Back in Baytown
After a completely unexpected, unplanned, weeklong vacation, we came back to Baytown today. The yard is a mess, but so is everyone else's. We lost a tree in the backyard and it landed on the roof above Julia's bedroom. It went through the roof and into the attic but not through the ceiling. Our friend Tommy had already been here with his chainsaw working on it and was back here this evening working on it some more. WITHOUT US ASKING HIM TO. These kind of friends are good to have.
It's also good to have these kinds of friends:
- friends who, when you call up and shamelessly invite yourself and your family over for an extended stay, say "Sure! And bring your cat!" (Patrick and Carol.)
- friends who buy you food (P&C again.)
- friends who buy you stuff (P&C again.)
- friends who, although having never met you in real life, bring you yummy cookies (Elizabeth.)
- friends who, when they thought they finally got rid of you, let you come back and stay another night because a) highways are too congested and b) Your six-year-old threw up in the car. (P&C again.)
- Friends who take care of your baby because you have caught the throwing-up disease from your six-year-old. (P&C again.)
- Friends, or in this case, parents, who welcome you into their home and take care of your children so you can finish being sick and your husband can start getting sick. (My parents)
- Parents who send you home with groceries so you won't have an empty fridge after throwing out everything that went bad while the power was out. (My parents again)
- Friends who understand why you won't be able to turn in your newspaper column this week. (My editors at The Baytown Sun.) (Only the second time I missed in three years, I might add. The other time was when Jenna was born.)
There are friends who will go an extra mile, and then there are those who will run a whole dang marathon just to help you out. Anyway, that's how we get through these unexpected, unplanned vacations. "Thank you" sounds silly -- so inadequate to express how we feel.
Beaumont is my hometown and things aren't looking good over there. My aunt and uncle still live there and are staying with my cousin in Indiana. They have no clue what shape their house is in, since there is no way to communicate with anyone in Beaumont. We have heard that a member at their church was killed when he left a shelter on Saturday to check on his house, where he was hit by a falling tree. Please keep everyone affected by the hurricane in your prayers.
It's also good to have these kinds of friends:
- friends who, when you call up and shamelessly invite yourself and your family over for an extended stay, say "Sure! And bring your cat!" (Patrick and Carol.)
- friends who buy you food (P&C again.)
- friends who buy you stuff (P&C again.)
- friends who, although having never met you in real life, bring you yummy cookies (Elizabeth.)
- friends who, when they thought they finally got rid of you, let you come back and stay another night because a) highways are too congested and b) Your six-year-old threw up in the car. (P&C again.)
- Friends who take care of your baby because you have caught the throwing-up disease from your six-year-old. (P&C again.)
- Friends, or in this case, parents, who welcome you into their home and take care of your children so you can finish being sick and your husband can start getting sick. (My parents)
- Parents who send you home with groceries so you won't have an empty fridge after throwing out everything that went bad while the power was out. (My parents again)
- Friends who understand why you won't be able to turn in your newspaper column this week. (My editors at The Baytown Sun.) (Only the second time I missed in three years, I might add. The other time was when Jenna was born.)
There are friends who will go an extra mile, and then there are those who will run a whole dang marathon just to help you out. Anyway, that's how we get through these unexpected, unplanned vacations. "Thank you" sounds silly -- so inadequate to express how we feel.
Beaumont is my hometown and things aren't looking good over there. My aunt and uncle still live there and are staying with my cousin in Indiana. They have no clue what shape their house is in, since there is no way to communicate with anyone in Beaumont. We have heard that a member at their church was killed when he left a shelter on Saturday to check on his house, where he was hit by a falling tree. Please keep everyone affected by the hurricane in your prayers.
posted by Deana Nall @ 9:46 PM
4 Comments:
At Wed Sep 28, 06:29:00 AM,
SG said…
Deana
The government is posting in depth high-d satelite photos of the places hit by the hurricane on a web site. Your family might be able to check their house this way. E-mail me and I will send you the link...I can't think of it off the top of my head.
At Wed Sep 28, 07:57:00 AM,
elizabeth said…
It was great to meet you, too! Having a friendship like you and Carol have is priceless. Sorry you guys were sick for most of your stay! Glad to hear that your house was saved.
At Wed Sep 28, 09:10:00 AM,
SG said…
http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/rita/
is the link if anyone is interested. :)
At Wed Sep 28, 10:22:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
It's also good to have friends who:
*Take my two year old child to the museum, so I can be sick in peace.
*Feed my children and clean up after them for 2 days!
*Pick up my kindergartener from school b/c I'm too sick.
*Stay up late talking.
*Have husbands like Chad, who take care of the kids so we can have grown up conversations.
*Don't expect my house, food, etc. to be perfect.
*Enjoy Napoleon Dynamite!
The list could go on forever! We are blessed to have you and Chad for friends!
See you at the next disaster! :-)
CP
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