We are refugees!

Here is our Hurricane Ike story. As you saw in a previous post, we got ready for it the best we could. And then we just waited. Friday night we watched Monk and Psych just like we always do and then went to bed. Kate and Sawyer were in their own rooms. The wind was picking up by then. At 12:30 we saw a transformer blow and the power went out. Gradually I brought both of the babies into my room. Kate was really confused but slept okay. Ryan didn't sleep hardly at all, he stayed up listening to the radio. I think he thought it was a little bit fun. Then the morning came. Inside our house we had a few leaks but everything was okay....unless you count the no air conditioning, and then it was starting to get HOT. These pictures are out of order, but essentially they are all of our morning after Hurricane Ike

Poor mustang

Kate thought it was so fun to cook out on the balcony
Hurricane eggs (notice Kate's crazy hurricane humidity hair)
Ryan loving his pancakes
Kate looked outside her window and said "Hurricane Bike made a pool!" (thats what she called it)
Our real pool full of debris
YIKES

the reason for the leaks
Sawyer looking cute in Mommy's interpretation of a rain jacket
Kate and Daddy splashing in puddles
Kate loves it
Again, notice the hair!
This was one deep puddle. Right after I took this picture I thought "that water is going to get over the top of her boots." Next thing I know she's screaming like a water moccasin has bitten her....seriously, screaming bloody murder, because there was water in her boots. I had to pick her up and dump them out....they were FULL!
I call this Hurricane Ike hair. Do you see the eye?
Saywer looking cute
From our porch

Whenever you would talk about the hurricane after the walk Kate would start going on and on about how all the trees fell down. So we were living with no air conditioning. Neither of the kids had slept great that night and neither were napping well. Over our random clean out the freezer dinner we started talking about what we should do. Ryan's school wasn't saying when he would have to go back so we didn't think we could go far, but we knew we didn't want our kids living like this forever. So at about 6 we packed our bags and got in the car and left. We thought we might drive all the way to Tucson but then decided to call Ryan's cousin Nick in San Antonio and see if we could stay there. We called them at like 10 pm and they were so nice to just let us show up and stay! Seriously, I can't believe how awesome they were to let us do that. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! The next morning (Sunday) we had not brought any church clothes so we couldn't go to church but we wanted to get out of the house so we went downtown. We didn't bring a stroller with us when we left so I devised a baby carrier out of my undershirt. It worked surprisingly well

just call me McGuiver

Here is the Alamo. You may be surprised that it doesn't have a basement

a bridge over the riverwalk

More riverwalk

Then we headed back to Nick and Trish's to spend some time with them. Kate LOVED Nick's rocket launcher thing.

We woke up Monday morning again having no idea what we were doing. We decided to get out of the house again and check out the San Antonio zoo.

Kate really loved the Komodo dragon
so much so that she gave him a kiss
again, we had no stroller so we rented one for more money than it even cost to get in. Sawyer was so exhausted and not sleeping well at Nick's or anywhere else so we were glad to have it in case he wanted to nap at the zoo
doesn't it make him look so grown up sitting next to his sister?
FINALLY!!!


And then when we were at the zoo we got the message that school wasn't back in for Ryan until Monday the 22nd. so we saw a few more animals, went and said goodbye to Nick and Trish, and then got on the road for Tucson.

Oh wait, before we did that, I went to go pick up a few groceries that we had cleaned them out of. I bought cheerios, milk, ice cream and popcorn. The cashier was making conversation and said "you have breakfast and dessert, where is the rest of it?" I explained we were from Houston and we were just refilling our cousin's fridge before we left. The lady behind me looked really concerned and starting asking how I was and how things were there and then she said "we're all with you guys!" and gave me a big hug.....kinda strange, but made me feel good.

We drove all night long and got in to Tucson at about 6 am here (8 am Houston time). Ryan is seriously amazing. I drove from 2:30 to about 5:30 and I was done. But, then again, I am Pavlovianly trained to sleep as soon as I get in the car. Thanks for getting us here in one piece, Ryan!! As we drove down Houghton at sunrise he was saying how pretty Tucson is. I agree! I grew to love it so much in our years living here!

I woke Kate up when we were pulling into Mom's house. I was anxious to see how she was going to react, being tired and all. She was pleasantly calm and happy and then I carried her in and Mom walked up to us and I said "who is that?" Kate just reached out for her and practically jumped into her arms and gave her a huge hug. She didn't say anything, she just hugged her with a big smile on her face. It is so fun to see how much she loves Grammie!

