Here's just a few pictures from our evacuation trip to New Mexico / West Texas.

Cheese!!

Spider Man

Sports with the family

While vacationing from IKE, we got to see a few of our niece and nephews games. We made it to Muleshoe just in time to go to Trev's junior high pep rally. It poured most of the day and his game that night got cancelled. On Saturday we headed over to Clovis to watch TJ play.
Funny store - at the previous game, TJ saw that one of his players was about to make a late hit, so he went and tackled his own player before the kid could hit the opposing team.
On Monday, we put on our orange and headed to Santa Rosa to watch Emma play volleyball. Unfortunately, they'd just built a new gym and our nav didn't have it. So we were 10 minutes late and missed almost the whole first game. Emma served the winning points, so that was neat.



On Thursday, we went to Littlefield to watch Trev play. It was nice and hot and he almost tied the game, missing the end zone by inches! It was fun to get to see all the kids play. Made us realize how much we're missing out on by living so far away. Too bad there's that whole part about needing a job and income.

Mornings, schmornings

Okay, so I didn't get up this morning to run. My alarm went off at 5:30 and I just couldn't do it. Plus, in my defense, the humidity was higher than yesterday morning, and yeah, I could tell that from the coziness of my bed. Whatever. So my new reasoning is "if its cooler in the morning, it has to be cooler in the afternoon too, right?" So, I have my bag packed (my new bag that I got on clearance at Targ.et 75% off!) and plan to run tonight.

The thing is, I really, really enjoy running. So why have I gone through this dry spell? I have no idea. Pure laziness I guess. And now that I haven't been running, I'm sort of nervous about starting again. Not nervous that anything will happen, just kind of like a pre-race nervousness. Which is totally stupid, but still, my stomach is all knots. It's like being back in high school and waiting all day for a really hard athletic workout. Ugh.

On the cracking front...this diet is very easy, when you have the right food, when you don't have the wrong food, and when you have mostly planned meals. My younger sister reminded me of a recipe my mom used to always make....but she changed it, crack-style. Turkey wienies, slice length-ways, put a sliced dill pickle spear in the middle along with a slice of cheese. Then wrap it all in turkey bacon and secure with a toothpick. Broil in the oven until ready (yeah, don't know the exact time.) Delicious. Oh man, I forgot how much I loved these.

cooking with grammy

Beautiful

It is really gorgeous outside. I'm kicking myself for not getting up early and running. And I think that may be the new plan. Especially since Bry is getting Landon ready for school in the AM, and I realized this morning that is way easier if I'm already out the door.

We had a carb up day yesterday, we celebrated Nic's bday one week late, thanks to IKE. Yummo steaks, thanks to Bryan. Along with squash casserole, broccoli and oh-my-gosh cheesecake. We were all in a carb-stupor after that. But it was delicious and I tricked my body into thinking it needed to burn some calories. Yay-who.

Okay, so goal for self. Wake up early, run. I'm going to put my clothes out in the bathroom tonight so it'll be easy to get up, get dressed and head out the door.

Oh! Grey's tonight! Awesome.

Moldy Monday

Well, it's back to work we go...unfortunately when I did get back to my office, there was an over powering smell of musty, moldy, mildew. And then I noticed the water stains down one side of my office...then the papers, photos, awards, near that wall all had water damage. I move my trash can, and sure enough, the floor is wet under neath it. So apparently, someone came in, dried up some of the floor and replaced the ruined ceiling tiles. Unfortunately, they didn't 1) report the damage to anyone in my building and 2) didn't really do much about cleaning it up. Luckily my manager's manager was in the building and, instead of trying to dismiss the damage, realized mold in the work place was a problem and wanted us out of the room. So about mid-day I moved my PC to another desk and kept a workin. I realize I'm probably far down a list of repairs, but hopefully they'll be able to clean it up before mold becomes a real issue in there.

Other than that, it was pretty much work as normal. Plus a week of catch up. Not too bad. Things are getting back on track quickly.

