UPDATE

WOW! What a crazy time it has been!! First, let me start out by saying, thank you for all your thoughts and prayers during this time. I appreciated all the calls and emails we received from friends and family checking in on us. We are all fine - I am sorry it has taken me awhile to get back to some of you. We just got our power back on Saturday night and I have been playing catch up ever since. Patrick's parents and Charlton and Laura are still without power, but are hoping to get it back soon.
Let me briefly tell your our saga. I was woken up by a text message from Patrick's dad on Thursday morning, saying he was not going to work and was headed to Lowe's to get plywood for the windows. I thought - Whoa! I wasn't thinking it was going to be that bad. So Patrick, Charlton and Mark proceeded to board up all of our windows for the rest of the day. Right when they finished our house and left, I was outside sweeping and some people walked by with their dog and said something to the effect that "all that wasn't necessary and that it was only going to be a little wind and rain." I just smiled and said well that's how my husband's family does things! :) But what I thought in my head, and what I should have said out loud was, "yea people scoffed at Noah too, and look where they ended up!" And those people couldn't have been more wrong! Well, we spent the rest of the next day just getting last minute preparations together, like gas and water and just waited until Ike hit. Jenn and Evan spent the night with us because we ended up having power until midnight and they were sleeping in our room when the tree in our backyard came crashing down on our roof. We all jumped up and gathered in the living room - it was pretty scary. The girls slept through the whole thing! I was so thankful because it was loud and that would have been miserable, especially since it was getting pretty hot inside. Here are pics from the next day:

My beloved dogwood tree

My strong manly husband using a chainsaw to cut the branches

The rest of the tree that crushed the girls' playhouse that Patrick had started

The rest of the week was spent cleaning up, spending time with neighbors and friends and enjoying a break from the norm. We have a huge amount of people in and out and it was so fun. The girls thought it was one big party because of all the people that came to play in Saige's room (or thtat's what she thought of course)! Oh and we celebrated our 7th Wedding Anniversary on the 15th... that morning Patrick was in our neighbors backyard up in the tree with the chainsaw! Fun memories!! Not having electricity for 8 days was just an inconvenience. We were so blessed to have a house to go home to, with or without electricity. Please continue to remember those less fortunate and if you are able or want to, pleae contact me about ways you can help. Christ Church will be helping the folks to the northeast of us that are worse off and this work will continue long after the craziness has past.

Here are some fun pictures of the girls! Enjoy!

Saige's first ponytail! I had to get a picture. Oh and of course she is dressing up with her "goves."

Here she is showing me her ponytail


Meadow playing under her crib