The Clean Up is Underway...(and some Shout Outs)

Yes, we had a tiny bit of clean up at our home...but NOTHING compared to the devastation in our neighboring areas in Nashville....I've heard nothing but story after story for days now of families that lost everything...AND had no flood insurance!! They are saying this type of rain and flooding comes ONLY ONCE EVERY 1,000 years!!! Crazy!! Our kids LOVED helping Daddy shovel rocks...They were so tired of being inside that they were jumping at any chance to run out back in the rain to help!!! The two babies and I hung out and watched from the house :) Daddy did end up taking them for a walk around the neighborhood IN THE RAIN...and 3 yr. old George joined them on that adventure and had quite some fun in the flowing rain!!! :) LL and I thought they were nuts as they walked back in the house soaking wet!! :)

Well, you feel helpless in situations like this...cause you just want to help those hurting...but WHAT can i really do with 5 young children in tow at all times!! Well, I thought about it...and then a friend gave me a great idea......I put a laundry basket out in the middle of the kitchen floor and told the kids to fill it with their toys!! I told them we were going to give it away to the kids that lost everything in the flood!!! We also gathered a few blankets...and hit the local Target on our way out of town too....WE bought new socks and such......AND DROVE STRAIGHT DOWN TO ONE OF THE EVACUATION RESCUE CENTERS!!! The kids had no idea what we were going to see or do....(and really...i didn't either)....but, we pulled up at one of the local colleges that was housing a couple of hundred evacuees!! The kids helped carry everything in (as I carried two sleeping babies that fell asleep on the way there :) AND THEIR EYES WERE LIKE DEER IN HEADLIGHTS when we turned the corner and saw the hundreds of sleeping people on tiny little cots!! The cots were lined up in rows..one after another in a huge gymnasium room. They saw children playing and the Red Cross keeping it all organized!! The toys were taken straight into where the children were...and a little Red Cross lady came over to thank my kids and take the rest of the things from them!! My 6 yr. old Julia looked at her and said, "Why are they all sleeping in the middle of the day?" She explained that they were all tired from having a rough and traumatic couple of days...

I do think it made a lasting impression on the kids...I sooo wanted to take pics inside with all the people sleeping and my kids handing over their toys.....but it just didn't feel right!! I couldn't possibly take pics of THEIR DEVASTATION to glorify myself on my blog...so, you'll just have to trust me on this one....the kids were precious giving their toys away AND a great lesson was learned here which is all that matters!! :) (pictured above were the trucks outside full of different volunteers helping out..and I got one pic inside with some cots where people were divided out whether or not they had kids with them)

***So, no I didn't really feel like I helped AT ALL in comparison to all the disaster areas around town...but I keep hearing of HOW much help and volunteers are pouring into these neighborhoods and it makes me so grateful to live in America where HELP is just a minute away...where entire churches come together to help out people and neighborhoods in need.....These people will be back on their feet before too long...but i'm sure the kindness of these strangers coming into their neighborhoods and helping them WILL LAST A LIFE TIME!!!

****Now, some shout outs!!!!!!! :

1. The O'Leary Family from www.fromgodtoghana.blogspot.com let me know their adopting from Ghana....They are selling some awesome shirts...front:back: They also have a fabulous daughter with a big heart for the orphan that is also selling a tshirt to help "feed" the orphans while on their trip...You can visit their blog to read more about it...sounds like a great family mission!!!

2. Also, I received an email from the Reeves Family letting me know about their amazingly, beautiful crosses they are raffling off....The hubby actually makes these crosses...and they are certainly one of a kind:

You can check them out at : www.reevesfamily-fun.blogspot.com

***That's all the energy i have for the night :) I found LL in the Country Crock Butter tonight....I had left it out on the counter...and the girl figured out how to push a stool around and climb up to reach anything she wants :) Pictures to come soon :) Happy Tuesday to you all, kj