As a little girl I dreamed of the prince that saved the day,
Wisking me away from harm and making things O.K.
But little did I realize that he had been there by my side.
He rode in on his white horse with his arms held open wide.
He didn't wear a velvet robe or a crown upon his head,
but a flannel shirt with rolled up sleeves and a ball cap on instead.
As tears rolled down from big, blue eyes and fell upon my face.
He didn't use a cloth of silk or a hankie made of lace.
He wiped my tears way with a worn and callused hand ,
He lifted me up to my feet ,so that I might stand.
He didn't call his royal guards or mighty fighting knights,
Instead he said that he was there and all would be alright.
My prince has always been there, when ever I may fall.
Even now I am all grown up, he's there, with just a call.
He still rides on his white horse, though his hair is turning gray.
My real prince is my daddy and I'm his princess still today.
Written by
Laura Brown
6-17-2011
Allen and Daddy
Lacy and Daddy
Amanda, Mother and Daddy
Daddy and Allen
A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty." -- Unknown
"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." - Clarence Budington Kelland
Chris and Daddy
Lisa and Daddy
Daddy and Riley
Daddy, Allen and Chris
Chris and Daddy
Mother , Melissa and Daddy
John and Daddy
Gerald, Evelyn and Daddy
A dad is someone who
wants to catch you before you fall
but instead picks you up,
brushes you off,
and lets you try again.
Me, Greg, Lisa and Daddy
A dad is someone who
wants to keep you from making mistakes
but instead lets you find your own way,
even though his heart breaks in silence
when you get hurt.
Young Daddy
I don't remember this bunch?
Blessed is the man indeed that hears many gentle voices
call him father
Lydia Child
Daddy and Greg at Allen and Natasha's wedding
Daddy and Amanda
Me and Daddy supporting 9-11
"My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it." - Abraham Lincoln
Daddy and Greg
Daddy and Brittany
Handsome Prince
Daddy's favorite sport!
Daddy , Melissa and Mother
Dancing the night away
Daddy and Allen
Me and my Prince
Daddy's retirement get together
Daddy and ALlen
Daddy, Melissa and Riley
Daddy, Mother and Heather
"When I was a kid, I said to my father one afternoon, 'Daddy, will you take me to the zoo?' He answered, 'If the zoo wants you, let them come and get you.'" -- Jerry Lewis
Daddy and Me
Daddy and Heather
Daddy, Granddad and Uncle Lucian
Happy Father's Day Daddy! I love you so, so much!!!!
Be sure to watch and listen to the video below!! Happy Father's Day to all of you Daddy's!
(Just for the record ,I didn't write this and I am not sure who did. I got the rough draft in an email and loved it and added some pics and now am sharing with you.
It is always a tense and tough rivalry between these two great teams...some how, I think this year it will be a little different)
Alabama VS. Auburn
It isn't a rivalry. Ohio State-Michigan is a rivalry. USC-UCLA is a rivalry. Texas-Oklahoma is a rivalry.
Alabama-Auburn is an all-consuming football holy war. It is more primal, more organic and more self-defining than anything else in college sports. It's forgotten more about intensity and an addiction to bragging rights than, say,Florida-FloridaStateor West Virginia-Pitt will ever know.
Forget about table manners; it doesn't have any. It also doesn't care what you think … especially what a Yankee thinks. It is unabashedly and unapologetically over the top in a jump-the-shark, provincial kind of way.
Babies are taught to say "Roll Tide," or "War Eagle" at the same time they learn, "Mommy" or "Daddy" -- maybe earlier. The entire state counts the days -- each and every one of them -- until the annual, season-ending Iron Bowl is played. And then they start over again.
"The best thing about this game is also the worst thing about this game," said then-Auburn equipment manager Frank Cox in the definitive Tide versus Tigers book, "A War InDixie." "It's too important to too many people."
And then last Wednesday a monstrous, unforgiving band of killer tornadoes dragged their funnel spouts through parts of the South, including Tuscaloosa, home of the Bama campus. Now almost nothing, most of all a football game, seems too important anymore.
They called it a natural disaster, but there wasn't anything natural about the carnage and despair the hundreds of twisters caused. Wind speeds on the most vicious tornadoes reached about 200 miles per hour -- or more than 85 mph faster than what Kyle Busch averaged to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race inRichmondon Saturday.
Entire neighborhoods were pulled apart like cotton balls. Houses vanished. Cars were flicked away. Forty of the 236 Alabamans who lost their lives last week were in Tuscaloosa-- the latest victim a 22-year-old student from UA. More than 300 people in the city are unaccounted for.
The figures change each day. And in a heartwarming and wonderful way, so does the relationship between those who wear Bama crimson and those who wearAuburnblue and orange.
There is no war inDixie. A football game pulled two football nations apart. Tragedy has brought them together.
