Five days ago I left for Texas for one of my best friend's wedding. It was spectacular, and we had a blast. So spectacular that I managed to not pull out my camera one. single. time. I was too busy enjoying some girl time and shoveling tacos into my mouth. I am not exaggerating when I say I gorge on true homemade tortillas and pico whenever I get back to Texas. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The only emotion I was dealing with when I left, other than the excitement for Becca and Blake, was that I was away from Kaelyn for the first time and had a little hole in my heart.
The evening before I was suppose to fly back I start getting phone calls from friends asking how I was doing, and I had no clue what they were talking about.
It turns out while I was busy enjoying a pretty day on my Aunt's farm -
Nashville was in the middle of one of the most damaging floods in it's history.
When I arrived at the airport my flight is delayed an hour, and then we take off. It turns out ours was one of the last Southwest flights to leave before they grounded all flights in and out of Nashville.
I had my camera with me, and while I had not seen any footage yet from what was going on in Nashville, this is what I flew in to-
outskirts of the storm
over
in between
and these are my first glimpses of the city
After these I was just too shaken to take any more, I was in shock and heartbroken, I don't know how to really describe it.
Ben and Kaelyn had just gotten home from a visit to Alabama, and Ben tried but there was no way to get to me at the airport, all of the roads were under water. After hanging out at the airport for a while, I was rescued by Audra, (We had been wanting to get together for a good visit soon, but this wasn't exactly what we had in mind! We still had a good time though :)
We found out later that she got to me right before they closed down the roads from her house to the airport as well. Talk about God timing, I was extremely thankful to be not 1,000 miles away, and not sleeping at the airport.
Late this morning Ben was able to make it in to Audra's house and pick me up, and after a very long trip I am home, safe, and refuse to stop kissing on Kaelyn, because I can.
We were and are counting so many blessings; that we are safe, that our house was not damaged, that our friends are safe...
We do know people who have lost their homes, their belongings, and a whole town that has lost more than I can fathom. The waters are already receding, but it is far from over.
It is a strong, beautiful city that won't be down for long, but a lot of work to do nonetheless.
I think I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that Nashville has experienced this flood. Today it's sunny and gorgeous and in some parts of town you would never guess that other parts are 15 feet underwater. So SO surreal.
Please, please pray for everyone that is affected, not only in Nashville but all of the surrounding areas, Alabama, Mississippi, and more. Prayer is a powerful thing, even more than all this flood water.
xoxo
dae
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