The past 2 weeks...

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever! So, here is a very random post with some updates!

- Hubby and I saw The Hunger Games on the opening night. We got there about an hour early and got in line. He was thrilled, let me tell you. Ha! We both loved the movie but I loved the book way more. There are just so many details they have to leave out in the movie. But, it was still very good and stayed very true to the book. My husband even liked it and he has never read the book. The only negative thing I have to say is... I had motion sickness thru almost the entire movie. We were in an IMAX and with the style of filming they used- I was SO nauseous! I had to close my eyes at least 20 times during the movie and convince myself several times not to throw up. I definitely want to see it again in a normal movie theater or just buy it when it comes out (duh) and watch it at home!


-Spring time in Texas is one of my favorite times of year! Everything is so green and all the wildflowers are blooming.




- Our pool is so close to being done! Next up they are pouring the concrete and stamping it then finishing the bottom of the pool and finally the fire pit. We hope it will be ready in the next 2 weeks!


- Just an FYI...gas is CRAAAZY expensive in California! It cost over $80 to fill up my little rental car, Impala!


- This Friday we are off to Augusta, Georgia to spend the weekend with my family and go to The Master's final round on Sunday!! WHOHOO!! My husband is a golfer and over the past few years I have started to love golf (not playing, but going to touraments) so this has become one of our favorite yearly traditions! This will be our 4th year going but our first time going on the final day. We are hoping Tiger is finally back to his old self (minus his terrible choices in her personal life) and can pull off a big win this weekend! How cool would it be to be sitting at the 18th hole of The Master's watching Tiger Woods win?!

Texas is on fire...

Not only are we going through the worst drought in history, but now a large part of Texas is on fire. The extreme drought conditions mixed with high winds over the weekend have sparked major fires all over our state. Over 1000 homes have been completely lost so far, hundreds of animals killed and there is no end in sight as of this afternoon. I walked out of my house near downtown Houston this morning and smelled the smoke and saw a thick haze in the air. Please pray for our state and all the families that have lost everything...

PRAY FOR RAIN, TEXAS

"WEST TEXAS TOWN TEETERS ON DRYING UP IN DROUGHT"
"TEXAS DROUGHT NOW 2ND WORST ON RECORD"
"DROUGHT REVEALS SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA DEBRIS IN EAST TEXAS LAKE"
"TEXAS DROUGHT COSTING 5.2 BILLION"
"TEXAS DROUGHT WILL HARM WILDLIFE HABITAT FOR YEARS TO COME"

If you google "Texas" right now these are just some of the headlines that will pop up in the first couple of pages. 78% of Texas is in an "exceptional" drought which is the worst category possible and another 12% is in the 2nd worst category. All of the lakes, rivers and ponds are drying up; cities are under water restrictions; trees, plants, flowers and animals are dying and the heat is almost unbearable some days. I can honestly say I have no clue when the last time it rained for more than 15 minutes was (and that was once last week, but before that I think it had been a couple months at least).
For those of you that do not live here, Lake Conroe is a lake about 45 minutes north of downtown Houston...it is the lake where Chris and I got engaged, where we spend every 4th of July and many other weekends in the Spring/Summer...well, it is currently down about 6 or 7 feet. Most people can not even get their boats out on to the lake because there boats are hovering over grass and dirt now instead of water. And if you are able to go out on a boat there are several parts of the lake you can not go to now because the levels are so low. The mayor of Houston, Annise Parker, started enforcing water restrictions in Houston this week and is now having 50 MILLION gallons of water pumped from Lake Conroe every day and brought to Lake Houston. Lake Houston's levels are down even lower than Lake Conroe and Lake Houston is the location of Houston's water purification plant so they must stabilize the lake level for operational needs. The release will be gradually increased to 150 MILLION gallons a day over the coming weeks and months.

Here is a picture of a car that was stolen in 1990 in Houston. It was found yesterday in Lake Houston in a part of the lake where the levels were so low that the top of the car could be seen sticking out-


Here are some other pictures of how the drought is affecting Texas-







This is a drought map of Texas. The dark red is the most severe.



It is really sad and they are saying there is no end in sight right now. We might not go into a "rainy pattern" until November or December and we are going to have a hot Fall.

Here is a prayer for rain that I came across. A pastor here in Houston wrote this-

“God, you send rains in season. It is a season of need in Texas. Send more rain to that parched land and more again across all the thirsty southern states. Find a small and willing cloud sitting bored over some vacant part of the Caribbean, and give it a push toward Houston. Make a Hurricane, perhaps, not strong enough to destroy, but filled with warmed moisture and send it North. We ask you for rain. Let the drought unite many millions to ask you for help. We trust in you. You made the world to need the waters of heaven. You made the world to need the waters of life. You are the source of rain. We ask you. Let it rain. In Jesus name.”

God Bless Texas!