I've Seen Fire and I've Seen Rain

Last Thursday was crazy.  We were getting ready to eat dinner, when we started hearing loud sounds like rocks hitting the house.  We looked outside to see hail the size of a quarter.  For the next half an hour, we watched as our garden and yard was pounded.  The garden is history except for the corn.  Our trees look bizarre as one side is thin due to their beating.  Our basement had water due to the hail piling up over the level of the bottom of our window wells.  The hail melted and spilled over into the window itself.  No damage in the basement.  Others were not so lucky.  Roads were washed out.  Voyager Parkway, the road behind our house was closed as there was an area with 4 FEET of water standing.  30 cars along the parkway were stranded and the passengers rescued.  Roads and bridges around town were washed away and this wasn't even around the fire scars.  The fire scar areas were flooded but most of the weather occurred around them rather than over them. My friend Julie Hamilton lost her home as she lived along the creek in Green Mountain Falls.  It has been a crazy, crazy summer in the weather department.

Various Stuff

I realized that I have not mentioned one of the highlights of my summer.  I have always wanted to learn to quilt. Thanks to Deb. Harnly, I got the chance for a great cause.  Calvary Methodist Church wanted to make quilts for families who lost their homes in the Black Forest fire.  They needed lots of help, but I taught on the day they gathered to sew.  Deb said that I could host my own quilting bee and donate the quilts.  I did.  Each Tuesday morning we gathered together, and thanks to Pat and Carm, I learned to quilt.  We were so grateful for Shirlley's donation that allowed us to buy batting for all of the quilts. We ended up donating 10 quilts.   Not bad as many of us were virgin quilt makers.

We are all back in school.  Becca started high school and Laura started her senior year.  I can't believe my babies are so grown up.  I am so proud of both of them. They are beautiful, smart, young ladies. My prayer for them is that they enjoy this time in their lives. Becca came home the first day in tears as she didn't know anyone in her new school.  All was better by the third day. Laura is just excited that this is the beginning of the end.

Michael's Visit

Last summer, Becca came home from camp with her cousin Michael on her heart.  She was determined to get him to Colorado and show him what life could be like without all the many problems he faces at home.  This summer, she remained faithful to what God called her to do and she asked that we bring him to our home and that he go on vacation with us. He did. 

We went to Fort Larimie in Wyoming, to Mount Rushmore, Sylvan Lake, and Devil's Tower.  So beautiful.  It was so much fun for all of us.  We missed Laura, as she was in Japan.  Michael helped us to not miss her quite so much.

God showed up and we had an absolutely awesome time.  Michael wants to come back at Christmas and I truly hope he does.  He is part of us and we love him.  We talked about everything.  I told him that he could make a difference in his life and work his way out of all the troubles at home. I talked to him about how I did it.  I told him that I believed in him and that all the work would be worth it.  It truly was.  He has gone back home and our home is not the same.  We wanted to change his way of thinking and as it turned out, he changed ours. He showed me that I can make the difference in his life. I cannot change his home life, but I can help him change how he deals with it.  We love you Michael.

Summer updates

Laura left for Japan. I was fine until a couple of days later when the momma Barn Swallow lined her babies up on the landing just below our bedroom window.  She coaxed each one off and had them test their wings.  I lost it.  With tears in my eyes I asked Tom "Can our Laura fly?".  She did fly and she flew with her wings strong and wide open.

She came home on the same day we came home from Mount Rushmore.  More on that and pictures to come later.  She was beyond tired due to the time changes.  She gathered us in the living room and gave each of us gifts.  I was given chop sticks.  Tom  was given a bottle of hot sauce.  Becca was given a Japanese sign.  Michael was  here visiting and she gave him Japanese candy.  She bought our family a Japanese doll to add to our doll collection. 

Over the last few weeks, we have learned that she wants to go back to Japan and teach English.  She is also considering doing mission work for a year.  I am so very proud of that girl of mine. We don't often see eye to eye on things, but I know she has a big heart and that she cares for others.

We learned that her host family's father was a fireman, so she was able to tour a Japanese fire house and try on their gear.  She got to go fishing where she was the only one that caught fish.  She  visited many temples and went to high school for a day.  She got to ride the "Bullet Train". She saw so many things that I will never experience and I love visiting Japan through her eyes. 

Before she left, I prayed that Laura's trip to Japan would be life changing for her.  It was.  She experienced a culture totally different than our own.  She had to rely on herself.  We had to let her go.  I knew that she would be different when she got back.  She was.  She was more mature and experienced. I was different too. I was that momma Barn Swallow who nudged her precious babies out on the landing and told them to get out of the nest, test their wings, and fly. 

The great thing about Barn Swallows is that they always return to their nest in the Spring.  The same nest in the very same spot.  Fly Laura, but please come back home from time to time.