Oh, the weather outside is FRIGHTFUL!

Well, as you more than likely have heard, Oklahoma has turned into a deep freeze once again. Here's our view of it:

The icy weather started on Sunday morning with a little snow, then a little sleet, then a lot of rain complete with thunder and lightning. Then it froze, then it rained, then it froze, then it rained, then it froze (are you getting the picture yet?) By Monday morning there was about a 1/2-inch thick sheet of ice on everything. The school closed down, much to the delight of my children, but Jerry's work didn't, so he left for work before 7:00. At about 8:15, we lost power, thanks to a large ice-covered tree limb two doors down that got heavy enough to touch the power lines. As the hours crept by our house cooled down and our refrigerator heated up. When it got to 43 degrees inside the fridge, the girls and I unloaded all our food from the refrigerator and transferred it to our front porch, where it was a chilly 35 degrees. The girls had a great time playing, and I watched the limbs fall off the trees and the icicles grow. Here's some photos:

Somehow, I don't think those herbs are going to make a comeback. I tried to get the mail, but the ice had sealed the box shut. I got out the hammer and busted the ice to get the mail (how did he get it in there anyway?) and then dragged a large limb that had fallen from our tree into the middle of the driveway out of the way so Jerry would be able to get to the garage when he came home. (You can see the base of the limb up there in the first photo in the background.) It was slicker than snot out there on the ice, and all that ice is heavy! I was sweating up a storm by the time I got back in the house.

Our electricity was restored after 5 hours, and we relocated the groceries back into the refrigerator. The girls played some more, and then we tackled going through Maggie's toys and weeding out stuff to make room for the new toys Santa (and the Grandparents) will undoubtedly bring. After that, I didn't have the energy to do Gracie's room.

I put the girls in bed at their regular school bedtime, hopeful that there would be school tomorrow, since the temps were back up above freezing, but alas, Gracie's prayers were answered, and they had no school today either. The roads are pretty clear, as I found out when I went this morning to do my civic duty and vote, but the ice-laden branches hang so low that I have to steer around them in the minivan - I'm sure a bus would do terrible damage if it came down our street. Oh well - that gives me the opportunity to help Gracie with her room today.

One last picture and I'll be gone:
Everyone stay safe and warm!