A Grand Adventure to Grand Rapids

With a very large truck loaded to the brim with all their
belongings, Ali and Jade are ready to travel across the country.
Salt Lake to Grand Rapids in four days, with stops in
Cheyenne, Omaha and Michigan City.
Grandma went along to help drive and entertain the boys.

Our second night was spent in Omaha, to the sounds of tornado sirens
and a phone call from the front desk inviting us to the basement
until the warning was lifted, about 10 p.m.
We took peeks outside to watch the clouds gather, changing directions rapidly,
from north to east then south, then heavy rain mixed with hail filling up a dry ravine
with 10-15 feet of running water behind the hotel, for a total rainfall of 2.5" for the night.
We were happy that no tornado touched down near us,
for by morning there were 60 tornado sightings reported from this storm,
including one at a scout camp an hour north of Omaha, that killed 4 scouts.

Rain or shine the delivery boy delivers, thank goodness,
and we ate our Chinese dinner in a basement room while the storm raged on.
For several hours this is what we watched on the TV screens,
waiting for the storm to pass.

The next morning, before continuing our journey east, we stopped at the
Winter Quarters historical site with the beautiful cemetery and Temple.

Owen and Connor were happy to pose for the pictures,
but Spencer hid in the shadows.

On day four, we arrived at Grand Rapids, Michigan,
and turned onto the lane where Ali and Jade would soon call Home.
Their home is straight ahead, at the end of this very long lane.

This is the back of the house (that's the Realtor, not Jade, standing on the top level with Ali and the boys). It's very high up, and through the trees where Owen is standing, you can see the river which is just one lot away.

The Bringhurst's new home.....and the best part, the boys spotted a blue jay!