B was here!

Grandpa and Grandma got B for two and a half days! An overnighter! What fun. Well, at least for us. 

Wayne and Nancy participated in their good friends' wedding on Saturday so B came Friday mid-afternoon. On Saturday, Doug was on the road with the Beetles and I was home with Andy, Jose and B when the tornado sirens went off in the late afternoon. I knew we were in a thunderstorm watch but found out, after a quick listen to the radio, that we were in a tornado warning. IT was also summerfest weekend in Fergus Falls and the parade was starting soon. 

The sirens quit and the radio announced that the sirens went off to get people out of downtown. The parade was postponed. I told the boys that the next time the sirens went off, we were going to the basement. Jose was in charge of the flashlight and Andy, the blankets. 

So the sirens went off and when I hollared the boys, they gave a muffled answer. Both seemed to have beamed directly to the basement! I didn't hear them go past the kitchen. Can't get them to go anywhere, the usually plod along but tell them get thee to the basement because a tornado is coming and ZOOMMMMMM. Lickety split! 

And here I was with Breiden and my radio! WE all got to the basement, the three dogs were put in the kennel and we laid a blanket on the floor then put a blanket over our heads. I had the radio station on and in mid report, it went to just static. Not a good sign. Breiden started to whimper. For some strange reason he didn't appreciate the blanket! No peek a boo! Jose gave him the flashlight and suddenly he had a pretty neat toy! 

We could hear the wind but soon the sirens ended and, when we got up, the sun was shining! We just had big winds and rain when the worst of the storm passed overhead. Lots of branches down around the city but no tornado touchdown. It had been spotted just miles west of Fergus Falls. 

And through this experience I learned how fast we can prepare for severe weather in our house AND how fast the boys can move when they so desire! 

Even Nancy and Wayne and JP and Julie (Julie was a personal attendant at the wedding and Wayne and Nancy read scripture) had to go to the basement of reception hall as Fargo-Moorhead also had a thunderstorm/tornado warning! They spent an hour in the basement...and everyone was just getting their food! 

Wayne and Nancy text messaged me asking if B could stay another night because it was very late when they left the reception. No problem! But when Wayne picked him up the next morning, B immediately waved good bye! Grandpa and Grandma are great but there's nothing like mom and dad! !!!!

rain rain go away

We're starting to grow gills here!

It seems we rarely have three days of pure sunshine. The sun makes brief appearances but rain is sure to pour at some time in the day.

Farmers can't get in the fields, baling the alfalfa is a challenge and the lawn is growing by leaps and bounds!

But Jose has had two soccer games!

At his team's first game, he scored several goals and had an assist as they won 4 to 1!

They just played Thief River Falls, an almost three hour drive one way, and he scored one goal and was a good defender, moving the ball and challenging the other team. The Fergus Falls Cyclones tied the score at 4 to 4. Good job, Jose!

Andy's summer is VERY busy. I was unsure how his summer would go now that he is too old for the youth rec league and he didn't sign up for any church league ball but he's earning money (yay) working at Take 5 and mowing lawn for our good friends, Brian and Elaine. Yep. The lawnmowing has kept him quite busy!

Jose is enjoying time with friends and will have to get our own lawn cut soon! Very soon!

All the kids were over on Sunday for dinner and painting. We got everything done except for a few touch ups. It sure makes the outside house appearance much more pleasing. Now we need to do some major yardwork, get the fence down and repositioned so the "girls" (the three dogs) can have some good play area. The fence all the way around the property is a bit forboding!

Then there are indoor painting projects, work indoors, etc. etc. etc. If it isn't one thing, it's the other, isn't it? Summer is such a busy time especially when we Minnesotans have about two months of it!

Doug is busy driving the Beetles baseball team around. The other night, Ottertail Coaches took as many employees as wanted to, to one of the Beetles home games. It was a fun time although it was a tad cool!

Doug and I also celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary at Bella's on Broadway. Wayne recommended the restaurant and it was great! Good food and good company...we were able to get away alone as a couple.

My summer is also busy with work. Lots of cattle shows to cover, dairy princesses to interview and fun rural places to visit. travel. travel. travel. And all of that with almost $4 gas! Yikes!

busy busy busy

Ahhhh. Summer starts and we're off to the races!

Andy is working at Take 5 for now, the convenience store that has employed just about every member of the Stender family except for Jose and me...well, I guess I did help Doug out a time or two but I DIDN'T GET PAID FOR IT! Just out of the goodness and kindness of my heart....

Jose is in a traveling youth soccer team and they have been practicing for their first game this week. Doug signed Jose up but, yesterday, before a parent's meeting I was to attend, Doug said he didn't know if the size he signed Jose up for would actually fit him. In the first place, Jose has grown. He's as tall as if not taller than me. And secondly, Doug doesn't know sizes.

When the coach handed out uniforms last night, he called Jose's name, said adult small and looked doubtful! He told Jose to put on the uniform right there so we could check the size and it fit. No, it's not skin hugging but we don't want me to wash it at all for his roughly two month season. Me, the ever loving shrinker would surely get that thing down another size or two if I tried to clean it! So I won't me washing it. Afterall, why DID they make febreeze if not for such cases?!

Okay, all you moms out there, I AM just kidding! Not by much, though.

Wayne and Nancy had a nice day out for their third anniversary! They went to Fargo to visit some coffee shops and to see their friends, Tom and Kelly. Doug and I had Breiden and Kian for the evening. What a night of joy. Kian, though, grew very tired of grandma and grandpa and wanted mom and dad...especially mom because she could feed him. We talked for quite a while and Breiden pulled all the kleenix out of a brand new box I'd just opened. Nancy gasped. I told her this way we don't have to go through all the bother of pullling the kleenix out ourselves!

They did enjoy their time together.

Wayne did a lot of the painting of our house. It looks sooo much better now. What a fresh coat of paint can do....And JP came over last night to help with some fans we want to get in the attic. Ahhh. older homes. They are a handyman's joy. At least someone is pleased with all the work!

I got the annuals planted. I figured since it is June, the chances are good it might not snow again this summer. Of course, who thought we'd have that BIG snow in April!