Birthdays, bears, and big sisters

Some of our earliest memories of Chloe were from 2010, when the Medlocks moved to San Luis Obispo. Natalie was 3 and Naomi had just turned 1, and I was touched by how effortlessly Chloe loved on both girls. Natalie formed a quick attachment to Chloe, and for the next several years, she was a part of our household as our mommy's helper, babysitter, friend, and all around role model for us all. As a mom, I learned how to let others love my children, as we received so much love from the whole Medlock family. There's no doubt in my mind that the gracious openness Chloe exhibited toward Natalie and Naomi came straight from Jon and Laurabeth, as their doors and hearts were always open to us and everyone around them, at Trinity, their neighborhood, Hawthorne Elementary, and way beyond, so much more than I could witness.

Chloe loved helping the girls bake (and lick the batter from the whisk, of course), and she was so helpful and fun at all the girls' early birthday parties. I remember her helping a whole passel of girlies tie on blindfolds and take the right number of spins before pinning the _______ on the ______ (bow on Hello Kitty, tail on My Little Pony, etc.).

In 2014 and 2015, Chloe joined us on our annual weeklong summer trips to our family cabin at Lake Tahoe. The first year, there were six kids ages 7 and younger, as Natalie and Naomi were joined by their four cousins (for a total of 12 people in our little cabin)! Chloe fit right in, and everyone loved being around her at the beach, in the backyard, and on all our adventures. We'll never forget the fright we had when a bear broke into our cabin in the middle of the night. Chloe, Natalie, and Naomi were alseep in the living room when Natalie was woken up by a strange sound. No one thought anything of it, until I came running down the stairs, having been woken up by the same sound--which I somehow recognized as the miniblinds in the dining room window being bent. And sure enough, I ran down do see a bear paw reaching through the window toward a bowl of fruit on the table! After I scared the bear away by clapping and stomping, Chloe made sure to hug and comfort the girls, and we moved their mattress upstairs so no one had to sleep in the bear zone anymore. I made sure to tell the girls that it was a baby bear and it got so frightened it peed on the porch before running away. We read through Psalm 3 together to calm down before falling back asleep. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the liter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept; I woke again for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of [bears] who have set themselves against me all around.

Natalie looked up to Chloe as a big sister, someone just a few steps ahead on the road of life who modeled how to love those around her. And now Natalie has the opportunity to love others around her at church, something she has said many times she learned how to do becuase of Chloe's friendship. She expanded our whole family's ability to love and be loved. We love you, Medlocks, and we love you, Chloe!