Right after I posted the last post,
about a couple hours later,
we sat down to have a miraculous Sunday dinner.
While eating our lights flickered a few times,
so Fielding and I took a look outside and it was a 80 degree day,
not much wind, and no rain..
It was sunny, with only a few clouds.
So, we thought nothing of it, and I started cleaning off Kruz
while Fielding was cleaning up leftovers when all of the sudden
Tornado sirens were roaring!
I was freaking out,
didn't think anything through, picked up Kruz and just ran for my life..
I ran to the closest tornado shelter,
and along the way I just remember Fielding yelling,
"Karissa, hand me Kruz!"
"Karissa, go grab your shoes!"
"Karissa, grab a jacket!"
and I thought,
"are you stupid? I am not stopping, there is a dang tornado right there!"
I saw it..
it was a funnel cloud,
it slowly made its way to the ground, and then went back up within 20 seconds..
I was running and thinking this whole time
how much this little boy in my arms really means to me..
What would seriously happen if this tornado gained time on me..
I finally got into the tornado shelter to find that I was the first one in there..
After a few seconds Fielding made it in,
and slowly people started trickling in..
For a tornado being in this town in 2011,
you'd think people would be smart enough to not just
stand outside admiring the murderer right in front of them.
Fielding was one of those..
He was video recording standing outside.
On the video you can actually hear me say
"Fielding, please come inside!"
"OH MY GOSH!"
"Fielding, SERIOUSLY come inside!"
I sat on a bench inside the tornado shelter that is made out of wood.
while I sat and tried to comfort Kruz,
and not show panic.
The tornado kept going up into the funnel cloud,
and then back down..
a new tornado was starting to form from the same funnel cloud,
and then within minutes,
the funnel clouds disappeared.
There were little kids crying,
people praying,
and people with plain fear on their face..
I didn't even know what to do with my emotions.
Luckily,
It didn't get too close to us.
But the tornado we were watching
(because of how clear the weather was..)
looked like it was about 1 mile away.
Comes to find out,
it was actually 10 miles away
in Oklahoma.
We had 3 tornados all around us.
Since we are on the border of 4 states
(Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri)
One that we saw in Oklahoma,
one that is in Kansas about 15 miles away,
and one that hit Arkansas
about 45 miles away.
and there are 16 deaths and are still counting.
We were definitely being blessed,
and watched over.
It actually surprised me how some of the locals
were walking around like nothing was going on.
It bothers me that people could play that close to death,
and just not care..
It was probably the scariest moment of being a mom,
running towards a tornado shelter with a baby in your arms..
After the tornado passed and everyone was walking back to their houses,
it started hailing about quarter sized hail.
then a little rain,
and within about 10 minutes,
the weather was back to sunny,
and hot.
I actually saw this old lady trying to make her way back into her apartment,
but she had a walker.
I told Fielding I was going to go back out and try to help her and to stay with Kruz.
I went out and helped this old lady back to her apartment,
and helped her get all settled,
and made my way back to my apartment.
Its so incredibly scary that you never know when a tornado might come.
Yeah we had warnings,
but with a day like yesterday I would of never guessed
it would of turned so fast.
This morning I went into our apartment office,
and filled out new forms for our new car being parked here.
She then said
" I am not trying to freak you out, but you definitely
will be using the shelters about 10 more times,
in the next few months.."
are you kidding?
I dont want to have to do this again and again..
It was so super scary.
I am super scared to have Kruz sleep in his room,
I am super scared to take a shower..
I am super scared to even leave my house.
I am super scared of everything today.
Fielding actually told me he forgot a lunch,
and wanted me to pick something up for him..
So, I went to walmart and found something,
and found a cute swimming suit cover,
and went to go try it on..
While in the dressing room,
the lights started to flicker,
and I can't tell you how freaking fast I was out of walmart after that..
I am a scaredy pants now,
but I guess that you might not fully understand until
you have personally feared for your safety when seeing one coming your way.
I am praying in thankfulness that we are safe,
and always blessing all of those people
that have lost absolutely everything,
in the tornadoes yesterday.
I am blessing all of those families that have to
get used to living without a loved one,
and blessing all of those search and rescuers that they
can find everything they are searching for!
So when you get the chance,
please take a minute to pray for everyone involved.