Whoa! A Spare Minute!!

I know, shocking, isn't it? What is more shocking is that we are actually going to [attempt] sleep in tommorrow!! Taking the weekend off!!! I would say that I won't know what to do with myself, BUT, I think I will finish "moving in" (read: unpacking and putting stuff away) to our "new" house. We have met a wonderful Christian couple down here and they have offered us their four bedroom house RENT FREE to live in until it sells. Works for me. I think D and E are liking this arrangement as well. We will be doing a few minor repairs (fixing a flood light, a window, paint) instead of paying rent. I'll take it! We moved a number of things in Wednesday night and the kids and I did some unpacking and arranging. Oh yeah, and I saw my fist cockroack ever... EWWW.

Things have been AMAZING down here. Very busy, but good. It has been so cool to meet so many people from so many different places who have just come down here to help clean up and rebuild. And the "natives" as some of them like to be referred to are wonderful, too. I am so amazed at the thankfulness I see in them. And what a good lesson for us to be learning... It is just stuff. Stuff is not where the importance lies..... Wow.... It is hard to put much else into words...

Last night we had one AMAZING and powerful service.... It was SOOO good!! It felt like being back at our home chuch worshipping with everyone there and throwing about 300 more people in the mix. There was such an excitement there! And even though it was a little hard to be away from family on Thanksgiving, I can honestly say that I would LOVE to have another Thanksgiving like that! Whew!!!!!

I am putting together TONS of pictures... You will be able to view them if you click my picture link on the side of the page. It is definitely true, though, that pictures do not do any of this justice.....

If you like to shop

I have to ask why???
but here is a coupon to print out for a freebie:
eau de pee-yew
courtesy of E's Aunt Cindy.

We are here!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we have made it to Mississippi! It is warmer and sunnier than home, but a whole lot messier!!

My Official Blog Announcement

I know, it is a little late, but I have heard that I really should post this information. I have no pictures to post at the moment. And no one is killing anyone, so I have NO pictures of that at all.... Sorry.

We are moving! (Temporarily, anyway... We will see what God says later....)

God said, "Go to Mississippi," so we are going to Mississippi. We are leaving on the 24th of this month (that is 11 days away, counting today, not counting the actual day we leave.) The current plan is to head out around noon, make it to Salamanca then actually stop for lunch and make the kids run around the car and trailer three times (Aunt E's idea...). So, we will *sleep in* (what is THAT?!) and have a late breakfast so the kids can actually MAKE it to Salamanca for lunch. Then we will head out and see if we can avoid the first big city rush hour. We might stop right outside and have dinner, take a little break, etc. Then back on the road.... His sister begged us to take her with us, and she is one of those that is always up until 3 or 4 in the morning, so we might give her the night shift for driving. As soon as we get there though, John will have her off that all night schedule and will be working her tail off. Eight o'clock will roll around and she will want to be in bed.

Everyone is probably wondering (the ones who don't already know the story ;) ) what we will be doing down there. J is going to be building roofs down there. We are starting with the parsonage and the church, then moving on to whomever needs it. D and E have told us and reassured us that there is MORE than enough work down there to keep us occupied for a year if we wanted. So has everyone else that has been down there.... J's sister will be working with him. We told her she could come along because he knows he will need help, and D has offered to help on his days off, but that is not every day.

We will be initially staying with D and E, but are looking for alternate arrangements... :) But I am looking forward to being with them!! It has been a couple years since we have really been able to see D and spend a whole lot of time with him. E was just here, but she was bouncing around so much and then at camp, so it was still only once every other week or so.... We talked about how cool it will be when there are done with their "time" and can come home, find a house and all that and how we would be at eachother's houses... Now we get to actually do that for six months or so. :) Yay!

