storms and such

We are under a severe thunderstorm warning for the 4th evening in a row. I think we have had over 4 inches of rain and at least 3 tornadoes have been spotted in our county over the weekend. To all of you non-Kansas residents – that is really not as bad as it sounds. The damage was minimal and other than a 2-day power outage in the neighboring town and some hail damage - things are A-ok (and actually nice and cool). In fact, Friday night as the tornado sirens were sounding we went out to look at the sky and waved to practically all of our neighbors who were doing the same thing… really the tornado sirens weren’t meant to signal a block party but… ya’ know.
That same night Jude went to his first “slumber party” with our friends the Lowerys. He was super excited but then when the wind did some funny suction thing and blew in a window he was kinda’ thinking he wanted to come home. But after some popcorn and a movie he fell fast asleep – not thinking of us until the next morning, and then only fleetingly until they brought on the doughnuts.



We pulled him away from the doughnuts to go to the museum on Saturday to see the new dinosaur exhibit... and as always it is one of my greatest joys to hear Jude talk about all these dinosaurs I can't even pronounce.



Thursday night was the year-end program at High Plains Christian school and I got the chance to see my 9 favorite adolescents (I could write a book about how NOT good I am with this age group) perform a fun little “science” play that I wrote. They did a good job and I am just evil enough that I took great pleasure in seeing them all in outrageous costuming.



We spent Sunday afternoon and part of this afternoon out at Bethesda and Jude is back on his four-wheeler and Jude and the Lowery kids christened the beginning of pool season. (Notice Tom is the only adult in the pool and that he has a wet suit on). It’s unbelievable the way kids can deal with the cold.

Summer upon me…

As I planted my peas this year I knew what to expect – for them to shrivel and die by a sudden heat wave … none-the-less summer is shocking my system. One week ago we had a hard freeze and consistently cold weather – this week every day it is forecasted to be above 90. I don’t know how one is suppose to garden in these conditions – and more urgently I don’t know how one is suppose to sleep in these conditions – and even more urgently I don’t know how one is supposed to sleep while pregnant when I must adjust from a 60 degree house to a 82 degree bedroom all in one week.
Now, we have suggested an attic fan to the landlord (to which she replied, “Oh I guess that would be a good idea – although my grandmother did just fine without it and I lived without air-conditioning or attic fan through all of my pregnancies and hung cloth diapers on the line.” Ahh, thank you for the guilt trip… as if I don’t feel wimpy enough … in fact I wrote a whole theology of pregnancy on how humbling the experience is if anyone would like a copy.) Anyway, another friend also suggested wearing wool sweaters until it hits 100 – that way anything over 101 you can just shed layers. Or, she thought perhaps I should just wet a sheet and wrap myself in it – at least that is how they cool off in all of the arid climates around the world that can afford no luxuries. Yes, I know I need more pampering than 99.999999% of all pregnant women who have ever lived.
Over all I just lay in bed itching (I think maybe a weird pregnancy symptom), uncomfortable (a normal symptom), hot, and getting up to pee every 2 hours just to make sure I get no sleep… thankfully my girlfriends and I just finished a very inspiring book on intercessory prayer… so I pray for people while I lay awake at night… and sadly that puts me right to sleep. (So if you have prayer requests feel free to send them my way and if you have any more “wonderful” ideas on how to “enjoy” a pregnant summer – you can keep those to yourself.)


In other news this week my friend Circle came back from San Francisco for her college graduation and to be baptized – a super cool thing!


(Circle with all of the kids she has purchased Chinese garb for)

Jarod and Jude got a ticket because apparently it is illegal to have a kid ride a motorcycle in front of you (only on the back)(This is not written anywhere so we are just wanting to make it common knowledge for anyone else interested in getting their kid on a bike. And for all of you that have been praying for Jude's safety - a prayer has been answered - it just cost a pretty penny).

(Preparing for a ride on the motorcycle... one of his last until he is 10!)

And the picnics have continued… so much so that I have decided to keep a running tally this summer and as of right now the picnic/potluck count is 8 (5 of which included hot dogs).


(Just a cute photo of Jude and some friends helping mom plant corn in their garden)

let the picnics begin

I’m not feeling well tonight, maybe due to the fact that this week has been filled with 4 potluck picnics - which has translated into WAY too many hot dogs (as if one isn’t way too many).
Seriously, it has been a great week, with a final night of AWANA which included a giant moon walk thingy (that somehow deflated when Jude was at the very top of the slide and he sunk so far into the middle I couldn’t see his head) (See video for view of said death trap).



Then we had a surprise party for our friend Katie out at my parent’s place – which again brought hot dogs and many children.







Saturday morning was beautiful weather for a motorcycle ride with my parents and some friends – we rode an hour to a town that was supposed to have a great restaurant (which closed 5 years ago) and we ended eating fried “bar food” to “balance out” the hot dog diet from the night before.)



Saturday evening found us at a potluck with Jarod’s co-workers – and a whole new group of children… who Jude didn’t play with at all because they had a large screen TV to which he was glued the entire night (our strict no TV policy seems to be failing.) Sunday we went to another potluck – way out in the middle of no-where. I got the girls from the Mary Elizabeth home there no problem but my directions were lacking and Jarod and Jude ended up taking another motorcycle ride to the little town with the bar food – SO NOT near the potluck!
Tonight we had our usual Monday night dinner with Jarod’s family and although it was perfect weather for a picnic and BBQ – I made Chinese.
This last video clip is a gratuitous lunch scene… just the daily norm for our ALWAYS VERBAL 3 year old… after the clip ends it just goes on and on and on and then he spills his milk… and then it goes on and on and on….



Oh and finally Jarod and his brother are fiber glassing custom seats for their motorcycles. The last time I was pregnant he fiber glassed a custom surfboard - I am beginning to think that he likes finding a particularly toxic hobby during my pregnancies - just to assure some time away from me :).

compost to consumption

Our house, built in two stages – early 1900’s and 1940’s – is accompanied by a large and well-established yard. It wasn’t until recently that I learned “lawns” and “landscaping” didn’t exist until the 1950’s when suburbs proliferated. Before then a yard was a garden – and our landlady’s grandmother was quite the gardener. Our landscaping consists mostly of scrap metal, salvaged fencing, cinder blocks and old advertising and real estate signs that she formed into a compost trough. At first I wanted to throw it all out but slowly and surely our landlady convinced me of their infinite value – and I have now even added my own salvaged garbage to assist in the gardening.
For the last two springs Jude and I have sifted compost from the trough through a homemade sifter into buckets – it has been quite the bonding process and now six weeks later Jude is enjoying the fruits of his labor… radish after radish… covered in compost – just like his little body…
Now if we could just conquer the crop of dandelions that is our lawn. Jarod was reading online for an organic method of extermination and the best he could come up with was “Eat them.” Any other thoughts?

P.S. I think that if any political candidate would promise to put an 80-year-old farm wife in charge of conservation and the national budget I would vote for that person on the spot. Last month Jarod’s grandma offered to eat a dead pigeon just to keep it from going to waste.