Wednesday, May 25. This was the view from our front porch. Crazy clouds and rain and hail. And reports of it getting much worse and heading our way.
Our weather radio had been going off all afternoon and evening. We were trying to downplay for the kids and keep them calm, yet frantically trying to get necessities to the basement storage room and text with friends and family. "Mom... why are you bringing all our scrapbooks downstairs?"
Staying calm got a little harder once I got a text from a co-worker and a picture of her house...
We lost power and although it was still light outside, it was dark in the basement. So we were letting the kids sit on the stair landing, halfway up and down. Corey and I were going out on the front porch, watching the sky and radar and listening to the weather radio. Sophie went outside and yelled, "I see the tornado!" We rolled our eyes at first and said, "No, you don't..." and then we went to look. Um, yes. Yes, you do. We had Lawson and Gretchen come look so they could say they had seen it and then everyone went downstairs!
The next day...
I worked with a friend in the master closet (which was fairly untouched) sorting clothes and gathering laundry to take home and wash. The Reese's peanut butter cup in Christina's shoe made us laugh.
In awe of my friend today. Her smile, her strength, her positive attitude and ability to see the silver lining in the midst of this tragedy. Christina Stroud... you are amazing. So blessed to all you friend.
#irishfamily
One of the first pictures from someone who got to the Strouds house early Thursday morning...