June 16 – “I ‘ab ebola”

All eyes are on the Gulf around here.  Well, not all.  Loads of tourists covered the beaches all day yesterday.  And lots more were in WalMart.  We went there to pick up some more fruit.  It was packed.  We noticed battery availability was running really low, and they were already rationing cases of bottled water to four per shopper.  Light bands of rain and wind swept across the island all afternoon.  Typical tropical storm-type stuff.  Not much has changed this morning.  The winds are stronger and the rain is a bit more horizontal, but it is still coming in bands.  Tropical Storm Bill is supposed to make landfall sometime this morning. 

Yesterday afternoon we went to LaMarque to watch the kids while Kel and Christina went house shopping.  The boys all had media time going when we arrived.  They were deeply engrossed in video games.  At supper, one of the early rain bands passed through.  Micah asked if they could go play outside in the rain.  That got a quick, “Uh, no” from Nana.  Noa noticed that it was raining as well.  She said, “I ‘ab ebola.”  That’s what it sounded like to me.  And to her brothers.  Especially to her brothers.  They all pushed chairs away from her, and cried out, “Noa, what did you say?  What are you?”  So, of course she responded to all the attention by insisting that “I ‘ab ebola.”  Not sure how long that went on, but finally Nana came to the rescue.  She inserted her way into the hilarity with, “So, Noa, do you have AN UMBRELLA for going into the rain?”  Noa answered, “’es.’”  Of course.  Once she said it I got it, too.  But this is a house full of boys, remember?  Vaughan boys.  They couldn’t let it stop there.  The boys immediately started lobbying Nana for some ice cream.  “Please, Nana, can we have ebola ice cream?”  Need some help with that one?  Hint: It is not a flavor.  Try “a bowl of ice cream.”  If we ever have to go on another “Hurrication” (hurricane-induced vacation), these guys are going to make it a lot of fun. 

Psalms 34:1 says, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.”

Father, thank you for your promise to walk with us through storms.  We have a literal one we’re walking through right now.  Thanks for being here.  Amen.