Houston, we have landed

We made it!! After 3 long days of driving, we have finally arrived at our new home. We had an eventful 3 days, but it was quite the adventure. The greatest story is how we experienced southern hospitality for the first time...

After refilling at a gas station somewhere outside the great town of Bucksnort, Arkansas, (yes, Bucksnort) we got back in the car to realize our car battery was completely dead. The plugs were totally corroded. One guy stopped to give us a jump, but the car failed to start. Mike and I just looked at eachother like "what are we going to do??" Then a group of managers from Geico insurance rolled into the gas station. They were driving RVs that people use during catastrophes back to Houston. Coinky-dink? I don't think so. These were THE nicest people! They first tried to give us a jump, then helped Mike to scrape off some of the corrosion from the plugs. That still didn't work. One guy went inside to ask the store clerk where the closest auto supply store was. That guy came out to our car, phone in hand, to find out what kind of battery we needed. Turns out, he was on the phone with the auto aupply store, which closed in 10 minutes. The guy at the store not only had the battry we needed, but kept the store open until we got there. One of the Geico guys drove Mike to the store, while the other 2 men stayed with the girls and me. It was a total blessing that these guys came at the right time. Let me tell you, had this happened in Detroit, we would have walked 2 miles to the auto store just to be told they're closed and we'll have to come back tomorrow. Then we would have slept in our car.

Our second experience with southern hospitality...

First of all, let me remind you about that hurricane I was driving toward. Since my mom lives in a high-rise condo on the 17th floor, she not only is still without power, but also is without water. The building's generator only has enough juice to pump water up to the 9th floor and light the lobby. SO, mom's good friends, Carolyn and David, have taken in us refugees. They have a big house just 5 minutes from my mom's. They have given our family the entire second floor which has 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 "sitting" rooms, a library, 2 tvs, and a computer. I tell you, it's almost nicer than being in my own house! Carolyn & David also have a playroom with a large screen TV...my kids are in heaven.

So our move to Houston is starting off a little rough, but we are happy to be here nonetheless.