Hurricane Ida

Hurricane Ida

As you saw last night we had a thunderstorm. I had gone into the living room to turn on the TV to check the weather channel. There was some mention that there could be a hurricane. The skies had cleared that night and into the next morning. 

When morning came I figured I should get Ivy outside for some play time before the storm came, if were to really come. We had been playing down by the shore line when it started to sprinkle. We were a bit too far from the house so we ran up to our neighbor Kara's house. By the time we had made into the house the rain had really started to come down. We had mentioned that we wanted to invite them over for dinner and a movie. After gathering up their rain gear and some extra umbrella's we made the trip up to our house on the hill.

Playing by the water before the storm

Hurry! It's raining!

 We were soaking wet when we made it up to the house. We all left our boots by the door, hung up their rain gear and the umbrella's to dry. I mentioned to Kara that she could borrow some of my sweats and that the girls could borrow some of Ivy's clothes to wear while theirs dried off.
Once we were all dried off and cozy by the fireside I had to turn on the weather channel to check on the status of the storm. Kara was upstairs with the girls when I yelled over my shoulder to her " Kara.. it's worse than I thought..." She came down over the stairs with the girls and I pointed to the TV's map showing the pattern of the storm. Ivy asked us how long we were going to watch the 'map show'  We had seen enough, it was time to get the flashlights out. The storm track was showing a pretty heavy cloud of rain, and fast winds. We needed to get a few flashlights out. While Kara and I went digging for flashlights we turned on the pony cartoon's that the girls love so much. Hoping it would keep their attention, as I didn't want to worry them as well.

A hurricane?!

The rain was already building up on the windows and the trees were swaying and bending with the wind. You could hear the howls of the wind as it whipped around the corner of the house. The water around the lighthouse was in a frenzy. The storm was on it's way and in a hurry.

Lightning Strikes

Pony Show!

 Kara and I were looking out the window when it happened. The lights flickered off and on, the lighting struck, the thunder rolled and it went out. We lost the power. We were in the dark. The girls were crying and screeching in the dark. We set them together on the cushions by the TV while we fumbled around for the flashlights we had found. After getting the room lit up a bit we managed to get a few candles lit and tried to figure out our next move. Should we stay downstairs head upstairs away from the windows? Is the attic really safe, or was it too high?

Oh, no. I can't see!
The lightning out by the lighthouse was striking down hard. I started to worry about it hitting a tree, or even the large weather-vane on the house. The storm was almost overhead by now. The wind sounded like a pack of wild coyote's howling in the night, and the rain was quite loud against the windows, they were rattling in their frames with every loud rumble of thunder.

The storm is here.

I gathered up the girls at the base of the stairs while Kara gathered up some blankets from the sofa to carry with us.  I went into the kitchen just to grab a few snack and when I came back Giselle was gone. I frantically asked the girls where she went. She they said she didn't know. I ran to the front door to see if she had run outside. The door was open... I called for Kara and the girls. They all came running as fast as they could in the dark. We all stood on the porch and yelled for her "Gissy?! Giselle?! Giselle, where are you?!" I without a thought just started to run over the hill in the front yard. I yelled back over my shoulder for all of them to stay there. I knew this hill like the back of my hand. Why would she run outside in a storm? I was terrified. I kept yelling for her as I ran down the rocky steps in my little bunny slippers. "Gissy?! Giselle, honey where are you!?" I could hear some faint crying. I moved my flashlight around trying to find her. There she was, sitting down on the ledge. Her umbrella was nearly turned 'inside out' and she was crying. Quickly pulling her to my chest and wiping her tears away with my already soaking wet sweatshirt. "Gissy, sweetheart, are you okay? What were you doing out here" Over her tears and her frantic little voice she managed to tell me "I just.. I wanted to play in the fog, they are like tiny clouds..an.. an .. and an I slipped alla' way down the hill. I fell on my bum." I picked her up and pressed her to my chest and headed to the house. Yelling to them through the rain, wind and thunder " I have her! We're safe!" trying to wave my flashlight around so they would see us coming back.

