Community Play Day

Fargo is one of the most Family-friendly Communities ever! After school got out, I started checking out free things we could do this summer and let's just say--- I wrote on the calendar at least one thing (more often than not-2 or more) on almost every day clear until mid-August. Crazy, huh? I actually stayed up late one night this week while Brett was out of town and typed it all up for my lady friends. I finished at like 3 am and thought I better wait until the morning to send it. I don't need them to think I'm any more crazy than they already know I am! LoL It ended up being 4 pages long! Things included lots of reading programs with free Library activities, free or $2 movies, our Park day, swimming at Buffalo River, Free Zoo days, Block Parties, Art Classes, Storytimes, Water Games, Pioneer days and Community Play days!  To my Fargo friends- don't say I never invited you to anything!!!!! LOL  Well today, the kids and I got chores & piano done and decided to check out the Community Play Day @ Rhealt Farm. It was pretty fun!
They had a free art activity, the Bubble Man as entertainment, a bounce house and tons of Garden games. We even ran into the Prices and Brady fam. The kids always love being with friends! Check out some of our fun!
Art Project:

Bubble Man Limbo:

Dinosaur Walkers:

Bounce House:

Other Garden games:

What a fun activity!

Thanks, Fargo!

Hurricane FARGO

FARGO – A thunderstorm packing winds in excess of 70 mph tore through the Red River Valley late Monday, leaving behind a massive swath of damage and debris.
Tornado sirens in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area sounded at 8:54 p.m. as the storm brought a wave of heavy rain and strong winds, snapping power poles, downing electric lines and trees, and littering darkened streets and yards with branches, garbage and construction debris.

Xcel Energy reported more than 26,000 customers lost service in Fargo and West Fargo as crews scrambled to restore power. Power outages also were reported throughout the region, including Moorhead, Dilworth and many other communities.

Insane Weather!!! I'm beginning to think Mother Nature has a problem with Fargo. LOL. I know that normally a hurricane is somewhere near the ocean and I am also well aware that Fargo is NOT anywhere near an ocean but we did experience "a violent storm with heavy rains and winds blowing at over 74 miles per hour." Our family watched it coming. Brett called downstairs to me that a storm was rolling in fast. I barely had time to turn off the computer, and come upstairs before it hit and wiped the power out. There was rain and winds coming from every direction. Our trees seemed to be bending back and forth. I know, I know... what kind of idiots don't retreat to the basement!!?? We were mesmerized, I guess. After the middle of the storm had passed, Brett braved the rain to start up the generator. We had to keep up with the water running into the sump pump. Good thing we started it up because little did we know we'd be out of power for 21 hours. Crazy, right? We slept soundly thanks to our Emergency Preparation but little did we know the mess of a city we would wake up to...
In West Fargo, our streets are lined with gorgeous, old, huge trees everywhere. Well, the storm took it's toll. All over our neighborhood trees were split in half, fences were laying on the ground, leaves and branches filled the streets and even a house had a new 500lb. leaf-y roof decoration drapped across it. So sad! We luckily had no damage to our home except for small branches and leaves everywhere even though our trampoline was pushed 3 feet towards the fence. What a blessing! We're so glad that we listen to a Prophet and be as prepared as possible. Especially now... because you never know where a Hurricane might hit! ;)

Hail Storm in May

{This pic is after being in the freezer all night and melting a bit while we found a quarter}

There was an incredible Hail Storm last night! It rolled in incredibly quickly, was incredibly loud and produced incredibly large hail stones. Crazy!!!! It is May, right?

Déjà vu

Didn't we just do this 2 days ago? Gotta be kidding me!
7:47 AM

10:46 AM

Well...at least it's not stickin'!!!

The Difference 48 hours makes

Remember yesterday how I said ALL the snow was gone! HaHaHaHaHa Well, Mother Nature has a sick sense of humor and must have thought I spoke too soon. You gotta be kidding me!! Here's the difference 48 hours can make:
Friday, 7:48 AM

Friday, 7:19 PM

 Saturday, 9:51 AM

 Saturday, 1:02 PM

 Saturday, 6:06 PM



Crazy Weather! ONLY in Fargo in mid-April! Grrrrr!