So now we are in Tucson as Hurricane refugees...it feels weird to think of myself as that because I don't feel like its that serious....but I did show up with a very stinky and tired family and Kate with no shoes....so we might have looked a little refugee-ish! We spent Tuesday resting and then Ryan got an email that his final schedule was all changed around and the books he had brought for the finals he thought were first are now last and so he didn't have any to study for his test on Tuesday. So we had to get him back to Houston. It worked out best that he would drive back home by himself and the rest of us would fly back as soon as the tickets were cheap (2 weeks). So Ryan spent Wednesday "studying"....he took a walk down to the lake and sunburned himself on the dock. I think we are all just LOVING the Tucson weather. 94 with no humidity feels like heaven! He left today and we're going to miss him, but he probably will be better off studying for finals without us. So now we're in Tucson. We haven't taken many pictures but here is one of Kate. She wrote her name in sidewalk chalk

the T and the E are there....hopefully the K and A come soon!

Being in Tucson is wonderful. Seriously wonderful. Beautiful!! I LOVE TUCSON! And I have my MOM!! But its strange, though. I seriously feel like I've never left. Its home and I love it. But then I think about my Houston life and the friends I've made there already and really I'm happy there too. (well....except for maybe the hurricanes!) Its weird to think that 3 months ago I was here in Tucson and scared/seriously depressed about moving and now I'm back and thinking about Houston is different and happy. Thanks to everyone in Houston who is making me feel like it is my home!


And everyone in Tucson.....Let's party!!!

Hello Ike!

First off, let me just say that I am so sick and tired of hurricanes. I will never ever choose to live in a place where this is a part of life. I'm sick of them already...and I've lived here all of 2 months.

That being said, we are ready for Ike....hopefully!

Ryan got out of school early today and doesn't have to go back until Monday....when he has a big pharmacology test....some hurricane break, huh? The sad part is that he can NEVER study when we're around so its going to be a challenge.....wasn't I saying that last hurricane?

anyways, I think we have everything ready to go! (Except for the battery operated fans....thanks for the tip, Aunt Jenny, but we were a little late! Next time we'll be ready!) ....and no mom, that isn't all the water! You can stop worrying!

We did purchase a hurricane necessity of a different kind

Ryan took Kate to Target and picked out Candyland. Kate was so excited when she brought it home and we broke it in really fast! Hopefully it will keep her entertained for a while.

Thanks to everyone who is worried about us! It is headed this way so we are most likely going to experience some hurricane force winds! But I'm sure we'll live to tell about it. And, in our preparations, Ryan's biggest priority seems to be if the video camera is charged so he can take some sweet footage for CNN. We'll keep everyone posted!

Hello Edouard!

(not quite as musical as Dolly)

Yesterday someone came into Ryan's class and announced that they were cancelling classes for today, so he's been home with us all day. I don't think he likes it very much because he has been trying to study and we're very distracting.

Here is my handsome boy in a cute onesie that I put on him just in case we have to sail out of here with all the rain we're getting

(It is really hard to take picture of a baby when you're doing it all by yourself and you have to hold him and do the picture taking.) And below is a video of sawyer laughing. He was laughing HYSTERICALLY so I decided to go get my camera and this is the best I got after that. Please excuse my silly tickling noise, but it sure is fun!

And as far as the tropical storm goes, we are okay. This is such a funny cycle of seeing the storm in the distance, hearing over and over again to prepare, and then its here and I can't watch anything on tv except storm coverage. (No Today show....but Game Show Network was still playing all my favorites! phew!) And now we're hearing how it wasn't as bad as expected but not to let that keep us from preparing next time. It has rained all day but hasn't been too windy and, actually, looking outside right now the sun is coming out. Here is some video of Kate while it was still raining hard this morning

Yes, those are panties she is wearing. And yes, my bed comforter is in the wash after an accident. I GIVE UP!!! sigh...

Kate and Sawyer and I took a walk down to the office to get the mail and wore our rain boots and splashed some more. Kate LOVES it. So really, all in all, Edouard = fun!

hello dolly!

today we woke up to the rain from hurricane dolly. we really aren't even getting that much, but it was kinda different waking up this morning at 8am to a dark house and having it be dark and cloudy. you don't get that too often in tucson! so I was getting kate ready to go to the gym and I said "okay, go find your shoes. you can wear your crocs or your rain boots." and she got so excited to put her boots on.
after we got home, it wasn't really raining anymore so we splashed in some puddles

kate showing off the bracelet she made in the gym nursery today

sawyer hanging out. do you love how I have to label my baby? (the sticker on his carseat handle says sawyer)


and finally, here is a hairdo that we just started doing. its nice because it is a fast way to take care of bedhead.


now we've had our fun out in the rain and we're going to spend the rest of the day curled up on the couch reading books or playing....the way a rainy day should be spent!