A to Z Blog Challenge - X, Y & Z

Whew.... better late than never! I decided to put the last three letters together. I also decided to only post 2 words for each letter since these last three are just a little bit more difficult! Hope that's ok!

Letter X

X-Ray

I am sure that all of you have had your share of x-ray's over the years, like I have. My most memorable one was when I thought that I had broken my finger. (I still think it was broken! Ha!) How did happened, you ask?? Well, I was on a youth retreat as a chaperone with our church youth group. Ashley was in youth at the time. Miranda was still too young. We were up in the mountains of the Carolina's somewhere, out in the middle of NOWHERE! It was a great retreat place, tho! I actually went there as a teen myself, back in the day. It is called Awanita Christian Retreat Center. It was really neat to be back there! I have SO many memories tucked away from that place! -- Anyway... They have a "ropes course" that our youth pastor wanted to do with the kids. He encouraged me to do it as well. During this course, is when I realized that...  I am not as young as I was when I was there before!! Haha! One of the obstacles was swinging over a MUDPIT on a rope that had knots tied in it. Well... I really did not want to do this particular one, but I was "bullied" into it! -- (Just kidding Matt!) So... I had no choice but to grab the rope and swing over to the other side (not very far) and LAND on the platform without falling into the mud! I don't remember falling into the mud, but I DO remember the PAIN of jamming my finger as I swung across!!! It swelled up and turned black & blue REAL FAST! And hurt like everything!! I just knew it was broken!! We still had a ways to go on the course, too! I refused to do any other obstacles that I would have to use my hands. I, of course, went to the doctor the day after we got back home -- thankfully, we were going home the next day! My doctor took x-rays of my finger, but it did not show any breaks. The doctor put a splint on it, but that was all that could be done. It took WEEKS for my finger to heal! Lesson learned..... "I'm not as young as I think I am!"

Xavier

This is the name of a boy that I knew in elementary school. I believe that he was in everyone of my classes.... First thru Seventh grades!! He would pick on me EVERY day!

Letter Y

Yarn

When I think of yarn, I think of crocheting or knitting -- both of which, I can not do. I have tried. Trust me! My fingers just won't work to be able to do it.

Yard

We are working really hard on our yard this Spring. David finally finished our brick retaining wall and I planted flowers in the flower beds. David bought some sod (grass) for our bare spots, so our grass now looks a lot better! Today, he is removing our big palm trees by our pool. We planted them when they were only about 2 feet tall, but they are now taller than our house! We planted them too close to our pool and now we are afraid that the roots will destroy our pool. So.... they have to come down. We had talked about digging them up and moving them, but they are WAY too big! They will be missed.

Letter Z

Zoo

Growing up in Atlanta, I went to The Atlanta Zoo many times. It is a fairly large zoo, but I never thought it was really all that "great". About a year after David and I were married, we visited his brother who lived close to Washington DC. We toured our nation's capital and also visited the National Zoo, which I LOVED!! The only other zoo that I have been to is the small one in Montgomery, Alabama. I really like it a lot, too! It is small, but that is what's nice about it. They have many, many different and wonderful animals, but because the zoo is small... you feel like you can be more up close & personal with the animals. My favorite animals to watch are the chimpanzees! They are quite comical!

Zoar

This is the name of the church that we were members of when we lived just outside of Atlanta. We loved this small church! My girls were baptized there and it was the center of our lives for such a long time. I miss it and the friends there, very much!

Terror, Prayer, & Praise

I am a bit tired today due to being up most of the night, keeping watch for tornadoes! Yes, it was a night of anxiety as my girls and I watched The Weather Channel and the approaching storms that were nothing but TORNADOES!!

My heart is so broken and sad as I see the devastating photos of the areas where these horrific tornadoes tore apart cities that I am familiar with. So many homes & businesses were destroyed, but more sadly... many lives were lost.

Last night, we watched as the meteorologists on The Weather Channel saw the huge tornado form over Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We saw the horror on their faces as they realized how devastating this tornado was going to be. This is when my heart sank. All I could think about were the many students at The University of Alabama that live there. I also thought about my previous boss who is from there and all of the people that he must be worried about. (I may even call him today and let him know that I am thinking and praying for his friends.)

As the tornado moved to the north east, we learned that the University campus was spared. I breathed a sigh of relief.... for a moment.

This huge tornado was now headed for the city of Birmingham, in Alabama. I immediately started praying for the friends and families that I know, personally, that live there.

The Weather Channel was able to show it's viewers the ACTUAL tornado as it passed thru the north suburbs of Birmingham!!! The tornado was HUGE and was moving VERY fast!

Thankfully, we learned that those that we know of that live there, were safe.

From Birmingham, this same tornado continued on a path toward the town of Dadeville, where it continued to do damage there and to other small towns as it approached my state... the USA state of Georiga.

