Gumtree 2014

I had not run Gumtree in the last few years, but this year, I thought it would be so appropriate with all that had gone on.  To say it was emotional for me would be an understatement.  It was so good to run through the stretch of major tornado damage and see the people of Tupelo out there cheering and not giving up on our town.  I enjoyed this Gumtree more than ever before....and on the home stretch, the whole family was waiting!!

 

Let summer begin...

 

Last kindergarten graduation.  Now we have a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th graders!!!.  They have all had such a wonderful year that I hate to see it end.

 

Tball begins

This is Ashytn's first go at any activity.  She is really liking the attention of us all being there for tball.  I am not sure she is too into the actual tball.  She is having fun though.

 

Cookie experiment

 

For Discovery, Emma Claire had to make up her own cookie recipe.  She called them double oozies.  They were chocolate chip cookies with icing/cool whip mixture between and reeces cups inside.  They were rich for sure!!!

Gumtree art

Farrow Kate's little art thingy was chosen for Gumtree museum.  I really can't even tell you what it is, but she was excited and it is cute!!

 

Wow!!!! The Tornado

 

I felt the need to share this experience for our scrapbook.  I can say I have never had a healthy fear (or any fear) of tornadoes until now.  On April 28, my whole view changed.  My parents were in town and had picked the girls up from school when the schools let out at noon secondary to threat of bad weather.  I was at work in Saltillo and left about 2:30 heading home.  It was sunny when I left Saltillo and I was completely confident I could get home.  I received a call from Papa T saying to be careful because it really was bad and that they were in the hall hunkered down.  I kind of took it with a grain of salt and kept driving.  Weeellllll......when I turned onto McCollough Blvd, I saw the tornado with my own eyes.  It was so wide that it didn't look like a funnel.  It was like a black wall that you couldn't even see through.  I knew that I could not drive through it.  My options were not good....turning around and running from it was not good, pulling on side of road was not good, and driving through it was not good.  I thought, "where can I go?" Instantly, the Bensons popped into my head.  I was almost to their house when I called.  I still don't know why I had Annie's phone number in my phone, but I called her almost as I was pulling into her driveway.  Pops ran out to meet me.  By this time, the wind was blowing really hard.  We hunkered in the bathroom for less than 2 minutes before it "hit".  Our ears popped, the house shook, glass shattered and we heard huge crashes, then water began to pour in on us.  We stayed in the bathroom a few more minutes before coming out to find the house and my car to look like these pictures.  Basically, they had to move out and rebuild the house and my car was totaled, but we were very thankful to be safe!!!! It took Jim several hours to get to me because of all the destruction all over town.  He finally parked on the Natchez Trace and ran to the house.  The last picture is of the shelves at Wal Mart.  I have never seen them bare before.  This was yet another terrifying experience where God amazingly protected us.