Hi everyone-
I know you are wondering what the heck has happened to me. Did Red Robin kill me with their food or what? LOL
WELL...
Let me fill you in on the going on's in my life.
The last post that I put on here was about going to Red Robin for dinner.
That night my world took a very unexpected turn.
While we were eating, a storm rolled in. We were about 30 minutes away from our house and enjoying dinner watching the thunder and lightning roll in. The sky was looking a little odd in color but I didnt think much about it.
As we were leaving, it started to hail.
Aaron ran to his work truck, I ran to the Escape and we pulled up to the front of the restaurant for the kids and Aarons grandma to get into the Escape.
I jumped into the truck and headed off to the gym.
As I was headed there, I heard the tornado sirens going off. I called Aaron and told him to take cover at Aarons grandmas house. That I didnt know what the sirens were going off for- whether it was for severe storms or for a tornado- but I would head to the gym and take cover there.
Aaron said that it was for severe storms and that he was going home with the boys.
I got to the gym, changed into my gym clothes and started going on the ARC.
That was when my phone started blowing up with calls and texts.
"Are you ok?"
"We heard what happened"
I said we were fine and that we just had a bit of hail.
To which came the reply "Dexter had a tornado touch down. I think it was your subdivision".
My neighbor across the street (who thankfully wasnt in town) texted me.
I started to frantically call Aaron to see if the house was hit. He thought I was crazy. No way a tornado hit the house. The sky is blue. No clouds.
Then he pulled into the sub and it looked like a war zone.
I flew out of the gym trying to get home as quickly as I could.
And when I entered, I thank God that I was on the phone with my husbands cousin.
It did look like a war zone. First responders were there... people were wandering...police were guarding the entrance demanding ID to get into the sub...debris was everywhere. It looked like a zombie apocolypse movie set.
That night passed in a daze. I was in shock. I left Aaron behind at the house so I could get the kids to safety. I dropped them off with Aarons Uncle and switched cars with him.
It took me almost an hour to go about 5 miles because all of the trees down and power lines down. I was crying in frustration but trying to call family to let them know we were ok.
I called my parents. They wanted to know if they needed to come down that night...I was in such shock that I handed the phone over to Aaron.
I tried to pack up the house as best I could. There is no way to describe all the destruction that happened to the house. I will try to post pictures later but they dont do it justice.
I packed the kids clothes- my youngests roof was missing from his room.
Xaviers room was surprisingly unharmed but I grabbed his bedding because it cant be replaced.
The master was destroyed. The window frames ripped right off the walls.
Insulation from the attic was all over the clothes in the walk in closet.
Glass everywhere. I packed up our clothes, jewelry, camera, photo books, files, fire proof box and other things.
Water had come thru the ceiling, down thru the first floor, all the way into the basement.
Thankfully we still had electric. And someone shut off the gas for us.
Most of the windows in the house were blown out. Shingles from someones house were in the living room.
Aarons Ford 500 was totalled. It had been parked in the street and was now at a 90 degree angle from where it was. Debris was all around it and it looked like it had been in a roll over accident.
The extra Escape that we had been trying to sell was in better shape but looked like someone side swiped it on the passenger side. The windows on the passenger side had also been blown out. Underneath of the front passenger tire was a pair of pants from somewhere. The car had literally been picked up and slammed back down trapping the pants under the tire.
The house across the street (the person that texted me) was missing the entire second story. The house next to them was leveled down to the foundation.
Thankfully no deaths or hospitalizations occurred.
We were missing our cat Apricot for about a week. The police went out on horseback searching for him. The news station ran a story about him. The neighbors posted flyers for him with my phone number. And we got calls. And we got him back. And he is ok and has suffered no broken bones or major injuries- though he is a bit skiddish with storms now.
Aaron left for Alabama 3 days after the tornado. He had to. Times like these, you do what you have to do.
Aarons mom Andi came back from their trip in Arizona. We live with them in Dexter. It is their house and insurance work needed to be started. She has been an awesome help with the kids.
