So. Snow. It happened.
We don't get much snow here, so when the reports started coming in that something BIG was coming, I didn't pay much attention. OK, yeah. We might get some snow, and it will be here a day or two, and melt, and fine. Snow is coming, got it.
I'm up a lot at night nursing Cocoa, so at 5:30 am, two Sundays ago, I didn't see any snow. I went back to bed.
By 7:30 am, there was a 1/4", the girls were ecstatic, and we got FOUR messages making sure we knew that church was cancelled. (We live in the foothills of the Cascade mountains, most neighborhoods around here are on mountains, or called ________ Heights, or __________ Highlands. Slippery is really, really bad. Plus, we hardly have any snow plows, sanding trucks, etc.) It kept on snowing, we bundled up and had a quiet Sunday, and all was well.
Monday through Wednesday, we were totally snowed in. The nearest mountain neighborhood (my parents') got about 8 inches, roads were terrible, there was no way my husband was going in to Seattle to work (hello, they have crazy hills in that city!) and he didn't want to leave me here with three kids and no working experience driving in the snow. He grew up in South Dakota, getting a car unstuck is no big deal for him. It's a big deal for me, with three kids in the car. Not that I intended to go anywhere, but still- I appreciated the gesture!
Wednesday, the ice storm hit. Thursday was supposed to warm up, with rain in the 40's. We got the rain, but it froze into a 1/4" sheet of ice over everything. The kids were walking on top of the snow, all the bushes and trees were bowed over under the weight of all that ice-encased snow. Then the trees started falling OVER, branches started breaking off (we're the Evergreen State- those trees are old and huge!) By Thursday afternoon 250,000 homes were without power, us included. Unfortunately, we lost power early in the morning, the heat had only been on for a little while. Our house quickly cooled to about 55, as soon as we heard that roads were at least passable in the afternoon, we called my brother and sister to let them know we were moving in (my parents were out of the country, there was lots of room at home! That was a fun e-mail to write. Dad: "Hi! We're in Guatemala today!" Me: "Hi! We're at your house today! And we're not leaving!" Friday and Saturday brought a wind storm (yes, that's three major weather storms in one week) and continued to knock down trees and branches, and taking out power for those that had just been turned back on. Even now, power isn't expected to be restored to everyone till Wednesday at the latest- we have extra teams working, from as far away as Arizona! Those guys are heroes.
(Me, cheering on the kids while they bowled on the Kinect)
I am so grateful to have family close by, but especially in times like this! We were so stir crazy at this point- my husband and I REALLY don't fight much, if ever. There's just not that many things worth getting upset about, you know? But...I was getting cabin fever, storming around the house. "Where are you going, Myrnie?" "I DON'T KNOW! I'M GOING TO GET SOMETHING DONE! ANYTHING! AUGH!!" And I'd stomp off to do some trivial task, and come shuffling back to the space heater we plugged into the neighbor's generator...it was sad. BUT, getting out of the house was marvelous! The kids and I spent Friday at my sister's house- she dolled me up and took some fun photos, I can't wait to show you guys!
(My eye. We were having trouble taking some self portraits, and getting the camera far enough away ;)
Power came back on Saturday, we came home and blitzed through the house work, and the week was over. There are still mounds of snow in the medians, and all our yards are still covered. But we've dug out. And now, my children thank Heavenly Father for electricity in every prayer they give.
We don't get much snow here, so when the reports started coming in that something BIG was coming, I didn't pay much attention. OK, yeah. We might get some snow, and it will be here a day or two, and melt, and fine. Snow is coming, got it.
I'm up a lot at night nursing Cocoa, so at 5:30 am, two Sundays ago, I didn't see any snow. I went back to bed.
By 7:30 am, there was a 1/4", the girls were ecstatic, and we got FOUR messages making sure we knew that church was cancelled. (We live in the foothills of the Cascade mountains, most neighborhoods around here are on mountains, or called ________ Heights, or __________ Highlands. Slippery is really, really bad. Plus, we hardly have any snow plows, sanding trucks, etc.) It kept on snowing, we bundled up and had a quiet Sunday, and all was well.
Monday through Wednesday, we were totally snowed in. The nearest mountain neighborhood (my parents') got about 8 inches, roads were terrible, there was no way my husband was going in to Seattle to work (hello, they have crazy hills in that city!) and he didn't want to leave me here with three kids and no working experience driving in the snow. He grew up in South Dakota, getting a car unstuck is no big deal for him. It's a big deal for me, with three kids in the car. Not that I intended to go anywhere, but still- I appreciated the gesture!
Wednesday, the ice storm hit. Thursday was supposed to warm up, with rain in the 40's. We got the rain, but it froze into a 1/4" sheet of ice over everything. The kids were walking on top of the snow, all the bushes and trees were bowed over under the weight of all that ice-encased snow. Then the trees started falling OVER, branches started breaking off (we're the Evergreen State- those trees are old and huge!) By Thursday afternoon 250,000 homes were without power, us included. Unfortunately, we lost power early in the morning, the heat had only been on for a little while. Our house quickly cooled to about 55, as soon as we heard that roads were at least passable in the afternoon, we called my brother and sister to let them know we were moving in (my parents were out of the country, there was lots of room at home! That was a fun e-mail to write. Dad: "Hi! We're in Guatemala today!" Me: "Hi! We're at your house today! And we're not leaving!" Friday and Saturday brought a wind storm (yes, that's three major weather storms in one week) and continued to knock down trees and branches, and taking out power for those that had just been turned back on. Even now, power isn't expected to be restored to everyone till Wednesday at the latest- we have extra teams working, from as far away as Arizona! Those guys are heroes.
(Me, cheering on the kids while they bowled on the Kinect)
I am so grateful to have family close by, but especially in times like this! We were so stir crazy at this point- my husband and I REALLY don't fight much, if ever. There's just not that many things worth getting upset about, you know? But...I was getting cabin fever, storming around the house. "Where are you going, Myrnie?" "I DON'T KNOW! I'M GOING TO GET SOMETHING DONE! ANYTHING! AUGH!!" And I'd stomp off to do some trivial task, and come shuffling back to the space heater we plugged into the neighbor's generator...it was sad. BUT, getting out of the house was marvelous! The kids and I spent Friday at my sister's house- she dolled me up and took some fun photos, I can't wait to show you guys!
(My eye. We were having trouble taking some self portraits, and getting the camera far enough away ;)
Power came back on Saturday, we came home and blitzed through the house work, and the week was over. There are still mounds of snow in the medians, and all our yards are still covered. But we've dug out. And now, my children thank Heavenly Father for electricity in every prayer they give.
2 comments:
Ugh! Boy do I feel your pain about the cabin fever! Our power was out for only a few hours. Glad it's all over and we can drive and enjoy warm houses again! Makes me appreciate the rain :)
I'm sorry I am just reading this! I can relate with you so much. We get power outages frequently during hurricane season, and it is especially difficult with children. I think the longest we've gone without was two weeks. There is nothing sweeter than seeing the power guys in their trucks working in your neighborhood.
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