BIG HAIL STORM

We had a very bad storm last night about 9 pm and we spent part of the night hiding in our storm closet. The bad part also was that Jeff was still at work and did not get home until this morning. I am glad he was not driving home in this!

We had 3-6 inches of hail that ended up in our city. Luckily our car was in the garage, but it stripped the leaves off everything and the mulch from the flower beds is somewhere far away by now. It all looks like a science fiction scene. Since we live downhill from our back neighbors, we had a river running through the backyard. We were very lucky that all none of the windows broke, but some of the solar screens covering them will need repair .I could not open the front door when it was over because it was too deep. The city had to bring in bull dozers to clear the ice off the streets and it is piled up on the curbs.

There are leaves plastered all over the walls and overhangs of every house. The wooden fence looks like someone took a chain to it and had a great time. We will have to see if it will need to be replaced. Today it is nice and cool with a beautiful blue sky. The kids are off school and still downstairs sleeping....they get to sleep on the floor of our room during bad storms.

Thank God we and all of our neighbors are alright!!!!

This is now clean up time. The roofers are out all over the neighborhood but we feel that ours is OK for now...besides they predict another storm on Tuesday! Yes, we are ready for another round since we have had so much practice so far.

4th grade Austin trip

Upon making it to the 4th grade, all of the schools send their 4th grade classes to the state capital. They study the government, having a study guide with them that they have to fill out for a grade. They also get to tour the capital and the government chambers and a museum. They get to ride a fancy charter bus with a bathroom and TV in them....of course they all had to try out the bathroom on wheels. They were the gold team which included 5 girls and two boys and two parents.

Ruth had a great time and was totally tired when she got home. . . just in time for the storm

Ruth's birthday party, etc

We had Ruth's 10th birthday party. Three of her friends came for the even, including time on the trampoline. Then they did karaoke singing upstairs. We had a yummy ice cream cake from Kroger's, and they all spent the night, getting quiet around 1 am....I was long asleep by then. Jeff said that he was almost into bed when her heard a crash! We had put a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs to keep the animals from waking the girls up, and the girls knocked it down for their second midnight food raid.

When I went upstairs in the morning to get them up, they were sleeping in the chair! NOT on the nice mats I made on the floor in the game room. There was also evidence that at some time, they moved their sleeping bags into Ruth's room, and left them there, trying so nicely not to wake Sara up. The next morning needless to say, they were quite tired and a little stiff.....good thing they are young because if I had done this, I am sure I would need to have my whole body professionally straightened out. LOL! We finished the party off with the usual donuts.

Ruth now has a respiratory infection and has begun antibiotics...the only problem is that since she began the meds, she has a daily nose bleed and her gums have turned purple. She has one more day and I will need to tell the Dr. that next time, she will need something else.

In the mean time, Sara played their game on Sat and they won 5-0. Sara was playing forward for the first time and almost made a goal. I stayed home with Ruth.