Welcome to Our World

On Tuesday, June 17, 2014, our newest bundle of joy, Allison Lynne Rice, surprised us all by deciding to make her grand entrance into the world.  I dedicate the first section of this post to my labor story, so if you don't want to read about that, skip on down to the next section.

One of the best pictures of my pregnant belly,
on Mother's Day, about a month before
Allison was born.

Allison's Birthday

People will say to pregnant women all the time things like, "You don't look like you are going to make it another 3 weeks" or "You look like you are going to pop anytime", but I learned after having Maggie that it was just conversation, or wishful thinking.  Since Carson came 12 days early, I figured Maggie would too.  I was so miserable, swelling, tired, anxious, and so I decided to go ahead and take my maternity leave from work early.  Only Maggie had other plans.  Week after week, I went for checkups, dilated 3cm and having contractions, but never progressing.  At my final checkup, I made the difficult decision to be induced.  Maggie was due March 19, but we scheduled her to arrive March 16th, for many good reasons.  I found peace in my decision when God decided to let me go into labor that morning before we left for the hospital!  When I arrived, the nurse made the comment, "Looks like you started without us."  For that, I was thankful.

This time was a little different.  I did well, did not gain weight as quickly, and had a very similar pregnancy to that with Carson.  However, toward the end I got very miserable again.  No contractions, just swelling and tiredness.  I assumed we would schedule an induction like before.  Dr. Franklin was ready to oblige at my next checkup.  Allison was due June 29th, so we probably would have done it that week.  Everyone else in our lives wanted her to come on June 16th, so that all 3 of our children would have birthdates on the 16th.  Yes, it would have been cool.  But I was convinced she wasn't coming early, since I got burned with that last time.

June 16th passed and there were no contractions.  No signs of labor.  Nothing.  Since I had a checkup the next day, I wanted to go ahead and get the Pack n' Play ready to be used as a bed for the baby, just in case.  We spent that night cleaning it, putting it together, vacuuming, cleaning baseboards, etc.  June 17th was set to be an ordinary, run-of-the-mill day.  I had an appointment with Dr. Franklin in Cullman at 10:00.   I was so convinced this birth would be planned that I had not even finished packing bags for the kids, including food for Carson, but had most things in our hospital bag packed.  At 5:30am, the alarm went off for Marty to get up and ready for work.  I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.  But I couldn't.  I was hurting, cramping, even.  Were these contractions?  I had not really had any contractions with this pregnancy like I did with Mags.  I grabbed my cell phone and starting timing these cramps.  I told Marty I was hurting and didn't feel well, and that I was timing them to see if they were contractions. 

It was now 6am and he was ready to leave for work.  I begged him, to the point of tears, not to leave me.  I was scared I would need to go to the hospital.  He works in Decatur and would be so far away from Birmingham!  I wanted him to go with me to my checkup.  These were contractions, but slightly irregular, and in a different area of the body than I remembered previously.  I was strangely unsure how long it would be if this was indeed labor.  You think you would know the third time around!  I tried getting up and moving around.  I decided to take a bath and start getting things ready just in case.  Marty chose to stay with me.  I was in so much pain in the bath I couldn't even shave my legs (horror!!!)!  Nothing relieved the pain.  The contractions got more regular and much stronger.  Realizing this was probably "it", we called my mom to come watch the kids.  I ran around the house like a crazy woman, throwing things into suitcases, stopping every 6 to 7 minutes to bend over and brace myself for the painful contractions.  This was happening fast!!!  At 8:00am I called the hospital, and they told me to make my way down and they would be expecting me.  I still wanted to check with Dr. Franklin first, so when I finally got hold of her office, she wanted me to come by.  Cullman is totally out of my way to Birmingham, but I was still in some denial and thought that this could be false labor.  Once we made it to Cullman, I was so miserable, and yet I still had to wait!  I finally told a nurse, "Were you not told I was here due to labor contractions?!" When I eventually made it back and Dr. Franklin checked me, I was dilated 3cm (up from 1cm), and she told us to head on down to the hospital.  It was bittersweet because I knew she would not be delivering this baby. 

