A Memorial Poppy Day

Jayme and Trey took last week to go on their delayed honeymoon. They headed to LasVegas and sunshine. On Monday, Memorial Day, I got to spend the day with Poppy while her mom worked. So...

we went out to breakfast. She found a Captain America toy in Boden's car seat in my car so she thought he needed to come in with us.

She was determined to put whipped cream on that grape so she worked very hard at it.

Eventually, Captain America was fed the waffle. Our table was a mess but we had fun.

Then we went over to her house to hang out. Bryan was working at Ashley's making a shelf out of a window that looked into her garage. So Poppy and I went over so Poppy could see Dave, Ashley's cat, and Ashley but not "Youd Grandpa" (Loud Grandpa bacause he is always using tools and he's "youd". She will warm up some day. So she chased Dave around the backyard for a long time. 

Get ready...lots of Grandma pictures coming...

You can't see him but Dave is in the wood pile.

Her princess dress up dress was not ideal for climbing on logs but she looked good doing it.

She and Ashley had to investigate Ashley's garden.

She picked some dandilions.

Then we went in and she spelled words on the fridge at Ashley's, That corner of window you see in the top right is the window Bryan took and and made into recessed shelving. I will have to get a picture of it completed. I forgot to get one that day.

She picked out some pink polish and had Ashley do her nails. It was such a fun day with her and Ashley. Poppy's mom came and got her late afternoon. I made some ribs and chicken for supper and Bobbi and Travis came over to Ashley's to eat with us. We played lawn darts. The old school metal dangerous ones. I had found a set at a garage sale and on the box the person had put a sticker and written "DANGER DANGER DANGER" It made me laugh. I had actually forgotten how fun that game is.

As you can see I did not take photos and I should have.

The week seemed to fly by. Friday I mowed the lawn at Jayme and Trey's because this wet weather makes for some fast growing grass. Then I did some clean up and landscape in the front. 

At least the weeds are gone. 

Saturday Bryan and I headed to Omaha to pick Trey and Jayme up at the airport. They sent me this picture when they were on the plane. Crazy kids.

I am in the busyness of Esprit so that takes up a lot of time but always worth it. 

PRCA Rodeo, Mud, Kids and Junk...

The rodeo was in town the weekend of the 15th so we went with our friends, Chan and Brenda. Our seats were row 2 right by the bucking shoots. They were great seats but we did have several mud slinging incidents. One bucking horse flung a large chunk and it hit Bryan right in the chest. Then twice during the bull riding he got hit and once I got hit in the face with a chunk. But hey, it's a rodeo, what can you expect? 

It was a fun evening.

Sunday the 17th, Travis and some friends came out to fish. Bobbi came out later with some sandwhiches for them. So I said if we went around on the EZ-GO we would be closer to where they were. We started around and it was muddy but we were going ok. Then we got to the side of the pond where they were and it was worse. I said we should turn around so we did and that's when we got royally stuck in the mud. We slogged our muddy selves back to the house, told Bryan, he got the tractor and headed over to where we were stuck. He had us out in seconds. We had some major EZ-GO cleaning to do as well as ourselves. The guys never got their lunch. 

But it was good for a laugh. 

Monday, May 18 I finally got the lawn mowed. It was getting close to needing to be baled. So much rain. 

Also Bryan hung the hammock swing up for me.

Very comfy and relaxing. I'm hoping for some warm days on which to use it.

Tuesday, May 19 Poppy and I got to hang out together. Always a joy! She learned the vacuum wasn't scarey and then she just kept wanting to vacuum. Their basement carpet got really clean.

Wednesday, May 20 Boden and I came out here to hang out. Our last hurrah before the kids got out of school for the summer. I was making a cake for Bobbi and the ladies at the salon and he said, "I better taste that to make sure it's good, then if it isn't you can start over."

Thursday, May 21 The last day of school for Amiah and Hudson. Amiah graduated 5th grade. Poppy came to hang out with Boden and I so we all went to the graduation. They look like little ragamuffins. They were drug from their play outside to this as you can tell they are thrilled...

At one point she wanted Boden to hold her hand so this is how he held it...

Maybe we need to work on that skill. 

I had made them some last day of school cookies. Boden's face! Oh I love these kids!

Saturday, May 23 Bryan didn't have to preach so we spur of the moment decided to go to a flea market in Brownville. Ashley came out and went with us. It was huge! I had no idea it would be that big. 

It was all over the whole town. Ashley and I did some quality people watching. And a lot of laughing. Because we saw some quality art work....

Bryan found an old porch swing that was in great condition and when he asked the lady how much she said "Oh give me $40." SOLD - then about 5 people asked her if they could buy it right after we did. Usually they are in the hundreds.

He hung it up the other night so we sat out there and enjoyed the evening. 

My peonies bloomed and were beautiful. They bloom this color then every day they get progressively lighter until they are completely white then the petals fall off. I should have taken pictures of the color change. 

This golden moved in across the pond from us. Everyday he swims across to visit Oliver and Mae. 

Oli seriously thinks he could take him...I'd hate to burst his bubble. 

Rain, rain go away...

I want to use my new lawn mower...

33 years of marriage later we actually own a brand new lawn mower. Not one that someone was getting rid of and asked if we wanted it, not one that was built out of 3 old lawn mowers that someone was getting rid of and asked if Bryan wanted them for parts and he built one out of all three that has lasted 15 years...Happy Mother's Day to me. While he was in Israel I was trying to start the old lawnmower to do the trimming and when I pulled to start it, it locked up and the pull start handle slammed into my hand and bruised it and caused my right arm to not want to work for a few days. So when Bryan got home he went to start it for me and, minus the bruises and pain, it did the same thing to him. He just looked at me and said "Maybe after 33 years it is time to get a lawn mower you can actually use." I fell to my knees and...not really, I was on gravel it would have hurt but let me just say I almost danced back to the house. It came yesterday and I want to use it but we are getting this again...

