January 8, 2011

Johnny,

Can you believe it? It's 2011!! Happy new year! I'm so looking forward to an amazing year, good things are going to happen!

I'd like to say that Christmas was uneventful for you but we both know that's not the case. You spent Christmas eve in the emergency room...you were sweating profusely but not running a temperature and you were groaning. The doctors had a ct scan done and found pnemonia in the lower part of one of your lungs. You were able to go back to your residence with some heavy duty antibiotics. Mom and Jackie spent the day with you, I spent the day at home with a sick baby waiting by the phone and dad and Diana did too. The weather was so terrible Christmas eve! Mom and Jackie spent the night in the apartment provided for family and Santa visited Jackie there. Then Christmas morning, mom and Jackie spent the morning with you and then dad and Diana spent the afternoon with you. You were not very pleasant company, you were feeling pretty terrible!!

Your nephew is growing up so fast! He turned 6 months right after Christmas and rang in the new year by crawling! It was so exciting! He is trying to pull up on everything and keeps a permanent red mark on his forehead where he face plants about a 100 times a day! I'm assuming you figured out by now which nephew I'm talking about...19 years with just one child, I'm used to talking about a single child ... Ha!

Cody is doing really good. We got him enrolled in another full load this semester. He looks and acts so much like you. I call him Johnny all the time. I guess that's a sign of old age ... Mom calls me Jackie and Jackie Jennifer all the time. Jackie and I have gotten to where we just answer her ... Whatever she calls us.

The other day I was on way to see you and I was driving through Dallas. I saw some homeless people on the side of the road with signs asking for money. It made me mad. I thought if my brother was able he would be out there working his butt off for everything he's got, wants or needs. I thought he would never be asking for hand outs. Well, then I was quickly ashamed of myself for judging ... Everyone has a story to tell and I'm certainly not the person to be judging. I just want my brother back and those low moments hit at the craziest times. When I finally got to your place, it was so wonderful to see you. You were clean shaven and your hair was soft like you just had it washed. You smelled good and seemed like you felt good. At one point you got cramps in you leg and you stiffened up ... You started saying my name over and over. It sounded like enifer, enifer, enifer.... I was in a panic and overjoyed all at the same time. I was rubbing your legs like crazy and beaming because you were saying my name. When you went to physical therapy, you were in a really good mood. Christy had two techs working on a leg each. She said she would be right back, she had to go to the ladies room. I leaned over and said, Johnny, when christy comes back ask her ... No. One or no. Two. You laughed out loud. The techs asked if we were making fun of them. And we both laughed again. When christy came back you were saying something to her but she couldn't understand you ... We know what you wanted to know, don't we! Ha!

I have a good friend who's dad is sick and was put in the hospital. The doctors said that he would need a stent put in his pancreas. They have him on antibiotics. They were giving the pancreas time to simmer down before they did the procedure. She told me that the day they were going to do the surgery for the stent the doctors said that he didn't need it. Praise god! That's what I told her! She said exactly. She said why is it that we pray to god for something to happen and when it does we question it. Are the doctors sure ... Did they miss something ... How can that be, that he would need it and now he doesn't. God answers prayers people! We shouldn't be surprised whe we pray to him and he hears us. Instead of being surprised, we need to expect his miracles and thank him and praise him for our answered prayers! After all, he is the master physician! The maker of all things! He has a plan! So, instead of being surprised, I'm saying ... My turn ... I'm ready for my miracle Lord ... Work your miracles on my brother Lord ... Let Johnny be a testimony to your miraculous works! Heal him as only you can Lord, I know you can, I want you to, I expect you to, I know you will. You have an awesome plan for Johnny Lord and we are ready! Shine your light on my brother Lord!

Johnny, you are on my mind constantly. I pray for you all the time. I have faith and I trust that the Lord will pull our family up out of this pit. Hang in there little brother, your miracle is coming! Love you so much and I won't stop believing in you!

Xo! Jen