Hurricane IKE

It has been over a week since Hurricane IKE took it's aim on the Houston area. Although Bryan and I were actually out of town when it hit, we couldn't stay away long and headed back home Sunday the day after the storm.

For all of those of you who know me, know that I am a BIG weather nerd. I watch the weather channel for entertainment and claim that all the meteorologists on there are my "friends". (I'm on a first name basis with them.) I tried to follow my dreams at A&M to become a Meteorologist someday, but was shot down on my first visit with the advisor of the Meteorology Department with the statement that, "I was not a big enough math and science nerd to do well." I wish I wouldn't have listened to them and would have followed my dreams to be standing on the coast when hurricane's like IKE hit. Oh well. Here are some pictures of my family out in their backyard Friday night (hours before the storm hit.) I wish I could have been there for the excitement and that first real gust of wind.

(The tropical clouds started rolling in around sunset)

(Different layers and colors)

(My brother, Eric & my Dad with a sky that looks like it's on fire behind them)

(Eric & Amy)

Bryan and I were due to fly out of Houston on Friday (the 12th) to Oklahoma for a baby shower that his family was so sweet to throw for us. We decided on Wednesday night (as IKE was zoning in on the upper Texas Coast) that we should fly out Thursday 9/11 instead. (I really didn't like the idea of flying on 9/11, but it was that or our flight getting canceled and us missing our shower.) It was really hard for me to lock up our house and worry about what might happen when we were gone. I walked around the night before we left and took lots of pictures of our house for insurance purposes, in case we flooded, a window broke, or a tree fell through our roof. The whole time that we were in Oklahoma I was glued to The Weather Channel, calling my parents and giving them updates (since they lost electricity and could no longer see what was coming.) Here are some pictures of me at Bryan's Grandma's house watching The Weather Channel.

(Me glued to TWC at Bryan's Grandma's house in OKC)

(Hurricane Ike and it's projected path & my friend Mr. Jim Cantore)

We had a great time at the shower and Audrey got some beautiful stuff. (I will post a separate post with some great pictures as soon as I can!) Saturday after the shower we checked our flight status and saw that our flight for Sunday afternoon had been canceled. Bryan and I were both eager to get home, see the damage and stay with our house with no power to protect it. Looting is such a big deal after storms like this and the thought of our house being pitch black with no alarm was frightening to us...especially since our house was broken into 2 years ago, we didn't want to go through that again. So we decided to rent a car and make the 7 hour drive home carvanning with Bryan's parents. We loaded up our Hyundia SantaFe with all the gifts for Audrey and were on our way. Since we knew that we were not going to have power at home, we had the great idea of stopping and buying a generator, fans and water in Oklahoma City, since these items were nonexistent in Southeast Texas. It surprised us that it took us 3 stores to find generators. Everywhere we went were sold out, or someone had just beat us in the door and bought all that they had left and were taking them down to the Houston area to sell them. Finally at our second Lowe's we found two, one for us and one for Bryan's parents. We loaded them up and got on the road and headed home.

Here are a couple pictures of the damage. There was so much more than we imagined (too much to take pictures of.) There were trees broken everywhere, fences down, trees on houses, power poles leaning across roads, signs and billboards blown down and NO power anywhere!!! It was really surprising to see, especially since we live so far northwest of the coast.

(Fence down and flooded creek on my parents street)

(a house across the creek from my parents house)
(Our tree in our backyard, it lost a big branch from the top that fell on our roof.)

(Bryan and our puppy Sadie cleaning up the backyard)

(The main reason our power stayed off for 6 days. Trees on our power lines in the front of our neighborhood.)

Today is Sunday, and we finally got power back Friday. It took us almost a week to get it back when so many people we know already had it, but we are so thankful, because there are still 1.2 million people in Houston that do not have it...including my parents. God blessed us with beautiful unseasonal cool weather right after the storm, (highs in the low 80's and lows in the 50's, and low humidity) so having no electricity was the best it could have been. It was actually pleasant sleeping weather. But it's starting to warm up back into the mid 90's with the humidity on the rise and I feel for all of those who are still without. If I was not so pregnant I would be out there volunteering and helping those who are still in need. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

Baby Shower #1

We had Audrey's first baby shower this past weekend! Two of my best friends, Allyson and Ivalu, worked so hard (and did an awesome job) to throw me this shower.

(Best Friends and great hostesses - Ivalu & Allyson)

The shower was at my friend Allyson's house. Allyson is 36 weeks pregnant and went way beyond what she should have done, that pregnant, for me to have a beautiful shower. (Thank you again Allyson!) Allyson and I have been friends since 2nd grade. We have been through so much together including, Girl Scouts, Band (I talked her into it and then quit due to my NO musical talent), 8th Grade Dance, Prom, rooming together in college, Maid of Honors at each others weddings, and now being pregnant together. It has been quite a ride, but I know that we have so much more (with our little girls) to experience together. I can't wait!!!

