It's Deja Vu all over again

Hey ya'll. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We spent Saturday helping Leslie and Mike clean out their backyard. It was such a humbling experience. When we got there a little after 8:00, the backyard was a mess. It sounds so stupid to think, but I never really thought about how you clean up after a tornado. It leaves such tiny debris, but it is everywhere. So it was tons of raking bits and pieces of shingles, paper, nails, plastic, wood, leaves, limbs...you name it. There was a busload of volunteers that was actually dropped off right outside Leslie's house, and we all just worked side by side cleaning up a little at a time. When it came time to get the roof off the pool, I was certain at A) someone was going to fall in the pool, and B) that the roof was going to end up in the pool instead of on it. However, neither happened. They attacked the roof with chainsaws, and just dismantled it, and within a couple of hours the roof was gone. It was amazing!

The saddest thing that happened was after I had been there for a little while a middle aged man came over from the yard behind Leslie and Mike's. The house was destroyed, and most of the roof/attic ended up in their backyard. He told me that it was his parent's house and many years ago they lost a baby. They had a small hope chest in the attic and it was the only thing that his mother wanted to retrieve from the mess. It was full of everything she had left from her baby. My Mom and I immediately moved to his yard, and starting moving debris. We had found a congratulations card for a baby in Leslie's yard, along with part of a funeral register. After searching for several hours in the other yard, we came across a white teddy bear in a Ziploc bag that was in the chest.

We never found anything else.

How does that happen? How do you lose everything like that...all those memories and keepsakes just gone. So sad. The Mother was shocked that we were able to find what we did. By the time the day was over, Leslie's entire yard, along with two neighbors, was clean. It was hard work, but so worth it, even the pain from my tetanus shot. I will be back on Saturday to help more. There is still so much to be done.

In other news, Jackson will be having surgery on Friday to put tubes back into his ears. This will be his second set, so be in prayer that he will do great during the procedure, and that this will be the last set that he needs. Have a great day!

The aftermath...

I was able to get into Mom and Dad's neighborhood yesterday after Jackson's doctor's appointment, and I was shocked. It is devastated. They have determined that it was an EF3 tornado that hit the area, with winds between 140-150 miles an hour and 1/4 of a mile wide. The tornado was actually caught on surveillance camera. It was enormous!! I have never in my life seen such destruction up close, and to have it literally so close to home. There are piles of debris that are at least 10 feet high one after another. Unbelievable...

Here are a few photos of the damage that I was able to take.

One of the streets in the neighborhood

The side of Leslie and Mike's house

The triangle above is actually a complete roof sitting on Leslie's pool

Another shot of the roof

Noah's toys in the backyard

Leslie and Mike's backyard

A tree outside Leslie's house

Random house with the entire roof gone

Yet another house with no roof

Yet another...

More debris in the yard

Utility lines outside of Walmart

Walmart parking lot

Please continue praying for the folks affected by this storm in Prattville, and all over the Southeast. The damage will take a long time to repair, and they are going to need ALOT of prayers. Thanks ya'll.

Happy Birthday Jeremy, and a HUGE prayer request

I want to wish Jeremy a Happy 29th B'day. He is such a wonderful husband to me, and a fabulous Daddy to Jackson, and we both love you so much. Happy Birthday!!!

In other news, please be in prayer for the city of Prattville, AL. There were about 200 homes and businesses hit by a tornado yesterday afternnon, and the city is a wreck. The tornado struck my parents neighborhood, and by the grace of God, their home was fine. Mom, Dad, Kellyn, and Jason were all there, and they were all okay. I was at home with Jackson and got a phone call from Mom and all she said was, "Get in the closet now!!" and then she hung up. I was terrified. I just kept thinking that if something happens to them, my entire family (outside of Jeremy and Jackson) were together and that I could lose them all. Luckily, everyone in the neighborhood was okay other than some minor cuts and scrapes. The damage is so close to their house, and my parents say that I won't even recognize the area. You can't tell me that God doesn't work miracles. 200 homes damaged or destroyed, and no lives lost. Some of our friends from church, Leslie and Mike, and their three year old son, Noah lost their home. Leslie is pregnant, and due in July, so please remember them in your prayers. They were able to salvage some stuff from their house, but the home is destroyed. Their next door neighboors roof is literally sitting in their pool right now. Please lift everyone up in your prayers, and thank God that no one was hurt. I will be heading to Mom and Dad's house after Jackson's appt. today.

Once again, Happy Birthday Jeremy. He is such a wonderful guy that he is using his day off to help clean up some of the mess from the tornadoes. Jeremy, you are amazing, and I love you. Happy Birthday!