Elijah and I got home yesterday afternoon. We were both very tired from the weeks events. It was good to be with dada again and sleep in our own beds. Elijah woke up at 5:30am asking for grandma and toys all last week. Every morning felt like Christmas morning to him at my parents house. It's good to be back in our boring little apartment!
Besides the flood, we dealt with a lot of hard things while in TN including missing Abby's graduation and the death of a dear family friend and neighbor. My mom was on call and at one time had two ladies who thought they were in labor during the flood. Thankfully, both women had wonderful births at different times and most of the water had subsided. Still, my poor mom was exhausted. It was a difficult time for all, but God provided grace and patience when it was needed. We still had so much to be thankful for! Everyone was safe and we were together. That was all that mattered.
Elijah and I arrived late Thursday night. After a midnight play date with grandma, we headed to bed. On Friday, we were all excited to see Abigail and meet her boyfriend for the first time. They were coming to stay the night for Abby's graduation bonfire party. We had a blast meeting Chris and staying up late together. Abby was super surprised by the mini Gateway laptop we got her for graduation. Her current laptop has been giving her trouble for years and with all her upcoming travel plans, it was the perfect gift.
On Saturday morning, we all woke up to rain-not knowing how much we would end up with. We said goodbye to Abby and Chris, knowing (at the time) we would all be back together in Chattanooga for the graduation on Sunday. We had a quick birthday party for Elijah complete with candles on an english muffin. Elijah opened presents and the boys enjoyed the new toys. It wasn't long until we realized what was happening outside.
As sung in Pooh, the rain rain rain came down down down....we got stuck in our house with a flooded driveway and road and we missed Abigail's graduation. The lights went out and we had to get creative. Grandpa did a great job entertaining the little guys in the dark. The boys danced and played drums while grandpa played guitar.
By Tuesday, the water had dried up. Nathan, Sarah and I took the boys out for a morning walk to check out the damage. The roads were washed away in places and our neighbors walking bridge was completely gone-well, it was across the street leaning against our fence.
There were gigantic holes in our driveway with exposed pipes and dead fish in them. It was so bizarre.
For some reason, this little bit of road didn't go anywhere. We named it "Amos Island"!
A big highlight of the trip was cuddling my new little niece Flannery. She is so fat and cuddly!!! I got to do a little photo shoot while her mom and dad worked out with Kettle bells with Abby.
On Thursday morning, we all waved goodbye to Abigail as she drove off to her new home in Vermont. She will be doing an internship there all summer. One good thing about the flood was that we had one more day with her!
Eli got to have some sunny outdoor play time with the doggies while I enjoyed the roses in bloom.
After goodbyes, we had our usual family outing to the thrift store. Thrifting has always been a favorite pass time for my family. We love a good deal!!! Nathan and Amos played "hockey" with golf clubs and a baseball while Eli sat in the cart and watched Mickey Mouse on the TVs.
After running around a thrift store and an awesome sushi buffet lunch, the kids were zonked-all three of them!
Besides trying to stay dry and keep ourselves occupied out in the boonies, it was a good trip. Plenty of normal things happened, like playing with toys and watching Pooh videos. Despite all the stress and challenges, it was still good to be with family.
Elijah loved being tickled and tackled by uncle Jesse. He also loved to color with grandpa. Eli is so artistic!
Uncle Jesse showed Elijah how to use the chain saw toy. Amos and Elijah also spent a lot of time in the sand box and throwing the ball for the dogs.
Looking at this picture makes it hard to believe that the picture beneath is real!!!
Nashville is still very much recovering from water damage. While driving home yesterday, we drove over the Cumberland River in KY. It was still so flooded!!! Unbelievable!!! Again, we are just happy to be safe at home.
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