Back Tracking....

I had high expectations of writing a lengthy, detailed post about the past weekend (Feb. 18, 19, 20) that included a date night, hands on museum, Just Dance 2, and a lot of great memories. Instead, we were hit with a horrendous ice storm that knocked out power for us and about 100,000 other residents in the outlying areas and has left me just tired.

So, instead, I'm going to just very brief summaries and many pictures:

The Hands On Museum in Ann Arbor rocks. It is huge, and filled with SO many things. We all loved our time there and plan on making many trips back.









We purchased Just Dance 2 for our Wii and the kids LOVE it. We can't help but smile as they bust out their dance moves, it's freakin' adorable!

Our handsome little guy turned 4 months this past weekend too. He's wonderful, and happy, and smiley, and chubby, and just plain awesome! Coordination is exploding and his grabbing skills are expanding, as is his strength. We love him and his extremely soft bald head!
Then the ice storm hit. It was a big one, coating the surrounding area with inches of ice. Yes, it was beautiful, but also dangerous and unforgiving. Power was out ALL around us. It was a long night Sunday, because the children were very used to their night lights and the hum of fans. We did our best to keep the house with warmth and as much light as we could, but it was very long and sleep was minimal.

Monday came and we were still without power. The generosity of friends took us in. They too were without power, but had a fireplace, wood stove, and generator. They also lovingly offered up an extra generator and Tom took it home. Max stayed with Tom that night and I stayed at their house with the girls and Zane.

Uprooting the kids, and the unknown of the situation took it's toll. Monday night, although warm and comfortable, the girls were throwing up. Not a lot and with lack of fevers, I made the assumption it was the situation and not an illness that was affecting them. Needless to say, it was another long night and I didn't sleep well at all.

I called Tom early Tuesday morning, hoping and praying our power had returned. It had not. In case the girls were sick I didn't want to infect our friends any more so I had Tom pick us up. We returned home to a chilly house (but not as bad as it could have been due to the generator) packed up a suitcase and I headed to my Aunt's house in Ann Arbor with all the children.

I was exhausted, dirty, and spent. It was wonderful to just sit back, after a long hot shower, and play with the kids. Our power did return that evening and after a wonderful dinner and some quality time with my Aunt, we returned to our house that was with electricity.

Because we had fabulous electricity back on and our friends did not I invited them to spend the day with us on Wednesday. I was able to wash all the soiled bedding by my children and hang out with the 7 children (all 6 and under) entertained and played well together. It was a nice being able to host our new friends and return the favor.
Today was a day of rest, cleaning, and getting back in things. School was cancelled for Noelle today, but we hung out at home. We are all still a bit tired and working on getting back to normal. It has been adventurous week and we are looking forward to relaxing this weekend!