Praying for Tupelo.

Spring in the South is one of the things I miss most. Every single year, I dream about Azaleas blooming, Buttercups blossoming and the Dogwoods peppering the woods in my beloved Mississippi. And no sooner can I type a Facebook status about just that thing than my newsfeed starts blowing up with weather-related news, friends posting pictures from their windowless basements, or of them taking cover in their bathrooms. Because just as surely as my memories of Spring in the South are decorated with Azalea blossoms, they are accompanied by the soundtrack of tornado sirens and weatherman warnings.

Today, a tornado ripped through my hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. It is too early to know how much damage was done. But the early photos are shocking, sobering and are breaking my heart. I spent the afternoon directing a play under blue Arizona skies while simultaneously strapped to my phone trying to get in touch with my Mama in Mississippi.

Mama was safely tucked in the basement of a church that ended up being right smack in the path of the tornado. She is ok. But her car is buried under uprooted trees and she had to be evacuated from the church because the damage the building sustained caused a gas leak. My nerves are a bit taut tonight.

And my thoughts are all over the board:

I am thankful to my cousin, Kevin, who called minutes after I got through to my mother. He knew, he knew I would be feeling worried and helpless. What a blessing to have this Godly man willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus go and rescue my mother from the shelter, take her to check on her house and pick up her necessary medications (and make-up...I love you, Mama) before taking her home with him to his precious family. I have spent a lot of time thanking God for him tonight.

I am thinking about Vanelli's. Oh, the best pizza I have ever tasted came from this restaurant. It started as a hole in the wall joint. A very young Wade and I had our very FIRST date there. The pizza melted in our mouths and one bite takes me right back...right back to that sweet night. The restaurant relocated not long after we married. They built a nicer establishment, expanded their menu and continued to make the best pizza ever. But today's tornado destroyed Vanelli's. And while, I pray they will re-build, I am saddened for their loss tonight.

I am remembering my Aunt Flora who had a storm shelter in her yard and would call us -- every aunt, uncle and cousin -- every time the Spring weather was questionable. We didn't have to watch the weather. We trusted her to do it for us. Mom and Dad would load us up and over to Aunt Flora's we would go. I know now I should have been scared. And I am certain I was at some point. But mainly, mainly I remember this great adventure of driving across town in my pajamas and having a sleepover with my cousins underground -- in our pajamas!

I am thinking about a Girl Scout outing when I was 10. We were camping at the Natchez Trace and though bad weather was forecast, the park rangers had assured the moms in charge they would come for us if necessary. We heard the storm raging around us. We giggled and told ghost stories and finally fell asleep to the rain only to be jerked awake by our leaders because the Rangers had come to get us out of the cabins. It seems that night a tornado ripped through my hometown too. It destroyed restaurants, a mall and homes. But missed a couple of park cabins filled with Girl Scouts on the Natchez Trace.

And finally tonight, I am thinking about the way my hometown came together after that tornado; how the people of Tupelo took care of their citizens, rebuilt, revitalized and came away stronger for the destruction. And tonight, I am asking God to grant them that same strength in the wake of today's storms. The light of day will reveal the damage tomorrow. I can only imagine the fear, pain and heart break that will be visible. Stand strong Tupelo. You have walked this road before. You will come away stronger. You will come away better than ever.

Our prayers are with you.

Have I mentioned I love Spring?

I fear all my posts are beginning to sound alike. I love Spring. The contrast of these beautiful pink flowers and the butterflies just make me want to put all work away and sit outside admiring the blooms all around! Ah. Sigh.

Yesterday, my family and I were doing just that. We were taking an afternoon swim while relishing the sunshine and beautiful temperatures. After we had played around for a little while, I went to Benjamin to do some stretches and exercises that we have always done in the pool. Dr. Dad stopped me and told me not to bother -- the normal stretches I do with Benjamin might be painful for him until he has the hip surgery that he needs. He added that the stretches would not change the fact that he needs surgery.