Bry's at work right now. Apparently with the roof damage in his building, his desk was the second worst on the floor. He called earlier to tell me that all the ceiling tiles above his desk had disintegrated and fallen on to his area. All of his pictures and papers out were ruined, and one of his drawers was actually still full of water. He bagged his PC before we left, so that survived. Thank goodness. He's still on the 3 to midnight shift, but is going to see about working on-site during normal hours.

Cracking went very well today. I was starving by the time I got home. Made the boys (Landon and Seth) meals and then Sandy and I had crack-slaw. We went for a walk around the neighborhood, but Sage got hungry and wasn't happy about being out. We ditched the stroller about half way through at a friend's house and booked it home. After baths, the kids decided they were still hungry and wanted pizza...luckily we actually had some left over. We got to bed by 9:30! Can you believe it?

Then I remember Heros came on tonight, so I'm up again, watching it, waiting for Bry to get home.

Back Home

We got back last night, unpacked and went to bed.

Today has been a day full of work. We removed all the boards from the windows, mowed the yard, worked in the garage, tried to revive our plants, etc. Our fence is just going to need a few nails and maybe a new post. We need some shingles, but Home Depot doesn't have any more.

Sandy and her boys arrived last night. They still don't have power on their side of town and could no longer take the heat. Glad that we have room for them. And I'm sure it'll help to have Seth and Landon playing together while Seth's school is still closed.

Bryan found steaks, so we grilled for our Houston family. We had steaks, carrot souffle, corn and baked beans. It was nice to see everyone again and swap stories. We've all been very lucky. We have two friends with major house damage, but they're both with family or friends and working through this ordeal.

Time to get in bed for work tomorrow. Bryan is working the late shift since he no longer has a cubicle and has to use some one else's PC. Not sure how he's going to get anything done with out his own computer, but we'll see what happens tomorrow.

I un-cracked yesterday and today. So tomorrow, the cracking is back on. I did so well while in West Texas, hopefully it won't take much to get back on track.

Full blown sickness

I guess the week has finally gotten up with me. I started out with a small catch in the throat cough. As soon as we get out to West Texas we start taking Ale.gra...but it hasn't seemed to helped this time. Yesterday, my cough started turning worse, actually coughing up congestion. My lymph nodes are now the size of golf balls, I have an ear ache, a sore throat and my chest feels like someone is standing on it. Do I need some cheese with that whine?

Seriously, I'm not feeling good. And hopefully its just allergies turned sinus infection and not a relapse. But my lymph nodes are so swollen it hurts to turn my neck. So this morning, I may just forget about the WOE and see how much French toast I can swallow.

Day to Day

Everyone asks what our plans are, and honestly, we're not real specific on them. Yes, NASA is reopening JSC on Monday. But several things may keep us from returning by then. Number one being city officials asking us not to return. Number two being I don't want to be the one take food/fuel/water/sewage from someone who needs it. Which is why they're asking people not to return. Our daycare currently doesn't have power, but is updating their information every day. My husband doesn't have an office and they have yet to decide where he is supposed to go on Monday.

So do we return this weekend, in spite of recommendations not to? Do we take a hit from work and possibly vacation hours, in order to better serve the community? I don't really have an answer to that.

I do have friends at home, some are responding to city officials and staying home, conserving energy/water. But I've heard of others that seem to be oblivious to news reports; they're driving around, site-seeing, etc. Seriously? These are intelligent people too. I just don't understand. I don't know if they're bored, or just that selfish.

We plan to keep watching/listening to the news from our area and will make a decision by tomorrow evening.

Excerpt from NASA:

Take it Easy! As the community comes back to life, traffic and tempers can be very difficult. If you can put off errands, stay at home. Let those with critical needs venture out as necessary. Share services and resources with your neighbors to help relieve congestion in town.

Drive VERY defensively! If you must drive, use the utmost care and patience. Traffic lights are not all working consistently. Treat non-working traffic lights like four-way stops. Drive slower than the speed limit to allow for reaction to road hazards or debris.

Ike takes Jacobs ESCG

My husband just found out that the roof on his building is gone. He worked on the top floor (6th) and apparently most of the roof is missing. Not sure what will happen next week when they get the "return to work" message. I think there's talk about moving them to another facility. Hopefully our "bag PC" routine saved their work.

