Thursday, September 18, 2008

Thankful Thursday

Our power has been restored! I am back in the land of light and warm showers. But as I sit here writing this under the glow of a brightly-lit lamp, I must confess that my time without power really wasn't that bad. It allowed me the opportunity to pause, reflect and realize all of the things I take for granted on a daily basis. It reminded me that all too often, the line between luxuries and necessities get blurred. And, although Mia is too young to understand, it started to open Leila's eyes to some of these things, too.

Recent natural disasters really put things in perspective for me. Here I sit, more than 1,200 miles from Galveston, in a Midwest town that was hammered hard on Sunday afternoon with winds up to 75-miles per hour from Hurricane Ike. 1,200 miles away!! All I could think about was if it felt like OUR house was going to blow away, what must it have felt like for those who endured this storm, and others, when they were full force? As we all walked outside our homes Monday morning, we saw fallen trees and debris every direction we looked. Yet, having just seen on tv all of the flooding and devastation caused by recent hurricanes, I could not help but think how fortunate we were. Unlike other cities, it will take crews here a few days, not months or possibly even years, to clean up after the storm.

So, on this Thursday, I am reminded of the many things I have to be thankful for. Most of all, I am thankful for my family that is safe and healthy and that all we lost was electricity and two freezers full of food. Those are minor things to lose. I continue to think about and pray for all the families who have lost their homes, possibly loved ones and are not yet sure how they can begin to rebuild or pick up the pieces. I am praying for power to be restored in all areas where it has not, so people can have safe drinking water and a fresh supply of food, among other things. And lastly, since I haven't been able to visit my Bloggy friends for a few days, I am praying that when I pop in for a visit, I will find you safe. I have missed you.

The blackout was actually a little fun, too. The girls camped out on our bedroom floor. (The room was pitch dark, except for the flash.) And we have learned over the past few days that Santa only needs to bring Mia a flashlight for Christmas and she'll be good.

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Capturing Leila's first time at the laundromat with my camera phone. The laundromat intriqued her very much.

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Pre-power outage activity: We took the girls to an Ohio State women's soccer game on Sunday afternoon.
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One of Leila's soccer teammates happened to be there. This girl is small, but powerful. I would not be surprised to see her playing on this field one day.
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Can you tell that Mia is in need of a nap?
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Mia tries for a nap... for all of two minutes.
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Getting autographs after the game. Leila even got a few on her shirt.
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17 comments:

a Tonggu Momma said...

I'm so glad y'all have power again!!! Here's to cold food, air conditioning and night lights!

Ronda said...

Glad your back-I had no idea Ike went so far up the coast. I loved reading about your down-time-quite moments to reflect-we should all have those, but not under hurricane circumstances.

Ohilda said...

So glad to hear that you are all back up and running. We continue to pray for those that are still struggling.

As always, LOVE the pics...especially Leila at the laundromat. Too cute!

Hugs,

Ohilda

Leslie said...

Hi Friend,

I'm glad your back too. Wasn't the same without you around. I'm glad you guys are safe and sound now.

P.S. I was going to call you, but didn't want to run your Cell battery down. You know how I gab...lol.

Very cute pics of the girls like always.

Rydley said...

Glad your power is restored! It is amazing how much we rely on it, isn't it?

Kudos to Mia for even attempting a nap there! She looked too festive to nap anyway!

Half Gaelic, Half Garlic! said...

Glad to hear you are all back in action!!

Camping out in the bedroom is always fun...my son Nick likes to do this even when we do have power!!

I love the picture of Mia taking her power nap...too cute!

Lisa

LaLa said...

your girls are so beautiful! Glad your power is back on but it did look like fun. I remember during an ice storm when we lost ours (I was 8) and we loved it..my mom wasn't as thrilled...LOL

Anonymous said...

I am so thankful that things are getting back to normal and that you did not have any damage. And I am thankful that your power has been restored!

Welcome back my friend!!! I missed you!!!!

Have a beautiful (bright) weekend,

Krista

day by day said...

Hey Michelle!

Oh, I am glad to see that you have power again!! I can totally see...that even though it must have been a real hassle...it could have been a blessing in other ways! Glad you were all able to make the best of it...

Have a wonderful week-end!!!

Steffie B. said...

I'm so glad you are safe and your power is back on.....what a fun soccer game for the girls....love the pictures! ;)
Hugs,
Steffie

mommy24treasures said...

I am so glad you have power again, I am a wimp about power, an hour and I start calling every few minutes to get an update!
I am glad you are safe too.
What wonderful pics. Missed you this week!

missy said...

Hey there, friend! I am glad to see you are back online. I missed ya.

I am sure not having electricity was inconvenient, but I love how you turned it into a fun adventure. I love the "campout" pics!

I also ADORE the soccer pictures of Leila and her friend and precious, sleepy Mia!

Don and Lisa Osborn said...

Yea! You're back! I am so thankful you are back among the creature comforts. However, I love how you used this time to pause and reflect. That really is beyond cool.

I can't believe how Ike just moved on up but we're only three hours away and only got a drop or two of rain. God does move in mysterious ways...

The girls look like they had a blast watching the lady Buckeyes...

Welcome back! Missed you.

Love,
Lisa

Jill said...

Hi Michelle! Thought of you guys this week....figured we were in the same boat! Glad to see you guys got power back too!

Green Family said...

Hi Michelle...so glad the power's back on!! Hopefully all is calm weather wise for a bit. With all of the rain...I bet the greenery is amazing. I long for that. I'm from California and so miss big trees and the ability to grow pansies. Your 2 monkeys are so cute. They just look like great buddies. Such fun ages!! Well...you all take care. Thanks for the note!!
Kelly

Shawnstribe said...

Awww, i love the sleeping photo : )
glad your back on electrics again.
xxx
s

Jboo said...

So glad to hear that you got power back!! Amazing what we take for granted until we don't have it, isn't it. Have a great week!

Janet