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September 13, 2017 3 Comments

Weekend Review – Hurricane Irma

Filed Under: real life, Weekend Review 3 Comments

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Hey ya’ll. The last few days have been a bit of a blur. Our weekend started off calm despite the fact that we were facing down a monster storm named Hurricane Irma. By Friday afternoon, all projected tracks at the storm’s eye headed for the west coast of Florida but since the storm was so enormous in size, our local news meteorologists were all suggesting that we brace ourselves for some major impacts of the storm. I believe the exact words were, “this will be a major weather event.” Saturday truly felt as though it was the calm before the storm. We met friends at the park and then hit up our favorite ice cream shop for a treat.

Sunday, the girls and I stayed in doing crafts and prepping the house for the storm. I brought in all of our patio furniture, made sure all the electronics were charged, laundry was done, and ran the dishwasher one last time.

Then, I turned on the news and watched as the storm rolled in. The massive hurricane that covered the entire state of Florida and then some.

The winds were unreal. At one point in the evening, I texted my neighbor sharing how I couldn’t imagine them getting any worse than what they were. That was before the larger bands had even approached. By 1:30 in the morning we had 50 mph sustained winds and it was the eeriest feeling. The sound of rain slamming against the house coupled with the roaring whistle of the wind was spooky for sure. Once our power went out it was honestly terrifying. Last year’s hurricane rolled through in the middle of the day which felt much more manageable as you could see the trees swaying and branches breaking. In the black of night, you cannot see a thing and your mind runs a little wild.

We had camped out in the living room since it was the safest place in our home. When we woke up the next morning, there were winds but the sun was shining and although we were without power, our home was safe. Millie’s face really says it all. Peighton woke up asking me when the hurricane was going to come. Oh, darling you missed the whole thing. I’m amazed at what my children can sleep though.

After the wind died down around midday, I went out to assess any damage and chat with my neighbors. We were all shocked to see the pond behind our homes was the highest it had ever been and the lake, just one street behind the pond, was flowing into our pond which meant the homes on the street had to be completely flooded. As the day progressed we learned of the massive flooding and extensive damage to the city of Jacksonville and its surrounding areas.

We feel so incredibly lucky to just have been without power for several days. Our area has been blessed with some amazing linemen from ALL OVER EVERYWHERE helping to get the lights back on all over the city. I read somewhere that Florida had nearly 7 million without power after Irma. We had over 100 thousand without power just in our county. Then, the helpers came from Delaware, Michigan, North Carolina, Indiana, all over the place guys. It literally gives me chills thinking about these people taking time away from their families to restore power for so many. There really are so many remarkable stories of helpers in situations such as these. Sometimes, what we see in the news and even witness with our own eyes allows us to think the worst of humanity. But, in moments like this where humans are kind to one another, helping one another, saving one another, reminds you that there is so much good in this world.

 

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About Chelsea

Chelsea Coulston is the resident decorator, baker, and pillow hoarder around these parts. A wife to an active duty Sailor and mom of two girls, Chelsea's got a knack for decorating even the most challenging spaces (just see her military base house!) She's inspired by cool beach tones and warm natural elements that remind you of a day at the beach. After living in a half dozen rentals, she's enjoyed spending the last few years in a cute ranch style home that she and her husband have almost completely renovated themselves. Chelsea lives in sunny Jacksonville, Florida with her husband and two daughters.

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  1. Beth says

    September 14, 2017 at 6:15 am

    Thank you for the update- I was wondering how y’all were doing! I’m in North Georgia, and the winds and widespread damage just from Tropical Storm Irma were really scary. So sad to see all of the damage that has been sustained, but glad you guys are okay!

    Reply
  2. Tara Creel says

    September 14, 2017 at 9:08 am

    Oh girl I am WITH you! Our county was the hardest hit next to the Keys and the wind was unreal, and the damage is even more unreal. At one point we had to go outside minutes before the eye approached and I’ve never been more scared in my life. I thought for sure my husband and I would be whacked in the back of the head with a tree limb. The kids and I left a few days ago to escape to a hotel with power, while my husband stayed behind to help the community where power is expected to be restored for 3+ weeks. As someone else who rode out this storm, I am SO happy to hear you are safe and well!

    Reply
  3. Erica says

    September 15, 2017 at 7:41 am

    Reading this gave me small heart palpitations! Being by yourself with the girls must have been terrifying. I can really sense it in your words and can empathize only because mine are around the same age. So glad your home is okay and that you had neighbors and friends around to ride out the days before and after with. <3 Hope this weekend is better than the last!