Late last week, a 70-person Auburn contingent including coach Gene Chizik, players and administrators traveled in two waves to the Birmingham area -- a Bama stronghold -- to assist with the relief effort. They weren't dressed to the nines inAuburn gear. They didn't burn up their Twitter or Facebook accounts with updates. It was just 70Auburnfolks trying to help those in need.
Chizik did the same sort of thing when he coached atIowaState. When a tornado tore through little Parkersburg,Iowa, in 2008, Chizik and about 30 players and staff members drove unannounced to the town.
The devastation throughoutAlabama and five other southern states could melt a heart made of dry ice. But then you stumble across Toomer's For Tuscaloosaon Facebook and you discover the goodness of those at Auburnand beyond.
Toomer's Corner is the legendary gathering place for Tigers fans after anAuburnvictory. And Toomer's Trees are its signature landmark. No trees have been draped in more celebratory toilet paper than those oaks.
When a Bama nut job recently poisoned the trees, Crimson Tide fans expressed their disgust with the chemical sabotage mission and created a fund to save or replant the oaks.
The simple gesture of sympathy didn't go unappreciated byAuburn followers.
Toomer's ForTuscaloosais a simple idea too: provide a human chain of support and relief for those tornado victims whose stories of loss make you want to sit on a curb and cry.
A young mother needs clothes to wear to her children's funeral.
A triage center needs blankets for its injured patients.
A call for prom dresses goes out -- just so a devastated high school and its senior girls can have a moment's worth of normalcy.
There are diaper drives. Food drives. Fundraisers. TheAuburnUniversity PsychologicalServicesCenterhas provided a hotline number.
Buy a houndstooth magnet in support of the tornado victims. Buy an "A United -- Two teams. One State" T-shirt and a chunk of the sales proceeds go to a relief fund.
Auburn alum Charles Barkley flew to Birminghamto personally thank volunteers and Red Cross workers. And the highways don't lack for relief trucks and cars making the nearly three-hour drive fromAuburnto Tuscaloosa.
In a show of solidarity, the Tigers ‘baseball team wore state ofAlabama stickers on the back of their batting helmets last weekend. When the Auburnand Bama baseball teams play each other this weekend at AU, count on a collection fund. And count on Auburnfans happily reaching into their wallets to help.
Chizik and Bama coach Nick Sabin stood side by side on the stage of RadioCityMusic Hallon Thursday as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell asked for a moment of silence in honor of the tornado victims. They were joined by the likes ofAuburn's Cam Newtonand Nick Fairley and Bama's Mark Ingram, Julio Jones and Marcell Dareus. "We will move mountains to help each other," wrote a woman named Pam Crawley on the Toomer's ForTuscaloosasite. "We are family -- father, mother, sister and brother. Thank God we live in such a great state. Where people give their all no matter what it takes.
"Roll Eagle and War Tide."
It would be nice if the truce between these two programs would last long after the Red Cross trailers leave. Or at the worst, if the unhealthy holy war was downgraded to a healthy rivalry. But it probably won't happen.
Too bad. The Tigers and the Tide have more in common than they'd like to admit. It's called the state ofAlabama.
Waking up at 3:58 am on April 27th, 2011 by tornado sirens was not the perfect beginning to a new day.
A possible tornado near Waterloo, Alabama . The storm passed quickly over the county, only later to find out a F1 tornado had touched down then.
I was to awake at 4:00 am anyway , for a meeting in Huntsville with my assistant manager Kat. We were both already a little hesitant about the trip any way, severe weather had been predicted for the day and we had hoped they would cancel the meeting because of the threat. But work must go on and we drove through rain and storms as we headed to a Kmart store in Huntsville. Our working meeting began immediately . Thanks to a dear friend/Kmart associate Janice,(she and I are known as the weather girls at our store), we were kept updated to the upcoming storms. It wasn't looking good as she sent pictures of weather maps showing the intensity of the storms approaching our area. Soon an announcement came over the intercom for everyone to go to the back of the store immediately Looking towards the front windows you could see dark clouds, pouring rain and wind whipping the trees around, we all filed to the break room of the store and sat waiting on what came next. I called Janice and she said that a huge storm was right up on us and tornado warning were out. My husband John, called telling us that we needed to leave soon , it wan't looking good. After a 20 to 30 minute wait, everyone was allowed back out to the floor. We returned to work and continued to get updates about the weather from The Weather Girl. I sent a message asking when the bad stuff was suppose to hit... she wrote back saying,
"Late afternoon is when it will hit...these are the one's they said had the supercells" 12:58 pm.
She sent this map showing approaching storms.
After having lunch we received another text from Janice at 1:35 showing the storms growing and larger .
"Hittin' the Shoals around 3:00pm " she said
Kat went to our fashions district manager and told her we were leaving, the weather was
gonna be rough on the way home. Thanks goodness we left right then. We had no idea what we would have ran into if we had waited until the end of the meeting.
