Our first week in OKC

                                     
We left our house and family and friends in Arizona for a new adventure in Oklahoma City. Stetson is managing a sales team for a pest control company for the summer. After taking a few years off of school when Stets was playing baseball in the minor leagues, he is now finishing his degree at ASU. In order for him to provide for our family and still maintain a full class load, he works in door-to-door sales. It has been such a blessing for our family for him to be able to support us financially so I can stay at home with Eliza and he can still pursue his education. We weighed out the benefits and sacrifices of leaving our comfortable house and support system in Arizona for the summer and decided it would be worth it. We wanted to get ahead financially to prepare for our next house when we outgrow our current home as well as have some extra money for a few other things. One of those "other things" included preparing for a new car. Stetson's Corolla is his "knocking car" (as in knocking doors) and has been through a lot with all of the driving he does for work; the paint is chipping, and there are dents here and there as well as lots and lots of miles. There is a reason I'm writing about this. We had a rough start in Oklahoma when the state was hit by a series of tornadoes our first week here. The first few tornado warnings were scary. We took all the necessary precautions and left our apartment to a safe house each time, but I wasn't too worried. I mean, who actually ends up being where a tornado hits, right? That's just something that wouldn't happen to us. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The day the F-5 tornado hit the town of Moore, Stetson was driving from Norman trying to return to Eliza and me so we could go to a nearby safe house together. The warnings had been in effect all morning just like they had all week. He left to work just like he had every other day and promised if tornadoes were predicted anywhere near us he would head home. I sat in front of the TV nervously watching the news and a million different weather apps on my phone all morning. When I heard what I dreaded most, a large tornado was expected to form in the Oklahoma City area, I called Stetson and he agreed to come home immediately. He was about 45 minutes away. I was concerned, but you have to understand this had happened the past few days and the tornadoes ended up miles and miles away from us if they even occurred at all. I figured he would come back, and we would wait out the storms at our apartment or a safe house depending on how close the storms were. Shortly after I called Stets, my neighbors came over to tell me they didn't think I had time to wait for him. We watched the news as a huge tornado ripped through fields and farmhouses on the screen. It was heading our way. The fear kicked in and I realized the severity of our situation. I didn't even have time to grab diapers or a water bottle. I ran into Eliza's room, snatched her out of her crib, ran out the door, and jumped into my neighbor's truck. When we got to the nearest safe house, a large office building structured to withstand tornadoes, we sat in a large room circled around the TV. We watched as the tornado, now much bigger, was tearing through power lines, homes, and anything else in its path. The frantic news anchor said it was heading directly for Moore urging anyone in the area to run into their shelters or bath tubs. After multiple failed attempts, I reached Stetson. I asked him if he was close and if he was OK. He told me, "I'm fine. The weather got too bad for driving so we stopped at the nearest building and ran into the basement of a church." I asked him where he was, and I heard the last thing I wanted to hear: "We're in Moore." Before I could say anything I heard screams, and he said the power went out. Then I heard him yell something about getting under a couch and the connection was lost. I couldn't reach him for about 15 minutes. Those 15 minutes were the longest 15 minutes of my life. I prayed and prayed while I watched the tornado on TV demolish Moore. It just didn't seem real. Looking back on my reaction at the time, I was definitely in shock. I was able to reach him after multiple calls after the tornado subsided, and he had just ran outside to search for people. He helped paramedics search through homes and cars for anyone that had been trapped. He saw many people who had been not so fortunate. Because of the condition of the roads and the surge of relief efforts trying to reach the city, Stetson wasn't able to leave and come home until late that night. When I saw his dented and beat up car drive into view covered in insulation and trash, I was reminded what truly matters in life. It's not the homes we live in or the cars we drive-- it's the people who are inside them. I learned a very important life lesson that day that I hope to never ever forget. Financial security, success, working towards a dream-- those are all admirable goals. Sometimes, however, those goals are consuming. Growing up, my mom used to tell my brothers and I "people are more important than things" when we fought over toys or whatever else kids fight over. I'm not a kid anymore, but that reminder is more relevant and necessary than ever; life is busier, those admirable goals take a lot of time, and days are fast. I hope to never go a day without taking at least a few minutes to remember what I care about most.