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Chelsea!

I'm Chelsea. Wife to Matt, and mama to P and Millie. I'm a fan of making and decorating things and everything blue + white. I believe that there is no such thing as too many throw pillows. Lover of iced coffee and cocktail Fridays. I'm glad you're here.

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75% of the country is snowed in and I’m wearing 75% of the country is snowed in and I’m wearing shorts about to take my kids to the park. I feel a little left out. No snow day in this desert. 😭
Anyone else craving a change? Idk if it’s becaus Anyone else craving a change? Idk if it’s because we’ve spent so much time at home or what but I just want all new things. 😬 I changed out the pillow covers and that’ll do for now. Do you know this feeling??? #coastalliving #howirent #decorating #homedecorblogger #kismetcheckoutmyhouse #layeredhome #howihome #abmathome #bhghome #liketoknowit #LTKhome @liketoknow.it.home With the @liketoknow.it app you can shop everything in this space #liketkit http://liketk.it/38qta
This guy and I met at 14. Married at 20 and I have This guy and I met at 14. Married at 20 and I have been following him around ever since. Valentine’s Day is whatever but I did want to give a permanent spot for this one because I really do love him.
Removable wallpaper is a game changer! A couple mo Removable wallpaper is a game changer! A couple months ago Matt and I spent an afternoon slapping this up on our bedroom wall and it completely transformed the space. It can be super hard to put your stamp on a rental but I’m pretty pleased with the way this room turned out! #rentalfriendly #bedroom #milspouse #diyprojects #removablewallpaper #coastaldecor 
Download the LIKEtoKNOW.it shopping app to shop this pic via screenshot http://liketk.it/36TCW #liketkit @liketoknow.it @liketoknow.it.home
#ad Homeschool/General parent “pro” tip - buy #ad Homeschool/General parent “pro” tip - buy a shower caddy and stuff it full of art supplies to keep your kids from having their markers and crayons all over the place. For real though, this was a game changer. Previously, I had one hard and heavy caddy for all of our supplies that I would plop on the table during our school day but I found my kids constantly getting up to grab a pink crayon or the blue marker. Or at the end of the day things weren’t getting put away properly and the next day we couldn’t find the glue or the scissors. Now, they each have a caddy that they are responsible for. I’ve partnered with @walmart to share this simple organizing solution. The girls keep their supplies together and carry the caddy around to wherever they choose to school that day/minute. I used my Walmart+ membership again to pull this off. I was able to order all the art caddy necessities online using the W+ free shipping, no order minimum (excludes oversized/freight & Marketplace items) benefit so I can limit my time in stores. #walmartplus
Sitting here thinking about everything that’s go Sitting here thinking about everything that’s gotten me through this last year.
1. My family - having my girls home has been everything I never knew I needed. 
1a. My mom - in those early pandemic days, when we didn’t leave the house, she would meet me halfway between here and Vegas. We would sit in the middle of the desert with our masks on and just visit. I needed that so much and I know she did too.
2. My friends - it’s hard to imagine making it through this year without the friendships I have. They’ve carried me. A small group of neighbors here that would meet at the park for some outdoor fellowship and our weekly dinners made life feel a little more normal. Having regular calls with my best friend in FL was gold especially since we can’t see each other. And regular chats with @bykaithanson got me through especially in those early days.
3. Regular therapy - if I wasn’t already going before all this happened I surely would need to now. This all is very heavy stuff and having someone that is outside your circle to talk to is so important. This saves me again and again.
4. Making bread. I started making last year so when it blew up during that first quarantine I was so excited that we all were baking together. Whenever I’m feeling anxious making dough helps.
5. Exercise - this was the year I finally made exercise a priority. I love how much better I feel when I move my body each day. I’m less anxious and I’m more at peace.
6. All the technology that connects us. Marco Polo, FaceTime, texting, FB Messenger, all of it. Being able to reach all of my loved ones with the tips of my fingers has made it a lot easier when I can’t see them.
7. Television - how many shows have we binged this year? I don’t even know but I remember tackling Friday Night Lights in the beginning of the pandemic and being so sad it was over. 
8. This community. One thing I wanted in 2020 was to CONNECT with you all here and that has happened and its been wonderful getting to know each of you!
💙
We’ve been through a lot this year what has carried you? Tag a friend that’s gotten you through. 
Hoping and praying for a truly happy new year. 💙💙

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