Emotional Overload

This morning I woke up feeling really gross.  I attributed it to nerves because there was so much happening.  The thing is it never got better so I had to let Aubrey know since I had a session with her and the sweet Willow.  I did not want to get Willow sick so I let Aubrey make the call.  Needless to say we had to reschedule.  When it comes to babies I would always rather be safe than sorry.
This morning I saw the house I grew up in for the last time.  It came down today.  Definitely no thanks to the City of Clay, but that is a story for another day.  I have so much that I want to say about this, but right now there is not enough time and I have to admit, I am exhausted.  The flood of memories will flood the blog soon though so beware.  The thing is my heart is just sad.  So many memories.  The good news, memories cannot be torn down, the bad news is that there is no trigger there anymore.  Somewhere to drive by and remember that is where I came from.  It is just gone now. 

Danny had his last pack meeting today as a Bear Cub, he is now a Webelo.  It has all gone by so fast.  I still remember how proud he was to be following in his granddaddy's footsteps when he became a Tiger Cub and got his uniform.  Now it is time for a new uniform. 

Danny also had his basketball party, which meant a trophy.  He was pumped to play some Basketball with his teammates and get an awesome medal for the great year that they had.  GO SAINTS!!!

 We went by the new house and the electricians were there!  YAY Progress!!!  Also the porta potty had been delivered for the workers and this was so exciting for the boys, in fact they each had to go before we left. 

Well, it has been a long one and since I am behind I am going to move on. 

There is an Upstairs!

So today was a trying day.  So much happening that I do not even know where to start so I am going to attempt at the beginning. 

Brandon and I took the boys to school and then headed out to start our errands.  There were several of them, but we made it work.

We went to mom's house and got her rosebush from the back.  Brandon and I both love that one.  Landon had gotten hers from the front and he will be taking care of it, which is awesome of him.  Thank you so much Landon for being there for mom it means more to us than you will ever know.  They were going to bring her house down today but the rain yesterday has everything pushed back at least a day. I am praying that everything will work out so that I can be there.  I have a crazy busy week, but it is something that I HAVE to do.  I need the closure, the goodbye, the finality of it all.  I did take a few pictures, here is one by her back door.

We also had a few other crazy things to get done.  Like getting a pot for the rosebush, getting it planted, and trying to get some things accomplished. 

After we got the boys from school we headed to the new house where yes we have second floor walls and sheathing.  Still no stairs, I love the ladder that these guys use.  Hopefully the stairs will come soon!  I am not sure what the pecking order is for houses, but I love seeing it happen so quickly.  I think it is GREAT!  They were taking the solar board from the ground to the upstairs so that as soon as they have the beams in they can get started on the roof.  Brandon set up an appointment with the builder Monday afternoon so progress is definitely being made. 

We decided on family movie night, but this movie is super long so the boys did not last!  MoneyBall, it is pretty good, but definitely long!

Saturday

So getting out of the house was something that had to happen today for all of our sanity. 

The boys both had ball games.  Danny's team was definitely glad to have their catcher back.  John Michael's team was also glad to have him back on board. 

After John Michael's game his coach took the team to Dairy Queen.  Talk about fun and LOUD!  I love the DQ in Clay but it is Small and loud with a few people.  A team of 5 and 6 year old makes for  vey loud DQ!  It was a blast though and all of the kids had so much fun, which means the most to me!  Thanks again for John Michael's ice cream Coach Matt!

Brandon was working at Mom's before and in between games.  For anyone who thinks a tornado hits and thats it...well it is not the case at all. 

The boys and I went over there for a few minutes between the games.  We also discovered that the copper theives had struck.  Let me say something....You people who steal from anyone SUCK!  People who steal from people who have been through something like a tornado, suck does not even begin to describe it.  In fact, there is a special place in hell for you guys, and guys when it is too good for you!  I am so serious and remember what a BITCH it is when KARMA comes your way!

Back to a Routine Sort Of

Brandon headed back to work, the boys to school, and me, well laundry was on the to do list and then some. Of course there was so much going on that I did not even get half of what I wanted to get done but it is okay. Mom and I were able to get some things done that had to be done and that is definitely the most important thing right now as she starts rebuilding her life.
Brandon said that it was a long day, and I definitely believe that. He said everyone asked about mom, and all of us, which is so appreciated. I wish that they would have given him the time off with pay and without having to use his PTO, but I am very thankful that he had it.
Catholic Schools week is this week and my name was mud with John Michael because today was hat day and I had no idea. He never brought his bag upstairs, and I never thought to check his folder because of everything that was going on. Hopefully I will do better.
I will get my list of stuff done as soon a possible, and it will all work out. Nancy, thank you so much for dinner, it was delicious and enjoyed by everyone. Again the outpouring of support from so many people has been so touching, I honestly cannot even begin to truly explain.
I cannot believe that it has been one week since the tornados changed so many things for me. I will get into this soon.

