Claire Bear…

Claire Bear is what we have lovingly called her since birth.  CB, as her Dad began calling her in sports, has taken on new meaning over the years.  In softball, soccer and mostly volleyball you can hear her dad yelling, “GO CB!”  and she does…

One of Calvin’s friends once asked if CB stood for “Chum Bucket” so, there was that…gotta love Sponge Bob Squarepants.

Most importantly CB stood for Connor’s Bestie.  Brother and sister that were friends from the start.

Upon Claire’s arrival at the hospital, he showed up with a “pink bunny” just like his beloved “blue bunny” that never left his side the first years of life.  He insisted we get one for her, like his.  It was love at first sight.

When she was about 8 months old, I put him in charge of watching her for a few minutes when all chaos broke loose.  He literally “watched” her in her little seat about three inches from her face, until she screamed as loud as she could, scaring him into a panic.  I went in to find them both screaming at the top of their lungs, wide eyed and red faced, face to face…it was shockingly hilarious!

At four years old, at home, she was falling down the steep steps from upstairs, when Connor caught her on the way down and took full credit for “saving her life.”  She allowed him the credit…

I am sure there are teen stories that she will fill me in on someday…Connor was as grateful for her as she was him. She always strives to shine in her life.  Her drive to keep moving in a positive direction inspires me.  When things get most others down, she keeps looking up, making the grade, hitting the ball, encouraging others and being a great sista.

Her brother was immensely proud of her.  An enormous THANK YOU! to Connor’s friends that have stepped up to the plate to “have her back” in his absence.  He would have been grateful for you…almost as much as I am.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.  Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”– when you already have it with you.  Proverbs 3:27-28