Lightning!
Thankfully Josh is heartier and he got out there and opened up the doors and started bagging up the rotten food. I couldn't even go out there without gagging. Brandon and I looked around the rest of the house to figure out what was going on. The power wasn't on in the boys' room and all the clocks were blinking so we figured out we must have lost power but we started piecing the story together and turns out that we think lightning struck the house or if not directly, was very, very close. We think it shook the house enough that with the power out the seal on the freezer broke and it opened. There are also pieces of drywall that came off of our bathroom wall and were in our bathtub so our guess is that it hit right in the back corner.
I will spare all readers the details but it was such a mess and stunk so badly and it was a very sad way to end our beach trip. Josh got all the food bagged up but the dump was closed by then so he put it in old garbage cans and put wood on top and put it outside to try and contain the smell and the flies. Then we washed out the freezer and the garage floor. Brandon and I unpacked the car and by that point we needed to go get the kids from the movie so we left things as they were and went and got the kids and went to dinner since there was no way we could eat in our stinky house. We went to BJs afterwards to get some milk and eggs and croissants so we could have fancy egg sandwiches for dinner on Sunday.
Josh was able to fix the power to the boys's room but the router had been damaged so we had no Wi-Fi and the house still smelled a bit funky that night but we had a lot going on that Sunday so we just went to bed. Josh had a virtual presidency meeting in the morning but as soon as that was done he took the bags of rotten food to the dump and then cleaned out the garage again. I had training with our stake leaders and I played the organ and there was a bunch of primary stuff going on so it was a busy day, plus Tucker's baptism. It was a good Sunday. Josh was able to rig us up some wi-fi so we were able to reconnect to the world but then the girls' rooms lost power so it felt like as soon as we got one problem fixed, another appeared. It was a stressful week; Josh was out in the garage cleaning it every morning and every night because the smell just wasn't going away. He got all sorts of products that were supposed to clean bacterial and animal smells and finally he bleached the floor and declared it done just on this past Saturday night. I didn't feel like it smelled that badly anymore and I was over it but he now feels like he's done everything we can do. The freezer still turns on but he still thinks it stinks. We can't afford a new one right now so we'll either try to keep cleaning it or just live without one for now, which is fine.
So Monday morning Curtis left for the bike trip and he was gone until Saturday evening. He had a great time and it was hard and fun and he didn't sleep well so he was very tired. Lily also left Monday to go to the beach with Adi, Abby and Carter for a girls graduation trip. I didn't hear from her for four days but she had a lot of fun. Brandon and I cut the lawn that day (I showed him how and gave him turns) and then Ethan came to play and we went to the pool for the rest of the day, which was super fun.
Tuesday I went to Inklings, Brandon played at Ethan's house, Emma did her last week of summer dance so she went to dance and we picked up groceries. Wednesday was the gym and I taught piano and Brandon and I went shoe shopping and to the library. Then we went out to Salsa's for a special pre-birthday dinner out.
Thursday was my birthday and it was a lovely day. Josh made me a yummy breakfast sandwich and then I left Emma and Brandon to clean up the house as my gift (Emma did the kitchen and Brandon the family room) and I went to the temple with Michelle. My mom and dad called on the way up and we chatted for just a minute but I was overwhelmed with gratitude for them and the good life they gave me. They are wonderful parents and I'm so very blessed.
It was so wonderful to be in the temple and Michelle and I had plenty of time so we didn't have to rush at all. We first went to the distribution center and it was a birthday miracle; they had the garments I've been wanting! Then we did an initiatory and an endowment and talked in the celestial room and it was so peaceful and beautiful. I had a very special and beautiful experience that let me know that God knows me and He sees me and loves me. I always love hanging with Michelle and we even stopped and got a treat on the way home, which we never have time to do. It was lovely and I'm blessed to have such a great friend!
On my way home from our meet up spot, KayLee called and then Debbie and then Cindy so I was on the phone with a sister for the next hour or so and during that time Lily got home and she and Brandon made dinner. Then we had ice cream and the kids and I watched a show we like while Josh was in a high council meeting. Friday Josh made us pancakes and we took the morning slow; it was so nice and probably our last relaxed morning for awhile. Then Josh and I ran a million errands and then that night he grilled steak for dinner, we had ice cream cake and watched The Devil Wears Prada 2 downstairs while Brandon watched Cars upstairs. It will be nice when he is 13 and more mature and we can all just watch movies together.
Saturday the girls went to their studio's open house. Lily was a tour guide and Emma was dancing in the demonstration class. Josh and I both did some church preparation and Brandon played and we talked about going to the Blue Crabs game but no one seemed excited about it and I decided not to push it. Josh was cleaning the garage again and I went and picked up Curtis from the bike trip and everyone was just kind of tired. At one point Emma said, 'I just don't like having problems." Amen, sister. I get so annoyed when I think of all the food we lost--so much meat, 24 jars of jam (a lot of which I had just made from fresh-picked strawberries), frozen fruit, ice cream, frozen vegetables, the last of the pulled pork from Lily's grad party, did I mention all of the expensive meat--but then I have to remind myself of our many blessings, like the house wasn't flooded, it didn't burn down, all of our important stuff was safe, we were all safe, the washing machine and dryer still work, the grass is so green from all of the rain and so we haven't had to water all summer, we have access to healthy and clean food, and so many more.
So in summary, our house may have gotten struck by lightning. So far the damage includes two garage door openers that are not currently working, the power to the garage which Josh fixed, a stinky freezer and garage that has been cleaned with not quite satisfactory results but great effort, a router that was thankfully replaced for free, the girls' rooms power issues were fixed today when the electrician came and it was a not too terribly costly fix, Brandon's fan now won't turn off so it is possessed but usable, and the weirdest of all, the strip of drywall in our bathroom that I am hoping I can just piece back together as soon as I have a moment, oh, and I turned 46.
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