Hurricane Ike Sept. 2008 Photos

Pictures on the TV of the Galveston sea-wall Friday morning. If you have never been to Galveston, there is normally a good size beach between the sea-wall and the water. Also, the sea-wall itself is 17 ft tall and the water was all the way up to the sea-wall and the waves were spraying up very high... as you can tell. This was about 12 hours before it even made landfall.

The sky Friday evening as the storm started rolling in... you can see the trees starting to blow.

The girls in the closet for the night, they loved it since it was like a camp-out. It is funny to see the smallest things seem like so much fun for children.

Picture of the TV as Ike was coming in and before we lost power.

My hubby trying to save our baby tree in the front yard Sat. morning. You can see a tree down across the street on the neighborhood's building contractors office. It was actually two trees and one tree broke in half and went straight down into it impaling the roof all the way to the floor inside. It looks crazy. So glad that didn't happen to my house.
Down our street. Our poor neighbor's truck got pretty beat up.

One of the many trees down at my parents house

Just a random house with a tree in it...so sad. I stopped and talked to the lady who owned it and she said they were all downstairs when it happen and are ok but it was scary. Then after the tree fell TONS of water just kept coming in from the rain and when the downstairs ceiling started leaking they went to a neighbors. All I could say was that I am sorry.

Us camping out in the drive way....so redneck of us but hey we had AC, TV and the works in the camper thanks to the generator. :o)

This is what the girls did the entire time we were out of power since being inside was a hot, sticky, muggy mess.

The below are other photos from the media and such mainly from Galveston.

This a statue/monument in Galveston that is on the sea wall and normally very far from any water.

This shows the water going over the sea wall....very amazin to all of us who know how Galveston normally looks.

Boats, cars, and debris on I45.

Before and After Photos...very sad.

Bush flying over Galveston

The long lines at all gas stations....open gas stations. Not many were open since there was very little power.

All of the electrical workers who came into Houston and Galveston area to restore our power. We were all so greatful for all that they did. It was a long time without power but there were millions without it. Thanks to all those men and woman who whorked so hard to get us back up and running.

Electricity is flowing!!!

As of late yesterday our electricity is now on! (knock on wood since some people get it and it goes back out the next day) 9 days with out power is not fun but we actually got used to it. When I went into my closet this morning I started looking through my clothes in the dark and then remembered we have power and I turned on the light. It was like seeing a long lost friend. :o) Anywho...there are still around 800,000 people with out power and I feel bad for them. I have a co-worker who has 3 teenage kids and has been without power or water since the storm. She said it is starting to get depressing. Please keep her and many other families in your prayers. I have pictures to post but my internet at home is noting working yet so I will post them someday.

HOUSTON WE HAVE WATER!!!

Two bits of good news...The water company put a generator at the pumping station so we now have water and my friend has talked to her son. He had a sad and amazing story but he and his friends made it out by walking almost to Houston before he could get a phone to call for assistance.

One bit of bad news is that the lineman that my neighbor talked to yesterday told her that we shouldn't expect power until the 29th!!! I hope he is wrong.

We don't like Ike!!!

We are now on day #5 with no power or water. But on a good note...all 4 of us were invited to take some much needed baths and showers at one of Schuyler's co-workers lastnight and we took full advantage of that. Have you seen my kids legs and feet lately? Me either...they were covered in so much dirt. They were starting to look like homeless children. HA! This week with no TV and no AC to play indoors they have spent so much time outside, which is a good thing but it makes for some DIRTY KIDDOS! :o) As for Schuyler and I, we LOVED our showers... I must have stood under the warm water for about 5 minutes before I even started to wash. It was such a nice and welcomed treat.

Ok a little venting now...It stinks not having power and water but it is part of life when a hurricane hits. I am so sick of people gripping about the electric company not having all of us up and running. Seriously people!!! Come on!!! There were 2.2 MILLION people without power and they have restored around 1.1 MILLION!!! I heard trucks came in from all over the country to help including some that drove 2 days straight from Canada....give them some credit. They are also working around the clock. Mother nature hit us hard and the crews are working as hard as possible to get us all fixed ASAP. I do not know any of the workers personally but I have heard that many of their own families don't even have power yet. So the next time you curse them think about that....we should all be praising them and their efforts. I think we should all stop and thank them as we see them out working for us.

