Branson/Hollister Flood

Well, when we moved into our friend's rental house we never thought we would be dealing with possibly flooding but here we are 16 inches of rain later and a dam that is open and going full force and I found myself receiving a phone call from the police that they were knocking on our door and telling us to evacuate. EVACUATE! What do you take with you when you your road is already closed and you are entering and exiting through a small access road on a hill? Not much....we packed necessities. Overnight bags for each of us in case we need to stay somewhere for a while. Memorabilia......pictures, cds of pictures and videos, photo albums, a few things my mom gave me, mom's rings and jewelry. As I looked around our living room, I realized it is all just stuff. We don't need to frantically pack, my treasure's our truly in heaven and in my heart and memory. So even though we are praying they are wrong and we do not need to evacuate I know that everything will be okay because I know my maker is in control. Below are a few pictures of our area and the crazy flood. Please say a prayer not just for us but for ALL Branson and Hollister residents who are being effected by the flooding.

This picture is of the house across from the lake from us. The water is about mid-way high....they were evacuated a day ago.


This picture is of North Beach Park, down by the Landing. We use to walk in this park all the time.

This is a picture of the Landing, that restaurant used to be on the lake not in the lake.

Branson Landing view! I can't even imagine if I lived here.

This family was waiting for the dad to get back from going to get their pets out of the house.

Picture of Table Rock Dam, it is flowing strong.

Easter Weekend at Our House

Today we had a busy day of cleaning, coloring eggs and ended it with a family movie night. I love my family and the time we get to spend together.

My Sweet Princess

04_23_11 019, a photo by Dee_Sheets on Flickr.

I know my mom is smiling as she watches Emma. Emma loves all things girly! Dressing up, heels, make-up, etc. The other night she asked Victor if she could sleep in her glass slippers.

Emma at Silver Dollar City

We went to SDC for the first time this year. It amazes me how much she has grown this past year. Last year she wouldn't ride any of the rides. This year she rode the carousel and ladybug multiple times and the roller coaster. This roller coaster while not as big as adult roller coasters is definitely faster than the baby rides. She didn't cry at all, just buried her face in my side and said I'm ready for it to stop. I talked her through the ride telling her what was happening and how much fun we were having. When we got done she ran to her daddy to tell him what fun it was. Go figure!

We had a great time and I am excited for many more beautiful days at SDC this year.

Emma Dancing to Pretty Young Thing

It has been a while since I posted to the blog. One of the main reasons I had started this blog was for my mom. I just haven't had the courage to post again. I miss mom terribly and I don't think an hour goes by when I'm awake that I don't wish I could call her and tell her some of the fun stuff Emma is doing, ask her a question or just have one of our long talks. Emma talks about her often, still prays for her at night, and tells me when I cry that, "it's okay because Mamaw is in our hearts." Sometimes I think she understands better than I this whole circle of life. People say time heals wounds and every tear I cry puts me closer to coming to terms with losing her.
I have been blessed with a wonderful family and mom's death has reminded me to spend time with family and LOVE on Emma so she will have great memories with me like I do with my mom. So today, we had a full day. Emma starts playing Bitty Soccer Ball in a couple of weeks. We had her first practice. Me and a friend are coaching her team and it proved to be exciting and hilarious to watch 3-5 year olds play soccer. Emma picked out pink shin guards of course. Then we celebrated a friend's birthday at the park. Finally we came home and decided to dance to some music. I recorded a little bit of Emma dancing to Michael Jackson's Pretty Young Thing. She was dizzy at the beginning of the video so she stumbled a few times. It sure made me laugh!