Damages

Sidenote:  Blogger (the platform I use to write this blog) has been having some technical issues the last few days.  That's why the post below kept disappearing and reappearing.  I think it is fixed now. 

First things first:  Happy 13th Anniversary to my awesome husband. I love you so much and every single day I'm so glad you picked me. 

I think the traditional anniversary gift for year 13 is supposed to be lace.  But for us, it is going to be wood, shingles, and maybe patio furniture. 

 Took out part of the gutters and some shingles and roof decking, but didn't get the trusses. 

 Deck railing is messed up, but the floor of the deck is fine. 

 No brick damage.  No broken windows.  No interior damage. 

 Broke several of the patio chairs.  Didn't break the tempered glass patio table (or so we thought).  When Kevin and his buddy picked it up to move it, the legs collapsed.  So good-bye patio table too. 

 We forgot to take a picture of the tree lying in the yard.  In the above picture,  our master bedroom is the window in the far back top part of the picture.  Completely opposite of where the deck is.  Also where Luke was sleeping since the noise of the storm had scared him and he came and got in bed with us.  The tree fell at almost an exact 45 degree angle across our backyard. 

 This is looking directly out of our master bedroom window.  The tree that fell is straight out of this window.  In the photo, it is behind the smaller tree near the rock well.  Had the wind been blowing in a different direction, the tree would have fallen directly into our master bedroom.  I am so thankful that "even the wind and the waves obey Him" (Mark 4:41).  The tree was a pine tree about 2 feet in diameter. 

 Firewood anyone?

FEMA tarp covering the corner of the roof.

I'm still not 100% sure what happened.  We think the tree was hit by lightning, but there are no burn marks on the tree like we've seen on other trees that have been hit.  Could have been the strong wind and the tree was just weak at that point.  Whatever it was, I am thankful God protected us from something that could have been much worse.  I'm thankful we have insurance.  I'm thankful we have money to pay our deductible.  I'm thankful we have good recommendations on reputable contractors who can fix everything that is broken.  I'm so thankful none of us were hurt.