Beautiful weather- Ugly mess

Today they opened up the Coralville strip (the main drag here in Coralville). I drove down the strip today after church. I can't believe the devistation! I didn't take pictures, Phil wasn't with me and I had my kiddies, and I was totally shocked. I knew the water was high and it would be dirty but it was horrible to see it. They had big dumpsters outside my little scrapbook store that were filled to the brim and nothing inside the store that I could see. At one of the little Mexican restaurants that we ate at a few weeks ago was a big pile of tables and booths piled high. A girl, about 14 years old with a mask on her face was carring something out of the restaurant and a man was putting a framed picture into his truck, probably one of a few things that wasn't ruined. Some of the big stores like Walgreens, had the big professional cleaning trucks outside and on the sign of Sonic read "Gone fishin' be back soon". A little humor amid dirty streets and sidewalks. The big new softball complex was still covered with high water and most of the side streets are still not open. Law offices, banks, carpet stores, furniture stores, restaurants, motels, all with the dirty mark of flood on the outside of their buildings. I hope these people are able to salvage something and I wish there was something I could do to help.


I have felt so bad doing anything fun since all of this flooding started. I might sound silly, but this has really struck a chord with me even though I didn't have any water in my house. Phil got home before 6pm one day last week- unheard of, right! So we decided to take a walk to the park. The girls decided to take their bikes which they never take off our driveway (we are on a hill, thank heavens). It was very good practice for them and we had a blast at the park.

McKell is obsessed with the monkey bars (not like Alexa, wink, wink, Kasey) and dares to even let go and fall to the ground most of the time. Alyssa is always flipping around showing her gymnastic skills
and Nate is happy doing anything outside.


On the way home the girls chased rabbits, can you see in the picture all of the rabbits on the grass. (Click on pictures to enlarge them.)


Michelle and Trey (Phil's sister and her hubby) and their friends came through Iowa on Wednesday and stayed with us. It was so fun to see them and the kids had a blast. I am so happy when they remember family and aren't shy with them. Nate was loving Michelle and went right up to her. McKell was obsessed with Michelle and followed her around everywhere and Alyssa was glad to provide Trey with some comic relief. While they were here we walked down by the water, this is an intersection Phil usually takes to work. The main street that goes across is now free of water (Coralville strip) but the street we are standing on isn't, they have been pumping water since Wednesday I guess. There were a ton of mosquitos and it smelled bad and we of course didn't touch it, but it was crazy to see close up.

My Daddy, by Alyssa

My dad's name is: Phil
But my Mom calls him: daddy
My daddy is :44 feet tall and weighs : 40 pounds
His hair is : black
His eyes are: green
His favorite thing to do is: wash the dishes
When my dad was born he weighed: 5
His favorite toy was: blocks
When he was little he wanted to be a: boy grandma
His favorite color is: blue and green
In his spare time, he likes to: do the dishes
What my dad does for work is: stick needles into veins
The silliest thing my dad does is: shake his booty at me
My dad's IQ is: twenty-four five (so I guess if written out 245!)
What I like most about my dad: he helps me go to bed

Alyssa brought this home from Primary on Sunday. Yes it has taken me this long to post it, I was trying to get a picture of Phil with the kids to put with it but that hasn't happened yet- maybe today. It sure does sound like Phil does a lot of dishes, but he actually hardly ever does them anymore. Our poor kids only know their dad in his semi-awake state of residency. Hopefully someday he will have more time, or at least time where is isn't over tired. Happy Father's Day (a few days late!) to everyone.

WOWZERS!

We have been enduring rain, rain, and more rain this spring. Our winter was filled with snow, snow, and more snow. Which brings a very humid atmosphere and lots of vegetation. Wednesday morning McKell said her head hurt and I rubbed it and felt something on it. I looked and saw a bug attached to her head. I immediately thought of a tick but it was too big for that so I grabbed a tissue and pulled and twisted and pulled and finally got it off. I decided to keep it so someone could look at it and tell us what it was. I thought it was dead, but then saw it wasn't and put it in a container. I then figured out it was a tick.
Phil was at work and was worried about her getting a disease so after an entire morning filled with calls, Internet searches, and looking at the horrid little creature we realized 4 things. First it was a huge tick, second doctors in Iowa don't do anything for tick bites, third we think it must have come from our yard, and forth I hate little creatures and can't stop thinking about it and feeling ghost bugs all over me.
During this whole week we have been dealing with weather related warnings and watches all day and night. I counted one night and we had 5 different warnings- flood, tornado, thunder storm, areal flood (whatever that means), flash flood. Then the waters started to rise. Sunday at church all the men went to help a family make sand bags to help save their house. They had so many volunteers helping that during church all the women made over 500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to hand out to the volunteers. Since then I'm sure you have heard of all the horrible flooding. I have been glued to the news hearing about all the devastation. Coralville and Iowa City hasn't even seen the worst of it, it will be at the peak here on Tuesday or Wednesday. Last night (Thursday) I was driving home and the lightening was out of control! I didn't even need my lights on it was so bright. I was really scared for the girls and I. We made it home, with white knuckles, then the power went out. Luckily it was only for a few hours. Our bishop sent out an email that advised us to have a couple weeks of food and water on hand and to keep our cars filled with gas. I had gone the night before to get some gallons of water and was able to get the last ones at the store. It is pretty crazy stuff. Seeing the water in Cedar Rapids, about 20 minutes away, up to the roofs in some areas puts me speechless.
Here are a few pictures of Coralville, down the street from us. We were so excited when we finally got a Sonic close to us. I took McKell and her friends here after school on her last day of school for a treat, it is really close to McKell's school.
I can't believe these pictures- my scrapbook store I go to.Our house is on a hill in the opposite direction from the river so we should be fine. Here is a picture of a park here in Iowa City (Ben and Janae, the one we went to with you guys), these are of the baseball fields. So you have got to realize the water is suppose to rise everyday and 'crest' (get the highest) on Tuesday/Wednesday- 4-5 more days of getting higher and higher. I am sick about it all. Sorry, I just reread my post and it is pretty much rambling, but I really can't focus my thoughts in any organized manor these days. Did I mention I am headed to Girls camp on Wednesday!

Nate's 1 year Pictures

My friend Koni who has since moved to Texas, sniff..sniff..sniff, took these wonderful pictures of Nate and Alyssa got a few in herself. They all turned out great, now which one to blow up for his 1 year picture. Any suggestions?