Once we made it to the hospital, I was in so much pain I could barely even sign my name, so Marty had to finish signing us in.  Our delivery nurse, Diane, was awesome, such a hoot and very caring.  We were so blessed to have her.  She said Dr. Franklin had called down there about me and told them I was "a live one".  I probably got in that bed and got everything hooked up and started around 11:20am.  Sometime around the 1:00 hour, Diane decided she was going to grab her pb&j for a quick lunch while we waited.  I already had my epidural and I was just hanging out (still extremely uncomfortable).  Then suddenly it happened.  That gush of fluid I have always heard about.  My water broke on its own!  Never happened in any other pregnancy.  And since it was not planned, it went everywhere.  Gross.  I looked over at Marty, and possibly yelled, "My water just broke!  Go get somebody!!!"  So the expectant dad did his duty and opened the door, since we were right in front of the nurses' station, and told someone at the desk.  They went to interrupt poor Diane's 5 minute lunch.

When Diane entered the room and we began discussing the breaking of water, she looked down and said, "Umm...are these your flip flops?  I think they got caught in the crossfire."  Smiling, she picked them up and said, "I think we'll just put them over here."  And we all had a big laugh.  Yuck.

My favorite delivery picture EVER,
because I took it myself!

At 2:14pm, Allison made her very quick entrance into our world.  I had to push longer than with Maggie, but it still happened very quickly.  As Marty started to cut the cord, I realized there was no one left to take a picture, since my mom was keeping Maggie this time around, so I said, "Oh, just hand me the camera, I'll take it!"  The doctor and all the nurses started laughing about how I was trying to be "Supermom" because I am laying on this bed with a freshly delivered baby and I am taking my own pictures.  What else did I have to do?  It was not a big deal.  More laughs ensued.

Allison Lynne weighed 7 pounds and 7 ounces and was 20 inches long.  She weighed exactly one pound less than Maggie at birth, and half a pound more than Carson.  She was beautiful and a picture of health.  Everyone was all smiles.

The Call

The only thing that could dampen the cheerfulness of having a new baby was the looming question:  Did she or didn't she?  Have PKU, that is.  The odds are in favor of not having it, 75%, to be exact.  But 25% possible she could be like big brother.

The way babies are typically diagnosed with PKU is through the newborn screening program, when all baby's have their heel stuck the day after they are born, and which yields results after about a week.  Including the retest, it was 10 days with Carson.  Since we already know we carry that gene, we make a stop over at Children's Hospital after we are released from our maternity/post partum stay.  That way, we can get the results the next day or two, just a few days after birth.  It is helpful to know as soon as possible in case the treatment diet needs to be started.

With Maggie, Alicia from our clinic made the call, giving me the happy news that she was PKU-free.
This time, Alicia made the call again.  I was sitting on the couch, home alone with baby Allison.  Marty and Allen had taken my two big kids to Dodge City for haircuts.  Of all times, I had to be alone!  It was indeed "The Call"; Allison's blood phe was over 7, so she did indeed have PKU.

I tried not to cry, but of course ended up sobbing.  It wasn't like Alicia had never seen or heard me cry before.  But I still get embarrassed.  I debated whether I should wait until Marty got home or call him right away.  The decision I made was based on Allison's need for immediate treatment; the sooner, the better.  I needed Marty to go to UAB and pick up the special protein and non-protein formulas for Allison to start that day.  It was very difficult to handle.



That afternoon, after Marty had returned from UAB,
we stood out on the front porch talking, and this
appeared in the sky.  God was reminding me of His promises,
assuring me that everything was going to be just fine.

How to Deal

No matter how many times you say, "At least you know what to do", it doesn't make it better.  No one ever wants to hear there is something, anything at all, wrong with their child.  Allison and Carson are both beautiful and very healthy children, but if they want to stay that way and be at their best, they are sentenced to a lifetime of a very strict diet, and all that comes with it.  It might be a difficult road ahead for them, as they grow up and try to become independent and take care of the diet themselves, and battle peer pressure.  I hope to raise them both to be strong and disciplined and not feel like it is a burden.  Turn your burdens into blessings.  Be a blessing to someone else.

One thing is for sure:  I am so glad they have each other.  I am so thankful that Carson is not alone in the family anymore.  I am grateful he has a friend in Noah, who will be someone his own age and gender he can relate to.  But I am also glad that he and Allison can share a special bond at home.  They might even take care of each other when they get older, which would be a huge relief for me.  I sure hope it plays out that way.

I am also blessed to have a friend in Jackee, who I can talk to about raising two children with PKU, an older boy and a younger girl as well!  And I am especially thankful for Noah's mom, Julie, who has become such a dear friend and supporter whom I could not live without.  God could not have orchestrated these happenings any more perfectly than He did.  We are surrounded by friends and family, loved ones who care and show empathy and compassion, who are willing to help out as well as be an encouragement.  I have never been so happy.  I have a blessed life.

