Thursday, December 11, 2008

18 Days!

We had a terrible storm today. I can't stand that the air conditioning unit thing is right outside of our bedroom window. When it rains? Forget about it..you're not sleeping. At least I'm not. It sounded pretty scary out there...and then around 6am the power went out. It was dark. Dark and stormy. The boys slept in until about 8..which is always a total treat..so I stayed in bed and finished up a book I was reading (booo now I'm totally out of books to read until I order more. Grrr I HATE when that happens). We got up and felt our way out to get some breakfast. No power meant I couldn't cook them anything..and it also meant no smoothie for me. Booo!!!


The kids at breakfast. I kid you not when I tell you all of the curtains and blinds and doors were open and it was STILL that dark.

It got scary. Real scary. No power..the rain was coming down in buckets..and wind was gusting at 33mph. I thought a hurricane was surely coming. But how's one supposed to check these things without a tv or radio? I hit up weather.com on my phone..that's how I know the wind gust thing..flood warnings..high surf warnings..and wind advisories. I called Orion at work..he said the ceremony tonight might be canceled and that they were sending people home because if you lived up at Schofield Barracks..your house was probably flooding. I asked him about the new house because we're at the bottom of a crater and he said he'd drive out to check on it. He called me back and said it looked pretty okay and that our house was sitting a little higher up and it probably wouldn't flood (but of course if the rain kept coming like it was..it probably would) and then sent me a picture:


K..not so bad. Cute ring, honey.


The kids sure enjoyed watching the storm from the front door though:


Nothin like a little boy in cute jammies with his milk and a puppy.



The only reason you can see them is because of the flash haha



I was getting pretty bored in the pitch black with absolutely nothing to do. I thought that I could maybe unload the dishwasher and load the few dishes from breakfast. Have you ever done dishes by candle light? I officially have.


I also packed up mom's Christmas box in the darkness. I wanted to write "packed in the dark with love"..but didn't.


The power went back on around 2:15 and I was all "YAYYY!!!!!!!" and immediately plugged in the Christmas tree. Priorities, people.



Hey rest of you family.. next year. Next year you get presents from us. I hate that we couldn't do anything this year..but we're having a small Christmas ourselves. "Santa Claus is poor this year..just like everybody else". But I really LIKE sending you guys stuff..so I'll start early in 2009 to make sure it's possible. Maybe we'll have to come up with some sort of a system to make sure this can be done every year because ya know..doing 8 siblings and their own families plus your own and your extended gets all kinds of expensive. Maybe 2 or 3 families a year? Maybe the entire family could get together and do a family pollyanna or something? But only for the ones who would really participate? Do a family gift instead of individual? I stress out about this all year..you have no idea. My heart wants to buy everyone everything..but my bank account doesn't let me. Maybe we can do a handmade swap next year? I have a few ideas for stuff I want to do..but it's mostly aimed towards the females (because what guys care about apothecary jars filled with bath salts or other things of the sort?). Maybe a family pollyanna with a budget and whether that's bought or made is up to you? Ugh, I don't know..but I adore my family like whoah and want to do SOMETHING every year. Everyone brainstorm. I want to feel like I'm with my family for the holidays even though I can't be.

7 comments:

Jenna said...

That storm sounds wicked cozy! But ya gotta be prepared, woman! Get you some battery powered lanterns! And a battery powered radio!

I love the family pollyanna gift idea. I've thought about that too, as I wish, wish, wish I could do something for everyone. It's such a circus trick just doing 6 kids here...kids that are older and want expensive things! Yikes!

Jenna said...

Oh yeah, I gave you an award today on my blog...come pick it up!

Hannah said...

I totally agree about doing family pollyanna's again! We are pretty broke this year so we won't be able to do family gifts either but I always see things and think of neices and nephews and borthers and sisters who it would be perfect for. Just no money to actually buy it.


Those pictures look so cozy!!! I adore storms but I know my kids would be freaking out with the no lights thing.

David said...

Was there lots of thunder and lightning? I wish I could have been there. I *love* thunderstorms, and we have them so seldom here.

Abby said...

Well golly, Jen.. I wasn't expecting the power to be out for so long. It's usually out for like an hour or two then gets put back on. I guess that's why I should be prepared, huh? We have a huge flashlight but guess where it was? In the Buick and Orion had the only key with him at work.

Abby said...

David..it also very rarely thunders and lightnings here. None during that huge storm..just lots of wind and buckets of rain. But just yesterday we had lots of the T & L (with the lightning it was just flashes in the sky) and it was the first time in about 6 months that I've even seen and heard it. So I opened the front door so I could hear and see it better. :)

YogaNana said...

I LOVE storms! Just so long as they aren't hurricanes or tornadoes. We woke up to rain this morning. No thunder, no lightning, just rain, and it was cold enough to fire up the heater. Cozy!!!!