(Preggo Best Friends Forever!)

Ivalu is an awesome friend that I am so lucky to have in my life. We met through a mutual friend about 5 years ago and our friendship has only grown since then. Bryan and I have become best friends with Iva and her husband Randy and we look so forward to every time we get to meet up with them. They used to live 5 minutes away from us, but in the past year they moved to Medina, Texas, so the 5 minute ride is now a 5 hour ride. It's so true when they say you don't know what you have, until it's gone. (We miss you guys!) Iva has been a great resource for me these past 8 months or so. She had her little boy, Colin, this past March and is full of useful information and experiences to learn from. She did a lot of preparing and planning for this shower, and then made the long drive into town to throw it. (Thank you Iva!)

More pictures from the shower:

(The cake table and the very cute Diaper Cake that Iva made)

(My mom and me)

(Me & Bryan's mom, Marcia)

(Shower games)

(Allyson, my sister Lara, me & Bryan's sister Arianne)

The cake was amazing! It was a white cake with cream cheese icing...bu the best part was the banana cream filling! It was so good that Sunday night I decided to skip dinner and help myself to a HUGE piece of it. It was such a big piece that it took 2 BIG glasses of milk to wash it down. I was so miserable after I ate it, I couldn't sit still. (maybe it was all the sugar!) Anyway, it was worth it!

(The delicious cake)

I want to thank everyone for a great Shower for baby Audrey. She got some precious stuff that I can't wait to see her in. I also want to thank all of my friends who are already mommy's for all the great advice that I know I'm going to need. (Although I think I should have had a pen and notepad to write it all down. I'll be calling y'all!) It means so much to me to have such great friends and family that already love Audrey before she is even here. Thank you again, and I love y'all!

Drum Roll, Please!

We finally have a name for our little girl!

Bryan and I have been trying to come up with the perfect name for her...but everything we think of might last for a day or two, then second thoughts set in and the name that was a possibility no longer is good enough for our little girl.

Audrey is a name that we both talked about when we first found out we were pregnant, but after getting lost in the millions of names in baby books and online, got pushed to the back of our minds. I should have known that it was going to be Audrey all along. I love it because it's a classic name that I can picture on a cute little girl, but also a beautiful name for a grown woman. Audrey means Noble-Strength.

Her middle name is going to be Marie, which is my middle name that was given to me because it is also my mom's middle name. It's a simple, pretty middle name that we knew we were going to use if it was a girl.

So there it is...Audrey Marie. We can't wait to meet you!

Aggie Game

(Texas A&M vs. Arkansas State - Saturday August 30, 2008)

Well I made it through my first Aggie game pregnant! It was not the all day event that I usually do on game days, but I managed to walk all the way up the ramps in The Zone and make it through the whole game in the late August heat! So unlike our football team I succeeded!

For those of you that don't know, Bryan and some buddies own a school bus that they have converted into a tailgating bus called "The Spirit" that we party at every home game. We are usually out there the day before the game setting up and doing a little pregame partying, and then the day of the game we are up bright and early preparing for the tailgate. The guys set everything up including the tent, the pit, the TVs and fans. Its quite a production.

(Our Tailgate - The Spirit)

Well this year is a little different since it would not be the smartest thing for me to be sitting outside all day in the over 100 degree heat. So, Saturday Bryan and I left our house at 6am to make it to bus to help set up. We made the hour and fifteen minute ride there in the dark and haze to unload my car at the bus and then Bryan took me to my sisters dorm to hang out and stay out of some of the heat since it was going to be a very long day. I'm so thankful that my sister is a freshman this year, the timing could not have been better, since it gives me a nice air conditioned place to hang out. We had a lot of fun organizing her room, and running some errands that she needed to do. It was fun to spend time with her in College Station...my old home just 7 short years ago.

Here are some pictures from the tailgate and the game!

(We got Tailgater of the Game)

The Owners: Rob, Bryan, Shad & Javier

(My friend Ivalu and her almost 6month old son Colin)

(Bryan and I at the game)

Too bad our Aggie's lost at home on our season opener to Arkansas State. It seems we are going to have a very long season ahead of us. We looked so bad as a whole team...the blame really can't be put on any specific aspect of the game...it just all stunk. Hopefully we'll see a season of changes and improvement. All in all it was a good day. We had a successful tailgate, and any day spent with friends is time well spent!