tornado pictures (Apr. 27, 2011)

This was the house after the wind storm and a few hours before the tornado.

A large tree down and across part of the carport

The window that blew out. Dad had already put a board over it, but you can see glass on my parents bed from where it blew in.

Wow, it's gone

Inside the living room

The storm shelter

You can barely see the white door that everyone had to come out of and then go into the doorway closer up in this picture

Complete devastation

Definitely looks a lot different

standing in the path the tornado took

Here you can see the white door they came out of to get to the den a little more clearly

Catching up

 I'm definitely way too far behind on my blogging to ever go back and remember everything. My family and I had a great Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter and Mother's Day. What I really want to do though is recap everything from the past two weeks. It has been a VERY busy time in our lives.
   I am so blessed to have all my family and extended family alive today! On April 27, we had severe weather all thoughout the state of Alabama. I think there were 22 tornados in Northern Alabama alone! There were 4 separate bouts of severe weather that came to the Bryant/Higdon area. It all started about 7:30 in the morning. I got a call from Bryson that there was some really bad weather heading our way and I might want to think about going to Donna and Darrell's house (we have no basement, so we head over to our friends house when the weather gets bad. Thank you Kirk's!) I really just wanted to sleep late that morning because Kade had been up, as usual, several times during the night. I did get up and start watching the news and ultimately decided to head to D and D's though.
 That first bout turned out to be nothing serious for Bryant, but my dad called saying they had some pretty significant wind damage around the house. Huge trees were down all over the place, some tin blew off the roof, and the window next to my mom's bed had blown in. I thought, "wow, I'm going to go down and take some pictures of this." Sure enough I headed that way a little later and found that all the big trees in the front yard were blown down as well as my favorite very unique looking maple tree in the horse pasture. I hated to see that one gone for sure. Anyhow, I stayed for a couple hours and decided if I was going to leave I needed to because more storms were supposed to hit between 2 and 3.
 I left and headed toward Bryant. On my way I got to thinking about the fact that everyone had went to work or school and D and D's would probably be empty. I had pretty much decided I'd turn around and go back to the Whetzell's house since they had a basement, and generator (the electricity was out from the earlier storm), when Chris called to tell me he was heading to the Kirks. I then decided I'd go ahead and get to Bryant since someone else would be there and that was the quickest place for Bryson to get to in case he got to come home early from work.
 As I was coming into Bryant I noticed that vast difference in the sky in front of me to what was behind me. I saw what had to be the 'wall cloud' of the storm approaching. It was wicked looking and I wished I had time to stop and take a picture, but right about then the hail started hitting the car. I was like, "uh oh, better hurry and get to the shelter!" I was only 2 minutes away from the Kirk's but it was too late to escape some major hail. It was incredibly loud as it hit the car. I was certain it would break the windsheild. It was raining so hard I was creeping along trying to find the right road to turn on because I couldn't see more than about 10 feet ahead of me. I did find the right road to turn on and as I pulled up to the Kirk's Darrell and Chris helped me get the babies in and we went to the basement. That particular wave of storms was basically over a few minutes later. I was fortunate to escape with only some minor hail damage to the car. My babies and I were just fine. It really scared me though!
 I was hoping Bryson would be able to come home soon. I didn't like that there were yet more storms coming and he was all the way in Chattanooga. Bryson was soon headed home though, so that made me feel better. Not long after he arrived, another round hit. It got really windy and a piece of wood with a nail in it fell into the yard out of no where. That let us know that there was probably a tornado somewhere even though it truly never got too bad right there in Bryant.
  There were several people at the Kirk's by this time and we were just haning out and heading to the basement every now and then when the weather got bad. We were all out on the porch talking when my phone rang. It was Brandon. He said, "we are all alright, but a tornado just destroyed our house and I've got a gash on my arm that won't quit bleeding. Bella probably has a broken arm too, so me, mom, Bella, and Chris are heading to the hospital right now." I was stunned, but thought he must be lying becuase it hadn't even blown any trees or anything down in Bryant which is only about 11 miles from the Whetzell house. I told him I thought he was lying, and then heard mom very hysterically saying, "he's not lying, our house is gone!" I knew then it was true. Apparently Chris Bynum, the neighbor, was driving them to the hospital in a car with windows blown out from the tornado and dad was on the tractor trying to clear a path so they could actually get to the hospital!
  Dad was still out clearing the roads when mom last saw him, but no one could get in touch with him once they were gone to the hospital. I wanted to go down there and find him and make him come to Bryant where we could get him in a basement since he had no house to even return to. So, Bryson, me, and Chris headed down there to look for him. We had to try several different routes because trees were down and they weren't letting people through in other areas. We were trying to get there as fast as we could because there were yet more storms coming. It was a hectic stressful time, but we finally made it to the house. What was left of the house I should say, to find dad was wasn't there. I was totally shocked at not only the fact that the house was essentially gone, but that the entire landscape had been transformed. It was truly unrecognizable! Nothing looked the same as it had 3 hours ago when I had last been there.
 I was able to get ahold of my mom at the hospital and found out that dad was there. He had driven the tractor to a friend's house and borrowed their car. Brandon and Ashley both got stiches, but thankfully their injuries were minor. There had actually been 10 people in the house at the time that the tornado struck. My parents had 3 renter's in the basement and Brandon had 3 buddies over who'd been helping clear trees from the previous storm. Dad, mom, Brandon, Ashley, and Brandon's 3 buddies were trying to get into a storm shelter dad had built in the den. However, Dad, Ashley, and Brandon didn't actually make it into the shelter by the time the tornado was past. The only part of the house still standing was the part they were in.
 In order for them  to get to the shelter in the den they had to go outside and onto the back porch and come around to another door at the den to come back in. While they were coming back in the tornado was upon them. Everyone got inside except Ashely and Brandon's friend, Jeff. The pressure from the tornado slammed the door shut (which is how Ashely got one of her injuries to her arm since it was in the doorway). Brandon was trying to open the door from the inside and Jeff was trying to open it from the outside as well. There was debris flying all around them. The pressure was so great they had a lot of difficulty getting the door open, but they did and Jeff scooted in. As Ashley was coming in the tornado started to literally blow her away. Brandon grabbed her arm and was pulling her back in. He saved her life. She truly would've been sucked out if he hadn't grabbed her.  We are all so thankful to God for having his hand on us! I could've very easily been at the Whetzell's house with my two babies. That would've been 3 more people trying to get into the storm shelter and as we know not everyone that was actually there even made it in! Thank you Lord for not letting me and my babies be there and for protecting all who were there.
  Sadly, not everyone was so fortunate. Bradley was in Tuscaloosa where a massive tornado stuck as well. He was not injured, but 3 of his close friends were killed. I knew one of them, Morgan Sigler, very well. I had dated her brother for a year and a half before Bryson and I got together. Morgan was also a member at Ebenezer and went on numerous youth trips that I was on as well. She and her family are all great friends to me and I still can't believe she is really gone. It's so sad. I feel so terrible for her parents and brothers. She was such a spunky, carefree person. Her boyfriend, Blake Peak, and a friend Scott Atterton were also killed.
Again, I am so thankful to God for sparing my family and I. April 27th was a day filled with death and destruction. My parents house is gone, yes, but their lives were saved. Material things can easily be replaced, but lives cannot.