Driving home the rain was bad and power was out on down highway 72. Tree's were knocked over and uprooted along the way from the storm that had came through earlier. It was a long stressful trip home.
We continued to get updates from The Weather Girl as we traveled. When we finally arrived at our Kmart in Florence right at 3:15 or so. I told Kat to look up at the clouds and the flag as we entered the parking lot. Both were blowing in the opposite direction they should be. The storms were moving in from west and the wind was blowing to the east. It was very eerie. We both were exhausted and wanted to get home quickly so out of sheer stupidity we both left to go to our homes, knowing that the terrible storms were right at our backs.
As soon as I turned around and went back east on 72 ,I could see the clouds behind me getting darker and darker. I called my mother as I drove home to keep me company in the stressful situation. As I crossed Shoals Creek bridge I noticed in my rear view mirror a flash of light and saw sparks falling from the transformer on the opposite side of the bridge. I knew something wasn't right. The sky had an eerie green cast and the wind was getting worse. I told mother that something was going on ...as I continued to drive my heart was pounding. Mother told me that the day before and that morning she had prayed for all of our family's protection by name from the up coming storms.As I drove into Killen and looked to the sky up over the ball field and could see the tops of the trees thrashing in the wind. As I approached the post office I could see a white twirling cloud over the tree tops. Limbs and leaves were spinning over head. Realizing what was happening above and my heart racing I told mother "Something is happening" I jumped from my car with the phone in my ear and ran into the post office. Two workers held the door for me as the wind tried to keep it shut. I rushed in shaking from head to toe and we stood watching as the clouds passed over us spinning, rolling and dipping from the sky. I held the phone to my ear wanting my mother as close to me as possible through this storm. John beeped in soon telling me there was a really bad storm on 72. He was at a convience store and the doors were rattling and bowing in. Through tears, and my entire body shaking I told him what was going on outside right then. Soon we heard sirens and saw rescue vehicles outside. Something had passed over us ... John called again and said there had been a funnel cloud sighted over Lock 6 road, right next to the post office. I think I was slightly in shock. My couldn't stop the shaking through my body. I was terrified at what had ALMOST happened to us three in that post office. I know in my heart that a tornado has passed right over us. I cautiously opened the door and thanked the employees for letting me in and slowly walked to my car. The clouds rolled away from us but the sky was dark still. I wanted to be home desperately. I tried to call Kat and Janice but cellphone service was acting up. I finally called the store and heard Janice's voice and fell to pieces. Telling her about my terrifying experience , I sobbed and she cried along with me. Kat beeped in and we cried together too. When I finally arrived home the weather was going from bad to worse all around us.
Another call from mother said that Tanner was in direct line for a 3/4 mile tornado. I called Allen and Natasha and told them what was heading their way. They had no power from an earlier storm so couldn't get any information. They said they were going to the closet now. There seemed to be one wave after another going right through their area . I continued to call and text them with warnings. Cell service was about out and their phones were loosing battery power. A text from Natasha at 4:59pm read:
" Please let us know if there are any more coming here! Thank You! Love You!!"
I got through to Allen once more. They were still in the closet wanting to know what was going on. I told him there were so many storms going on I could hardly keep up with them. He opened the closet door and looked out and said, " The trees are touching the ground!!!" I yelled for him to get back in the closet!I told him that Mother and I were praying for them to be protected.
We lost our connection. I was horrified as there was no contact for several minutes. I got several calls from concerned John, Mother , Janice , Bridgette and family and friends during all of this... I soon got another text from Allen,
5:11pm."What's going on now, are we clear?"
"Stay where you are!" I told them .
another text from Natasha:
5:25pm " Let us know when it is over."
Soon another message came,
5:45 "We just drove to Athens"
With no contact for over an hour , I finally got another message from Allen
7:18pm" We r at a church near our house"
7:34 " We ok at storm shelter"
8:38 "we at home"
This home was located in Tanner in the vicinity of Rosie Road.
Daily Photo by Gary Cosby Jr. A large tornado sweeps through Limestone County near Stewart Rd. Wednesday afternoon. The twister was on the ground through at least four north Alabama counties including Limestone County where this photo was taken.
Electrical towers in Tanner
If we had only known what was really going on April 27th 2011, all around us that day in those several hours of phone calls and texting ! Alabama was hit by 71 tornadoes that day.The south had a total of 312, setting a one day record from the Outbreak of 1974 of 148 tornadoes. Hundreds of lives lost, thousands of homes destroyed and thousands of lives completely torn apart . I have watched hours of news footage of the complete annihilation of Phil Campbell and Hackelburg by a EF 5. Mass distruction in Madison and Limestone county and Tuscaloosa and even the little town of Tanner where my son lives.
