Seaworld

Fall Fun

We finally have internet in Linkwood! It's so nice to be back on the information superhighway. Sorry I haven't posted in a while--let me catch you up. We took a fun fall trip to MO to see Grandma Pat and Papa at the first of October. Papa had just had his knee worked on, and I had to be extra careful not to jump around and be too rowdy around him. He is recovering well, and I can't wait to see them again at Thanksgiving when I can show my cousins how much fun the new fire pit is to roast marshmellows. I've also included some pictures of my school Halloween party. I had my first experience at bobbing for apples. It was quite a show to see 15 3-year-olds attempting this challenging Halloween sport. Although no one successsfully retrieved an apple out of the pail, we had lots of fun trying. We spent Halloween back in our old 'hood in Coppell. Mom and Dad had a wedding to go to Sat night, so we went in on Friday to see all our Dallas friends and trick or treat Edinburgh Lane. The Brauns and the Buntings were so nice to host us in their homes, and I loved getting to have a slumber party with my friends Friday and Sat night. Petra, Jim, and the girls had a great party on Halloween night, then we all combed the neighborhood for candy. It was so much fun seeing everyone, and I got some tasty treats, too! Check out my costume--a pumpkin pirate--my very own design!

Fall in MO

Halloween Party

Trick or Treat!

Sam Rayburn

We finally got to fulfill our Kenesson family Sam Rayburn Lake vacation this past weekend. It had been planned for July, but due to various factors, was rescheduled for late September. The timing was perfect, as the Lake got power back the day before we were scheduled to arrive, and since none of the Woodville folk had power, it was a welcomed retreat! The weather was wonderful, and we were practically the only boat on the lake. Uncle "Capt" Reeve brought his boat, and we had lots of tubing behind it, as well as just joy riding around the largest lake in Texas. It was my first tubing experience and I LOVED IT! I rode with Mom, then Dad, then I was positive I was ready to take off by myself . . . Mom and Dad said maybe next year! We celebrated Grandmother's 65th birthday, and I helped Claire arrange some choc chip cookies in at 6-5. When we weren't in the boat, fishing, swimming, or playing in the mud, we were sitting on the porch visiting and eating. Grandandan brought tons of food that he had kept on ice all week, and we dined on mystery meat all weekend--thank goodness no one got sick! The cabins are a wonderful find, and we hope to make it an annual get together!

At the Lake

Wild Rides

Hangin at the Cabin

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.

Swimming

At the Lake

Lake Drive in Woodville

Dad's Office

Take a Hike, Ike!

What a welcome to Houston! We moved into our Houston apartment only to be run out twice by threats of severe hurricanes. First was Gustav--it really made me mad because we were unable to meet the Arnold clan in Florida. Instead, we spent one night in Galveston since I was so excited about going to the beach, then fled the Houston area to spend the weekend in Woodville. Gustav hit near New Orleans, but evacuations were much smoother and the terrible mistakes of Katrina were not repeated. Now we're running away again--this time from Ike! Ike is headed straight for Galveston, so we're in Woodville again. I'm really sad that Galveston is going to take a big hit. We had so much fun during the short vacation Mom, Dad and I spent there. As you can see from the pictures, my favorite activity was being buried in the sand, and burying my parents in the sand! We also had lots of fun watching the dolphins jumping behind the shrimp boats from our lookout pier where we could sit and order snacks and drinks. We'll have to wait and see what will happen to this little island . . . and our HOUSE! The closing had to be postponed, so hopefully it will still be standing and dry when we get back to Houston. Until then . . .

Fun in the Sand