Sunday, January 15, 2012

Life is much better now.....

I can't believe I haven't posted anything in so many weeks. So much has happened. We are settled into the rental home...well, box springs and mattress on the floor and clothes on the floor but we have some dressers, rugs, and a pot to boil noodles so we are good. We have even had a few get togethers and it is nice to have a home to be able to have people over. This house is huge, open, all tile and wood in bedrooms, ten foot ceilings and best of all....all one level! Stairs are not awesome I have decided. But as we settle into real life with school started and no carpool, different bus stops, having to drive a lot farther to schools (Elem. Is 2 miles and h.s. Is 3 miles).....we are busy as ever...we have been helping gutt the house, chipping out concrete, meeting with contractors, going thru bags and bags of clothing and things from the storage container, and trying to find all those things we need.

We are waiting for the ins. Co. To come up with a total on what they think should cost to rebuild which I can already tell won't be enough money.....as soon as that happens we hire the contractor that can afford to do it for that amount and we start rebuilding. So by next week we will be in construction mode. Right now we are trying to get all the changes done that we want to do so we can turn the house over to the contractor.....thus the chipping out of the concrete in the laundry room. A new slab is being poured from the laundry room to the back patio to add on a storage/exercise room and a food storage room, which you will be proud to know I have sacrificed 2 feet of my awesome laundry room for.

The problems only arise when I tell keven he can't put a wall somewhere or when he tries to tell me I can't have those cabinets. Let's see if i can submit a pict here........

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

january 3rd ...2012

Yes! Bring on the new year.......

We finally got a place to live, love and spread out. Its a 4 bedroom home on the 18th whole of the golf course but I'm not complaining. So nice to have a kitchen, a couch, a bathroom, and food in the fridge. And we have our puppy too! He's been a little stinker adjusting to us again but he is getting better all the time. Likes to snuggle at night......good grief! Last I wrote was Friday I think....can't even remember the weekend....spent new years eve hanging out with friends and talking then back to hotel. Sunday church at 10 am...yay! And the last night at the hotel.

Monday was move day. Everyone cleaned out the hotel room while I went to work. Then wendy fed us lunch and we moved beds and couch to rental. Wendy came and unpacked my kitchen stuff while I buzzed around and ran here and there. A few minor things like sheets, blankets, silverware, and backpacks had to be dug out about 9pm but we got somewhat settled.

Today I ran to the wrecked house and loaded my car with what foods I could, bedding and clothing bags, and later went. Back with sue and kids so they could see it. Since the ins. Adjuster came and told them to pull the tile out they haven't been too happy. Sooooo glad they did because in the kids' bathroom it was black boards all under the tub. They had the tub out and were prying off all the boards. Soo glad they found that and took it out.

Waiting on bids from contractors and info from ins. On allowable amounts. I spent the first week working my tail off right beside the workers and now I'm finding it hard to find the time to be there, plus, I just don't want to be. Its creepy. Anyway......just like grandma lamb says. This too shall pass.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Friday - dec. 30

Well the plan for the day was to work...then run to st.George with kev and get ideas and possibly a date....away from kids......then check on the house and go to the hotel and slip slowly into madness........

Instead I woke at 3 am to tinkle and noticed Tara was not in the room....so I began texting kev, tan, and Tara in the other room to see if she was there.....no answer. So I got up and as I got almost shoes....kev texted she was fine and with them. Well I was up and my brain was running so I blogged and did some bills...ate breakfast and got a call from our housing to go to thenfront desk, get the fax, sign the lease, and fax it back....did it but noticed the deposit amount was wrong...called her...fixed it....signed it..and faxed it! That rental is ours on Monday!

Went to work....rocked it...

But of course, when I was done their was four voicemail calls to return. A lady asking if we need her rental....thanks a lot lady, could have used you last week! A sun city lady wondering if the cricut she lent me was ok....well she was concerned sbout me too......the r.s. Pres. wondering how I was doing.....and the orthodontist telling me I owe $216 for Taners retainer.

Joy and rapture...made the calls and headed to the house. The work crew was leaving when I got there and these Tongan boy's Hair was white....(I thought, hmmmm that's weird) so I entered and wow....now I get it...the air throughout the house was white and powdery....they have been tearing out tile. That also explains the dirty snarling look they gave me. We did a little sledge hammering ourselves and decided that was for the young strong ones so we bolted. Kev and I headed to st George and first stop....drop off piano bench to piano gallery because they have my piano and need to fix the bench too. Maybe it's me but I didn't get warm Fuzzies when I drove up and the sign was off the building and the windows were painted with STORE CLOSING! My piano wasn't there....it is with the piano mechanic Stan......this is getting better and better.....but alas the guy inside turned out to be from tim's ward! Also in the Polynesian choir that sang at jordans homecoming....whew it felt good to know someone. He assured me all is well and we left.