Allison, welcome to our world.  Our crazy circus, our wild ride, our PKU Life, our VERY BLESSED, HAPPY LIFE.  Praise God!

Autism Awareness

Not only is April Autism Awareness Month, but today, April 2nd, is World Autism Awareness Day.  The Autism Speaks organization runs a campaign this time every year called Light It Up Blue.  While I do not have any blue light bulbs to display this year (not that anyone that happens to drive by in this neck of the woods would get it, or see it for that matter), I am planning to do everything I can to spread awareness.  After all, this day is especially meaningful for me because it was on this day, exactly one year ago, that my son, Carson, was officially diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Pretty amazing, huh?

And wow, what a year it has been!  I have never been on such a crazy emotional rollercoaster in all my life!  Life is so full of twists and turns that completely take us by surprise, because we never imagine any of this when we are youngsters dreaming about our future.  I never in my wildest dreams knew there was a possibility that I would have a child with PKU (which I never even heard of back then) or even a child with autism.  Because that stuff never happens to me, right?

This year has taught me a tremendous number of lessons about parenthood and life in general.  We had so many giant upheavals in a short period of time.  Maggie had surgery on her foot, then Carson was diagnosed with autism, then we made the decision for me to quit my long-time job and stay  home with them, which changed everything.  It changed our insurance, our routines, our home, our relationships...it changed me.  I am still muddling through trying to figure out who I am now.  But one thing remains the same:  I am a MOM and a WIFE.  I am striving every day to try harder and be better for my family.  And now we await the expansion of our family, arriving this summer!

I have not only learned about myself and my own family, but these trials have introduced me to new people and revealed character in others.  The saying goes "you find out who your real friends are", and that is true.  Take out the negative connotation for me though.  All of my friends are stellar people in whom I can trust anytime for anything.  It just has shown me a deeper side of my friends and family.  My life is so blessed and full of special, loving, caring people who so obviously do care about each of us!  I am beyond thankful.  There is no way I could be going through all of this alone.  I have the best support system in the world!  All of the therapists and teachers who have been added to our lives, those who work with and help Carson learn what he needs to know in life, are extra special.  We are blessed to have each of these particular people that God has placed in our path in His infinite wisdom.  I have zero negative experiences so far.  Everyone has been so awesome!  I am even amazed still how God placed us on the right path from the beginning, having Carson's PKU doctor already in place as a neurologist and child development expert who was on top of this and encouraged us to begin testing Carson when he wasn't speaking.  Talk about the right place at the right time!  The clinic Carson has been visiting since he was born just happened to be the place to evaluate and diagnose him for autism!

BLESSED is obviously the running theme here.  I want to cry every time I think about how far we have come this year.  I look back at videos of Carson and hear him barely able to pronounce words properly or string them together, and then I think about today, how he argues with me, and says the opposite of whatever I say, and gets sassy with me, and fakes being sick to stay home, and begs his little sister to play chase with him...I am just in AWE.  What a difference a year makes.

What a difference a diagnosis makes.  I know there are so many parents out there who are like I was.  I told myself, and others told me too, that he was just a little behind, that he would eventually catch up.  I am so grateful for Dr. Rutledge and her encouragement.  I was so reluctant to jump on that spinning wheel of testing.  There was nothing wrong with MY child.  She only began with asking us to get his speech and hearing tested.  I knew he could hear just fine.  He could hear a toilet flush from one end of the house and come running (because he loved to watch the water go down).  Then he started this pacing thing, and flapping his hands when he got excited...and finally I decided to do it.  She suggested we eventually do the full developmental workup, for which we had to wait almost a year, but we did it.

Looking back, there are so many little things I never even took notice of.  And now seeing Maggie do these things before she even turned 2 just blows my mind.  I had no idea, since Carson was my first child.  He struggles with so many little things.  He still cannot put his shoes on completely by himself.  Maggie changes shoes all day long.  Carson is practicing handwriting in occupational therapy all the time, but he still needs help.  Maggie knows how to hold a crayon without even being shown.  There are just all these small tasks that I never dreamed Carson would struggle with.