Helping Hands

Saturday was moving day. The boy's decided to miss their basketball games and help at Nana's. This was a decision that they made on their own and made me so proud. They are growing up to be truly amazing children. I cannot explain in the blog how proud I was of them.
So many people showed up to help pack up mom's house. We knew that the upstairs we could get but the basement was going to be a challenge. So many memories and so much stuff. I have a list of thank yous I know that I will leave people out but to everyone, all I can say is you have no idea what it meant to me, Brandon, my mom, and even my boys to have your help physically and mentally.
We took one load to storage, well Brandon and the men did. Metro was amazing to work with and I recommend them to everyone who needs a truck or a storage unit. They helped us in so many ways and they were so understanding and patient. Thanks to everyone at Metro.
There was so much to go through in the basement and I hate to think about everything that was destroyed. It is just sad, a lot of memories, will soon be a pile of rubble.

It's A Total Loss

So this morning I went to reserve a large truck from Metro after I dropped the boys off at school.

They were excited because today was an out of uniform day. I went to the home and school meeting on Tuesday and that is the reward. I would go anyway, but this incentive is what makes them push me to go, even after a day like this Tuesday.

This morning the foundation engineer met mom and Brandon at her house at 8:00. After about 10 minutes he made the call to total the house. He said that it is safe for us to continue moving out but it is not repairable. This was the news that we knew was coming, but it is still not easy to hear.

I got the boys from school and we headed back to work. Almost all of my mom's upstairs is cleaned out. Well, what is being kept is boxed up, and what is not is either still there on the floor or is in bags. With a bulldozer coming I am not stressing about the trash or about what is being left behind. If it is damaged we have taken pictures of it so that she can itemize her list for the insurance company. If it is just not needed or wanted it is just there.

Tomorrow is finishing everything off upstairs and tackling the garage. Right now I am get it done mode, but I also am an emotional wreck. There is so much to do and so little time so that is definitely keeping me motivated.

Thank you again to everyone who came out today and helped. Mrs. Terri the cookies were amazing and so were the sandwiches, but those cookies....Wow! Mr. Mike, thank you so much for helping go to storage and getting that process really underway. Beth and Brandon thank you again! Packing up and taking out means so much. To the guys and girls from Trussville High School. Thank you so much for helping get the truck on its way to loaded and for all of the boxes. Sonia thank you for the help packing and the boxes, tape, and bags. To Regions thank you for the hot hamburgers! To everyone thank you!

The First Flood

This morning was the first school Mass that I missed. And while I wanted to and feel like I needed to go I also knew that I was needed at mom's and I know that God knows that. The boys' said that they would definitely thank Jesus for keeping so many people safe and to please continue to do so.

After I dropped the boys off I picked mom up. She was ready to go. We made our first venture down Old Springville Road since Sunday. This was a horrific sight and one that will forever be with me. Nothing is the same. The landscape has forever been changed. So many amazing memories, learning how to drive for one that all seemed to take place on Old Springville Road. While the road is still there it does not look the same.

Now to mom's.

So today we waited and waited on the insurance man. In the meantime we cleaned out the deep freezer and the refrigerator and freezer and took inventory so that she can get reimbursed for everything that she lost. This was the easy part of the day.

When we made our walk through for the morning and the rest of the ceiling in my old room had come down and was on the floor. This was unbelievable sight to see. She had her China and Crystal from when her and dad got married there and it was also on the ground. While there is a monetary value, the sentimental value for her cannot be matched.

Brandon headed to the attic to see what he could get out and down came my childhood or what was left of it. I guess when I was about 13 and wanted a "big girl's room" I packed up all of the things that I could not get rid of to save for when I had a little girl. Well, there was no saving them. While the value was all sentimental except for my Little Women Madam Alexander Dolls there is a lot to be said about watching it all come down.

When I started to really go through I had gotten the boys from school. There was actually a few things that they wanted so we boxed them up as they looked salvageable, just need some good cleaning. So many things went to the garbage. 6 bags of my childhood.

My first jewelry box. i remember dad buying it for me when I got my ears pierced. My Valentine teddy bear that daddy gave me when I was almost 8 years old. The baby doll that I had and played with so much that her head had to be reattached several times, even when I went to daycare for the first time and the wicked woman was so mad that I was up asking her that she locked me in a closet. My cheerleader uniforms from the days of cheering for the Huffman Raiders where I met some of the most amazing people that I am still in contact with. This list could go on for day, but that gives you an idea of where I was on memory lane all day. There were a few things that made me laugh, and that is what I chose for the picture today.

