A Partrige in a Pear Tree...well, not in mine.

We lost our power at about 6:30 am Monday morning. When I left for work, I saw my tree laying in a circle across my front yard. The ice was so thick and heavy that it caused our other tree to sag in the middle. I remember thinking about how much it might cost to have somebody trim the top so that it wouldn't fall onto our roof someday. Two hours later, my husband called to tell me it fell on our house. I guess it saved me some money, right? We still haven't cleared the yard because we had no heat in our house for most of the week. We slept in our room the first night, crowded in the living room with the gas fireplace the next night, and eventually we brought the queen mattress out and slept on it for a few nights. At one point we thought about sleeping at a shelter. Each morning we would bundle up in the car, blast the heat, and drive around all day. We fought for candles and spend countless hours waiting in line at the only Wal-Mart open in Tulsa, only to buy a half gallon of milk and a few things that would not spoil. Everything in our fridge and freezer had to be thrown out. We avoided our home as much as possible this week. It was depressing coming home each night and seeing our neighbors lights on or hearing their generator, knowing we were going to freeze. The kids were sick, coughing, running fevers. We spent lots of money eating out, shopping, anything to keep our minds off the long journey home. We drove across town on the highway and saw nothing. Total blackness surrounded most of Tulsa and Broken Arrow for days. Trees were spread all over the roads and neighborhoods, mixed with falling power lines. I cried some mornings, went to sleep before 8:00 pm most nights. I took the healthier kids to their daycare for a few hours just to keep them warm. One morning Dylan begged to go. They have missed a week of school and I missed three days of work. Thursday evening we were in heaven when we came home and saw our Christmas tree lights through the window. We walked into a warm house and had never felt happier. It's more upbeat now. A lot of the area has regained their power, but half the city is still without. I understood a little better about why we need emergency kits and food storage. I understood a little more about the Katrina victims and what they had to go through. I didn't lose my home, but it felt like a tornado had stormed through our city. It looked like a war zone when driving around town. I am so glad for this part to be over. I am thankful to have my power back now and not have to be one of those to freeze through the upcoming snow storm. I have never been so happy to have light again!