Playing in the Aftermath

We had to stay at Brady's parent's house since we didn't have any power or water to our home.  Tuesday night we sat out and watched Kolton ride his bike.  He saw this puddle and asked if he could ride through it.  We told him sure and then that quickly turned in to him playing in it.  He had a blast!

On the 22nd I took Kolton down to Norman to get some snocones at Eskimo Sno.  He was supposed to go with his school to get snocones that week but school was canceled because of the tornado.  It didn't take us that long to get down to Norman but it sure did take us a long time to get back up to Moore! So many people stopped on the interstate just looking at the damage.  Brady had had Tuesday off of work but had to go back on Wednesday and help clean up their bank.  So many families and companies and churches had set up food stations and were giving free food to people cleaning up.  Brady was shocked at how much people were doing for others. 

 On Wednesday, the 23rd, the schools had an open house type thing were you could come say goodbye to your teachers and collect your things.  Kolton was excited that his friend, Karli, was there and he got to say goodbye to her. 

 These were his teachers, Mr. Alex (teacher's assistant) and Mrs. Holleyman.  He loved them and was sad the year was over. 

 Kade came by our house after he went to his school to get his things.  Brittney could only stay for a little bit because she had things she needed to do so Kolton asked if Kade could stay longer.  So, Kolton and Kade got to play for a few hours that afternoon. 

 That evening we walked to Lillian's grave (you couldn't drive on 4th street).  Kolton wanted to take her balloons like we've done in the past but we couldn't get to the dollar store to get some inflated so Kolton cut some out of foam sheets for her.  Unfortunately it was all covered in water from all the rain we had been getting so we couldn't leave them for her. 

 Her grave is right there in the middle of the big puddle.  ;) 

And this is just a picture of the houses by the cemetery (which is literally across the street from our street) that got hit by the tornado. 

On May 24th, Kolton and I went to the Himes to hang out.  The kids went out to play and got COVERED in mud! It was hilarious! Always a crazy good time at the Hime's house.  Jill is much nicer than I am.  Kolton still has tan marks from the mud that day.  Since it was the beginning of the summer he wasn't tan or anything and so where the mud was is still lighter than the rest of his body because of the tan he got that day.  Too funny!

May 20th

May 20th we were supposed to have some bad weather.  I dropped Kolton off at pre-k and then went home and started doing some work.  Brady's dad called me at like 2:15 and said it was coming soon and I should probably pick Kolton up and come to their house.  I got to his school right before they stopped letting kids check their kids out.  I'm so glad I got there in time.  After that kids were kept there until after 5:00 when the tornado was gone and had died down.  I can't even imagine Kolton being stuck at his school.  He would have been terrified.  I'm just so glad to have had him at home.  As I was driving to Brady's parents house it started raining super hard and it was hard to see.  We got there at about 2:45 or so.  The tornado touched down a little before 3:00.   

It didn't get real close to his parent's house but you could still see it.  I was freaking out, though, because it was headed right towards Brady's work.  On the news they kept saying that it was going to go right where he was.  Brady got some pretty crazy pictures and video on his phone of it.  Luckily it turned just a little right before it got to his bank.  

This is the hospital.  

When Brady got off work he came home and then he, his dad, and Dylen tried to go check our house to see if it was damaged or if we had power etc.  They had to park a couple miles away and walk the whole way there.  The tornado went right in between Brady's work and our house which are a mile apart.  So crazy!

Our yard was covered in stuff like this.  Wood, gutters, tons and tons of insulation and shingles.  Just everything.  We didn't have any power or water at our house.  

The right corner of this picture is the 7-11 that is on the corner of 4th street and Telephone road (or was, I guess).  This is half a mile from us.    

Someone posted this picture on Facebook of Veteran's park.  This was one of Kolton's favorite parks to go to.  It had the big blue slide that he loved.  The other park we'd go to right across the street from our house (Little River Park) is gone too.  

These are pictures of the Orr Family Farm.  

Honestly, I'm not writing much about this and I should probably write more, but it was a sad sad day.  The tornado was on the ground for 17 miles and was over a mile wide.  24 people died (9 of which were children and 7 of those children were at an elementary school).  237 people were injured and had to go to the hospital.  There was over $1 billion in damage.  It became an F-5 tornado really close to our home.  Just scary.  

Mother's Day; Last Soccer Game

May 11th we decided to make our pregnancy "facebook official." Haha.  Our friends were so supportive and excited for us! I couldn't believe how many people commented on our posts and were so happy for us.  It was fun to finally feel comfortable enough to let everyone know that we were expecting a baby! We had wanted this for so many years and were so happy to be able to tell everyone now that the cerclage was in place and had gone well. 

 May 12th was Mother's Day.  Sweet Brady and Kolton gave me new pots and pans! I needed some so very badly and was very excited to get them! They are super nice and work really well! I had been looking for some for a while but all of the stainless steel ones had bad reviews when it came to their temperature controlled handles.  I really didn't want ones that I had to use a hot pad to hold the handle because they got so hot.  The ones Brady and Kolton got me, however, don't get hot at all and I love it!

 Kolton doesn't play video games very often, really, but when he does, he gets way in to them!

 On May 15th we went to the library with the Foys.  Kolton and Kade put on a puppet show for me.  It was too cute.  They would just say "Hi! I'm a turtle" or whatever they were.  Then they'd make them jump high or something and that was it. 

 May 16th, Kolton said to me "Mom, you know what I noticed? You're beautiful." He's so sweet.  Loves to give me compliments.  He loves to love on his mom for sure. 

He sure did love the puppies too! When we'd bring them in for one on one time with us he'd lay on the floor and let them just crawl and jump all over him and he'd just laugh and giggle the whole time.  He thought it was pretty cool that they loved to play with him so much. 

May 18th Kolton had his last soccer games.  He had one in the morning and then had a little break and then another one. 

We were the first ones there and so Kolton and Brady went on the field and played with each other.  Brady loves to play soccer with Kolton and teach him new things and give him tips and whatnot. 

 The first team we played we've actually played before and they stomped us.  They are amazing and all the kids are really focused on playing well and are all naturally athletic.  We lost again, but I don't think we lost by as many points as the first time we played them. 

 After the first game we took a team picture.  Ethan's dad was the assistant coach but he couldn't be there so he isn't in the picture.  From left to right:

Coach Kevin, Kolton, Cody, Beckett, Kade, Ethan, and Evan. 

 After pictures we left and got some donuts with the kids for an "end of season party." They all liked that.  :)

Our last game we actually beat the other team pretty good.  I think it was 5-0 (but it was a while ago so I can't exactly remember...). Kolton played the entire game except for literally the last minute.  He scored 2 of his team's goals.  It was a good end to the season. 

 

 Then later that afternoon, my friend Jill had been teaching her neighbor with the missionaries about the church, and she was getting baptized.  Her son also happened to be in Kolton's pre-k class so we knew her too. Kolton and I went to the baptism and I'm glad we did.  There is always such a strong spirit at baptisms.  I love it. 

Sunday, May 19th, we had to go to the Brammers because there was supposed to be severe weather.  We actually had to get in the shelter a couple of times because of circulation that passed over us.  Luckily no tornadoes came through our town but one did go through Shawnee and did quite a bit of damage.  Kolton gets really nervous when we have to get in the shelter.  I think because then he knows that it is actually serious. 

 We did get some pretty good sized hail.  Kolton collected some for us.  :)