Two Birthdays and a Leak

We celebrated two birthdays this week and discovered a leak in our kitchen.
To say the least, it has not been dull around these parts.

Last Tuesday I noticed a slight lump in our floor near the dishwasher. Wednesday it felt bigger. Thursday I called a friend, who had had a dishwasher leak, and got her opinion. When Chris got home that day from work he took the dishwasher out and discovered that, indeed, our dishwasher had been leaking. Phone calls ensued: insurance company, our friends the Barnes (they had experience with this issue), and a gentleman in our ward at church who is in construction.
The word was sent out to all the kids, as we were on the phone with the insurance company, that everyone was to stop what they were doing and offer a prayer that either the insurance company would cover this, and that if they didn't that everything would work out.
We had a pretty good inkling going into the phone call that the homeowner's insurance was not going to cover this, but we could hope. Although we were not surprised to find that they wouldn't, we were still somewhat disappointed.
My faith was fading, and I just prayed that with the little faith I had everything would work out because, darn-it, we still don't have a money tree.

 

 The Barnes lent us tools to take up the linoleum and sub-flooring.
The gentleman we know from church called us at 10pm and gave us some hope that this was an easy fix based on our initial findings when we tore up the floor.
Chris spent Friday at home drying things out and taking up the floor. Then the construction guy showed up with some new sub-flooring and paper barrier. He installed all of that for us and we didn't pay a cent!
Saturday, we had a wedding and reception to go to, as well as helping another gentleman cut some wood for the trundle. In between all that, Chris painted everything involved with mold primer.

Monday, after work, the construction guy lent Chris a trowel to put the glue down for the linoleum. The dishwasher parts came in yesterday to fix the dishwasher.............so no more leak! 

We decided to put in a tray underneath the dishwasher just in case the dishwasher every leaks again.

And voila!!! Today it's all back together. It's not perfect but it's as close to it as it can be for just over $100. We had a lot of tender mercies, and I know that Heavenly Father is truly aware of us and our situations. Big sigh! While it seemed fun at first to all be in the kitchen washing, rinsing, and drying dishes I won't lie...........I'm so thankful to have my dishwasher up and running again!

 

 

Sunday was Rhaevyn's birthday. My oldest baby is now 17! Eeeeek!
She wanted a cheesecake this year.

 We didn't sing "Happy Birthday" to her. Instead we sang "Sixteen Going On Seventeen". Then we watched The Sound of Music.

 Rhaevyn was showered with some pretty great presents.
Oma gave her a cute little key chain. Just in time too.............she is getting her permit this week!

 
Thursday was Elsa's 7th birthday. Poor girls; she was so sick.
She felt a bit gypped since this was the night the dishwasher leak catastrophe occurred. Rhaevyn had her orchestra practice as well, so she didn't get much of a "happy birthday" with her dessert and candles. She did her best to be a trooper though.

 

 Chris got her stainless steel teacups since she has broken her last two tea cups on accident. Now, no fear of breaking them :)

She wanted apple pie, but we opted for apple turnovers. Everyone got to make their own.

 I gave her a pedicure. She got to soak her feet in my special bath powder. Then I scrubbed her feet twice with special foot scrubs. She got a foot massage with minty lotion, and I painted her toes with red sparkly polish. She said it was the best birthday ever!

 Relaxing while she got her toes painted.

 Elsa was showered with some pretty wonderful gifts too:chopsticks, headbands, her very own brush, and Goldiblox!

 

 

Tuesday, per her birthday wish, we all went out to Red Robin for her birthday. Oma was so gracious to make sure we all got to do this. All the kids were so thrilled that we got celebrate with Elsa and that it wasn't just her and Chris going for her free birthday burger.

Here are my two little girls dancing away to 50's music.

 

 

 Chris is forever taking funny pictures of the kids. We found Miss Elsa asleep quite a few times this past week like this. Both she and Meg have been pretty sick.

Last, but not least, the trundle is done! We may add handles to the front, but for now we are happy, and it's so much easier then pulling the mattress itself out from under the bed.  

