Swirling and Twirling

We spent our traditional Easter week with my grandparents in Alabama this past week. Our first four days were fun, carefree & full of beautiful sunny weather. Weather quickly turned on Wednesday from rainy thunderstorms to tornado warnings & went from playing outside to hiding in the dark basement. Our top priority became keeping Emma calm & unaware which we were gratefully able to do. Our four-five hours spent in the basement started out with playing pool, throwing darts & Emma watching her portable DVD player (thanks Aunt McKenzie & Uncle Joel - a traveling toddlers best friend). When we were powerless (literally), Emma was disappointed & confused but quickly got over it. She is an amazing child who is easily entertained with a little patience & creativity by the people around her. We never felt anything more than very heavy winds, but the after effect will have a lasting impression in our memories. Realizing it could be more than a couple of hours without power didn't happen until our Thursday afternoon stroll through town to access damages. The town I grew up visiting was in ruins. The courthouse, the hospital, multiple strip malls... the pictures don't do the damage justice. We had family with an insane amount of damage & neighbors whose lives were sacrificed. Their possessions strewed about the road... these were our last few days of vacation; Counting our blessings & praising the good Lord watching out for us. Seeing the picture of the tornado right behind our house was enough to take my breath away. This has always been my safe place, my home away from home. I'm so blessed to still have it.

 This is my grandparents' house with the tornado passing behind it.

On a positive note... here are also some pictures pre-devastation.

If you're fortunately able, please donate to: Red Cross Disaster Relief

  

It's better in the south.

The weather, that is.

Tomorrow we're headed down to Alabama for Emma's fourth visit in her short little life and her third Easter.
It's always a fun road trip and Emma is old enough this year to understand it all and she's very excited. Dying eggs, hunting them, and a visit from the Easter Bunny in the middle of the night. A fun filled week of all the southern folk and WARM WEATHER!
I'm sure there will be TONS of pictures to come when we get back.


Happy Easter & love to all,


  

Spring is here!

It's been a while, but here are some new photos. Today was a beautiful park day, and Emma and I had the place to ourselves.