As my son and his wife sat huddled with their dog in a tiny closet, the neighborhoods down the road from them were in the midst of devestaion. Just blocks from their home lives were lost and homes destroyed. I thank God everyday that He was there in that little closet with them. I know the prayers of my Mother kept that horrible storm from away. Just a tiny turn of the path of the tornado and I know what COULD have happened. .
Daily Photo by Gary Cosby Jr. Residents along Ingram Rd. in Limestone County's Tanner community south of Athens, Ala., recover belongings Thursday, April 28, 2011 in the aftermath of Wednesday's devastating tornado. Billy Hughey takes a pain pill he found after uncovering part of his living room floor. Hughey and his wife were in the home when the tornado struck.
They did not have power for days and their storage building where they had put many of their belongings for a future move,was demolished . Yet they were able to save most of what was inside.
Ariel view of storage units
18 wheeler on the units where my son and his wife had things stored for a future move
When I look back at the trip Kat and I took to Huntsville that day, I again feel my Mother's prayers and Janice's weather reports protected us there and back. If we had waited and left at 5:00 when the meeting was over we would have been right in the path of several of the tornadoes paths crossing highway 72.
In the aftermath of this horrible storm , I have seen a wonderful out pouring of love and support from our very on communities like never before. One FEMA representative said "In one day here in Alabama, we have seen more of an out pouring of support than in several days in the Katrina disaster in Louisana."
But we knew that about Alabamians, did'nt we? But the world see's it now the bond we have here. Even die hard football rivalries Alabama and Auburn have laid down the gridiron hatred to join hands in this tradgedy .
Auburn University students started this group Toomers for Tuscaloosa that has been pivotal in getting all kinds supplies to every county in Alabama that was effected by the storms.It has been amazing what they have been able to accomplish by just asking others to pitch in.
For once we Iron Bowlers can say Roll Tide and War Eagle! Neighbors helping neighbors , friends helping friends but most of all strangers helping strangers all in the name of love. My home's in Alabama...Sweet Home Alabama!!!
(P.S. I have formally retired from being the other weather girl at Kmart, lol!)
M is for the many hours spent praying for her children.
O is for the open arms, always there to hold them.
T is for the tears she cried, when one of us was sad,
H is for the hurt she felt when one of us felt bad.
E is for the endless love she gives to us each day,
R is her renewing spirit that helps us choose or way
by Laura Brown 5-2011
When I reflect back throughout my life,I have so many wonderful memories that she has given us. Surprisingly enough, the little things even make me smile.
I remember:
making cookies, cakes and candy.. always including us to help add stuff or stir the bowl ...we even got first choice to lick the spoon, bowl and beaters!!
putting bread bags over our shoes(we didn't have boots) so we could go out and play in the new falling snow.
allowing us to go out and play in the rain and splash in the ponds of water that formed on the sides of the streets
playing board game for hours with us...oh what fun!
lining up coffee mugs on the table at Easter and dropping egg dye tablets into vinegar and letting us monitor our eggs until they reached the color we desired
singing to us with her "Angelic" voice... I always wished I could sing like her. I loved listening to music and playing records and remember practicing to "shake" my voice like she could...all the practice never worked for me...but I do love to TRY to sing, HA!
telling us stories, bible stories and reading books. We were always on the edge of our seats waiting on the next words.
sharing her tales of the fairies and telling us how to build houses for them so they would come and dance in them at night. My brother and sister and I used to collect green moss, broken bits of colored glass and match sticks to build beautiful dance floors and houses for them. We would fall asleep seeing them dancing and twirling on the colored glass floors and walking through the soft green moss as we slept. We never saw one , but they were always in our dreams.
going to the creek by Mars Hill in Florence, was a fun time for me. I was a BIG rock hound and loved looking for SPECIAL rocks. She would walk along the banks and watch us wade looking for the perfect rock. I still love looking for special ones!!
going to Granny Mae's house before Mother's day services at church and picking that special rose to wear on our dress in honor of our mothers. This is such a touching memory, we all got little red rose buds, Mother picked a bloomed red one and Granny Mae chose a lovely white one...I learned that the white one meant your mother was no longer here with us.
sharing her faith and love of Jesus was always a part of our lives. Her love of the Lord shined through in her talent for singing and from the deep love for Him in her heart. I saw that...I wanted that too...and because of her teaching and gentle leading...I gave my heart to Him, nearly 40 years ago.
There are soo many memories I have that I could list and they would go on and on.
In my Mother,I have been highly blessed and greatly favored by God to have been given the most wonderful gift a child can have. My mother is a mother to all that she meets...so many call her Mom!
She is my mother, my confidant, and my best friend. Like my cousin Danny Richey said today in an email
"All the good things you see in me came from my Mother!"
Wishing my mother a blessed and beautiful Mothers Day!
