Fishin', and Grillin', and Singin', and Golfin'

Haleigh was happy to be back at the lake. She probably doesn't remember much about last summer, but the rest of us do, and it was definitely great to have the whole gang together for Memorial Day weekend. I didn't blog all weekend, and while I did take some pictures, I also spent time just enjoying the moments without trying to be the crazy camera Granny.

Uncle David and Matthew spent a little time fishing.

There was a cute little critter hiding in the landscaping at the neighbor's house. Can you tell what it is?

The dogs flushed it out, and this tiny little fawn was scared to death. I think the dogs were as surprised as he was. We thought it must be Bambi, and we were keeping an eye out for his mother, who must have been somewhere nearby.

The grill team preparing the burgers on Friday night.

Haleigh is ready to eat. We did lots of eating!

Matthew giving Ella a snuggle.

And a little kiss.

And even a kiss for Adam. Or as Haleigh does it..... mmmm-mwah!

Aunt Fer has a little talk with Ella.

David and Shylah brought their SingStar game for the PlayStation. We tried out some Disney songs. Shylah is really good at it.

Of course, Jon is a singer by nature. He's always singing.

David even got me to try a little Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It's harder than it looks.

Jim didn't find it all that entertaining.

The boys are always holding up a finger to me when I take their picture, so I thought I would give them the pointer.

Adam and Jonathan take a turn.

Adam and David. Aren't they cute?

Ella was just chillin' at the lake. Or maybe she is practicing her "Touchdown Boilers!" signal.

On Saturday, the golfers participated in the playing of the RUSCO Cup tournament. Originated by my Uncle Bill, and modeled after the Ryder Cup, it is now played in his memory. Participating teams are the Stewart Brothers and the JETS (Jim, Evan, Ted, Stewart). JETS team captain Ted started the trash talking on Facebook last week, and was able to put the whammy on the boys once again. The JETS retained the coveted trophy.

Here is the winning team minus Evan, who had to go to work right after the match.

Jonathan and David trying to put on their good loser faces.

Not sure....

The trophy remains just out of reach for the Bro Squad.

The next presentation was for the winner of the Stewart Family March Madness Bracket Challenge.

The bracket was a tough one this year, with upsets galore. The winner of the trophy was Bryan,

who accepted the award with grace and modesty. (Or was it fear of the Bro Squad?)

Stay tuned for more to come to wrap up the rest of the weekend.

All Hail the Power

Our little town was hit hard on Wednesday by severe storms that damaged trees, homes, and businesses. Thankfully, I have not heard of any serious injuries, so that is a blessing.

At our house, we lost power for about 24 hours, and several large limbs, but no damage to our house or buildings. Well, the barn probably lost a few more shingles, but that's nothing new.

When we came up from the basement, the hail covered the ground like heavy frost. I heard reports of very large hail in many of the areas affected by the storm.

Ours wasn't super huge, but here you can see the approximate size. A quarter on the left, hailstone on the right.

One of the trees to the west side of our house.

This tree is on the east side of the barn just north of the creek.

Lots of water.

Gumbo thought about chasing after a bird, but he would have been under water.

In town, there was lots more damage. I went to help a friend who had her garage doors and sun porch blown off, and I saw this grain bin on the way.

At my parents' home, they lost a very large tree in the back yard.

Thankfully, there was only minor damage to the screens on the porch and the gutters.

The hail damaged several of the sanctuary windows at our church. I guess you can call them holy windows. :)

My prayers are with all those who have been affected by the storms in recent days. I am always inspired by the spirit of cooperation as people rally to help one another. I am also reminded of all the many blessings, for which we are grateful, every day. God is good.

For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.

 I long to dwell in your tent forever

and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Psalm 61:3-4