Warm Rain

 RAIN! Even though it's been a long time since we last saw you, we recognized you at once. Thank you for coming from the south and not the north. 

A Break in the Weather

 California has been blessed with so much rain. Governor Brown (puke, puke) is expected to declare the drought to be over in a few days. Today, we finally had a couple of hours with a break in the weather. Dave-o played with some neighborhood kids on the trampoline, while Loni played Superman. She splashed in the puddles and even saved some worms from drowning. She's such a good superhero. 

El Nino

There's been a lot of rain coming down. El Nino is finally here.

Rainmaker

 Never underestimate the crazies who run around barefoot with cut-off foot pajamas.

The rain gods heard the "Lonster". 

We enjoyed cloudy skies with light on and off rain throughout the day. 

And another gorgeous sunset.

Goodbye September.

Swimming in the Rain

Since Memorial Day, we've spent a lot of time in the pool. Especially in the beginning of the week when the temperature was in the high 90's. Friends have also come over to cool off and have some fun. 

Today, our drought stricken area was blessed with a warm, tropical rain storm. This is something of a rarity here; warm rain. Kirsten, Dave-o, and Loni enjoyed a swim in the rain.

Loni blowing bubbles.

A Strange Day

Yesterday started out pretty normal. Justin had an eye exam. Then, I dropped Ammon and Steven off at Great America. The rest of us hung out at home, avoiding going outside in the heat and humidity. 

A cool breeze blessedly blew through around 7pm. We opened up all the windows and the boys went out front to play wiffle ball. It was around this time that Justin noticed a bird fly into our house heading straight towards James' room. David spent a stressful 15 minutes or so catching the little guy, who was hiding under the bed. At around 10pm, Kirsten, David and I went outside to admire the beautiful moon playing peek-a-boo with the clouds. Standing outside at that moment felt magical. Strange, huh? I can't explain it. The air even smelled magical. And then...it rained. It rained! We haven't seen rain in months, so this was a special occasion. Next came the lightning. Lightening! In the north, the sky was lit up with electricity. The quiet, muffled thunder assured a scared Kirsten that the storm was far away. And it kept its distance. After watching The Dark Knight, we all went to bed, only to be awakened a couple of hours later by David's car alarm. Thankfully, the alarm did its job and scared whoever it was that tried to break into it away. For me, it was a restless night from then on. 

The End of our Drought

I can't believe how much rain Northern California has been getting lately! Raindrops have been falling on our rooftop and heads all week long. The wet weather has been tough on Dave-o since it has prevented him from playing outside. He has been crankier than usual because he is tired of staying inside (he is an outdoor boy). Since Dave-o enjoys taking baths, he should be grateful for all the water the rain is giving us to fill up his tub.

I think this is the end to California's drought.

Feet Wet

Does this picture give you a clue as to what kind of weather we've been having lately?

These past few days, Nor-Cal has experienced heavy rain, wind, tornado warnings, lightening, and today pea-size hail. Lots of it!

Being stuck inside has been driving us all a bit crazy. So, when Dave-o woke from his nap, we picked Josh up and headed to the church with the intent on playing tennis. Instead, the kids made up a new game called, "tennis dodgeball". The rules are similar to dodgeball except you're hitting a tennis ball at each other with a racket. When a team mate is hit, he/she has to sit out until a fellow team mate hits the opposite basketball backboard with the ball. This kept them occupied for two hours.

 Dave-o of course spent much of the time throwing any ball he could get a hold of while dodging the flying tennis balls. When he and Kirsten became bored, we went outside to enjoy the break in the weather.

Jumping in puddles is always fun to do. 

Everytime Dave-o splashed in the water he would excitedly yell out, "Feet wet!"

Rainy Day Activities

 It rained for most of the day. 

I am thankful that my children can entertain themselves by:

Reading (Steven is in a Sherlock Holmes phase.)

Playing video games,

And splashing in puddles when there's a break in the clouds.

We also spent a couple of hours watching the BYU vs. Utah football game. It didn't end the way we had wished due to a bad call by the refs against BYU. At least they held their own against a team ranked 20th with the final score being 17-16.

