Hurricane, Or Not?!

Well, I decided I'd better post something or my kids are going to take over my blog. They really seem to enjoy it. It's interesting how you can get to know your kids by reading their blogs. Anyway, it's been a crazy year for us. We have left our home, our church, our friends, and our family. We know God has brought us to this place and we find peace in that, but it has not been an easy journey. The first week here we nearly filled our new house up with tears, really, it's true. We all wanted to turn around and go back. The day we left Nick had to pry Missy and I apart and he kept telling us "five more minutes will not make it any easier." We laugh about it now, but it was hard. Leaving Nick's parents was heart wrenching. But the hardest part was watching my kids break down. The only peace I had was knowing that God was in this and I had to keep focusing on the big picture, what big plans does God have for us now? After about a week of trying to adjust and getting the kids in school we had to go through a hurricane, well almost a hurricane. I have a whole new found appreciation for people living on the Gulf. I can't even believe they live with this every year. It is so stressful when a hurricane is coming and you watch the weather channel all day wondering if it's coming your way. Then you hear it's coming straight for us, we're in the cone of possibility, as they call it, prepare, get ready, get water, get canned food!!!! And the grocery stores are packed with people pushing, and grabbing, and it's just insane. Then you have to decide do I evacuate, wait it's not coming our way, so I'll stay, oh but wait, it is coming our way, get a reservation or all the rooms in San Antonio will be gone....but wait it's going the other way now, good, we can rest, but wait!!! here it comes so we bettere get out!! OH MY GOSH! It's the most awful experience, especially when you have no idea what you are doing. In addition to that you have to cover all of your windows with boards. Nick had to climb a 30 foot laddar, carry very heavy boards up to the second story windows, drill holes in the brick, while somehow holding the very heavy boards, and cover all of our 20 windows. It was 100 degrees with 100% humidity. It was so hot it just drained you of all of your energy, and Nick and Josh were putting the boards up with sweat dripping off of them....it took about eight hours to get it done and they literally had to take breaks to keep from passing out. When they finished that Nick had to go to work and take care of evacuation plans at Walmart. The kids and I packed and got ready to evacuate. The news announced that all roads coming into Corpus were going to be closed so that all North and South bounds lanes on the interstate could be used to drive North. It was expected to be mass chaos, but everyone I talked to was getting out, so I thought I'd better go. Nick had to stay behind with the store because Walmart did not shut down his store. I packed my bags grabbed all of our photos (and my coach purse) and prepard for the worse. So, the next morning the kids and I get up, got on the road expecting thick traffic, but to our surprise the highway is quite clear, they've cancelled the evacuation, the storm has gone the other way and is now headed for Galveston!!! But we already have paid for hotel through priceline, no chance of a refund, so we go anyway. Corpus did not even get one ounce of rain from that storm. I am thankful that we did not have a hurricane, but for all of our trouble we could have at least gotten some rain!!! Oh my gosh, I am not looking forward to hurricane season. From now on I will not make reservations through priceline and we will hire someone to cover our windows. In the meantime, we are doing so much better, God is so good. We still have not sold our house in Lubbock, so we covet your prayers for that. We miss you all so much! God Bless!