Little Rays Of Sunshine (after a day of darkness)

Since the tornado that destroyed much of Vilonia and Mayflower, Arkansas -Sunday, April 27)  my son's family have had little bits of happiness just falling all over them. It has been nothing short of amazing. This mug is just one of many of those happy moments. It was found on their property intact with only a tiny chip on the bottom. It is a photo of the whole family: Shane, Krissy, Alayna, Brooklyn and Lilly, taken about 4 years ago.

It is special for several reasons.
#1 there are few pictures with all 5 of them.
#2 my mother had it made several years ago for Christmas and one for me, as well.
#3 just the fact that it survived such a violent storm - a reminder of the strength of their family and they will be even stronger.
#4 with losing everything, finding any momento has become precious to them, reminders of what once was.

Then there is the bunny. A very nice lady found the bunny and took the time finding the owner which just happened to be my granddaughter, Lilly! She went as far as posting it on KARK4 NEWS
My daughter in law saw it and they have been reunited. She went above and beyond to get this bunny back to her. She posted it on 6 different sites and 2 news stations. She says her faith has changed forever. She and my daughter in law are now friends on Facebook. Neat story.

One of the neatest things have been all the pictures showing up - up to 150 miles away! Smithville, Pocahontas, Walnut Ridge, Batesville. Crazy but so exciting! People are being wonderful taking the time to post to the Arkansas Tornado Lost and Found and then promising to mail to owners.

So even though it has been a very tough and emotional week for them, they have found renewed faith in people, each other, but most importantly - in God. God is Good All The Time...All The time - God is Good!

Again - My Hometown, Vilonia, Arkansas - REALITY

It is so hard to wrap my head around - the surreal events that have taken place since Sunday, April 27, 2014. Only 3 years since my hometown of Vilonia, Arkansas - went through this same thing - my son and his sweet family losing everything AGAIN. How can this happen? I don't know - but it did.
Tornado 2011 (3 years and 2 days to be exact)



It has taken me this long to sit still and type this post - mainly because I don't even know how to go through it all, even though I have told the story a hundred times and answered so many questions.

But - in a nutshell - The town is devastated. Literally.  Homes, businesses, buildings that have been there all my life. I grew up there. I graduated from there in 1978. My parents still live there as did my son and his family. Thankfully, my parents home was not hit. Praising God that none of my family were injured or worse. So many can not say that. There was loss of life. Two young boys. A father protecting his family in the bathtub. There were others. Some who lost their homes for the 2nd time with no insurance. Thank the Lord, my son was covered. He lost his brand new truck - again, covered. Those are replaceable items.

In the last tornado they were able to salvage a few personal items - photo albums, guns, bibles, baby memorabilia - things that were tucked under the bed and just managed to make it. This time there was NOTHING left - and their beautiful Boston Terrier, Mia - was in there. She is no where to be found. We have posted her pictures and info on the Facebook Tornado Lost and Found Pets and so many are being reunited with their families - but so far, no Mia. Their home imploded (most likely) since there was nothing at all left. This was a brand new double wide that they bought after the last tornado - bricked around the bottom, anchored - deck built on - over 2500 square feet. GONE.

Read Examiner.com story about Mia

There has been good news, though. Photos are showing up as far as 150 miles away! There is also a Facebook page called Tornado Lost and Found Photos & Documents - and I happened on 3 on the first day! I was so excited to tell my daughter in law and have since been in touch with the  people who are finding the photos. As of this writing there have been 5 photos found. Hard to believe! I have spent my evenings pouring over FB finding photos of people I know and letting them know. I feel like I am doing something - I am 500 miles away. I have talked to so many people that don't even know me - they are a friend of a friend of a friend kind of thing. I have put them in touch with people who I know have needs that are different than my families needs. People with babies that need formula, diapers and baby items. People who have horses and cows. It helps me to feel a part of it.

A photo found 128 miles away in Pocahantas, Arkansas

Friends have been wonderful to them. Strangers have been wonderful to them. It is amazing.
A friend is giving me a "like new" 3 story Barbie house for my 7 year old granddaughter who lost the 2 story Barbie house I got her for her birthday a year ago. It belonged to her daughter and it has been in her attic - waiting for a yardsale - I am so appreciative of her generousity. My Lilly Pie will be so happy.
I am putting together individual "personal" boxes to mail for each of the 3 granddaughters and I have friends wanting to contribute. Another gave me $100 to buy gift cards to add to the mix. Such kindness shown for my family.A man my husband works with handed him $100 to give. He has never even seen a picture of my family to my knowledge. I have an envelope of money to wire them that is mind boggling, to say the list, from one friend that I know would prefer me not to mention. She is just that way. A HUGE heart for people. God Bless her!

