Stormy Weather

Sunday my husband learned that a good friend had been put in the hospital awaiting a quadruple by-pass (sp?) after a routine check with his heart doctor (I didn't want to try to spell that one!). He wanted to go visit him at the hospital about a half hour from here, but the news was calling for severe thunderstorms, so I decided I should stay home with the boys. A few minutes after Mike left, he called to say there were tornado warnings moving our way in front of this storm. I forgot to ask him if he was turning around to come home, but I assumed he was. Last week, after hearing about all the tornados hitting the South, I had pulled out our "Emergency Kit" which I had packed a few years ago to see what needed updated (NO, there are NOT 5 year old crackers and fruit snacks in this kit, food would be seperate). I had made it when it was just me and the boys so I figured I should have stuff in there now for Mike and I knew the boys clothes in there were definately the wrong size. Let's just say this week we are in is our "Update the Emergency Plan and Kit" week. Anyway, I had the boys grab the boxes and take them to the basement. I got out the gallons of bottled water and some food to go, then a few more essensials - my purse, laptop, weather radio and headed down. Still no Mike. A couple calls to his cell during our preperation time (we had about an hour) either got me no answer or once the lines must have crossed and the little old lady who answered had no idea who Mike was. I finally got him as the storm was gone and he was ready to head home. He told me he figured that he was going to a hospital, he would be safe. "Yes, Dear, the tall buildings with lots of glass ALWAYS get passed by in a tornado!"

My Baby

Yesterday my baby turned 12. Compared to the drama of his brother's birth, Pete was easy. No long labor - he was a scheduled C-section, so no labor at all. No middle of the night trip to the hospital - as I said, we planned the time and he was born at 10:58 AM. No wonder of the gender - we knew we were having another boy. No health surprises - I made the ultra sound tech check several times for birth defects he could see. The doctor had told me he would be a big baby - not so, he was just long : 21 inches, 6 lbs 12 oz. Pete has always been my cuddler. He is the one who will sit on the couch with me even now, sharing a blanket with his head on my shoulder. He is also the one who looks like me, although where his stubborn streak came from, I don't know! My last year to have a non- teenager. Sighhhh.

And He Cried

When we were married, we ended up with 2 campers. Mike owned a small, old one - maybe 12 feet long, built in the 1950's. He had bought it after a tree fell on it and re-built it, living in it for a while while he was building his house. I had a 24 foot, 2004, with bunk beds and a master bedroom. Obviously, with a family of 4, mine is the one we use. Last year, he had looked into giving his away to someone in exchange for helping with our "Dawdy House" (or for those of you NOT living in Amish country, Mother-In-Law's cottage") building project. Well, the apartment he is building for his parents was put on hold while we got the apartement house done and rented. Now we are back on it, so that man was again contacted. Yes, he was still interested. So, now the camper is gone. I could tell it made Mike sad as we were getting it around to leave, and I think he may have shed a tear as it left the driveway. The end of an era.

The Garden

Well, after a week of hard work, we have 2 flower beds at the front of the house now. We roto-tilled, I picked out stones and clumps of grass, we added top soil, I planted some perennials, Mike planted 2 trees, I put down weed block fabric, we added wood mulch, and I potted lots of annuals and placed pots and garden decor in the beds. Whewww. I'm getting too old - I have a shoulder that is protesting from all the shoveling of dirt and mulch. And we still have the vegitable garden to till and get ready.