Technological difficulties....

Did you know that iPhoto can get full? I did not. Now I do. My iPhoto is currently full. In fact my entire "start up disk" is full. I can not put a single thing on this Mac until I get some stuff taken off. Which this would be an easy task but none of my external hard drives are Mac compatible because for the past 8 years we ran solely on PCs. Sooo, now the task has become complicated and will have to wait until I can devote enough time and attention to transferring the files without the internet service faulting or the computers randomly shutting off because they are bogged down. This shutting off randomly happens so often with our main computer that our tv is hooked up to that it almost makes me want to pay for cable again. Well, let's not go THAT far. Cable is ridiculous and you can find pretty much every show online for free these days if you are willing to wait a few days. This is the choice we made and that is when Wayne finally agreed to upgrade to smart phones. A well worthy trade we agree.

My goal for nap time today is to see if the computers will cooperate enough to get some stuff transferred off here and onto a PC through our home network then take the stuff off the PC and onto the external where I will have it backed up. We also use Carbonite to back up files and photos online. For a small fee the entire content of our computer (minus those files which we manually select not to have backed up) will be backed up each time the internet connects, and we have wireless networks that connect automatically every time we boot up the computers so essentially our computer is backed up periodically throughout each use. We decided on this after disks were scratched, memory cards, sticks and jump drives were too small, and external hard drives (also many full) can in fact crash when a small child crawls under a table and yanks it down by the cord while you are editing photos you just took at a family reunion. Its good to be double backed and covered.

We have had considerably bad luck with technology and have gone through tons of it, however, when you consider how much we use it for, it really just "goes with the territory". We were in school for 5-6 years, now we teach, I do free-lance photography and photo editing, as well as all the social networking and keeping in touch with people. There is a lot of use there and nothing lasts forever.

Anyhow, expect more posts once this mild catastrophe is resolved. :-)

True to the Red, White & Blue

Belle Fourche holds one heck of an Independence Day celebration every year. It is something we vowed to participate in when we made the commitment to this community. Every year they hold their National Rodeo as well as have our carnival, parade, class reunions, fireworks display, cattle drive down Main Street, and not to mention all the other things that are amazing in the hills this holiday. Mom and Dad had been wanting to come up and experience the festivities for a few years now (we would drive over from Spear too), so this was the year. We had 2 weekends left open for the summer back in March and they chose this one (the other one was eventually filled by our Big & Rich concert my bday weekend).

The day mom and dad drove up was the cattle drive down Main Street. I didn't have any daycare kids that afternoon and so even though it was rainy we decided to COWBOY UP and go watch as we had never seen this event yet. While getting ready and debating if we were gonna do it with Tracy, Lexi & AJ we watched some storms race over us and in the midst of them I got a call from Wayne saying he thinks e is looking at a tornado!!!! C'mon NO WAY! I chase and chase and he happens accross one in his Driver's Ed car! I asked, "well what's it look like? Is it coming out of an upside down bowl looking cloud? (wall cloud) He says "It looks like a cone then it keeps getting longer and longer." Ummmm, ya! Send me a picture!!!!! So I get this text......

How could you even doubt if that is a tornado?!?!!? I said. He was about 15 to 20 miles away between Sturgis and Newell by a town called Nisland. There were no warnings and when I called to double check if the cattle drive was still on they said yes without missing a beat obviously oblivious to the fact that there was a funnel bobbing a few miles away. I just couldn't believe that my husband had come across this JEALOUSY is the word that surfaced. 

The rain let up so we headed down to Main Street and sure as poop as soon as we got down there the flood gates opened and it poured and poured. We got soaked. We did see the cows though. All 8 of them and the 15-20 cowboys and cowgirls on horses around them. It will still neat.

That evening we were across the street drinking margaritas from a pouch and watching the big boys, by that I mean almost 30 and 32ish, light off fireworks while the kids squealed in delight for the first ones of the season. It was all fun and games until the 2 year old got burnt! Apparently there is a reason bottle rockets are illegal in Nebraska. Luke was standing back a ways from the guys and about half way between Wayne and Justin watching when he started to mess with his overall bib like there was something in it. Then he started to walk back toward me and then he started to scream. I just happened to be doing video on my phone at the time.....

When one of the guys' rockets went off the wick flew back (they hold them up in the air) and landed right down inside the bib of Luke's overalls!!!! Talk about fluke. We all felt so bad. So we gave him a popsicle and life was good (except for the shirt). The kids were then of course sent an extra 50 feet back to watch from then on. Luke had a pencil eraser sized blister for a battle scar for the rest of the weekend.

