Highlight: My friend Nancy B from Cali visited!!! It was SO much fun catching up late into the night :o)
Lowlight: We bought a new car on Memorial Day weekend and on day 3, I had a car accident... long story short: Michael and I and the other drivers involved were fine---a total God thing!
Highlight: Both kids finished their school year and started their summer programs.
Lowlight: Jacob tried to save a box of things for me that I didn't get to take care of in time. It was filled with notebooks of interviews from 2000 and beyond from my past life at the radio station---all muddy and moldy. Ick!!!
Highlight: All but one box of CDs and DVDs Jacob & our friend Brad rescued have been separated from their cases and sanitized.
Highlight: After what seems like forever, all the necessary documents have been turned to the insurance & FEMA. (HUGE sigh of relief!!!)
Highlight: John D retrieved some important files for me from my lap top that died last summer!!! He's a miracle worker!!!
While documenting pictures and filling out spreadsheets for the insurance company I had a gazillion and one things I've wanted to do like reading and blogging (I have a ton of things swirling around in my brain begging to be put down in writing!), but fun stuff has to take a back seat to the massive wall of responsibilities in front of you sometimes. In times like these, who wants to be the adult?!? I know I don't!!! I think I want to be Michael for the day...!!!
SO! After reading the title of my blog, have you found that tune running through your head?!? You're welcome :o) lol
This classic Sunday School song was a staple when I was growing up and then again when I was teaching my own Sunday School class. I mean, who doesn't remember stretching out their arms at the "Wide" of Deep and Wide and trying to hit the person next to you?!? Ummm... Okay, I hope I'm NOT the ONLY one guilty of that!!! Little did I know how this song would be the theme of our family's life since moving here...!!!
On Wednesday, June 26th, I was jerked out of a deep slumber at a little after 5 am (definitely an ungodly hour to be awakened for those of us who are NOT morning people!!!) by these words, "It's been raining outside and water is coming into the basement. We need to pack and may have to evacuate..."Groundhog Day, anyone?!?
"NoooooooOOOOOOOOOO!!!" The day before I had scheduled the restoration company to begin filling up the cracks in the foundation and to cap off the exposed exhaust pipe in the basement bathroom (where the water had gotten in before in the last flood in April). It was a two day project and was supposed to be finished today. Fat chance now!!!
The thought that we might flood AGAIN so soon (April 18 was the date of flood #1) and the fact that it was nearly one month since we were able to move back home after living in the hotel threatened to be joy robbers... But, God showed me how much I have to be grateful for again so here are some Splashes of Joy I want to share...
Splashes of Joy #1: I swung out of bed in record time, headed over to my closet to get the suitcase and turned on the lights and they worked this time!!! We still had POWER! It's SO much easier to pack when you can actually see what you're doing unlike the last time we had flooding!!!
Splashes of Joy #2: I knew the routine this time around as I called the plumber, the restoration company and the insurance company. After going through flood #1, I'm much better prepared for this time around with flood #2!!! I'm happy to dispense advice to anyone going through a flood for the first time...
Splashes of Joy #3: Jacob was in Japan last week so he was home this week.
Splashes of Joy #4: We only had 4 ft of water this time around compared to the 5.5 ft of water last time.
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| My view of the basement as I watched the water rise up on the stairs |
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| The view from the front door of our house! |
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| Here is a view of what it looked like from the side of the house leading to the backyard |
We hadn't started finishing the basement yet because we were still researching our options. We knew if the village storm system gets charged again, our streets will flood which would impact our home again so we were taking our time trying to figure things out. We had replaced the furnace and the air purifier, the hot water tank, the back-up battery and sump pump, so when we were hit with 4 ft of water and realized there goes the furnace and air purifier again, it threatened to be a joy robber, but...
Splashes of Joy #5: We replaced the hot water heater with a tankless so it could be mounted on the wall and the back up pump was up on the shelf that was built for us so we had hot water and the back-up pump working as our other sump pumps got overwhelmed! I wonder if we can suspend the next furnace from the ceiling...?!? We were so thankful we didn't replace the electrical stuff yet (it was on my "things to schedule next" list) because the water reached the breaker box again!
Splashes of Joy #6: The cracks in the foundation were being fixed and that's all that was happening in the basement---formally furnished but now down to a big 'ole slab of cement and ugly studs. You should see the lovely plastic wall with the big red zipper mounted that separates the main floor from the basement...!
We loaded the car and tried to drive out but the water level was too high on the roads, our driveway, our lawn... so we drove back in the garage and closed it. Then the sensors went out. We went back inside the house and it sounded like a waterfall downstairs in the basement. A pane of glass got shattered/cracked from the water (there are double pane windows downstairs) and I started calling the village's engineer requesting that the locks be opened so we wouldn't flood like last time! I calmly left new messages as the water started rising in our basement.
He never returned my calls; instead, he paid us and our street a visit.
Splashes of Joy #7: The plumber was finally able to make it (so many roads were flooded and closed down) and the slow process of pumping the water out took all day. Thank God for my rain boots! They came in handy when I went downstairs to inspect the damage in the basement and measure the water line :o)
Splashes of Joy #8: Jacob had to get our other car (parked in the driveway) to higher ground. The water was up to the doors so he drove through the neighbors yard (sorry, Tom!) to get to a street further up from us that hadn't been flooded. Next on the shopping list: Buy Jacob and the kids some rain boots, too. It comes in handy when the entire neighborhood goes underwater!!!
