No Running Water

So we've had this water issue lately...Friday the front yard had a huge puddle. That evening Taylor dug all around  the front yard trying to find the leaking pipe. Saturday morning he woke up with a collapsed lung so we spent 5 hours at the ER. Monday evening and Tuesday evening some wonderful brethren came over to help dig since Taylor couldn't any more. Then Taylor fixed the pipe they finally found on Tuesday night. He was out with his headlamp of course until like 11 pm. So we'd had no water from Friday afternoon until Wednesday morning. Then we had water for the 4th of July (Wednesday) and Thursday morning.

Then something brown and yellow and nasty started coming out of the tubs and the sinks shut up completely. The resin tank in the water softener had broken and was coming through the pipes so Taylor spent Thursday evening fixing that. The boys got some of the brownish stuff to look at under the microscope...I though it was salt leaking, but James informed me it was not since salt is square and this stuff was circle. Turns out he was right. 

We spent most every night at the Spencers' house for dinner and of course went swimming all morning every day so we managed really well. 

It was a grand adventure that I pretty much laughed my way through. It's pretty funny though when you're mentally saying to yourself, "can't flush the toilet" as you walk to the sink and try to turn on the water to wash your hands. Makes you realize how dependent you are on running water. I was able to make several meals using no water at all and only getting like 2 dishes dirty total...pretty impressed with myself. The kids were totally great about it and didn't really seem to be bothered...they never remember to flush the toilet or wash their hands anyway. Ha. 

"I can`t wait til baby Hyrum's done so you can stop napping." --Matthias

Happy 4th of July

Leaves of Three Let It Be

So last Wednesday we went to the park with friends and her daughter was waving a branch at Matthias and Hannah and tickling them with it, rubbing it all over their necks and faces. My friend goes, "Is that poison ivy?" To which I responded, "No, It's like a tree branch." 


HA. 


Thursday morning Hannah woke up with huge cheeks and a rash all over her arms, neck and face. Matthias had it all over  his arms and neck and then he apparently had gone to the bathroom right after the park also...poor kid. Taylor said, "What is wrong with them? Look at Hannah's cheeks, they are huge." Me..."They are always really fat." Taylor, "Not like that." And of course she had already climbed in our bed when Taylor got out to shower so I had to wash everyone's sheets not just theirs. Somehow James avoided all the poison ivy even though he was at the park also.


So Hannah and Matthias are both on steroid treatments right now. Hannah looks crazy, but I can't get a good pic...sad. We think it was actually poison sumac, but whatever it was it was bad. 


Matthias has been sleeping fine, but Thursday night Hannah came in our room 9 or 10 times in a 10 hour span...so I honestly don't know if she slept at all. Friday night she probably got a few hours as she had some longer breaks in between. And she's going strong during the day--running around in circles, jumping around, "dad look at me!", and generally acting like she's totally wired. It's been pretty funny, but I'm glad I finally got 5 straight house last night because I was getting really tired.


Today at church the nursery leaders brought her to me and said, "I think she's having an allergic reaction to something." Whoops, should have told them what happened I guess. Now her face is starting to peel like she had a sunburn and some of the rash on her arms is pussing up and breaking open. Poor girl. I feel really bad. 


Taylor of course can't believe I'm so lacking in plant identification but in my defense it completely looked like it was growing from a huge tree (that was obviously a regular tree) and Amelia just pulled the branch off. "But if it has three leaves you should never touch it!!" --Taylor


Lesson learned. I now know what poison plants look like. Because I had certification night for girls' camp two days later. =]

A Big Trip

Our really close friends are moving away next week. Last Thursday we were getting ready to meet them at the park...

Me: This will be one of the last times we get to see Jack.
Hannah: Because he's going on his little trip.
Me: Honey, he's moving. We might not ever see him again.
Hannah: So it's a big trip.

Hannah's New Goggles

Isn't she cute? My goal is to have her swimming by the end of the summer. She can float well on her back and was doing some kicking yesterday. She's going to be great!

James' First Piano Recital

James asked if he could learn to play the piano so we started lessons about January-ish. He and I have done some here and there in the past but now that he can read so well and also has the desire himself to learn it's been a great experience. We have a lesson once a week and then he does his practicing pretty well the rest of the days. I have really enjoyed teaching him and it's one of the best parts of our week. Historically James and I haven't always done well in a teacher/student relationship, but piano has been wonderful for us. Last Friday a friend in the ward was having a recital for her students so I asked if James could join. He did a wonderful job and played great! Normally he does sit down while playing piano so I guess his nerves just kept him standing up rather then missing a note?