Happy Snow Day everyone!

PS There was even enough snow for the kids to make a Snowman @ the Larsen's after school. Isn't he cute?

Fargo Flood 2011

A true record of Spring in Fargo would not be complete without mention of the infamous Fargo Flood Season. Us Fargonians are old pros at this game now but it doesn't mean it is any less scary or destructive. The Red River crested today at 38.75 feet making it the 4th highest level on record. Fargo was prepared though with 3 million sandbags and many new forms of protection that we have learned over the last several years.

Despite our ability to fight the fight- overland flooding has been some of the worst we've ever seen. Safe in my little West Fargo neighborhood (fighting my own sump-pump flooding) protected by the West Fargo Diversion, I tend to forget how horrific the damage a little [or lots and lots of water] can do. It is jaw-dropping to say the least.



On the upside (is there an upside?), most of the damage is done! So, with the levels finally dropping and IF Mother Nature works with us- we can begin the cleanup process. In a week or two we will be able to proudly say we have fought the fight and have another "Once in a Lifetime" [hahaha] flood season behind us!

"Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Sun Dogs

"Sun dogs are beautiful accents to a winter day or night

as the rainbow is to a showery Summer day."

-Hal Borland

To tell you the truth, until this morning, I had never even heard of them. After he took the kiddos to school, Brett asked if I had seen the "sun dogs" outside. The what???? We went to the window so he could show me. Way pretty! They only lasted for a bit this morning and then they were gone.
So what are Sun dogs, you ask? "Sun dogs, or mock suns, are technically called solar parhelia (parhelia meaning "with the sun") and appear as bright bursts of light formed when sunlight passes through ice crystals at the proper angle." So there's your Science lesson for the week courtesy of the Seamons. ......You're welcome. Enjoy!
Brett did get another shot while he was out.

It looks like the Star of Bethlehem brought to you by

the Beautiful Fargo Snow.

Tis the Season! (I mean, almost ;)

White, White Everywhere!!!!

Hope all those in Fargo said goodbye to the grass yesterday because we won't be seeing it again until April. HaHa! It's NO fun to drive in or freeze in but Wow! is that WHITE beautiful or what!!!? Don't answer that- just enjoy my view from the window. Happy Fargo Winter!

Back porch when we woke up this morning

Front Window View before the snowplows & basically all day!

Side Door View during the Storm today
after Brett had snowplowed

Here's Saturday night before the storm. The girls did snow Angels in the powdered sugar (lol) while Brett & Liberty hung up Christmas lights. (Don't worry- We won't turn them on until the day AFTER Thanksgiving. It's a Seamons house rule! "If you aren't THANKful you get no Christmas!" LOL) Can you imagine what the girls could do in the 2 feet of snow from today!

Snow Angels

Hanging up lights

PS. We snowblowed or shoved the driveway 4 times in the last 24 hours. Gotta love Fargo!

The Two Seasons of Fargo

There are only 2 seasons in Fargo.
One is WINTER, of course.
The other CONSTRUCTION.

Can you guess which one we're in??????

You think it's a joke but it's NOT!! Welcome to Fargo!

Fargo Flood 2010

I figure since we lived through 2 historic floods in the past 2 years that it would be important to document the event. Last year, the Fargo-Moorhead area wasn't really ready for the Red River reaching an outrageous 40.8 feet last March. You see the Red usually flows at about 14 feet and flood stage statis is reached at 18. The community really pulled together last year and sandbagged like Crazy! It is supposedly a once in a century occurance. ....or NOT!!!

This year, our community was definietly more prepared and because of that (if you weren't right along the river) it almost seemed as if there was no flood but there was!

The Red River finally crested at 36.99 feet on the 21st.  Here's a few charts of the predictions and it's fall after the flood.

Here's a collage of a certain area of the Red and how within days the river took over. It really is crazy how so much water can be in one place.

Here's a video of this collage  if you want to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6dUqD3I3P8&feature=player_embedded

We are really LUCKY to have a community that pulls together and help each other out so unselfishly. We are truly blessed.