It wasn't like this...

But I was skeered

Nothing like being awakened by your windows cracking and the sound of trees breaking.  I usually hear storms coming.  I usually hear the thunder or the dogs bark and alert us to storm that's heading our way. When I woke up I jumped out of bed and Joe was at the front windows already looking out.  The wind was whistling through the house and I immediately thought of Evan who is upstairs and started heading his way.  But he was at the bottom of the stairs already with the weather band radio in hand telling me we needed to get in the safe room.  Evan and I opened Amy's bedroom door and there she is standing at the window (facing the direction the storm is coming from) and says "There's a tree in my yard."  

Yeah buddy, there sure was.  One of our big trees was now snapped and laying outside her window.  There were trees limbs hitting windows and the groan of the dock outside fighting the wind.  It's one of those sounds that when you hear it... you just can't look.  I always tell myself 'that's what insurance is for.' 

The safe room didn't last long.  The kids went in and the dogs went in.. but none of us are about to stay in there when Joe isn't in there.  So back out we come... one by one.   

Thankfully the storm passed as quickly as it hit.  And before I knew it I was standing in the front yard along with my neighbors all of us in our p.j.'s.  We worked together to move big tree limbs from our street.  We were all in agreement we were without power.  I assumed the whole town was.  

I had plans to leave town today to finish some shopping for the kids for cheer camp, but I figured it was all on hold.  Joe left first, and as soon as he got to work he reported that there was electricity in town.  Then Amy left for school and let me know as soon as she got there that they, too, had electricity.  As I drove to town an hour later I realized the rest of town looked fine.  No trees down, no power lines down (just us) and, really, there were hardly any limbs down at all or even any leaves.  So, what the heck?  We have about 6 BIG trees down in our neighborhood.  Our neighbors to the right, Roy D. and Sharon Jean had a big dock locker on their back deck that was tossed into the woods next to them and it was broken yet a wine glass sat on a nearby table, unmoved.  We had lawn furniture in the pool and a huge mess with a tree that was snapped.  Our grill was relocated.  And our raccoon that we trapped was sitting in it's little trap about a foot from the tree that was snapped.  

I love Oklahoma, I really do. It's a beautiful place to live and the people are so great.  I guess there is a price to pay for everything.  I just wish ours wasn't severe weather like this.  But then again, when I think about the options and what other people have to put up with to live in their own paradise I really can't imagine the problems they put up with either.  I thank all of my friends who called, texted, emailed, or facebooked me to check on us.  I love you all.  <3