Six months... that is the current plan. We will see what happens from there.... J has taken a six month leave of absense from work and the military (his CO shook his hand and told him he was more than happy to grant it for what we are going to do). I have talked with the principle of the school and will be taking the kids school work and E and I will be "tutoring" them (the Superintendent didn't like the H word - homeschool - there, I said it!!!!). The kids are REALLY looking forward to being with Uncle D and Aunt E. Everyday they ask why we can't leave TODAY. Pretty soon, I will be able to tell them yes. That is about it for now. I will do my best to keep you posted here. :) Just remember. I have LOTS of packing, organizing, sorting, arranging to do. And only 11 days to do it all. J is working on his end and trying to get more wood for his dad so he isn't out in the woods trying to get it himself. J is really starting to get protective over his dad.... He said he doesn't want to be down there worrying that his dad is up here in the woods alone... Understandable. Plus, he is out of town right now, and scheduled to be out of town next week... AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! *sigh* I can relax when we are driving down....

But I do rest in this.... I KNOW that God is the One sending us down... This is not our thing. So I know that it will all be ok. I can get everything done, there will be work, and He is going before us and preparing a place for us. :) When God is in it, it is all good.

Free Ball of Yarn

Free Ball of Yarn

This is the glitzy type which isn't my usual fare BUT it is free so I am going to send for a ball. If you send for it but don't want it, you can give it to me. If you send for it but don't knit (or crochet) I can teach you to knit (not crochet) a scarf with it. If you live nearby, that is. Hmm, on this blog that might narrow the chances.

His First....

John Tylor just wrote and sent out his very first email ever..... He is in second grade.... I was like 20 before I heard of email. Well... ok... I was probably a little younger than that, but still, I know I was at least in double digits age-wise. I tried teaching him the "proper" (read quicker) way to type, but he said he would rather do it with one finger. So, he started this email around 4:00 this afternoon. He JUST hit the send button five minutes ago. It is 6:30. Poor kid. He did a fantastic job, though. If anyone wants this email and you didn't get it yet, let me know - I would be MORE than happy to pass it along..... ;) (My kid WILL get first place yet.......) ;)

Proof

For those that have said that there is not a cuter picture....

I Thought I Could Handle This

Sending John Tylor to school two years ago was a SLIGHTLY emotional time. I misted over when I stuck him on the bus and that was that. We were done. I had alone time with him before Tanara was born so now it was Tanara's turn for alone time while her big brother headed off to the great unknown of SCHOOL. Two years passed and Tanara was finally getting her wish... She was going to school, too. To my suprise (and everyone else's I might add), sending Tanara to school produced no tears, no mist, just "Have a great day, baby! I will see you after school!" Was the amazing control of my emotions too good to be true?

YES! One sunny Sunday afternoon (just the other day, in fact), Tanara came racing into the bedroom and shrieked: "I HAVE A LOOSE TOOTH! I HAVE A LOOSE TOOTH!" We of course did the wiggle test right then and there, and sure enough, she had a very loose tooth. Off she went, slightly concerned that actually losing said tooth would hurt. I lay there and looked at the ceiling and realized that the ceiling in my room is blurry!! Could have been the mist. I looked at John and said, "Is she old enough?" He answered yes. "Honey, school I could do, that was no problem, but I have a really hard time with her losing her teeth! She is just too little to lose her teeth!!" They are so tiny and cute, and I guess they represent my LITTLE girl.

Am I completely messed up???? She just doesn't seem old enough......

Hurray!

He is back in the USA!!

I am sure I will have more to say later, but that about sums it up for now.

All systems go

for Dan to arrive at Gulfport (via Jacksonville then Atlanta - this makes sense?) at 10:00pm on Wednesday the 14th.
Yee Haw!

Yesterday's News

E called me at work* yesterday and said that as of 15 minutes ago (remember, this news is now 24 hours ago PLUS that 15 minutes) it looked like Dan would be flying into Jacksonville on the 14th, then fly out of J to Gulfport later that day or the next. No extended stay in J, it appears, for now.
We'll just see, won't we?




*the place I call work, sometimes

My boy is back in town

The Boys Are Back in Town Lyrics


Guess who just got back today?
Them wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven't changed, haven't much to say
But man, I still think them cats are crazy

They were asking if you were around
How you was, where you could be found
Told them you were living downtown
Driving all the old men crazy

The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
I said
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town


okay, the lyrics are plural and dumb but I am pretty pleased that Tim finally made it back tonight, after more last minute flight changes and other annoyances. Thank God. I now have spare space in my brain to worry about something new. Just kidding.

All Ready....

