Atlanta Winter Storm!

Under the weather.........

Let me start off by saying I have not abandoned my blog...and yes I know I have not posted since early November.   From the beginning of November until mid December the girls ended up being under the weather.  Evie had three ear infections, Layla had two, and Stella had one.  Let's just say there were many nearly sleepless nights which made me too tired to update my blog.  Fortunately they have all been healthy since mid December.  But then my laptop charger broke and it took me a while to replace it.

Over the weather.....(as in I am tired of it and "so over it!)

I thought I would get back on track by blogging about our experience with the crazy Atlanta weather the last few days.  Then I'll try to backtrack and fill in Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a few other fun Bachicha family happenings!

So...the weather!  Where oh where do I even begin?  The last few days have been an adventure! I'm sure most of you have seen it all over the news or have seen some pictures I have posted on Facebook.  But this is how our Tuesday with the Bachicha's went this week.  

I really don't watch the news or much TV at all.  I had heard talk of the possibility of snow on Tuesday but that was about the extent of my knowledge with it.  I watched for school closings on tuesday morning and learned Evie's school was still open (as were most schools in the Atlanta area).  We bundled up and headed to Evie's school then Layla's ballet then home to get lunch before getting Evie from school, which dismisses at 1:00.  A little after 12:00 it began snowing outside.  I watched it start to stick on our deck by 12:15,  but nothing was sticking on the road in front of our house.  

I loaded up Layla and Stella and decided to leave about 10 minutes earlier to get Evie (around 12:30).    I took this picture right before I left the house:

I was quite surprised when I approached the steep hill on a main road in our subdivision and started sliding a bit as I tried to brake for the stop sign at the bottom.  (yes, I know brakes and ice don't mix....but there was a stop sign at the bottom, a car in front of me and three others at the intersection.)  Another vehicle was struggling to get up the hill.  There was such a mild amount of snow on the hill so I couldn't believe how quickly it became icy.   Once at the school, I nervously ran inside to get Evie from school, but was trying to develop a plan in my mind of how to get back home knowing I would not make it up that hill (which is at least a mile from our house).  I slowly started the journey home....(trying to bring out my Kansas roots and remember to avoid brakes or gas on the ice and shifting into a lower gear if needed).  But, I literally turned on the second street from the school and hit instant gridlock (that was NOT there just five minutes before as I drove to get Evie).   I was trying not to panic as I looked at my girls' sweet, innocent faces in rear view mirror so excited about seeing all the snow and talking of snow angels and making snowmen when we got home!   I knew I had to keep it together and hide my worry so it wouldn't affect them!  I honestly had no idea what my plan was going to be....but what I knew is that I had to keep those three girls safe!

Just to give you an idea, I added this map.  Her school is only 3.5 miles from our house, but with hills, curves, stop signs/lights etc. it takes about 10-15 minutes to get there.  The red dot is her school and the first long intersection is the east west connector where we stopped.

It took me nearly 40 minutes to make it less than a quarter mile to the intersection  (at the east/west connector) only to see traffic was a mess in all directions.  After saying many prayers asking God to help me guide me in which direction to drive, Stella started crying.  Evie was telling me she thought Stella had a poopy diaper.  All I could think about was she needed a new diaper, and soon would need fed, and then what if the girls needed a bathroom and I wouldn't be able to help them if we were stuck in this traffic.  I made a decision to stop at a small pizza place. Siracussi's,  on the corner....actually I think what I should really say is God guided me to make that decision.  I am so thankful Stella began crying and needed a new diaper when I was there by the entrance to the pizza place.  

Once inside we got settled in a small booth, used the restroom and I ordered some pizza for the girls.  (My stomach was in too many knots to be able to eat anything.)  I started seeing person after person enter the pizza place looking frazzled, needing a restroom and wondering how they were going to make it home.  And I am so thankful for the wonderful waitress who was so patient and calm and thoughtful to me and my girls.  Thankful for the many strangers who sat near us and entertained my girls when they started to get ansy, who asked me if there was anything i needed, who offered an ear to listen, and who told me they were so impressed with how well behaved my girls were!  From the mom with tears in her eyes trying to get her to 16 month old at daycare while her husband was stuck even farther away, to the couple who said they were happy to play temporary grandparents and help entertain the girls and repeatedly asked if there was anything I needed, to the business people giving up on traffic and seeking bathrooms and food, to every person who entered that place....it felt like there wasn't a single stranger!

Mike was still at work when i told him about our situation.  He decided to leave work, but knew it may be hours before he got to us!  I just reminded myself we had food, restrooms and a roof over our heads where I could take care of my girls.  We also had gotten in touch with one of Mike's coworkers/friend, Kurt, who lives in our area too.   I do not have the words to express how wonderful Kurt was to our family during this time!  Let me start by saying he chose to work from home that day due to the threat of weather.  Yet he stopped what he was doing, got in his car, and out in all the mess (the mess he was so wisely avoiding that morning) to help the girls and I.  After two hours in his vehicle and very little progress down the road he decided to return home and walk instead.  By the Grace of God, Mike had made it to Kurt's townhouse as well and the two walked three miles to get us.  By this time it was 6:30.

