Packing equals emotional decisions.
What do I need?
What do I love?
I need to make sure that I pack everything that we might need. But I also want to make sure that we all have things that we love, because if we lose everything, we need to have a bright spot to look at.
Every thing I love fit into (1) small-ish Rubbermaid-type box. Baby books, photo albums, framed pictures, pretty things I like to look at...
Final choices:
For Sugarhead, favorite blanket, monkey and ruby slippers, games and coloring supplies
For Sweet Pickle, (1) blanket, some books, games and coloring supplies
For Puddin', (1) blanket, and us. His people. Because he's not really attached to any things.
For me, the Rubbermaid box, hair stuff (blow dryer, flat iron, products), and my make-up bag.
I'd have also taken our tempurpedic mattress, but it doesn't travel well. I will, however, be enjoying it immensely tonight.
I found when choosing what to salvage, in case worse came to worse, most of the stuff I thought I loved didn't mean as much as I thought. Not enough to pack it into our van in case a tree fell on our house and destroyed it all. Saying that to say, there's still clutter that can be cleared from our house. Even for a Sentimental Messy.
In summary,
things I'm grateful for:
- a hot water reserve after electricity had gone out, so that we were still able to have warm baths
- a generator to operate the fridge, a lamp, the TV, and a small fan
- sweet mercy in the form of warm coffee every morning (we'd temporarily swap out a lamp for the coffee pot)
- batteries-- for flashlights and a radio (for local news)
- never running out of diapers/wipes
- prescription eczema lotion when Puddin's skin started screaming from humid, humid night air during all-night thunderstorm last night
- all family safe from harm
- having a place to go that is not a shelter
- sporadic cell service, and texting when no service or busy network
- children never panicked. In fact, they wanted to "stay at PawPaw's forever".
- children got to see the hand of God, answering our prayers for protection and safety
- (1) pine tree snapped and down. The one nearest the house. Fence broken, but house unscathed. Thank you, Jesus.
- (1) trampoline, complete with net, mangled and scattered far from house. House undamaged in process. Thank you, Jesus.
5 people love me:
I am so happy to hear that all is well in your neck of the woods! I am happy to say I don't live in South Louisiana but I had all my friends on my mind and in my prayers! Miss you guys!
I had an experience a few years ago that made me realize what I was so attached to... and that it was all just stuff. You writing about you deciding what to pack just made me think back on that experience.
Praising the Lord for your safe return home and for the minimal damage.
Glad you guys are fine. My parents and sister left Lafayette but came back home to life as normal. A little fence knocked down, but that's all.
Praise Jesus that you all are safe and that there was minimal damage. Was thinking and praying about you all...
Oh I am SO glad to know that you guys are all okay and the house is unscathed!! I think pretty often about what I would take with me if we had to leave suddenly. I think if I lived where you do, I'd just need to have the box(es) prepacked. :)
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