Friday, September 30, 2005

Who created 3rd grade projects?

Robert has to do a project on his community. He has to report on the history of our community, restaurants, grocery stores, public service places, recreation, etc. It can either be a scrapbook, power point presentation, or video. Robert has chosen (surprise!) the video option. We started to spend part of our Rita-vacation working on it, but a heat index of 113 is not conducive to a cooperative 9 year old.
Yesterday, though, we got most of the footage done. We will finish up Saturday morning. I will probably spend Sunday afternoon editing it. Oh, wait. Did I say I would be doing it? How silly of me! This is a 3rd grade project. Robert will be doing the editing.

HA!

This project is due October 5th. Pray for all of us as we work to finish it up. Sigh...

Friday, September 23, 2005

Where Will She Hit?

Bobble to the left. Bobble to the right. Stand up. Sit down. Fight! Fight! Fight!

Ha! Sorry about that. Just a little hurricane humor. "Bobble" is apparently a technical hurricane term. Did you know that? When they are trying to explain why this monster storm is changing direction, the correct verbage is, indeed, "bobble". They showed us the radar of the storm and showed us the progression. "See that right there?", says the all-knowing meteorologist (who I believe is guessing about where this thing will land!). "See that bobble to the right, then bobble to the left?" Um, well, no. I believe you, Frank. I really do. However, I see no "bobble". But, the storm has moved east, which is all I care about!

Early Thursday morning, they said Rita would hit Matagorda, which was bad for us. That put us on the dirty side of the hurricane and we could expect winds of over 75 mph. Yikes! Then, later that morning, she shifted to the east some, and now they said she was coming straight over Galveston. Very, very bad for Galveston, but that shift put us on the west side of the hurricane, which is better for us. Still later in the day, Rita's projected path moved farther east to Beaumont. They are now projecting 40+ mph winds for my area, which is much, much better. My windows can withstand that (assuming the wind is not assisted by some piece of a flying tree branch).

As of last night, they would not say for sure where she would land. It's 5 am and my brother's girlfriend, Karen, is asleep on our couch (her choice! we have a bed for her), so I can't watch TV to check what they're saying now. I just hope she keeps bobbling to the right!

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Riding Out Rita

Hurricane Rita is heading our way. We've made the decision to stay, but it hasn't been an easy one. I've second guessed myself all week until today. What made the difference? Watching the news coverage of the gridlocked traffic on the evacuation routes. If we left, we'd be heading to Griff's family in Dallas, but I-45 is a mess and has been since yesterday. People are running out of gas and there is very little gas available. Cars are overheating. There have actually been fights witnessed between motorists alongside the roads. Tempers are short. All of this adds up to a situation I do not want to expose my family to.

We now have houseguests. My dad, my brother, and his girlfriend arrived from Deer Park this morning. (It took them 3 hours to make what is typically a 45 minute trip.) They were in the storm surge area, so it was absolutely necessary for them to leave. With guests coming, I went to the store this morning and found bottled water, so I bought another 6 cases on top of the 3 we already had. I had not been able to find bread, but they did have some, so I bought a few loaves. Unfortunately, they still didn't have ice, and I doubt they will. I have frozen empty milk jugs full of water, so hopefully that will help keep our refrigerated items cool if/when we lose power. I also bought charcoal so we can grill once the storm is over.

I will update my blog when I can, but I expect we will lose power some time Friday night and may not have it again for awhile.

Keep us and all the people in the path of this hurricane in your prayers. While we don't want this storm to hit Houston, I also would not wish it on anyone else.

Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

He's 9!!



My sweet, cuddly, laughing baby turned 9 this week. NINE! Can this really be happening? Wasn't it just yesterday that they rushed me down the hall after 12 hours of labor for an emergency c-section? Didn't I just watch him take his first steps? Didn't I just leave him for his first day of kindergarten?

This isn't right. I should get to hold on to his childhood longer. He's starting to fill out. His shoulders are getting broader. His thighs are getting bigger. This child, who has always had my small-framed, skinny build (well, I was very skinny as a child!), is starting to take on the frame of his father. Griff is a huge guy. It can't be possible that Robert will be that same size.

Sigh... I need to enjoy the fact that he still hugs me. He loves to see me up at school. He still likes to cuddle (occasionally!) on the couch while we watch a movie. The day will come when he will feel too "grown up" for those things. So, I still do have some of his childhood to hold on to. May it last as long as possible!


Thursday, September 08, 2005

I Miss My Mom

Something happened today that reminded me of a story my mom used to tell about when I was a child. I was a very, shall we say, adventurous, child. I was always climbing on things. One day, when I was about 2 years old, I got her Chanel No. 5 off the bathroom counter and poured it down the sink. My mom loved Chanel No. 5. As a working mother of 4 children, it was one of her few luxuries. She bought another bottle and put it on a shelf above her bathroom counter. I climbed on top of the counter, got the bottle, and, you guessed it, poured it down the sink. Mom didn't get any Chanel No. 5 for a long time after that. She told that story many times over the years and we always laughed about it.

I always planned on buying her a bottle of Chanel No. 5. I never did. I can't tell you how much I regret that simple thing. I called my sister and talked to her about it. She said, "Rhonda, Mom got more enjoyment out of telling that story than she would a new bottle of perfume." True. However, I know she would have loved it. We would have laughed about my childhood escapades. It would have been a good thing. It's too late now to do that and all the things I wanted to do with and for her.

I know I will see her again in Heaven someday, but I want her here with me. Now.

If you have something you've always wanted to do for or say to a loved one, don't wait. Do it. Now.

Monday, September 05, 2005

Such Maturity!

Have you ever watched the show "House Hunters"? It's on HGTV and is about people searching for the "perfect" house. It's interesting seeing what people think is important in a home. It's also interesting to see what passes for a big house in California. :)

One day I was watching "House Hunters" and Ruthie came in the room. She wanted to watch something on our DVR. I'm sure it was something mentally stimulating like "Full House". I told her she could as soon as my show was over. She saw what I was watching, sat down on the couch, and said, "Oooh. This is interesting. You know, when I was 5 or 6 years old, I thought this show was really boring." LOL! Yes, the age of 7 brings such a level of maturity as to enjoy a mindless show such as "House Hunters".

Funny, funny girl.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Hurricane Katrina

The whole country, and a lot of the world, has been watching the coverage of Hurricane Katrina. Even I, who seldom watch the news and miss out on many major events in an effort to protect my children, have been glued to the TV.

I remember watching last Sunday when people were lining up to get into the Superdome. The news reporter was talking to a woman who was in line with her two children. She said they didn't have the means to leave town and were going to ride out the hurricane in the Superdome. At the time, I thought nothing of it. Like most everyone else, I had no idea what was to come. Over the past week, I have thought of that woman and her children. Are they okay? Where are they now? What will happen to them? I pray that they are safe and sound.

There have been so many horrible stories from this storm. Some of them will haunt me for the rest of my life (and remind me why I don't watch the news). Others, though, have been wonderful. Watching people welcome these evacuees into their cities with open arms has been inspiring. Living here in Houston, I am so proud of my hometown and all that we are doing. There are so many opportunities to give, that it is at time overwhelming trying to decide what we will do.

These survivors of this, the worst natural disaster in the history of our great country, have a long road in front of them. I pray that they will know that God's loving arms are around them and that He is always there for them.