We made it back to the porch safely. Kara quickly scooped up her little girl and kissed her cheeks. Giselle kept apologizing and talking about playing in the clouds. The important thing was she was safe, we all were safe. Now, we needed to get back inside and find something to keep the girls calm and *inside* the house.

We thought that maybe being in the attic away from a majority of the windows would be a good idea. We would make some 'tents' out of blankets and set up a little camp for the girls. Ivy was a bit tentative to go up there after our last time being up there.. (when we found the ghost) I assured her that she was gone (however, I had no real idea if she was still here or not. Maybe us being loud and present would keep her at bay for the night.. )

Time to set up camp.

We lit as many candles as we could find, and battery powered night lights. We had a decent amount of light. It would have to do for the night.

Candle Lit Camp

After we were settled into our tents I figured we would all need to sleep at some point. Not sure if any of us would be able to with this weather but it was worth a shot. We had brought up a book with us. So the girls snuggled in and I read them a bedtime story. After the story we snuggled in our tents for some well needed sleep.

Story Time!

Goodnight, Giselle, Kara and, Darla 

Ssshh..

                                                      Goodnight, Ivy

Night, Night

 Well, we all managed to get a little shut eye..

Shh...

I woke early the next morning. I saw that Darla was already awake and trying to peer out the window at the storm's damage. By the daylight I guessed it was around 6:30am. I gently laid my hand on Ivy's back and whispered to her while brushing her hair back from her face "Ivy, honey, time to get up.. it's morning" I heard a little groan and she rolled over reaching her arms up to me. Wanting me to hold her. I carefully picked her up and held her to my chest. Darla woke up Giselle and told her it was breakfast time. We let Kara sleep in a little bit more and we headed downstairs. 

Good Morning!

We all instantly ran to the windows to see what the storm had done over night. It was still raining outside but only a small mist. The yard was a mess. My plant pots on the steps were strewn around, tree's down in the front yard. I waited on the front steps for the rest of them to find me. 

Oh, no...

 Once we were all together we took a walk to inspect the damage that the storm had left us...

Oh no..

The storm has wrecked this tree and tossed my bike across the yard. 

Look at the tree, and my bike!

Oh, no. Ivy's teeter-totter had been blown over and flown half way across the yard. She was a little distraught about it. 

Mommy, it's broken! 

We walked a little further down the yard and there was her pink slide tipped over and thrown down by the driveway..

Is it broken Mommy?

 We kept walking down the driveway when I saw a bit of smoke.. I yelled for Kara to catch up with me. "Kara, quick! Girls, hurry!" I was standing in the middle of the hill and we saw a giant tree had been taken down and another was on fire, along with a power line down. I ran down towards the tree on fire and yelled to Kara "You have your cell? Call 911! We need a firetruck" The girls by now were a bit afraid and asking many questions.

Oh NO! 

FIRE!

 Once the fire department got to the scene I ran up to the house for blankets and sippy cups for the girls. Standing in the kitchen I tried to flick the light switches but nothing worked. We were still out. It must be from the down power line out by the trees. I could hear the siren's wailing still, maybe they called for backup. I was worried about that power line as well.  I was trying to ready some food in the kitchen for them as well. They were keeping an eye on the fire.

Here they come!

The firemen were on the scene and taking care of the fire. They said that lightning must have struck the tree and the tree must have taken down the power line. There was just a small fire in the tree from the lightning.

Fireman!

The Fire Department was down there for a few hours. They had to inspect the power line and put in a call to the power company to send a truck out to fix that so they could restore our power.

Stay clear!

 Once the fire was put out and everyone was safe again the girls wanted pictures with the fire people!
They were our hero's!

Giselle and the fire woman!

Darla and the fire woman!

Ivy & the fire woman

Once all was said and done, the fire was put out, the trucks were gone and the fear had left, it was time for some FUN!

What's more fun than jumping in puddles in a rainstorm? Nothing! 

Jump with us!


Hopefully our weather stays calm for us for a while!

Love,
Meg