A scare and a grateful Nana...

The Hubs and only grandson stayed at the church this afternoon to join the youth's Superbowl party.

The rest of our houseful had other plans as well.

(Second born daughter and her family are staying with us for a couple more weeks before moving into their own place. 

 They are relocating back to the area after missionary training in South Carolina and spending five months in Ghana, West Africa.  

They are heading up short term projects in Ghana, like the Homabenase well project.  

Part of the team for the project arrived in Ghana yesterday, and next week the rest of the team goes.  

Your prayers, and donations, if you are so inclined, would be so appreciated.)

Anyway, Sunday afternoon, on my own with no agenda, stretched out ahead of me appealingly.

One of my favorite antique stores was having a special Superbowl Sunday sale, 

so I thought I'd pop in there and do a bit of looking around.

I hadn't even arrived there yet, when a disconcerting text came from my oldest daughter.

Almost four year old granddaughter,  

our little miracle girl that we prayed for for ten years while my daughter and son-in-law struggled through infertility and miscarriage after miscarriage, 

had stood up on a chair while they were packing stuff up after their church service and had fallen backwards, hitting her head on the cement floor.

My daughter asked us to pray.

She had her checked out by a nurse.

But still, it scared me.

It scared the desire to shop right out of me.

(Now that, my friends, is some kind of a scare!)

I was ready to rush her in for a CAT scan ASAP!

(Any other Nanas out there notice how things we brushed off nonchalantly with our children,

seem so much more serious when they happen to our grandchildren?)

But, all I could do was pray and pray and pray and pray,

because life, it's just so, so fragile.

My heart felt like it might burst with the loving my little blonde, blue eyed miracle girl.

I'm so, so grateful that she's ok.

Thank you, Jesus!

**************

In 2012 I followed the prompts in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare in counting my thanks.

In 2013 I'm going back to the way I did it in the beginning,
just noticing and recording the many extraordinary blessings in my ordinary life.

And so I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of them via my camera or iPhone)

#2744-#2763-

1/28/13-

-feeling well enough to get out of bed after having the flu

-my son-in-law arriving from South Carolina before leaving for Ghana

-making shredded pork burritos for dinner, his favorite

1/29/13-

-lunch at my favorite Lebanese restaurant with my buddy

-a kind compliment from a stranger at the grocery store

-watching Downton Abbey with the Hubs

1/30/13-

-a good night's sleep for both the Hubs and I after some restless nights due to the flu

-making homemade mac and cheese for the family, (only grandson loved it!)

1/31/13-

-God's provision-what we need, when we need it

-haircut and color

-praying together at our prayer gathering

2/1/13-

-Friday date day-the Hub's and I having brunch together at a new place

-going to my old stomping grounds, the little town I grew up in,

 and taking some photos at the river there

-sharing an amazing sunset together

2/2/13-

-all the grand babies at our house for Saturday morning breakfast-crepes!

-nice enough weather for them to play outside

-in spite of a late start, a bit of procrastination, and generally not wanting to do it, getting my housework done, (with some much appreciated help from my grandson and the Hubs)

2/3/13-

-white tulips from the Hubs in my transfer ware pitcher

-a great morning of worship and the word at church

- granddaughter ok after a nasty fall 

Gratefully yours,