Memories of "normal" memories of "tragedy"

Well, this week I started packing up what nots and dishes. Actually my sister, Sheila came on Tuesday and we had a great time together talking old times and sharing memories. You know you can acquire a lot of stuff in 32 years of marriage...some useful and some NOT useful. I have decided I am a horder, maybe I should go on that show, the one that has like a 12 step program, well trust me I'd need more like a 24 step progam with all the stuff I have. But some of this stuff I just can't depart with, I collect salt and pepper shakers, roosters & chickens, cookie jars, tins, and lots of dust. I can tell you where I got each item I have collected over the years. If they were from a friend I can tell you who gave it to me. Some of you may be wondering why I am boxing up all these things and I'd love to share the WHY with you.....
I would like you start with July 27, 2009, that day will be remembered as the last day of normal for my life and the life of my family. I was scheduled to keep my youngest daughter, Meredith's children; Brayden and Kenadi for the day while she worked. The kids and I decided to go meet their Mom and Pop for lunch and on the way over to Andalusia, Brayden threw up in the car and I pulled over and cleaned him up and we continued on our way to meet Meredith and Pop for lunch. We went to a pizza place and Brayden and Kenadi loved this time with Meredith and of course they were on their best behavior and was friendly to every one they came into contact with. After lunch we headed back to the house and they napped until around 3 pm and My oldest daughter and her family came up to spend time with us. Ashton, Grayson, Brennon, Brayden, & Kenadi and Hannah & I got into the pool and swam for an hour and we got out and we sliced a watermellon and the kids sat on the steps of the porch and ate their mellon and they were so cute spitting out/or trying to spit the seeds out. I think Kenadi ate more seeds than the others. When they were finished with the mellon they took their rinds around to feed to my two goats, Larado and Lilli. I don't know who enjoyed it more the kids or the goats. The day was just beautiful, sunny & not too hot, the butterflies were all over the yard and the little ones chased them, they played ball and they did bubbles...oh that was one of their favorite things to do. When it was time for all to go home, I never expected this to be the last best day of our lives. That night as Rickey and I lay in the bed we talked about how blessed we were, great kids, great grandkids, great church family, GOD is good.
Wednesday July 29, 2009 The best start of a day/ the worst never ending nightmare. I was scheduled to keep Brayden and Kenadi and I had them breakfast ready when they got here, scrambled eggs, toast with jelly, and bacon. They watched their favorite shows on tv as they ate their breakfast. Kenadi was sitting on the quilt on the floor answering "no" to the tv show, while Brayden was standing on the couch telling her "yes sissy", she turned around to him and said "ack DD" turned back to the tv and changed her no to yes. They were so funny with each other...always happy, always together, always made me smile! I called Hannah to see if they wanted to come up and let the kids play together and let Jeremy work in his NEW SHOP. I fixed lunch, we had shrimp, chicken strips, corn on the cob, potatoes and green beans for dessert strawberry jello. We sat around the table the kids said grace together, Brayden, Kenadi and Brennon were like triplets, Brennon was born 5 days after the twins. We also have another granddaughter Addison she was born three months before the other 3 and she lives in North Alabama, but when we can all get together it is so special, seeing the "quads" play together. Please invision the setting..Ashton 8, Grayson 6, Brayden 2, Kenadi 2, Brennon 2, Jeremy, Hannah, and Me all at my dining room table that day, eating, laughing, and enjoying the moment...we laughed at Kenadi chasing a small piece of jello all around the outside of her mouth with her tongue, she finally got it in, they all love what we had for lunch..it was a great time. As I was cleaning up the kitchen, Hannah changed all the kids diapers and Ashton and Grayson watched tv in their tv room, and the "three" went down for their nap on the treasured quilt in the living room. Brennon was the first to go to sleep, Kenadi was lying on her tummy looking at me from the side, smiling with her big brown eyes and Brayden was talking, I said "Brayden you gotta take a nap", he said "nana I wanna talk", by this time Kenadi was asleep and I told Brayden again he had to take a nap, He started saying "I love mama, I love daddy, I love sissy, I love bb (Brennon), I love addison,I love nana, I love pop, I love ashton, I love grayson,I love gretchen (my dog). He finally went off to sleep...They slept and the older kids went out with Jeremy and swam until a thunder storm came up and they rushed in and it rained and rained..Hannah and Jeremy loaded their 3 up in the rain, it's almost 4 and it's a church night, so off they went...I locked the storm door, Brayden and Kenadi and me played ball in the house, we played horsey, we played get ya, and we ended up in my room playing with the ball, Brayden on one side of the bed, Kenadi on the other and I on the bed with the ball playig keep away...they soon spotted the M&M machine and wanted some so we went into the kitchen and got their bowls, blue for Brayden and pink for Kenadi, they took them and got them some M&M's while I fixed them a drink. They sat down on the quilt in front of the tv watching sponge bob, I told them Nana gotta go tt and the next thing I heard was splash splash, I rushed up and into the living room and they were NOT in front of the tv, I looked towards the door and it was open, I ran out and they were floating in the pool. OH LORD...help me, I climbed in and got them out, started CPR, I had to pick them up and carry them inside to get to a phone, I worked on them inside and had no service, took them out worked on them got phone service got 911 moved them back inside and continued working on them and talking to 911 until they arrived. I prayed for some one to show up to help, God sent some one. The Lord brought them home to Him; Kenadi July 29 and Brayden July 30. Our world will NEVER be normal as we knew it. God is our refuge and our strength, He is the "how" I'm getting through this. I rely on Him for the grace to go on day by day. I knew Him before this tragedy, but I really KNOW Him now!

Judgement House

We have been having "Judgement House" at our church this week. On Wednesday we had 309 people to walk through and there was 90 decisions made to follow Christ. Thursday we had 328 to walk through and 65 decisons for Christ. Tonight we will have our last performance and I'm praying for more people to come and more added to God's kingdom.