Ice Storm 2009

Well, as you all know, we were "fortunate" enough to be a part of the worst ice storm in Arkansas history, but we all made it through just fine. The rain started falling last Monday, January 26 and continued through Tuesday morning. Our superintendent was so nervous that we might get caught at school when the rain started to freeze, that she decided to close the school at 1:15. So, at 1:15 we loaded all the students on the buses and into their cars and then we all left just knowing that we would be back the next morning. Well......you guessed it. They canceled school late Monday evening. The next morning Daniel woke me up saying, "Mom, the batteries on the TV don't work anymore." I laughed pretty hard, even though I was asleep. I got up and sure enough, all the power was out. This was about 7:30 am. We all continued on with our day, only without TV and video games and Facebook. To prepare for the ice storm, we bought the food, gas for our vehicles, candles, flashlights, batteries, and propane for our camping stove. So when the power went out, I got up and made breakfast on the camping stove. It was really cool. I made homemade pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, and toast. We have this really cool toaster for the camp stove. (Thanks Toni!!!) We played a couple of rounds of Sorry and Uno. Then around 11:30, I think, our power came back on. We were very excited and thought, "wow, that wasn't bad." Then it went off again about an hour or so later. This time it would stay off for a while. So we continued with Sorry, Uno, Checkers, Go Fish, and coloring. I knitted and just watched the boys play. As night fell, it was like being at the lake. There is not much to do under the power of candle light. So we basically went to bed at 8:30. The next morning and afternoon it was the same. It is Wednesday, January 28. Our power came on around 8:30 pm and we started going back to watching TV, playing on Facebook, and the boys playing video games. We had gone so long without it that we didn't want to go to bed. :D We decided because of the trees hanging over our house that we would move the dining room table and put our mattresses in there. It is in the most central part of the house. Honestly, it was like camping in a large tent with heat (gas wall heaters) and hot showers (gas water heater). The boys finally passed out around 11:00 and I at about 1:00 am. We woke up the next morning, still had power, and got really used to it. Daniel's allergies were starting to get on his nerves and so I ran up to the store to get him some medicine. I walked in the door, walked over to the medicine, picked it up and then the lights went out. So I ran up to the counter to pay for it before their register back up power failed. When I got home, our power was out....again. We were so tired of being all couped up in the house, I decided we would go get some lunch where there was power and then we would go to Wal-Mart and get some new games. We did. But about an hour after we left, Patrick text messaged me and said the power was back on. We went ahead to Wal-Mart and picked through what was left of the games...not much. We picked up Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land. When we got home, the power was out...again. So we played the new games until we couldn't stand it anymore. Then the power came back on....and went off....again. By this time, I'm about to pull my hair out!!!! Nowhere to go, getting too used to the power every time it comes back on, and just the annoyance of the whole situation. About 8:30 pm the power comes back on. This time I totally "ignore" it. I don't get on Facebook, I don't turn on the TV, and I don't text anyone to tell them I have power. I go in the laundry room and start some laundry. Then I call mom and let her know that we will be leaving mid-morning on Friday. We had already planned on going to Benton. It was my dad's birthday and Brian and Mer were coming with their precious baby girls. However, we were not planning on leaving until much later in the day. But I had had enough and packed everything and left. The power never went off again, but I just didn't know how much more I could stand. I think I would have been just fine had the power gone off and stayed off.

But we are all well, we are all safe, and we are all with power now. I like camping, but only when I can go outside and jump in the lake or lay on the shore and listen to children playing in the water, and boats going by. :D

I have posted the pictures I took of the BEAUTIFUL ice storm, and also some pictures of the boys and Paisley and Taylor.

Have a great week!!!!
Love,
The Lunsford 5