Wayne also taught Luke how to ride his bike with training wheels instead of his strider. He had not gotten the hang of the peddles before this. He is the only 2 year old around riding a peddle bike not a strider or trike. Woo Hoo!

Mom and Dad got here while we were asleep that night. The next morning we picked our one tourist stop for their visit (tradition) and headed out. This time we went to Bedrock City in Custer. Flintstones, meet the Flintstones.......

Picnic @ Bedrock City

 

This was something we did when I was very little and didn't remember. It is sentimental to my dad as he always always called Tiff and I Barney and Fred. Tiff even got a Barney     diploma from Uncle Rick when she graduated and Dad to this day calls me triple F for the extended version of Fredricka. 

We had a great time. Wayne even climbed through the 50 or so foot snake at the playground doing the Army crawl. My chlostraphobic self didn't make it past the mouth of the snake where it starts to narrow. 

Mom and I snuck off to the git shop while the boys grilled lunch and bought the 5 boys t-shirts. Later when we exited the park through the gift shop Wayne and Dad were so impressed we didn't buy anything ;-) ;-) 

We took Mom and Dad to one of our favorite places to eat on the way home, Dickey's BBQ pit. They loved it, naturally. We raced a storm home and like always it split around Belle leaving it nice enough to carry out our plan of neighborhood movie night on the garage. We projected Rio onto Shellhammer's garage and had our fire with s'mores and popcorn. It was a good time and a good turn out. 

On Sunday the 3rd we ran to Wal Mart and bought groceries and a new patio set to sit out and watch the fireworks on. Wayne and Dad spent the afternoon putting it and the ping-pong table they brought up for us together. We hurried and grilled some Spicy Links and Hot Dogs then Wayne got sick for the second night in a row while I tried to dress the boys in their cowboy gear for the carnival. Once ready we headed out. There were more people than I'd ever seen there! It took us 45 minutes in line to get on the ferris wheel!!! You better believe I took lots of pictures for that view! We had decided to buy the boys wrist bands this year and needed to ride at least 5 rides to get our money's worth. The lines were so long that we were lettign the boys go on their last ride at 5 till 10 before heading home to watch the fireworks from our deck for the first time like Wayne had been waiting 3 years to do and as we were in line the fireworks started going off! Wayne was soooo disappointed and mad. Last year the fireworks didn't start until 10:45. It all depends on what time the rodeo gets over and when they get the animals are put away. Bummer. Although it was very picturesque to see the fireworks over the carnival lights.

While in line for the ferris wheel 2 cops came up and looked at Zach intently then asked if he was mine. I said yes and asked if there was a problem. They told me that a little boy with blonde hair and a plaid shirt was missing. I said, well I think I will keep him, he's ornery but was a little hard to get, he's a NICU baby. They just laughed and went on looking. I hope the little boy was found. There were so many people and its the northern midwest during a big time rodeo... nearly every little boy has blonde hair and a plaid shirt. It made me keep my boys a whole lot closer to my side that night.

 GAGE HATED THE FIREWORKS!!!  He screamed and screamed so mom and dad had to take turns sitting inside with him and holding his ears all weekend :-(

 After the carnival there was a nice lightning show that dad and I stayed up till almost 2am watching. It was a great view of fireworks, carnival lights and lightning from the deck on the new furniture.

Cowboy Band

The 4th we went to the parade. We thought it started at 10:00 so we got downtown at 9:30 and Wayne turned too early so we had to park and walk a long ways. By the time we got there there was no shade left and there were very little patches of sidewalk left. We squeezed in and sat down. Turns out the parade wasn't supposed to start until 10:30 and they were late for that time. We were toasty and bought lots of water from the cheerleaders and soccer players. Mom got overheated and went and sat under the bridge in the concrete walking path tunnel. The parade was an hour and 45 minutes again and had lots to offer. Our favorite was the bag pipes band from Wyoming that stopped right in front of us and played Amazing Grace. We all love bagpipes but dad is very fond of them and has requested them for his funeral when the time comes. I was glad they stopped in front of us and played one of his favorite songs.

not sure why this fireman couldn't march
but he was hilarious taunting the other firemen

Fire department & their lost member with sign....to be seen again

Zach & Dad

Barbar Shop Chorus

Go Jackets!

Belle Joli Winery

Buckles & Bows Square-dancing

Belle Percussion 

Bag Pipe Band from WY.... AMAZING!!!!

Luke's Scooby hat got many comments

Zach got cotton candy from the clowns

Jim, Char & Jessie Kallas

The fire guy taunting in his rain coat, hiding behind people
& throwing water balloons back at the firemen in the trucks!

