Grammy Great turns 92!

Oh, how this birthday was much different than last year for grandma! After looking back over the past year, I am amazed at this woman! She is one of the strongest people I have ever known. We were not quite sure if we would get to spend another birthday with her after last year. One year ago today she spent her birthday in the hospital as doctors where preparing to do hip replacement on her 90th birthday. She had fallen the day before and was taken to the emergency room where she found out she would have to have her hip replaced and undergo major surgery. One year later, she is home celebrating her 91st birthday! We spent the evening with her and brought her some of her favorite sugar free candy. Happy Birthday Grammy Great! We love you....a bushel and a peck!

Our Indoor Swimming Pool...

We experienced first hand what it would be like if we had an indoor swimming pool! In other words we had a crisis at our house. It was finally a nice day outside and Adam decided he would wash his truck. He gathered everything and put the spray nozzle on the hose and went to work. Myself and the kids were outside enjoying the sun filled day. Adam mentioned a few times that the pressure was really low. After he was finished, I told him that maybe I would wash the van as well. I told him to just leave the water on and I would be just a minute before I would start. He said for some reason he felt he should walk over and turn it off. When we went over to the outside faucet he hollered at me to come over. There was water everywhere along the brick and window seal. We both had a sick feeling and realized why the pressure was so low. Adam told Kourtney to run downstairs a check. It seemed like only seconds before we heard Kourtney let out a loud scream! We both went running downstairs and before we knew it water was over the top of our shoes. I think back to that very instant and it is a blur. We grabbed furniture and what ever else was there and started moving it out. We quickly realized that there was water in all three bedrooms, the bathroom, hall, and laundry room. The only dry room was the family room. Adam shut the main water line off and realized the water had entered down by Kourtney's room. After checking it out we found that the hose bib had been frozen inside and when Adam turned the faucet on, it caused to much pressure and split the pipe, thus shooting water down inside the basement. We grabbed the shop vacs and stated sucking up water. People started showing up to help and I still don't know to this day how they found out and how they arrived so quickly. After dumping eleven sixteen gallon wet vac's, we started pulling up carpets. The pads were saturated and we knew they had to be torn out. A gentleman around the corner was there in a flash helping Adam fix and replace the broken pipe.

I think about this experience and we quickly realized that blessings come in many ways and forms that don't really seem like blessings. I will explain.

These past few months, we as a family decided we were really going to put the law of service to the test. Adam has been doing many hours of mechanical service for people who have not had the means to fix their vehicles. Our own projects had been put on the "back burner" as you could say. Adam says his first thoughts were: Why did this happen to us? I have really been trying to do service for others. Then he realized he better quickly humble himself before someone with higher authority did it for him! :) We called a carpet company to come give us a quote on how much is was going to be to replace pad and re stretch the carpet. The company said they have a guy that works for them, but in situations like this(not terribly big jobs) he does side work for people like this. He came to give a quote and right when he was telling us how much it was going to be our telephone rang. I looked at the caller ID and thought I knew what the phone call was about by the name that came across. I told Adam I would call it back when the carpet guy had left. He told us that he would charge us around $200 for labor and then the cost of the pad on top of that. Were looking around $500. One expensive car wash! I returned the phone call shortly after and was asked if I could do an casting, of a fairly young individual who had been killed in an accident, down at the mortuary and it would need to be done that day. I said yes and gathered my things together. When I arrived they asked me if I could do ten castings of this person's hand so each one of the family members could have one.

Long story longer ;) on how this was truly a blessing for us. I was able to do all ten castings with only three molds. I have never been able to do that before because of the process. For the cost of all the material used, I was reimbursed more than plenty to pay for the carpet and pad. The carpet man had told us when he was here that were were extremely fortunate that the water only damaged the pad and nothing else. He had the same thing happen to him last year and it collapsed his upper floor and made it look like a chicken coop in his basement. The wonderful neighbor that fixed the pipe told Adam that the split couldn't have been in a better place. It was an easy fix. It was clean water that flooded the basement instead of the dirty pressurized irrigation water which would have ruined the carpet throughout the basement, and in retrospect would have been a major expense. None of our bedroom furniture had water damage. This experience gave others the opportunity to serve, the man that replaced the carpet really needed some extra money at that very time. The hand casting, I was told, brought a lot of peace to the family, and helped them get through a hard unexpected tragedy. We were blessed to not have had to use savings to replace pad or have our homeowners insurance raised because of making a claim. We truly believe that this event was just a small part of a plan. We are so grateful for all the help that people offered, and gave to us. I think this has made me look at trials and situations differently.