About 11pm, I sent my girls to bed to try and get some sleep and promised them that I would stay awake so that I could keep watch and wake them if needed. David went to bed at his usual time, because he had to get up at his usual 2:00am time.  (Yes! I know it's a crazy time!)

As I continued to watch... this huge tornado crossed over into Georgia and was headed for the town of Rome. I immediately began praying for a family that we know that lives there. We have since learned that they are safe, but the nearby town of Ringgold, Georgia was not so lucky.

Soon, my attention turned closer to home as storms began to approach where we live. I watched as they got closer and closer. As they did... a Tornado Warning was issued for our area. Miranda was awake by then, unable to sleep. I told her to go wake Ashley as I went and woke David. We put our shoes on and gathered pillows and blankets. I even brought in the 3 bike helmets that we have, from the garage and one of David's old motorcycle helmets! We never put them on, but we had them ready to go! I also put the leashes and collars on the dogs.

The weather people always tell you to go to the lowest level of your house and/or into a center room, away from windows, doors and outside walls. Our house has one problem.... we do NOT have a center room!! My kitchen is in the center of my house, but it is exposed to windows and doors. But.... we decided that this would be the best place to be.

Our local news station did and EXCELLENT job of covering this storm! Since we didn't lose power, we continued to watch the TV as our weatherman watched and reported on the possible tornado that was forming near our house.

I stood in the kitchen and kept an eye on the TV and outside. I was watching for the wind to pick up, but it never really did. It looked like from the radar on TV that the storm was going to miss us, thankfully! We never really "hunkered down" in our safe place, but we were close enough to get there if needed.

The storm DID miss us and all we got was a little wind and a little rain. Unfortunately, this storm DID eventually produce a tornado that did damage in the next county over. I talked to a lady that I work with and a friend of hers lost her house to the tornado. Thankfully, her friend is ok.

Ashley and David went back to bed, but Miranda and I continued to watch as another line of storms was following the one that had just missed us. The storm came, but did not produce a tornado. We eventually went to bed, but only got about 4 hours of sleep.

This morning, I believe that I heard that this was the worst outbreak of tornadoes in over 40 years! I also heard that the tornado that hit Tuscaloosa Alabama and continued for so long.... packed winds of over 200 mph and was a mile wide! And.... it traveled for over 200 miles, doing damage as it went! Over 240 lives were lost.

I titled this post - Terror, Prayer, & Praise - because these were & are my feelings. Last night, was a night of "terror". I know that I was afraid and I can't imagine the amount of terror that the people in the path of these tornadoes must have had! I "prayed" for not only the safety of me & my own family, but for all others in the paths. I offered "praise" to God for keeping my family and those friends and family that I know, safe as well.

Today is a beautiful sun-shiny day. I am having trouble enjoying it tho, because I know that others are grieving and picking up the pieces of what was once their homes and their lives.

Here are a few photos that I found on MSN and other news sites. Please take a moment to say a prayer for all who lost loved ones, homes and businesses.

Cullman, Alabama

The tornado that hit Tuscaloosa, Alabama

What's left of a McDonald's in Ringgold, Georgia

A family sifts thru what is left of their home in Warm Springs, Georgia

Pratt City - A suburb of Birmingham, Alabama

Pleasant Grove, Alabama

A to Z Blog Challenge - W

Letter W

Weather

Right now the WEATHER is on my mind! We are at risk of tornadoes this evening and tonight and I am TERRIFIED of tornadoes!! I like thunderstorms, but NOT tornadoes! I get this from my mother who was always afraid of them. Because of her... I am a "weather watcher". She was this way and I guess I have taken on this trait from her. Before my mother had her stroke and "knew what was going on in the world"... she would always call me and say... "Have you heard about the weather?" It used to aggravate me, but now I understand why she did this. I get nervous when there is bad weather about and my family is scattered all over town! This morning, I made sure that I knew what my girls schedules were and what time that they would be home. I told them to "be aware of the weather" and "keep in touch if you are going to be late". **Smile**

Windows

The thought of the weather brings me to thought of "windows". I HAVE to be able to see out!! I do not like being in rooms that do not have windows for very long. This is ESPECIALLY true if bad weather is coming or already here! 

Wedding

This word came to my mind because of the upcoming Royal Wedding this week! Yes. We Americans (at least some of us!) are fascinated with royalty and the happenings with the Royal Family of Great Britain. For me... It is like they live the "fairytale" life that all little girls dream of! I was in high school when Princess Diana married Prince Charles. I remember thinking how "fairytale-like-ish" their wedding was and how in awe I was of her! I am wondering if I will have the same feelings when Miss Kate Middleton marries her Prince Charming - Prince William. I can't wait to see her dress! Here, where I live, the TV stations will start their coverage of the wedding at 4:00am!!! No.... I will not be getting up then to watch! I plan to DVR it, tho!! **Smile**

Weight

This is a word that dislike very much because I have struggled with my weight all of my adult life! I want so very badly to be thin! It just doesn't seem that I am supposed to be.

