I LOVERMONT

When we left Vermont back in July, it sure was a bittersweet moment.

Not counting the 5 years my family lived up north, I came to Vermont in the fall of 2000 to start my freshman year of college.  Brad joined me in the fall of 2003.  We lived there for years & although we had our good and bad moments, there's something about the little towns of Bennington & Woodford that really suck you in. 

I left Vermont thinking "you'll be here when we come back to visit."  And I was sure it would always be the same ol' Vermont.  I would have never guessed that Hurricane Irene would have had such an impact on those little towns & the place we called home for so long.

 

(This was taken back in 2008 in front of Wahoo's in Wilmington)

This is what that location looked like yesterday:

Remember the sweet little river that ran behind our apartment??

Brad LOVED that river!!!  But, it was bigger than ever yesterday & did a lot of damage to the house that we rented & a lot of nearby homes.  It's all so devastating & hard to grasp.

These were all taken before our landlord and the tenants were evacuated.  That black truck was washed away & from what I understand, the house is now unlivable.  If you've been to our old apartment, you will remember how far away that river was from the house.  It's amazing to see how high the water got.

Our neighbors up the road lost everything.  This is where our good friend Jamie grew up & his parents were renting it out to a family.  They lost EVERYTHING.  It is all so sad.

And if we thought Woodford got hit hard, Wilmington was almost unrecognizable.

This is a picture of Brad's old office.  There used to be a line on the side of the building that showed where the flood line of 1938 was.  If I remember correctly, I would say there is easily a foot more water in the flood of 2011.

This is just as you're entering the town (Brad's old office is in the background).  The entire town was destroyed.  It is so sad to see all of those places washed away.  Terrifying to think that sooo many of our friends had to experience this.  We are so blessed to know that everyone is safe, but wish we could be there to help!  We love you all so much and are sending so many prayers your way for a speedy recovery from this disaster.

For those who can afford to donate, please go to the {Red Cross of Vermont & New Hampshire website} to help!  Every little bit will make a difference!

We Love you, Vermont!!