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

Buried Alive!

Masterpiece

Moving On . . .

Yes, we're STILL in Dallas. The countdown is on, and we've been saying our goodbyes. This week, we're planning our 4th home shopping trip to Houston. We've now learned that we are moving to the #1 real estate market in the country--so far we've lost 2 bidding wars on homes even after making offers OVER asking price! We know this trip will be a success and I can't wait to see my new room. The past few weeks have been very busy. Daddy has been traveling a lot with his new job, and Mom and I have been enjoying our last few weeks with our friends. Uncle Jay and family came in to redeem his Richard Petty Driving Experience gift certificate we had given him last year. It was the coolest experience, even for me and I wasn't even driving the car! We got to watch everything, including Jay completing 8 laps around the track at 150 mpg all by himself--I still can't believe they let that guy get behind the wheel! The next day, James, Claire and I went to Six Flags. I'm quite the dare devil, riding every ride they would possibly allow me to ride. I especially enjoyed the water rides.

Last Saturday was our big going away party thrown in the park by all our friends. It was a huge fiesta, complete with a margarita machine, pinata, waterslide, and lights strung from the trees--Thweatt Park has never looked more festive! All our friends and neighbors came to wish us well, and we had a blast reminiscing about all our great times together. We're already planning future get togethers to keep in touch. To top it all off, we got a 2nd signed contract on our house which made the celebration even greater.

Here are some pictures from all the events. I've also included some from our 3rd and final Coppell July 4th parade. This year, we decided to form the trifecta of Team Dunn (our realtor), The American Cancer Society, and MOMS Club in one big float. It was quite the combo, and as always, we had a wonderful time parading through town. I hope to update you soon with pictures of our new home in Houston!

Saying Goodbye