Urgent Care trip before the bad weather....not good timing

 So Elliana woke up not quite herself Saturday. I knew she was probably getting sick; sure enough about 2:45 Sunday morning I heard her coughing and went to check on her and she was warm. When I checked her temp. it was only about 101.3, which is still low enough that they recommend not giving meds to see if her body could fight off whatever the illness was. At her age they don't want you to give meds until the temp hits 102.  So, she finally went back to sleep around 5 a.m.. When she got up around 10 she seemed about the same and layed down again at 12 for a 4 hour nap. Once she woke up from that nap I decided to use a different rectal thermometer because the one I was using had been giving me inconsistent readings. Sure enough her temp. was 102.5 with the other thermometer. I gave her some motrin at 4:00. Bryson and I decided we better take her in since the ice/snow was coming and I didn't want to get snowed in with her possibly needing antibiotics. To make a long story a bit shorter we went to the urgent care at T.C. Thompson's and she had a bad cold and an ear infection. We got our perscription and were headed home by about 8 p.m..
 We had already decided to stay at Chris and Marianne's since we only have electric heat and power outages are very possible with ice. Also, they have internet and Bryson wanted to be able to work from home. Marianne was watching Kade for me while we were gone to the hospital with Elliana. I was very eager to see my boy and he was eager to see me as well.....it was definitely time for him to eat! ;)
 Just as we walked in the door at Marianne and Chris's the phone rang with Nanny calling about Pap being real sick. Chris and Darren took Nanny and followed the ambulance to the hospital. Pap was passing blood from both ends with low blood pressure, and high blood sugar. We're still not sure what all is going on with him, but keep him in your prayers please. Chris and Darren ultimately got stuck in Kimball and had to stay in a hotel. They were able to make it up to Nickajack damn Mon. morning, so Bryson used his 4 wheel drive truck to go get them. They were glad to be home.
 Elliana finally started to get over the hump of her sickness late last night. I was so glad to see her feeling better. She's currently sacked out sleeping hard. I'm sure she is exhausted from having a fever for so long and such a high fever at that. So far Kade hasn't shown any symptoms, and I'm crossing my fingers that he won't. I'm actually waiting on him to wake up from a nap so that we can get some pictures of him in the snow.
 Between 11 p.m. Sunday night and about 2:30 Monday morning we got around 6-7 inches of snow! I only got out for a short while yesterday to walk over to Darrens to check on a goat for them. It was cold, snowy, and beautiful. I wish Elliana was well so she could get out to play in all the snow!
 We are bunking at the Rogers house again tonight. Hopefully we'll get to go home tomorrow. Bryson has been working from home, which has been nice. I wish he could do it more often. Elliana has really seemed to enjoy him being home too. She was going to check on him a lot yesterday when she was feeling bad. I think she loved finding some comfort in her daddy. Well, time to go enjoy this snow!

