EARTH QUAKING TUESDAY!!!

So today started off normal. We were deep cleaning the house to get ready for fall and winter. Cleaning out shoes, seeing what fits, what doesn't, what is old and needs to be tossed, what old pairs can now be dusted off and introduced for the new fall season ahead. My boys were enjoying trying on jackets and shoes and seeing what they get to wear. I got these really cute polo jackets/coats last year in China for them and they LOVED putting them on. Of course I had to get a few pics.

Cash's is still a little long in his arms - his red one from last year now fits perfect tho!!!

Griffin loves his older brother!

Love Cash's happy face!

Griffin is happy too!

Should be warm in these toasty coats!!! Bring on the fall! (the quality is horrible of these pics cuz they were moving and it was my phone...but still liked them)

Then, something INSANE happened. Something UNEXPECTED!!! Something SCARY!!! I was on the phone, talking to a friend, when my entire house started to shake. Literally, it was shaking and I was freaking out. I told her it was like an earthquake was hitting us......then I heard it. My washer and dryer were on and the washer sounded like it was going to explode. Seriously, I thought it was going to blow right through the ceiling. I was so scared and I grabbed Cash and Griff and told her we were going to die and I had to go and get us out of the house. Cash said "we can't go yet cuz my show isn't over..." and I still grabbed his hand and got us out of the house as fast as I could. I thought I had ended the call with Cecia, but nope, she was still on the line, sort of laughing at me thinking I was out of my mind, but a little concerned since I did sound pretty scared. Once we got outside I am not sure what I thought we would do. None of us had shoes, and it was super hot on the cement so we stood on a patch of grass on the corner. The house on the corner was shaking a little bit and I thought my washer was going to explode through their wall and was debating telling them to get out of the house too. However, then the sound stopped. I walked up to the front door and listened and heard nothing. I told Cecia I was going to go check it out. Cash ran upstairs to watch his show, cuz "mom you didn't pause it so I might have missed some!" and Griffin and I went to check the washer. It was silent now. I cautiously lifted the lid, and.......I KNEW IT!!!! Water covering ALL the clothes. It was plugged again, just like last time, was going to cost me $175 to get someone out here to drain and unplug it, be a super pain with all these wet clothes, and I was just plain sick of the cheapo appliances that the landlord put into this house. WHATEVER!!! As I told Cecia I figured out the problem the phone cut out so she didn't hear what it was. I went upstairs, super frustrated with the whole thing, frustrated that the cell phone service always cuts out down in the basement by the laundry room, and trying to call her back to tell her we were ok. I couldn't get through. I tried calling Chip. No luck there either. It would say it was dialing but could never hear a dialtone. I got a voicemail, and a text, but couldn't call out. What was going on with my phone? I was super super frustrated by now. Finally, I got the idea to walk over to the computer and call Chip from there. When I got to it and went to my gmail I got a message from Cheryl saying "did you feel the earthquake?" What? I thought to myself - is this a joke? I totally thought there was one but then it was just my washer - how did you know? Right at that moment Chip walked up the stairs calling out "hey guys - is everyone ok?" I responded we were fine why - and he said "didn't you feel the earthquake? It was a 5.9 and started right outside of Charlottesville!" What?!!!! I said - So it really wasn't my washing machine? You mean to tell me all is ok with that and it really was an earthquake and I just survived it and actually mistook it for a washing machine problem!!! This is too funny! Or actually not really funny but kind of scary. My heart started racing and I am just very grateful that nothing more happened and that we were ok.

After Chip left a few more little tremors came and Cash jumped off the couch and said "mom, the house is shaking again and it knocked me off the couch! It's moving again!" It wasn't moving much, definitely didn't knock him off the couch, but did get my heart to race again. I hope everyone is ok and the damage isn't bad. It was a very scary moment and I didn't think it was something I had to worry about here in VA. Well, I can now say I have been in an earthquake! Definitely something out of the norm for our Tuesday afternoons. Hope yours is disaster-free!!!