Well, they'll call it the Windstorm of '08, and what a storm it was!!  Wind gusts of up to 70-80 mph.  This all happened this past Sunday.  We thought we were in for a good old-fashioned thunderstorm, whatever was left of Hurricane Ike.  Apparently what was left was a lot of very strong wind, wind like I've never before experienced.  And hardly any rain!!  It was very bizarre.

Lots of trees are down as a result.  Our neighbor's tree got sheared off just above ground.  We quickly deposited it in the woods behind us so that it didn't get our car or a window on the house. 

But the biggest and most damage was done to the power lines all across Ohio.  We lost power at about 3:30pm Sunday.  And much to our dismay, we didn't get it back until 4:30pm today.  Three full days without power - the longest "black-out" I've ever experienced.  What a long three days it was!!

Before you lambast me for being whiny or whimpy, let me share that I am laying on myself a great deal of guilt for how poorly I handled the whole thing.  I am not proud of myself for how "woe is me" I got during all of this.  I am fully aware that three days of no electricity isn't much to have to go through compared to those who lost everything in Galveston, TX, as a result of taking a direct hit from Ike. 

I do believe we were justified in being somewhat cranky or frustrated over our particular situtation.  Three days without electricity with three kids is a very uncomfortable time.  In addition, we lost everything in our fridge and freezer, so we start from ground zero with respect to perishable groceries.  So a certain amount of angst is allowed and understandable.

However, I took it too far, and I am mad at myself for that.  I failed to see the silver lining; I totally ignored the "bright side" of things.  I was not a good example for my kids, and I wish I could do it over......well, then again, maybe not.  

My faith was tested, and I failed.

However, God didn't.....as usual.  I totally faltered, but even given that, he came through for me and my family by surrounding us with "guardian angels", friends who opened their hearts and homes to help us out through this time.  One friend was my source for my first cup of coffee for the past two days.  If you drink coffee, you completely understand how huge that was for me!  She also was the milk supply for the kids' morning cereal and Baby M's daily intake.  Again, huge.

Another friend allowed S and I to shower at her house one night, in an effort to save our hot water.  She also offered her washer and dryer so that I could do a couple loads of laundry to try and stay caught up.

Another friend even offered for us to stay with her and her family while we were without electricity.  And yet another friend also said we could do laundry at her house.

For my senior yearbook in college, we had to submit a saying or caption for our photo.  I had a friend take a picture of me with a bunch of my buddies, and one of the captions I chose was "I get by with a little help from my friends." (The Beatles)  Well, that again was proven so true in my life these past three days.

God has certainly shed his grace on me.