Happy Birthday !!!

Ian Michael Roundy...this one goes out to you!

You were born five years ago when I was 23
We laughed, we cried, we pinched your cheeks...we called you Tubby T
And now you're growing oh so fast, you've even started school
I hope those cowboy boots you wear don't make the girly's drool
So here's a hug from us to you 1278 miles away
Happy Birthday Tubs, you rock the house
That's all I have to say

Love uncle Jer, auntie Brookie and little Homer

(P.S.) Honorable mentions for this post are for my sister Sara who had a birthday on September 10th...sorry I stood you up on the blog girl, and for Erinne who is going to be living it up tomorrow on her day of birth. Since this is my going to be my final birthday shout (I know...dry your eyes) I thought I would share a little something about Sara and Erinne (so they don't feel jipped)that gives me those feel good goosebumps all over.
Here Goes...

Sara
I love it how you talk in espanol to your little ones. This is something that I could never do (mostly because I don't speak Spanish) and I surely admire you for it. What a great Mamacita you are!



Erinne
I love how you are such a fan of reading, and how you have passed this passion on to your own kidlets. It is very inspiring, and it gives me hope that I might someday finish a book. Keep it up E!



Happy Birthday Peeps!

Sending out our love from the Bayou!

The Aftermath

Here are a few pictures of the aftermath of Gustav in our area. Jeremy and I were very lucky that our house suffered no major damage, other then a few minor blows to the exterior. Oh, and our shed blew away, but it was pretty weak so that was bound to happen sooner or later. The biggest problem we are facing right now is that we are without power. We have a generator, but with gas prices it costs a fortune to keep it running non-stop. Luckily Jeremy's work put him up in a hotel in Lafayette while he works down here, so I get to stay with him. The city is saying that power will not be fully restored to our area until Oct. 1....let's hope that doesn't include our house. Anyway, all-in-all we are counting our blessings and grateful that we didn't have to deal with something that could have been much worse.



Their are fallen trees like this all around our area.



A shot of an overflowing bayou.



A common site in our area.



Thankfully, not our tree and not our house.



This image of power lines is another common site in our area.

This is a short video that was filmed by a couple in New Orleans who decided to weather the storm. They are standing in the French quarter and watching as Gustav rolls in. I thought that their commentary was pretty funny so I just had to post this video.



Ya, they might want to get the H outta there!

Another Update

Hey family and friends! Just wanted to update everyone again on our status after the hurricane. Terrebonne parish is FINALLY being allowed back into Louisiana, so we are headed home tomorrow to assess the damage. We have been told through various websites and on the news that we will be without power for at least 3-4 weeks (no this is not some sick twisted joke that I'm making up), so to prepare we bought a generator and loaded up on water and all of the necessary supplies. We may not have internet or cell phone service for a while either, so we wanted to let everyone know ahead of time that you may not be able to get in touch with us. We will be sure to keep everyone posted as soon as we can with the latest on our house and everything else that's going on. Thanks again for all of your phone calls, emails, text messages etc. We really appreciate all of your concern and support.

Storm Update

Just wanted to let everyone know that Jeremy, Homer and I are officially out of harms way from hurricane Gustav. We arrived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama around 1:30am this morning. To put it mildly it was a sheer nightmare getting out of Louisiana. Because of the amount of people evacuating it took us approximately 6 1/2 hours to travel from Thibodaux and through New Orleans. Just to put this in perspective for you, this drive in normal conditions would only take 1 1/2 hours. The worst part was that every gas station, fast food joint, grocery store etc. was closed until we reached Mississippi so we couldn't even stop for a snack or a bathroom break....talk about taking one for the team! Anyway, as hard as it was for us to leave our house and most of our stuff behind we are lucky to be out of the storm path and in a safe place right now. Not to be a Debbie downer but it was so heartbreaking to watch so many people pack up what few important things they could and head out not knowing what they would be coming home to. I saw one little grannie on the local news station say "I'm just so scared". She made it through Katrina but lost everything and now she was just so worried that she would have to go through the same experience all over again. Very sad! It definitely makes you appreciate the important things in life like family and the gospel. So yeah, I know that most of our fellow Louisianans are trying to remain optimistic as we wait this thing out. It's nice to see that the majority of the residents seem to be taking the mandatory evacuation very seriously this time around, and I don't think their will be a repeat in deaths or people needing to be rescued like their was during Katrina. Governor Bobby J. has already arranged a HUGH relief effort for residents of Louisiana that includes enough food to feed approximately 600,000 people a day (and more if necessary), as well as all of the necessary supplies that will be needed after the storm hits. So yeah, it's good to know that they are preparing for the worst as far as supplies and food go. Anyway, on a lighter note we heard on the news that Geraldo is headed to New Orleans, so maybe he is planning on doing some live coverage in the eye of the storm when it hits. Sweet! I haven't seen Anderson Cooper step up to the plate and volunteer, so props to Geraldo. To track the storm and for live updates you can follow this link for the latest information on Gustav.

Gustav

In the words of governor Bobby Jindal "the storm is strenthening"...I left out the g because that's how they say strengthening out here. Anyway, it looks like we are in for one serious storm here on the bayou in the next few days. Right now the radar is showing that tropical storm Gustav is headed right for New Orleans and surrounding parishes (meaning us). The storm is supposed to hit the U.S on Tuesday, and it is projected to be a category three hurricane. Also, today marks the three year anniversary of hurricane Katrina, so irony is most definitely in the air. It was also around this time three years ago that the former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco was urging citizens to "make peanut butter sandwiches and pray". Ummmm, ya....are we going on a picnic or something??? But have no fear, we are in good hands under the leadership of our current governor Mr. Bobby J. Forces have been called in, game plans are in order and the Hansen's are prepared to bust on out if an evacuation is announced.

Mini Pocket Bike

A while back Jeremy found a steal of a deal online and decided to invest in a pocket bike. His purpose was to ride this bike to work to try and save money on gas. When the bike arrived however, he decided that it was smaller then he thought it would be, and it probably wouldn't be the most practical mode of transportation to get him to work. His second plan was that at least he could ride the bike around our neighborhood, but, because of the grueling heat and humidity here in the south, going outside for more then a couple of minutes is like bathing in your own sweat. Unfortunately, Jeremy decided that it would be best to sell his bike since he wasn't using it like he thought he would. He posted it on Craig's List and it was sold in one day. So long friend, thanks for the memories!



Isn't it a beauty???



One last goodbye.



This was a close as I got to riding it.

What's in a Name???

If you are childless like me (excluding little H) you've probably wondered at times what exactly goes into choosing a name for your child. The other day Jeremy shared a few names with me of some people that are living right here in Louisiana. A guy at work told him about these names, and apparently his wife knows these people personally. Brace yourselves people because this is originality at it's finest!

1) Isick (a.k.a. Isaac).....I love this name (hey little nephew), but never in my wildest dreams have I seen it spelled this way.

2) La_a (pronounced La-dash-a).....If your head is spinning right now just know that you are not alone. The interesting part about this name is that the dash part isn't even a dash, it's an underscore. Doesn't that then make the name La-underscore-a??

3) Abcde (pronounced A-bee-see).....I'm pretty sure the d in this case is silent, but at least this little guy gets a head start on learning the alphabet.

Well, I think we can all agree that these parents definitely win a round of applause for their uniqueness. Watch out Hollywood...you've got nothin' on the bayou!