Yikes, Ike!

Well, Ike surely made its mark. We survived the hurricane in Woodville, but a lot of Grandmother and Grandandan's big trees did not--I don't know how much longer they'll be able to call it the "Piney Woods". We made do there for a few days while Daddy helped the neighbors move trees in order to make room for cars to pass on the roads. We had no power, but we had fun cooking on the grill by candlelight. Mom even figured out how to make coffee on the grill in the morning! We decided to head to Houston when the electric company said that Woodville wouldn't have power until Oct 4th! Unfortunately, Houston was worse-our apartment didn't have power OR water! Luckily, we had the pool water to flush toilets. The expanse of Ike's devastation is unbelievable. Well, we got water on Monday morning, then power a day later. We actually got internet back last night! We are so fortunate to have this apartment, as most people are still without power and some water too. Lines are terribly long to get gas, and grocery stores are just now starting to get food. Our new home sustained some damage to the sun room, so the current owners are working to return the house to its "Pre Ike" condition. We hope to close on the house some time next week.

The weather here is beautiful since a cool front blew in after the storm. We've been spending lots of time at local parks and riding my big wheel around. Schools are closed until next week, and I'm anxious to see my friends.

Here are some pictures of the damage--the Grands' home in Woodville and Daddy's office building. I've also included various shots of my summer fun at the lake and swimming. I really miss swimming at the apartment, as the pool doesn't look anything like the pictures shown since Ike made landing. We hope all of our family who was in Ike's path are well. We hope to hear from you all soon.