Tropical Storm ‘Beryl’ hit us this past weekend, with wild, wild wind, raging sea and buckets of rain.  We fared just fine, with only a few hours without power.  The morning after the worst of the storm, the kids ventured outside to find tree limbs covering the whole neighborhood.  Soon all the kids (home from school for Memorial Day) were outside having a very grand adventure: Under my direction they collected limbs and we built a fort big enough for all of them to fit inside.  The project took most of the day, as the kids never tired of adding more to it.  The sky was filled with fast-moving clouds, the sun was warm, and the rain that poured at times throughout the day was like a warm bath.  The kids donned their swimsuits and played in the drenching rain and giant puddles until the sun came out again.  Truly a tropical experience, and just perfect for this group.

Sadly, the fort was collected the next day by the clean-up crew (one of the downsides of base housing, although we really can’t complain too much about people doing our yardwork for us).  Ashton watched it being taken down and came to me for a few tears and a snuggle.  I feel sorry we couldn’t keep it for longer, but thankful to have played such a big role in creating the experience, and the memory, for her.