Skiatook, Oklahoma, April 14, 2012, 11:02 a.m.~

Wilma Gardner here.  'Fraid this won't be long.  There is bad weather to the west of us, and it is marching this way, slowly, but surely and steadily.  Our area is under a high threat of severe storms, including the possibility of long-lived, violent tornadoes, damaging downburst winds in excess of 70 miles an hour, very large hailstones (gorilla hail), dangerous, frequent lightning, and extremely heavy rains that could easily lead to flash flooding.

The NWS has been warning us about this possibility for the past several days and already we have taken precautions to keep our family safe.  Yet it does little to comfort us knowing that we don't have a basement, but we do have a storm shelter.  We had a safe room put into our home last year and anything is better than nothing.  Our safe room has very thick concrete walls and no windows and steel reinforcements; it hsa been said that it can withstand a tornado and a hurricane.  I'll believe it when we don't have any damage and survive this weather that's coming.

If you don't hear from us, it's probably because we've been blown away by the winds.  I pray and hope that doesn't happen, and I am trying to trust in God to get us through the weather.

There are already severe strorm warnings firing up in Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas; they're under the high risk threat, too; we in Oklahoma aren't the only ones.

I have never liked storms, ever since I was a small child, and living here in Oklahoma has only heightened that fear.  That is why if there is even the mere mention of threatening weather, we are camping out in our safe room well before the weather turns nasty.  We don't emerge from there until the threat has ended; I have to find ways to keep the kids entertained before they tear Fred and I apart from boredom!  LOL

Thibodeaux and Scout are too little to understand the gravity of the situation, but Pearl Xie, Almonzo, and Damon have already learned about severe weather and what to do lest a storm comes.  They each have their own personal "severe weather kit" and know how to use it.  I am proud of them and I and Fred will do everything humanly possible to protect our little babies.

Just pray for us and pray we get through this stormy period in one piece! Any and all prayers are greatly appreciated!  Thanks in advance!

~Wilma.  :(