We also read that the Gumpy Hanger is completely gone.

On the cracking front, I'm down 5 pounds! 5! With home cooking! I'm excited to see what my home scale is going to say. I've been really good on the WOE, even in spite of all the good food around me.

Last night we went to watch my niece play volleyball in Santa Rosa. We were about five minutes late and almost missed the whole first game. She's in seventh grade. Even though the games went fast, it was good to see her play.

Hearing vs Listening

First, yes, we are blessed, and our neighborhood's power has already been restored. A big BIG thank you to all the lineman and power people who are working long, long days to get our city back on track.

Second, our prayers go out to our friends, Loi, and Alexa and her family. Both of their houses have damages, extent unknown. Please keep them in your thoughts during this long, long process.

Cracking Evacuee

We're still "on vacation" thanks to Ike. Luckily, I have the support of my sister up here and have been able to keep a crackin. Not easy when there's so many comfort foods my family cooks (like my mother's french toast! yeah, try to not eat that! oh my goodness.) Oh! My younger sister has decided to start Cracking too. She went to the grocery last night with a week one list and plans to start today. I think her main motivation is that my mom didn't think she could do it. I can't imagine trying to crack down here. Every Sunday and Wednesday they have family dinner, which includes home made rolls, cheesey vegetables, fried okra, and dessert! Always a delicious dessert! I don't know if I would have enough will power week after week.

Not sure how much longer we'll be out here. I'm not going back til there's power in our house and sewage...uh, hello, isn't that reasonable? Cause, really, who wants to clean a 2 year old's poo accident without running water and flushing toilets? Not me. And no Air Conditioning, well, you all know how I'd deal with that. I think Bry knows for every one's sanity (and safety) we're not going back til we need to. So far, our suburb is still asking people to wait til at least tomorrow.

The hard part is my son keeps asking to go to his house. Thankfully we do have a house to go home to, just not yet. Its so sad to hear him ask and/or cry to go home. He just wants something normal back in his life.

But we're very lucky to have so much family to visit with during all this. I get to see all my cousins, aunts, uncles. My Granny, my mom, and hopefully at the end of the week, we'll head down to my Dad and StepMom's and visit with them and one of my brothers. And the weather out here is spectacular. I think the low last night was 49 or something. Beautiful to wake up to 60 degrees. I don't even break a sweat. Should have brought running clothes. (yeah, yeah, whatever.) And I have unlimited txt. Thank goodness. Nic and I have spent the whole time texting back and forth. I actually got a little worried yesterday cause I hadn't heard anything from her...had to actually call her! LOL.

I really wish I would have brought my scale. Its hard to be OCD when you don't have the same scale. According to my mothers, I'm still down, and oh man, my nike casual shorts, finally button and have extra room! That's a great feeling.

Sorry that I'm not keeping up with every one's blogs...its going to be a while before I'm able to catch up. Hope you are all doing well. Be safe.

Answered Prayers

This is 146, in Seabrook, by NASA Road One.


This is 2094, down by Target, Chili's, Taco Cabana.


This is a picture of Kemah, under more than 6 feet of water. Notice the stop sign on the right of the picture.

I want to thank everyone who had us in their thoughts and prayers this weekend. It worked. We had friends who stayed (crazy); but they went by our house to give a report. A few shingles missing and some fence damage, no flooding. Thank you, thank you, thank you. The waiting was the worst part. I can not imagine staying in town wondering what was going to happen, and I can't imagine being there now without water, sewage or power. No AC in Houston? Seriously?

We live about a mile from Clear Lake on one side and about 4 miles from the Galveston Bay, up by Kemah. When you see pictures of the roads covered right where we live, its just a horrible feeling. Roads, completely covered, with boats and couches and junk. And then the downtown pictures. Everything is just overwhelming. But then you remember that you got out safely with your family and that all your friends are in safety.

Now, we need to pray for the recovery efforts, the power people (my brother-in-law may get sent out tomorrow.) Its going to be a long, long road ahead. Pray for everyone there in Houston without necessities will be safe.