I must have gotten that look on my face. That look that means I want to cry but am holding it in because I don't want to upset the kids. The same look that doesn't fool anyone. At all.

Benjamin swam over to me, grabbed my hand and looked at me with his amazing eyelashes (the longest I have ever seen!) wet and framing the sweetest eyes and said, "Mommy, don't worry. I'll hold your hand and help you through my surgery. Even when they are putting me to sleep, I'll still hold your hand."

I know. I am blessed.

Signs of Spring

OK, I have a confession to make. I resolved a few weeks ago to blog more often. To make it a priority and stick with it. And I did. For about four days. And then my "Supermom" cape apparently blew right off and the reality of homeschooling my beautiful children, actually feeding them meals, doing their laundry, and keeping the house in a state that prevents a "condemned" sign from being posted outside got the best of me. I am sorry. So here's to trying again. It is Spring after all -- a season that invigorates me, feels me with new energy and excitement, so I'm going to give it my best shot!! But you'll love me if I fail, right?!


The desert cacti do amazing things in Spring. We took a drive through the Carefree area of Phoenix last weekend and saw these beautiful cacti waiting to bloom. I am not sure what they even are -- had not seen them before -- but they made me smile all over! Aren't they unique?

The air temperature is not completely warm enough for swimming yet...but that has never stopped us. We heated the pool this weekend and the kids had a blast trying out their new super soakers!! (Note to grands: we could use MORE of these soakers...the kids each have one but the adults needs some defense weapons!!)

The first year our littlest mermaid hasn't needed any floaty support. Ah, she was swimming all over the pool and only scared her Daddy and me a few times as she dog-paddled and made us think she was "stalled"!!

She acts like she knows what to do with this baseball and glove...she and I were tossing it back and forth when her Daddy came home. As those of you who ever played softball with me know, I have little to NO eye-hand coordination. She quickly tired of my inabilities, sighed and asked her Daddy to play with her!! Good thing I know my limitations...otherwise, my feelings might have been hurt.

I love that she kicked that leg up with every pitch! Like this wasn't the FIRST time she had thrown a ball!

This action shot makes me smile -- wish her hair had been pulled back...but I think you can see the grin.

And then my favorite sign of Spring....the annual Shrader First Swim of the Season Portrait! With all the wonderful fragrances of Spring -- orange blossoms, baseball glove leather, and sweet gardenia -- chlorine may be one of my favorites of them all!!

Blessings indeed.

Poppies make me happy!

It will be a shock to many of you but the Shraders took a non-Disney trip to Southern California last week. (OK, you probably know us better than that...we DID drop by downtown Disney for a bit of shopping...and we did buy some wonderful Mickey and Donald treasures at a delightful antique toy store while in So Cal...but did not officially go in the gates of Disneyland!)

We had a wonderful week visiting with dear friends and visiting sites we don't usually visit. But the best part for the camera-toting Mommy was our Saturday morning visit to the Antelope Valley Poppy and Wildflower Reserve about an hour north of Los Angeles. The rolling hills, the blooming wildflowers and the perfect weather made me want to stay for a long visit. Unfortunately, hungry children ruled otherwise! But I might have had time to take one or two...or one hundred, pictures!

The Shraders in the middle of the reserve!

A Poppy waking up.

Fields of yellow and orange -- the poppies were not quite at their peak but the colors were breathtaking nonetheless!

These were Claire's personal favorite -- Fiddle heads! See how they curve just like the end of her violin?

Our love of Southern California is not just Disney-related -- Wade's best friend of 20 plus years lives there! We treasure all the time Uncle Todd gives our family when we visit!


Todd and his beautiful bride, Marti, and the Shrader clan!

I couldn't resist the pouty picture when Cate was told it was time to go and she plopped down on a rock to protest! I love this sweet little face!!

And these pictures of Mason and Cate running along the path just make me smile!

So just so you know, the kids and Wade have already been warned that Mommy has a new favorite place to go in Southern California! I can hardly wait to go back!!