An Amarillo Tornado

It was 11:00pm.  I just got out of the shower.  Derek was sleeping on the couch.  I woke him up so we could go to bed.  I got a drink and thought I heard sirens.  I opened the back door and sure enough, sirens were blaring.  I had no idea bad weather was coming.  All afternoon the wind was blowing like crazy.  The wall of dust left a nice surprise in our front entry way.

Our new tree was trying to touch the ground.  The wind chimes blew off the hook.  It rained some.  And then everything stopped.  The calm before the storm I suppose.  So the sirens took me completely off guard.  I asked Derek to check the weather.  He told me to get the kids but I didn't want to wake them up and freak them out.  He told me again to get the kids.  So we each grabbed a babe and took them to our bed until we could figure out what to do.  Derek turned the weather channel on and stepped outside to check things out.  I watched the news.  They started showing a map of the city.  They said our area needed to take cover NOW. . .that we were in IMMEDIATE DANGER!  Our only rooms that aren't on exterior walls are the bathroom and the laundry room closet.  We grabbed the crib mattresses and laid them across the washer and drier and climb in underneath.  It was really hard to NOT freak out!



Imagine me and Derek in there with them.  Tight fit FOR SURE.  Except for the second I had to run Peyson to the bathroom, we were in there for an hour.  The TV kept cutting in and out and as the storm moved through town the reporters got more and more excited.  Hail was reported. 

Taken at the hospital

We heard what sounded like a bit of hail.  And then the storm expired.  We crawled out and found everything just fine.  Except for the trampoline.  The trampoline took flight. . .we would have to find it in the morning.  We laid the mattresses on our bedroom floor for the kids to sleep on and we all spent the night in the same room together. 

The next morning I decided to step outside to see if anything in our small little world changed.  And that is when I saw it.  Just across the street.  Lodged up against our neighbor's fence stood our flying trampoline.  All I could do was giggle.  So I grabbed my phone and the kids and we went to see the damage.  Peyson was CRUSHED!  He was ready to plan a funeral.  And a replacement.  Poor little guy.  We left it there for a better part of the day.  It was pretty windy and I didn't want to blow away trying to move it.  Eventually I dragged it across the street and in between our house and the neighbors.  Daddy was able to salvage everything but the net and bars.  And now it is tied up to the fence.
That night we tried to figure out how it flew over our house and across the street.  And then we found the evidence of its path.  It tore the end cap off the roof trim.  Scuffed the trim in a few places.  Tore off a few shingles on our roof and our neighbor's roof.  It did a good bang up job on the fence where it landed as well.  We can't figure out how it missed the 3 windows and our fence.  Weather is wild!  We didn't get hail.  We didn't even hear it.  It was just our trampoline taking flight!

Fun New Toy

In the early years of our marriage, Derek wanted to buy a motorcycle.  We found one for sale and went to test drive it.  It was a cute little cruiser bike and we both loved it.  We planned to buy it the following day.
The next day was the last day of Derek's spring semester at UW.  After his last final he stopped at the Institute and picked up some of their awesome popcorn and some soda so we could "celebrate."  ;)  And as soon as he got home we were off to buy a motorcycle!  He road his bike to campus and on the way home he had a little fall.  He got off the sidewalk to make room for some pedestrians.  After they passed he tried to get back on the sidewalk but there was just enough of a lip to grab his tire and toss him.  He flew over the handlebars and hit a light pole.  With his head.  He was out for a short time.  A man found him laying on the ground and helped him up.  He kept Derek talking until they could get to student health.  He called me from there and nothing he said really made any sense.  He gave me enough information to find him.  I got there in time to watch him get his eyebrow stitched.  Ewww.  His sweater was blood stained and he was a little dopey.  AND. . .the motorcycle was ancient history.

"If I can't ride a peddle bike, there is NO WAY I'm buying a motorcycle!"  So we didn't.

But every time we get a little chunk of money, he starts his search.  And he always finds a reason to talk himself out of it.  And so we've never had a motorcycle.  So it took me by surprise when he actually set up a test drive. . .and followed the guy home. . .and road away on his brand new, fun, little toy.  I was for sure he would find some reason to walk away.  But he didn't. . .and now the green machine is ours!  Peyson boy LOVES it.  Ainslee girl is scared to death!  And I think it's totally HOT!

He Wasn't Done

When I prayed to Heavenly Father and told him I would have another baby RIGHT NOW if He would take care of everything, I thought he was done taking care of everything when we filed taxes and got a crazy insane amount back!  We put money aside to cover prenatal care and hospital expenses.  He wasn't done.

A few weeks ago our first prenatal bill came in the mail.  $376.  No worries :)  Mailed it in.