Last blog of the year!

 2010 coming to an end....really? Already? This year has been full of good things and great times, and I can not belive it's already coming to an end! This year holds so many memories I'll forever cherish. Some of the bigger events are that Elliana has went from being a 6 month old drooling, bobbling baby to a walking, talking toddler running wild! Our family moved from Clarksville, TN back to Bryant, AL for Bryson's new job; and last, but not least, our precious baby Kade has joined our family! It's so amazing to now have both a daughter and son! This time last year I would've laughed out loud if someone would've told me I'd have a 3 month old a year from then. Kade has been such an amazing addition to our family. I'm so very thankful to God for blessing me with such a wonderful family!
 I hope 2011 brings good things as well. I know the cliche thing for New's Years resolutions is to lose weight. I've never been one to jump on that bandwagon. However, now that I have two little ones I realize now more than ever that I NEED to get healthy. I have extremely high cholesterol that is mostly a hereditary problem, though I know getting fit and losing weight would definitely do great things for my cholesterol as well as help my over all health. I went to the doctor this past Tuesday because I suspected an umbilical hernia which I had noticed shortly after giving birth to Kade. My suspicions were correct. I have a small hernia that I'm consulting a surgeon about next week. It would also be beneficial for me to lose weight as far as the hernia is concerned. I'm not sure if the surgeon is going to recommend surgery yet, since we are not sure we are finished having babies. Anyhow, the point is I have many very important reasons why I need to get healthy. I'm to the point where I'm truly embarrassed to go out in public because of the fact I'm 50 lbs overweight! I'm tired of being disgusted with the way I look. Most importantly I want to be healthy for Bryson, the kids, and myself. I want to teach my kids how to be healthy by example. I truly hope that Elliana nor Kade ever struggle with self image the way I have. Growing up, I was never taught healthy eating habits or really how important staying active really is. I don't want to be the mom who's too fat to go hiking with her kids, and who always feels bad and tired because I choose unhealthy foods and don't exercise properly. So, having said all that it looks like 2011 will be my year to jump on the weight loss bandwagon. I truly hope I can make a real life change that will stick with me for the rest of my life. I have no one to blame for the condition I'm currently in and I am the only one who can make the change. I pray God helps me to stay focused and determined.
 On a lighter note, Christmas this year was fantastic. Waking up to a winter wonderland was amazing. It was so beautiful to see a white Christmas, something I've never seen before. Sure, there have been dustings in the past and maybe some left over snow, but never a fresh bountiful Christmas snow! It was also Kade's first Christmas, which is specail as well. I know he nor Elliana will really remember this snow, but I have lots of pictures that I'm sure they'll enjoy when they're older. We had such a great Christmas spending time together as a family opening presents at our house first. We then went to Chris and Marianne's and later that night to the Whetzell's. Christmas Eve was spent as usual at Nanny and Pap's. We got to see all of our close relatives (except Chad and his family since they are in China :( ) We missed them very much, but had a blast seeing the rest of our families. Oh yes, and I got to see Amy's baby Isaac for a second time. He's a month old now and so precious. Bryson, Elliana, and Kade met him for the first time while they were here for the Christmas break. I can't belive Christmas has already been and gone, but it was definitely a great one. I am looking forward to next Christmas already!