Thank you, again, to everyone who thought of us and prayed for us. It worked.

We'll return to regularly scheduled blogging soon, I hope.

Evac Update

We're safely in West Texas. We boarded up the house on Wednesday, helped Nicole board up her windows, packed clothes and important docs and got out of dodge. The drive was easy, no traffic, everybody must have been waiting for Thursday's forecast. We're staying at my mother's house.

Please keep praying for us and everyone in the area. With the current forecast and surge storm models, it will not be good for our house. I'm really not handling it well, but am trying to stay with my WOE. Thankfully, my sister is cracking too, so I do have some support (although my mom made french toast this am! But, I had eggs and cheese, and the crust of landon's toast.)

Our plans aren't planned until we get more information tonight and tomorrow. I'll try to keep the blog updated. I believe all of our Houston friends got out of town and are safely somewhere else.

Swimming

We took Landon to the pool this afternoon. After getting in the water, it wasn't quite as warm out as I thought. But he soon wanted to go over to the hot tub and I was all for that. He played and played, but then told us he had to go poo-poo. Luckily I still had a swim diaper in the bag, I quickly put that on him, got him in the squat position and poo-poo happened. We cleaned up and were going to put his swimsuit on, but he quickly pointed to the sky and told me "Its going to rain, its getting dark, we need to go home." That's what we usually say when we're ready to leave the pool. Guess he caught on to that trick pretty easily. So we dried off and headed home for some Tom and Jerry and chicken nuggets.

Its the uncertaintity...

Well, after a day of worrying, it looks like Hurricane Ike may completely miss us after all. I know that six days out you never know, but this morning all the paths were straight through Galveston. Tonight, they vary, but most are further south and west than Galveston. While I was excited to get out of here for the weekend, I really, really, really don't want a hurricane hitting here.

Tonight, we went to Main Event with everyone from work. Its a Da.ve and Bu.sters on a smaller scale. We started off bowling, but the kiddos weren't having so much fun waiting for their turns, so Landon and I took off to see what games we could win. We had fun shooting baskets, squirting ducks with water, and shooting sharks with our big guns. Bryan took Landon for a while to the glow golf. He had to drag him out of there so we could eat some dinner. We had a great time...fun to do that with the group.

All the girls did good tonight...instead of pizza or pretzels or cheese fries, we all had chicken sandwiches, and tossed the fries and buns. Not the best $10 meal I've ever had, but we stuck with our WOE. Four stars for all of us. Good job gals.

I came home to do more testing in hopes that we'll get to upgrade a work system this weekend. Its finally looking like everything is working correctly. I'm exhausted and sick of testing. Sick. Of. It. Unfortunately, I'll have to test XP tomorrow night, but after that, all goes well, and we'll be ready...if Ike stays south.

The Beach...finally

Lan was SOOOOO excited we went to the beach again this weekend. The V's met us there. After we lugged down our tent, the cooler, chairs, towels, toys...we finally got to relax and enjoy the weather. It was actually a little chilly when we first got there, but warmed up very quickly.

Landon and Maddox had a great time, rolling around in the sand and mud. They were a little disappointed that no matter how many trips the Daddy's made, their hole just wasn't holding water. Every time we thought we got the boys clean, we'd look over and see them rolling around in the mud. Boys. That's all I can say.


Dad went into work this morning, so Lan and I had a nice morning together. But, unfortuanatley, we did have a few potty accidents. Lan's stomach was upset...he had a few tootsies that were quite a bit more than just toots. Eww...I'm telling you, my gag reflex was definitely tested.

We bought some flash cards for Landon a few weeks ago. He loves to play with them, but now, he makes me do them, such as, "mommy, what this?" "mommy, what color this?" LOL. He even tells me, "that's right, good job mommy."

Right now, he and Dad are in a tent in the living room made out of the breakfast table chairs, the couch and some pillows, all covered by a king size sheet.

