What a homecoming.......

So, we're back. Had a fab time in CA . . . won't recap the whole thing because most of the people who read this were in on it. Anyway, got to see everyone we wanted to and do most everything we planned on and, escaping the horror that was the driving conditions, we're thrilled to be back home. We're going to seriously rethink it the next time we decide to travel in the winter while living here. Between windshield wiper motor going out during the WORST snowstorm either of us had ever been in . . . it actually had snow and sleet and LIGHTNING AND THUNDER!!! . . . and having to stop every 5 minutes to open the hood and bang on the wiper motor with a wrench, and racing the incoming storm back to Green River . . . I stepped out of the shower at our hotel in Wells, NV, and Kev said, "we need to get in the car. It's on its way and we have to outrun it!" . . . I don't know if my poor heart can take the stress of another winter trip. We'll have to see . . .

And of course, while we were gone our pipes in the house froze. Yep, we did everything we were supposed to do and they still froze. Actually it started with the sewer pipes first, then the incoming water lines froze solid. Thankfully my parents were watching the house for us and found the problem immediately so we got the landlord to send out his handyman and got the pipes thawed out and the sewer taken care of. By the time we got home it was all done except the clean-up from the overflowing toilet and tubs and sink. No water damage, tho!

We got home on Fri nite and I was up with Josiah late that nite . . . he got a bad cold while we were away . . . and when I finally had him asleep at last (2:30am) I was walking back to my bed when I heard water running like someone was doing the dishes. I followed it and found it was coming from the freezer . . . we have in-door water and ice in our fridge and the water line goes to the freezer for the ice maker. I noticed my slippers were getting really wet all the sudden and I cracked open the freezer door . . . only to have a deluge of water pour out onto my feet and the kitchen floor. I screamed for Kev and we used every towel we own to sop up the mess. Turns out that the ice maker had gotten an ice chunk in the water line and when it went to fill up the cube trays the chunk blew thru the line and broke the on/off switch so there was nothing to tell it to shut off. It had filled the side-by-side freezer most of the way up to the top . . . which is what I let loose when I opened the door . . . and was already starting to freeze everything together in one huge chunk. We were able to save everything . . . including my scrapbooking paper and stuff which is stored right next to the fridge because my office is what used to be the dining area . . . and again nothing was ruined, Thank God!! I can't be mad at Josiah for getting me up anymore because we would never have heard the water if I wasn't already awake.

You'd think that was the end of it, but no, there's more!! Monday nite Gennie got up to pee at 5:30am and needed help turning on the water . . . she can do it fine by herself except when it's FROZEN SOLID AGAIN!! No showers, no flushing the toilets, no making bottles for Josiah, nothing. I got the landlord to send out someone again and they re-insulated the water heater room . . . where the problem was, right next to my closet . . . thank God the pipes didn't break . . . and got them thawed out again. I tell you what, this has been one crazy year, and it's only week two!!! Krista, at least it should make for some fun fodder for my slide-page scrapbook!

I never thought I'd be sooooo happy to see the sight of running water in my kitchen.