::Weekend Snapshots:: #HoustonFlood Edition

 {This is a weekly link-up with Jessica and Ariana for their #WeekendSnapshots series.  You can see more here: http://www.reinventingjess.com/ &  http://www.3twentysix.com/}

I think that the first two days of rain in Houston last week, we were all in a bit of shock. While our home thankfully didn't have any water damage others were not so lucky. I am grateful for that because as you will see, the damage and reality of flooding is not pretty. After the first two days of school cancellations and not being able to leave our neighborhood without being stuck in massive traffic and horrible downpours, I realized that I wasn't going anywhere. I think it was Wednesday when I decided to go to work but soon gave up. I decided that we should just make the most of our "flood-cation", one that now I am thankful for. 

The kids and I did a lot of lounging and resting, something we don't get to do often. Then we started getting creative with our activities. I cooked and cleaned all week. We baked cookies and made green cake batter from vanilla funfetti Pillsbury cake mix. The kids decorated cupcakes and we even colored and made puppets. Santiago entertained himself with piles of legos. Which is always fun, for him, because I have to sit and build it all. And, it wasn't until Friday that the skies finally cleared and we were able to leave the house. I found a route to work and felt a little relief to be able to leave my area. 

By Saturday, we had a full day of sun and heat. We went to the kids baseball games and practice. The day was good. Then we drove around a neighborhood about 5-8 minutes from us, on Little York and Addicks Satsuma , where the flooding was evident.  Homes that were basically being gutted to start over. The site was shocking, but for what it was people were out working hard and in good spirits. Not something I think I would recover from easily but I guess when you have no other option, recovery is the only way to move forward. If you are looking to help in the affected area I recommend helping, anywhere you can! I know that people would appreciate the extra hands to haul trash, sweep out mud or pull wet walls out. The true faces of the flood live in neighborhoods like this. This is only a couple of streets but the entire neighborhood was affected.