Hurricane Season

Well we hold the unenviable prize in our family for having been through a hurricane. Having been through the unexpected craziness of a hurricane, let me say a few things to expect. Hopefully you all have the food, batteries, water that you might need. Batteries are the main thing we didn't have enough of- this is for the flashlights, mainly. There were many camping supplies that came in handy as well- lanterns for one. Don't expect there to be much food available in grocery stores either- panic makes people buy in large quantities.

As far as dealing with evacuees- expect the worst. :) Well if things are better than the worst, and you'll be delighted! People in this state of panic show their true colors. We were amazed at the members of our church who came totally unprepared (with nothing but the shirts on their backs) and expected to be waited on during their "mini-vacation". On the other hand, you see some really incredible people step up & take on the leadership roles. Amazingly those were also the people that had come prepared- 72 hour kits, air matrices and all. I remember most, though, the fear that people felt- not knowing what was happening to their homes, and hoping that all of their loved ones made it safely to shelter. And I will never forget the face of the man whom we had to turn away when our shelter became too full.

I will say that having been through this experience- I learned a lot about myself and the kind of fiber I was made up of as well. It was frightening to be in my home with my tiny daughter and husband hunkered down in our downstairs closet as we listened to the winds and the moaning trees. But we will never forget the moment when we stepped outside after it all passed to see the debris everywhere, several houses with trees in them, and our house unharmed. We knew the Lord had his hand in it all, because soon after we ended up putting our house on the market & moving to Waco. How much of a headache that would have been! And what a blessing.

Here are some pictures that I was showing Ava yesterday as I talked to her about the hurricane she lived through in Nacogdoches.
Toby wouldn't stay inside- he insisted, rather, on running around the house over and over again.

So to my family, our door is open. I can't guarantee Waco won't be hit by outlying tornadoes or heavy rain, but I do think it's safer here! So come on up, okay?