 

I am now ready for a week that is slightly less exciting :) 

Easter and Quilt

Our Easter festivities started off with making bunnies out of toilet paper tubes and filling them with chocolates. Elsa delivered hers to her primary teacher from last year, Sister Carson, (who is now Myles' teacher). Unfortunately, she didn't hear the knock on the door or the doorbell ring. She sent Elsa an Easter card through email, and thanked her in person at church, which made up for Elsa's disappointment of not getting to actually hand her the treat when we dropped it off. I made some for my visiting teaching sisters. They were super fun to make!

 Myles made his with buck teeth, hence his pose in this picture.

 This is Elsa's bunny.

Saturday we dyed Easter eggs and made deviled eggs, which we have not done in some time. I'm usually for celebrating Easter without the whole Easter Bunny thing, but decided to change it up a bit this year. The kids had lots of fun, and I loved seeing how different all the eggs turned out.

Sunday morning we each took turns reading in the New Testament of Christ's last week and discussed, briefly, the Jewish Passover. It made "Easter" a bit more peaceful and meaningful, and I couldn't help but be reminded, as we discussed the resurrection, of the words in Elder Wirthlin's general conference address:

"Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."

 Sunday evening we watched Ben-Hur at Christopher's request, and Elsa helped me get her quilt on the frame and tie it. I loved that she wanted to be a part of the quilt project. It was a great bonding experience. It actually turned out to be a busy evening with several sisters dropping off quilts.

 

Monday morning came, and I was up extra early to get school work done with the kids  so I would be ready for the quilt drop off. My heart was so full that day, and I thought about President Eyring's words from the Women's broadcast Saturday evening.

I'll share my facebook post:  

 Today, as I fold and attach cards to quilts for the second donation, I'm reflecting on the past year. I cannot believe that it has been almost one year since Project Mother of an Angel Baby was created. I remember the feeling, so vividly, of being prompted to start this project and feeling so inadequate; feeling like this was so much bigger than something that I could do. And it was. This is nothing I have done alone. I was reminded this past weekend that when the Lord calls you to go and serve he prepares the way before you, and the Lord puts helpers all around you. I have witnessed this. This project would be nothing without all the sweet earthly angels that the Lord has placed all around me who have put forth so much time, effort, and love into making beautiful quilts for mothers who have lost their sweet little ones. Sweet helpers who have spread the word about this project, helped with the logo and tags, and donated material, ribbon, and contributed in so many other ways towards this project. I am so thankful to my Heavenly father and so humbled by those who encourage and help this project along. My heart is so full.

 

 Monday afternoon I took two friends with me to Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital. Both of these lovely ladies lost their sweet angels around the same time I did and have both been so helpful in making quilts for Project Mother of an Angel Baby.

The Chaplain that we met with was so sweet and couldn't thank us enough. She told us that she had spent most of the morning with a couple who had just lost their baby and the heartache they were feeling. Now she was going to have a quilt to give to this grieving mother. It could have been any other day that we went, but I know it was not a coincidence that it was that day we decided to make the delivery. 

On the way back to the car we were discussing the next donation date, and I was commenting how I had been thinking of not doing this anymore. I always feel so stressed about making sure I have enough quilts and feel that I have to come up with so many on my own to make a donation a success because there are so many mother's that suffer this kind of loss. Although Sunday night I had had four people, who dropped off quilts, comment about the next donation date I was feeling doubtful.  My friend, Caressa, remarked that there doesn't have to be 30 quilts to make it a success, or even 15 for that matter. Even if I had had only one quilt to donate that day, on Monday, it would have been enough because that one sweet mother whose heart was breaking would have received that one quilt. So, we move forward with the next donation set for August.

And I'll end with a few random pictures from the past two weeks:

 Aeva's new Lucky Cat, solar operated and waves to me every time I go into their room.

 Myles and Elsa enjoyed the nice warm weather with a ride in the wagon.

 Nope, she doesn't need glasses. She just so badly wants to wear them and is constantly sneaking Elsa's. So, we decided to take a pair of Elsa's old glasses, pop out the lenses, and let her have at them.

 We've enjoyed a wonderful conference weekend, although poor Miss Meg has croup, and we are hoping she feels better soon. Onward and upward!