Loving Christmas time

 I love this time each year. It's especially fun now that we have two babies! Elliana is very into all the pretty lights and singing Christmas decorations. When she sees a manger scene she says, "esus!" It's too cute. I aim to teach her at a very early age what Christmas is truly about. I want her to know first and foremost that it's about Jesus and his birth and there would be no Christmas without the gift of Jesus. Sure I want her to enjoy the Santa thrill (until some jerk kid at school ruins it for her when she starts school ;) ) and presents are always nice too, but I want her and Kade to both know why Christmas is Christmas. Kade of course doesn't know that anything special is happening this month, but Elliana is fun to watch already. I can not wait until Christmas morning to see her reaction to her new things, and just to see her in all the family traditions and the excitment that goes with it.
 Speaking of traditions I want to carry on a tradition from when I was growing up. Our family used to always gather around in the living room the night before Christmas and read the Christmas story from the Bible by candle light. Seems like a different kid read it each year. It was really neat to take a few minutes each year and hear, once again, the wonderful story of Jesus's birth. I hope Elliana and Kade will one day look forward to it as much as I did. I'm thinking about maybe baking a birthday cake for Jesus with the kids too. Maybe we could do that instead of making cookies for Santa. I think it would be another way to ensure that they remember the true meaning of Christmas ( and we can always tell them Santa can have a bite of the cake instead of cookies, haha). I also think doing a family trip to Rock City or Ruby Falls each December would be a fun tradition. We are actually going to Rock City tomorrow and I think Elliana will love it. I didn't realize that Ruby Falls had a Christmas thing as well until I saw a billboard the other day. Anyhow, maybe we'll switch out from year to year and do both.
 In other news, Kade is trying to recover from a virus. I took him to the doctor yesterday because he just hadn't been himself since Monday. He was a lot more fussy than normal and had a low grade temp. too. I was afraid he might have an ear infection, but his ears were clear. They did bloodwork to make sure nothing major was up, but that came back normal and they said it was likely just a virus making him feel yucky. Bless his heart. I hate to see either of my babies sick, but it's especially pitiful when they are so young. He does seem to be on the mend today though, so that's great.
 Elliana is amazing me with her learning here lately. It seems like she picks up so many new things everyday! She's saying all kinds of words now and even saying short sentences such as, "mere" for come here and "there it is!". :) It's amazing how she'll watch someone do something just once and then she copies them perfectly. She has her 18 month check up on the 27th and that's when we are going to start good old potty training! Oh boy oh boy, I can't wait. ;) I hope she does well with that and learns quickly. It was be WONDERFUL to have her out of diapers. Two in diapers is no fun at all.
 Bryson has been getting to work more and more 4/10's here lately and I love it. Today is his Friday and we'll get him for a 3 day weekend this week, yea! He has a really good boss with this job. She is really down to earth and understands that family comes before work and doesn't give Bryson any grief about needing time off here and there for family things. I'm very thankful for that. Some people are just way too into work and put it before anything else. Coming from a family where my dad had to work 16 hour sifts and travel out of town often, I know just how important it is to put family first.  My dad had 7 kids to support and working over time was pretty much mandatory for him. It just sucked not having him there often. He really missed a lot while we were growing up.
 Well I have a little girl who is past due for a nap and it's really showing at the moment. I better get her to bed pronto!

2010

Modern Cranberry Noir Christmas

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Christmas shopping coming to an end

 I like to do things early and avoiding the crowds associated with Christmas shopping. Bryson had a 4 day weekend this week, so we headed out Thursday to start our shopping. We took both babies and had a great day! We started at Shogun for lunch (you know it's going to be a good day when you start by eating out), :) then hit TJ Max, Academy, the mall, and Walmart. We were blasted by the end of the day, but successfully got 3/4 of our list checked off. I think the kids had fun too, but they were exhausted when we pulled into the garage.
  I realized on the way home that day that we had gotten everyone on our list at least one thing...except for our own 2 kids! Ha, we hadn't gotten a single thing for our own, but I did remedy that today.  One of my friends gave me an early pass to the Just Between Friends consignment sale they have at camp jordan. It was so nice getting to go in before the general public. There are so many good deals offered at a consignment sale. Some things are brand new and the used things are, for the most part, in pefect condition. You get the cutest clothes and neatest toys and furniture, but not the huge price tag. I'm sorry but if you have kids and you don't do consignment shopping, you are a fool. I got absolutely everything for my kids Christmas there today (clothes, shoes, and toys) and it cost me $103.00. It feels so good to be done. I only have Bryson left on my list, so I am all but finished with Christmas shopping altogether; and it's only Novemeber 13th, woohoo!
 Today was also nice in that it was my first day since having Kade to be baby free. I had 5 hours of down time. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids dearly and even missed them while I was out, but I was in serious need of  a break.  Bryson chilled out at Chris and Marianne's with the kids. I didn't feel too bad leaving him with them since he had pleanty of help. With Mammie, Inga, Brodie, Brilee and Pappy around I seriously doubt he had to worry much about either of them.
 I'm so ready to get back in the saddle, literally. My horse, Sohie, is going to be 6 years old this coming spring and I've only been on her back a handful of times. Usually horses are broken in at age 2, so we are way behind. It's been extremely tough to find time to work with her over the past 4 years; in part because we've lived either in Tuscaloosa or TN during that time (while my horse lived at home at my parents house) and in part because I've been pregnant with three back to back pregnancies (my first pregnancy was a tubal) over the past 3 years. So, on my Christmas wish list is a few things I need tack wise to get back started on my horse. I guess my new year's resolution should be to officially get Sohpie broke to ride. It shouldn't be too much longer until I have a little girl who's ready to saddle up.....at least I hope she shares my love for horses and riding.