Water

I like to drink water, but I know that I don't drink enough of it. I get bored with it and want something with flavor! I really DO need to drink more of it, tho. Also... when I think of water... I think of bodies of water, such as the ocean or a lake, river, or swimming pool. I grew up living in apartments and we always had a swimming pool. From the time I was 3 years old until 12 years old... I had a swimming pool right outside my back door! It was great! I did go to the beach with my parents in the summer. We would go with my aunt, uncle & cousin who lived in Florida. We would mostly go to Clearwater Beach. I always liked the ocean, but never went too far out in it.This is still true today. Although.. I really only like it if the water is clear! I was never around lakes or rivers much as a child. As a teenager and young adult, I was more. As I have gotten older.... I really do NOT like rivers & lakes! I do not like them because I can not see what is IN the water! To me... rivers and lakes are NASTY!

A to Z Blog Challenge - V

Oops!! I'm a day late!!! Sorry about that!


Letter V

Vanilla

This is one of my very favorite scents!

Vet

We have had quite a few dogs over the years now, and I STILL dread taking them to the vet each time they have to go! The veterinarian (Vet) seems to almost always find something wrong with my beloved pets, and then he/she (right now it is a "she") makes me feel like I am this terrible "parent" that does not take care of my "child"! We were lucky this past time, when Jackson had to go. The vet didn't say anything negative about him. Whew!! Chester's turn is coming up in May. I sure hope that we can breeze thru that visit as well!

Vacuum

This is something that I have to do quite frequently because of us having long-haired dogs. I was thankful when David splurged last year and bought me a Dyson Animal vacuum cleaner! It does the job very well!

Volume

When it comes to the TV, my family is constantly fussing over how loud or how soft the volume should be. David is a bit hard of hearing, and prefers to have the TV turned up quite LOUD! This is fine, if there is a lot of noise in the house and you are trying to watch TV while cooking dinner. (My kitchen is open to my family room) But, if the house is quiet and the only noise is the TV..... there is no reason to have it up so loud! When I have control of the remote, I like to turn the volume down during comercials. Makes sense, right? :)

Vacation

One of my favorite words! Too bad these don't come around too often. Yes.... David and I "escape" every now and then for a night or two away, but I don't consider these "Vacations". To me... a vacation is when you go away for 4 to 5 days or more. Last year, my big vacation was to Orlando with the kids to go to Universal Studios. This year... David and I have a week planned in June to go camping at the beach.

WAY behind!!

Forgive me my fellow followers, for I have fallen WAY behind on my blog reading! I have had many things on my mind lately and unfortunately.... sitting down to read blog posts has taken a back seat! Please hang in there with me, for I have NOT forgotten you!!

Source

A to Z Blog Challenge - U

Letter U

Umbrellas

Sometimes I like them. Sometimes, I don't . Sometimes they are more of a "pain" than they are useful! For example.... I do not like using them if I know that I am going to be getting in and out of the car. I get MORE wet just trying to take down my umbrella and get it into the car, than if I had just not used it! If I am going to be getting in and out of the car frequently when it is raining, I would rather use my rain jacket. I remember when my girls were still riding in strollers when I went shopping at the mall. It was NEVER fun to have to deal with an umbrella AND a child in a stoller! The only time that I really like using an umbrella is when I know that I am going to be out in the rain for a while.

Unicorns

When I was a teenager, I collected these! I had unicorn figurines, posters, and even notebooks with unicorns on them! In my house now, you will only find one unicorn. It is a beautiful ceramic one that was a wedding gift from my mother. My girls think I was a bit "weird" for liking unicorns so much back then! LOL!

Underwear

When I think of this word, I think back to one of our first camping trips with our "camping friends". We were camping up in the mountains of north Georgia and one of my friends forgot to pack underwear for herself! The nearest town was very small and the only stores that might possibly carry ladies underwear were a grocery store and a drug store.... and neither of them did!! We ended up having to drive across a mountain to a bigger town to find a Walmart! We have some great memories from that trip!

Universal Studios

Last Summer, I took my girls and Rory to Florida so that we could visit Universal Studios. Our main objective was to go to Harry Potter World!! We had a wonderful trip!! One that we will never forget!

Unbelievable

This is a word that I use quite frequently. I use it for just about everything! Of course, I say it with much expression, like this.... "UN-BE-lievable!!!"

He is Risen!

But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him." (Mark 16:6)

May all of you feel God's peace and love on this glorious Easter morning!

Please read this beautiful blog post written by a mom who lost her 17 year old daughter to cancer just a few short months ago. Her post will bring you to tears, but you make you smile at the same time.

(click Kayla's name)

KAYLA