I would like to thank again all of the volunteers who have given of their time and talents to help. Thank you to Home Depot who took the time to come out and bring boxes full of things that will definitely be useful. Thank you to Chick-fil-A for the HOT chicken sandwhiches for lunch. Thank you to Shane Shirley who took the time out to get look at mom's house and give an opinion from a builder's perspective. Thank you to all of the people that I know I am forgetting. You have all done so much and it means so much! Thank you Mr. Ken and Lance for the boxes, they will definitely be useful as we start this packing process hard and heavy tomorrow.

Well, again a shower and the bed are calling my name. Until tomorrow!

Thank You

While the emotional roller coaster is definitely running fast, there is more than enough time to say thank you. I am a little behind in posting so this is for Tuesday, January 24th.

Thank you to the power company for working around the clock to get the lines down cut off, new poles up, new lines run, and risking your own to be there for others. While I know that there is a pay check involved, these men and women are going through and not only working they are there for the community and they are risking their own safety to get things done. While we cannot turn on the power at mom's because of the wiring in the house being ripped and the risk of fire being high this is something that is small and means so much.

Thank you to the Jefferson County deputies who are working tirelessly to keep people out who do not need to be in these areas. They are out offering help, directing traffic, and doing all that they can to ensure the safety of all who were affected.

Thank you to the endless stream of volunteers. Those cutting trees, cleaning debris, bringing food, bringing water, helping to tarp, and everything else that you are all doing. You are selflessly giving of yourself. Many of you have taken off work just to lend a hand.

The list goes on. So many people have been wonderful and I know that I am leaving people out. To all of you, thank you so much.

Thank you to my friends and family who have offered to do whatever they can to help.

My post for the next few days, weeks, who knows it could be months will probably contain some type of thank you or problems or whatever. For now we are hoping that the insurance adjusters make it today, with the rain coming tomorrow we want to be able to get as much as we can out, but they are telling us we need to leave what is in there so that they can see all of the damage.

Thank you all for prayers, for thoughts, and for everything that you have done. The picture is of the boys helping move limbs after school. They have been so worried and wanted to help so we gave them some gloves and let them help.

The House that Built Me

Since I first heard Miranda Lambert's song The House that Built Me I was in love. There are so many things about the house that we grow up in. Maybe where we had our first kiss? Maybe where we said goodbye? Maybe it was where we learned how to walk? No matter what the memory they are powerful and there is a strong association to the memory and the house.



At 2:00 this morning I was up watching the weather and praying for God to keep my family safe. At 3:00 we started to call our family to make sure that they were awake and watching the weather. At about 3:20 we got the boys up and headed downstairs to watch the weather. From there my timeline is off and there has not been anytime to read the paper, no Internet to read online, even my 3G was up and down which took out the cell option. But what I know is we got into the closet under our stairs when it was coming through CenterPoint. We got out to try to find out where it was. We thought it was past but not sure. We started to try to call and text but the lines were so jammed. As we did get to people we were thankful that they were safe but the story was just getting started.



The tornado ripped through Clay, AL. This is my hometown. This is where my family lives. This is where Brandon's family lives. Friends and their families all in this one town that until today was still a place in Alabama that so many people did not know existed. It is an amazing community, it was before it was a City, and is today. Clay is a family and today they showed it.



We knew that Brandon's mom, pop, Aunt B, and Meemaw were safe and that they had no damage. We knew that mom was safe as well as my grandmother and uncles who live down the street. We knew that friends and family were safe despite having nothing left. The tears of loss, the anger of the destruction, the fact that everything has changed in a few seconds will come but today we were truly thankful for the lives that were spared. To say we were blessed is an understatement. The fact of miracles were ever present today as house after house the words we are okay were uttered.



The first time I arrived on my mom's street it hit me that the house I grew up in was going to be gone. While it is still standing the foundation has cracked in several placed, and that is just the start of the damage. The thing is the woods that I used to "get lost in" with friends, just so we could make getting out an adventure were gone. The basketball goal that I learned to play 21 on was gone. The landscape was changed and my heart was broken. I am so thankful for the safety of everyone that is what cannot be replaced, but there is something about walking down a street that you know as well as you know your own hand and finding out that you have never seen it before.

There are many pictures I could have used, but this is of my old bedroom.

This is not a message that ends tonight, but for tonight I am done. More to come soon. I am exhausted, a day behind, have lots of company, and well, I just need to get a shower and get some sleep so we can get back to it tomorrow.