A STORMY DAY

WE HAVE HAD ONE STORMY DAY, IN MORE WAY THAN ONE. FIRST OF ALL, IT HAS STORMED ALL DAY. WE HAVE NOT SEEN RAIN LIKE THIS SINCE HURRICANE IKE. IT WAS VERY BAD ALL MORNING, BUT WE DECIDED TO MAKE A TRIP OUT TO GET A NEW MICROWAVE OVEN, AS OURS HAD QUIT WORKING. BUT, LET ME BACK UP A BIT. THIS MORNING, AT 3 O'CLOCK AM, MARTIN, PEANUT AND JAYBIRD WENT TO STAND IN LINE TO SIGN JAYBIRD UP FOR FOOTBALL. THERE WERE ONLY 8 OPENINGS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF HOPEFUL LITTLE BOYS. EVEN AT THAT TIME OF DAY, THERE WERE 5 BOYS ALREADY IN LINE. SO, MARTIN, PEANUT AND JAYBIRD WAITED UNTIL 9 AM TO SIGN UP. GUESS WHAT? WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF JAYBIRD GOT IN OR NOT. WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT TO FIND OUT. THEN, EVERYONE GOT HOME, AND I HAD ACTUALLY DONE SOME THINGS TO HELP GET THE NEW KITCHEN IN ORDER. (I DIDN'T FEEL AS GUILTY THAT I HAD SLEPT IN). THEN, AFTER A BIT, OUT WE WENT FOR THE MICROWAVE. WE WENT TO SEARS LIKE WE ALWAYS DO, AND WHILE WE WERE THERE. THE STORM INCREASED. ON THE WAY BACK, WE HAD PLANNED TO STOP AT OUR FAVORITE MEXICAN RESTAURANT, WHEN THE PHONE RANG, AND IT WAS JESSICA, PANICKED THAT THERE WAS A TORNADO GOING OVER. SURE ENOUGH, THERE WAS ONE, BUT IT HIT MY NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT HERS. BEFORE WE COULD FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED THERE, WE GOT TRAPPED IN TRAFFIC, THE WATER WAS SO HIGH THAT PEOPLE WERE GETTING STRANDED LIKE BEACHED FISH. WE WERE IN TRAFFIC AND THE STORM FOR 3 HOURS BEFORE WE FINALLY FOUND OUR WAY HOME. OUR STREET WAS LITTERED WITH BROKEN TREES, OUR TRASH CANS WERE DOWN THE STREET, AND WORSE OF ALL, WE SAW THAT THERE WAS ONLY A FEW INCHES LEFT BEFORE THE WATER WOULD HAVE COME IN OUR HOUSE AGAIN. WE ARE NOT DONE REMODELING AFTER THE HURRICANE! FORTUNATELY, THE WATER DID NOT GET IN, BUT ONE OF MARTIN'S SAWS WAS DAMAGED, THE PATIO DOOR SCREENS WERE BLOWN AWAY TO THE PARK, TRASH WAS EVERYWHERE AND OUR PATIO THINGS WERE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE PLACE. STILL AND ALL, NOTHING HAPPENED TO OUR HOUSE, BUT ACROSS THE HIGHWAY 3 HOMES TOOK A DIRECT HIT, AND WERE DAMAGED PRETTY MUCH. WE HAVE NO POWER RIGHT NOW, AND HAVE TO SPEND THE NIGHT AT JESSICA'S. WE WENT TO KFC FOR DINNER, AND THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK, I AM ALLERGIC TO CHICKEN, AND I WANTED SOME! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH! I WANT CHICKEN AND STEAK AND HAM AND BAR B QUE- I WANT HAMBURGERS, HOTDOGS, TACOS AND EGGS. I STARTED CRYING AND COULD NOT STOP. HARD TO BELIEVE THAT I COULD BE UNDONE BY A CHICKEN LEG, BUT I WAS. NOW, I AM FACING A STORM OF ANOTHER SORT. I AM FEELING SORRY FOR MYSELF. GRIEF LADY IS KNOCKING ON MY DOOR. SPOILED LADY IS ON HER HEELS, AND I CAN'T SEEM TO BANISH THEM. SO, DEAR READERS, I AM SORRY TO TAKE UP YOUR TIME