I cant say enough about the community, the news, and the positive attitude of the area. The day after my parents came down to help us. But they didnt really need to. We already had people on the job. It was just a lot of yard cleaning that we had to do. And we just wandered. Talking to neighbors. Meeting people. Hugging people. Listening to their stories.
Lucky for us, the night of the tornado a company came around wanting to know if we wanted them to board up and secure the house for us. They happened to be preferred by Andi and Bryces insurance company so with their permission, we signed with them.
The day after the tornado, they were already packing up our house and itemizing everything to be taken to be cleaned up, and either stored or totalled out.
Carpet and drywall started to be taken out the day after that. I found out that you have 3 days until things like carpet and drywall start to mold. Ours was out in 2 days.
The rebuilding has begun. Framing has been finished and the inspection completed. Electrical begins today with insulation to follow and drywall to start next Tuesday.
We have been displaced and are currently up at the cabin taking in some much needed rest and relaxation.
I have great faith in the builders and insurance company. They have been excellent thus far.
The house has been taken down in almost all areas to framing. A new kitchen will be put in. The bathrooms have been saved.
Some updates will be done that have been on the "honey do" list.
And with all this, my Aunt had the greatest words of wisdom with all that we have been going thru.
"They say that when God closes a door, he opens a window. Who would have known it would have been a doorwall?"
Everything is working out. We are now back down to two cars after the 500 and the Escape were totalled. The things that were going to have to be done to the house like a new roof, carpet, garage door, are going to be done. In fact, it will be a whole new house.
Yes it is stressful right now. Obviously I am not doing the veggie fast anymore. LOL. I have gained about 10 lbs back but I am not structured with my diet and have been eating things that are easy (like pizza). Schedules for the boys are crazy because we are still taking them back and forth to school BUT we should be back in the house by the end of May.
We dont have horror stories about our builder (some people do) or insurance company.
We have the family safe and sound.
The subdivision where we live is so close and are like family now. They even created a FB page for the people in the sub to talk about what we are going thru.
So besides for one breakdown as I was driving to the house the morning that Aaron left for Alabama, I have stayed pretty upbeat and positive. And that morning as I was having my breakdown, I knew it was going to be ok.
Why?
Because there was the biggest double rainbow I have ever seen over the town of Dexter.
It was then I knew that we would be ok. We would get Apricot (our cat) back. The cars would be totalled. That we would go on.
And finally.
I reviewed my pictures that I took the night of the tornado.
And on them, in three different pictures, I have what appear to be orbs. Angels.
In the one I took outside, in one picture there is nothing. In the next (same shot, same angle) at the top of the house by the gable is the biggest orb I have ever seen. It is as bright as the moon but is not the moon.
The angels definitely got a bit beat up that night. But they protected everyone when the storm came thru.
Dexter has been being called the Village of Angels now. Not from my pictures, but because of no injuries, and that the weather following the storm has been so perfect (it was about 80 degrees for over a week), and the rainbow. If you ever had any doubts, after this, most are believers.
Dexter is truly a great town and I am proud to live there.
I will try to post some pictures later today. Having some rest and relaxation today. Andi and I are getting our hair done. Tomorrow is a massage.
For now, the crisis has been averted but we are taking things a day at a time.
Please keep the Village of Dexter, MI in your prayers as well as the other cities that have recently been ravaged by tornados. I now know what it is to go thru one.
Thank God we werent home and that my boys didnt have to go thru that. And if you live in an area that has tornado sirens- LISTEN TO THEM WHEN THEY GO OFF!
Before I never would have gone into the basement. Instead, I would have gone out to the front porch to watch the storm roll in. Never again.
And thank God that the tornado hit at 5:30 instead of later like 9pm when children would have been asleep. It could have been catastrophic.
So that is my news for now...I will be able to access my blog until Easter. After that, I will probably be pretty scarce until we get back into the house (hopefully end of May). Periodically we will be coming to the cabin for more rest so I will put some updates on here.
Tip of the Day:
"what doesnt kill us makes us stronger"
It is true. Believe!
