Did you see the movie Twister back in 1996? Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. Or maybe more iconic, how about The Wizard of Oz from 1939 with Judy Garland? If you’re like me, these movies made you terrified of tornados. And, well, I think that we should be.
When we moved to Highland, Utah we were excited to have a big yard. We had three daughters; Julienne was 6, Maggie had just turned 5, and Emma was almost 2. Part of the appeal of the house was a big playground in the back yard and room for a trampoline.
We bought a trampoline and my brother Nick and I spent a whole Saturday putting the thing together. It was very heavy and it had a big net that went all the way around it connected to big tall metal poles. You could not move the trampoline by yourself, and we had difficulty moving it where we wanted with just two of us. The day was almost over but the kids had a good couple of hours to jump on it. We were all excited about the trampoline. It looked really nice. It looked safe. I was tired, but it was a good day’s work and I felt like we had accomplished something my kids would enjoy for a long time.
We had the kids come inside, eat dinner, take baths, and read scriptures as a family. We did all the regular things on a Saturday night getting ready for church the next morning. Later that night a big storm came through.
Now we were new to Highland and didn’t know that Highland, Utah is known for its strong wind gusts. Highland sits at the base of American Fork Canyon. Well, this storm was a big one. I could hear the rain against our bedroom window and the wind howling. I had the thought, “I wonder how the trampoline is doing?” I turned on the floodlights to the backyard. I looked hard squinting and scanning the backyard, then I said to my wife Jen, “It’s gone!” She said, “What do you mean it’s gone?” and I said, “I can’t see it anywhere!” I got dressed and grabbed a flashlight. I went out to where the trampoline had been. Nothing was around. I looked over to the swing set and it had been smashed and toppled. I shined the flashlight all around the yard, on our roof, in the trees. The trampoline had vanished. Sticks, branches, and other things were flying through the air like in a tornado. A large piece of aluminum siding from a shed flew through the air above me and I began to think that it might not be safe for me to be out in the storm. I went out to the front yard and through rain hitting my face and blurring my vision, I could see a crumpled trampoline across the street. I crossed the street to get a closer look. As I shined the flashlight on it in unbelief, I could tell that it actually wasn’t our trampoline. It was a different color. I later found out it was our neighbor’s who lived three houses down the street. Completely puzzled, I looked around and finally gave up. It wasn’t in Kansas anymore… or at least it wasn’t in my yard. So I clicked my shoes and said, “There’s no place like home!” and went to bed.
Tune in to hear the rest!
