Welcome to Winter

We survived! School was dismissed at noon on Monday and frozen precip rained down on us for 12 hours or so. The power went out around noon on Tuesday and as soon as I finished hand washing our dishwasher full of dirty dishes it came back on this afternoon around 1pm. We are among the lucky. There are still many in the dark. I have email, tv, but no phone. It came on but quit.

We closed off the newest part of our house and kept warm with the fireplace and gas stove. The temp in our living room bottomed out around 35. In the photo Matt is holding the thermometer when it was around 44. That boy never did put any clothes on the entire time. He just wore his underwear. The rest of us were bundled up.

The sun came out today and the melt started but the trees are still coated and beautiful. It may take us a few days to get out of here because many, many trees fell and there are at least 7 down on our road just from the house to our gate which is only about 200 yds we have another 1/2 mile of road!

I've also had a terrible cold though all of this so was thankful to be home anyway.

Mindy, I'll trade you this place for your home on the beach!!!!!!!!!

Mom, sorry you can't call but keep trying. I'm concerned about you losing so much hair. Those antibiotics must be strong. I pray that they monitor you well and you don't have any other ill effects.

Monday Feb 2, 09

Update to the above:

Our schools are still closed due to the number of people still without elec and the ice that still covers many of the side roads. It has thawed in the 50 degree weather we had over the weekend but re-freezes each night to a solid sheet. My dear husband Steve has spent no less than 30 hours out there cutting branches and moving them from the road, assisting our neighbor with her vehicle's dead battery and just yesterday was able to drive to our mailbox for the first time. He had to pack up his car and leave us this morning to go to work in OK city and KS city. I still have chains on my tires but plan to go no where until this mess is thawed, hopefully by Wed so I can take out my garbage.