Earlier, after we had packed the car, we started moving things frantically from the main floor of the house knowing that the water might come in. Jacob was carrying boxes from the garage and taking them up on the landing of the stairs single-handedly! And then at the end of the day, he wondered why he was so exhausted!!!
Splashes of Joy #9: No water came in on the first floor so we were able to stay here instead of returning back to the hotel. Hot water and power (hello, internet!) are things we never want to take for granted!!!
Splashes of Joy #10: I got a call from the insurance adjuster that day and she was the same one from flood #1 so it was great to have already worked with her before!!!
Yes, we flooded again, yes, there's stuff to do for the insurance again, and yes, my list of "things to do" again has grown, but we have so much to be thankful for!!! Losing a basement is nothing compared to those who lost their homes in the fires out West or the flood in Canada. We have our family intact and we have food, shelter and clean water---it's more than what most people have around the globe.
I love how the Amplified Bible records the words of Job in Job 1:21...
Naked (without possessions) came I [into this world] from my mother’s womb, and naked (without possessions) shall I depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed (praised and magnified in worship) be the name of the Lord!
I'm totally not comparing myself or our situation to what Job went through, but I LOVE his attitude!!! He chose joy!!! :o)
P.S. I was determined to blog today knowing that in the days to follow, I'll be pretty swamped again and may not make it back to blog in a long time...
Overheard: "Daddy, I leveled up to first grade!" Clearly, someone is spending too much time playing on the iPad, right?!?
Finding the time to read has been a challenge in the past couple of months! Here are the only books I've read in no particular order...
Unveiling Grace: The story of how we found our way out of the Mormon church by Lynn K. Wilder is a gripping story that's sure to impact you as you see the Wilder family touched by the power of God. Their story is amazing!!! The differences between Christianity and Mormonism are clearly laid out (I like the doctrinal comparison index in the back of the book) and it answers so many questions I've had about Mormons, their culture, rules and their belief system.
The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah Ladd has plenty of faith, action and romance! Amelia Barrett, heir to an estate, is plotting to get baby Lucy's father to marry her so his child's future will be secure. But his refusal to her proposal creates a complication that makes him realize what a mistake he made. Deception, danger and death---you'll find these elements keeping you on the edge of your seat!
Catch a Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt was a great read! Dr. Kendall Haynes is a caring doctor looking for the right man. And it seems like she's found her man, but the prickly & pig-headed guardian of one of her patients has her confused when she sees a rare tender side to him, too. Romance, tragedy and a mystery will keep you hooked to the end!
The Offering by Angela Hunt is one of those stories that makes you think. One discovered mistake has the potential to change everything in Amanda Lisandra's future and now she has the power to make things right. I've always believed that you can never go wrong with anything by Angela Hunt!!!
If the Shoe Fits: A Contemporary Fairytale by Sandra D. Bricker is charming and a fun read. Julianne has been searching for Prince Charming and her desperation to protect her pride is agonizing to read about! But, there's a happy ending and it turns out the Prince Charming has been there all along! I loved it!!!
Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story by Dee Henderson is a powerful love story that made me cry at the ending! Jennifer O'Malley hasn't really gone looking for love because she loves her job so much, but one man is about to change everything for her. And then the surprise ending caught me by surprise... it was totally not what I expected. It's true love, girlfriend!!!
The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney is an incredibly intriguing read. When Mitchell Brannon's wife Jill never shows up for dinner after being away at a conference, the police suspect foul play. Mitchell and his next door neighbor (his wife's best friend) search relentlessly for her but every lead seems to be a dead end until jewelry is recovered from Jill's hotel room. This is a story about redemption and second chances. Loved it!!!
When the Morning Glory Blooms by Cynthia Ruchti covers three woman's lives in three eras where they are faced with a dilemma that seems like there's no hope. The stories are fascinating as you go in and out of each woman's life. Becky is the mother of a teen daughter with a secret. Ivy has a secret that she's afraid to admit. And Anna is giving out her secrets so they can be remembered. It was a great read!
A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach is a story about one woman's desire to reconnect with her daughter. Her idea to make a photo memory quilt for her daughter incorporating some of the techniques from her heritage excites her but running her late husband's company drains her. Enter new business consultant partner: Joel Ryan---a man Mara doesn't trust! Mara needs to figure out if Joel is out to steal her company or something else!
An Unholy Communion by Donna Fletcher Crow is the third title of The Monastery Murders. This series is addicting! Something strange is going on when Felicity stumbles upon a dead body with something held tightly in his hands. The sinister image haunts her as she and her fiancé Father Antony try to solve the murder while leading a group of youth on a walking pilgrimage. I love a good mystery and it's always fun to try to guess the "whodunnit" in the story!
Afloat by Erin Healy was an interesting book to read while our basement was flooding from the overcharged village storm sewers! In this story, architect Vance Nolan has designed a one-of-a-kind floating apartments concept that's funded by a wealthy developer interested in luring wealthy residents. But the unthinkable happens and suddenly, a handful of residents, builders and investors are desperately trying to survive. This is a suspenseful story about faith, spiritual warfare and deliverance!
