Live Through A Hurricane - check.

We had a grand adventure today.  Dallin told me this morning that the waves were supposed to be 10 feet today and we should go check it out.  It was a fairly nice morning, overcast but calm so we thought we'd venture out to the beach.  It had been a while and the boys needed an outing. 

We got there, set up our chairs (not because we planned on staying a long time but because neither Dallin nor I can stand for too long) and this was the view:

The waves weren't high but the water was just murky and the clouds out at sea were dark black.  The wind wasn't strong at all- a typical beach breeze really. 

I ventured out to the water with Zade and looked to our left.  The hotel at the other end of the beach was barely visible, they were getting pounded with rain and the wind was blowing towards us.  I took Zade's hand and we walked back to the boys.  We needed to go.  That rain was heading our way. 

In the time it took me to start strapping Zade in the stroller and Dallin to fold up a chair, we felt our first few drops.  Seconds later, we were in a COMPLETE whiteout of rain and strong winds.  Both boys started freaking out and crying and I didn't blame them!  I was scared too.  Dallin grabbed Dace but was trying to pack up the wagon as well, I tried getting Zade's back to the rain and trying to get Dace from Dallin.  I didn't know if Dallin could handle both.  I felt completely incapable of physically protecting my children.  It was the scariest moment of my mothering life.  "How are we supposed to do this?"  I shouted as we are trying to pull a stroller, a wagon and Dace all towards the boardwalk and trying to protect them as much as possible and try and see where we were going.  I was tempted to just ditch the wagon, pull Zade from the stroller and make a run for it but we got everything going in the right direction. 

I raced down the boardwalk with Zade who had stopped crying and was just a little dazed and we waited under the trees for Dallin and Dace to catch up.  Poor Dace was still traumatized and crying.  The rain subsided a little bit as we walked back to the car.  We got the boys in safely then loaded up and headed home.  Here is the aftermath: 

After we got home, the boys went straight into the tub and bounced back to normal after that.  I think it took me an hour to breathe  my heart rate back down.  I had rushed a little too quickly and am really feeling it in my hips now.  I have been sitting as much as possible the rest of the day but my pelvis is not happy.  I think the twins were clinging to each other during that adrenaline rush. 

It was quite a scary adventure but Dallin says at least now we can say that we have survived a hurricane because that was just the tip of the storm that touched our shore.  I shudder for what is heading straight for NYC.