Friday, May 6, 2011
May is Here and Jackson is ONE!!!!
Here are a few pictures from this week. Jackson turned one on the 4th!!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Jackson's Birthday Party and Turning One!!
We had Jackson's birthday party on Saturday, April 30 at our city hall. We were a little worried about the power situation but we were so thankful that the power was restored to that section of town on Friday. We got up early Saturday morning and went to city hall to set up everything. It only took us about 2 hours since much of the work had been done the night before. We decorated with balloons and some of Ray's old toys. Everything was in primary colors and we served sandwiches with all the fixings, chicken salad, pasta salad, chips, dip, and cake. Jackson tried a pickle for the first time and one can only imagine the look on his face. Needless to say, he didn't care for them very much. We gathered and ate, enjoyed cake, and opened gifts. Jackson had his on little smash cake that he played in for a couple of minutes before deciding that just wasn't for him. He was really interested in opening his gifts because he was too busy chasing around one of his balls that we brought from home. Will came to the party and went home with his "Manny Manny" (Handy Manny) ball. He was so cute. I think he enjoyed the party as well. We had a very nice turnout for the party - Nana, Papa, MiMi, Pops, Great Mee-Maw and Paw Paw, Great Granddaddy and Granny, Great-Great Grandmother, Aunt Katie, Kathy, Nanny Toot, Aunt Sandra, Jodie, Drew, Tamra, Summer, Amanda, Will, Susan, and Uncle Tyler. At the end of the party, we loaded up the cars to go home and before we could finish loading up, Jackson was sound asleep in his car seat. Here are a few pictures from that day:
Remembering...
Continuing to remember the State of Alabama:
You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are
You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are
You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
April 27, 2011
This was a day that changed the lives of many people in the state of Alabama. Early that morning, Jackson, Queenie and I found ourselves sitting in the laundry room because of the threat of a tornado. I was dressed for work and had just gotten Jackson up and changed. We sat in the laundry room for about 5 minutes because the storm was moving so fast. As it past, I could here the doors in the house rattling. After the storm passed, I found that rain has blown in under one of our doors and through the doorknob. Our neighborhood had suffered no damage with the exception of a few missing shingles, etc...nothing compared to what would happen over the course of the day. At this point, I didn't realize the damage that had occurred only 2 neighborhoods over from us. I found out that many homes were damaged, power lines mangled, and the steeple blown off our church (along with other damage). MK called and said a tree had landed on the corner of her house. Amanda texted to see if we were ok. Texted Mary to see if she was ok. Everyone was ok!!! For which we are very thankful. I had to report to work for a couple of hours even though we had no power there. We were sent home early because of the power issue as well as the threat of an even worse storm headed our way in the afternoon. Later that evening as more and more tornadoes were spawned and a huge path of destruction was being created across the state, we were sitting at home watching debris fall from the sky. There were reports of this debris coming from as far as away as Tuscaloosa. The path of April's Fury storm was enormous. There were over 263 tornadoes reports in 6 states on that day - 23 in Alabama. A couple of in Alabama were reported to be F4 and F5s. Nineteen counties in Alabama were affected, 250+ people dead, over 300 still missing, over 5,000 homes and businesses in Tuscaloosa destroyed.
Our hearts are heavy for the people in all areas across Alabama. Many lives lost and even more lives changed forever. Here are some of the pictures from Moody:
From AL.com on Monday, May 2:
"As National Weather Service teams continue Tuesday to survey the damage from last week's storms, the number of confirmed tornadoes climbed Monday to 23 statewide. Government analysts said Monday there were 362 tornadoes nationwide during last week's outbreak, including a record-setting 312 in one 24-hour period. According to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, between 8 a.m. Wednesday and the same time Thursday, 340 people were killed in the storms. That makes April 27, 2011, the deadliest single day for tornadoes since the March 18, 1925, tornado outbreak that left 747 dead in seven states.
In Alabama, the official death toll Monday was 236 people killed in the storms, according to the state Emergency Management Agency. Another 2,219 people were injured. Spokeswoman Yasamie August said the state agency was double-checking fatality reports from its county emergency management directors.
As the share of Alabama that came under federal disaster area declaration broadened to 36 counties Monday, Gov. Robert Bentley planned to address the tornado damage during a joint session of the Legislature Tuesday at 6 p.m. Charities, businesses and individuals continued to reach out Monday to help provide for those who had lost everything in the storms. Among visitors to the area was controversial actor Charlie Sheen, who toured Tuscaloosa to survey the damage and drum up help for storm victims.
The storms that swept across the state and the south Wednesday included an EF-5 twister, the strongest of tornadoes, which killed at least 26 people when 200 mph winds swept across 132 miles, from Marion County into Tennessee. "That's as big as it gets; that occurs rarely in the history books," climatologist John Christy said. "It's one of those systems that only comes along every few decades."
