I GOT TO KISS MY BABY GIRL ON THE CHEEK

I GOT TO KISS MY BABY GIRL, BRAT, ON THE CHEEK.

SHE WAS LYING IN HER HOSPITAL BED

WHEN I ARRIVED ON MONDAY

AND MY KNEES ALMOST BUCKLED WHEN I SAW HER.

ALL OF THE FEAR, UNCERTAINTY AND CONCERN

WERE WIPED AWAY

AS I CAME TO THE REALIZATION

THAT MY BRAT WAS GOING TO BE OKAY.

I KNEW WHEN I SAW HER THAT

GOD WAS ANSWERING ALL OF THE PRAYERS

SENT TO HIM.

I HAD KNOWN THAT SINCE I GOT NEWS

OF THE ACCIDENT,

BUT SEEING HER PUT A SHAKY HEART TO REST.

WE'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE A SHAKY HEART.

GOD KNOWS THAT WE SOMETIMES FEEL

UNCERTAINTY, A MOMENT OF FEAR.....

WE'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE WHAT I CALL 'MOMENTS'.

WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP THEM IN CHECK.

SEEING MY LITTLE GIRL SMILE AT ME

MADE ME FEEL SO AMAZING.

OH, HOW I HAD BEEN LIVING FOR THAT SMILE.

TO SEE HER, TO BE ABLE TO TOUCH HER,

RUB HER ARM GENTLY

AND TALK SOFTLY TO HER;

HAD ME ON MY KNEES (MENTALLY)

PRAISING MY LORD

"OH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU..."

I WAS ABLE TO SLEEP ON A COT IN BRAT'S ROOM

ON MONDAY NIGHT.

THAT'D BE WHY I WAS NAPPING ON TUESDAY

ALONG WITH THE DRUGGED PATIENT.

THE STAFF AT ST. DAVID'S MEDICAL CENTER

IN ROUND ROCK TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF BRAT.

THIS IS A PHOTO OF BRITTANY AND

ONE OF HER FAVORITE NURSES.

AND, I SIMPLY MUST SAY THAT BRAT WAS

AN EASY PATIENT TO NURSE.

SHE IS SUCH A BRAVE YOUNG WOMAN.

MY GIFT TO BRAT ON THIS VISIT WAS

A DARLING PICTURE OF HER AND HER FIANCE, WILL.

THAT WAS ON DAY ONE.

DAY TWO I TAPED UP THE NOT-SO-PRECIOUS,

BUT GUARANTEED TO MAKE HER LAUGH OUT LOUD,

HAIRY PHOTO OF HER AND WILL.

IT WAS SUCH A BLESSING TO HEAR HER LAUGH.

BRAT IS NOW AT A REHAB FACILITY,

STILL NEEDING OUR PRAYERS.

SHE'S ON HER WAY TO BEING WHOLE AGAIN.

AND FOR THAT, I PRAISE GOD.

I PRAISE HIM THE WHOLE DAY LONG

BECAUSE HE HAS MY DARLING BRITTANY

IN HIS HANDS.

I love you all,

      Jan

A LITTLE ABOUT BRITTANY (BRAT)

MY BRAT, MY BRITTANY, IS A  FIRST YEAR TEACHER

AND COACH.

SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO SCHOOL

LAST WEDNESDAY, THE 9TH, 
AND BECAUSE OF THE ICY ROADS

SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER CAR.

SHE CROSSED OVER INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

BUT, MOST OF YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT

BECAUSE THIS IS MY 3RD POST ABOUT BRAT

AND ABOUT THE ACCIDENT.

I THOUGHT I'D TELL YOU ABOUT SETTING UP

HER FIRST CLASSROOM LAST AUGUST

BECAUSE THAT WAS A REALLY FUN DAY.

WHILE SHE ORGANIZED

I DECORATED.

WHAT A SURPRISE.

ABOVE ARE PICTURES OF ONE OF THE

BULLETIN BOARDS.

BRAT STAMPED THE MUSLIN TRIM.

(I'D BE IN TOTAL DOO IF I DIDN'T MENTION THAT)

WE TOOK SOME OF THAT STAMPED MUSLIN TRIM

AND TAPED IT ANOTHER WALL

FOR THE ENGLISH THEMED BANNER TO HANG.

