You might have noticed there are some comments after the video below that mention “I’m glad the day turned out OK after so many problems.” Because problems? They were aplenty. It was one of the roughest days we’ve had in a while. Want to hear what really happened on Avelyn’s birthday?
Summerland is a pretty dry place. It doesn’t get much rain and our summers are hot and desert-like. Yesterday, however, our town experienced torrential downpours all day long. No biggie, right? A little bit of rain never hurt anyone. Well, a lot of rain can do some serious damage to a basement. A basement of a cabin we’ve been fixing up on our property. A cabin we will be renting to some good friends as of September 1st. Friends who needed a place to store all their possessions and opted to keep them in the basement of the cabin. You see where I’m going with this: the basement flooded and all their things were flooded by half a foot of murky water.
Disastrous. But it doesn’t end there. While this flooding was happening, the rain turned to hail and in three minutes our entire apple and cherry crop was annihilated. Completely wiped out. An entire year of Steve’s work ruined. (Thankfully we have crop insurance but it’s still an incredible letdown.) Just for kicks, while Steve was trying to trench out the muck by the door of the basement in the cabin, his $700 palm pilot slipped out of his pocket and he unknowingly drove over it, repeatedly, with the tractor. It was crushed to smithereens.
As people were pulling up for Avelyn’s birthday Steve and a few guys were madly trying to get everything out the basement and bring it into the shop to hose the mud off, and use hair dryers and heat guns to dry out the wooden furniture and take all the soggy books and belongings out of their boxes to wring them out and hang them to dry.
 
I was in tears.
The special day I had worked so hard to create was being pooped on by circumstance and I felt cheated. No one knew what to do. Should we cancel the party and reschedule? Just snap a few photos of Avelyn with the cake and call it a day? It was mayhem. Thankfully our friends stepped up in droves and loaned us their willing hands in the clean-up efforts. After a couple hours of hard work things were under control and those who had stuck around were rewarded with a slice of the world’s cutest birthday cake (if I do say so myself).
 When we were done, a rainbow stretched across the valley and things didn’t seem so bad.
 Thanks to everyone who helped. Without you we’d still be cleaning up, I’d still be crying, and the cake would be uncut.
PS:Â Happy 5th Anniversary, Steve!
32 Comments
You MUST get that picture framed. The last one. I love it. I want it on my fridge.
I am so sorry to hear about everything you went through in one short day. But what amazing strength you have, and your friends… WOW. I wish more people like that grew here in Vegas.
I hope your orchard rebounds quickly, and your friends’ possessions are safe and dry. How devastating.
But look at that rainbow! It’s going to be okay!
The best thing you did was carry on and celebrate Avelyn’s big day. In the years to come, Avelyn will grow up to be a strong, spirited person because her parents are such strong, spirited role models!
Best wishes to you.
Happy anniversary to you! That last picture is too lovely for words. A rainbow! Right behind you and your little girl!
Also, you’re looking quite cute in those pink Crocs. I’m in the market for some purple ones!
(Can you handle all of those exclamation marks?)
Aww. I’m sorry.
Oh, I’m just sick for you..and the crops….how crushing.:( Life sucks sometimes, doesn’t it? But, you guys came through it and I do love that picture of you with Avelyn. Adorable. Happy Birthday Avelyn!
I’m so sorry,Life is always full of disappointments, it’s how we handle them that counts! strenth ,my girl
Oh dear, what a rough day. When it rains it definitely pours. Thank goodness you were able to pull together with the help of friends and family and even have some cake in the end.
That picture is absolutely amazing–even more so knowing what you guys went through to get to that point. Rainbows are pretty amazing.
Happy Birthday Avelyn!
What a sucky day! Good think Avelyn will probably not remember her first birthday. Although I’m sure you will regale her of the story many times. That last picture is amazing. And thats a pretty nice down-the-shirt shot up there, too. Don’t think I can see nipple yet, though.
Happy Birthday Avelyn!
Hail! How awful for you! We farm too, not orchards, but other crops. We live 30 miles from our main farm, and on nights of storms we are stuck to the computer watching the radars and praying that there will be no hail. It’s so stressful, isn’t it? Being farmers and being a farmers wife. Keep your chin up! PS Your daughter is adorable!
