In Memorium

Sorry that it isn't the best pic, but sadly, we don't have many pics of Charitey and Yogi, which is bizarre,  because we saw them A LOT!

My dear friend and Missouri Ma, as I called her, Chairety Greer walked on this morning.  She lost her two year battle with lung cancer.  I knew it was coming. That still doesn't make it easy. We were going to go to the hospital to visit her today when we got out of church.  I think, as hard as I might try not to, that I will regret not making it a priority yesterday, so that I, and my kiddos, could have seen her one last time.  We knew it was getting close, but we thought she still had a few more weeks.

She taught me so much.  She taught me how to be more loving.  She taught me that spunk was ok.  I always felt bad for the fire in my personality, but she used her fire in the best way. She taught me so much of Faith in our Creator.  And, coincidentally, she taught me more about charity (her name's sake) than any other human being I have ever encountered.  She took us in as family when we moved here.  Eventually, a little over a year ago,  Chairety and Yogi asked us to be their kids for real.  They adopted us through Native American ceremony, they, being Native American.  It was beautiful.  They have always treated us like family and our kids like their grandkids, Chairety especially.

If there is one thing that I want to remember, and I want my kids to remember, and I would want people to know about her, it is that she loved, believed in, and served our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, fiercely and completely.  He was a part of who she was, and I want to be just like that one day.

Our little family will miss her oh so much.  We love you Chairety!

Toddlers

I interrupt my normal playing catch up routine to tell you one or two facts about toddlers.

The first fact: 3 year-old's are very honest.

The second fact: 2 year-old's repeat only the bad or inappropriate things they hear. You can't get them to say "please" for anything, but "stupid" is programmed into their heads immediately upon hearing.

Point in fact:  The other day I stand up from the table, and Shi says to me, "You have a really big bum, Mom!"  I try to take a big breath, and not be offended or reply back (I know, I am as a bad as a kid). Shi realizes that I am in a stunned silence (not because I have any disillusions about having a small bum, but just the fact that he already is noticing these things.) Then he tries to justify by saying, "Well, you do.  It is bigger than mine and Eli's and Daddy's."  Awesome. I just told him that we shouldn't talk about other people's bums.

 E now goes around saying to me and Ken, " You have BIG bum, mommy/dad.  Hahahahahaha." He says it at least 5 or 6 times a day.

We haven't been around any other adults since then, let's hope that he only thinks to say it to family!

Heaven help us if he says it to the wrong person!