As for the lady I know who hasn't heard from her son...she still hasn't. Keep praying for them.

As for us....we will be fine...well until we run out of clean clothes and I have to learn how to use a washboard! HA! Take care!

prayers needed.

A lady that I know and saw for the first time since the storm told me this morning that her son and 3 buddies were in Galveston before Ike in a beach house and she could not talk them into leaving. They told her that they were going to have a "hurricane party"....she has not seen him, heard from him or heard from any of the other 3 buddies who were all with him. They all have her number and would call if they could. She is freaking out! She tried to get down there and the police won't let her in and sent her home after getting all of her and her sons information. She said she is just waiting to hear from her son or from the police to say they found his body...

Please keep them in your prayers.

After Ike Update...

Well hurricane Ike came with a lot of power and left all of us a lot of damage, no electricity, no water and us a little shaken!! The main thing is that we are ok.

Friday night we put the girls on a pallet in our master closet and Schuyler and I watched TV and listened to the storm come in until the power went out around 3:30 am, then we were just listening to the wind and trees snap and fall outside!!! I thought the chimney was going to be ripped off the house when I heard it creaking from the wind. I think the darkness outside and inside made it even more scary! After all was said and done we had no house or car damage. We were one of lucky ones. There are tons of trees down, trees on houses, houses flooded, and so much more damage. Being a little north of Houston I guess we thought the worst would be no power but man I was wrong! It was pretty intense for a few hours. I also heard that my sisters house was cut in half by a tree but they were not home. It is pretty bad around hear. It broke my heart Saturday when we went to my parents to check on them and we had to dodge so many trees down over the roads and power lines and seeing the houses torn apart or trees on them, but not only to see that but from the back seat of the truck I heard Skyler start crying....when asked what was wrong she said "It makes me sad to see Texas like this".... :o( Isn't that sad? Totally broke my heart. I am so glad that we didn't have damage but I feel so bad for the people who did. I can't imagine how it is at the gulf/Galveston area. :o(

Saturday night after the storm had passed we brought the camper to the house and are using it with the generator to run the AC and the electricity in the camper and the fridge in the house, but I feel so guilty when I see our neighbors who don't have anything! We ran an extension cord over from our generator to one neighbor and let them borrow a big box fan. But, there are so many around us who don't have anything and it has been HOT outside and you can't even shower to cool off or wash off! speaking of a shower.... No.. we have no water pressure. We have enough of a trickle to fill up the toilet after you flush but it takes forever. I finally broke down and bathed myself and the girls in the tub that I filled up Friday before the storm. It was SO COLD!!! But I am much more refreshed and a lot less sticky!!! As for power and water...I am hearing a few weeks in our area but I am hoping that is not the case.

I have taken some pictures but can't post them at this time and will later. Hope everyone else is ok. If you were not effected by this storm please keep our area in your prayers.

IKE

We are bracing for a direct hit from hurricane Ike! I wish everyone in the area all the best. Stay safe!!!

Labor Day 08' at Jelly Stone Park

We spent the weekend at Yogi Bear's Jelly Stone Park and we had a BLAST!!! Skyler's friend Allyson, mom, dad, grandmaw, Shane, Guen, Brandon and Brianna were there as well. I will let the pictures tell the story.

Skyler & Allyson are such good friends.

Skyler & Allyson

Mommy & Madison

Great-Grandmaw, Me, Mamaw, Skyler, Madison and Allyson

My girls and their great-grandmaw swimming. Grandmaw is so funny, she is not a spring chicken but you wouldn't know it...she even got under the waterfall when the bucket dumped. It hurts me....it made me feel like a total wimp seeing my 84 year old grandmother do it!





Skyler & Allyson under the waterfall.