It may sound awful to compare my children, but it has helped open my eyes to what Carson needs, which is very important.  And Carson is so amazing!  He is so smart and so active and so social and so "athletic" (in a few ways lol), that it is easy to overlook all the little challenges he struggles with.  My point is, anyone out there who is reading this and may be facing similar thoughts or situations, jump on the wagon.  Testing is no big deal.  If it is just a delay, they get the help they need.  If nothing is abnormal, at least you know.  The sooner a child can receive help and therapy and intervention, the better their progress will be.  I am SO thankful that we did it, and that we got the diagnosis so we know his needs.  Carson has been receiving private speech therapy and private occupational therapy, as well as these therapies at the developmental preschool we enrolled him in this past fall.  These people who help him every week, and who teach me how to help him at home, have all helped fuel this huge explosion in Carson's development.  Don't delay...decide today!  IT WORKS and IT HELPS!

Our next big challenge is coming up very quickly:  sending Carson to Kindergarten.  At public school.  With all the other kids.  With a special diet.  With autism.  With an IEP to develop.  I have never been so terrified in all my life!  What a huge step this is going to be!  The best part is knowing that I have been and am still connecting with a network of people in my life who are going to be there to help us with this process.  And help me with my sanity!  And anyone else out there, just pray for us!

This has been and will be a long and sometimes challenging and difficult road to travel with our family.  We don't know what the future will bring.  But we know we have people who love us, people who are trained to help us, and a loving God who is putting it all together in our path.  My advice to other parents out there is to surround yourself with the right people, find the help you need for your family, and love and celebrate everything about your children!  They are unique, precious, fascinating little people who will blow your mind every day!

How blessed I am to be able to call this MY journey through parenthood!

Endless Adventures

I really have a deep desire to be more diligent at recording all our memories. Not only are there too many to have time to record, there is just TOO MUCH going on...period. Some of it good, some of it bad. I usually do well at juggling many things at once, but this season I feel so exhausted all the time, for which there are likely physical reasons. My thyroid, for one, has been very naughty due to my usual post-partum thyroiditis flare. It was so low at last count it was barely even functioning. I have not had a recheck since my dose was adjusted, but I still feel like a slug. Of course, there are thousands of other reasons for me to be tired as well. With all that said, I want to try to capture some thoughts I've had lately about our family.

There's Always Somebody Else

One morning a couple of weeks ago I woke up feeling fine. I felt more awake than I had in a couple of weeks. I felt better physically than I had the last couple of weeks. But by the time I got to work, I didn't feel fine anymore. I can't explain why. Perhaps I got up too early and it just caught up with me. Or perhaps I was given the news by my well-meaning significant other that we received an email that someone we know just found out their new baby has PKU. Well, my question to myself is, why am I so emotional about it?

I shed more tears that day than I saw clients or got phone calls at work. I don't know why, but the start to that day just put me into emotional overload unsuspectingly. Here I would like to hash out the reason.

PKU Awareness

Since today is the last day of PKU Awareness Month, I wanted to do a blog post and share it on facebook to remind everyone I know and just get the word out about this rare occurence and how it affects real people...people you know. If you have time please be sure to read as many of my posts about PKU as you can, as well as the description on the right side of the page. Even if you've already read it, read it again. Everyone who cares for my Carson or anyone else with PKU needs a reminder once in a while.

I want to reflect for just a moment on the purpose of this blog. When I first started writing on this blog a few years ago, I was desperate for a connection, to find anyone out there with whom I could relate because I felt like we were so alone. That was a successful endeavor. I have happened upon several blogs of people and families who also deal with PKU. One of the first people to send me a message was Shane Austerman. He and his wife and son live in Iowa, many miles from my home here in Alabama, and their son, only 4 months younger than Carson, also has PKU. I have connected with this family, with Jackee, I follow their blog, we have communicated by email and send Christmas cards each year. For that, I am so thankful. To have other people's experiences to read and to share means so much to me.

Ten Years...One Amazing Life

Ten years ago today I met the man of my dreams. God heard my prayers and my pleas from heaven and He finally saw fit to send me my heart's greatest desire. This time ten years ago I was taking charge of my life and evaluating what I really wanted. I was in a relationship that was not what God wanted for me. It was not what anybody wanted for me. I knew it already, it just took courage for me to finally admit it. At that point I began searching my soul for what it truly wanted. I wrote a beautiful journal entry all about it. I wrote out on paper exactly what I wanted in a man. I had begun reading a book God lead me to at the bookstore called "Boy Meets Girl". I cannot find that book anywhere in my stuff! It was written by the same author who wrote "I Kissed Dating Goodbye". Ironically I did not agree with the first book at the time it was written. Just like the author, God changed my heart. That book helped me see inside myself and realize what I wanted. And on this date ten years ago He saw fit to send that precious gift into my life.