WHINING-THE BEST THING FOR ME IS TO COUNT MY BLESSINGS. LET ME START BY TELLING YOU ABOUT OUR TEMPLE TRIP. I WAS 5 MONTHS PREGNANT WITH AARON, BOBBIE JO WAS 18 MONTHS OLD AND SISSY WAS 4. WE PACKED UP THE LITTLE STATIONWAGON, (I MEAN REALLY PACKED) AND OFF WE WENT. IT WAS THE LAST FEW DAYS OF JUNE, AND IT WAS HOT. WE DECIDED TO CAMP ALONG THE WAY, (BIG MISTAKE, PREGNANT CAMPING) AND FOUND A CAMPSITE IN RED ROCK TEXAS. THE KIDS AND MARTIN HAD A WONDERFUL TIME, AND I LEARNED HOW NOT TO GRIPE. THE NEXT DAY, WE WENT ON THROUGH ARIZONA, AND FINALLY ON THE THIRD DAY, UTAH. WE DROVE ON AND ON THROUGH RED MOUNTAINS, AND DESERT. THERE WAS ONE PLACE WHERE THERE WAS NO FILLING STATIONS FOR 180 MILES. THAT REALLY MADE ME NERVOUS, BUT WE MADE IT THROUGH. WE ATE PICNIC LUNCHES AND MEALS ALL ALONG THE WAYAND STAYED WITH A FAMILY THAT LIVED IN A TINY TOWN,IN A HOME BUILT IN THE PIONEER DAYS. IT WAS THE ORIGINAL HOME, AND SO LOVELY. THE UPSTAIRS WAS SO STEEP, AND THOUGH THERE WAS NO AIR CONDITIONING, IT WAS NICE AND COOL. THE FAMILY WAS SO SWEET, AND MADE A LOVELY BREAKFAST BEFORE WE LEFT. FINALLY, SALT LAKE CITY UTAH! WE DROVE UP TO THE TEMPLE AND I WAS AMAZED AND AWED AT THE BEAUTY AND SPENDOR OF ALL THE SITES. WE HAD PARKED ON THE SIDE STREET OF THE TEMPLE WHICH IS QUITE STEEP, AND FOUND WHEN WE CAME BACK THAT THERE WAS A FLAT TIRE ON THE CAR. IT IS TOUGH TO JACK UP A CAR ON A STEEP INCLINE, BUT MARTIN DID IT- UNTIL THE CAR BEGAN TO INCH FORWARD AND THE JACK BEGAN TO GROAN. WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT, I RAN TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND TRIED TO PICK UP THE FRONT BUMPER. SOMEHOW, I HELD THE CAR UNTIL MARTIN COULD GET IT UNDER CONTROL, AND THEN, REALIZING WHAT I HAD DONE, COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I COULD HAVE HELD THAT WEIGHT! THE NEXT DAY, AFTER SPENDING THE NIGHT WITH FRIENDS, WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE. THE CEREMONY WAS BEYOND MY IMAGINATION, AND I WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL THAT MY FAMILY AND I ARE SEALED FOR ETERNINTY. THIS WAS ON JULY 2ND, AND THE NEXT DAY WAS A SUNDAY. WE WENT TO THE TABERNACLE W HERE THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR WAS PRACTICING FOR THE PROGRAM OF THE DAY. THE USHER AT THE DOOR SAID I COULD NOT COME IN WITH THE CHILDREN, AS THEY WERE GOING TO BE LIVE ON THE AIR AND THE CHILDREN MAY BE A DISTURBANCE. I TOLD HIM I HAD COME ALL THE WAY FROM TEXAS, AND I WANTED TO HEAR THE CHOIR. IF HE THOUGHT MY KIDS WERE GOING TO BE A DISTURBANCE, JUST TRY KEEPING ME OUT OF THE BUILDING AND SEE WHAT A TRUE TEXAS RUCKUS COULD BE! HE MUMBLED SOMETHING LIKE, "YES MAAM," AND WE WERE USHERED IN. IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE I WILL NEVER FORGET. WE SPENT THE REST OF THE DAY TOURING THE CITY AND ATTENDING CHURCH IN THE MORNING. THE FAMILY WE STAYED WITH WAS SO KIND, ACUTALLY, WE