The Keys: Goliath the Blizzard

Well we knew the blizzard was coming, and we were prepared to be housebound for a few days. However, we were not fully prepared for the power to be out for 3 days!! The storm blew in Saturday the 26th with strong winds. There was a little bit of ice, but nothing especially worrisome. By Sunday there was a little more ice and nasty howling winds. It literally sounded like a freight train outside. Sunday morning about 10am the power went out. It wasn't too bad and the house only cooled off to about 65. We were worried about the new trampoline in our backyard. We decided not to put up the enclosure when we originally set it up because of the storm that would be coming. We were quite anticipating such high winds. We tried to stake it down as best as possible, but it still blew up. We were glad once the ice came to at least weigh it down a little, but then we worried there would be too much weight and it would stretch out the springs! Bad timing to get a trampoline!! Luckily, the frame is only slightly bent and it didn't blow away!!

Somehow power was restored around 4pm, and I was able to make dinner. Then again around 8pm the power went out. We were really beginning to question the intelligence of whomever took out the fireplace in our house and replaced it with glass blocks that belong in a bathroom!! We decided to stay at the house and keep the boys together in the living room where it was semi-warm and put extra blankets on everyone. It was definitely chilly by morning at 50 degrees! The boys were so excited to sleep in the living room that when they woke up, they didn't even notice the temperature! They were running around without jackets or socks! Bentley did surprisingly well considering how much she likes to be warm when she sleeps.

Monday was a really nice day, considering the situation. The sun warmed up the front of the house quite a bit, and it wasn't too uncomfortable. The boys kept begging to go out and play in what looked like snow but what was really ice. We didn't want them out there because we had no way of warming them up once they came back inside. Kenney told them if our house got up to 65 degrees they could go outside, and it did! They were super excited. It wasn't quite as fun to play out there as they had hoped, but it kept them busy for over an hour. Kenney took some video, but I accidentally deleted it when I was trying to make room on the memory card. Pictures will have to suffice! Since our power was still not on we thought it might be best for the kids and I to go to Childress where we could at least have heat! Kenney stayed behind to make sure our pipes didn't freeze, the food from the fridge and freezers stayed good and he had to go to work the next day (they closed his office on Monday). So we left and stayed at Nana and Papa's house with the Payne family too. The Payne's (Kenney's sister and family) drove through the blizzard! They were able to make it as far as Tucumcari, New Mexico on Saturday, but then they closed the roads and they were stuck until Monday!

The boys loved all these new adventures! They got to have a 'sleepover' in the living room with their cousins. Bentley and I slept on a mattress in there too. Kenney said he woke up and the house had gotten down to 48! The power was still not on!! I was happy we at least had company and a little fire to keep us warm while we waited. Finally around 12pm on Tuesday Kenney dropped by our house and said the power was back on!! Thank goodness! We stayed a little longer to let the kids play and then went home to a nice warm house with lights and warm water!

We thought everything was fine because the power stayed on all night even though it kept surging. However, the next morning the power went out again!!! Ugh!! I was in the middle of doing laundry and trying to catch back up from the storm! Thankfully it was only out for 3 hours this time! Needless to say, the boys played extremely well without any electronics and we stayed warm considering our situation. Kenney is now looking into generators and we are very curious to see if we can put a fireplace back into our house!

Good thing she had some warm clothes.

Trying to stay warm in the sun with boots on and socks keeping her hands warm.

These 3 crazies were running around after they woke up (when the house was 50 degrees) without socks or jackets or anything to keep them warm. Part of the day Radley even ran around without pants!! Meanwhile I was sitting on the couch in a blanket!