Limited internet and severe weather created a perfect storm when the kids saw a weather report for the first time.

We left Colorado just two days before the start of the new school year. We had not yet closed on our ranch, so we moved in with Grampa Brown while we waited on the bank.

Before moving, our kids had access to all the modern technology they could get their hands on. Cable TV with hundreds of channels and on demand everything. A dedicated 80-mbps fiber optic internet connection. YouTube. Netflix. Apple Music. You name it, they used it.

On Grampa Brown’s ranch, he had antenna tv with maybe 12 channels on a clear day. DSL internet at the blazing speed of 1.5 mbps. Hills and trees that made cell service semi-reliable. A perfect recipe for making YouTube, Netflix, you name it, a pain to watch.

One night, Tom and I went to visit the couple we were buying our ranch from. We left the kids at Grampa’s so they could finish homework and get ready for the next school day. Plus, we weren’t going to be long.

At our new ranch, cell service without a cell booster is non-existent. During our visit, we watched a thunderstorm roll by south of us. It was beautiful. But, what we didn’t know was back at the ranch our kids were seeing a severe weather warning and weather radar on the tv for the first time. YouTube doesn’t interrupt your viewing for breaking news or weather!

Not knowing the names of surrounding towns or counties, the kids were certain a tornado was headed directly for them and it was the end of the world. They tried calling us, but we had entered our future blissful ranch, where cell service stopped. So, when they couldn’t get ahold of us, they started calling their grandparents, back in Colorado.

I’m certain if we would have spent 10 more minutes visiting my dad would have gotten in his truck and drove all night to rescue his grandchildren. But, when we rejoined the limited technology we had access to, our text messages started pinging. It took a geography lesson and a lot of phone calls to Colorado to ensure everyone we were safe.

Though thunderstorms and tornadoes are part of our new life, the kids still panic when they see a severe weather warning on the tv. The good thing is now we’ve improved the cell service and have faster internet. Oh, and Grandma and Grandpa live 4 miles down the road, so the kids don’t have to call Colorado for help when mom and dad don’t answer their phones.