God knows how to CELEBRATE!!!

     Today we were supposed to go to surprise 50th birthday party, but those plans to a little messed up. Now don't get me wrong, we did go to the party, but it wasn't as we had planned. I being the weather freak in my family, had to be obsessing over oncoming storms all day. The party started at 4 and it looked like the rain was going to start right at 4!!! Well we ended up getting to the party at 5 and the rain followed us there.

       We finally arrived at the party with the rain. Everyone was begging for food and ready to get the party started. One individual decided to quiet us down and we all bowed our heads and prayed for our blessing of food and the weather we had considering it could be worse. Then it was time to get food.

         The skies were light and the air was breezy. The rain had stopped for a little bit, but as soon as we managed to form a line the clouds came over the mountains and into the valley. I am pretty sure I have never seen a storm like this. One second it was bright and sunny and the next it was literally as dark as night fall with rain. We all wondered where the thunder and lightning was. Then it came. Now let me remind you this was a 50th birthday party.

           As we waited in line, I saw the sky darkening, the trees blowing and I felt the rain brewing. If you read my last blog post you would know that I absolutely hate little rain drops landing on my arm. Think about it this way. Every time a drop of rain falls on my arm, it feels as though I was just startled by something like when you hear a loud noise or something big happens in a movie. That jump out of your seat moment. Thats what every drop is like for me.

       If you knew me when I was young, you would know that I was scared to death of thunderstorms. This had to do with sensory issues as a child. When I was in 9th grade I was finally diagnosed with an anxiety disorder which now that I look back, I developed between 5th and 6th grade. When I was in middle school and high school my knowledge of thunderstorms and tornadoes grew which made me even more scared. I eventually got over this fear in probably 10th grade, but I still can't be outside when one is happening.

        This spring my anxiety continued to rise again after being under control for a while. I am now scared of thunderstorms more so than I have been over the past few years. No worse than when I was little, but right up there. While waiting in line I had one of those outbursts. God sure knows how to rock the party!!! He celebrated a YOUNG mans birthday by replenishing the earth in an unforgettable way, but man that was not fun.

          Before we had left for this party and this thunderstorm/party that god was throwing, I had asked my dad how they were going to keep the tent safe with the wind since I had my eye on the storm. His response: J that isn't going to happen and the wind won't be that bad. Well, I proved him wrong. The girls stood in line and about 50 men must have been standing on the one side of the tent literally holding the darn thing up. That was quite the sight to see.

          Since I am already scared of thunderstorms, being outside with the rain, thunder and tent was no joke. This is when I lost it and had a sensory meltdown. The cold wind against my body, the rain drops hitting at any giving time and the tent falling sent me into a sensory meltdown. I was overwhelmed by the idea of a storm, the sensory issues, and the fear of the tent flying across the yard and hurting someone as well as getting struck by a darn lightning bolt and everyone is trying to tell me to calm down??? Hello!!!

       In the midst of all of this, the men holding the tent started bursting out in song, singing Happy Birthday. This was quite the seen. We ate our food, dad was drenched and so therefore we went home. Oh no thats not it. Not only did we go home, but we went home to change just to go back out to get a piece of cake!!! Yes, a darn piece of cake. I on the other hand decided to stay home and curl up under my WEIGHTED blanket and listen as the thunderstorms rolled by my nice cozy and SAFE house while they went out to EAT CAKE. I decided to stay home because of the thunder. They said they would bring me back a piece, but you know you can't always have your cake and eat it too. Therefore, I chose to stay home and not eat my cake. I got the coziness of home, but no cake.

   I just can't imagine ten years from now looking back on this party!!! God definitely knows how to celebrate with storms replenishing this earth!!! :)