Hurricane Ike--in the Midwest!!!!!!

The pictures are out of order, but this is the timeline:
Hurricane Ike came ashore early Saturday morning in Texas, it quickly moved up the Mississippi Valley, it linked up with a nice little cold front and roared through our area on Sunday. By noon, we were under a high wind advisory (nothing to worry about I though), Bug and I laid down for our nap at 1 pm, with the football game going on the TV. At 2:15 the power went out and the winds had picked up. I watched trees bending, heard loud cracks from outside and prayed that none of the trees behind my house or to the side would fall on us.

At 5 pm, we could finally go outside to see the damage. At first it did not look too bad, a few branches down, then I saw the siding peel back on the house across the street, saw the roof fanned back on the house next door to us and I realized it was not good. The police office across the street told me that power would not be back on for up to 2 days, then my mom called and said it was being reported it would be 3-4 days and 1/2 million people were without power.


This is Monday, I am keeping Bug busy. I was raking up the leaves and small branches in our yard, he was shoveling them ( we don't have a kids sized rake) More shoveling and as Bug said "he was breaking up the sticks"
Mowing the lawn after raking
More mowing
we took a walk this morning to survey the damage- out of my curiosity and an attempt to entertain Bug.

This is the house around the corner

These are the main power lines to the western part of our neighborhood. We are on the eastern part, but these lines are down right in front of our gymnastics friend S's house. I am worried about them
More of the damage near S's house- there are 5 main power poles down across the street blocking it.
An uprooted tree around the corner from us
This is the damage that caused our power to be out- the tree split and took down the lines. The power company was out working on this damage while we walked by

how to have potty time when there is no power- candle power

Sunday night entertainment with Bug- trains and Lincoln logs by the patio doors so we had lots of light
Dinner Sunday night- picnic on the back porch- tomatoes, Frito's, and peanut butter on wheat bread and chocolate milk.
More playing
The house across street with the siding stripped off by the wind

We finally got power again after about 24 hours. I was starting to think that we would be leaving the house to go to my parents house. The have a generator. Tonight Bug and I have power and my parents and sister do not. I did not like this last 24 hours- first I need way more batteries in this house and secondly, I need a plan for weather days for us. Tomorrow I will be back at work, but I am not sure what I will do with Bug. I asked my parents if they wanted to come to here, but they are fine at their house. I can't send Aidan to my sister's house- I am not sure I will even drive over there- lights are out every where. My mom offered to watch Bug, and since they have a generator, it could work. I am going to decide in the morning.

Well that was the excitement here. Tomorrow I will post pictures of hermano's birthday from Saturday.

Love and hugs to you,

Deb