Oh Sandy

I can't believe how bad the storm really was.  97% of Fairfield was out of power on Tuesday morning.  I have no idea who was looking out for us (but thank you!) because we were part of the 3% who woke up on Tuesday WITH power. We are so thankful that we've remained connected and informed (and warm) throughout the storm. I will say though, having endless access to the info about the storm has had it's downfall too.  I just heard on the radio that this will go down as the worst storm in the country's history.  It makes me sick to my stomach to listen to some of the news in the aftermath of the storm. The homes along the beach in Fairfield that drifted right off of their foundation. The boardwalks along the Jersey Shore, that are no more. Last but not least, the lives that were lost. 

The worst storm in our history, and this one, hit home. Thank God, nothing literally hit our house but our neighborhood, our friends and families near and far, and so on. This was one heLL of a storm.  Brian went back to work today, but my office is still without power. I must admit, I am absolutely LOVING all this extra time with my little munchkin, especially since her special day is tomorrow :) I decided earlier that we'd venture out, my first time since Monday morning, and go to the grocery store. I sort of assumed they'd be back up and running. Wow was I wrong.  The trip normally takes 5 - 10 minutes but this outing took at least 20 since I had to take 2 detours because of blocked roadways.  I couldn't believe my eyes, some of the biggest trees I've ever seen were just hanging on wires in people's front yards or across the road.  Yikes. When we finally got to the store, it was mostly dark. The registers were operating and you could buy dry goods but the outer perimeter of the store (dairy, meat, deli) were dark and emptied out. It's literally a disaster area. I drove a little further and did find a fully open grocery store. Which made me very happy because I desperately needed butter to bake Madelyn's birthday cake! But, in all seriousness, I wanted to get home quickly because I just didn't feel comfortable being out. Two days post-Sandy and things don't really seem like they're improving very much.

So, as I'm sitting here enjoying a few quiet moments while Madelyn naps, in a warm house, watching TV and smelling her cake baking in the oven, my mind is racing thinking about all that people have lost. This really has been devastating and it will take a while to rebuild some of the areas hardest hit, not to mention fixing up our nearby neighborhoods.  We are so fortunate and while I count my blessings, I pray for everyones safety and warmth as the wait for power continues.  Hug your loved ones extra tight tonight, it'll help keep you warm :)