IT'S FLASHCARDS I MADE

WITH ENGLISH TERMS.

SHE TEACHES 9TH GRADE ENGLISH IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

I COVERED THE FRONT BULLETIN BOARD

AND THEN (THIS IS OUR FAVORITE PART)

I USED MY SEWING MACHINE TO GATHER

BLACK CREPE PAPER FOR THE BORDER.

OH, YEAH.

THERE WAS THIS BIG  BLANK BACK WALL

THAT WAS SCREAMING FOR SOMETHING.....

SO I CREATED A BULLETIN BOARD.

WE'RE HOPING THAT THE SCHOOL

THINKS THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN ONE THERE.

THIS IS WILL, BRITTANY'S FIANCE -

HE WAS THERE MOST OF THE DAY.

HELPING.

HE PAINTED THE HONKIN' HUGE WALL

CHERRY RED, THE COLOR OF MY CONVERTIBLE.

IT LOOKED SO COOL.

FOLLOW MY LEAD....I. SIMPLY. ADORE. HIM.

HE IS AMAZING AND I'M GLAD

MY LITTLE GIRL IS MARRYING HIM.

DID I MENTION THAT HE'S A LOT OF FUN??..............

AND, HE PUTS UP WITH ME FAMOUSLY.

MEDICAL UPDATE ON BRAT:

She is healing.

After she gets her pain under control

and starts eating better,

she is going to be moved to a rehab facility.

She'll probably meet some famous athlete there.

She's different than me - she'll know who it is.

Will is still off shore but will be home in about 3 weeks.

And, this part makes me sooooo happy.............

TOMORROW I'M GOING TO THE HOSPITAL TO SEE HER.

I KNOW!!

I'm going to spend the night in her room and will come back

home on Tuesday. (Remember, my mom is still here:)

I'm just so excited to be able to go now

even for two days!

Then, when I get back from up north (mom has to go back 'til next time:)

I'll be all Brittany's!

That's after April 11th, but the time will go by quickly.

And, there's phone calls, text messages

(you should see me text - I'm lightning quick.),

emails.................

I'm so grateful that she's healing and that she's going to be alright.

I love her so much.

She really is my little girl.

In my heart.

In my soul.

I feel her.

MOVE! BUSY THOSE HANDS! BUSY YOUR MIND!

 Move, Jan!

Busy those hands, Jan!

Busy your mind, Jan!

 And it will free your spirit for prayer.

Your fears, your longings, your troubles, they won't disappear,

but, you'll be able to hear God as he encourages you.

And, you'll remember to allow him to carry your burdens.

 And, that's what I did.

I started with the Creepy Doll room

and moved on to the living room bookshelves.

 I removed all of the books

except my Bobbsey Twins and

the Tank's Texas history books.

 I rummaged around in my

'needs to be listed on Etsy' cabinets,

in sacks in the garage

and found enough wonderful things to fill the shelves. 

 A few of the things are family heirlooms

such as my grandpa's pocket watch and

Thomason Civil War Bibles.

But, most came from my 'stores'.

 I'm not finished yet.

I'm going to turn the books around

so that the yellowed pages show, not the spines.

That will be my first move in my resolve

to fill my bookcases with creams, tea stained, and dirty whites.

That's the look I'm going for in this big re-do.

 But, for now I am happy enough with the look.

It was important that the changes I made

didn't involve spending any money

and I accomplished that.

 The most important thing that I've accomplished

in the bookcase make-over

is that it's kept my mind busy.

 Seriously?

When I'm idle Satan is able to balance on my shoulder

and whisper his lies in my ear.

 Jesus is holding me up this week

as I deal with my Brittany's serious car accident.

 She's better.

Her pelvic bone is fractured but no surgery needed.

Lots of P.T. and non-wieght bearing right leg for 3 months.

Her liver will heal.

I know why.

Why she's doing so well.

Oh, I'm not saying that she's

not in horrid pain, because at times she is in pain.

A lot of pain.

But, the precious Lord is being bombarded with prayers.

Prayers from those of us who love her

and prayers from other believers.

He hears them all so keep praying.

Please.

Because she will heal and your prayers will help.

You know what?

I can't imagine how I would handle life

without my faith.

How do they do it??

Praise the Lord.

I love you.

You're so, so special to me.

JAN

My Brittany ("Brat")