Friday, September 26, 2008
September 26, 2008
...still waiting for school to start. If it doesn't start on Monday, I may need some counseling!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
30 years ago...
I was born.
The first child to two young and very excited parents. A 4 1/2 pound preemie baby girl with a wrinkly forehead and a funny, old-professor looking hairline.
I can't believe it's been 30 years. I don't feel old enough to be in my thirties, but at the same time, I do have a few smile wrinkles, and 2 kids in elementary school to prove it, so I guess I could say, I knew it was coming.
Having such a milestone of a birthday, at a weird time, the day after our electricity came back on :)....but a few days after such an emotional whirlwind. Seeing trees that had split friends houses in half and other sorts of damage and heartache has given me a sense of gratitude that not even the best pre-Thanksgiving speech could conjure up. To realize my friends and family were all safe, and to be able to count my many blessings has been a good birthday present. Giving service and sharing burdens with neighbors and friends has reminded me, in this middle-of-my life-moment what is important.
Take a hike, IKE!
That was one of the many slogans I saw around the city, on plywood boarded up windows. Why do we name them? I know, to keep track of them I'm sure, but it's as if we're giving them a soul... a personality. For whatever reason, Ike was a fun name for people to work with.
We did not stick around to see if we liked Ike or not. At the last minute, we evacuated to avoid anything scary (or uncomfortable). Why not, when Grandma and Papa live just a few hours away, and they are shamelessly BEGGING for us to come visit.
We had a fun time, going to the Children's Museum of Austin, going to San Marcos (OF COURSE), and seeing their new house. We wanted to get back as quickly as possible though, we were worried about friends and our house. Cell phone reception was next to nothing, land lines were down, water was not safe, gas was nowhere to be found and there was no power in the WHOLE city of HOUSTON, fourth largest city in the US! Well, we braved the aftermath, amidst signs on the freeway saying, "DO NOT TRAVEL TO HOUSTON" (don't tell mom about those signs...)
Upon our return we were fascinated by the destruction. Not in a good exciting way, but in a humbling, awestruck way. I always knew hurricanes were forces to be reckoned with, but seeing humongous trees weighing over a ton laying flat on the ground, root system up, was an eye opener. It was frightening to realize this was only a category 2 storm. Never before have I witnessed first hand how powerful Mother Nature is.
So, here we are, about 10 days out, we just barely received out power again, most of our friends are still in the dark this very minute. What is taking so long, you might ask? Well, the damage to the power lines in our community, because of all the trees, was so extensive, it's been a MASSIVE repair effort, of which I am very grateful to all the workers for. I have learned so much these past few days about work, love, service, miracles, family and gratitude, that I have to say I'm grateful for this experience, it was definitely a once in a lifetime I will never forget.
We did not stick around to see if we liked Ike or not. At the last minute, we evacuated to avoid anything scary (or uncomfortable). Why not, when Grandma and Papa live just a few hours away, and they are shamelessly BEGGING for us to come visit.
We had a fun time, going to the Children's Museum of Austin, going to San Marcos (OF COURSE), and seeing their new house. We wanted to get back as quickly as possible though, we were worried about friends and our house. Cell phone reception was next to nothing, land lines were down, water was not safe, gas was nowhere to be found and there was no power in the WHOLE city of HOUSTON, fourth largest city in the US! Well, we braved the aftermath, amidst signs on the freeway saying, "DO NOT TRAVEL TO HOUSTON" (don't tell mom about those signs...)
Upon our return we were fascinated by the destruction. Not in a good exciting way, but in a humbling, awestruck way. I always knew hurricanes were forces to be reckoned with, but seeing humongous trees weighing over a ton laying flat on the ground, root system up, was an eye opener. It was frightening to realize this was only a category 2 storm. Never before have I witnessed first hand how powerful Mother Nature is.
So, here we are, about 10 days out, we just barely received out power again, most of our friends are still in the dark this very minute. What is taking so long, you might ask? Well, the damage to the power lines in our community, because of all the trees, was so extensive, it's been a MASSIVE repair effort, of which I am very grateful to all the workers for. I have learned so much these past few days about work, love, service, miracles, family and gratitude, that I have to say I'm grateful for this experience, it was definitely a once in a lifetime I will never forget.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
September is the perfect month...
This little girl is so delicious!
I've been trying to get this project going for FOREVER... finally, a large 6' x 4' chalkboard now graces our playroom. Perfect for writing practice!
This is my darling roommate from college, Jenni. We schemed and dreamed together for 4 years until she got married. We see each other every so often and it was pure luck that we each had vacations together at the same time this summer close enough to visit. Most importantly we were able to introduce our daughters, who WILL be best friends and roommates at BYU, and have the best time ever, just like their mamas!
First day of dance class --this girl was born to twirl, I am not kidding! She loves to dance, more than anything... how wonderful to know what you were made for!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