HAD KNOWN THEM IN OKINAWA, AND IT WAS WONDERFUL TO BE WITH THEM AGAIN. THE DAY BEFORE, AFTER THE CEREMONY, THE FAMILY SHOWED US AROUND, AND THE THING I WAS SO TICKLED WITH IS THAT CHERRIES WERE FREE IF YOU DIDN'T MIND PICKING THEM! THERE WERE SO MANY CHERRY TREES, AND OF COURSE I PICKED SOME. THEN, WE HAD TO LEAVE TO COME HOME. WE DECIDED TO TRAVEL ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, BECAUSE THE NEXT DAY WAS THE FOURTH OF JULY, AND WE WANTED TO BE ON OUR WAY. I BOUGHT A HAM AND SOME CHEESE, FRUIT, BREAD,COOKIES AND CHIPS. WE HAD DRINKS AND DIAPERS, AND WITH HEARTFELT CHEER, BEGAN THE LONG TRIP HOME. THE FIRST NIGHT WE MADE IT TO ARIZONA. UNFORTUNATELY IN THE LITTLE TOWN WHERE WE STOPPED, SOMEONE HAD STOLEN THE FIREWORKS, AND THE CELEBRATION WAS CANCELLED. THEN, DRIVING ON, I FOUND THAT AT LUNCH TIME, THE HAM HAD BEEN SOAKED IN THE MELTED ICE WATER. I DIDN'T WANT TO WASTE THE HAM, SO I TOOK IT OUT, AND TIED IT TO THE ANTENNAE WITH IT'S PLASTIC BAG. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A CLEVER WAY TO DRY IT OUT. WE WERE DRIVING THROUGH THE DESERT AND RED MOUNTAINS AGAIN, AND SUDDENLY, WHEN WE HAD TO SLOW DOWN FOR A BIT, I NOTICED A HUGE DOG RUNNING UP ON THE CAR. "SPEED UP!" I YELLED, "THERE IS A HUGE DOG BEARING DOWN ON US!" (I WAS WORRIED BECAUSE WE HAD TO KEEP THE WINDOWS DOWN TO KEEP COOLER AIR COMING IN AND I WAS AFRAID THAT DOG COULD GET IN SOMEHOW). MARTIN TOLD ME IT WAS NOT A DOG BUT A COYOTE- AND HE WAS FAST! I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE WAS CHASING US, BUT THEN I REALIZED HE WAS AFTER THE HAM! (ANOTHER HAM INCIDENT). I STARTED TO UNTIE THE HAM AND JUST THROW IT TO HIM, BUT MARTIN YELLED AT ME NOT TO GIVE HIS HAM AWAY! HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO A HAM SANDWICH, AND NO JIMENY CRICKET COYOTE WAS GOING TO GET IT! I THREW SOME BREAD OUT THE WINDOW, AND THE COYOTE QUIT CHASING US. TO THIS DAY, WE LAUGH ABOUT THAT COYOTE WHEN WE SEE THAT BRAND OF HAM. WE MADE IT TO TEXAS THAT NIGHT, AND DECIDED TO DRIVE AS LONG AS WE COULD. THE KIDS SLEPT QUITE A BIT, AND SO WE DECIDED TO GO FOR IT. WE PASSED EL PASO, AND KEPT DRIVING. ABOUT 2 IN THE MORNING, I COULD DRIVE NO FARTHER, SO I DECIDED TO CLOSE MY EYES FOR JUST A BIT. I PULLED OVER UNDER AN OVERPASS ABOUT TWO HUNDRED MILES EAST OF EL PASO, CHECKED ON MY SLEEPING FAMILY AND RESTED MY EYES. THE NEXT THING I KNEW, TWO HIGHWAY PATROL MEN WERE KNOCKING ON THE WINDOW. IT WAS 8 O'CLOCK AM, AND I HAD SLEPT THE NIGHT AWAY, RIGHT THER ON THE HIGHWAY! ANYTHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO US, BUT WE WERE SAFE, (AND RESTED). SO, OFF WE WENT, AND BY THAT EVENING, WE WERE ALL SAFELY HOME IN OUR LITTLE HOUSE. IT WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL VACATION FOR US, AND WE HAVE HAD OTHERS, BUT NONE TO COMPARE TO OUR LOVELY TIME IN SALT LAKE CITY UTAH. MORE TOMORROW, LOVE, NANASEE