Hmmm. A good story.

A year ago, we woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of silence. No fan. No heater.  No electricity.  No big deal, right? 

Cut to about 8:00 in the morning when we listen to the PSO recording saying it may be until Wednesday (it was Monday) before we get power back. What?! 3 days? With two one year olds? Are these people crazy?   

We tried to build a fire (with no fire wood) and realized we wouldn't be able to get the boys to sit still in front of whatever fire we do build, so we better just get out of here.  We made plans to go stay at Troy and Erica's.  But first, we thought we'd get some Christmas shopping done at the mall.  Along with the rest of midtown Tulsa.  While shopping merrily at Gap, thinking worst case scenario was staying in Erica's guest room for 3 days, she calls. No power. Crap.  

So we start calling hotels. 3 days in a hotel might be kinda nice, right?  No hotels available in the Tulsa metro area. Everyone beat us to that one. 

So after driving around like crazy people, trying to decide what to do, we head to Donnie's hometown a skip and a jump down the highway. All the power is on at his parent's house.  (Meanwhile, there's one turn around to grab something we forgot. Then another turn around to grab the dog because Rachel was going to take him home but then she lost power too and was heading somewhere else)  WHEW.  

So we spent two nights in Glenpool and then moved on to Bekah's in Claremore. She only lost power for one night I think.  We thought we could let the boys play with Katie, and Bekah has an extra pack n play so no more fighting in bed for the boys.  Besides, what's one night?   Or two? Or three?  What is going on??? 

Troy and Erica (now with power) were heading out of town, so we packed up and headed to Broken Arrow.  We were so gracious for another warm and powered place to stay. For one or two nights, right?  Oh, come on. 

With almost daily promises of "this will be the day" but still daily "dark drive-bys" of the house, we were feeling a little twilight zone-ish.  When was I going to finish my shopping? How was I going to enjoy my own decorations that I worked hard to put up? How much longer could I keep Reagan and Kiefer out of Erica's decorations?!?!  How many more trips are we going to make to the house "for a couple more things" because we keep thinking this has got to be the last day? Oh yeah, and how much food was wasting away in our fridge/freezer and deep freeze?? 

And then to learn we were included in the last 3% of homes- out of half a million- to be restored. (Donnie, what's 3% of 500,000?)  People with electrical damage were already repaired and sitting in front of their own TiVos before my measly side of the road was even looked at. EVEN LOOKED AT.  I think about how that could have been really f.r.u.s.t.r.a.t.i.n.g. for someone less patient than me. 

Man oh man.  TEN DAYS we were without power. 10 days. With two toddlers. Weeks before Christmas. 

So, as I remember those hard/annoying/emotional/long days, I think about these things: 

We are lucky to have so many people that we can count on. To be surrounded by family. (both in close proximity and in never ending support via email and phone.) We are blessed.

I use too many paper towels.  When I was in a house that doesn't use them, it seemed like it was the only thing I ever use at home. 

I have good kids. They were one at the time and a handful when off their usual schedule and with new digs to explore, BUT they were really, really, REALLY adaptable.  (And oh man, I will never in my whole life forget, when we walked into our lit-and-ready house after 10 days of being nomads... and those boys seriously threw themselves a party. They started spinning in circles and laughing and grabbing every toy like it was the best thing they had ever seen in their whole lifes. They were so happy to be home.) 

So we were without our house, our stuff, our routine for 10 days. Who cares? People lose their homes for good in hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires. I had to hang out with family for a week and half and return to my own place.  Big deal. 

Oh yeah, and I also remember how Donnie tried to burn one of the extra posts from our fence the first morning because we didn't have any fire wood. That was funny. 

**We are supposed to be getting snow tonight and that's what the forecast was the night before THE ice storm. Just a little snow. So if I go to bed and wake up at 1am to the sound of silence again.... hmm... I'll probably pack my paper towels first.**