So, I still had to go to work for a whole week (well, two half days) after Jesstine was done. It was an easy week though! I even took the kids with me the last day to help me clean up my part of the classroom and help my colleague with some things to prepare the room for the summer. When that was finally done, we enjoyed a few trips to the zoo and some other fun activities! So, here they are (oh and with a few Mother's Day photos added in).
Mother's Day lunch at a Mongolian grill here in town.
Drummer boy.
We had a cul-de-sac party. There was a lot of bad weather that night and we were not even sure that we would be able to have one, but we did! The kids had a good time! It was nice to catch up with old neighbors and meet new ones!
One of the many zoo trips. This one we went with Kylie and Carter!
My brother, Billie (Bully as Emmitt calls him), came through town not too long ago. He brought his girlfriend with him. Jesstine had been sick just that morning, so Stephen stayed home with her and Emmitt and I joined my parents and Billie (and his girlfriend) for dinner. Afterwards, despite it being PAST Emmitt's bedtime, we took a stroll around Veteran's Memorial Park downtown. I snapped this picture. Emmitt LOVES his grandma!
We decorated graves for Memorial Day. This year we went and decorated my grandparents' graves and Babe B.'s.
On Memorial day, Stephen was home so he skated on his rollerblades to the park. I took the kids and a lunch and we had a picnic before we played. The wind was bad that day, so it turned out to be a picnic in Daddy's trunk! It worked!
Yesterday, I took a short trip back to the town I grew up in. The kids came with me and we played at the park there too. I had to get their picture on the iconic stage coach that I used to play on at Jesstine's age. It is currently a hot topic of debate and my be removed because of injuries associated with it.
This morning I did something I have been wanting to do for quite some time! I signed Jesstine up for a ballet/tap dance class at the Y!!!! We need a new leotard, but thanks to my friend Kelly (Kylie's mom), we have shoes and tights!
Earlier today (and all night actually) we had quite a bit of rain. As soon as the thunder was gone and the sun was out, I put the kids in their boots and let them play!
Trying to blow bubbles (don't worry he didn't succeed in putting his face in).
Found some dirt to dig in!
Rainboot footprint!
I am sure you have all heard about the massive EF 5 tornado that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma last week killing 24 people including seven 3rd graders at an elementary school that was decimated. What you may or may not know is that my sister lives and works in Moore. Thankfully her husband had the foresight to work from home that morning (he works in Edmond which is a northern suburb of OKC whereas Moore is a southern suburb of the metro). He was able to get to my nephew (3rd grade) and niece (1st grade) out of school and had barely been home ten minutes when they had to run across the street to the shelter at a neighbor's house. The tornado narrowly (3/4 of a mile) missed them. My sister and her youngest (4.5) were on the opposite side of the interstate and right in the path of the tornado. They were unharmed and were able to quickly reunite with each other. They spent 5 hours trying to make it back home to the rest of the family. Part of that five hours, she was able to drive within two miles of their neighborhood and had to get out and walk (in work clothes with a preschooler in flip flops) only to be told she wasn't allowed into her neighborhood. It would be part of the way through the next day that she was able to reunite with her husband and older children. We are very blessed! That was the worst for them! They were temporarily displaced. They were able to stay at the home of a relative of a relative in Edmond and spent much of their time where my brother-in-law works. After the first night (and before they had all reunited as a family), my sister went to get a few things (clothing, toiletries, etc.) that she needed from Target. She was standing in line with her shoes off lamenting about how much her feet (which were obviously blistered) hurt! The lady behind her overheard and asked if she was from Moore. After briefly telling her story, the woman paid for the entire contents of my sister's cart (totaling nearly $150)!! It was exactly what she needed after such a terrifying night! Since they were displaced, I worked with friends and colleagues and pulled together some money and gift cards so they would not have to pay too much out of pocket to eat. I equally divided it between her and a HS friend of mine who was a little worse off, but still also had a home, but was left with some major damage and no electric, gas or water. I waited until my mom had finished her work for the day and we hopped in her car and made a trip down to see my sister and get some well needed hugs and give her the donations we had brought. Many were not so lucky. The elementary school that was decimated, Plaza Towers Elementary, was the school my nephew attended in PreK and Kindergarten. Two of the children who lost their lives were in his classes. One was his best buddy, Christopher Legg. He was able to attend Christopher's funeral and left a nerf dart (because they had an epic nerf gun battle over Christmas one year and it reminded him of Christopher) in his casket. He decided not to go to the other funeral. I think it was too hard. Things are mostly back to normal for them. They have electric, gas, and water now and no longer have to boil their water (the water treatment plant was hit). Their commutes to work look a bit different and for Murray is quite a bit longer and out of the way because of traffic from cleanup and gawkers.
After over an hour of waiting to hear if Grace and Charis were okay, this showed up on facebook! She wasn't able to get in touch with anyone in Kansas or Oklahoma. She was finally able to talk to a friend in Nebraska!! And apparently something was able to go through on facebook.
Emmitt hooping it up with Uncle Murray.
They were headed home the night we visited. The girl were very reluctant to go home, so they tried to stow away in Grandma's trunk! Precious cargo as my step dad says!
