Weekend Update

Wow, things have been crazy over the last 5-6 days. I haven’t blogged since last Wednesday, and that was just a few quick sentences after the hurricane came through, and our power had gone out, and we were sitting in a hot, dark house. I’ve done a few Facebook posts since then (when I was able to get some spotty cell service), so I’ll skip a few days, and just catch up on yesterday and today…

SATURDAY 10/13

We have been spending the last few days & nights at in-laws house, because they had a generator with fans hooked up. So when we woke up at their house, we cooked breakfast on the griddle on the back porch, since the weather was so nice outside!

After a bit, we went back to our house to check on things. No power at this point, but Emmie took a nice long 2-hour nap in her own crib. She woke up & we played around a little (the Band-Aids are from her vaccine shots on Friday), then used the very last of our saved-up warm water for her bath.

After spending another hour or so at the in-laws, we headed over to have dinner with some friends. Jeff & I we’re actually supposed to host our Sunday school class Saturday night for a chili dinner, but with no power, that was out of the question. Instead, our friend Abby offered to host at her house, since they never lost power our in Southwood! There was a smaller group since some of us were still evacuated, but we had a great time together! And our little ones loved playing together as well, especially out in the sand trap on the golf course!

They live on the Southwood golf course, so after dinner, we let the run around on the tiny grassy hills, and even let them play in the sand. Emerson absolutely loved the sand, and just really went to town in it! She ended up getting a bath there at Abby’s, with her new best friend Caroline. Which was also adorable seeing them play in the bath tub together.

And after bath time, they took a few more laps around the house in the tiny cars.

Caroline didn’t want to stop playing in the tub together (she told her mom “not my time get out”), and also wanted Emmie to sleepover. Which is just precious. We told her we’d have to wait a few years before Emmie is ready for sleepovers. Once we made it home (to Jeff’s parents house), Emmie crashed hard as soon as we laid her down! Abby later texted me saying Caroline was still talking about “her new best friend” at bedtime. So sweet.

Then while we were watching a movie with the TV plugged into the generator, their power clicked on at 9:48 last night!

SUNDAY 10/14

Our church building still had no electricity this morning, but our congregation met for a simple worship service, which was amazing. We also collected tons of supplies to share with a sister church in Blounstown, to help with their hurricane disaster relief. We as a church will be partnering with them for a while, to help out however we can. There were tons of tiny towns all over North Florida & south Georgia that were hit really hard, but just aren’t getting much attention. The Florida Baptist Convention is going to try to help with that, by partnering up churches like this. (Thanks for the pics I stole off FB, Uncle Keith!)

After church, we went to lunch with my family at McAlister’s. Emmie ate lots of her baked potato & applesauce, and then she started double-fisting a pickle & a tortilla chip.

We got home around 1:15, got Emmie to sleep at 1:25, and then at 1:35, our electricity clicked on!!!

I ran out while Emmie napped, to meet my parents to visit one of my aunts (on my dad’s side), who is currently in hospice house. She’s not doing well at all, so that’s been hard for our family. After that, I went back to Jeff’s parents house to pack up all our stuff, so we could move back home! We also packed up all our fridge & freezer stuff, that my mother-in-law was nice enough to take to her house last Thursday, so we wouldn’t lose all of our food.

Jeffs parents helped me load all the stuff in my car & their truck, then they followed me home. We then spent 2 hours moving back in, and getting our house back in order. All of our porch & patio stuff was still inside and the place was a mess. Mrs. Nita and I cleaned out the fridge & freezer, and then put all the food back in. Then I did some more clean up (it looked like a hurricane came through the house as well it was such a mess), and then Jeff’s parents headed back home.

Then Jeff, Emerson and I had some nice play time for a while. The photos below are when you ask her where her belly button & nose are. It’s adorable! She also likes lifting my t-shirt to find my belly button, so I have to be careful about asking her that in public. She also gets mad if you ask her about her by button while she’s wearing a onesie, and she can’t lift up her shirt to find hers.

After playtime, I dragged myself to the kitchen to make dinner, while Jeff took Emerson on a walk/stroller ride up & down our road.

We had hamburgers (made indoors on my stove-top grill pan) and garlic & rosemary potatoes. It was delicious, and Emerson loved the potatoes. Twice, she finished all of hers, signed “more” and I had to give her more from my plate.

After dinner, we played a little more, then Emmie went straight to sleep right at 7:30. I forced myself to wash up all the dishes, even though my legs & feet were so tired by that point! Glad to have that done though. And now I’m not moving for the rest of the night.

At this point, they’re reporting 90% of Tallahassee now has power restored, and I’m super thankful we’re part of that. Unfortunately, my parents are still in the 10% without power, so they’re still living with my sister out in Midway. Praying theirs gets turned on soon!

Ok, this was a really long post, and I’m super exhausted. Glad I got it all written down though. Night friends!