Reports from weather service storm survey teams painted a disturbing picture of the devastating power of those storms. An EF-4 tornado swung through Greene, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties, killing 65 people and leaving an 80-mile-long path of destruction in Alabama. That storm system started in Newton, Miss. and ended 7½ hours later after traveling a total of 380 miles to Macon County, North Carolina. Two EF-4 tornadoes left large swaths of destruction in central Alabama, killing at least 12 people. One passed through Cordova, destroyed two mobile homes and a house, flipped a bulldozer, tossed a pickup truck 200 yards and a dump truck 50 yards -- destroying it and leaving a 2½ foot crater in the ground. As it approached U.S. 78, the tornado tossed two more mobile homes at least 100 yards before continuing through Cullman, Marshall and Morgan counties. A few miles north of Arab, that tornado destroyed a large storage shed, picked up the farm equipment inside and slung the large machinery 10 to 20 yards. As it continued its violent path toward Union Grove, 190 mph winds destroyed a cinder block home and sent the debris flying more than 50 yards. Several large trees were ripped out of the ground and haven't been found, and some concrete power poles were bent over at the base. A gas station was demolished and two pumps were ripped from the ground and are missing. Weather service meteorologist Mary Keiser, who participated in storm surveys in Bibb and Hale counties, said it is difficult to see such destruction. "These are people's lives," Keiser said. "You're trying to go there as a scientist, but this isn't just something you see on a radar screen."
As officials continued to tally the damage from Wednesday's tornadoes, efforts to help those affected by the storms also continued. FEMA has awarded more than $2 million in housing assistance in Alabama, which can include rental payments for temporary housing for people whose homes are un-livable, grants for home repairs, or replacement of essential household items to make the damaged building safe, sanitary and functional, FEMA spokeswoman Denise Everhart said. More than $1 million also has been awarded for other needs assistance, including grants to pay for things such as medical, dental, funeral and transportation expenses not covered by insurance, she said. The cost of removing debris in the city of Birmingham alone could run as high as $10 million, Mayor William Bell said Monday. Bell imposed a curfew in parts of the city affected by last week's tornado. People will not be allowed to enter or leave tornado-ravaged areas between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. However, reasonable exceptions will be made for residents in those areas who are traveling to or from work or school, Birmingham Police Chief. A.C. Roper said. As of 5 p.m. Monday, 24,139 Alabama Power customers remained without power, including 10,647 in Jefferson and Shelby counties, said spokeswoman Hallie Bradley. That's down from a peak of 412,229 at the height of the storms."
Our hearts are heavy for the people in all areas across Alabama. Many lives lost and even more lives changed forever. Here are some of the pictures from Moody:
From AL.com on Monday, May 2:
"As National Weather Service teams continue Tuesday to survey the damage from last week's storms, the number of confirmed tornadoes climbed Monday to 23 statewide. Government analysts said Monday there were 362 tornadoes nationwide during last week's outbreak, including a record-setting 312 in one 24-hour period. According to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, between 8 a.m. Wednesday and the same time Thursday, 340 people were killed in the storms. That makes April 27, 2011, the deadliest single day for tornadoes since the March 18, 1925, tornado outbreak that left 747 dead in seven states.
In Alabama, the official death toll Monday was 236 people killed in the storms, according to the state Emergency Management Agency. Another 2,219 people were injured. Spokeswoman Yasamie August said the state agency was double-checking fatality reports from its county emergency management directors.
As the share of Alabama that came under federal disaster area declaration broadened to 36 counties Monday, Gov. Robert Bentley planned to address the tornado damage during a joint session of the Legislature Tuesday at 6 p.m. Charities, businesses and individuals continued to reach out Monday to help provide for those who had lost everything in the storms. Among visitors to the area was controversial actor Charlie Sheen, who toured Tuscaloosa to survey the damage and drum up help for storm victims.
The storms that swept across the state and the south Wednesday included an EF-5 twister, the strongest of tornadoes, which killed at least 26 people when 200 mph winds swept across 132 miles, from Marion County into Tennessee. "That's as big as it gets; that occurs rarely in the history books," climatologist John Christy said. "It's one of those systems that only comes along every few decades."
Reports from weather service storm survey teams painted a disturbing picture of the devastating power of those storms. An EF-4 tornado swung through Greene, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties, killing 65 people and leaving an 80-mile-long path of destruction in Alabama. That storm system started in Newton, Miss. and ended 7½ hours later after traveling a total of 380 miles to Macon County, North Carolina. Two EF-4 tornadoes left large swaths of destruction in central Alabama, killing at least 12 people. One passed through Cordova, destroyed two mobile homes and a house, flipped a bulldozer, tossed a pickup truck 200 yards and a dump truck 50 yards -- destroying it and leaving a 2½ foot crater in the ground. As it approached U.S. 78, the tornado tossed two more mobile homes at least 100 yards before continuing through Cullman, Marshall and Morgan counties. A few miles north of Arab, that tornado destroyed a large storage shed, picked up the farm equipment inside and slung the large machinery 10 to 20 yards. As it continued its violent path toward Union Grove, 190 mph winds destroyed a cinder block home and sent the debris flying more than 50 yards. Several large trees were ripped out of the ground and haven't been found, and some concrete power poles were bent over at the base. A gas station was demolished and two pumps were ripped from the ground and are missing. Weather service meteorologist Mary Keiser, who participated in storm surveys in Bibb and Hale counties, said it is difficult to see such destruction. "These are people's lives," Keiser said. "You're trying to go there as a scientist, but this isn't just something you see on a radar screen."
