April 30, 2011

We had a rough last part of the week here Cody. We had some real awful storm's come through on Wednesday and Thursday. Lots of people were killed and lots of homes, businesses and towns were really destroyed. Ringgold and Apison were hit very hard by a tornado.

Storm and I got lucky as the line of the tornado that hit them came through here as well. I did have 3 trees fall on the property. 2 took out the garage/shed and one hit the house over the kitchen and dining room. That one did do some damage to part of the roof there.

I found a wonderful page on Facebook and these awesome kids came over here on Thursday night named Josh and Megan. Josh reminds me so much of you - even built and resembles you. Happy guy always kidding and laughing like you. He sure is sweet on Megan as well and he lets everyone know - Just like you would be. He climbed up on the roof Thursday night and just started cutting off branches from that big tree and would drop them down to the ground and Megan and I moved them around some so the next day Storm and I could cut them up more.

I got Storm up about 11 on Friday and he and I moved it all to the front yard after I had cut it up and stacked it all up in the front. Josh and Megan came over again on Friday evening after he got off of work and brought a big flat bed trailer and we piled it all up on there, got it all strapped down. The told me they would be coming back today early with lots more people.

Poor Stormie I had really worked him pretty hard during the day yesterday so he went straight to bed after they left. I had a little trouble sleeping at first but knew I needed to get up early. I woke up around 7 and sure enough about 8 Josh and Megan pulled in and we started getting to work on cutting up more of the tree on the house. Pretty soon more and more cars were showing up. Cody it was just so awesome to see all these young kids just coming over here to help. Kids I never knew but the sweetest kids.

 One of them that came, Mandy, her mom is one of Storm's teachers in Honor's Academy, I told her wow small world. I met her mom when Storm and I had to go in for Storm's registration for Honor's Academy for next year. She was so sweet she drove me to Lowe's to buy another chainsaw because the one I had you used just up and died on me yesterday. Lowe's was all out so we went to Home Depot and I picked up another one of them showed with a bunch of groceries. Storm and I are good on food so I had them give it to the people across from Charlie's house. But it was just the thought of these people coming even with groceries. I had about 9 to 10 kids here all day cutting trees, hauling the limbs and helping us clear up all the debris for almost 8 hours.

All these kids were close in age with you 22 or so average. Just doing all this amazing stuff for us. We were truly blessed and fortunate to meet these amazing kids. When they got ready to leave they told me thank you for letting us come help you. I mean, seriously I was the one grateful for all the help and work they did for us. I was just overwhelmed. They gave us a card that they all signed when they left and I had tried to pay Josh back for a strap he broke and had to replace pulling one of the trees off the garage. Along with a gift card in the card was my check I had written for him.

They had really wanted Storm to go to Prom tonight but he couldn't get tickets anymore for him and Shannon to go. So I told him to see if they could go to the movies. He was so sweet he let her pick the movie and her dad was kind enough to come get Storm and take them there. I met her and her dad tonight. She is a really pretty girl. The pictures that Storm has of her really don't do her any justice.

I bought pizza's for lunch for all of them and they were so grateful. They really don't know it was I that was grateful for all they were doing. The only person that ever came to see if I wanted / needed help was really looking for money for doing it. These kids did everything they did for nothing and it really touched my heart so much. I know if you would have been here you would have been out helping especially out there where Pa lived that got hit so hard as well.

I was really missing you badly these past days. I know you would have been here to help. I have all these able bodied neighbors around here and none of them offered help in any way. So for kids to volunteer their time and efforts and help total strangers and do all they did for us was just so amazing to me. The neighbors just watched Storm and I work all day yesterday. And the ones that came and went around us, today would just stop and look and go on their way or come outside to see what was going on and then go back in.

But seriously, how could I expect anything more then that when I already knew how they were when you left us and they knew about it. I told Sissy that this 4x8 sheet of Plywood that landed in my back yard was a sign from God. It is just beautifully painted white on one side already - I have a can of spray paint as well I believe under the sink. It will make the most wonderful sign for the front yard.

Thanking all my wonderful neighbors for their outpouring of sympathy and support when I lost you and for all the help they gave us to remove the trees and debris from our yard. How fortunate we were to move into such an awesome neighborhood.

Sounds quite good to me of course! You never know that might just appear one morning on the front lawn!

The boys were so great they chopped up all the big tree trunks into smaller pieces for Storm and I so that Omi can come get it tomorrow and have it for firewood. Storm even learned how to really start the chainsaw easier then the way he and I always did it before. He was getting quite good at it by the end of today. You would have been so proud of him!

I really miss you Cody and these past 4 days I have really missed being able to call or talk to you. Or possibly even have had you here. You are sorely missed!

I love you so very much. Wish I could just hug you! I still miss you more each day then the day before! Sleep well my son - mom.