After checking the clearance of boulevard home furnishings showroom we decided we would get better quality from d.I. So we went to the cabinet guys showroom. The heavens opened and we not only saw what we want on display but we actually agreed.....freaky huh? Walnut cabinets with a black glaze to make them look distressed and a granite with tons of noisy specks of black, dark brown, tans creams and I can't even remember......all I know is I learned a lot today and I am so glad I went......

We paid a visit to boulevards main warehouse in hurricane and actually found two very decent matching dressers for Kate and talia that had been repossessed and we talked her down to a great price! Wrap them, pack them, and run away! Then problems arose when I walked by the clearance appliances.....a fridge with the freezer drawer pull out on the bottom and the French doors fridge on top.....a $2700 fridge for $1600....putnit in hold......waiting for insurance money so we shall see......ran to lowes to price match and yep it was a steal! Saw a $1200 dishwasher on clearance dfor $800....then guy said it has been sitting there a while and if we call and talk to the manager he may go down.....I will make that call on Monday. I know I need a really really good dishwasher more than I need a new fridge but $800? .....ouch! We shall see......

So weird thing....right? We flood, work our tails off, deal with major losses, depression, Christmas, new years, hotel life, people feeding us because we went broke on eating out, one disappointment after another and next thing you know I'm shopping like a mad woman! Well I am an eyring thru and thru and we are as cheep as theycome so the buyers remorse has already set in and the guilt and fear.......humbled myself by stopping by the house before going to hotel....doesn't even feel like home anymore. Feels really really weird.

They got the tile up from the kids' bathrooom.....oh dang....grab a Petrie dish and make me a science project! Not cool.....really really want to go buy a bottle of clorox ands dump it in there. Wendy kept my kids and fed them and I thank her so much for it! My kids are loving running from hotel room to hotel room.....room 233 to room 230 .....I wonder if the rooms in between notice? This is the most fun they have had there whole spring break........bring on the complaints.

Forgot to mention

We have a large industrial sixes garbage bag of dirty clothes and Wendy took it and has been doing our laundry for us! And when we were at her house we just sat there...like...we arebreally in such a coma that we didn't even register that she is buzzing around doing OUR stuff....thanks sis!

And Shari in Heber has had her ways of helping out too! Some I am probably not even aware of but I am grateful to have sisters!

Love you guys! Well, girls!

Thursday dec 29

Well....here we go..... Got up early and drove to sun city, left my timesheet on my bosses desk and used the treadmill there. I did 5 miles! It took 50 minutes......but I did it! Man that sucked but felt so good too.....a little stop at walmart for a charger for my I pad and off to hotel to get ready for the day. Ins lady at 9am.....thank heavens for Tara! Yesterday I just gave her money and they walked across the street and got microwave meals. Today she can drive them to Wendy,s so they have a place to play.

Turns out that the ins lady is prob at least 10 years younger than me, from Gilbert Arizona, and very very nice. We went over our coverage and the legalities and walked thru the house....she wants even the tile and the sub floor of the second story to get yanked....you should of seen the guys face when she told him that....he did not want to pull up that floor. Later mynhouse was crawling with people and more destruction was in progress. Went over the "wet" container with her, pitched those couches in the dumpster a long withnhalf of my life. But moms armoire seems to be drying out and a furniture medic will come get it and the kitchen table, sand them down, and refinish them. The burgundy couch from mom.....service master can clean it up I hope.....we will see. Treadmill and anything electronic is a goner, along with the in wall ,speakers and kevens surround sound....he priced the in wall subwoofer out....called the company.....650 for that beasty! The list rolled on and on and we thought we were done. She walked around taking pictures and I made some phone calls. Then the hammer came down when the housing lady called and said we could not get into the rental until mon or tuesday! oh my gosh! So the ins. Lady said get another room and you guys can spread out more....I don't care how much it costs but your daughter shouldn't be sleeping in a coffee table. Called the hotel...sold out! Duh....ita new years weekend! Fine....I will spread kids out and give us some space. The list of items being claimed grew and grew and then the hotel called with a cancelation! Yay!

