What a week

I feel like the past few weeks I've ended each post with a "maybe next week will be better." This IS NOT the week things got better. I'm sure you're all aware that Nashville and the Middle Tennessee area were hit by a tornado outbreak in the early hours Tuesday morning. In all, there were 7 tornados ranging from EF0-EF4's. An EF3 came through our neighborhood. Around 12:40am Tuesday morning, every device in our house started buzzing... we jumped up and turned on the television - there was a tornado on the ground about 5 miles from our house and it was heading our way. We made the call to move to our basement. They named our cross street. We watched and we waited. Luckily, the storm turned and continued East. The pictures started coming in - all our favorites had been in the path. The most beautiful street, filled with homes nearly 100 years old - severely damaged. Nora's favorite pizza place - destroyed. The church where my goddaughter was christened and where we spend Easter with friends - destroyed. My heart ached. Here's a map showing the path... the pink dot is our house - probably a mile and a half (the way the crows fly). 

Nora started asking questions that night and into the following days. Farmer and I love meteorology so we took a very scientific approach in telling her what tornadoes are and what can happen. It's been interesting watching her little brain work. 

This is a beautiful article that articulates what it's like to live in this great city.

Here are some photos I captured while out and about.

Not my photo. This was the morning after.

This was a cute little shop, if you look closely, you can still see clothes hanging.

Friends from all around were set up around the neighborhood serving up food for residents and volunteers.

The pile of rubble... that was an elementary school (high school and middle school weren't damaged). What if this storm came during the day??

All that remained of this house was the bathroom. All these homes had basements and there were no fatalities in this neighborhood... shockingly.

School was canceled on Tuesday - as it should have been. But getting back in was much needed. Some normalcy. We were in the middle of Read Across America so there were lots of themed dress-up days this week. Wacky Wednesday:

Career Day was Friday (she wants to be a veterinarian).

Friday night we had our first sleepover with our BFF. She had a blast. She was exhausted the next day, but I think she would proclaim it a success.

Farmer and I wanted to volunteer with clean-up, so Nora got to spend the day with Sissy. 

Crash at Sissy's.

 Craft at Sissy's.