A Post Not From My Phone

Today is the first chance I've had to actually look at my blog. How funny it is to see that I virtually took you with me along the way. It is pretty difficult to type too much on that Blackberry QWERTY keyboard - but I tried to keep everyone that might care posted about what we were doing and where we were. I hope you enjoyed it more than I did! Just kidding - actually it was an adventure - and truth be told - I'm always up for anything that breaks up the monotony of my life - however I may rethink the whole hurricane/evacuation thing.
I am starting to catch up on sleep - got a solid 8 hours last night. I am still amazed and think it is a blessing from the Lord that the missed night of sleep didn't impact me harder than it did. I was tired - don't get me wrong. I got all the way to NC and pulled over to try to sleep - but I just couldn't - between the excitement of being "almost here" and the adrenaline and noise of the kids it just wasn't happening.
I spent the weekend off my computer. I got direct orders from my big boss not to worry about anything but my family for a few days - and I did just that. I enjoyed my family. We went to a football game on Saturday morning and celebrated Kullen's birthday that afternoon. Yesterday we went to church and I got to sit between my sister and my dad, and words can't describe that feeling of living an answered prayer.
In some ways it felt bad - I hate knowing that Travis has no electricity and for a time had no water while we are enjoying our family. It was his choice - but all the same my heart was with him all the way. There is still no electricity and the estimates tell us 3 weeks to a month. I hope it is an inflated estimate.
Watching the news this morning, I can't believe how many people refused to evacuate south of us. Where I live it may have been understandable - but on that coast, I just can't imagine.
More later - thanks for hanging with my singularly focused blog for a while.

Evacuating Again

The counties just to the south of us are being evacuated, as is most of the Gulf coast. This is absolutely overwhelming to go through this again. I really don't know what to do at this point. The worst part is that Saturday is Kullen's birthday. We were going to have a surprise party. (If you were invited to this - please know that we are postponing!) He hasn't had a really fun birthday since we moved. Dang! He already got his birthday gift - a new cell phone, but I'd still like to make his day special. Any ideas how to do this amidst a hurricane and possible evacuation?

Can You Say E-vac-yew-ate

It's official - in light of Hurricane Gustav's direct path to our area, voluntary evacuations start tomorrow around noon. On the radio tonight it stated that if the course remains as it is, mandatory evacuations will follow. If I don't blog for a while - you'll know where I am - likely sitting on the highway somewhere between home and my mother-in-law's house.
We decided that Travis would stay home and watch our house. The people we have talked to about Hurricane Rita which devastated our area in 2005 (prior to our residence) said that most of the damage to their homes was from water that came in after the storm.
I am going for higher ground. Thunderstorms here can send me to my closet for shelter - so I'm trying to play it safe. Please pray for us - this is scary and surreal. The military has shown up on the local highways, and the President declared a state of emergency. Gas prices rose 10 cents per gallon in the course of the day today, and our local station ran out at one point. We were lucky enough to happen by when they were getting refilled. There are tankers delivering gas all up and down the highways. People are swiping the shelves clean of canned goods, including me. My husband gave me a mandate this morning, "Don't think healthy - just stock up!" I am sure there is a limit to the amount of ranch style beans and spam we can eat - but let's consider this our little contribution to science as we do the research to find out.
I think I prefer snow.
If you are a real life friend, my cell phone will be on - call anytime for an update.
Also continue to pray for the Drews family as they remain heavily on my heart. What a chaotic situation for them as they prepare for their baby's funeral. Jesus be their shelter.