adorable

The game of choice in the Chole home currently is Uno. Jonathan and Keona play it each morning during breakfast. We all play during lunch and then again right before bedtime.

Miss Keona manufactures +4's and +2's. Actually that was literally true at first until we explained what "stacking the deck" meant and how, though clever, the skill was not a virtue. "Oh!," she said, "I didn't know. I just LIKE those cards!"

But even fair and square the child has a surplus of these cards in her hand. We do have warning however. As she picks up each dealt card, she makes a sound. Whoever is sitting next to her starts hoping for a reverse card whenever they hear Keona gasp loudly and chuckle.

Bear and I could barely keep it together last night. The hand went something like this:

Jona: red 8
Keona: red skip mommy
Daddy: yellow skip Jona
Keona: yellow +2
Mommy: (takes 2)
Daddy: yellow 7
Jona: yellow 3
Keona: wild +4
Mommy: (takes 4, emits a Charlie Brown "Ugh!", turns to Keona and says with a smile, "You are a toot!")
Keona: (laughing says, "No, I am ADORABLE!!!"

And indeed, she is.

this too

Mornings are fabulous in our home. Keona normally comes in first, carrying her pillow, and wedges herself between Bear and I. She snuggles up to me and asks for her back to be scratched. Then Jonathan emerges with sleepy eyes from his room, says "morning," goes to the bathroom, and crawls into bed as well though he prefers his head to be scratched.

The next ten to thirty minutes are filled with quiet cuddles and questions about life. When wiggly Louie joins the tribe we all become fences around the queen bed's perimeter to keep him from bouncing off.

Before entering parenthood, Bear and I would always get up and offer the first part of our day to God through worship, walks, quiet times. Today I gazed into the eyes of my loving kids, touched their soft faces, and smiled as I looked at the clock.

My Bible, journal, piano...would still be waiting for me later in the day. But I knew that Father God was smiling over these morning moments as well. I could almost hear Him whisper as I hugged and loved on His kids, "Ah, this too is holy."

things to remember

Note to self:

Never hold the adorable, fluffy puppy that needs a home at the supermarket when you are on a writing deadline.

While cuddling the half Great Pyrnees/half lab at Applemart, I called Barry for strength to make the reasonable choice considering how many animals we already have and this season of life....He said, "Be sure to pick up puppy chow."

We now have four dogs.

A white fur ball is at my feet.

I think he has fleas.

Jonathan, though thrilled, announced with authority, "I think we have enough dogs now."

I think I'm banned from going to the grocery store by myself for the rest of the year.

in heaven

"Mommy, why didn't Jesus heal Mr. Joe?" 5 year-old Keona asked.

"That's a very good question baby, one that we probably won't have an answer to until we can ask Jesus in heaven." I answered. "But here's another question, who loves Joe more, us or God?"

"God," she said softly.

"So can we trust God with his choices for Joe?"

"Yes, we can!"

"Since Mr. Joe is in heaven though, he is healed now. In heaven, there's no cancer, no sickness, no--"

"No ticks," she added confidently

Smiling I said, "Yes, and no ticks."

And somewhere near Jesus' side, Joe said, "Praise the Lord."

life

I sat in church today next to my handsome man and held his warm hand. Several rows up sat my dear friend Jayne. Her husband Joe died--what a harsh word, I keep wanting to replace it with "passed" or "went to be with Jesus"--less than a week ago from pneumonia he contracted during chemo. He was Bear's age.

Life is fragile. Spirit is not. During worship the band played "I can only imagine" and I pictured Joe, playing a guitar in heaven, worshiping Jesus. And here we are on earth...anticipating that day. Theologically, I know that Joe is experiencing real, true Life as God intended. Practically, I look into the eyes of my friend and wonder how she will be doing next week, next month, next year. She's a strong woman, capable, committed. And she's human.

Bear said that when his first wife died in a car accident, the hardest parts were eating alone and sleeping alone. Tonight I stare at him as he sits besides me. I try to memorize his silhouette.

Our times are in Father's hands.

off the map

A good friend contracted pneumonia while undergoing chemo over a week ago. He passed away Tuesday morning. Joe Zickafoose touched lives around the world. He will be deeply missed. Please be in prayer for his incredible wife, Jayne, and two teenage sons. I will probably be off the map for another week.

my first prayer retreat with Keona

Keona and I have "mommy and me" mentoring times at home, but it has been on my heart all year for her and I to go on a prayer retreat together.

This year we decided to go be a part of the Children's Equipping Center in Kansas City. We arrived around noon yesterday and will leave tomorrow morning. How can I describe the beauty of the time we have shared together? Perhaps from Keona's own words.

"Mommy, God has my name written on His hand!" (spoken after her first children's small group)

"I love it!!! But mommy, you should have put an 'in' after the cross symbol so it would read 'Jesus is in Keona Grace Chole.'" (About the gift I prepared for her, a Bible with her name engraved next to a cross).

"But mommy, can't I dance for just 1 more song???" (Keona said this after ONE HOUR of twirling, leaping, jumping, and dancing with the other children at the back of the prayer room during worship.)

"And now I can do other people's nails!" (After I gave her my second gift this afternoon--her first manicure set complete with mommy painting her nails for the first time. I chose a clear polish with purple and pink sparkles.)

"Yes, God did tell me something."
"Oh, what my love?" I asked.
"He said, 'I'm your best Friend.'" (While we were filling out the evaluation form questionnaire which asked if we heard anything from God during our visit.)

Joy--overflowing...for this mommy with pink sparkly toe nails.