Farewell Uncle Jon!

In March Brian's brother Jon came to stay with us. He had joined the airforce and gave up his apartment, and was awaiting his assigned date to start basic. Brian and I enjoyed the time that we had Jon with us. We spent many dinners telling stories, talking about what he expected of basic and the next couple years, and laughing at Chloe's funny antics. For both Brian and I, Chloe was one of the reasons we liked having Jon around. It was fun to watch them become friends. Jon would often come down from his room for a break from homework, plop down on the floor near Chloe and they would have a grand ol time playing whatever. But, if he ever entered the room and didn't immediately focus his attention on her Chloe made sure that didn't last long, "hi!" she would say "Hi!!" and then louder and longer "HIII!!" until he looked her way. Whenever we would all venture out to run errands Jon was self designated baby-sitter, he would get Chloe out of her car seat, carry her all around the store and then put her back in. I know she enjoyed uncle Jon's company in the back seat. One of them started a game and I'm not even sure who, but when Chloe would see Jon one of them would make a lip smacking sound and then "ahhh!" the other would do it back and back and forth they would go. (I'm bummed that I never got the two of them doing it on video, but I think I did manage to get Chloe doing it once. I'll try to get that up.)

But now uncle Jon has gone, off to the Air Force, on with life. We don't wish him back for this is the best thing for him. But we miss him. The first few times we passed his room I caught Chloe peering in as though looking for him. There were a couple times, in the first few days after he left, that she would randomly do the sign for "where" and I wondered if in her own little way Chloe was missing uncle Jon and wondering why that friend that was often here was all of a sudden gone.

We miss you Jon, miss your company, miss sitting down to watch a movie with you and then laughing cause you fell asleep, even miss you doing your self appointed chore of taking out the trash:D. But we're praying for you!! Praying that you will excel, that you'll stick close to the Lord, be a light to the men that you are serving with! And we can't wait to have you back one day and hear all your stories!! Love, Brian Josi and Chloe