Science Fair!

Once again it is the annual Science Fair! Kourtney really gets excited about this! I am so proud of Kourtney! She really puts a lot of thought and time into it. In the beginning she came up with a fabulous idea, only to find out that you can't grow bacteria in Petri dishes in your own home. You would have to take them to a lab to be grown and there are not any local labs that are willing to grow them for you around here. I guess they are afraid someone will grow a "super bug" that could be potentially dangerous. The district staff in charge of the science fair told her that it was against the rules to do an experiment like that. So what do you know, the day of the science fair we notice a student in another class had done a experiment with Petri dishes and grew them on the top of her refrigerator at home and WON! Yeah, I was a little confused! One of many qualities I love about Kourtney is her sweet tender heart! She didn't let it bother her a bit. Kourtney is a great example to our family and especially me! I love the idea Kourtney came up with to incorporate her last name. She chose her experiment from the physics field. Her experiment was based on heat transfer. She did an awesome job and we are so proud of her!

Impersonation!

Kaitlyn is such a little comedienne! I love the goofy side of her. Lately she has been doing this Elvis impersonation. She points her fingers, squints her eyes, and rollers her hips, and tries to talk like Elvis! I can't help but chuckle every time she does this! Our life is so fun with this little girl! I wonder what she will come up with next?

"If you took your dad to School..."

Over the years one of our kid's favorite books to read is, If You Took a Mouse to School. So I asked them what would happen, "If you took your Dad to school?" Your dad would drive you to school. You would hold his hand as you walked into the school with a huge grin on your face. You would find a comfy spot to sit down a read with him. You could snuggle up to your dad as he was taking a turn reading to you. Your dad would finally be able to eat breakfast with you, and when you were done, you would want to do it all over again! Well, Kourtney and Kaitlyn did have the opportunity to take their dad to school! It was dads and doughnuts day! One of their favorite school activities! Each student is given a book to bring to school along with their dad so they can spend the morning reading together. After they are done reading they are treated to doughnuts and chocolate milk. A breakfast for champions! :) I am so grateful that Adam takes time out of his busy work schedule to spend quality time with his girls! He loves it just as much as they do! What fun memories, and Makell can hardly wait until next year when she will be able to take her dad to school!

A Special Delivery!

We were surprised to find a special letter in our mailbox today! Makell has been checking for the past two days! She has asked several times a day if the mail truck has delivered the mail yet? It was such a nice day for a change that we decided to spend the day outside. Makell watched as the mail truck drove past and turned around to head our way. She could hardly contain herself! As the mail carrier put the mail in the box and drove off, Makell took off on a sprint! She hollered, "It's here!" "It's here!" That moment totally put a smile on my face! She was so excited, she began to describe her surprise before we could get the envelope open! It was a valentine that she made for our family. It was so cute! The past week they have spent time talking about the mail and mail carriers. Her class took a trip to the post office so they could mail their letters to their families.

It was the cutest letter, and boy was she proud! I could tell she tried to make it her best! She had stayed in the lines while coloring and glued several sparkly jewels onto it. It was a five year old's masterpiece! Thanks Makell for such a wonderful valentine!

Buds!

Harley has a friend for life! Makell thinks of Harley as the little brother in the family. I think he enjoys the attention just as much, if not more than Makell. I will find her dancing with him, teasing him with toys, or cuddling with him. I love when Makell gives him a command. After she commands him to do something she will wait a few seconds and then say, "okay bud?" Makes me smile!