That's right, flooding rains. We did have one sunny day this week on Tuesday and it took me 4 hours with the riding mower to mow the lawn. It was so thick and deep. Usually it takes me 1 hour. I had to mow over each part 4 times to get it cut. I got a nice tan and since it was a lovely day I loved being outside. Planted a few zinnias. I need a bunch more but it's a bit wet to plant right now so...

A farmer friend gave Bryan a huge posthole digger that attaches to a tractor PTO and said he just didn't have the tools or time to fix it so if Bryan wanted it he could have it. That is talking Bryan's language. He, of course, fixed it, built a rack to store it on and is just waiting for the ground to dry so he can move the fence to put in a shed to store the mowers and lawn equipment in. 

He also surprised me by telling me that he will build a playhouse (I have mourned the one that he built the girls, which we had to leave behind when we moved to Lincoln, for years!) when he is done with the shed. I am super excited about this. I realize that it isn't the one that was so much a part of the girl's chiildhood but it just is something that I have wanted for so long. The kids who come out here will love it. I think we are going to put it across from the basement door on a deck with the back facing the pond so that the front door faces the house. Anyway something fun to look forward to! 

Took this picture of Bobbi and Travis' dogs, Jax and Josie, the other day when Bryan was over there,
with Travis, trying to fix the back of their house to prevent more flooding. Hopefully it has helped because it is a day to test the work...

First Hail Then Floods...

What is next? An infestation of frogs? I HOPE not. The hail was Sunday evening. I called the insurance company Monday, the adjuster came out Tuesday and about 6 contractors soliciting business...our friend who is a builder came and told us that our roof is totaled, our facia, our gutters and down spouts, the shed, some siding...the list goes on. Then on Tuesday night the clouds blackened again, the lightening flashed the thunder roared (all at once and quite violently) At 8:30 the tornado sirens were going off in Lancaster County. It was pouring rain. That warning ended at 9:45. The rain kept pouring. Then we went to bed and it was just one of those nights where you are uneasy in your sleep. So much thunder and lightening that the air seems a weird electric. Then at 11:30 the sirens went off in Firth again and my phone rang it was a friend from Lincoln saying it's right over us and to get to the basement. Bobbi sent a text saying that water was pouring into their basement (which they had just gotten done remodeling! Nothing like a flood on new carpet...) The weather service kept sending warnings to my phone and our electricity was off so in the pitch black with our cell phone flashlights we made our way to the basement. I was grateful that I had gotten the storeroom cleaned because that is also our tornado shelter. Finally we went back up to bed at about 12:30. In the morning I had a text from Bobbi at 1:30 saying that they were in the emergency room. I needed more information than that!! Turns out Travis had cut his finger while trying to fix a gutter that had come off in the storm and needed stitches.

Not a night they would want to repeat...

And I woke to this...

This was off the railroad bridge. I had to stop on my way to work and snap a picture. 

Amazing but true. When I drove home that night from town all of the water had receded from our pasture except for a few low spots. The pond has been full to overflowing all Spring so far.  

Bobbi and Travis had to pull out the pad under the carpet and take it out but they have been able to vacuum up the water out of the carpet.

So much rain! 

Thursday night we were sitting on the deck eating supper and enjoying a brief period of warmth and no rain and then the sky did this,

I don't like any clouds that just drop down in an instant...and the wind turned cold. Not a good sign for a calm night.

I just said "I am going in. I can't handle another night like Tuesday night." But it blew on past to the east. 

Yesterday was, of course, Mother's Day. We had all planned to have supper at Ashley's. Saturday she and Jayme both came down with a really bad cold so we put it off to next weekend. At noon it POURED more rain but fortunately it wasn't hours of it.

My dad sent me this picture of my mom. Great picture, amazing woman. She is on the mend from having a cancer removed from her scalp. Grateful it wasn't worse than it was because, believe me, it was bad enough! That picture won't be on here!

 So Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you.

One Hail of a Storm.

You know, I had to do that. 

Yesterday we went to church, I had Esprit and then after that we all went out to eat for Jayme's birthday. We met up at Chedders and it was starting to pour rain. That kept up the whole time we ate. At about 8 p.m. we all headed our seperate ways. Bryan and I were both in town in our own vehicles. So off we went in the pouring rain. As I got outside of Hickman the hail started to really hammer my car. Not huge but there was tons. I just kept driving because I wanted to get home. The hail just got more and more intense but not any bigger. Then as I got to the turning at the dirt road there was no more hail and I just had to stop and take a picture of this view.

But if you look in the middle of the picture you will see there is a swirl of dust right by that farm. OH maybe I should get home. 

One more.

I got home as the rain was starting back up. Just as I pulled into the garage I heard a huge bang like a gun shot on the garage door. The sky opened up and the hail came down for 20 minutes. Hammering our house, barn and everything. The horses didn't like the noise on the metal roof so they were running around the pasture...getting hit by golfball size hail. Good grief.

The white spots on the pond are the hail stones making huge splashes.

This was after 5 minutes. 

I went out during the storm on the front porch and grabbed this before dashing back in.

Then when it was done I went and got these.

The yard was covered with them. Fortunately there was no wind with this storm so the hail was coming almost straight down. 

Today I went out to see how much got damaged.

Front porch down spout.

One of my bird houses.

Mirror on the pickup.

Also the windshield of the pickup. The only vehicle that was outside, thank goodness.

We have a call in to have someone come and look at our roof. OH joy. This morning when I looked at my car I did have some damage to the roof and hood. But it could have been so much worse had I been even 5 seconds slower to drive into the garage. Hail, Nebraska....that song takes on a whole new meaning.