weekend, please

It's hard to think about having a normal weekend when it was just last weekend that brought so much devastation to Mike's hometown in upstate New York:

To see more photos of the local damage in Schoharie County, like the one above taken by Chris Lisio, check out the Times Union coverage of the storm

We've been thinking about little else but Hurricane Irene all week, getting updates online and on the phone throughout each day. Mike's parents are all safe and sound; his mom and stepdad are back home with no damage to their house, and his dad and stepmom have been displaced indefinitely but are moving into an apartment this weekend. I have watched the weight of this disaster play out on Mike's face all week, watched him take this tragedy on as his own to bear from a distance, and I am so relieved to see his relief at his parents now all having a safe place to live. His easy smile is back, though the disbelief in his voice and eyes remain.

While the Vermonters and New Yorkers continue to assess and clean up the damage to their homes this weekend, we will be welcoming a couple of New Yorkers for a weekend visit up here. Jon and Harper will be here to visit for a few days, and I'm so glad to have something to look forward to at the other side of this workweek. I'll be kicking off Friday evening with a little ladies night before the boys arrive, and then we have a baby-free Saturday night to look forward to. Sunday and Monday will surely be all about taking it easy with miss Natalie. I can't wait.

Happy (almost!) Friday!