Other good news - my son's friend who he grew up with had an empty rental trailer that they can stay in until insurance is settled and they can buy a house. They only had to stay with friends one night - here we are 3 days later and they have a place to lay their head, a washer and dryer, microwave, table and chairs and air mattresses to sleep on. They are comfortable. It is much much smaller than what they were used to for 5 people but the are OK with that! They have personally been given so much already. People coming from all over specifically to see that they get the items they are bringing. My son has had so many calls - and he tells them to "bring it on" If they can't use it - they will make sure it gets to some one that can. There is a need for anything and everything you can think of.


As for the hometown people - it is amazing to see the help they are being given. People have stopped their lives to volunteer. People from all over the state. Even outside the state of Arkansas. Chruches, Red Cross, National Guard, schools, missions, businesses - all pitching in to help. It is heartwarming.
I hear people are BBQing all over the place. I know there is food set up in tents every where.

It makes me proud. My husband and I plan to retire in 5 years. We know we want to live closer to my family. My husband says he always thought he would like the small town life and now he KNOWS he wants to.

My son's land - everything gone.

****EDIT - today my daugher in law told me they found this mug on their land and it only has a tiny chip on the bottom. It has a picture of the whole family - Shane, Krissy, Alayna, Brooklyn and Lilly.
WOW! I told Krissy I see this as a sign from God - they will come back stronger than ever.

My Hometown - Vilonia, Arkansas

April 25, 2011 -

At 3:45 p.m. I called my son just to chat - having no idea that he would be glued to the weather news, trying to decide whether to load up his little family of 5 and head to my parents so they would be close to shelter if the storms decided to become more threatening. He was just home from his job in Alaska a few days and we were talking about how it had rained every single day since he had been home and it was hampering all his plans to catch up on all the things he wanted to do on his 2 week break from work. (hunting, fishing) After about a 5 minute conversation he told me he really needed to go so he could concentrate on the weather and make a decision - he didn't want to wait too late. My advice was to go with his gut, if he felt like they should go - then go! Just be careful and be safe!

A couple of hours later I received a text from my mom that they were all in the church basement just right up the road from their home. The sirens were blaring - they were now under a tornado warning. I was so thankful that they were all together as I am 500 miles away from my family and it makes me feel so much better when I know where each one is during times like this.

We texted back and forth for the next couple of hours - my husband and I had been watching the weather channel since 5 p.m. and I was texting them what the weather channel was reporting. There were so many people at the church - electricity was gone so no news available for them. Every one was getting texts from friends or family. As we watched the WC it was showing that Vilonia specifically was right in the path of a huge tornado and the path it was taking was straight through where my son and his family live. Not long after, rumors were flying at the church that a tornado had gone through and first address given out that had been demolished was the home directly across from my son! Of course there was no way of knowing at that time if it was true or not. It was a wait and see and hope and pray situation.

Once the worst was over and every one could return home - news was spreading quickly about how hard certain areas were hit. Very soon the main hwy. was closed - 18 wheelers turned over and trees blocking the roads every where. When I talked to my son, he and his wife were on their way to their place, going back roads - through flooding - to try to see if they had a home left to go back to. At midnight - he called me and his exact words "it's gone, mom". Heartbreaking...but on the other hand - we were rejoicing that they were safe! Thank God for his gut feeling that this was going to be a "bad one". He just had "that feeling". The emotions were running wild - happy, sad, scared, worried - one after the other.

They have friends who met them there at their land and with flashlights they went through what they could and started trying to save things...important papers, her jewelry, guns. They worked almost all night and then were back at daylight working straight through the day - with even more friends and family helping them salvage what they could. They found the girls baby books under a bed - dry. They have 3 girls and their rooms were destroyed - very little salvagable. They were able to get hang up clothes from their closet. They took lots of pictures and filed their claim. They were in shock and they were so thankful to be alive and they were so saddened to see so many of their belongings destroyed. It was over 24 hours before they could tell the girls, who were with my mom. (4, 9 & 11) The whole roof was gone - the double wide was split open - it was moved about 40 feet from where it was originally grounded.

Then the help arrived - National Guard - Red Cross - Volunteers from all over - food pouring in - clothing donations, toiletries - you name it! Vilonia people came together as one and the helping hands began to reach out to those in need. Neighbor helped neighbor, stranger helped stranger. They became instant family.

As I type this - it is day 4 - the work continues - the help is still there. My son's land is already leveled thanks to volunteers with bulldozers offering their services - going from one destruction site to another. AMAZING!

I am truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support shown my family. It will be a couple of weeks until I am able to go myself - it is hard to be so far away and not be able to physically do my part to help.

Most of all - I am thankful to God for protecting my son, daughter in law and 3 beautiful granddaughters. I am thankful for my parents for being there for them - for their safety and their home being untouched. I am thankful for all my friends who have supported ME here - knowing how hard it is for me to be so far away. ♥

Video of what was left of my son's mobile home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNeFCDGVEic