Hurricane party!

It's 430pm and as of right now I'm still without electricity at home. Well technically I haven't been home to check - it's too freaking hot to be at home - but Elise's mom lives in the same neighborhood and was going to call as soon as her power went on. I am going to take the kids to dinner here in a bit with Georgia and her family. Where? Anywhere with margaritas! I am having a stressful day. More internet communication issues. Man, will I ever learn? I give up! But I'm trying to plug away at my Louisiana pine snake article, slowly but surely.

Here are some photos of the hurricane party the other evening at Kate & Mark's place. It was such a blast. I truly love all of these peeps. It has been a huge huge huge blessing to have them in my life over the past year. I'm actually starting to like living here because of this amazing support network that I have started to develop. And I've recently started some support group stuff at my church too that is allowing me to go deep with some of the crap from my past, and get real with people that are loving, safe, and supportive. Not having that is one of the things that has disillusioned and disappointed me with "church" in the past (and recently with a non-churchy group of friends), so it will be an interesting next few months. I think we all need to be taught how to support and make one another feel safe, as I don't think it comes naturally for most people. I know I want to be that way for my kids, especially, and I'm not always so good at it.

Some jasmine perfume Elise got me in Malaysia and gave me today! I love her! :) And it smells sooo good too.
Trishalicious and her son. :) Trish playing "Blink" with the kids. That's Savannah and Sam in the foreground.
Maggie and Jim. I'm not sure what Jim is doing - caught him in a funny pose - but Maggie looks gorgeous as always!
Kate running about... and a friend of theirs who I just met (along with his wife) at the party in the background. The party was at Kate and Mark's place. It was a great evening!
Jim and Maggie.
The grillmeister, Mark!
I love this picture (except for me - I look like crap in this pic!) This is Lynn, Trish, Stefanie, me and Joan. Lynn and Trish are yoga instructors (Trish also teaches Zumba and dance) and Lynn also is getting her own catering company going. They're all incredibly awesome people, inspiring, fun, luminous, generous, gorgeous! I love them! That goes for everyone there!
The kids all started playing basketball later in the evening - by generator-powered lamp-light! They had a blast.