Stormy Times

True southern weather...two weeks ago so much snow we can't function...then a week of really nice spring weather...then up at midnight running to the basement to take cover from a possible tornado...just to wake up to much cooler weather, and a downed tree...

Here's how it happened...

We had a long night at the dance studio with pictures. We get home. I get the girls to bed really easy (should have known). I put a few things away, and head to bed myself. It was a windy night, but on our hill...this is not uncommon.

Dear hubby has been having some troubles sleeping lately....first a stomach virus, then a cough...so he was up watching some tv. The winds REALLY started to pick up, so he checked the local news...and sure enough our area was under a Tornado Warning.

Hubby comes and wakes me up, fills me in on the weather. I go into "Get Ready for a Tornado Mode". Let me mention here that I DO. NOT. LIKE. STORMS...I am overcome with so much fear I cannot calm myself...I shake and my heart beats so bad I think it is going to burst...every storm, every time.

Here is "Get Ready for a Tornado":

• Panic, breathe, put on shoes
• Panic, breathe, get Gator's milk and diapers and place next to basement door
• Panic, breathe, get coat on
• Panic, breathe, get Gator's car seat (sometimes she is easy to contain during a storm if she's buckled in...and in my mind she is safer!)
• Panic, breathe, get shoes for the girls and place in box with diapers and milk
• Panic, breathe, get pillows and blankets off my bed and place by basement door
• Panic, breathe, check the local news

As soon as Mr. Weather Man says, about a minute until the possible tornado is in my small town...Hubby decides to get the girls. In seconds, we are all in the basement..with the dogs who are sooooo happy to see the girls....with the girls who are bewildered to be out of bed (I mentioned it was midnight right??) and in no mood to play with the dogs!

We sit and wait and listen. Man do I hate those moments....the winds whipping around the house...bangs and bumps of unknown origin...the waiting to hear the house fall in on itself...my heart beating so hard in my ears...I try not to listen....I sit and rock Baby Girl....praying over and over...Please, Lord, keep us safe...

and until last night I never realized that I have always said "keep us safe". I don't pray that the storm leaves us with an untouched home or anything like that...I just want to get through the storm as safe as possible....another personal Whoa moment.

So, the winds subside, the satellite service is back, and Mr. Weather Man is telling us that it is safe to return the girls to bed. Which was way easier than I thought it would be...Baby Girl just wanted to know why we got her out of bed. (I just told her that the Weather Man said it was safer in the basement...I try not to transfer my fears to the girls)

We get the girls snuggled back into bed, I close my eyes...and then I jump out of bed!! Around 3 am, the worst noise I have ever heard in my life threw me from my bed...CHAINSAWS! Apparently a very large tree had fallen during the storm and was blocking the street...I am glad that the town or county or whoever felt so good that they wanted to be sure that everyone could get to work and school....but really? 3 am?? and this tree fell, blocking the road, right in front of our house...it sounded as if they were cutting the tree in my bedroom!

ok, so it doesn't look as big in the picture...I zoomed in and left off the top...but this tree is large!

My prayer quickly changed to..."Please don't let Gator wake up, please don't let Gator wake up"

She didn't wake up and they soon finished, and quiet returned to our little home...and I fell asleep, not to wake until the usual morning Gator wake up call.

What Stormy Times have you been going through?

Prayer Lists

Borrowed another idea from a homeschooling mom that I found online...

We started with the letter Vv...and we started our prayer lists.

Baby Girl didn't quite get the idea of praying for people we know that begin with a V...but we made a prayer list, put it on our wall and talked about Victory, and finding victory with Jesus..so I felt good...and even after dealing with the water company, and the phone company, and the bank (all about added fees) I felt really calm after our prayer moment and bible time...

I like to do this from time to time, but I now feel and see first hand what I really need to strive for every day...it takes 5 min and its soooooooooooooo good for the soul (and sanity)!

What you done to keep you centered and calm lately?

Bible Moment

While reading from the children's bible the other night with Baby Girl, I had a 'whoa' moment. We were reading the story about the children and Jesus..."let the children come to me"....well, in our watered down kiddie version...in plain words...it said that Jesus said he was not too busy for the children to come to Him....

Wow. I had to stop for a moment. How many times just this week have I said "Girls please go play Mama is too busy right now."? Wow. I had a very prayerful night over that one. Now when I start to say that I am too busy, I need to think...can I stop for a moment and read a story, play a game, get that hug...whatever it may be...

My challenge....next time I am about to say I am too busy right now...put the children first. They are the reason I stay home. They are the reason I am a mom...not the computer, the phone, the cleaning, whatever it is that is making me "too busy"...

Are you up for the challenge?