Exhaustion

We took Landon to the beach yesterday (since he begs to go every day.) The V's met us there, and the boys had a great time, splashing in the water, rolling in the sand. I got plenty of sun and woke up this morning feeling like a mac truck, no make that a peterbuilt, ran over me. Now I'm sitting here enjoying coffee, having a 2 1/2 year old climb all over me like I'm a jungle gym. Not helping the headache or the soreness...but he's singing something I can't understand, so at least I'm laughing.

I had thought about running today, maybe if I can get through the day, I'll be able to get some miles in tonight. Ouch, now he's telling me I'm in his way (he's currently balancing on my shoulder and the chair, holding my hair as reigns.)

Okay, better head out. Another carb up day (yesterday) in the books. I'm starting week 4 tomorrow, although for some reason, I'm thinking maybe I'm starting week 5. I don't know, they all run together, will have to go look at my schedule.

Update: I just finished week 4, so I'll start week 5 tomorrow - need to go look what that means.

Time for school

Landon is so not happy about having to go to school this morning.

He stayed home again yesterday with Dad. They had pizza, went to Chuck E Cheese, played games, had a grand time. Hmm, explains why he'd rather stay home with Daddy.

We're on day...oh, I don't even know anymore, but potty training is awesome! Lan is doing great. No accidents.

He keeps asking to go to the beach. Every. Day. Maybe now that its not so hot (who am I kidding?) we can go more often.

Pink eye times two.

Bryan stayed home with Landon today...they went to see the doc. Sure enough, Lan has pink eye in both eyes. And a very swollen lymph node on the right side. Doc was a little worried about the lymph node, and wants us to come back in a few weeks if its still swollen. He has a molar coming in on that side, so maybe that's the cause.

After volleyball tonight, Bry asks me to look at his eye. Yep, he's got pink eye too! So it looks like both my guys will be staying home again tomorrow.

Landon's still doing great on potty training. He even used the potty at the doctor's office and at Target. No accidents today.

I want some 'mmm, mmm'

Funny story...

Lan and I were watching tv last night, well, he was watching I was reading, and he tells me he wants some of that 'mmmm, mmmm'
me: some of what?
lan: some mmmmm
me: what?
lan: (pointing to tv) some 'mmm, mmmm'

So I rewind to see what he's talking about, and there's a commercial for cereal where they take a bite and say mmmm mmmm mmmm over and over.

me: oh, you want some mmm, mmm?
lan: uh huh, yeah, mmm, mmm

I find some fruit loops, put them in his mickey mouse bowl with milk...

Yeah, Landon wasn't so impressed with him 'mmm, mmmm'
lan: mommmy, you eat mmm, mmm.

Pink Eye!

Ugh...we thought we noticed Landon's eye looking a little "red" this weekend, but it didn't bother him, so we figured it was probably from being at the beach.

Uh, Nope. He woke up this morning saying, "I can't see Mommy, I can't see." I felt his eyes, and sure enough, both were crusted over. Bryan got a warm wash cloth, we cleaned both eyes, Lan then told us his eyes hurt and went back to sleep.

Bry is going to stay home with him today. Poor Monkey.

No accidents!

Day two of potty training, and no accidents! None. We even went potty in the store! Of course, the store was Toys R Us and lan was pretty excited about there being a potty his size. More stores should do that. Makes it way easier on Mommy. Yesterday's training went okay. We had two accidents, not bad. He's definetly likeing the tee-tee for a treat system. Even for his batman snacks which he gets all the time.

We had a good Labor day weekend...just hung out doing not much of anything. Lan begged us to go to the beach yesterday, so off we went. Landon was on a high the whole way down there. He was actually squealing. It was hilarious. We went to one of the pocket parks down there...Landon and Daddy built a sort of levvi (sp?) so the water could come in and then pool up so they could splash. Then Landon and I built a sand aligator, making teeth with sea sheels. We finally convinced him it was time to go get some dinner. He crashed before we even left the seawall.

Lan is definitely becoming a Daddy's boy. He wants to do everything Daddy does. He wants to work on the car with Daddy, fix the house with Daddy, work on the surround sound with Daddy. Its fun to watch him trying to be a big boy.

I'm definitely hoping potty training goes well at school tomorrow. We'll be packing plenty of clothes in case it doesn't.