We survived...

Thanks to all of you who called and emailed to see if we surived the earthquake yesterday! It's nice to know that we're loved and cared for even from across the country. Thanks Dad for reminding me that "there aren't earthquakes in Illinois"! Nice plug for getting us to move back :-) Unfortunately you didn't account for the crazy tornadoes (Parsons...need I saw more) and severe thunderstorms that more than once sent us to the basement while I lived in the Heartland.

I will admit that I felt kind of unprepared for the "shakefest". I ran into Sophia's room to get her once I figured out what was happening(no, it was not someone starting a lawnmower in the apartment below us!). I ran through the emergency sequences that were familiar to me..."Stop, Drop and Roll", no...."Head for the basement", no...hmmm. Finally I dragged Sophia under the table in the dining room with me (she was super confused)...thought I remembered something like that on TV once, little kids getting under their desks in school for an earthquake drill?? In only lasted about 10 seconds (seemed like 10 minutes) so once we got "under cover" it was over.

After it was over, and I stopped shaking from the ordeal:-), I realized what a spiritual experience it was for me. It was a great reminder to me that even though I spend most of my waking hours feeling totally in control of my time, environment, etc, God is completely holding it all together: my life(Psalm 139),Sophia's life, the building we live in, the earth we live on...amazing! I was able to spend the rest of the day in a position of thankfulness that I haven't experienced for a long time remembering that even when I feel out of control, He is in control.

P.S. A Bird Update: For those of you who care, our little doves have "left the nest". It was a sad day when I woke up and noticed that our little bird family had moved on. The little ones seemed to grow and learn how to fly overnight. It's silly, but I'm actually kinda sad that we won't be able to monitor their progress anymore. They were starting to become kind of our entertainment. Hopefully they'll pass along to all their bird friends that the Kauffman's patio is a great place to start a family?? I guess I'll be able to try to grow my cilantro again....but I'd rather have the doves back. Here's the last pic I got of them before they "flew the coop".

















And here's a random Sophia pic for your enjoyment:0 Her fave thing to do right now is take the tops off her markers and put them on her fingers...I dunno??