Early risers! I hope the excitement lasts! They were READY long before 8 o'clock.... Will this work tomorrow morning, and the morning after? That would be nice! Less stress on mommy. Bud is headed to second grade... I think I can deal with that.... But does Tanara seem old enough to go to Kindergarten????? Hey, all of you would be SO proud of me! I DID NOT CRY!!







Such serious kids. They really look ready to learn.









By the way, they are both very proud of their backpacks. Dora and Batman, what a great pair.

I will be picking them up from the bus stop a little after 3.... No more quiet house. I am sure that I will have more pictures to add after that. And I will let John Tylor and Tanara recount their first day for you. :)

T'was the Night Before School

T'was the night before School and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The backpacks were hung by the front door with care
In antisipation of seeing their school friends there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of school books danced in their heads;
And mamma in her nightie, and I in my briefs,
Had just settled down for a long autumn's nap,

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away toward the living room I flew like a flash,
Throwing on my bathrobe and tying the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen dew
Gave the luster of mid-day to our living room
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
Two tiny children getting on their school gear....

School starts tomorrow for the kids! They are SO excited!!

Dan, yet another message from your spouse

She-who-must-be-heard says that she is still dilligently trying to contact you via the most recent phone #. SWMBH says that sometimes she has actually gotten through to the apartment, she THINKS, but there are still some technical difficulties, like hang-ups, but that she THINKS at least one phone message was left.
And here is the message:
SWMBH will call every hour on the DSN line until she is, indeed SWHBH*.

That's all for now,
signed,
Katrina's secretary.


*she-who-has-been-heard, duh ;)

Dan, check your email:

Emily must be tired of me airing her dirty* laundry on the blog, because she asked me to send you an email.
(*just a guess. Not sure laundry facilities are available,)

Don't worry, curious folks. It was boring.

Too bad. I could use a nice juicy story right about now. It's been so calm around here. Hardly anything going on.

Clarity for Message left on my machine....

..... I talked with Emily..... twice in one day!!!!!!!
She has heard rumors that they might be sending people to Pensecola, but, she said she is not even going to look into it until Tim goes home. (Probably a smart move since his flight leaves from there, a good jaunt away from Pensecola - that could be a pain.) She also said that she is not actually leaving unless she absolutely has to. Her plan is to stay right there until Dan gets there, then go from there. Basically, she is willing to live in the warehouse as long as neccessary as long as she will not have to be separated from her husband again. Understand that one 100%. She is heading to Kittiwake for church today, so she will be able to see first hand how his guitars have made out.

message left on my machine

Emily called while we were picnicking (what a weird word to spell).
She said that she has been trying and trying to call Dan, but even when she uses up piles of minutes on a phone card she still can't get through. Something about calling internationally is a problem. She has also tried the DSN line (interesting that Erin's post mentions this new phone line) but - no go. So, she says Dan can just keep trying and if worse comes to worse they can communicate through the blog. Just remember kids, less than 2 weeks now.
Also, her parting line on the message says she might go to Pensacola? Why? Is Dan coming in there? She didn't leave details.

CBC Information

We got this from John's chief. It came from the CO down at the base to the CO up here at John's base. I am including the information that seems pertinent to our knowledge of the conditions down there.

Admirals/Chief: I sent a very short message sitrep yesterday evening and will send another more detailed message updayte later this evening. In the interim I wanted to give you all a quick unofficial update on what's happening and send you a few photos since we got limited email connectivity was restored earlier this morning through a DSN phone circuit (thanks to the CNRSE IT folks and EDS). Phone connectivity continues to be problematic - DSN has been reliable but local off base service and long distance is not functional.

Facility Status: We've got Seabees clearing our roads from trees and power poles/lines to make it safe to drive throughout the base. I believe we'll have most of that done today. Assessment teams are working throughout the base to better determine the extent of the damages. We have significant damages that will likely total in the tens of millions of dollars. SOUTHDIV already has gotten CONCAP leadership on board here (thanks CAPT Raines!) and they will be working on the following priorities: power distribution and generation, damage assessment, temporary roofs and lastly debris removal. Mississippi Power is bringing in 4000 people to work the distribution system problems throughout the area. They don't know how long it will take to get power restored but they think it's months. Based on that I asked CAPT Walden this morning to work with NAVFAC to have MUSE units delivered here and we just got word that two 750KW units are on their way and will be here tomorrow (thanks Paul!). We're working alternative power generation/distribution plans now and are planning for a long term temporary solution...

