March 2024 Getaway

We try to invest in our marriage by taking weekend getaways twice a year. Usually, we plan them in conjunction with our proposal-versary in January and our anniversary in July.

In January 2024, I was finishing up radiation, so we delayed our proposal-versary trip until March when I felt a little bit better. Arkansas has so many hidden gems to discover and enjoy. We began our trek up Highway 65 with a stop at Serenity Farm Bread.

I'm so grateful that Aaron is willing to donate plasma to pay for things like weekends away. We stayed at a beautiful little cabin near Harrison, aptly named Beit Shalom, or House of Peace.

While we enjoyed the quiet and the beauty around us, we read through "Rhythm of Us" and watched accompanying videos.

Those resources gave us many conversation starters. But mostly we just got still and quiet, something we don't do often enough.

In addition, we hiked the Round Top Mountain Trail,

and tried the burgers at the historic and beautiful Ozark Cafe in Jasper.

Another afternoon we drove up to the Neighbor's Mill Bakery and listened to some of the Rhythm of Us videos while sipping coffee on the patio outside this lovely building. We also enjoyed hiking portions of the Buffalo River Trail.

On the way home, we splurged at DeVito's Restaurant. Their trout farm produced the most delicious Trout Amandine I have ever put in my mouth! And you know the desserts are going to be good when "Uncle so and so" makes the pies and the other "Uncle so and so" makes the cakes. Truly a family run operation.

As we neared home and the end of our much needed marriage retreat, we stopped at Rock-N-Java for coffee and one last view of Arkansas' beautiful topography.

March 2024 Springy Spring

When the peonies began to push up through the cold ground, I knew that Spring was on its way. Watching the seasons unfold always delights me.

Chemo treatments continued in March,

and Aaron and I voted in the primary.

Red bud trees bloomed just down the street, they always remind me of my Grandpa who gave me a redbud tree to plant when Aaron and I married.

My favorite garden buddy planted seeds with me in hopes of good things to come in the summer months.

 

Health Update March 2024

March brought a bounty of beautiful blooms, which gave me many opportunities to share.

March also brought the next round of scans and checkups to monitor my cancer and the treatments' many side effects.

The MUGA scan keeps track of my heart health and efficiency. The nurse takes some of my blood then mixes it with radioactive goop and injects it back into my port before my scan.

My health continues to navigate the cancer treatments as well as possible. One day, maybe I'll become a superhero from all of the things floating around in my body :)

On the Homefront - February 2024

While Aaron and Katherine were in the Solomon Islands, I stayed busy visiting Grandma.

and listening to books like Awestruck, which strengthened my resolve to do things like getting outside in God's creation and building community through hospitality.

My sweet friend, Gayly, came through town and was willing to meet me for a quick supper stop before she continued on the road. She is a faithful friend, indeed, even visiting us in Marulaon Village.

I diligently cared for Katherine's zoo while she was gone, and none of her animals died :)

Chemotherapy treatments continued, as I counted down towards the final one on Memorial Day weekend.

My mom and I took walks with her buddy, Roxie.

My Grandmother's little sister turned 80, and it was a joy to attend a celebration honoring her.

My cousin, Luke, had an apartment fire, so he moved into our house. I really appreciated having somebody else around while the rest of my family was overseas.

Luke is a photographer, so we took a sunrise trip up to Petit Jean State Park.

Fueled by a thermos of hot chocolate, we soaked up God's handiwork as the sun made the Arkansas River glow. Then, we hit the trails for a different kind of beauty.

Finally, on the day Aaron and Katherine were scheduled to return to Arkansas, 

I got to play my cello for a wedding at the church where I grew up.

The bonus to this wedding? Olivia was a bridesmaid, so I got to spend some time with her, too!

I hadn't worn concert black in a very long time, and it felt so good.

Thankfully, after the wedding I got this photo from the weary travelers on their way home, and by the end of the day, they were safely tucked in their own beds again.

