The Clean Up

Well, I can only say what a day. 24 hours ago was absolutely a nightmare that I would never, ever, ever want to relive or wish on anyone else!
We had the biggest shock today when TEMA and the Insurance Co. showed up, we were given the green light to start clean up the mess. I think John mentioned it to Rudie Thomsen and within 15 minutes here came the Calvary from Westwood. I can't mention all of the names because I would leave someone out and wouldn't do that for anything! I had parents and children that I had kept in my Day Care from many years ago come walking up with gloves on and said what can we do? This crew worked for hours and hours and our yard looks much better. The tarps are off the house and plywood is up over the windows. Kenny Hodges from Pioneer Building Supply came and measured for new windows.

Men, women, and children were everywhere picking up and cleaning up. Several ladies came and picked up all of our laundry that I couldn't get washed here at home. Several people brought food, more food and drinks that I could ever imagine. Then here came the trailers, front end loaders, and chain saws. Then, before I knew it...all of the glass, debris, insulation, leaves, mud and everything else that was in our house that came through the holes in the windows and walls was clean! Paula Morris and Beth Deason were a life safer for me! Katie led the kids on a "Scavenger Hunt" they went through our field, our neighbors pastures, and through the creek finding precious "little things". I think that Stephanie Keith, Aunt Sue and Aunt Faye, and Granny Shirley took our laundry home. The funniest thing was the girls in the house needed a shop vac and I knew at one time we had two in the barn. So...here I went and started digging through the mess and after a long search, I found one so those girls got all of that glass up in the bedrooms. Then here comes Bridgett Powers, I had baked a cake for a bridal tea for tomorrow and here she showed up and finished this cake for me. I am speechless! Girl Friends and Guy Friends are not just friends, they're family. Our Christian Church Family has more than overwhelmed us.

Please continue to pray for us and for everone who has been touched with these storms. God blessed all of us with our lives. We didn't lose anyone. We came close to losing John Ryan, but God blessed us by saving John Ryan, Dillon, and Katie. God Is Good!