Quality of Life: We have ~ 1277 # ofo people in shelters. Our galley is serving meals as of lunchtime today using paper plates, etc. We've opened the galley to everyone. The Commissary suffered major damamge and will not be operational for many months. NEX doesn't appear to be seriously damaged and we are hoping to open it later this week. There is some family housing damage but our preliminary tour indicates most homes are livable. Showers are being erected in three locations across the base and porta potties placed strategically around housing to allow housing residents to return to their homes later today. We're also establishing laundrys. Because the community has no sewer capacity right now (estimated to be repaired in about a week) we need to not push sewage to them, so we will secure water to family housing and they will use our shower/laundry facilities that outlet to leach fields we are constructing. Once we have the MUSE generators up and running tomorrow we will be able to reopen our barracks. We are working on establishing a disaster assistance center (Legal claims, USAA, Navy & Marine Corps Relief, Red Cross, FFSC counseling, etc) and our goal is to have it open in one of our warehouses beginning tomorrow. NAVHOSP Pensacola is also looking at sending us additional medical staff and medicinals...

Lastly, I want to let you all know that while I have not yet been out to see everything (I plan to do some checks later today) that based on the eyewitness reports I have so far that the Gulf Coast has been hit secerely and the devastation is catastrophic. For those of us familiar with the area, to try to paint a picture of what has happened - most facilities south of the railroad tracks from Bay St. Louis through Biloxi have been destroyed.

Saturday am update

Emily tried to call Erin and Denise this am but got one of those strange messages. She was able to get through to me.
She did try to get Dan but her phone said that she couldn't call internationally. She must have already had his phone #? (because I didn't give it to her)(or, Dan must have left it on his messages). Yes, she got several messages from Dan, though she still hasn't spoken with him post hurricane.
About per diem pay: She is trying to get to the right guy to figure out about this. Evidently getting to the right guy is quite difficult. She is really hoping to just stay put in the warehouse or whatever (on base) until Dan gets there in a week and a half. Part of that time will be spent hanging out with Tim until he gets on his plane (I hope) on Tuesday.
She wasn't in the waiting for base housing line. She was in the Navy Relief Fund line. She got a couple hundred $, a grant, to help her through the coming days. She continues to live and eat on base. The base wasn't too hard hit. There are downed trees, roof damage, windows out, and still no electric or water. But, comparitively light damage. They have generators and hot food and (group) showers. Tim really loves those group showers.
She went down closer to her apartment. Last year's apartment, against odds, still stands. Most of that complex is gone though.
























This year's apartment-to-be is no longer standing, but some of the complex is still there. No rhyme nor reason I guess to what made it and what didn't. I pulled these photos off an apartment site so they are supposed to be the apartments in Pass Christian but who knows.
Her church, and the pastor's house, only got 1.5' of water in them - which was a surprise. But, Dan's guitars were in the water so they didn't make it.
At night time about 2000 helpers, people from across the nation, sleep in the warehouses. During the day they go out and help. Amazing America. Each night, during the briefing, an announcement is made for a prayer service. Each night more attend.
Also during the briefing mention was made of the possibility of an on base school. I'm not sure who all it would serve. You might recall that public schools aren't expected to start for several months. Emily wrote somewhere that she could teach and gave a 1 line resume (wonder what it said!). That might be the ministry that she needs to be involved with this fall. Who knows but God.
Anyway, Dan, I think she really wants to wait for you there. She promises that she is not getting into dangerous places and is safe at the base for now. She really wants to talk with you but I guess we have to wait until all the stars align (or all the towers align)(or something).
Tim says:
The cat is being nice. It's so weird.
He saved a 400 page book to read but finally he succombed and read it. He really wishes he had more books.
He pulled a sandy chair out of the gulf. He is using it and everyone is jealous.
Group showers: still bad.
Hasn't found a fit-in-his-backpack souvenir yet.

That's all I can remember right now. Hopefully she will be able to get through to Dan! and the rest of you before too long.