As officials continued to tally the damage from Wednesday's tornadoes, efforts to help those affected by the storms also continued. FEMA has awarded more than $2 million in housing assistance in Alabama, which can include rental payments for temporary housing for people whose homes are un-livable, grants for home repairs, or replacement of essential household items to make the damaged building safe, sanitary and functional, FEMA spokeswoman Denise Everhart said. More than $1 million also has been awarded for other needs assistance, including grants to pay for things such as medical, dental, funeral and transportation expenses not covered by insurance, she said. The cost of removing debris in the city of Birmingham alone could run as high as $10 million, Mayor William Bell said Monday. Bell imposed a curfew in parts of the city affected by last week's tornado. People will not be allowed to enter or leave tornado-ravaged areas between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. However, reasonable exceptions will be made for residents in those areas who are traveling to or from work or school, Birmingham Police Chief. A.C. Roper said. As of 5 p.m. Monday, 24,139 Alabama Power customers remained without power, including 10,647 in Jefferson and Shelby counties, said spokeswoman Hallie Bradley. That's down from a peak of 412,229 at the height of the storms."
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter
We spent Easter weekend at home working around the yard and cleaning up the house. Saturday, Ray and Phillip built a new flower bed around the front of the house and filled with with new plants. This is the first time since we moved to our house that we have done anything with the front flower bed. It was so much fun watching them work and seeing the finished product. Sunday morning, we got up and went to church. The service was great and Jackson seemed to have enjoyed hanging out in the nursery. We ate lunch at home and then rode over to Lowe's to purchase a few more plants for the front yard. The Easter bunny visited Jackson and brought him two t-shirts, new bibs, two little cars, and a movie. Jackson took a nap and we had Easter dinner that evening. Ray cooked us a huge ham, hash brown casserole, green beans, and brownies. We really enjoyed the day together. It was such a quiet weekend.
Pictures from Easter:
Pictures from Easter:
I Almost Forgot
At my baby shower last April in Atmore, my Mee Maw gave me an outfit that belonged to my dad. It was a size 18 month and I am not sure of my dad's exact age when he wore the outfit. It was my intention for Jackson to wear the outfit to at least have his picture made. Well, I almost forgot about it. We tried the outfit on Jackson and could barely get it on him. So, we got it on him enough for him to sit and have a picture made. I believe if I had waited any longer he would not have been able to wear it even long enough for a picture. I must also say that Jackson wasn't in a very good mood the day we did the pictures. It was well past his nap time. Here are some pictures I attempted to take:
Friday, April 22, 2011
Almost One Year....
Jackson's one year birthday is just around the corner and we are making lots of plans for his first birthday party. I will post a copy of his invitation soon along with details about the party. What is Jackson up to this week? He has been trying to stand alone more and more. He has learned to climb on top of one of his toys to reach the tv...imagine my response when I first saw that little maneuver. He absolutely LOVES going outside. In fact, if he hears me go out to the garage or to let Queenie in or out, he pitches one of his little fits! He is eating more table food and we have introduced whole milk to his diet. He makes some of the funniest faces when eating table food. He love the whole milk and juice but still doesn't want to hold his bottle or drink from a sippy cup. He loves Cheerios and cookies. His vocabulary only include MaMa, BaBa, and DaDa. I am waiting on him to just wake up one morning and start a conversation. He loves playing in the kitchen cabinets and slamming the drawers and doors. He has taken a liking to head butting Queenie or anything else for that matter. He loves to be rock to sleep at night and for naps on occasion. He enjoys the nursery at church and plays like no one is around. He is quite independent. I will have more to share as the party draws near and I get more pictures. Here is a picture of his Easter outfit and one of him playing around the house.
Monday, April 4, 2011
11 Months Old!
Jackson is 11 months old today...my head is spinning when I stop and think about that statement. Where in the world did the time go? I know my head will be spinning even faster when he turns 18 years old. What is Jackson up to these days?
Here are some pictures from today:
- He is crawling all over the place and pulling up on anything that stands still.
- He loves the kitchen - an excellent place to explore drawers, cabinets, the dishwasher, and of course all the rubbermaid and tupperware products.
- He is recovering from his first ear infection (his right ear) and eye infection. When we visited the doctor, he weighs 26 lbs.
- He is "talking" more and more.
- We are officially in a size 4 diaper and still wearing size 24 month clothes.
- He has three teeth...one on top and two on bottom.
- He is still eating baby food but we have introduced several different table foods. We are getting ready to introduce him to whole milk and try to incorporate a sippy cup. However, our obstacle at the moment is that he doesn't want to hold a bottom for himself.
- He loves Gerber cookies.
- He has been out to eat at several different restaurants so far and had an awesome time! He was absolutely wonderful. He enjoyed smiling and the waitresses and making faces at the waiters.
Here are some pictures from today:
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