Rain and Shoes

At 4:30pm Kirsten, Dave-o and I sent the boys and man off on their beach camping trip with the threat of rain looming on everyone's heads. James and Steven were praying that it wouldn't rain. They heard loud and clear their dad's proclamation, "If it is raining hard, we will go home." David I'm sure was praying that it would rain because he hates camping. Although, he was excited to be sleeping on the beach (the sound of the waves lull him to sleep).I was praying that it wouldn't rain because I was excited to have a girls night with Kirsten (and Dave-o). And after they were in bed I could finally get a chance to watch some "chick flicks". Justin didn't seem too concerned either way. He left wearing his brand new WHITE Longhorns hat. I tried to convince him not to but, boys will be boys, and what was I to do. Justin just looked at me and said, "I'll just throw it in the wash if it gets dirty." *sigh*

An hour later, Kirsten, Dave-o and I finished our dinner at McDonalds (Kirsten's choice). Kirsten's flip flops broke recently, so I suggested we go to the mall to buy her new ones. She jumped at this idea and mentioned that her friend Fiona has some cute, comfy purple boots and by the way, she got them at Sears. Is Sears at the mall, Mom? I said, yes and we were on our way. But along the way it began to rain. Heavily. Drats! This probably meant the boys were going to turn around and come home. I checked in with David and he informed me that it was raining where they were, but they hadn't decided what to do yet.

Yes! There was still hope.

Sears didn't have Kirsten's purple boots, but she quickly fell in love with some comfy, beige ones at a different shoe store. I soon noticed that these boots looked a LOT like mine. In fact, they were mine, except 6 sizes smaller. Next, we went in search for flip flops, which we found along with purple sunglasses, a purple jacket, and white leggings. I couldn't resist. It's not often that I have a girl to go shopping with. And it's even LESS often that Kirsten wants to do anything girlie with me.

When we got home, I made Kirsten a chocolate malt, put Dave-o to bed, and snuggled with Kirsten on the couch while watching the new Ice Age movie (Dawn of the Dinosaurs).

Then, in walked my boys, minus one, and my man. The rain was too much for them. They were soaked in a matter minutes and their tents were beginning to flood before they could even get them up. But the boy who claims to hate, cross that out, LOATH camping decided to stay with a couple of his leaders and friends who were just as crazy as he was. JUSTIN! I was shocked.

Nothing should surprise me anymore.

Fence Post

Well...

Maybe storms aren't so fun.
David's not looking forward to fixing this.

A Stormy Day

Dave-o is glued to the window pane watching the rain fall non-stop.

Mother Nature displayed a lightening show and hail for us to enjoy.
Poor Justin was pelted by this hail while walking home from school.
We were also under a tornado warning for half an hour.

The downpour provided deep puddles to jump in.

Stormy days are FUN!

Pitter Pitter Pat

Why is the sound of rain so inviting?
Why does it make me feel cozy?
Why does it lull me to sleep?
Why does it make me smile?

I love all types of rain. In Texas, I was introduced to the big droplets (everything is BIG in Texas). The rain showers wouldn't last long, but the amount was enormous. The kids and I loved cuddling up on the couch with our blankets and pillows listening to it pound on the roof. And I mean pound! When the storm passed, the kids would always run outside (shoeless) to stomp and play in the huge puddles. Kirsten loved walking up and down the curbside where the water was the deepest.

The rain in California is very different. We have small droplets. And it is usually a light rain that lasts for days. The sound hitting the rooftop is very soft and soothing. At the first sight and/or sound of rain, the kids grab their umbrellas and head for the outdoors. They enjoy listening to the hitting their umbrellas.


As a child, I remember loving to sit in the car with my sister while it rained. The sound of the rain hitting the metal roof was enticing. Deborah and I would bring our barbie dolls and blankets into the car. The blankets were used to cover the windows. We didn't like passerbys peering into our secret world. The front seat was a "house" for some barbies and the back seat was another "house". I always smile when I think back on those times.