For the first time in a very long time, I was able to spend Easter in my hometown of Florence, Alabama. I was so excited to visit in the springtime and to watch Savannah play outside all day long. I was so happy to get away from the chilly, rainy weather of West Virginia. Little did I know that by the end of the week I'd be eager to get back to that weather over the alternative of Alabama weather!
Easter was glorious in Alabama, wonderful weather, sunny skies, lots of egg hunting. Savannah thoroughly enjoyed all of it. She loved coloring and hunting eggs, she loved the foods we ate, she loved running around with her cousins...it was wonderful. Often the living room at my granny's would be filled with cousins, aunts, etc. but the television was not on. We just were able to enjoy each other's company. That's how the South works. You just sit around and chat and rejoice in each other's presence.
The beginning of our week was pretty uneventful, but the events of Wednesday (4/27) and Thursday (4/28) will be memories for a lifetime. Wednesday's events really started out on Tuesday night. Around 9:00pm we were all watching the weather and the county we were in was labeled under a tornado watch. While in WV, such a watch isn't really scary, it is a serious issue in the South. I was instantly nervous. Carl noticed it right away too. I couldn't sit still, and I was almost quivering with nerves out of whack. I decided to make up a little bag for us, in case we had to go to the storm shelter. I packed up diapers, wipes, our cameras (with precious memories on them), our wallets, some snack foods, and extra binkies. Packing the bag helped me feel a little bit more prepared...and not quite as nervous.
I had a hard time getting to sleep that night, and the weather radio woke me up at midnight with a tornado watch extension. Then it went off again at 2:00am. Then at 4:00am the radio went off and announced a tornado warning in Colbert county (the county next to where we were), so Carl decided to get up and watch the weather channel to see the radar. When he came back to the bedroom to tell me what he saw, the weather radio came on again. It listed our county and then named the town of Waterloo in the path of a tornado. Waterloo is one of the towns my granddaddy had warned us about. He said if that town was mentioned we needed to get to the storm shelter immediately.
The instant I heard them say "Waterloo" I told Carl we had to go, he changed into jeans (which I think is crazy - who cares what he's wearing in a storm shelter?!), grabbed my bag, and Hope. I instantly picked up a heavily sleeping Savannah, slipped on my shoes and headed out to the door to the shelter. Just as I picked Savannah up, the local tornado sirens began their scream through the night. It's about a 100 foot run to the entrance to the shelter. I don't think Savannah has ever felt so light or I have run so fast. I just ran through the rain repeating "It's Okay, It's Okay, Run, Run, Run like Diego" to Savannah.
I beat everyone to the shelter. Even my aunt and grandparents (who were closer to it than I) weren't even there yet. Within minutes my entire family (13 people in all and our dog Hope, from the ages of 4 weeks to 76 years) was huddled in a tiny 5 foot by 8 foot storm shelter. It was terrifying. Carl made it a game for the little ones, telling them we were in a cave and we could hunt for bears. They all handled the day really well, and after we returned above ground Savannah looked at me and said "More?" and I asked what she wanted more of. She said "Run Run Run?". At least this memory for her won't be a terrifying one.
In total that day we made three trips to the shelter. One of the times the sump pump was broken, so I stood in the shelter holding the 4 week old and Savannah, with water up past my ankles...but I was safe. After all was said and done there were no injuries and no damage. It was close to 9:00p before it looked as if we were in the clear. I watched the weather over and over to be sure that I could go to bed...I just couldn't unwind. I did eventually fall to sleep that night. We all must have been exhausted - Carl, Savannah, Hope, and I slept for 12 hours that night.
At first we didn't realize how things could have been much worse for us. Only after the storm did we start hearing of the numbers of deaths and injuries, damage, and devastation. We were blessed that day. On the drive home we saw where a tornado had crossed over the road we travel...and it was only 10 miles from my Granny's house. God was watching over us that day...and for that I am eternally thankful. The memory of running in the rain with a tornado siren screaming, while I am holding my precious child, will never leave me. I still get the shivers when I think about it...but Carl is right...that fear puts all of my other fears into perspective. Most everything else I worry about is just a tiny fear compared to what I felt that day.
In retrospect to that horrible, terrifying day, Thursday was amazingly beautiful. The weather was seasonal and allowed for Carl and I to spend a lot of time outside with Savannah and Hope. But that isn't the reason the day will remain with me. It was a delightful dinner that will be in my heart always.
There's a new Japanese Steakhouse in my hometown, and Carl loves to visit new restaurants. It turns out my cousin Wayne, and his wife Heather, hadn't been to this restaurant. So as a treat for all of us, Carl and I took Wayne, Heather, and my grandparents to dinner. My mom stayed back at the house to watch Savannah and Wayne & Heather's 3 boys. Dinner was for us to spend quality time with each other, without having to fill sippy cups, find crayons, and cut up food into small pieces!
The hibachi chef was amazingly funny...he teased all of us and was spectacularly skilled at his profession. He called my grandparents "Hot Mama" and "Big Daddy", which amused the four grandkids to no end. Wayne teased about changing their names in his cell phone contact list to Hot Mama and Big Daddy. When the chef cooked up scrambled eggs (for the fried rice), he tossed them everywhere and was amazing to watch. I teased my granddaddy that he had to make us scrambled eggs like that for breakfast...it was just so much light hearted, relaxing, fun. We all laughed so much, we were still laughing when we got back to the house. It was a much needed break from the scary reality of life, tornados, babies, job worries...it was just fun to live in the moment with them.
Thursday was so fun that it made leaving on Friday morning heartbreaking. No one wanted us to go...especially my cousin and his wife. We really bonded so much over the week...I miss them all so much, and Savannah misses the boys. We're hoping they can visit us soon, and maybe someday we could get them to live closer...God will open doors to wonderful places if we allow Him.
Now I am back to the normal weekday grind...I have many memories to treasure, and many to attempt to forget...but I am stronger and happier than when I left.
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