Mom chillin' in the tunnel under the bridge.

kids tubing in the creek

After the parade we did a light lunch and napped. For supper we went on a picnic in the canyons and took mom and dad on the new Roughlock trail down to the base of the falls. Some family was having rehearsal for their wedding and Wayne got bitten up BAD by mosquitos. We managed to get some family  pics of everyone while there. None are edited yet of course but I figured I would share some raw images. We got a neat one of all the kids in my favorite tree. Every year I do the boys' pictures here. They loved it. 

Walkers.... (& Gage Rupp)....

Tonsagers....

A family tree.....

(Above & L to R) Andy, Luke, Zach, Braden, Lexi, AJ

That night we had planned to go to Lead to watch the fireworks over Open Cut Mine. We have never seen this and think it sounds neat. BUT.... we had yet to set off our own fireworks and we were sooo tired. So we got together with some of the neighbors (dad hid Gage in the basement) and we set of most of our fireworks.

Using a bike as a rocket stand.

Luke & Luke with some snappers.

Mom handing out glow bracelets. 

spinners

fountains

glow bracelet 

the last lit firework went off

Braden & Wayne lighting off firework.

Confetti gun

Luke & Andy Sparkler fun

Tracy had this idea she had seen somewhere with sparkler art. She googled the camera settings and had Wayne, Justin and I do the artwork while she made the shot. It was AWESOME!!!!!!!

We also celebrated my birthday with mom and dad. They got me a popcorn machine like theirs and some salsa from my favorite: Little Mexico!!! YUMMMM! Mom got me a STORM CHASER CAKE! Complete with a mini van and a cow being sucked up. Wal-Mart bakery wouldn't make it for her so we got the sheet cake from them and did the tornado and decorations ourself. It was awesome.

Our 4th was not over yet....

The 5th I was open for daycare and had some extras from another friend's daycare who was closed. We had planned the Spearfish Waterpark for that afternoon. We also had Parents As Teachers come and do a special session of the Denver screening with Braden as Nebraska doesn't have the program and Colleen Anderson is just awesome like that and agreed to do it with him for me and mom. After we had lunch and loaded up 3 vehicles full of 10 kids and 4 adults and drove over to Spear, we got there and noone was in the water, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!? There were clouds in the distance but they were moving the other way. Sure enough lightning had been spotted and they had closed. They said they'd be open again in 30 minutes so they gave us 10 free cups of fish food and sent us to the fish hatchery. So we fed the fish then called up the waterpark to make sure they were open and they were. I asked if foreseen another closure and they didn't. By the time we drove back accross town they had closed again!! The storm was still on the other side of town and moving away but the county was in a warning and they had closed. ugggg! Mom and Dad were sure they were a jinx as this was a repeat of last year when they visited and we tried to go and ended up at Storybook Island instead. We decided it was getting late and the kids were getting their emotions toyed with so we called up Belle and headed to the rec center instead. The kids were satisfied with this and had fun in the baby pool and going down the slide. Poor Grandpa had to take turns with Gage and Luke over and over for hours. The other boys threw life jackets on and went. 

That night we went back to Spear for some chinese followed by more fireworks Wayne had got on clearance (mom's turn inside with Gage). Then off to bed so Mom and Dad could leave in the morning.

How many dads does it take to light a punk?

Mathew & Gabe Raba

Mom making fish aquariums with the boys, they were neat. 

They headed out with a dark Western horizon and lots of hugs good-byes from us and the daycare kids who loved them, naturally. Soon after they left the storm hit with a vengence. The sky was green and the lighning was sharp. I had my mini chasers on kid chairs on the porch while I walked down the sidewalk to get a picture before the rain hit. When it got close we went in and they each hid under a blanket on the couch. Wayne came home and kept telling one very invasive daycare girl to scoot out of his bubble each time there was a clap of thunder, poor scared thing. In the middle of the storm's fury we heard sirens and fire whistles and more fire whistles and more. Finally we all ran to the window in time to see the Spearfish trucks racing by. We decided something must have been struck.

Turns out yes, yes it was. Football camp later that day coach Ski told Wayne his neighbor behind him's log cabin had been struck by lightning and within 10 minutes had burt pretty much to the ground. He had gone and let their dogs out for them and by the time the trucks could get there it was too late. A truck next to the house was burnt too. It was sad.

Dad also sent me a text from by Heart Ranch of a nice low hanging cloud. 

It was a heck of a storm! A prelude of what is to come ;-) 

Happy Independence Day!