Today I had my first appointment WITH my doctor.  Derek was able to come with me.  He scrubs in on surgeries with Dr. H as often as he can.  All the nurses are in love with Dr. H.  Derek said there was no better doctor to see than Dr. H.  So I go to Dr. H.  When we signed in we went over our financial agreement, at which point I paid our remaining deposit in full.  Over $750.  The visit was nothing out of the ordinary.  As we were leaving, setting up the next appointment, the receptionist excused herself momentarily and went to the back.  When she came back she informed us that Dr. H wished to only bill insurance and that all expected moneys we were to pay out of pocket were now voided.  Nearly $1200 was wiped clean.  He wasn't done. 

When our tax return was enough to cover a problem free pregnancy and delivery, my worries were met with peace.  I did my part and He did His.  The issue, that was no longer an issue, was far from any thoughts crossing my mind.  And then this blessing snuck up on us.  It was totally unexpected, yet it confirmed the power of a loving Heavenly Father who answers prayers with richest blessings we cannot dream up.  This baby is supposed to come NOW.  It is part of God's plan for our family.  And time and time again that command has been confirmed and our faith has been strengthened.  We are blessed.

Easter

Some ladies from our ward put together an Easter Egg Hunt the day before Easter.  Everybody brought 20 eggs for every child they had and we all met at one of their homes.  The kids played in the back yard, while the daddies played Easter Bunny.  We waited too long to have dinner and with morning sickness I had to have dinner RIGHT NOW!  So we made a not so fast stop at McDonald's and then tried to navigate our way through the tricky neighborhood to find the hunt location.  We nearly missed it.

Ainslee had been sick for most of the day but seemed to be feeling well enough to hunt for eggs.  Peyson woke up early that morning with me to go work at the Young Women garage sale.  He was in desperate need of a nap. 

I think the pictures tell the story well :)

That night I felt too sick to stuff eggs and prepare baskets.  So I didn't.  And I didn't wake up early enough to do it before kids woke up.  So I tried to be sneaky and take all the empty eggs, the baskets, and the candy, and stuff them real quick before kids realized what I was doing.  But of course, Mr. 5 Year Old decided that NOW of all times would be a great time to come see what I was doing.  I yelled to him to GO AWAY. . .that I'd be done in a minute.  He ran away crying.  AwEsOmE!  So I finished my not so sneaky business and took them their baskets.

Here's to hoping they will soon forget the year mom ruined Easter.

It doesn't end there.  On the way home from church Peyson told me the Easter bunny wasn't real.  What?!?  Yep. . .ruined. 
He also told me that his teacher told him that the Easter bunny comes during church. 
CRAP!  He for sure did NOT come during church.  So Mr. 5 Year Old was totally convinced. . .there is no Easter bunny.  :(
I didn't know what to say, so I tried to distract him until nap time.  Nap time was when I would fix Easter and Mr. 5 Year Old's innocence.  I printed bunny pictures and made a picture trail from the kids' rooms to the back door.  I filled MORE eggs with MORE candy and laid them in the grass in the back yard.  And then I waited.  Peyson woke up soon after, but he DIDN'T see the pictures.  Ainslee woke up and FINALLY he noticed the bunnies on the wall.  They followed the trail and ran outside.  Both were gathering eggs by the armful.  Ainslee kept yelling MO MO (more more!).  Peyson went to get the baskets for their new treasure and when he came back out he said, "Mom, you were wrong!"  What was I wrong about?  I was NOT the one who said there was no Easter bunny!  Remember?!?  He said, "The Easter bunny DID come and he IS real!"  (sigh. . .)

Holidays are so not cool when you are pregnant.  But it's even more NOT COOL to forget. . .because your kids will remember!  And they will be crushed.  Don't let them be crushed!

His First Graduation

Teaching 5 little boys is. . .always interesting.  And unless you have a passion for teaching. . .it gets really old really quick :)  As the year progressed the moms all decided we should just be DONE with preschool as soon as we finished the letter Z.  But then we thought. . .maybe they need a review of the alphabet.  Maybe we need a PARTY!  Maybe a graduation?  So naturally, my brain started turning. 
If there is going to be a graduation, we need caps.  And if we are going to have caps, we have to have diplomas.  And if we are going to have diplomas we have to have a march.  So I made some graduation caps out of painted paper bowls and yarn tassels.  I got on Picasa and created diplomas.  Then I thought. . .these diplomas need folders.  So I got together with Allyson and we created some pretty cute folders. 

The boys had review day the same day as graduation.  So we had to bribe them with party food to get them to be still long enough to have a little pomp and circumstance :)  The recording camera almost died.  The caps kept falling off.  The boys had no idea what they were doing.  And it was hilarious.  We got them to sit still just long enough for distracted pictures and then we gave up.  It was time for yummy snacks and the real issue at hand. . .PLAY TIME!  That's all they wanted to do really.  All.  Year.  Long.  And so they did. 

After a week of no preschool I definitely started to miss it.  Not so much the teaching part.  But the two hour break two times a week.  And the MOM conversation before and after drop off and pick up time.  I think Peyson is well prepared for kindergarten and pretty excited to go. 

I'm so glad we had this opportunity, because without it, we would have been insane crazy at our house.  Never mind the lack of alphabet knowledge :)  Yay for preschool.  And yay for preschool being over :)