Rest and Relief

Words cannot really express how thankful we are to be home and dry. The pictures of the flood have been heartbreaking. To know that there are many more towns affected even worse gives me pain in my stomach. We took a walk last night to see the height of the damage on our block. The sight of water up in people's homes just made me sad. Not just any water either. It smelled so bad, like paint and sewer. It was thick brown muck. Today, the water is down and still dropping even with the storm we had again last night. I woke up in the middle of the night to thunder so loud it made me jump in my bed and lightning so close I was certain would wake the kids. They assured me this morning that they slept through it. Thank goodness. We took a drive out of town today and crossed the bridges where we could see that the river is still about two rivers wide. It looks so terrible from above, a view we haven't had except in pictures. Coming back into town, we drove again by the street that was covered by water to see that it had finally gone down. There were dumpsters everywhere filled with soaked and muddy belongings. Curbs are overflowing with drenched furniture. The firetrucks are pumping water back over the levy where it leaked a bit. People are still walking around just in shock observing the devastation. It's so surreal. I don't think I will be able to pass by a newspaper or listen to an announcement about disaster and not be impacted to a higher degree than ever before. I was telling my sister that when you're in the middle of something like this, it makes you realize what's important in life. Not our stuff, not our home, but our family and our safety. Yes, it would have been so sad to lose things, but they are things, and that's all. We had a nice night with our friends (thank you Toepfers) and the kids were sad to pack up and come home. 

I have not been more thankful for my home than I am right now.