One half of our very scary cabin...and yes, it got worse :):):)

Keeley and I

John

Hey everybody!! Thanks for praying!! I'm finally home, and happy to be so! Sorry for the terrible grammer/spelling on the last post... I was in a hurry :)
In case you didn't get or have incomplete info., our family had gone on a camping trip to our deer lease in Bandera just west of San Antonio. We were at the back of the 1800 acres in the Hill Country where only jeeps can traverse. We had hiked up a large hill and around and down and were walking along a dry creek bed. John decided to traverse the hill and go up above us on the edge of the cliff. This was what he always does and I've seen him do this many times. As we edged around the curve of the creek, dad noticed that there was alot of loose dirt where John was about 30' above us and rec'd he come down. He realized the same thing at about the same time and was trying to get to a place where he could get back down when the dirt gave way underneath him. We looked up when we heard him yell to us to watch out. He "rode" the dirt down, but then at around 15 - 20' or so his foot caught on a bush and flipped him onto his back and he landed flat on his back (on rocks) right in front of us. I've never been so scared in my life! It knocked the breath out of him which was really scary for him and it took him about 45 seconds to breath again (and it wasn't a comfortable breath... he was gasping all the time) . He was in a TON of pain. He lost all his short term memory, but thankfully never lost consciousness. My dad went back and drove the 20" trip to the front gate to meet the EMS. . After 45" they came with the back board. They got him to a clearing where the Life Flight helicoptor could land and they took him off. The rest of us all piled in our car and drove the hour trip to the hospital in SA.
It was a tough 3 days in ICU with 30 hrs of pain, 18 of which were excrutiating (and I mean excrutiating! He's going to be so mentally strong after this!). It was hard on Mom and Dad too. The nurses and doctors were wonderful all the time. (The kids left on Sunday with the Ricks.) John was able to come home Wed. night...(in the McMinn's RV) while I was still at Worldview camp. (I had left with the McMinn's on Sunday and came home Friday night). We have some awesome friends! Thanks guys! (P.S. we've figured we got about 2000 people praying! From Alaska, to Minnasota, to Montana, to New Mexico, all across Texas and so forth!)
Anyway, he has 12 fractured bones in his back, 4 involving the body of the vertebrae and 8 involving the transverse processes ( the lateral "wings"). I have no idea what any of that means, that's just what mom said... but I do know that THERE IS NO SPINAL CORD DAMAGE!! He has a laceration on the back of his head but his neck and head are not damaged. Praise the Lord! He is now in a rented hospital bed (not a shock, knowing my mom :) in our office, and can only get up when we put on his back brace.. which is uncomfortable so he usually doesn't wear it for more than 30-45" or so. Our office is stuffed with cards and gifts and visitors etc. that make it so much nicer. Thank ya'll again for praying! If ya'll live close, come see him sometime!

Brooke

Please Pray

Hey guys,

John has just been in a REALLY bad accident. He fell down a 15' cliff while we were camping and had to be flown to the Hospital. He okay, but has broken his back and is in a lot of pain. I'll try to give yall more details when I get home (we're in San Antonio) but until then, please pray!!! (mainly for John, but the rest of us really need prayers too!!

brooke

Squirt

"Miss Cordelia Annette Squirtasia of the House of Bathe" is now 4 weeks old... she still has some work to do, but her looks are definately improving!

Face painting - the eight eyes

Daniel and I (and Josiah, but his didn't last very long) decided to paint our faces!!!

This is me with my eyes open

And this is me with my eyes closed.. yes, I know I'm a copy-cat.

Oh, and yes, I did it by myself.

Isn't that cool?

Ugly: (adj) 1. Infant Squirrels

Ladies and Gentleman, though it may sound harsh, I have some breaking news... Infant Squirrels are UGLY!!!!

Our neighbors brought us two baby squirrels that fell out of their nest after the rain. One of them didn't make it, but I think the girl is going to live. She's about 1 week old. Anyway, since I was the one who answered the phone and said "yes", the squirrel (dare I call it that?) is now my responsibility...she better be cuter when she gets older! The last thing I need is having to wake up every two hours in the middle of the night to feed her....(sigh)... but, I have faith that she will be much more attractive when she gets older...

Tilly

I just finished "Tilly" by Frank Peretti... It was so good! Though I must warn you, I was an emotional wreck for a few hours. It was oh, so sad! It was about abortion...most moving! There's also a movie, but I haven't had the guts to watch it yet... maybe in a few days... Here's what's on the back:

“Kathy looked at the little gravestone again. Now she could see it clearly. It bore just that one name: Tilly. . . . She couldn’t take her eyes away. She didn’t want to. She stooped down to look.Only one date. Only one. Nine years ago.”
Kathy and Dan Ross are just like any other young couple. No one would ever imagine what secrets lie buried in their souls until Kathy is captivated by that simple name on a tiny gravestone and their lives are changed forever. Originally presented as a radio drama on Focus on the Family, Tilly is a deeply moving novel—an unforgettable story of life, love, and Christ’s forgiveness.

~Brooke

Some fascinating quotes...

"I do not want people to be agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them." -Jane Austen

"There is only one thing to do with someone as disagreeable as she... I must throw a party for her!" - Jane Austen

"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of." -Jane Austen

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." -Jane Austen

"Subdue your appetites, my dears, and you've conquered human nature." -Charles Dickens

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." -Benjamin Franklin

"All great change in America begins at the dinner table" -Ronald Reagan

"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book" -Ronald Reagan

"The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it" -Ronald Reagan

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" -Ronald Reagan

"My dear, do not speak unless you can improve the silence" -Ever After

"There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles." -Anonymous

"Make a list of important things to do today. At the top of your list, put "eat chocolate." Now, you'll get at least one thing done today." -Anonymous

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Blah, Blah, Blah

Our Lord of the Rings marathon turned out pretty good! I managed to stay awake through the whole thing! Impressive huh?

Since July 15th, I've only seen John 5 days... isn't that terrible??? He'll be back on Sunday, then we get him for a whole week, but then he'll be at Summit for 2 weeks...after that, THEN he will be home for almost the whole of September.....

Last night, mom took me to Lowes to buy some paint for my room! We are planning to paint it tonight!!! Finally!!!!!!!!!!! I've been waiting to do this forever! I'll try to get some pics in.

We just finished up our first week of School, we're doing the middle-ages this year... my favorite! I'm still trying to catch up in Science, and I'm almost finished with geometry... (well, mostly finished). I'm not looking forward to doing Algebra 2.

I'm afraid nothing extraordinary is going on... just the usual. I will bore you no longer....

brooke

"Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness"