Blizzard in Highland

February 13th…a Wednesday..is still fresh in our minds as the worst snow/wind storm we’ve been in and ever want to be in…ever. I left Sadie and Makenna home (fortunately) when I went to pick up the boys and our carpool neighbor, Jacob, who lives down our street. When the wind is noticeably over 30-40mph, parents need to pick up the students inside the school…as to allow the students safety, in not blowing away I suppose. Within minutes it was a white-out condition. I got the boys and took the long way home because a bus got stuck on the road I would normally go on. (The children were on that bus for 5 hrs.) I got Jacob home and tried to head up our street. There is just a slight incline- with the wind and snow it was enough to keep me from getting to our house. I turned the Suburban around to use the rear wheel drive and got a little further up the road..(we don’t have 4 wheel drive—will someone write or call my husband about that?) We were one house away, parked downwind and I told the boys we needed to run for it even though we couldn’t see our house. This wasn’t a good lesson on faith for them. I told them I knew where the house was because I was parked by the street sign. I would hold them tight and we’d make it fine! They didn’t budge. After 30 minutes Cade mustered up some courage and opened his door. The wind hyper-extended the door and Caden was panicking trying to get it closed and trying not to blow away. (I’m not dramatic..this was very scary). I got myself over the middle console and pulled on him and tried to get the door closed---not before the car filled up with snow. Jayson was in the back crying. We sat there for 30 more minutes, said a prayer. This was suppose to be the faith lesson for me now. Jay wanted the storm to stop…I couldn’t pray for that. We just needed to feel peace and know that we would be OK and get home safely after the wind died down. We drove forward trying to get back to Jacob’s house to wait out the storm in a cozy place. Even though I couldn’t see ahead..I knew I just needed to go straight. I ran into a snow bank and sat there another 30 minutes. We had cinnamon bears and water and said another prayer..this time that we would make it to Jacob’s safely. I called Jacob’s mom and asked if we could run down and stay at their house until Mark got home (not realizing that if I couldn’t make it home…he wouldn’t be able to either). She said she’d meet me with her 4wheel and do a quick transfer rather than walking in the storm. She got stuck in a snow drift coming from the other direction. We all got out of our cars and ran toward Jacob’s house. What a nightmare..at least we were going with the wind…which was later determined to be 70 mph.(again..I’m not being dramatic). Well..we hung out with the Howlett’s throughout dinner and into the night. The main road from the highway to our development was closed for several hours so Mark didn’t make it to meet us until 11pm. One neighbor stayed the night at a hotel near the freeway. Other neighbors were taken by snowmobile directly to their homes after having to abandon their cars near the freeway. Sixty students and about 40 teachers stayed the night at the elementary school. When Mark was dropped off at the Howlett’s we packed up and walked up the street..which was a big mistake. It was like a pioneer trek re-enactment. The wind in our face, not being able to breath unless you turned sideways, walking over huge snowdrifts, trying to keep a hold of your children. Half an hour later the wind decreased and a snowplow came…just our luck. So that’s the story. Sadie and Makenna were fine the whole night safe at home. Jayson was the most affected…not about peeing in a water bottle…but having his frozen fingers painfully thaw out. He’s the one that cries when it’s stormy now.