Parker Winder and Adam Sabin of Las Vegas, Nevada

By Christine Sabin

Almost every day at any given time you can find Adam and Parker (both 9) together. No, they aren’t brothers, although many people in their ward thought they were at first. In some ways they are as different as night and day, and in other ways they couldn’t be more alike.

Five years ago they moved into the same ward (Stewart Ranch Ward) onto the same street (Mapleleaf Street) the same month (September) and ended up in the same kindergarten class (Mrs. Papa’s). Their parents sometimes think that they must have been close friends in the spirit world, and this was their moment to find each other on earth and be reunited. The boys have a different explanation. “We’re really brothers, but we were separated at birth!”

They have been in every class together from kindergarten through fourth grade with the exception of second grade, and that year was torture for them.

They support and challenge each other in many things from video games to achieving Scouting awards. Where one excels, the other works hard to catch up. They are both Bears in Cub Scouts and have just earned their Faith in God Awards. They are very proud of that achievement! Both boys are currently memorizing the Articles of Faith for their Gospel in Action Awards.

A few of the things that take priority in Adam and Parker’s busy lives are Scouting, basketball, piano lessons, swimming, jumping on the trampoline, video games, in-line skating, father and son camp-outs, and finding new ways to earn and spend money. Their favorite subjects in school are math and science.

Their interests aren’t quite identical, though. Adam plays on a city-league baseball team, whereas Parker prefers wrestling and doing magic tricks.

Adam wants to be a veterinarian when he grows up. He has two frogs, Bill and Ted; a hamster named Sonic; and a dog named Sam. Adam loves Heavenly Father and reminds his parents about family home evenings and reading the scriptures if they get busy and forget.

Parker wants to be either a pianist or a pilot. A hard worker, he helps his father, who’s a schoolteacher, take care of the animals in his sixth grade classroom and also at his other job as a landscaper. Parker has a quick wit and makes up fun jokes and stories. He and Adam like to call up each other and pretend to be someone else.

Parker and Adam both love to read. Their favorite books are the Goosebump series, but they also read their scriptures daily, a challenge from their bishop to all the members of their ward.

They live close to the Las Vegas Nevada Temple and can see it from their homes. Both look forward to being baptized for the dead and married in the temple.

While they are the best of friends, Adam and Parker know that it’s important to include others and have a variety of friends. They both are really good about sharing the gospel with their nonmember friends.

Photos by Melvin Leavitt

Parker; Adam

Bouncing …

… Rolling …

… Splashing …

The Winders

The Sabins

At the Las Vegas Temple

… Playing …

… Singing …

… Reading …

… Scouting …