4/27/11

Today is a very special day, dear to my heart, for two very special reasons!

First, it's Brandt's birthday!!!

My sweet Brandtey! You are seriously the most handsome man I've ever met.

Even in your country attire... irrisistable :)

You're sense of humor had me from the beginning! You are the funniest person I know.

You have an amazing heart. That is what I fell in love with.

You are the best daddy to booger bear! He loves you so much!

You still give me butterflies!

(My most favoritest pic of us ever!!!)

Happy Birthday Sweetheart. I love you forever and ever!

Secondly, today marks the one year anniversary of a devistation I hope to never witness again. I will never forget the early morning of Brandt's 24th birthday. I am a big scaredy cat when it comes to bad weather. We had been warned during the week prior that there was some bad weather headed our way but as most people thought, "It'll miss us". So there we were in bed around 5:30am, boo still asleep but hardly with the blaring background noise of the NOAA radio and the TV blaring. I had been up for several hours just making sure like I always did. Only a few short minutes later, James Spann was up on air (for the locals, he had his coat off... so you know somethings going on) and he was warning an area just several miles south of us that a tornado was on the ground. Before I could even react, the power went out. I grabbed Brandt and we huddled right outside our bedroom door in a small hallway. The sound to me was not that of a freight train but more of a huge tumbling boulder falling through a waterfall. All my feared body knew to do was scream. Brandt's reaction to my fear was so heroic. I was, and am still, so thankful he was by my side. He held me and began to hum very loudly in my ear to try and overpower the roars of the winds, debris, and everything else. He assured me that we would be okay. Our lives were within God's hands...he kept us safe.

Before you scroll any further... I just want to add a small disclaimer. I in NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM mean any offense to ANYONE by these pics. This was a time in history that I hope I never have to go through again. Also, this is Brandt's home town. He was born and raised here. It was important to us that we remember this time and have those memories to help us be thankful for our lives and futures.



The following two pics are from my way to work on April 28th. The town of Tuscaloosa was devasted. The town came together like I've never seen. It was a surreal scene for months after.

My heart is still in pain for those affected. But our God is an awesome God. And even in this storm, we praise Him. God Bless Tuscaloosa and all the other places that were hit on April 27th, 2011.