NOT A GOOD MORNING

I think I did pretty good considering I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to get Jessica up and going for Seminary, when I heard water rushing down a pipe. It sounded similar to the sound of a toilet that's handle didn't completely return to its proper position so it just keeps running. Well, as I went downstairs to find out what was going on I found water in my basement! YIKES!

This is not what you want to see at 6:00 in the morning. I'm amazed I was able to see it at all considering I wasn't wearing my contacts or glasses. Water was spraying out of a pipe directly atop the water heater. So what do you do?

A) panic, freeze, cry

B) yell for your husband, but then remember he is out of town

C) think, think, think - what should I do.

Typically I think I would panic, panic, panic, but today I panicked, and then thought to turn off the water to the house. Then I yelled up to Jessica to turn on all the water faucets (sinks, tubs, showers) to relieve the pressure. That seemed to stop the spraying of water, but that didn't do anything for the puddles on the floor in the storage room.

And I thought that was the extent of the damage...silly me.

Jessica brought me every towel she could find while I was moving all the camping materials, the books that were in storage, etc., etc., etc. She was drying the books when I looked up to see water on the walls...oh no.

Okay, so I went to the storage room under the stairs (the other side of the wall) and didn't see any water...yeah...so I thought. I lifted up one of the "A,B,C" foam tiles we have as the floor covering in there, and yes, you guessed it - water. YIKES. That under-the-stairs room is stuffed with storage.

By this time Devon and Robert are up. Robert is getting ready for school and Devon has jumped in to help. He and I are hauling the several boxes of trains and train track, old boxes, suitcases, and "my wedding dress" out from under the stairs. Everything wet - went to the garage, Everything dry - to the entertainment room. This was time consuming.

We took a break to have family prayer and send Robert on his way to school. Oh, I forgot to mention, Mark really is out of town and Jessica didn't make it to Seminary because I desperately needed her help. Devon and Jessica helped me until 7:35 when they had to leave to catch the school bus.

Now it's only me and this big mess. Finally the plumbers are open for business and I am their first call of the day. (I actually called earlier, but the guy was nice and suggested I call back after 7:30 to save $55 - which I did.) I call - they are on their way.

I go to survey the damage and get to work cleaning up. (I hadn't even found the worst of it yet). I was hauling dripping towels up to the washer, throwing away damaged boxes, up and down, up and down the stairs I went. I was trying to dry out the under-the-stairs room when the Holy Ghost whispered to me to check the play room. If water was all over the floor on this side of the water heater, it seems logical that water would be on the other side too. OH NO. I was right! And because that room is carpeted - water was splashing under my feet as I walked into the room. Water was in the padding and extended 8 feet away from the wall. YIKES!

Thank goodness for great friends. I sent out an email asking if anyone had a dehumidifier and two came to the rescue. Now I have been vacuuming up water with my "Little Bissle" before running the two dehumidifiers. I emptied a full container of water twice.

It is at this point that I realize - this job is way bigger than I can handle, so I call the insurance company. They are sending an "Emergency Team" out to dry out my house.

In all reality - it could have been so much worse. I am so grateful for the blessings of life. This year has been filled with adversity for us, but nothing too much and each trial taught us something! I will always trust in the Lord and have faith things will work out!