So we had a bit of excitement at the Freeman home earlier this week!
This last Thursday, when picking my kids up from my moms house, my mom randomly grabbed me as I was getting in my car to drive away, and prayed out loud while hugging me, asking God to protect me and my family. It was random and had a bit of intensity to it so it kind of hit me off guard and confused me a bit. I even laughed in confusion and said, “What was that about? Do you think I’m gonna die or something?”
Later that night, while getting ready for bed, I was struck with an intense and almost panicked desire to pray for my kids and my families safety.. my two year old, Thyme, was sleeping in my bed, and I actually picked her up as she slept and hugged her tight and pleaded out loud in almost near desperation, asking, “Please please please God protect my family!” I didn’t know why I felt that intense urge to plead for protection… but I felt almost scared of losing one of my kids or my husband.
So I drifted off to sleep that night with a strange sense of dread. Well, fast forward 1am that night.. I woke up to the whole house rocking from what only can be described as an impact. The walls shoot with a lateral blast, and things fell off the wall as the ground shook. I also heard a loud crack / BAM, and then there was a bright flash of light. I literally thought meteor strike or bomb. Not joking.
It was terrifying. It woke all of us up, and due to the nature of the “explosion” and the brightness of the flash, I seriously thought it could have been a bomb of some kind and for some reason my mind was going back to the idea of air raids, like from World War II and I kept thinking, “What if another impact is coming? What do we do? How do I keep my kids safe?” Like, in the back of my mind I thought that MAYBE some foreign power was attacking the Central Valley of California to take out our food supply (since we provide the majority of produce for the nation). I never expected to feel such a degree of fear and helplessness concerning my kids safety before.
I pulled all the kids close and Jonathan got up to inspect outside while I kept the children together huddled up in bed and told the kids to calm down, that everything was going to be okay.. the power was out so it was hard to figure out what was going on. I reached for my cell phone to check the news, but it was completely dead. (I am notorious for not keeping my phone charged!)
Jonathan announced from the living room that the neighborhood appeared to have power, that it was just our house that was out. I got up and looked out the window to see a power line hanging across the window.. and when I followed the line, I saw our HUGE backyard tree toppled over and sprawling out the length of the entire yard.
It turns out, the rain had caused the tree in our back yard fell over… like, completely. Roots ripped out if the ground, entire tree on the ground. It NARROWLY avoided falling directly on top of us by about 7-8 feet. The base of the tree trunk was about 15 feet from our heads, so if it had fallen toward the house, the trunk would have landed right on all 5 of us in bed (all three kiddos were in bed with us when it fell). It would have crushed us.
I followed the line to see a power line laying in the rain puddles and the pouring rain in our back patio, and our dog Thor heading out to “inspect it”. My husband had to run to the back door and call him back inside before he got himself fried and I had to keep the kids distracted until I knew Thor was safe inside. (It would be just like that dump dog to get himself electrocuted… this is the dog that tried to eat fireworks as they are sparkling every Independence Day.)
Once Thor was inside, we called the fire department to secure the live wire, and we sat in the dark, rattled to the core, physically shaking thinking about the “what ifs”.
I am positive that God guided that tree down and kept us safe. The bulk of the weight in the tree was all positioned over our bedroom and house. Yet it fell in the ONLY part of the yard it could fit without taking anything down except power lines. The tree literally fills all the empty space in our back yard like a puzzle piece! If it fell on us, it very well could have killed us, the part over our bed was the huge knot of branches at the top of the trunk that spans our whole bedrooms width!
I am still in shock and awe over Gods providence and I am certain the urges to pray for the Lords protection was a nudging of the Holy Spirit!
While sitting in the cold and dark living room, burning the last of our candles and unable to find our flashlights since the toddlers decided they were toys, our neighbors Cat and Kirk (aka, BEST. NEIGHBORS. EVER!) came over with flashlights and hot coffee (since I couldn’t make any with the power out!) and sat up with us until the power company finished untangling the lines from the downed tree. I can’t even express how lucky we are to have these two as friends and neighbors!
The neighbors joining us for a mini party in the dark, with flashlights and coffee at 2am!
Anyhoo, after this mini emergency, I realized how woefully unprepared we were in regards to emergency supplies – only a handful of candles, no flashlights, dead phones… so I am going to post some recommended emergency supplies from Ready.gov in case anyone else wants to update their emergency home kit:
Supplies to Have on Hand for a Power Outage
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
- Flashlights
- Extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Cell phone with a fully charged backup battery
- Candles and matches
Reminders for Power Outages
- Be careful about candle placements to avoid causing fires.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
- Put on layers of warm clothing if it is cold outside. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors. Never use your oven as a source of heat. If the power may be out for a prolonged period, plan to go to another location (the home of a relative or friend, or a public facility) that has heat to keep warm.
- Turn off or disconnect appliances and other equipment in case of a momentary power “surge” that can damage computers and other devices. Consider adding surge protectors to important outlets.
So that was our near death adventure! I am still a bit rattled at how close we came to having that tree crash down on us. I am also amazed at how FORCEFUL the tree was while hitting the ground… amazing! Anyhoo, God is SO GOOD and we are SO GRATEFUL for his mercies here at the Freeman home! Also, check out this message I got on my Kombucha bottle later that day… #fail!
