A Morning Filled with Gratitude...

It is with a truly grateful heart that I write this post.  

Much of yesterday was spent anxiously awaiting the unknown.  It was spent watching the weather reports and listening to the howling winds outside of our home.  It was spent watching a hurricane turn into a nor'easter and then a super storm.  It was spent in quick silent prayers for protection.  And it was spent seeing pictures and footage of the devastation that affected so many places, including New Jersey, New York City and towns all along the south shore of Long Island.

This morning though, was a morning filled with gratitude.  I'm so thankful to share that God's protection was with us and we have much to be thankful for.

The winds damaged small areas around our home, but thankfully nothing terrible.

A tree and power line came down across the street at the church but thankfully no one was hurt.

And even though our school will be closed again tomorrow, everything looked good there as well.

After being indoors all day yesterday, the kids and I got a little exercise and walked up into town.  I'm thankful again to report that outside of branches and other windblown debris, everything for the most part was fine in our little town.  Again, I write this post with such gratitude, but also with sadness, knowing that many around us did not fair quite as well.  We've heard that there has been lots of flooding in Westhampton, Riverhead and many other towns that we know and love.

After our walk, we got a start of cleaning up around our home.

I'm very thankful for our two kids who jumped right in to help out.

We ended up spending the afternoon hanging out with our friends from the town next to us who are without power.  While their cell phones and portable DVD player charged up, we ate lunch and enjoyed spending time together.  It was a great afternoon and my heart was again filled with gratitude knowing that God protected us and our dear friends throughout an incredible storm.