Sonya's Wedding Continued!

As I was going through the pictures that I have taken since we have arrived here in Illinois, I found a couple of ones that I hadn't posted that I think are very interesting. I mentioned in a previous post that there was an inland hurricane in southern Illinois that caused a lot of damage. I had never heard of an inland hurricane before, but we saw the uprooted trees everywhere we went in Carbondale.

One of the best signs that we saw was on a church close to where we were staying. It said, "Jesus is bigger than an inland hurricane!" I wish I had taken a picture of it.

When we went to the rehearsal dinner at Sonya's parents' home, I talked to her mom about this storm. She told me that she hadn't realized how bad it was until it was over. When we went out to the back of their house, Sonya's dad showed me where they go when a storm like this comes along. I found it absolutely fascinating to see. They actually have a storm cellar that is in the ground where people go for protection. It fits six people and is something that is purchased and then put into the ground. Her dad told me that after a storm, neighbors check on each other to make sure that trees haven't fallen on the storm cellar door. Having lived in Arizona for all of my life, this is so hard to imagine.

I also mentioned that the original reception hall that Sonya had booked for her wedding had been destroyed in this inland hurricane. It was going to be in the middle of this beautiful lake near the wedding chapel. Because there was very little time before the wedding, she had to find some place quickly that wasn't already booked. She was able to find an Elks Club and she was a bit disappointed that it wasn't quite what she was looking for. Sonya and her mom did a great job of decorating the place and of course, it was a lot of fun. I am posting a picture of the sign in front of the Elks Club last Saturday night. I absolutely love this picture!!We are in Chicago now and have spent the day doing tourist things. We have a two day pass and will be seeing much more tomorrow. Chicago is a great city, but it is very expensive!! I will be doing a post on this part of our trip later. This trip has been great and we have seen so much!! I am glad we have driven and been able to see the different parts of our great country!!