Back in the Solomon Islands Again - February 2024

Aaron returned with two weeks left to work with the Lavukaleve translation team. Katherine did a great job in his absence. She continued with cello practice and with school.

The team tackled more portions of Matthew, slowly and carefully combing through each verse.

We're thankful that our translation consultant, Taylor, is a dear friend.

The team worked long hours and included some younger members of the translation team who are training to pick up the mantle that Ezekiel and Simon currently carry.

Technology made staying in touch easier!

Katherine and Aaron took some time at the end of their stay for a quick trip to Marulaon Village.

Before we left in 2021, I had written a welcome message on the chalkboard for Aaron.

Aaron took some pictures of people he knew were special to me, like my friend, Ofoaen, and her family.

Katherine and Aaron made the trip in a motor boat, traveling three hours one way.

This has become the only way to travel, because cargo ships no longer go out to our area of the Russell Islands. For quick trips with little baggage, this is fairly simple and easy. But if we want to stay in the village for longer than just a few days, we need to take more boxes of supplies along.

 

Sweet Sabbath

"Sabbath is an invitation to receptivity, an acknowledgement that what is needed is given and need not be seized." ~Walter Brueggman 

"Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to a Culture of Now"

Two times in less than one week, my favorite farmer has shared a big bag of blemished peppers. For free. She knows we don't mind a few spots here and there. And I know that these organic peppers will be chopped and frozen to nourish my family all winter long. The peppers are also helping us stretch our grocery budget, and I'm so grateful.

Brunch of berry blinztes on our back patio. 
One of my favorite ways to slow down!

Brueggman's book is challenging me and the pace I'm trying to keep. My anemia continues to slow me down, and I continue to chafe at my exhaustion. The study guide at the back of the book has some prompts that our family is going to use as a springboard for discussion:

"What are some ways you can keep the Sabbath so that Sabbath-keeping is less anxiety driven? Make a list of the activities in which you and your family normally engage on a Sunday. Include activities at your church...list other routine activities, such as grocery shopping, cleaning, yard work, ...athletic activities in which your children are involved, and list media activities such as viewing sports events or other programming, social media and internet surfing. Underline those activities that you can identify as characterized by Sabbath restfulness. Now circle those that you can identify as anxiety-inducing.... Commit to eliminate as many activities that do not provide Sabbath restfulness as possible, or at least to reduce the time you spend doing them."

I'm curious about the different activities we each will underline as providing rest and refreshing and which ones we will circle as anxiety-inducing. Another activity at the end of the book encourages the reader to consider the implications of our Sabbath activities on our neighbors. And the neighbors closest to me are my daughter and husband. With wildly varying personalities under one roof, how we choose to spend our Sabbath needs to be considerate and thoughtful.

 

In memory of Robert Bruce Choate, 1949-2024

Aaron and his dad on our wedding day

Shortly after Aaron and Katherine hopped on a plane to return to the Solomon Islands, Aaron's dad began to decline quickly and died only a few days later. So, with much prayer and support from our SITAG family, Aaron turned around and flew across the Pacific Ocean again, leaving Katherine in the care of her adopted family.

I picked him up at the airport in the middle of the night. Hannah and Benjamin flew up from Houston, Olivia and Connor drove down from Siloam Springs.

And we joined the rest of the Choate family in remembering Bob Choate. Aaron played his cello while Olivia played the piano during the memorial service.

Aaron's nephew got leave from the navy to attend the funeral, I can't remember the last time the brothers and their sons were in the same room.

Although it we didn't anticipate the opportunity to spend time together, we relished every minute we got riding in the same vehicles as we traveled to and from the funeral.

Katherine was well cared for and thrived as she spent time with her long lost "cousin sisters" who shared her experiences of growing up in the Solomon Islands.

Within a few days, I put Aaron back on a plane to continue his time in the Solomon Islands. Although he had to miss the majority of SITAG's Conference, he still could work with the translation team as they trudged through the gospel of Matthew.