Calhoun, Georgia.........

Last Friday wide spread panic swept through Kentucky. The school frantically called telling us to pick up our kids ASAP. There was a run on the grocery store and the Mayor shut the whole town down eerily fast. I wasn't sure what to make of it. I sat and stared at the closet underneath the stairs imagining how the hours would pass with me, my kids and those 72 hours kits that have been holding up the sleeping bags for years, all crammed into it. Ben wouldn't be home all weekend. He was heading for Georgia for a moonlighting job. I called to tell him to get on the road as soon as he could. Then I stared at the closet. Then I went and got a drink. Then I went back and stared at the closet.
Then I decided to just get the heck out of dodge. I threw a load of clean laundry into a bag, along with whatever was in the fridge and some pillows. I picked up the kids from school and asked them how they felt about driving to Georgia. Ben just laughed when I told him to pick us up. "I will be working all weekend. It's in the middle of nowhere. You're going to be bored."

Yeah, bored is kind of low on the list when a Tornado is ripping towards you.
Besides has he seen the closet?
Besides, Besides middle of nowhere is kind of our thing. We are middle of nowhere kind of people. Middle of nowhere adventures delight me, and them.
Besides, Besides, Besides we are talking about OUR children. It's like he's never met them. Our children do not get bored. It's probably my favorite thing about them.

So we set off to Calhoun, Georgia......just outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. We had a grand time. This little town just happens to be home to the last Cherokee Indian capitol and the start of the "Trail of Tears." It is full of deep American history and home to some of the most beautiful,lush, green fields. We delighted in discovering all the back roads that led us to open pastures just waiting to be thoroughly frolicked. Open streams, ponds, wildflowers,plenty of mud, plus an all you can eat breakfast buffet at the hotel and a pool?......the kids were in heaven.

And you know what? I was too. Because in the middle of this weekend heaven planted a little thought in my mind. I was going to have another child. I can imagine you laughing at this point, considering I am halfway through this pregnancy, and I'm just making this connection.
Pregnancy=baby.
But it hadn't occurred to me that I didn't just have to be pregnant. I actually get another little someone. This thought made me smile. Because I like them so much, my children. They make me happy. I don't want these days to end. These run around outside, childhood days. And another little one means they last longer. And I get to do this longer. And this is what life's really about. It's my greatest blessing.

Lexington was spared, but as I saw the devastating images of destruction all around us, I was reminded once again why quiet, simple days are.......miracles.