IKE!!

Well you can see it has been along time since I posted. What was I doing you ask? Evacuating.....
First there was Gustav. He turned and although I feel for the people he effected I was glad to just get a 2 day vacation. We no sooner get back into our lives and Ike appears on the scene. Ike had plans for us. Evacuation. Sounds simple but deciding what in your home is irreplaceable is a big task. Not to mention boarding up, taking an inventory and loading up 3 kids 2 cats 1 dog and 1 husband. The dreaded 2 days of watching to see where he will go. Then the reality of his making 1st land fall some 30 miles from your home. His second landfall on the mainland less than 10 miles from your home. Watching the Weather Channel filming at your favorite places and seeing them battered and sometimes swept away by wind and surging water is something I never want to go through again. Ike came to us early Saturday morning. Monday morning Damian, myself and the dog left the safety of my mother's home to return to ours. We left the girls and cats with mom and dad. Driving through Houston wasn't that bad. Some building damage here and there. A few trees down. As we exited the highway for our home there where tress down in most yards and every intersection had the lights out. Some roofs had missing shingles. As we turned into our neighborhood it looked like every tree was down but houses were standing. We turned on to our street to see our front yard tree was pretty much down but not on the house or any of the cars we left. Most of our neighbors fences were down. Damian made me pay over 1000 dollars more to have our fence put in with concrete in forced 4 inch square poles. Our fence was the only one standing and supporting a few. We had some boards sucked off(the screws where still in the fence) and the gates where blown in but it was standing. We are missing a few shingles and the roof looks a little beat up but it is attached to the house. One window was broken even though it was boarded up and the tree in the back had broken branches everywhere. My banana trees where broken and my 6 foot tall hibiscus was beaten up by the falling branches and banana trees. We are so lucky! Several of our friends lost there homes.
Today is the 24th. We have spent 13 days with out electricity. Many days without gas and then hours spent in line waiting.No food or ice anywhere and FEMA is just not what I expected but that is another post all in its own. The girls returned on 9/18. They spent a few nights camped in the backyard with their childhood tents. They have been eaten alive by the biggest misquitos I have ever seen.
There is so much going on but we have each other and that is what counts.
I will post pictures in the future. Today I just want to count my blessings and get a good nights rest.
Love to all. Kiss everyone you love and tell them what they mean to you. Tomorrow could be your Ike.