Hurricane Gustav

IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT US AFTER OR DURING THE HURRICANE AND THE PHONE LINES ARE DOWN OR BUSY AND CELLS DON'T WORK THEY TELL US TEXT MESSAGING IS THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE.  
We are boarded up and going to ride out Hurricane Gustav. I know many think we're crazy but we have weighed our options and the risks. Staying here is best for my health safety and because of its current track we feel that we are out of the hurricanes main path. We are boarded up with lots of water, a great generator, gas, tons of food and batteries.
We are 57 miles east from the Louisiana - Mississippi boarder and about 30 miles west from the Mississippi - Alabama line. Our elevation is 27 feet and about 3-4 miles in-land from the gulf. So though we are south of I-10 and just north of Hwy 90 we are directly behind a spit of land that jets out into the Gulf so we are farther then most from the gulf water. If you want to track the storm click on the 'GREEN' Hurricane Gustav that I previously typed and it will take you to up-to-date weather alerts. This is a current picture of the projected path.

If your interested here is the history of Hurricane Gustav and the expected effects on Jackson County...
Hurricane Gustav is the seventh tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed on the morning of August 25, about 260 miles (420 km) southeast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and rapidly strengthened into a tropical storm that afternoon and into a hurricane early on August 26. Later that day it made landfall near the Haitian town of Jacmel. 85 deaths have been attributed to Gustav as of August 31, 2008.[1][2] It intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in less than 24 hours. [3]
At 11 a.m. Eastern time, the U.S. hurricane center says Gustav was centered about 325 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving northwest near 17 miles-per-hour. Gustav is a Category 3 storm with top sustained winds of 120 miles-per-hour.
Jackson County is calling for a “Mandatory Evacuation” for all residents living in low-lying areas, mobile homes, MEMA Cottages, and FEMA travel trailers in advance of tropical storm force winds by 8 a.m. Sunday morning (Aug. 31). Travel trailers and mobile homes present serious safety hazards to occupants during high winds. Evacuation is the safest thing residents can do to protect themselves in case of a major storm.
Storm Surge +/- 10 feet
6-12 inches of rain fall
Winds 40-75 mph (our home delt with over 100 mph winds during Katrina and we had very little shingle damage)
Hurricane information Hotline (228)897-6897

3 Kids and a Broken Toe

My Mom took the kids downtown today to the Art Walk and at some point thinks she kicked the stroller wheel because she BROKE HER TOE! Its her left pinky toe and its purple. So my help has become more of a supervisor, though she did fold a load of laundry and watch the kids in the tub. I have been keeping her iced with her foot up. As I type she has it up with a new ice pack and glass of wine in hand. In a few I will give her more Iburpofin and tape the little guy to its neighbor in hopes to help her walk. Her hoping around is a bit scarry the last thing we all need is Nana to throw her back out or blow out her knee!
Anyhow I am already learning to juggle the 3 kids but I have a lot learning to go and its a steep learning curve. Here is me trying to do storytime before bed last night.

And some pictures of the kids with Aby when she finally woke up today. Like their faces when you ask them to smile?

Sisters...

We're home

Abygail and I are home and doing well. Thank you everyone for your prayers, thoughts and well wishes. We are not sure if we will stay here or evacuate yet due to Hurricane Gustav. We are still making arrangements to stay and to evacuate. We should know more tomorrow when it enters the Gulf of Mexico.
Here is a cute picture of the proud Big Sister and Big Brother with their Baby Sister. They are very happy she and I are home.

New Arrival

Abygail Kathryn born 8/28/08 @ 10:13AM
8 lbs 12 oz, 21" long

Mama and baby are doing great!

Baby's Arrival

I went to the Doctor today and am 3cm, so we're getting closer. Due to risk factors on the part of her and myself they don't want me to carry to far past my due date which was Aug 25 - Aug. 28 (more of a window then a date). Then we also have to consider the concern of the potential of Hurricane Gustav that has some tracts heading our way. After taking all this into account I will be checking into the hospital 11:30 PM tomorrow, Wednesday, in preparation for induction early Thursday morning.
My Mom arrived safely this evening, and the kids were so excited. Showed her all their toys and had so much fun playing with the little goodies she brought them.
There is no Internet at the hospital so Andy will try and post a picture of our little girl as soon as she arrives. Wish us luck!

Tropical Storm Fay

This whole week led up to Tropical Storm Fay, we were told to buckle down because she was going to blow and dump a lot of rain. So we did.  We made sure all our outside chores were done early Saturday morning and moved the trash cans and yard toys to the garage. Finally this afternoon she rolled through as a tropical depression, a fancy name for a rainy day with a bit of extra wind.

Since it came with no lightning the kids enjoyed it all they could.

William and Claira put on their rain gear and headed out for some good puddle jumping

But darn that little Mississippi girl she just couldn't resist and off went the boots with the jacket soon to follow...I don't know what she has against shoes!

To pass the time stuck inside we did puzzles, played games, watched "The Little Mermaid", used our imaginations to dress-up, play dolls and get 'bad guys'. While I was making 'Prune Pies' I finally caught our little builder in action!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Prune Pies

Yes, I am aware this sounds weird but it is a family treat that I usually only get when I visit family on the San Juan Pueblo in New Mexico. Sometimes we are lucky and they are brought back when my Mom or Aunt go. They are so yummy! This is the first time I made them myself and I have to say, not only were they delicious but way more simple then I imagined. Andy is excited I felt this way. I think he is expecting them a bit more often then every few years. I think what made them easier was the fact I used my Cuisinart to make the dough, then again to smash the filling (I was so lazy I didn't even wash it between making the dough and filling). I also have to say making the shapes was fun, but not necessary. I really don't think unless it is a special occasion that I will do that again but I have a thing for cookie cutters and love to use my collection when ever possible. Not a bad rainy day activity...

Filling:
2 cups dried prunes, cooked and drained (I used pitted prunes not dried just the ones you buy at that store, like raisins)
(place prunes in pot, just cover with water and let simmer until prunes are soft , about 10 minutes)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
-mash cooked prunes and add sugar and cinnamon , set aside

Pastry:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup lard or vegetable shortening (I use shortening)
2/3 cups cold water

-Combine flour, sugar baking powder and salt in a large shallow bowl.
-Cut in lard or shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture is crumbly
-Add cold water a few table spoons at a time, scattering evenly over the surface of mixture and tossing briskly with a fork just until mixture holds together, forming a soft dough.
-Divide dough in half (handle gently)
-Roll out half on a lightly floured board into a rectangle about 15 inches long and 10 inches wide and 3/8 inch thick – slightly thicker than you would a pie crust. Keep the margins as even and the corners as “square” as possible. Trim away ragged edges so that you have as perfect a rectangle as possible. Using a ruler to guide and a sharp knife dipped in flour, halve the pastry rectangle the short way so that you have two pastry rectangles measuring about 7 1/2 in by 10 in.
-Ease one of the pastry rectangles onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
-Spread with a 1/4 inch thick layer of filling, spreading well to the edges.
-Ease the second pastry rectangle on top of the filling
-Press the top crust gently into the filling
-With a sharp knife square up uneven edges and pinch / crimp the outside edges together like you would the outer edge of a pie crust to seal the filling in.
-Roll the remaining pastry the same way and fill and crimp.
-Brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle lightly with sugar
-Bake pies in a hot (425 degree) oven about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and pastry feels firm to the touch. Cut into 12 rectangles .