The girls were SO UPSET the tree toppled. “Is the tree gonna be okay?! Can daddy fix it?!”
These are great tips Gingi for being prepares and keeping safe. I’m glad you and your family were alright!
Me too, believe me!! haha
Omg, I’m so sorry you and your family experienced this. I can only imagine the initial fear that you must have felt when you heard the crashing and all the noise, not knowing what was going on. As a New Yorker, my first thought would’ve been bomb, too. God is certainly good. He knew what was coming and allowed for your mom to pray over you and gave that same inclination to you to pray again. Thanks for sharing your testimony and what you feel to be the essentials for an emergency. We’re living in a time where we just don’t know what can happen next, unfortunately.
XO,
Jalisa
Oh wow, if I lived in New York I probably would have been CONVINCED it was something hostile! Such a scary feeling and such a random thing to wake up to.. I had no idea trees made such an impact when they fall!
Oh wow, that had to have been really scary. So glad to hear that you are all well though.
It really was!
OMG!! It’s really scared dear 🙁
So happy we are all well and safe!
Oh Gingi, I’m sitting here thanking God for keeping you safe. That you and your mom both paid attention to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to pray is a powerful legacy you’ll remember.
Breathe deep once again …
Hubby and I were talking about this… I do believe God spoke to us while intending to keep us safe, just to show us that He is in control!
Oh my gosh, the rain must have been torrential to bring down the tree in your garden! SO glad you’re safe!!
aglassofice.com x
Yeah, it was coming down hard!
That is so scary, but I am glad you are all okay!
Us too, believe me!!
Ohhmmmy this is scary but i love that you manage it.
Emergency lights and food are essentials during this time
Much Love,
Jane | The Bandwagon Chic
Yeah, we are working on our emergency kit for sure!
You are blessed Gingi. How scary. We often have power outages so I have power packs that are fully charged. On my business website is a list of what to keep in a first aid kit. I top mine up annually to make sure it’s always complete. And we keep some tinned food for in case.
Such great advice.. I am getting serious about home safety and emergency prepping recently, especially with hubby leaving on deployment soon!
My goodness Gingi, talk about a scare, and a wonderful reminder of how God creates miracles and covers us when we least expect it. I’m so glad you’re all okay and hate that you had power problems. As always, you give some great tips on what to do in case we have emergency situations. Cool hat you had some friends to hang out with you in the darkness, and I like that pic. Whew! God is so amazing! Hugs…RO
Yeah, we are BEYOND BLESSED to be safe and sound AND to have amazing friends who would stay out, venture out into the cold, and bring me a cup of coffee.. they are seriously the most amazing humans we know!
Oh, my ! That was a fright! I’m so glad you are all safe and sound. Because we have a well for our water, i also fill pitchers and pans for drinking water. Plus buckets to flush the toilet. No electricity, no pump to pump water into the house. I also have a portable charger for the phone. Mine is called a Moonstone. Charges off your computer. i found solar powered chargers for my girlies because like you, they are notorious for not keeping their phones charged. I don’t use candles I was always worried about my cat, Ink getting near them. He liked to knock things off tables and stuff. Instead, we have battery operated LED lanterns. You should also have a notebook filled with important documents. Your homeowner’s policy, birth certificates. a utility bill (to prove residence), and some cash just in case you are forced to evacuate your home.
The documents are a GREAT idea, I am going to add that to my overall emergency list!!! Thanks for the wonderful tips! I love that I learn as I go along with all my wonderful bloggy buddies! You guys are the best!
I am so glad that you and your family are all okay. What a scary night you all had! I can imagine the sound and the shudder.
A year ago while my husband and I were at work a tree fell on part of my house. It was quite a shock when I got home and saw the giant tree on my house. Our house had damage and our porch (still in the process of all getting fixed). The adjuster said that if the tree had fallen only 2 inches over, our whole house would have had to be replaced. After that we scheduled another tree to get cut down because we were worried about it. I have felt relieved during all the storms since that there aren’t any immediate trees for me to worry about.
Sending you hugs!
Oh man!! You guys are so luck you weren’t home!!!! That sucks about the property damage though!
;D
Muito boas essas dicas!
Ótima quarta!
Beijo! ^^
<3 <3 <3
That is so scary, but I’m glad, that you’re all ok!
Me too!!!
Wow, that must have been very frightening! That your story has a good ending, and that no one was even hurt is miraculous. I’m sure it will take some time to get over that.
Years ago my family had a dog named Thor.
Was your dog dumb too? We call ours the “RetardaThorus Rex” 😉
Well, to be honest, yes. Kind, but dumb. And he’d always run away any chance he got.
Oh no! I’m glad you and your family are safe! Thanks for adding the list of supplies…we have pretty much nothing out of it (going to have to remedy the situation).
I am still waiting on my Amazon Prime orders to arrive so we can have a fully stocked emergency kit! Grrrr!!! Two day shipping my ass…
Wow, what an experience! Glad you’re okay and just scary! Great tips in this post, thanks!.
We’re glad too!