Father's Day

Exhibit A for why I love Leila's Daddy.



You may wonder what about this picture strikes me, and I am going to tell you. Look at how happy Leila is? This picture was taken on Friday afternoon. Cory stayed home from work on Friday for a couple of reasons. First of all, he had been up half the night out helping the sandbagging effort in Iowa City and secondly, Friday is normally Grandma day, but with the flooding we didn't have any daycare available so this Friday was "daddy day." Though Leila did tell us that she misses Grandma, she had a wonderful day with her daddy.
Aside from the smiling face on my baby girl, look at how cute that hair is? :) Who do you think put in those pig tails? That's right...Daddy. When I came home from work today I passed Leila and Cory out for a walk and I couldn't help but smile at how happy and cute they both were.

When I first met Cory back in the summer of 2000, we spent a lot of time talking to each other online while I lived in Coralville and he was home in Elkader for the summer. We weren't dating at the time, but just friends that talked occasionally and while were talking online one day he told me that he had to go and help his neighbor set up her window air conditioner. That was probably the first time since I had met him that I thought, "wow, what a nice guy!" I have to say that since that day in 2000 that phrase has crossed my mind several times.
They say that women look for a man to marry that reminds them of their father. I have to say that I agree. When Cory and I started dating, I knew that he was the one for me for a few different reasons.
He is the kind of thoughtful person that will nearly always put himself out to help out someone in need. That may be helping an elderly neighbor set up her air conditioner, or going out in the middle of the night to help sandbag people's homes and water sources.
Something that has always been important to me is family. Anyone that knows me knows that my family, immediate and extended are precious to me. When Cory talks about his parents, brothers, and sister, I know that he understands. In the time that we have been together I think that Cory's love of family has only been strengthened, and we are both lucky to have joined loving families with our marriage, and I am so happy to have all of that love and all of those connections to share with our daughter. My love of family is something that I learned from my dad, and that is something that I knew I would need to find in a mate.
Before I ever decided to marry Cory I knew that he would meet my final, and most important criteria. I knew that he would make a wonderful father.
I grew up with a dad who played with me as a child and taught me as a young adult. My parents have both influenced me tremendously and I look to them and how I was raised as we raise our daughter.
Cory takes wonderful care of his daughter, so wonderful that he is even willing to try his hand at pigtails. I remember my dad putting my hair up when I was a little girl too. I have to be honest and say that it wasn't quite like mom, but my dad could still do a pretty impressive braid! I know that Leila is going to grow up with a super dad, just like I did.

See, I told you it wasn't quite like mom ;)

A few updated flood pictures

The Flooding is still going full force!

This is a shot looking up 5th Street in Coralville. Leila's daycare is on the right, though you can't see it here. The daycare owner was quoted in the paper today saying that they have water up to the door and the sewer is backing up in the downstairs. They don't think they can afford to stay open. I will be really sad for Leila if we have to find a new school, and it is looking like that will likely happen :(

This is the HyVee right next to Andrea's classroom. She hasn't seen her building specifically, but she is expecting that she has lost all of her teaching materials.

These are businesses on the Coralville Strip


This Bridge is closed, but it gives you an idea of how high the water is...

Doomsday

If you haven't heard, things are bad here in the Iowa City area. Thankfully the Coobs family is safe and dry in North Liberty. We aren't completely unaffected. Cory and I have coworkers who are in danger of losing their homes. Leila's daycare was told that they should not be in danger of flooding reaching the building, though with the saturated grounds the basement is likely to get water. As it stands now, the roads that we take to get Leila to daycare are closed, and though tomorrow is Grandma day, we aren't sure that there is a route available to get Grandma to us.
Cory went out and helped to make sandbag levys in the areas nearest the river in Iowa City and tonight is out again helping to secure the Iowa City water sources. I want to be able to do my part to help too, and I feel very helpless sitting at home, but someone has to watch Leila, and I can't say I don't appreciate that cushie job. Especially since it is currently pitch black and pouring down rain. :(
Considering the flooding that we will be dealing with over the coming weeks and sharing in the tragedy with the rest of the state, first with the tornadoes in Parkersburg and now the loss of those poor boy scouts in western Iowa, I am counting my blessings and praying a lot.
I haven't been out taking pictures myself, I have pretty much avoided the water but there is a flickr group where Iowa City residents are sharing their flood pictures and I am posting some of them here. Please keep the people of Iowa in your thoughts as so may have been touched by tragedy during this year.
The water in Iowa City is high, but it is no where close to where it will be by the time the river crests. They were saying Monday it would crest, but that was before the rains that we have gotten today. This flooding is blowing away the records set by the floods of 3 and relief is getting further and further from site. I will post more pictures as I see them coming up on flickr. If you are interested in seeing move coverage, the Iowa City Press Citizen has coverage updating throughout the day. www.press-citizen.com

Tons of volunteers have been working for days to try to save as much of Iowa City as possible. These volunteers at the University Student Union created and 8 foot levy!


Part of the University community under water. You can see the sandbag Levy, though with the water levels expected, who knows if it it will do any good



This is the laser center, right next door to the Iowa Memorial Union...the heart of the UI Campus.

This is the river with Hancher in the background. Cory proposed to be on the river walk there that you can't see now, as it is under water.