Ernesto

Watching and Waiting. Waiting and Watching. This is the first time I've been at home with a hurricane coming. And the first time we've had kids here too!! We've been watching Ernesto since he was just a baby Tropical Wave. Watched while the track went to Texas, then to New Orleans, then to the Panhandle, then to the Florida West Coast, and NOW - today, the track goes right up our side. It's been interesting - watching how they keep guessing.

In between writing this and doing all the other things that need to be done to "batten down the hatches" - I'm sweating, coughing, and generally miserable.

I woke on Thursday morning totally miserable. My head is full of cotton and I feel like I have a big raw chunck of my throat missing. Two of the babies also have nasty noses but no cough yet. Baby B cut 2 (not one - but two) top teeth. They finally came thru last night. Papa came home on Saturday to me sicker than most dogs, Baby B totally miserable and snotty, and the other kids just being kids. He immediately pitched in and he fed them dinner and put them to bed. Sunday we didn't do anything other than herd kids. I was on the couch mostly - really really wasn't prepared to go to Church and pass my cough around. So we didn't do that.

S'te just called and Makkiah is out of Surgery. Dr. says it looks good. The mass wasn't swollen or inflamed when they went in so they think they got it all but won't know for sure until they see if he has any more episodes. They glued the incision shut instead of using stitches. He might even be able to return to school on Wednesday. Bless the powers the Lord gave to modern medicine!! She said he is still in recovery and was headed straight back to sit with him. She doesn't know yet if they will keep him tonight or not. Keep him in your prayers!!

We are planning to get the RV out of the shop and load it - make sure it is ready to go for tomorrow. Even if we don't get a bunch of damage - we can be sure that there will be no power here for several days, it goes out during a thunderstorm, so we will take the RV and head a little north-west to Georgia for a few days. Papa has made reservations for us at a really nice little campground.

Better get off my butt and get to helping while the kids are sleeping. Once they wake up - they will be full of questions. Like - where did the bikes go . . . .