"We've been hit"

Those were Owen's words on Sunday morning seconds after lightning struck our home. Our memories are all a little different about exactly how it all happened, but here's my version:
We had been to Tennessee on Saturday following the Rebel Regiment (they swept the competition) and had gotten home around 2:45 am so we slept in that morning. Around 11, Daniel was making some grits for breakfast, I was talking to him in the kitchen, Owen was watching TV and Sara was upstairs on facebook. It was a rainy morning, but not a stormy one. We had heard no thunder. All of a sudden there was a tremendous boom, the entire house shook, the smoke detectors went off, and then the power shut down. We stood there stunned for a second. Sara came running downstairs thinking the kitchen had blown up and Owen said, "We've been hit" as if we were in a war zone. Daniel looked out the front door and saw that it looked like a war zone too. He said, "Get out." Sara used her phone to dial 911 and gave it to me. We grabbed the cats and took off for the garage. We didn't see any fire so we loaded everyone in the cars and moved them across the street.
The fire department got there in maybe 5 minutes time. They searched the house and used some sort of thermal detector to look for hot spots. After awhile they declared the house safe to enter and help Daniel put a tarp on the roof.
Here's what we saw:
A couple of holes in the roof as the entry point with some damage to siding and shingles.
The ceiling of the front porch blown down onto the porch.
Debris from the ceiling had broken one of Sara's windows.
Pieces of shingle, insulation, and soffit all over the yard.
A stove that worked, but an attached oven that didn't.
A refrigerator that seems to be dying (still keeping cool inside, but HOT to the touch outside).
2 lights out and 3 outlets out in the kitchen.
All outlets out in the garage (including the door opener).
A fried wireless router and DSL splitter (with scorch marks on the wall).
A computer that turns on, but doesn't work.
A fried surge protector that saved everything it was supposed to (a miracle worth celebrating).
No phone service and no directv (lines and equipment).
No heating and air conditioning (yeah, we did just buy a new heat pump...).
There may be more, but that's what I can think of right now. I'll post pictures when we have a computer at home up and running.
But, what's more important than what was lost is what was spared - our lives. All four of us and our beloved pets were completely untouched. God held us in His Hands that day and protected us. Yes, we are inconvenienced and yes, it will cost us some money (even with insurance), BUT we are alive and we have each other. We are so blessed.

Back to Tennessee

Man, we sure do seem to make this drive quite a bit. Anyway, this weekend we're heading up there with the Rebel Regiment. We've been to a couple of winterguard shows at nearby Volunteer High School (a shout-out to all the nice people there), but this time we're up the road just a bit for a band competition at Dobyns-Bennett High School. There are several schools in that area with top-notch guards so getting to see their full bands should probably be quite a treat. I'll post details and some pictures soon!

Anniversay Getaway

Dolphins :-)

A gift from the hotel for our anniversary. Strawberries were great, but I'm not a champagne kind of girl.


The old married couple having dinner overlooking the harbor.

This year for our 17th wedding anniversary Daniel and I took a break from the hectic Camp happenings and went to Hilton Head (without the kids). Even though without the kids is in parentheses, it's a big deal. We hadn't taken a trip without them since 2003 when we went to Chicago. It's just not something we've done much. While we missed them, it was great to focus on us for two days and RELAX. Maybe we'll make it a new tradition.

Back to School

Another school year begins on Monday and the school-goers here are generally in favor of the idea.
Owen will be in the 6th grade. He misses his friends and is looking forward to his last year as a kid. Next year he goes to middle school and with that comes some good stuff - riding the bus, and a possible cell phone. I think he craves a routine. Summer is so carefree - right up Sara's alley- and Owen is a rules and order guy. He likes to know what's happening, when, where, how, and why. I hope he takes my class. Students like Owen are wonderful!
Sara is also looking forward to heading back, or moving up, in her case. She is a high school student now. When will I get used to that? She's at the freshman academy this year and taking some challenging classes. While she is a free spirit, she's creative and smart and won't back down from a challenge. I hope she takes my class. Students like Sara are wonderful!
This is my 18th year of teaching. When you add those to the 17 years I spent as a student, I am starting school for the 35th time. I love all the back-to-school hoopla - fresh notebooks; a clean, reorganized and redecorated classroom; a few new clothes; the whole bit. I am looking forward to the students' return too. This year has been difficult to begin with three furlough days right off the bat. It took some of the excitement away for me. Less time to prepare and no one likes to start on a negative note. It can set the tone for the whole year, but it won't. I won't let furlough days or budget cuts or an over-crowded classroom spoil this year for my students. This is the only year they get in 10th grade or 12th grade (hopefully) and we'll make it a success.

Technology Invasion

Gadgets, gadgets, and more gadgets!!!

Recently we've been blessed with some new toys at our house. First, Daniel received an iPad from his mom for his birthday. He was completely surprised and he absolutely loves it (the rest of us do too). Because of that, we had to get a wireless router to set up a network for the house. That purchase enabled Owen to use the internet settings on his DSi. Good stuff!

To top that, my boss at the schoolhouseused some grant money to purchase Kindles for my AP Literature class. Wow, school without textbooks? Awesome!

The only thing I need now is that robot to do all my housework for me.

The Quiet House

There's a strange new sensation going on at the Camp House - silence. That's right. The beginning of the summer was marked by visits from friends and general hub-bub and the ending of it seems to be enveloped in silence. Sara is at guard camp (8 am-9 pm) and Owen is at a friend's house watching a movie. The kittens and Maggie are all asleep and I am all alone. It happened so fast. Those little people who were always under foot and needing something are no longer. They have been replaced by busy big people with their own schedules and agendas. I am free to clean the house, watch a television show of my own choosing, or surf the web without interruption for hours at a time. The freedom I longed for is here and I'm not so sure I like it, but here it is nonetheless.

Summer 2010

After the trip to Disney we settled into a regular summer routine. We've been getting to know and love Boo and Scout. They have different personalities and they're VERY different from Lucy. These two love water. I know cats aren't supposed to, but evidently these two did not get that memo. Each morning as Daniel gets ready for work (working in the summer must really suck...anyway) the two of them hop into the bathtub and wait for him to turn on the water. Just a small stream so they can bat at it, drink it, and chase it towards the drain. Boo loves to stick his face right up in the faucet and let the water wash his face. They also enjoy exploring the shower after Daniel is done.

After our month long rest we also started band/guard again. Owen has had one week of summer band class and has another one next week. He only goes for an hour, but it keeps him practicing. And since we went ahead and purchased the trombone, practice is good. I like to see him using that gift as much as possible. Sara has had two short weeks of guard camp so far and has much more to go. The really difficult weeks start soon. She'll be gone from 8 am to 9 pm - that's dedication.

This summer has also held the parade of friends. Owen has had the neighborhood gang in and out - playing video games when it's hot and front-yard baseball when it's more tolerable. He is very excited to be heading to Carowinds with a friend later in the month. Sara is in the midst of teenage restlessness so we've been chauffeuring her around and having friends over here much more than in the past. To her defense, due to three weeks of intense guard camp, her summer is really shorter than ours so she's trying to cram it all in as she can.

Well, the kids still have a little over a month before they head back to class. I have four weeks and 1 day. I'd better go make the most of it.