Home Sweet Home

We made it home from our wonderful trip on Sunday evening. It was a blessing to return happy and healthy, with no mishaps on the trip. No flat tires or car problems. BUT the same cannot be said for our poor house. A week and a half before our return the sewer backed up. Luckily our 18-yr-old was home to discover the 2 inch flood in the early morning hours. Can you just imagine if nobody had found it before we arrived home?! I shudder at the thought. We instructed K to call Service Master to come clean it up. Several members of our families and a neighbor came in the evening and put all the furniture up on blocks.

The next day Service Master informed K that all the furniture, washer, dryer, laundry, etc. etc. had to be moved out. We have a big laundry room, a bedroom, family room, bathroom, small workshop and a good-size study downstairs. What a nightmare! As often happens in an LDS community, friends and family rallied in force to save the day. My girls thought it would take days to do the job, but with all the help it only took an hour. I have spent more time than that trying to think of a way to repay the kindness. How do you adequately express gratitude for such great service?

A couple days later Service Master said they would have to rip out all the carpets, remove my craft cupboard, remove all the lower cupboards in the kitchen/laundry room and 2 ft of dry wall in every room. So my sweet daughter and her wonderful husband boxed and carried up all the scrapbook supplies, stored items in the laundry cupboards and the 30 yr-old wheat storage under the basement stairs, plus who knows how much more!

When we arrived home the carport was neatly packed with furniture, appliances (besides the washer and dryer there was a stove and frig in the laundry room), my new desk, filing cabinets, M's two desks, etc, etc, etc. The living room, kitchen, dining room, and bedrooms were all stuffed with more prized possessions and junk.

The sad thing was that our daughter's boyfriend had snaked the sewer line a week before when K told us the toilet had bubbled. We didn't mention to him that there were two places that needed to be snaked. Seems it was the other pipe that backed up. Roto-router came in and cleaned it out. They said the pipe had ingrown tree roots, but that it should be good for another 6-7 years. We're not going to risk it. M is going to replace the pipe.

The clean-up crew from Service Master is still taking care of the damage. When they finish we will have to tear out all the paneling and drywall because they said the sewage crawled up between the paneling and drywall. It's going to be a major task. Thank heaven M is retired and doesn't have to go back to work and only do repairs in his off time. The insurance company has been very cooperative. Another blessing. We have made the upstairs comfortable for the 3 of us by moving everything that didn't belong under the back awning of the patio and surrounding the area with heavy plastic. Our computers are set up on the dining room table and we can eat on the picnic table. Hopefully most of the basement will be restored before winter.

We are a bit devastated, but not bad. A bit overwhelmed, but we keep giving each other the "one bite at a time" pep talk. I've decided I would like to move to a smaller home. Our four daughters are so in favor of that. Nobody ever wants to clean out our basement again. Mostly we feel grateful. We have the best daughters in the whole world. I can't believe how the 3 that live close have shouldered the responsibility while we were away. The husband of 1 daughter and boyfriend of another have done so much, as well. They are great guys. And our dear extended family and friends have pitched in so willingly to rescue us. K's friends (40 in number) and our bishop joined in to move things in no time. Our life is richly blessed by these willing people. I'm so afraid I will not be able to tell everyone how very much I appreciate them.