winter storm take 1

Happy to announce first of all, WE HAVE POWER!!! So much has happened since Tuesday night, when we lost power to our home due to the storm... It has definitely been one WILD ride to say the least. All the while, I am very happy that we have power, sadly, there are thousands without. In this weather, it's very hard, Freezing temperatures are not easy to deal with. Every since Wednesday morning when we still didn't have electricity, I have been on a photographic journey to document this event....


This is our beautiful tree in front of our house. Each and every branch is encased with ice. It was so beautiful. I loved each and every aspect of how the ice clung to everything. (this does not mean i loved the ice on the roads...)

Our lamp in our front yard, had really cool ice formations.

After a about 15 hours, and no return of electricity, I decided it was time to find somewhere else to go. After talking to my sister-in-law, the girls and I decided to grin and bear it, and take that long, slow drive to her house. They didn't have electricity either, but they did have a wood burning fireplace, which equaled HEAT!!! The picture above was our expressway... Traffic was traveling about 20 miles per hour. I actually enjoyed the drive. I LOVE adventure!!

Once at family's house, we settled in, with cooking our food and some special snacks over the open fire. I have come to learn that I NEVER want a wood burning fireplace. I enjoy the smell it gives off, but not the mess, or the time you have to put into it to keep the fire going, and stay warm. That night, I was up about every hour freezing, because the flames would be so small, that the window draft was more than the fire draft!

We enjoyed food, camp style cooking, family, and making lots of memories. We all slept in the living room, in front of the fire. This was after having to move lots of furniture and mattresses. The kids thought this was great!!! They have had a blast the last few days!

We tried to make biscuits over the fire in a cast iron skillet, Didn't work, Jiffy Pop, Didn't work, and melt snow from out side, so we could have water to flush the toilets, (this only works if you put a lid on the pan, otherwise the snow will evaporate!) They're house is on a Well, so unless there is electricity, no running water, or flushing toilets...reason for melting snow.... Gladly, I knew this ahead of time, and brought a ton of water with me, in addition to lots of bottles of water that we had from our house....

Stay posted for more on the Winter storm 2009, including an update about our adoption still to come! Check back in a day or two for more info... =)