We Survived Hurricane Ike!

Many of you may have thought we were lost in the hurricane, due to my horrific lack of postings lately... but we made it! Just when I thought life couldn't get any more crazy (selling a house, moving, starting a new job, adopting a child) - big, bad Ike came to town. So far, we have weathered the storm with considerable fortitude. We've had to muster up quite a bit of patience and flexibility, but I am thankful that we are all safe and back home.

The storm hit Galveston last Friday, causing my cousin Cameron (a resident at UTMB hospital) to "evacuate" to The Woodlands. In hindsight, I'm sure she would rethink that decision! Even 100 miles away from the coast, our house felt a lot of wind and rain and a considerable amount of fussing from a certain 2-year old! : ) Our power was lost and although a few days of playing Taboo by candlelight and "cooking" coffee on the grill was exciting, the thrill was gone by about day 4. Cooper's routine was totally off and all of the adults in the house were really exhausted from chasing a crazy 2 year old! We were hot and bored and I needed a cold Diet Coke!!

Thankfully for us, we were welcomed to the Langemeier home as "evacuees" for the week. They were gracious hosts (as always!) and we really enjoyed spending the week in Tyler with Carrie and the kids. We swam up at Pine Cove, played in the backyard, and worked on a few organization projects (my favorite!). Thanks again for being such good friends to us!

I am OVERJOYED to report that our electricity has returned full force and I am typing this from an air-conditioned and well-lit home. Praise the Lord! Cooper has returned to pre-school giving both us a much-needed break from the monotony of home. I am still waiting to return to work at my school, since the electricity has not returned over there. My classroom sustained a bit of water damage, so crews are working hard to get the carpet replaced and roof repaired so the kids can come back when the power returns. As nice as this break has been, I'll be glad to head back to school!

Thanks for your prayers ~ The Bates family is safe and sound!

P.S. I promise to be a better blogger this fall! : )