Wow- I have a lot of catching up to do!

So I am finally sitting down and blogging about what our lives have been like for the last month. It's probably going to take me a few posts to cover everything!

Back in April, Ben and I went to Panama City Beach to relax for a few days before the house hunt and graduation. Little to our knowledge, an annual event called "Thunder Beach" was taking place in PC at the very same time we were there. This picture may explain.

Besides the constant roar of Harleys, and the devastating news of tornadoes back home, we did have a good time at the beach and got to stay in the nicest hotel suite I've ever seen thanks to my wonderful in-laws and Ben's godparents. Here are some more pics.

Fish Tacos at Margaritaville

The biggest pancake I've ever seen!

 I gave up...

Our smiles quickly went away when we saw this.

Here are some pictures of the horrible destruction back home in North Alabama

The picture above is Ben's parent's house. They were in the process of cutting up some trees that had fallen in their front yard.

  It has been great to see how a community can come together to help their fellow neighbors out. With my mother-in-law's help, we donated some clothing and other household items to people in the community. Others I know spent hours and hours providing hands-on help by cleaning up debris.

Let us not forget that when the shock wears away- there are still families suffering from the wrath of these tornadoes. May the Lord bring people closer to Him by allowing them to rely on His love and His strength.