Labor Day News

What a Labor Day weekend we had!

First and foremost, on Labor Day, we got a call from Mom telling us they were on their way back from a trip to Santa Barbara to go to the hospital. Gabriel, my two-year-old nephew, Connie's boy, fell out of the condo bedroom window -- THIRD FLOOR -- ONTO CEMENT! The report was that when Connie got to him (and I can just imagine how terrible that must have been) that he was breathing. The ambulance took him away . . . and we all were waiting and praying . . . and waiting and praying . . . and waiting and praying . . . to find out how that little guy was doing.

I thought about how I had had the privilege to see him born. I thought about how cute he had been the last time we'd seen him on our trip to California. He had announced, "I'm GABRIEL!" real loud and proud! I thought about how his voice had gotten so husky and boyish, that he was already growing out of his baby days. Was the Lord going to take him so early?

I told my family and we all stopped what we were doing to pray for Gabriel. I went into the bedroom to cry and then to call prayer chains. I talked to one of the associate pastors on call for just these type of emergencies. He prayed with me for Gabriel and I felt the Lord's peace fill me. Then I prayed for that same peace to fill Connie. Then, I called my friend Ginny who's spiritual gift is to get the word out for prayer. She called her church's prayer chain and various family members that know my family and had them praying as well. Then, I sat down to wait, wishing so badly that I could hop a plane and go to the hospital!

Thankfully, Connie did have a lot of support there at the hospital -- pastors, friends, and family -- all mixed in to make up God's family. And again I wondered how we could ever get through something like this without the Lord.

Anyway, by evening, we got word that Gabriel was STABLE; he was talking (asking for his sister Lola) and he was moving. They couldn't do much for broken limbs until his head was stable. They couldn't even give him any pain medication, from what I understand, until he got through the night without his brain hemorrhaging. Connie stayed with him and Lola went home with Mom and Rich to attempt to get some sleep. By the next morning, we got word that he was talking and moving arms and legs. The doctor said that he was "a fortunate young man." But I think, as do other family members, that it was a miracle. He went home the day after the accident with a cast on his arm (broken in two places) and a crack across his head from his forehead to the back of his ear (yikes!)

Now the trick will be to keep him from ramming his head into anything for awhile while his bones mend! Ha! He is still two, after all!

So far, I've told Gabriel's story to Keva's bus driver and assistant -- The assistant said, "Praise God!" And I've told the ladies who work with Keva at her school, and they were so glad to hear how the Lord had worked in Gabriel's life. And now I share with you how thankful I am for the Lord's mercy to our family.



On to more MUNDANE things, but things that didn't seem that mundane until Gabriel's accident.

We got our dog! His name is Kody. We had to pick a "K" name, of course, and then we decided to give him an "L" middle name to make him truly part of the family. Kody Lick Johnson. Kody is doing very well in a household of nine people. Keith wants him to be an outside dog, so he sleeps in the basement for now and goes for lots of walks and hangs out in the backyard on a tether when he's outside. He found a place in the very back of the basement to poop, since he's not house trained, and he also does his business on walks. Walks, so far, have been Kody-led. We're trying to get him to walk to heel, but it is certainly easier said than done. How does that Dog Whisperer guy do it?! He's learning how to sit and stay and not nip. This is not easy for him because there are all these great short people to romp around with and nip and play with. And all these short people like to put their hands out for him to grab onto. But they are learning. And they all love him. Kylie keeps telling me, "Mommy, I'm so glad we got a dog!" Kathleen even cleaned up three poops yesterday without me even asking her! Wow! I take him on a morning walk. Keri Lynn takes him on her mile run. Kristofer takes him on a walk, but not as regularly. And Kathleen takes him on walks around the yard, since she's not quite big enough to take him on walks around the neighborhood yet, at least not until he's better trained.

When I was walking Kody today, I was thinking about our fence that Keith still needs to put up and wondering how in the world we're going to get it up with his work schedule the way it is. There just aren't enough hours in a week to do a project like that! I thought that maybe we could hire someone to do it, but that would be expensive even if we had the materials already. Then I thought maybe we could get one of those electric fences for now, but those are expensive, too, and -- I've heard -- not always reliable.

Enter Jim (Remember Jim? The guy who works at the model home at our development?) He comes to our house this afternoon, looking kind of sheepish, but has to speak to me. We've got to do something about our yard. It's the last thing people see before driving into Phase II with all of the new houses. The Homeowners Association had called the Builder and the Builder was offering to put our fence up for us! I gaped at Jim in astonishment.

"You mean, Jim, that since we're here at the corner right before you go into Phase II, that the builder is going to put our fence up for us?"

He said that that was indeed what they were offering! So it looks like we may be getting our fence up sooner than anticipated. Please pray for all of this as it progresses. Keith is very concerned about the landscaping, or actually the lack of landscaping, that needs to be addressed. We shall see what happens!

Jackie