This anniversary is even more special to me than will be our tenth wedding anniversary next year, for when we got married I already had what I wanted. This date, May 11th, is the most special day that changed my life forever. This date always reminds me of God's faithfulness to answer prayers and grant our heart's desires and reminds me how much I have to be thankful for. God orchestrated this part of my life so perfectly there was no doubt it was meant to happen this way. Neither one of us had a clue what life had in store for us that day.

About a week before this date ten years ago I was sitting in the parking lot at a gas station waiting to go in to visit an old friend. I was on the phone with my girlfriend Kara, informing her that I had ended my previous relationship. I had been in this relationship for 3 years and we were engaged to be married. It was a pretty serious deal. Yet she already was trying to set me up! Before we hung up she told me she and her granny had somebody they wanted me to go out with, someone I didn't even know existed. I told her I did not want to be set up and it was too soon and I just needed some time to be single and find myself again. She was disappointed. On May 11, 2002, I called her while I was in town again and asked her what she was doing. We had no plans together and had not talked. She said she was in Walmart doing some shopping for Mother's Day. Ironically, I was in the parking lot at Walmart myself! We agreed to meet inside and make plans from there. As we were leaving the store, she saw someone waving at her from across the parking lot. She said to me, "Hey Jennifer, that's the guy I told you we wanted you to meet! Let's go talk to him!" I was furious and declined. I did not want to be set up. She argued with me that we couldn't be rude because he had already seen us and waved, so we had to go talk to him. She was right, of course. We walked across the parking lot toward him and the rest, as they say, is history. His name was Marty Rice, and he is the man I married. That night we ate at Buena Vista with him and some friends, then we went bowling. He and I even went back into Walmart later to get his mother a gift. When I got home that night, I wrote the last entry into my diary that God had given me hope that there were good people left in this world. That was all I needed to say. I thought he didn't exist, and yet there he was! The reason I shared this story is so everyone would know it wasn't planned by us, it was a divine accident, divine intervention. God meant for it to happen. It was His perfect answer in His perfect plan in His perfect time.

I'm not saying everything is perfect or ever was, but he was and is perfect for me. When I look back over these last ten years I have more to be thankful for than I ever imagined possible. God has truly blessed us with ONE AMAZING LIFE together.

Together, Marty and I have been on TEN cruises! Traveling has been one of our favorite memories of our life together. It is our favorite hobby.
2002: Bahamas
2003: Honeymoon in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados
2004: from New Orleans to Jamaica and Cozumel
2005: Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Labadee
2006: Spring: Western Caribbean again
Fall: HAWAII!
2007: March: Southern Caribbean, including St. Kitts
October: SPAIN, FRANCE, AND ITALY!!
2008: Bahamas, our farewell to the ship where it all began, Sovereign of the Seas
2011: Alaska

We got married on September 27, 2003, at 7:00pm, the perfect date.

Together, we built our house and moved in on February 29, 2004. Leap day! Which occurred again this year.

We've also lost together. We've lost loved ones. We've lost a baby. We've lost jobs. We've lost pets. We've survived snow, hurricanes, and tornadoes. We've faced the challenges life has thrown us together.

Together, we have created two amazingly beautiful babies! Carson Allen was born August 16, 2009. Maggie Amelia was born March 16, 2012.

Marty found a new job. I finally realized my dream of graduating from college.

So far, we've made it through a lot together.

Together, we're going to experience much more. I am looking forward to it. I am so unbelievably grateful for my husband. I can never look back and doubt that I made the right decision for my life partner. God basically made the decision for me by handing him to me so obviously! I love God for doing that for me. Without Marty, I would not have the wonderful life I have today. This has been the most amazing ten years of my life. I hope they keep getting even more amazing from here. Thank you God and thank you Marty for the last Ten Years, and our most unbelievably, inexplicably, undeniably, breathtakingly wonderful AMAZING LIFE! I love you! Happy Anniversary of the day we met!

Life Changed Forever, Part 1

This is the first of a 3-part post about our life after the storms. I will discuss three life-changing events that all happened within roughly 2 weeks: the storms, our trip to Canada/Alaska, and my college graduation.

Let me begin by saying GOD IS GREAT. He is our refuge, our strength, our ever-present help in times of trouble. Not only that, but He is also Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, who is MORE than enough for me. He blesses us so much more than we deserve and is the Giver of all things good in our lives. I will praise Him no matter what! I praised Him in the storm, and I will praise Him no matter what the future holds, because I know He holds the future.

