#HoustonStrong

There isn't really anything for me to say about Hurricane Harvey that hasn't already been said.   I know that there are a few of you out there that read my blog that were praying hard for us (and Houston), and I wanted to take a mixture to say thank you.  I guess all I can really say is that this experience was one we won't soon forget. Almost half the year is hurricane season here, and now we know how serious that can be. #newbiesnolonger

The best news of all is we didn't take in any flood water.  The first night when the storm hit we were waking up on the hour to look outside and check the levels of the creek behind our home. By 2 am the water was against the house in the back yard, and probably 40-50 feet from our front door.  We worked furiously getting all our furniture and belongings upstairs, frantically watching the water until about 5 am.  The kids and I fell into a prayerful sleep while Jon watched the water and the news, and when we woke a few hours later it had receded about 2 or 3 inches. I cried in relief.  This is where the level stayed for days, but the rain, oh my word the RAIN, just kept coming.  We were on the dirty side of the hurricane (which is exactly where you do NOT want to be).  Essentially getting dumped on for days on end.  Less wind, more rain.

Our plan was to stay put if our house flooded.  The streets were closed so we couldn't drive out of the city, and our hurricane experienced neighbors were counseling us that going to a shelter should really only be used as a very last resort.  Our plan was to live on the second floor, with a ladder out one of the windows up to the roof.

Our neighbors, up and down the street who flooded, us have since gutted their main floors. Drywall, carpets, furniture, anything touched by water had to come out immediately because of mold.  Our roof took some damage and we are still waiting on a return call from a roofer, but no flood water!  I've had lots of people ask if we have flood insurance.  We don't. Yet.  It's my understanding (and I could be wrong) that in this area of the country we would purchase insurance through FEMA, and is something that we are looking into.

The night before the storm.  We have a creek behind our house that isn't visible in this photo.

This is what I would constantly see on my phone.  It alternated between flash flood and tornado warnings.

Everything is off the floor

The streets were flooded so we couldn't go anywhere for several days, but when we finally could this is what it looked like.  

The water was slowly coming up our driveway that first night. 

You can see all the garbage that the flooding left behind.  This pic was taken about five days after the hurricane hit. The water had just started receding. As a side note, Henry saw a BIG snake trapped out there on our patio area :[

keeping busy!

Indoor wall ping pong!

So, so, so glad that's over.  Thank you so much for praying for us. A few of you basically walked through the hurricane along with us across the miles, texting almost constantly.  I love you! Even though it was very stressful, there were thousands who lost everything (as you know).  Some friends of ours who live on the gulf, where the hurricane touched down, actually had their roof lifted right off and then set back down.  How's that for a structural nightmare?  The worst part is they deal with that type of damage every year.

Some good that has come from the storm is the kids and I did a bit of shelter volunteer work after it was all over, which (hopefully) is turning into a weekly gig for Havah and me.  We also connected with our neighbors and friends on a deeper level because of the storm.  They say that tragedy brings people together and that is definitely true here in Houston.  And last but not least, my pantry is definitely going to be better stocked heading into next year's hurricane season! #liveandlearn