Giving Thanks

Last week when I was cleaning for Marcie's party, the carpet near the front wall of the house felt either cold or damp. I thought it was odd that it would feel either of these things because the house is insulated. So I did a little further investigating and discovered that the front wall also felt either cold or damp.

It turns out that our sprinkler system sprung a leak of some kind, which went undiscovered for over a month. And spewed water into the front planter box, which never gets any sunshine. We think the water seeped up through the foundation or through the actual wall and insulation. Either way, it's bad news.

It means we had to tear out the lower half of the front wall of our house. Now this is not something new to us. When we had our slab leak, a mere six months after moving in, we had to remove a lot of the lower halves of our walls from water damages and to prevent molding. And it took about 6 months for the foundation to dry out so we could replace the flooring. Casey was an infant at the time, and we pretty much just lived in the bedrooms and the study, covering the dried portions of our slab with cardboard because Casey was just toddling around at the time.


So I guess it could be much worse. At least this is a repair we can do ourselves. And by me, I of course mean Jason.


In the mean time, our "play room" has been slightly dislocated into the front hall and the family room, which you can see from the pictures. And we'll be rethinking our landscaping. What's irritating is that the house is around 23 years old-- younger than we are. I just don't understand how the previous owners lived her all those years and never put in proper drainage or concrete along the sides of their house! Oh well. I am thankful we have a roof over our heads and the skill to repair the damage. And that our kids are pretty flexible about these things.



After tearing up the front wall, we headed with the kids over to Starbucks. Really we needed to go to the grocery store so that we could pick up more eggs so I could make the sugar free pecan pie. Which is quite a challenge given that the original recipe calls for sugar, corn syrup, and pecans. Anyway, the kids love Starbucks, and they love drinking their chocolate milk and orange juice in real coffee cups, so this was a treat for them.


After we got home, the kids asked if they could paint. So we let them. It's such a messy endeavor, but the kids really seem to like it. Then the kids got a visit from Casey's godmother Ann and her fiance Mark, who came with Disney gifts. Casey got a Buzz Lightyear hat, which he's been wearing all over the place even though we usually can't get him to wear hats. And Marcie got a Disney holiday sweatshirt, which she points out has Mickey Mouse on it. After Ann and Mark left and we had a small lunch, it was time for naps, and when I went to wake up Casey, this is what I found:


And, as a side note, he insisted on wearing the costume to Costco the day after Thanksgiving when we went to buy batteries. Marcie wore her new sweatshirt. Here they are, ready to walk out the door. He's not wearing the Buzz cap in the picture, but he wore it to the store.


Anyway, Jason's parents hosted Thanksgiving dinner-- Jason's dad did most of the work, and it was a delicious meal. I'd show you pictures, but I left my camera at home, so I'll have to wait until I get copies of the ones Jason's dad took. I made the sugar-free pies.

I try to be thankful all year round, but it's nice to take stock every now and again, too. This year, I am thankful:

10. I passed the bar exam.
9. I have a good job.
8. My kids like going to school.
7. Marcie is sleeping through the night.
6. I have a functioning car.
5. We have a roof over our heads (and Jason is handy with home repairs).
4. We have clothes on our backs.
3. We have plenty of food.
2. I am surrounded by family and friends whom I love and who love me.
1. For laughter.