s turned out awesome. It was the best thing we could have ever done. Can’t imagine him being anywhere else. He’s learned so much that kids never get to do today. How many 6 year olds know how to drive a golf cart, plant pumpkins, corn, peas, watermelon, can crush walnuts and shuck corn? He rides on tractors, works on tractors and collects eggs. He even knows how many eggs go into a pound cake recipe while he helps to prepare it and loves to shell beans; he does it all.”

Gail Frye or better known as MaMaw Gail is a woman with vivaciousness and there’s no surprise many of the children she kept always keep coming by to stay in touch. “You can’t love a child without spoiling them.”

Quickly, Pete spoke up: “We didn’t spoil ‘em, he’s just loving life.”

Jensen Foster is a good buddy of Kayden’s, they grew up together at the Frye’s pushing Tonka trucks, playing in the dirt and caught net full after net full of fish while riding in the parked boat that has been in the barn for years.

In late April or early May, Kayden told his PaPaw Pete they were going to plant pumpkins and they did.

Who knows, maybe when Kayden grows up he’ll be a farmer or have a garden. He seems to already know exactly what he is going to need: 20 tractors, a cultivator, 2 combines and he’ll wear long pants and a shirt with a pocket like PaPaw Pete.

Feel free to contact me at www.cooleemeenews@gmail.com or call me at 336.250.1133. I would love to hear from you.