The girls had eaten and we had a small travel potty in the car if they needed it and a 1/2 tank gas so we decided to try to get to Kurt's townhouse.   As I was helping Evie get her coat, gloves, and hat on I told her needed to really bundle up because it was very cold outside.  I also prepared her we may be in the car for a while.  And I'll never forget the look in her sweet brown eyes when she looked right at me and said, "Oh no...are we going to be frozen and dead forever?"  (Oh my sweet girl.....why oh why did Disney's new movie Frozen have to have come out right before all of this?)  Of course I hugged her and kissed her and assured her that would not happen and that we were safe and we would be warm.  And daddy, mommy and Kurt were taking care of them!  Also about an hour into our drive she randomly and seriously told us, "Today Miss Penny told us we should go home tonight and do a snow dance.  But I don't think I want to because I don't want it to snow any more!"  Mike, Kurt, and I just had to laugh!

By 9:15 we had finally made it to the next stoplight (yes...less than a mile in two hours), the girls were all sleeping and we were trying to make a decision as to our plan.  This cross street was the actual street where Kurt lives but it was still nearly 2 miles to his house and there was a hill with a jackknived fed ex truck and at least 40 cars stuck so we would never make it through driving there.  If we continued where we were we had no idea how long it would take and there was a hill on a small ramp ahead that I was worried would give us trouble in my front wheel vehicle.....and we had no idea what was in front of us as far as stalled, stranded vehicles.  All I could do was start saying some Our Father's and ask God again to guide us in the best decision for our girls.  As we sat there trying to decide, a police car drove up the side of the road and blocked traffic from moving forward saying they are closing the road until they could move the cars out of the way and get a sand truck to that hill.  Decision made...Thank you God!  

We turned on the side street, parked at the top, bundled the girls in their coats, hats, and gloves.  Wrapped Evie and Layla in large blankets I had in the car, put Stella in the Bjorn, zipped my jacket around her, and wrapped her with her blanket and car seat cover.  The guys carried Evie and Layla and we began the 1.8 mile walk to Kurt's townhouse.  Halfway there a truck with three guys helping people stopped us and gave a ride until the bottom of the next hill.  They also picked up another couple walking with their infant in a car seat carrier.  This only cut out a short amount of our walk, but it gave us  a chance to warm up a bit and get out of the cold since the temps were in the teens.  We made it safely to Kurt's town home around 10:30 that night.

The irony in the entire day was for some reason that walk to Kurt's house in my mind seems so serene and nostalgic.  I wasn't tired or cold at all (granted the wind was too our back and blocked by trees and having Stella snuggled with me I'm sure helped).  But I'm not sure if it was I enjoyed finally being out in the fresh air, if it was relief I felt we finally had a plan and a destination, or that I felt I no longer needed to struggle with making a decision for where to seek shelter.  But I find it so ironic my entire day was based on making decisions to keep my girls safe and WARM, yet the most serene part of the journey was walking in the cold to Kurt's house!

We also said Evie could now really tell people she walked a mile (okay was carried most of the way) uphill in the snow on the way home from school.

Safely at Kurt's house!  I am extremely grateful our family was together, we always had warmth, food, and restrooms, and we made it to Kurt's house within a 10 hours from leaving to get Evie from school.  I've heard so many stories of others who were not so fortunate.

Kurt also so kindly gave up his bed for Layla, Stella, and I....while he slept on his sofa and Mike and Evie in the guest room!

Our neighbor was so kind to check on our dog, Kavi, and let her outside.  The next morning Mike bundled up and walked to the house to get more diapers, clothing, food, and a few misc. items and check on Kavi.  (So thankful again for Kurt and his hiking gear so Mike could take a shortcut through the "woods" making it a .8 mile walk instead of 3.5)  

Mike took this photo while walking to our house.  this is one of the side streets lined with abandoned cars.  Likely people in nearby neighborhoods that walked home.  But there is are many hills nearby I'm sure people were not able to make it up.

And this is our hero daddy, returning from our house:)  He did deserve to bring some beer after all he did in the last 24 hours!

Evie was begging to go out in the snow, so she and I went on the balcony and made a small snowman (the snow was quite fine and powdery so it didn't really pack well), and played in the snow for a bit!

Later in the day Mike and Kurt drove a block to a gas station to check some of the roads.  Someone from our neighborhood was there on a four wheeler and said we could probably make it in the neighborhood but there were so many cars along the sides of the road it left a very narrow path for driving.  He also said there were many cars and a school bus that had been stuck in the roundabout at our entrance.  We decided it was best to stay at Kurt's for another evening.

Thursday morning we did get my vehicle, then took a longer and more flat way around (oakdale to veterans memorial, to the west entrance of pebblebrook) to avoid some hills and made it safely home!  Here are a few photos from Thursday morning:

this was the road where we parked my car and walked.  A typically very quiet side street of office buildings..all these cars are abandoned,

more cars along the same road...

this was the entrance to our subdivision this morning (thursday).

These photos were from mid morning and the temps got up to low 40's with sun, so thankfully a lot of the ice melted later in the day!  There were still many icy patches where trees shade the road.  Most schools are closed again today as people are still trying to get their vehicles and the city continues to recover!

Sorry for such a lengthy blog post!  But it has been a crazy few days.  I am so thankful for our incredible friend Kurt for all he did for us!  Thankful for my amazing husband who helped me keep it together and got to us as fast as he could.  And so blessed to have the three best daughters who were so amazing throughout a less than ideal situation for any child!  Hugging them all extra tight!!!