Late last night we experienced a really strong thunderstorm, lightening and thunder in loud, fast succession, pelting rain and hail, and tons of wind.

Eddy ran into our room and declared, "I'm scared."  At first we popped him in our bed until it quieted outside a little (about half an hour), and sent him back to his room.  Ten minutes later, back he came.  "It's scary."  We hugged him and sent him to bed.  Ten minutes later, pat pat pat.  Here he comes again.
     "I'm scared."
     "It'll be okay, sweetie."
     "Oh, I'll be fine."  And he turned around and went to bed =)

Soon after, it got really bad.  Dan went to check the weather, and to make sure his equipment and product were safe.  Eddy and I were going to snuggle in bed until four words from Dan popped me out of bed with Eddy and blanket in arm faster than you'd think is possible at that hour.  "Could be a tornado."  We decided to wait downstairs.

The thunder got louder.  The lightening got faster.  So fast, in fact, I had to shut my eyes from the strobe light effect.  Eddy was scared.  I held him on a cushy chair and tried to stay calm.  Dan didn't come in.  The storm was really loud.  I've never been in a tornado before.  He said it is extremely loud and comes without warning.  Will we have time to run outside to the cellar if it comes?  Will that put us in danger of this close lightening?  I couldn't take it any longer and popped out of the chair with Eddy.  I was ready to head out to the cellar when I looked through the door on the porch and spotted Dan, sitting at the computer.  I exhaled.  Finally.

Dan was examining the weather radar in expert fashion, having studied meteorology and practiced "reading the skies" sensibly for his business for years.  Boy, was I relieved.  He was safe.  He was right by us.  He wasn't worried.  Best yet, he wasn't doing anything drastic.  The storm must be okay.  We'll wait for a word from him.  I sank into the chair, this time with truly comforting words for Eddy, because I was comforted.

"It'll be okay.  Mommy's right here.  I've got you.  Daddy's right here.  He'll protect us.  God loves us, and he's bigger than any storm."  We sat peaceful and quiet until Dan came in.

Apparently there were tiny dots of storms speckled from the twin cities all the way down to Iowa.  The 5-mile speckle we were in was one of the worst, but it would soon pass.  No tornado warnings or watches.  No hail large enough to damage anything.  Back to bed we went.

Pat, pat pat, in our room came Eddy again.  Still too scary.  2:30am now.  Dan just wanted sleep.  Eddy wasn't going to leave, so I pulled him in bed.  Dan jumped right out and retreated to the guest room.

I figured Eddy would wonder why so I explained, "Daddy had to leave because he can't sleep when you wiggle so much."
     Eddy's head sprang up. "It's okay mommy.  It's not a problem."

He got sent back as soon as the thunder quieted.

Oh, and look at that!  Another one of our trees got split in half.  This one landed on our neighbor's cow pasture. No wonder that thunder was so loud.  It sure was close.

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