Tornado!!!

I took the kids to Chicago this weekend to meet some women I've been talking to for almost 5 years on line. They came from all over the US and Canada. We had brunch at one of the ladies' houses today. It was fun.

We went to Lincoln Park Zoo after the Big Meet. We started home because it'd started raining. We headed South, out of Chicago. As we got farther South, the rain became torrential. I've driven in that before so it wasn't bad. We got just out of the main part of Chicago, when the lightening started getting really bad. Marlene (my dear friend) and I looked ahead and realized that a TORNADO was HEADED RIGHT AT US!!! You guys, I have never been so scared in my entire life. Here we are, headed south on an interstate. There's NOWHERE to turn around, my 3 precious children in the back of my car all crying. I told Marlene to start praying. I picked up some young girl who had ditched her car and was running for her life, the wrong direction on the interstate. I turned my car around in the middle of the interstate and DROVE THE WRONG DIRECTION ON THE INTERSTATE for about 5 miles, as fast as my car could go in torrential rain. I blinked my bright lights as fast as I could and prayed noone would hit us head on and that we'd be safe. We finally came up on an emergency cross over and was able to go the right direction. We immediately were able to pull off onto a side road (TORNADO STILL CHASING US!!!) and into a small outdoor mall that had a Toys'R Us in it. We went inside yelling about the tornado and found the bathroom. We all got in it and hunkered down under the sink counter ready to hold on for dear life. (I promise you it was the cleanest TRU bathroom I had ever seen and I'm THANKFUL!) I called Liz (a friend in Chicago) and she watched the internet for us to tell us about the storm (after I called Paul, told him goodbye if I needed to and that we loved him). We were there about an hour before we knew we were safe. We had to majorly detour to get home. We saw a LOT of downed trees and damaged houses. The interstate was closed and we know there were semi's overturned and cars, etc. We feel like God absolutely protected us. There is no doubt in our minds. Liz can tell you that we should have been hit by the tornado where we were. It was absolutely right on us. I feel blessed to be sitting here tonight telling you about it. I've never been so scared in my life. I think I've permanently traumatized Brookelyn. She was already terified of storms. I'm not so fond of them myself anymore.
Thinking I won't sleep tonight. Just too shaken up. I'll bb tomorrow or Monday with pictures from our trip...