After an exhausting 4 hours with all that I went to Wendy's and saw my kids. Just hanging out ....sitting there like bumps on a log, won't eat, just watching t.v.....I have to get these kids out of here and do something fun. But wait, gotta run to walmart and burn all the Picts to a cd for the ins. Lady.....always something! I got pizza with the debit card the ins. Gave me and we hung out at Wendy's. Even got to have our puppy for a while. He,s gotten bigger! Such a stinker now and needs a bath. Can't wait till next week. Stopped by the house on our way to a friends house for dinner.....contractor #2 showed up giving the spill on how he knows how to handle the restoration.....the ins. Lady also brought a contractor with her. Didn't know I was going to have to pick.

Well whatever...Jim and Joann bun yea fed us an award winning chefs dinner of four inch meatballs, garlic lemon and capers chicken, brocilli, salad, and even skinny cow ,for dessert. Headed back to the house to take care of a few things, discuss some wild and crazy changes we would love to make and back to hot el for kids to watch t.v. While I go thru a huge stack of mail and bills. Oh those don't go away? Weird! Didn't get to bed till 10:30 which is super late for me. The final straw was yet another fight between talia and Kate and I know these walls are thin at this hotel so prob lucky that c.p.s. Wasn't called but let's just say....we didn't have family prayer last night!

I need to sit down with my husband...without any kids or other opinions around and talk about what to do.....if the tile in the kitchen is coming out.....that changes everything! Now......I start from scratch just like I am building a new home.......help I need a designer!

Oh and by the way....our dude that is gutting the house "Ryan" was kind enuf to tell us that our tubing that goes from the water mana block throughout the house was recalled like ten years ago. It would be very stupid if we didn't replace it all wile the home was bare bones. Oh and that will be about two grand out of pocket. Sweet holy goodness.....I have a sneaky suspicion that it ain't over yet.....start me a tab at the bar boys! Well....the home depot anyway.....

Life....day 1

Wed. Dec 28th....I was nervous today to go back to work. Haven't taught for a while and didn't know if I still had it and I would be seeing all my ladies at sun city and dealing with all the emotions involved with explaining what happened...etc. I don't know if you saw tangled with rapuntzel but all the emotions she went thru when she left her house was basically the kind of day I had. I got a whopper of a swollen pimple on my face to prove that large amounts of cortisol are being produced and released into my blood stream. (I am typing this on my I pad so it is a mess)

It has been a week since the flood and I think instead of naming my blogs flood day 1....etc. I am accepting that this is my life now and the worst is behind me. So now it is just dated so I know what happened and when. I can't believe it is the last week of2011. The lastvweek of my kids Christmas break....bummer for them! They seem to be dealing with things ok. More of just not saying anything because they know we are going thru a lot. Kate frequently returns to hr baby stage....talia has started bullying Kate....Tara is trying to be patient with them but I know deep down she is saying....I'm so out of here soon! Taner,s motto of never try never fail is now his dream come true, Jordan should be home soon....help! In 2012 Tara leaves us, taner gets his license, talia is in young women's, and Kate will be a year from baptism. Wow.....what a perfect time for a over haul on the house.

My rapunzel day started with me waking and getting ready in the hotel room and trying not to wake anyone up since we are all inn the same big room basically. Where is the coffee table? I put all my stuff I needed on the coffee table..... Then I found it....apparently no one will sleep with Kate...they put the two chairs together with the coffee table in between and made a bed for Kate. I love my kids but we have been together since Christmas break started and I would love to have my own space, and some privacy, and a bed for my daughter....oh
well......it's an adventure. I went around the hotel room and cleaned up, started a garbage pile, picked up dirty clothes, cleaned the table off,
ya know basic stuff. I was determinee this was going to be a good day and I was happy. I was in a good mood and felt great. I stopped by
the house to make sure the doors were open, ofncourse why would we lock it, everything of value is out on the patio.

I meet with the ins. Adjuster tomorrow....the house is gutted....I just wanna know what all this is going to cost me. I want to move forward and be excited to pick things and have a better idea of what I have lost. After a few moments at the house I'm off to work. I went like an
hour early because I don't have a computer right now and I need to submit my time....handwritten or whatever.....everyone was so nice!
Asking what I need and what happened and ya know what? It was fine....I didn't totally crumble and when class started I just got right back
in the groove and started doing the dances and it all came back. Great day! And I needed it....I needed the workout, the friendship and love,
and the confidence to know I hadn't lost my physical fitness completely. I have gained at least 10 pounds with not running and eating lots of
comfort food but I am starting to run again and teaching classes again will help. I figure...the new year will be my starting point.

After work the smile was turned upside down when I learned that the people in the rental home we are waiting for, still hadn't signed their docs to move into their home so they can get out of the rental.....Grrrrrr. I will be in the hotel through new years weekend if don't hurry up!
Had a heated and emotional conversation with wendy about all that has happened this last week. It's not worth even typing here but it did
get me to really letbgo of some welled up tears after we hung up.