You know we love you and were glad we were able to help. My heart was breaking for you, but it really did end well. It was also great to eat that beautiful (and yummy) cake. The party was PERFECT :) Have fun tonight!
Aw man! Amanda. :( I’m heartbroken for you guys. I’ve been thinking of you all morning wondering what happened and came to th conclusion that the hail and rain must have done some damaage to your crops and house. I’m so sorry and I wish I could be there to help. I’m glad your Momma and Daddy were there.
I’ll call you when we get back from out of town, or in a few days when things on your end settle down.
HUGS!
[…] party was good (there’s a back story, but it’s not mine to tell). There were babies and kids everywhere. Do you remember when […]
Sorry about the rain and mayhem, but I must say the last photo is darling!
Wow! I was curious by the comments in your previous post but didn’t want to be nosy…since I am a total stranger :)
It sounds like you have amazing friends who really came through to help; that is wonderful. I’m sorry to hear that the crops were ruined that must be terribly hard to bear. Hang in there.
And yes, the cake you made was unbelievably BEAUTIFUL!
Sheesh! What a day and what a day to have that happen on! But with a cute toothy grin like Avelyn’s – how can anything else matter? Glad you have such caring friends that jumped in to help out!
I washed my husbands cell phone(twice now)and thought I was having a bad day, ummm now I feel better! Holy crap thank goodness for good friends.
That last picture is THE BEST picture of you and Avelyn! So CUTE!
what an INCREDIBLE community you guys have up there with your family and friends. You and blessed beyond blessed!!!!!
ps…avelyn’s birthday video made me cry :)
I’m sorry all of that happened, but I’m SO happy to see how many friends and family members have your back! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AVELYN! (You better not be making eyes at any boys…you are betrothed to Wito, remember?)
Thank goodness for good friends, and a big happy first birthday to Avelyn :-)
Oh, Amanda! What an awful thing to have to deal with on the day of the party. (Or any day for that matter!) Thank goodness for friends! Hope everything dries and is back to normal soon! It will definately be a story to tell Avelyn when she’s older! That last picture is absolutely beautiful!
p.s. – Happy Anniversary!!
Happy anniversary and happy birthday Avelyn. Sorry the event came with so much drama. Thank God for good friends to help out in times of need.
What a day.
You’ll remember that one for sure!
Most importantly, though, Happy Birthday, Avelyn!
Oh wow – that’s exactly what happened up here a couple weeks ago – for the second time. Once in the winter with HEAVY precipitation, and once in the spring, when that precipitation melted from the mountains. It sucks, it makes you miserable, and it makes for a lousy birthday!
Happy Birthday Avelyn!
So sorry to hear that you had such a crappy, CRAPPY day, but it’s so nice to see that you have such good friends who were there for you all. Happy birthday to Avelyn, and happy anniversary to you and Steve!
That SUCKS!!! But good to know how much you guys are loved by friends and family, isn’t it? Avelyn’s first birthday “story” will be remembered forever though…and one day…laughed about…
Love from friends is a wonderful gift. So glad that things are alright and I hope that they keep getting better.
[…] didn’t so much fall off the wagon. It was a slow descent. It started with the Day From Heck where the only solution seemed to be a piece of pizza smothered in my most faithful condiment, […]
THat double, triple, quadruple sucks. Oh my word…I don’t read blogs for like 5 days and your world fell apart, I must be the reason. I am so glad you had so many people helping you guys out to get everything cleaned up. Praise God for crop insurance, but Amanda, your poor husband must be so upset all his hard work, all your hopes and investment. Do you really get back everything you put in? I am so sorry about that and then the palm pilot…holy crap. Seriously, I will be praying for you guys to tie up all those loose ends. Happy soggy b-day Avelyn…it is memorable all the way around!
[…] get this: a mere 50 cents per pound. Why so cheap, you ask? A little thing I like to call Birthday Hail. Remember the pounding our poor crop took on the 20th of July? Those poor apples look like […]
[…] more ridiculous the things that go wrong when they come to visit. Someone always ends up sick, or our orchard gets destroyed by hail and we have to fish muddy furniture out of a flooded crawl spa…, or Avelyn is extra grumpy for reasons NOT KNOWN TO […]
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