Storm Clean-Up - Sunday

Jay and I were dreading the tree clean-up that was going to be necessary in our yard. But we received a pleasant surprise. The City of Coon Rapids came to our neighborhood with big dump trucks and a crew to clean-up people's yards. They cut down trees and moved everything to the curb. The trucks came along and with a large claw picked up everything all hauled it away. Eric was enthralled by the process and watched for a very long time. Jonathan and I were busy raking up the small stuff in the yard and throwing it in the dump trucks. Clean-up took place all day long, and we eventually got used to the constant buzzing of the chain saws. It was amazing how quickly the neighborhood was cleaned up. And if the drive-by gawkers would have stopped and helped things would have happened even more quickly.

Our Home's Storm Damage

We lost one medium sized tree in the front yard. The tree fell in the only spot it could have fallen in order to avoid the house and our new garden and its plants. Our grill was found all over the neighborhood in mangled pieces. The kids plastic swimming pool is m.i.a. Our neighbor had his neighbor's patio table fly into his home and make a huge whole in the side of his house. His brand new gas grill was mangled and twisted. Jonathan made me a pot for Mother's Day and planted petunias from seed. The pot was found in one piece on the other side of our driveway but the petunia's were totally gone from the pot. We have filed an insurance claim but the adjustor hasn't been out to our house. Dare I hope for new windows (possible)? A new roof (doubtful)? New siding (doubtful)? New soffits and fascia (necessary)? Please pray with us that the claim is filed quickly and that there is a positive outcome for our situation. I am very thankful I still have a house that is standing and that we are all safe.

An Eventful Sunday Afternoon

Yesterday as the kids and I pulled into our driveway, the very dark black storm clouds released its deluge of rain. And while we were piling out of the car in the garage the tornado siren went off. I rushed the kids into the house and down into the basement. In a mode of panic I ran back upstairs to close the windows in the kitchen and dining room. While attempting to perform that feat, the screens blew off the crank out windows and onto the floor. The ceiling light in the kitchen was swaying in the wind and leaves, sticks and all kinds of guck was blowing into the house. After seeing the kids pool go sailing through the air along with some other toys and the screens I realized being upstairs wasn't the best idea I've ever had. I ran downstairs to be with the kids. The lights were working so I tried the t.v. to see what was going on. There was a tornado spotted about two miles away at the time but I believe it made it's way over our house while I was upstairs like a goon. We lost two trees and have fascia and soffit damage along the back of the house. Several windows and screens are mangled so that they no longer work. Our neighborhood lost many, many beautiful trees, large and small. The neighborhood looks so different already. It's sad. One neighbor lost five trees just in his yard and one unfortunately landed on his home. We are all safe and very fortunate because I believe the tornado didn't touch down here. It seems it just passed over just above the ground in some manner or something. We have a pocket of damage like three blocks north of us, three blocks east and one block south that received damage. Very strange. No other damage after that small area. Anyway, another community only 9 miles away didn't fair so well. 50 homes were flattened and about 250-300 homes damaged in Hugo, Minnesota. Photos from the area are very shocking. If you wish to view photos from Hugo there is a Photo Gallery on startribune.com and fox9news.com.
The photos at the beginning of this page are from my neighborhood in Coon Rapids.

First Tooth Lost

Jonathan lost his first tooth at the gym yesterday. He got in the car, smiled and I noticed. He had no idea that it was gone. So much for the anticipated trauma and blood. Haha. Since we didn't have the tooth I told Jonathan he could write a note to the tooth fairy and put that under his pillow. The boy is wise however and said that the tooth fairy isn't real. He said there is no magic. And if there is no magic how could a tooth fairy get here from a magical land? That is a good question. Anyway, despite his disbelief, this morning when he got up he was pretty excited about the dollar under his pillow. Tooth fairy inflation.

Poor Birdie

We found a dead finch in our yard this evening. The boys were very curious about it so we discussed reasons why it may have died i.e. old age, illness, or an accident (think flying into a window). They were very concerned but not frightened nor upset by the experience. Eric wanted to touch and feel the bird. Jonathan was concerned about its disposal. Jay decided we would bury it by the pond. Jonathan carried the bird down to the pond on a dust pan and Jay dug the hole. Very gently Jonathan placed the bird in the hole and then Jay covered the bird with dirt. While walking away from the burial site Eric asked me if the bird was sad. I told him the bird was not sad any more. In a voice of wisdom Eric replied that the bird wasn't happy either. How does a three-year old understand death? It was pretty funny.

P.S. Later on, Jay and Jonathan put a marker on the grave that said R.I.P. Jonathan added his own name to the stick. Although I haven't seen the marker, I believe it now says R.I.P. Jonathan. Hmmmm, that doesn't sound quite right. Jay explained to me that because Jonathan found the bird and took care of burying it and because he was sad, he wanted his name on the stick. A child's logic explained. I feel better.