E. A. S. and Mother Nature

This is what it looked like around 9:30 p.m. at our house. (these pictures are not mine - just some off the Internet.) We were getting ready to put the boys in bed for the evening when the tornado sirens (about 9:15) in our community sounded for the first time. So we gathered ourselves, our shoes, and a portable radio and headed for the basement. Which is were we spent the next three and a half hours. Listening to the multiple (and I mean multiple) updates. The original warning was to expire at 9:45p.m. But it was extend multiple times as one wave of storms passed over after another. And one area or county after another was added to the list. All of these storms produced instant warnings rather than watches or advisories. For all of you who are unaware of how the national weather service issues weather statements - there are three types: advisory( kind of the FYI of the group), then watches ( this is where conditions are looking more favorable for a certain event) and finally a Warning (the said event is eminent or occurring). For most weather related events you would start at an advisory and move up. But not last night - we went directly to a warning - or rather several - including flash flood, flood, severe thunderstorm, and tornado. It made for a very long night. The announcers on the radio were receiving new information so quickly that they had trouble keeping up. They would go to relate updates and be interrupted by a new E. A. S. broadcast (for those of you who are not familiar with the name E. A. S. it stands for Emergency Alert System - this is broadcast over both T.V. and radio - it is started and ended by a loud buzz/beep that gets your attention).

The first picture is one of a super cell thunderstorm - when these form you get severe thunderstorm warnings and often tornado warnings.

This is a picture of a funnel cloud - there were multiple reports of funnel clouds throughout the three and a half hour period. For those of you who may not know you can have a funnel cloud without actually having a tornado - a funnel cloud must touch the ground for it to be a tornado.

This picture is of a rotating wall cloud - tornadoes will touch down from or directly around the rotation of the wall cloud. To our delight (not) we had a rotating wall cloud pass directly over a portion of our little community. The worst part was all this is taking place in the dark - which makes all of these features much more difficult to see - the storm spotters where using brief flashes of lightning to determine what they where seeing.

On a good note was the teaching moment that occurred a little while after going to the basement. As we were listening to the various reports coming in our boys realized that one of the reports was of a possible tornado touching down just outside of a nearby community were some of our good friends live. They kept asking repeatedly if D.,N. and D, were okay. We kept telling them there was no official confirmation to what we had heard. But still they kept asking - obviously worried. Finally, I told them that if they were that worried we need to say a pray asking Our Heavenly Father to watch over and protect those of our friends, family, and ward members who were in the path of these storms. Let me tell you there is nothing greater than the faith of a child or listening to your six year old petition the Lord for his protecting hand for all those that he is worried about. After the prayer they ceased to worry about anything but when we could go upstairs to bed. So Bro. and Sis. F. we were thinking about you last night.
And at long last, 12:40a.m. to be exact we were finally able to come up to bed. There were still thunder storms in the area - but the warning for us had finally been allowed to expire.

Sweet Sixteen!!!!

 

Sixteen years ago today - I married my best Friend!! Happy Sixteenth Del.!!

What Can't You Be.......?????!

Conversation between K.J. and his dad.
Dad: "Do you like it when people call you names?"
K.J. - relutant shake of head "no"
Dad: "How do you think it makes others feel when you call them names?"
K.J. "Sad"
Dad: "That's right it just makes others feel sad"
K.J. "When they call me names it makes me feel like there are things I can't be"
Dad: "K.J. that's not true. You can be anything you want"
K.J: "No you can't dad, you can't be anything"
Dad: "Well, K.J. what do you think you can't be?"
K.J: "Dad, I can't be a WORM!"

As his Mom I beg to differ - I think he makes a great worm!!! What do you think?!

Kindergarten Graduation!!!

Yesterday was K.J.'s graduation ceremony from Kindergarten. He is excited to be completing his first full year of school. He is ready to move on - don't know if mom is though???

K.J. with his kindergarten teacher - Miss G.

 

Kindergarten performing.

 

K.J. with the principle Mrs. J.

 

K.J. with one of the aides in his classroom - Mrs. A.

 

K.J. has worked so hard this year and has accomplished alot. We are so proud of him. I know he will do a great job in first grade. He's ready - even if mom is not. Congradulations K.J. - our Kindergarten Graduate!!!!

Fourth Grade Recognition!!

Yesterday was J.D.'s fourth grade graduation/recognition. Here in our district children move to middle school starting with the fifth grade. So each year the fourth graders have a special program at the end of the school year in honor of the completion of elementary school.

 

J.D. and his flower for the parents.

 

J.D. and his home room teacher Mr. H.

 

J.D. and the other fourth grade teacher Ms.T.

J. is going to miss his elementary school but is looking forward to moving on to middle school. Although I'm not sure that Mom is?! Congratulation to our Fourth Grader!!