I’ve honestly been at a loss for words the last few days.

For someone who processes life by writing, that’s saying something.

If you’ve followed me for very long, you know I usually keep life pretty current. I share my morning posts, my Thursday blog, and little glimpses of what’s happening around us. Yesterday, I didn’t even get everything posted to keep life current like I normally do. By the time evening rolled around, I was simply too exhausted to write.

Then this morning came, and my regular Thursday morning blog post didn’t happen either. I don’t usually miss it. In fact, the last time I can remember missing a Thursday blog was just a couple of weeks ago when we had an emergency listing situation for The Klassen Group that demanded our full attention. That’s how I knew this week was different. Between the exhaustion, the anxiety, the cleanup, and everything else demanding attention, I simply wasn’t ready to put it all into words yet.

Part of it was exhaustion. Part of it was anxiety. And part of it was that every time I sat down to write, there was something else that needed my attention.

Cleanup to tackle. A fence to work on. Supplies to track down. Guests to check on. Family to connect with. Another task waiting around the corner.

I’ve spent the last few days trying to keep moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other and handling whatever needed handled next.

But tonight feels different. The dust is settling a little, my thoughts are finally coming together, and I’m feeling better about sharing.

This week has left Johnny and I feeling truly humbled.

Not because everything went wrong, but because life has a way of handing you a dozen responsibilities at once and expecting you to keep moving forward. The kind of week where there isn’t always a perfect answer—just the best decision you can make with the information you have in front of you.

Monday night’s storm brought hurricane-like winds that lasted a full hour.. first we’ve ever experienced anything like this. Scary! By Tuesday morning, we were staring at downed trees, damaged fencing, debris scattered everywhere, and a cleanup project that will likely continue for quite some time.

What has humbled me most isn’t the damage itself—it’s the people.

My brother Prep showed up. His oldest son, Cason even helped, he’s fourteen.. I believe. Our oldest son, Keith, showed up. Our daughter Aleah and her boyfriend Isaac showed up. Our friend Shawn showed up with a generator! They dropped what they were doing to help Johnny and I tackle the aftermath. The rest of our kids were either working or facing challenges of their own, but everyone was checking in and doing what they could.

Friends and family stepped in wherever they could. Whether it was helping with cleanup, running for supplies, bringing equipment, checking on us, or simply reaching out with a message, we felt supported every step of the way.

Late last night, Prep came back over and figured out that a GFI outlet on our friend Shawn’s generator had given out. We originally had his borrowed generator running at our house because we were trying to save the food in our refrigerators and freezers. Thanks to Prep, we were able to get things working properly again and avoid losing hundreds of dollars worth of food.

Then this evening, once we knew things were stable here, we loaded up that borrowed generator and moved it over to the guest house.

One of the unexpected blessings in the middle of all this has been getting to know the sweet families staying in our Airbnb. Their husbands are in town for at least a month doing paintless dent repair from the recent hail storms across Kansas. Then they found themselves right in the middle of our windstorm and power outage.

As we’ve worked through our own challenges, we’ve also been trying to help them however we could. There have been countless texts, checking on hotel availability, offering refrigerator space for food, buckets of water for flushing toilets, a coffee delivery, and even tracking down a screen for the sliding door so they could enjoy fresh air without becoming mosquito bait. With the generator now at the guest house, they can keep food cold, charge phones, have a lamp and run a couple of fans, and have a little more comfort while waiting for power to return.

What amazes me is that even while dealing with their own inconvenience, they have remained patient, gracious, and kind. At one point they even offered to help us track down a generator.

They didn’t take us up on sleeping in our two guest rooms here, because it’s not supposed to be too hot tonight.😳

It’s amazing how quickly strangers can start to feel like friends.

Which brings me to a funny little side note.

Recently, Johnny and I opened fortune cookies. Out of all the fortunes in the world, one of mine was exactly the same as one of his. All three fortunes revolved around new friendships and meaningful connections. We laughed about it at the time and thought it was an odd coincidence.

Now I’m not so sure.

After sharing this unexpected week together, checking in on one another, swapping stories, helping where we can, and navigating storm recovery side by side, I’m beginning to wonder if those fortune cookies were onto something.

This evening, after getting the generator moved over, Johnny and I decided we needed a small break. We grabbed ice cream cones and took a little cruise to check on Aleah’s place at our rental. We were hopeful we’d see lights on when we pulled up.

Sadly, the answer was still no.

We also made the decision to skip the Festival Jam at the Smoky Hill River Festival tonight—the first time in years. Normally, we wouldn’t miss it. But after the week we’ve had, we were simply too busy with cleanup and too worn out to enjoy it. Maybe we’ll feel up to it before the festival is over.

That’s another lesson this week has taught me. Sometimes the grown-up decision isn’t pushing through exhaustion. Sometimes it’s recognizing when you need to slow down, enjoy an ice cream cone with your person, take a drive down a country road, and simply be grateful for how far you’ve made it through the day.

The storm left behind damaged trees, broken fences, unexpected expenses, missed work, and plenty of uncertainty. But it also reminded me that people are good. That kindness still exists. That community matters. And that sometimes the people who enter our lives unexpectedly leave the biggest impression.

Maybe staying humble means recognizing that even in the middle of stress, uncertainty, and grown-up responsibilities, there are still beautiful connections being formed.

Maybe those fortune cookies weren’t talking about new friends at all.

Maybe they were talking about lifelong memories and friendships!🤍😇

Stay Rosy, Amber 🤍🤟

#HalfwayThere #HalfwayToAnywhereYouPutYourMindTo #StayRosy #GratitudeInTheChaos #CommunityStrong #StormRecovery #UnexpectedBlessings #LifelongFriends #TheKlassenGroup #CountryLife