Normally a rain storm doesn't bother me, but this one just seemed more dangerous than others. I got out of bed and found my cell phone to check my weather app. The somewhat reliable app showed three weather warnings, including a tornado warning which didn't help put me at ease.
I looked out several other windows to check the trees by light of the electricity flickers in the sky. They still waved with fierce strength.
The back side of our home still has the original old farmhouse windows. And my little boy sleeps right in front of a window. Well, we all sleep right in front of windows, which is why this storm woke me up. I looked in at Brazos sleeping by the glow of his night light. He hadn't budged at all. I think this boy could sleep through anything, but with a tornado warning, howling winds, and crashing thunder, I just couldn't let him sleep by a window any longer. I picked him up and put him in the living room on the couch. He woke up to ask why I moved him and after explaining, he fell instantly back to sleep.
I contemplated on if I should move Sandy or not. You see, she spent the last few hours in the emergency room with severe abdominal pain. The diagnoses came down to strep throat. I know, I'm confused too. How does abdominal pain lead to strep throat? Two shots and a couple of doses of medicine later, she came home and had been getting some much needed rest. She had not slept well the previous night, so I was going back in forth in my head if I should move her or not. She has a small window in her room, so I figured she would be okay and decided to not move her. Afterall, my husband was lying right in front of a window and didn't fear for his life, so I guess the storm didn't seem too severe to him.
Well, I stayed up until the storm passed. It took about 20 minutes for all the wind and thunder to calm down. The lightning still flickered in the distance, but my nerves had eased, and I knew everyone was safely sleeping, so I drifted back to sleep.
When I woke up at 5:30 this morning, not by choice, but because a little girl had had enough rest and was ready to conquer the day, I looked out the window to see if any limbs had fallen. I expected a few little limbs to be lying on the ground, which they were. The yard was scattered with chunks of leaves. Even Miss Rosey and her other feathered friends were up checking things out already. I can only imagine what they thought of the storm. I am surprised that they aren't stripped naked from the wind blowing their feathers to and fro.
What I wasn't expecting to see was the top of a tree lying in the front yard. I remember thinking during the storm I'm thankful that we have tall trees for the lighting to reach instead of our home. But then I also was thinking Our poor trees are so tall and skinny they don't stand a chance in this wind. One of our better trees was struck by lightning and the whole top came crashing to the ground. I'm guessing that when Matt drove to work this morning his thoughts may have been something like I guess Bobbi was right about the storm being so strong. ;) I guess we will find out the trees fate when Matt gets home today.
Then I walked around the back of the house to see if any trees had fallen in the pasture. Not a tree was harmed in the pasture, but to my amazement, a giant limb had fallen right next to the house, right next to Brazos's window! Immediately I knew that God was good. He has given momma's an instinct to protect their babies and I was so thankful that I moved Brazos out of his room. No windows were broke, but it was definitely too close for comfort.
Where my little man sleeps. You can see the branch right outside his window.
I took Brazos outside to see the tree limb by his window. After looking at the branch, he was the first to notice that the barbed wire fence was broken. A tree limb, that didn't look very big compared to the others that had fallen, fell on the wire and snapped all but the bottom row! I tried moving the limb, but it definitely has some weight to it. Matt now has a new project to add to his ongoing list, and I guess me and the kids will be watching to make sure the cows don't get in the yard today.
I was surprised our vegetables didn't get uprooted and blow away with the wind, but they definitely will need some sunshine to get upright in their correct positions. The squash has been snapped. :( The broccoli is leaning, although the bugs have wrecked havoc on it as well. The peppers look so sad.
But after all the rain, all the lightning, the howling winds, the downed trees, snapped fence, and broken veggies, none of it matters. The only thing that matters is that these two little ones weathered the storm unharmed. Our God is mighty and powerful. He can make the trees rage in the wind and He can cause the clouds to flash like paparazzi, but He is the same God that can calm the storm and keep up safe through all the turmoil.
