The joys of owning...

So let me tell you a little story... Okay so it is kinda long... so read on if you'd like.

After a nice weekend in Phoenix with family we returned home late Sunday evening. When I went into the bathroom I noticed that the grout in the tile was wet and then upon further investigation we realized the wall and carpet was wet too. Good times! It was late and there was nothing we could do about it then, so we went to bed. Monday morning we investigated further. The toilet was in order, the water was not coming in from the outside... but quiet... listen really hard... the water is coming from within the walls! YEAH! What fun!

David shut the water off to the house and we began making calls. David called the builder only to find out that the warranty to fix that expired 3 months ago! Are you kidding me!? Three months ago?! So we got the number of the company that plumbed the house and asked them to come over and look at it. When they came they started hacking away at the wall... nice! They started at the floor and worked their way up the pipe until they found the leak... which was almost near the ceiling... of course! I asked David if they could use a stethoscope to find the leak instead of hacking away at the wall until they find it. Guess not.

When they found the leak it was pretty obvious as to what caused it. If you can see from the pictures above, there are some nice BIG staples puncturing the water line. Apparently when they were putting up the chicken wire for the stucco they forgot to go around the BIG BLUE PIPE for the water. Hello! The reason it only started to leak now is fairly simple. When they stapled it, the staple itself created a plug for the hole. Kinda' like getting stabbed if you leave the knife you won't bleed until you remove the knife... In this case the staple had rusted away allowing water to spray out... 2 years and three months later.

David then called back the builder and said that they were going to pay for all the repairs including the plumbing and repairing the wall. A few pictures, emails, and calls later we had appointments for all to be fixed... by the builder. YEAH!

I guess this is sort of a blessing in disguise. First of all it could have happened in two weeks when we were in Yuma and gone un-noticed for a LONG time, creating more damage. Secondly, it was a mistake by the builder so we didn't have to fork out a penny to fix it. I was worried about forking out another 2K to fix the wall, floor, plumbing and whatever else. I guess things could have been much worse... little blessings and lessons in patience and long suffering. :)

I'm Gettin' Nothin' for Christmas...

Mommy and Daddy are mad....
Alexis has been quite the "personality" lately. She sure knows what she wants... and will do anything she can to get it. Today she decided to start opening Christmas presents. I wasn't home when it happened, but David swears he was watching the kids.... Needless to say, all the presents that were opened are disappearing.
Alexis has also become quite the enforcer for Timothy. She runs around the house shutting all the doors to make sure he doesn't get into her things. With Timothy's new found mobility I am just waiting for Alexis to slam his little fingers in the door as she shuts it. To try and explain to her why she can't close the doors, David and I took a cracker and placed it in the door and shut the door on the cracker. The cracker smashed into pieces on the floor. We explained that when a finger gets in the door it gets smashed too. Her eyes were huge when we did this demonstration... so we thought the idea sunk in. The next day, as Alexis was getting ready to shut the door, I asked her what we learned about doors. Her reply, "Don't put crackers in the door!" I think she missed the point. Any suggestions on how to prevent a broken finger in a closing door would be GREAT!
David has also been home the past few days. He was hoping to work for some money during his break, but that fell through... so I've been trying to keep him busy. I'm not so sure I'm doing a good job because I think he has masters quite a few computer games. I guess it is good for him to get a break every now and then though. I asked how he can play all those games on the computer and his response was pretty fair. He said, "You blog... I play games." Can't deny that.
I also finished a sewing project tonight. It is a cute fleece hooded shawl for my niece. It is SO cute. I'll have to get a picture with Alexis modeling it. I feel pretty proud of myself, even though it took extreme help from David deciphering the directions. Not sure why they make the directions so confusing. Thanks David for all your help.
We are off to Phoenix tomorrow for an early Mower Christmas. It should be filled of fun and food. Yeah. Well way past my bedtime... Goodnight.

Happy Birthday Alexis!

We can't believe how fast time flies. Alexis turned three years old today! It truly seems like just yesterday she was born. She is such a blessing in our lives. She makes us laugh so hard. She has an incredible personality. More recently her stubborn and sassy side have developed.

Alexis was born a tiny little thing at 6lbs. 1oz. but quickly grew into the little "Michelin Baby". She had hair that stuck straight into the air and looked like a long layer of fuzz. She has since slimmed down and has hair that makes one envious. She is a beautiful young girl who never ceases to amaze us with her quick wit and amazing memory. She definitely received her dads smarts and looks. We are so blessed to have such an amazing little person in our home. Happy Birthday Alexis! We love you!

So much to be grateful for

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of travel, parties, and the clean up that follows. We spent Thanksgiving in Phoenix. It was a long weekend of good times. We stayed with David's sister Kathy and her family. Thanks to Kathy for being such a wonderful hostess. We had a great feast with some interesting food. A turkey was barbecued (scorched) but had a great taste. The glaze had caught fire... poor turkey. Once the outside layer was removed it was a beautiful golden brown. Then there was the mashed or blended potatoes. David's brother, Wayne was in charge of the potatoes. Upon starting his potatoes he realized he had no potato masher so he went to ask his neighbor, who didn't have one either. His neighbor then said he could use his blender for the potatoes. Let's just say I had no idea potatoes could be that texture or consistency. All in all, Thanksgiving was wonderful and filled with friends and family... the thing that really makes Thanksgiving what it is.
Then there is the Friday morning mayhem. I don't know why I go... I guess I kind of like the madness. I never get to worked up about certain items, so it is just a fun time with the girls...
We hit up Joann's for fabric, Walmart, Target, Sears, and then MiMi's cafe for some great Hot Chocolate.
Because the girls were able to bond on Friday, the boys had to take time to bond on Saturday (a.k.a. golfing). Silly boys. They all had a great time and it is nice to see the guys getting along so well. It is hard sometimes when they all have such different interests and hobbies, but they all had a great time and came home ready to EAT!
While the boys were out golfing, Kathy, Dahm, Mom Mower, Alexis, Timothy and I all went to the zoo. The Phoenix zoo is HUGE! I think my favorite part was the monkeys. They sure are disgusting little creatures that mark everything as their territory, but they are cute at the same time. We did the little train ride and went in the petting zoo area. There is to much to see in one day, but we all had a great time.

After Thanksgiving is all said and done, I sure hate lots to be grateful for. I have a wonderful family and in laws who love us no matter what. I have two beautiful, healthy kids who mean the world to me. I have an amazing husband who sees me in a way I only hope to be able to see myself someday. I have a roof over my head, food to eat, clothes to wear... an education... a car to get me from point a to point b. I have so many modern conveniences that I take for granted... I live in a free country where I don't have to live in fear every day. I have a Savior who loves me and knows all about me and comforts me and blesses me so much. I have so much to be grateful for. I am so blessed.