Well no time for misery and woe....taner,s retainer is packed away somewhere in that storage pod and I'm not about to let 4 thousand dollars worth of dental work go to waste so off to st George to the ortho for a molding of the teeth for a new retainer.....might as well make it worth my while and check out some furniture. If you have ever been to the boulevard home furnishings they have a really fun showroom. Even an eatery...it's like a mall of rooms and furniture. We sat on every couch in there...to bad we only liked the really expensive ones. Well off to the back of the showroom for the clearance stuff. Some pretty good deals in there. I had all thebkids with me and just let them jump on the mattresses and do wgphatever theybwanted. It was quite fun. Took a bunch of pictures...talked to a few people and off we went....got an ice cream and headed home.

Stopped back by the house....wow...feels like a shell, feels small and totally different. Young womens p.j. Party tonight....where are my p.j.s? Oh well....borrowed Tara,s and all 3 of us girls got to go together this time! Kind of a fun and relaxing night......needed that.

Later I went thru every flood picture and the pictures of each room and made a detailed list of everything to talk to the adjustor about tomorrow, not exactly my idea of taking a trip down memory lane....I can't believe how much stuff is just gone. It's gonna be interesting tomorrow.....went to bed early (9) with plans to make sure I got in a run in the morning so I could be more mentally prepared for the day.

Oh and at young women's one of the leaders had her baby there. This baby was born with something wrong with her heart....had to be life flighted just minutes after birth, open heart surgery, all that time and months in the hospital without her momma and 3 other little siblings, and the mom.....wow....all that she went thru, her baby gets whisked away from her right after birth and she,s told she might not live, all the months of traveling to salt lake, the worry, and trying to either deal with the other 3 little ones or having people constantly watch them, and nursing? Forget that. Her baby has oxygen tubes taped to her face and has to keep them there for a long long time, and the mom has to take the baby everywhere and constantly watch her and worry......so I'm counting my blessings tonight and grateful for my flood.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Flood - Day 8

Tuesday - December 27th

Must get a run in today, must, must, must. So off I went, well first i went to the house of course, one more load of laundry, then button up the washer, unlock the house for the crew, and leave a note as to my whereabouts, and well ya know.......its like when a woman says she is going to bed, 10 things get done on the way! And off I went!

I got 2 miles out and my phone wrang and it was the call I've been waiting for - HOUSING! So I had Tara come get me, maybe I got 3 miles in.....I doubt it. Went and saw two houses. One is empty and ready now, the other will be empty and ready in two more days. UGH! Of course we want the one that isnt ready yet, it has 4 bedrooms and a great back yard. The other only has 3 bedrooms and the whole back yard is a pool - no fence. Not gonna work with KAte. Sooooo - 3 more nights of hotel, we can do this......... off to the house.

Yep as I suspected, the gutting crew was there, turns out it is 5 tongan guys from the Pine View Football team. We walked in and started hauling sheet rock out to the dumpster, insulation, you name it. And they let us rip some walls down. We got all the ceilings pulled down and my kids started disappearing. I ordered pizza knowing that no matter how much I ordered it wouldnt be enough but I hadnt planned a budget for feeding workers so they got some bella pizza and were happy. I sent my kids off to get the puppy and I continued to make phone calls and ocassionally gut more of the house, or haul off a thing or two. We filled the huge diesel sized dumpster before lunch so as it got delivered again, we filled it up again. All cabinets out and all walls had to go. I got a bit emotional when I gutted the kitchen walls because I could hear the guys in the laundry room trying to get out the tile counter top that Keven and I had built, they were cussing that counter and I was like, HEY! We built that counter from scratch! But I just took it out on the wall, everything was so wet, it was easy to pull down.

Finally the sun went down and we couldnt work anymore! How do guys use hammers all day? My hands hurt all the way up my arms. Keven showed up and we discussed the possibilities and changes we would LIKE to make.... and then we headed to the hotel.

Dinner? Jack in the box and a hot shower!

Blessing of the day: Friends of mine from Sun City found me. They drove around in my neighborhood until they found the house with the big dumpster.....not cool. Anyway - they are making us dinner Thursday night and i am so excited. These guys are in charge of the fine dining club at Sun City so I cant wait! They could cook mac and cheese and make it taste gourmet at this point!

Im drawing a blank for a scripture today, maybe I;m just so tired I cant think. I'll try again tomorrow. May the giggling after the lights go out, be pleasant and minimal......nighty night