Happy Anniversary and a gift from TStorm Lee

I am a light sleeper and so this morning around 0530 I woke to an absolute deafening silence.  The silence did not last long, maybe a few seconds,  but that is all my brain needed to tell me what was going on.  As the angry, violent noise began I was already pulling a sleeping Tate to the floor between my bed and my wall away from the large window in my bedroom.  I was just hoping Remi was still asleep in her bed and that the raging storm and now Tornado had not woken her up.  I wasn't sure I would have been up for her drama.  The noise was unlike anything I have ever heard and it really did bring to mind crushing metal, roaring lions and utter terrifying chaos.  I also registered the intensity of the sound and knew everything would be over very soon and that we were lucky. 

The tornado touched down in my backyard at the back right fence line and snaked its way across my yard, bending up the swing set, ripping down limbs, and tearing down fencing.  A large tree limb rests directly outside my bedroom window.  Our patio screen door now swings in, our privacy fencing has lost all privacy and the tornado ran off with all of my peppers. 

At some point directly after settling Tate on the floor to sleep I dragged a sleeping Remi in with us.  Made sure our shoes were on, cell phone, purse, water and snacks in reach and let the storm rage on.

Our neighbor just across the road came over after the storm died down a bit.  He was shocked to see our yard.  He wanted to make sure we were alright since he knew he hadn't seen my husband coming and going lately.  He said his front bedroom window got knocked out and garage door took a good beating but other than that they were in tack and that the neighbors behind them got the last of it before it petered out. 

It wasn't a large tornado...in fact it must have been just a baby one but it still created enough damage and horrific noise that I admit that I would be quite happy never experiencing that ever again.  The noise alone is terrifying and I can't imagine what the sound of a large one must be like.

Remi is grieving the loss of her swing set and is upset about how the yard is damaged.  She said "Our yard is now junk.  Everything is broken."  and in fact she has said something like this several times this morning.  Tate was pretty shook up and has been sleeping on and off since about seven this morning. 

A tree service came out and did away with the tree that was in the road and any limbs that were hanging out on the side yard.  I still have a TON of cleanup to do.  I am so not looking forward to dragging all of the fencing and limbs into piles in the front yard for waste management to pick up.  I'll probably have to give them a call.

I contacted and left a message for my Rental Company about the damage but as usual I have yet to hear back and it is 1020 already.  I probably won't hear from them until Monday at the earliest. 

We survived and that is all that is important.  Everything could be gone, lost or destroyed and I would not care.  We are all here, alive, healthy and intact, all the rest really doesn't matter much. 

As for our 7th Anniversary....well...it would be so much nicer if Zack were home to help with the clean up but it is still great because we have come so far and it feels so new still.  I am still crazy happy in love and I know he is too.  We have two healthy, happy, smart if irritating girls and friends and family who love and supports us.  What more do we need?

Panhandle Butterfly House

Yesterday the girls and I took a long drive, about 55 minutes,  over to Navarre, FL to the Panhandle Butterfly House.  They were releasing butterflies into their Vivarium (basically a hot, humid, green house of flowers) and the first hundred kids got to help release the butterflies.  We got there just after ten because the posted schedule said they start releasing them at ten thirty but apparently they had detoured from the schedule for a school field trip.  The girls were lucky....they got there just in time to help with the last of the butterflies.  It was hot, humid, and fun.  We left as sweat balls not even twenty minutes later but we had a grand time.

My camera battery died not even ten minutes in so my pictures are few.  Note to self, make sure to charge battery before we do outings.

 Tate absolutely loved releasing the butterflies.  They just kept giving them to her.  Remi was such a good big sister, helping Tate hold her hands the right way.

The Vivarium is pretty small.  The fountain is the center and there is a brick path all the way around it...and that is it.  So it is pretty crowded with more than say fifteen people in there.  At least it is free.  They do ask for support donations though.  I bought some coloring books for the girls, all about butterflies of course, that they destroyed on the trip home.