That was a lot of mixed-up scripture and song lyrics!

On April 27, 2011, the lives of most people in North and Central Alabama were turned upside down. The lives of 238 people in our state met an end on that day. We are saddened by the loss. Thousands of people lost their homes, businesses, possessions, etc. We are saddened by their loss. Thankfully, we did not suffer any losses of this magnitude. Marty's family lost a barn, a swimming pool cover, and part of a fence. My family lost a tree. Neighbors lost a little more. Some lost huge sheds, giant trees, and vehicles. Everyone lost electricity for many, many days. Ours was off for two whole weeks! We are still without phone service, considering our phone line is still laying in the road by the driveway and we have to run over it every day. But praise God, He spared all our loved ones and friends and our homes.

Our hometown of Cullman, AL, where I work and shop and do most business, was sliced in half. An EF4 tornado ripped through the heart of downtown on that day, taking with it many businesses, historic buildings, churches, and people's homes. The cityscape we have grown up with and lived with all our lives is forever changed. The world as we once knew it is now forever changed. The miracle is: we survived. The hardship is: the aftermath. Yes, some people lost their homes, possessions, or livelihoods, but most of us lost things such as food. Replaceable, yes, but at a cost. Some, like us, had generators, yes, but at a cost. And now the cleanup is underway...for some, at a great cost.




Financial cost is not the only problem we are encountering. Emotional cost is high as well. Even those, like me, who did not suffer through a large tornado and lots of damage, still are haunted by the images, haunted by the sounds, and haunted by the emptiness. Many people had trouble dealing with the darkness, especially that night. And most of us now cringe at the sight of thunderstorms on the radar. Our new best friends are our meteorologists and weather men, such as James Spann, Jason Simpson, J.P. Dice, and Wes Wyatt. We are so thankful we have them to keep an eye out for us. With our generator running at home, we were able to watch the whole day unfold on TV. Sometimes I wish we hadn't seen it. But we were blessed to be able to have access to the news on TV to keep up with where storms were and who in our families might be in danger, because so many people had no idea.

Thankfully, we only had to watch the aftermath of the tornadoes unfold for about 4 days. For 4 days we had to keep our generator running to have food. The first day or two gas was hard to come by. Many stations were out of power and unable to pump. The nearest place that had power was part of Athens, which is over an hour from our house. There was devastation all around. Gas stations slowly began cranking up generators so they could pump gas. Long lines were forming and some places started rationing. We had enough at home already to run the first day and night, but the next morning Marty was out early scouting the scene. He managed to find gas by lunchtime.

In the midst of all the madness, I was trying to finish school. I had 3 more days left in my internship, and of course schools were closed. They had no power, some had damage, and many roads were impassable. My high school gym, where I had P.E. class and watched many basketball games, had major roof damage. It was one of the first things I saw on TV, because it had happened that morning.

I had one more major assignment due, as well as a final exam. Even though I could use my laptop, it was sporadic, and some of the websites did not want to load the things I needed. In addition to all this, we were also preparing for a major trip to Canada and Alaska! A week that had already been filled with schooling to finish, business to conduct, doctor's appointments, and packing to do, saw complete infrastructure come to an abrupt halt. Never, at least in my lifetime, had it been so massive and widespread.

Looking back now, weeks later, we continue to see where the protective Hand of God was on us. Marty just checked out the woods on our property behind our house and discovered that 1/3 of the trees are gone. We have been in denial, but finally realize that a tornado definitely passed our house, not just straight-line winds. The paths around our property are obvious now that we can see them. Below I captured an image from a tornado damage map around our property. The blue circles represent areas of major wind damage, and that blue box goes all the way down the bluff behind our house in a STRAIGHT PATH. Our house is by the green square, UNTOUCHED. The only thing that happened was we lost a few shingles, a heavy wooden chair was sucked off our porch and blown onto a tree (both only scratched), the lawnmower moved several feet, a gutter wrapped around the back corner of the house, our garbage cans ended up in the fields, and our back Cleveland pear tree was snapped off. MINOR. Considering there was a TORNADO in our YARD and we didn't even know it!!!!!!






Please help us continue to pray for those who fell victim to this horrible, disastrous day. For a wonderful account of the events and emotions of the day from our local area, check out my friend Julie's blog, Our Family, The Martins, on my favorite blogs. And help us continue to praise God for all the miracles He has performed and continues to perform through this event.