various information

so, it's 1130, and i just finished my two juicy mangoes. that i had been looking forward to all day. thankyouverymuch, franklin. i'm 100% addicted. addicted.

but first of all, i wanted to thank you so much for all the comments you left here. not to mention the prayers you left via email. my in-laws have internet and phone. i told her i had posted about their situation, and she was so touched. i'm not sure if she's gotten around to reading it. they've had a little bit on their plate. but we (buz and i) are the only source from the "outside" that they have. we have been sending them news clips online everyday to update her on what's happening there.

i have talked to her once a day since sunday, but the conversations have been brief. which is huge. seeing as how i talk to my mother-in-law once a day for about thirty minutes to an hour. i know. it's unheard of, really. i am so stinking blessed, it's crazy.

anyway, i do know that one of the couples that was staying with them was a younger couple (my age) and they were able to hike down the back of the mountain to one of the main roads that hadn't broken yet. so they are no longer there. and i believe the other couple that is a bit older has been able to get down to town and attempt to head home. food was delivered up to their home on monday, i think.

with every day that passes, the tone in my mother-in-law's voice grows warmer and calmer. which is awesome. they seem optimistic. here are two articles that might help you get a feel for just how intense it was/is. (i'm bummed because the second article with all of the pictures was different yesterday and contained SO MANY pictures of the area where my in-laws are.)

a neat thing happened on monday night. buz was on you tube looking at flooding footage and kept seeing videos from one particular person. every video looked like it was "across the street" from my in-laws' bed and breakfast. so buz emailed him. turns out he lives across the river. so buz put him in contact with his parents. and they have been emailing back and forth the last two days. ms. wiz (which is what i actually call her) said she felt like she a was a young gal doing that "instant emailing." she is way cute. also, can we talk about how thoughtful buz is?

anyway, thanks for caring. for praying. for continuing to ask. they appreciate it so much. keep praying. they will need it as they are still stranded. and all of the rescuing is complete. so hopefully making it into town will be easier soon with the makeshift bridges. pray for their safety. for wal-mart and the other markets. that they will be stocked with essentials. for my in-laws. that they would lean on each other and grow and encourage one another. that their water and gas would get turned on ASAP. (can i get an AMEN?) just pray.

also, i will be out of pocket for several days. i say that like i'm so regular around here or something. not so much. (i do THINK of posts everyday. just getting them from my head to the computer is the trick. one that i have not mastered.)

anyway, i am road trippin' it.

with my mom. my home girl. she would absolutely DIE if she knew i just referred to her as my home girl. she is most definitely NOT a home girl. in fact, she doesn't like it when i refer to goo as home girl. come to think of it, i'm not sure of anyone she would refer to as a home girl.

i digress.

the reason for us kickin' it on the open road?

business trip for me. you're thinking "um, hello? you're a mom."

i am photographing someone's labor and delivery experience. not just *someone.* one of my good buddies from high school. casey.

i rode the bus to middle school with her. we caught the bus together in the mornings. right after she french braided my hair so tight that i took several aleve before i caught the bus. but i'm sure i looked fabulous. i paid a high price for a good braid. to go with my coke shirt, guess jeans with zippers, guess vest, two pairs of different colored socks, and tretorns. i was it. no doubt about it. i was high fashion.

but had you told me that i would be at the birth of her third son back then? in the early nineties? i would've laughed. and laughed. and laughed some more.

but turns out? we've stayed friends. and gone to each others' weddings. and met each others' children. and now i'm going to get to meet her third little man. up close and personal.

am i nervous? absolutely. am i excited? ABSOLUTELY GIDDY!! am i qualified? highly unlikely. in denial about any amount of confidence i may/may not have? why, yes.

i have butterflies flying all over my stomach. (taking a deep breath.) but weentrab sat/stood right next to me when buz and i welcomed goo into the world. and i was so honored to have such a close friend witness such an intimate event.

and now i get to pay it forward.

so i will be without the internet from tomorrow (thursday) until sunday or monday.

and while i'm away, it seems that buz is a bit nervous. what? seriously. he's the best daddy in the world. and he always comes up with cool stuff to do. i almost made him a book for Camp Daddy. but then i realized that it might be a tad insulting. seeing as how he's their father and all.

but seriously. he's like freaking Daddy Disneyland. why in the world should he be nervous?

you know why?

she's why.

he was saying things like:

• do they go to donut friday in their jammies?
• what kind of donuts does goo eat?
• what do i do when goo has one of her 'girl' tantrums? (someone explain to me what the difference between a girl tantrum and a boy tantrum is.)
• there is no way i can take them both to the pool. that's like death. or something.

seriously. he thinks he has this to be afraid of?

bless his heart.

he needs to be afraid of this.

anyway, let's all lift up buz in our prayers. he is going to do so awesome. they're so going to wish he was the stay-at-home parent. (better yet. pray for him. but pray that they're ready to have me home too. i'm selfish. i'm owning it.)

pray that nance (my mom) will have a rockin' time together. pray for safe travel. and that gas would go to like $2/gallon or something before we begin our journey. pray that i will enjoy my time with casey. that i am not stressed out but that i value the time we have together while she is doing something so awesome. that her delivery would be smooth and that she and her ultra sweet husband would enjoy the experience again as though it were their first born.

and that's about it.

peace out, dog.

and stuff.