FEMA Says "NO" to Declaring A disaster

Sorry about the long break, between being busy, and a flood, my poor little blog got neglected.

The flood. Yeah.

The evening of May 3rd, we had a pretty nasty storm. A storm that kept going. And going. And going. I am a big chicken when it comes to anything but clear weather, so sleep was not happening. By 1:30, I'd given up on trying to sleep, and instead tried to watch TV in efforts to keep my eyes away from the lightening flashing through the window. The thunder was so loud though, there was no denying what mother nature was doing outside. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were blaring across the screen, as well as Flash Flood and Ariel Flood Warnings. I didn't think much of it, we don't flood. Ever.

Or, so I thought. By 3:30am, Amelia and Aubrey started screaming for me, and thankfully I was awake, because I could barely hear them. The lamp in their room had fallen and spooked them. I made my way to the top of the stairs, looked down, and seen water starting to come in. I told them to hang tight for a minute, I was going to grab their dad and some towels, and I would be right back. Seriously, not even a solid minute later, we had returned, and forget the towels! They weren't going to help a thing at that point. The water was already at our ankles. We knew we were in trouble at that point. Ryan went to check on the sump pump, but that wasn't our problem...the water was coming in through the door like a waterfall on each side, and was starting to come through the windows.

There was no time to panic. Ryan grabbed one of the A's, I grabbed the other, once they were safely on the stairs, he went for Gabe, I went for Saphie. By this point, the water was already at our shins, and Ryan said the power had to get turned off from the breaker box. I told him we had to grab the kids mattresses first, and get them upstairs. He thought I was crazy, and that it wasn't likely their mattresses would even get wet, but not wanting to upset me, helped me grab them, and get them upstairs. I still don't know what made me think to grab their mattresses. Looking back, in the grand scheme of things....mattresses?! LOL. I guess divine intervention, because there is just no way we could have replaced them very quickly. I remember thinking, "Oh crap...this is bad. Very, very bad. What will give the kids some sort of normalcy during this? Beds and TV's are expensive! Beds and TV's it is!" Between their mattresses and their TV's, we had gathered all we could before he HAD to shut the power off downstairs.

It took somewhere around 15 minutes for over 3.5 feet of water to turn our lives upside down, and inside out. We lost almost everything downstairs. We live in a bi-level home. When you walk in the door, you either go up, or you go down. There is no living space at the door, just a landing and stairs. There are 3 bedrooms downstairs, 4 of the kids sleeping in those bedrooms. There's also a bathroom, and a laundry/utility/craft room. Did I mention that we've been remodeling that entire area since we moved in? We had JUST finished that bathroom, we had 2 sheets of drywall in Gabe's room that NEVER seen the wall, it was intended for remodeling the hallway from hell (the wall was textured in spikes...why someone would want that is beyond me, lol). It was just complete devastation.

However, we were all okay. Thank God for the falling lamp that woke up the girls, because otherwise, things could have been so much worse. The kids could have been electrocuted, or Amelia and Gabe could have drowned. We still have that lamp, I can't let it go. I call it our 'lifesaving lamp'. I can finally look at it without bursting into tears, so I think that's a step in the right direction. I mentioned on facebook about my inability to let it go, and friend suggested turning it into a flower pot of sorts. Something with meaning, without keeping it around as a broken, and filthy lamp. That's going to be in the works once we're finished rebuilding our lives.

We have had an outpouring of love, thoughts, prayers, and even some donations! How blessed are we?! People ask me, "Well, how do you stay so positive?" I don't feel like I'm being positive, just thankful and appreciative. Besides, being negative, and woe is me isn't helping anything. Why squander peoples positive thoughts and prayers on negative thoughts on my end? Why feel so woe is me, when people are doing their best to help us with whatever they can? Don't get me wrong, I've cried, I've been upset, but those are weak moments when I look at all we've lost, instead of all we've gained.

A friend called me and said to me, "As soon as that water recedes, call me! I'm going to wash all that clothing." Another friend took the kids and kept the preoccupied with fun instead of damage control, another friend who was also a flood victim dropped off a few supplies, and a gift card to help us replace some of our lost things, Ry's friends/co-workers came over and helped us finish demolishing everything downstairs, renting a dumpster for us, and more friends helped us buy building supplies, and even helped us put some of  it in. That's only part of it!  Just as important were all the kind words, all the prayers, all the positive thoughts, they kept us going day after day, especially in the beginning. The outpouring of love and support has been amazing and overwhelming. I'll never be able to show my gratitude in a million years. Thank you just doesn't seem like enough, you know? We've built stronger friendships, stronger relationships with our neighbors going through the same things, and even a better home.

While tearing the house apart, we were able to discover blessings in the flood. There was a big bees nest in Gabe's wall, there were some studs that needed to be replaced throughout the 1st level, there were 2 nails driven through an electrical wire running through the studs (when Aubrey went to pull the nails out of the stud, there was a HUGE flash, and a zapping that scared us all!), things that we would have not known otherwise until it was too late. A flood? We can recover from the flood. We were blessed enough that only the 1st level of the house was affected, and we could still live in it. Things could have been so much worse! It could have been a tornado that just devastated our neighborhood, possibly taking lives. It could have been a fire caused by those nails through the wires, and we could have lost the entire house...and possibly lives. Instead, it was just 3.5 feet of water that did enough damage to shake up our lives, but not enough to destroy it. Have I mentioned yet just how blessed we feel?

Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since this happened. That's hard to believe! 6 weeks feels like so long, and so short, all at the same time. It seems like just yesterday we were wading around hip deep in water in the road, trying to help our neighbors, standing around in shock, not quite knowing how to grasp what was happening. Then again, in that amount of time, we have drywalled all 3 kids bedrooms, most of the bathroom, part of the stairwell, and we have the laundry room, and a closet to finish. We just need to finish putting up mud, sanding, and painting, and we'll be about as far as we can go for now. We were lucky enough to find huge carpet remnants for cheaper than a rug, for all of the kids bedrooms. We won't be able to afford $1500 for new carpet and padding anytime soon, but those remnants give the kids a sense of normalcy. They're all sleeping down there, and are no longer crammed into one bedroom...6 kids in 1 bedroom got the best of us all, lol. Now they have some room to stretch and call their own. They'll just shuffle around when it comes time to fully finishing their rooms.

Our lives are starting to come back together, new and improved, stronger and better than ever before. FEMA decided this wasn't a disaster. Well, maybe not to them, but I guess unless you're living in it, it's hard to fully grasp what not only us, but all of the 1,700 homes and business damaged by this flood are going through. We have been so blessed that we're within home base, here. But, what about my neighbors? How about that business down the road? Or the families in that apartment complex? There are families and businesses that haven't even begun to repair the damages left behind. They aren't as fortunate to have had a savings, or to have such helpful friends and family.

This was not something anyone seen coming...who would have expected 9.5" of rain in 5 hours? Maybe if they could just experience what it is exactly we're all going through, they'd rethink? Maybe not, I have no idea. When they came door to door, that's literally what they did. No one came in to any of our houses to see the extent of the damages. Just stood outside and looked at our personal belongings strewn across our yards. Maybe had they seen the skeleton of 4 kids bedrooms? Maybe if they'd been here when the fear of God was placed in all of us, while we wondered how far the water would come up? Maybe if they were here in that moment when reality set in, after the adrenaline of saving 4 kids, wondering if it were possible we'd end up on our roof? Maybe if some of those officials had been through what we're all going through? Maybe......

 We were at least hoping FEMA would help us replace the carpet and padding, and maybe some other things, but even then, we're going to be okay. It's just going to take us a little longer than it would have. I guess maybe that's a way I can repay and thank everyone...to start helping others who aren't as fortunate. I've done my best to this point, but we've been pretty self absorbed into our own little mess, too. Maybe our governor will appeal their decision, but even still, that's no guarantee for any sort of help. Disappointing, for sure, but in the end, I have my husband and kids...safe and sound. I have my friends and family, my neighbors, and unimaginable support. We're going to be okay.

Thursday Weigh-in

I guess in the about me post, I forgot to mention the fact that I am finally trying to rid the weight I gained over the course of 6 pregnancies in 8 years. Plus a few... February 23, 2012 I weighed in at 227 pounds, and all I could do was look at my scale and laugh. You see, the heaviest I've ever been was 235 pounds, and THAT was 9 months pregnant. I haven't been pregnant in 2.5 years, and I have finally had enough. I talked to my doc, and he said to me that unless I'm eating fewer than 1000 calories a day, and not losing weight, then he wasn't concerned, so, that's where I started. At 1,000 calories for the first week (I've since moved up to 1,400-1,500 calories, still losing weight). Oh, and I also went out and bought myself a treadmill.

Why did I buy a treadmill? Well, as mentioned already, my husband is my absolute most favorite person ever. I already spend 12 or more hours a day away from him, and the thought of heading to the gym after he gets home just doesn't work for me. In fact, I did that, and in February, we finally finished paying off the membership I'd gotten 2 years before, and hadn't used in 1 year and 10 months. Hubs would get home, I'd regretfully head to the gym, spend an hour there, come home, and he'd be headed to bed in a couple of hours. That may work for some couples, but it doesn't work for us. We're the sick lovey-dovey super attached kind of couple. It was a lot of money we could have just set on fire in front of our very eyes... So, between not being a gym-body myself, and the fact that buying a $277 treadmill was a HELL of a lot cheaper than another gym membership....a treadmill it is then!

I walk/jog/run 3-4 miles per day, 4-5 times a week, hanging out on the treadmill for 45-60 minutes at a time. This isn't always the case. Sometimes I have to beg and plead with myself to get on it, and once I do, I just tell myself to stick with it for my minimum of 30 minutes. I also do 120 crunches (3 reps of 40), and I have some dumbbells that I lift. I don't have any real method to working the dumbbells, they're just ones that Ry has had for years and years, and I pick them up and just work with them in various positions. Just put in 30 minutes of activity in a day, and quit with the excuses. Yeah, the kids cry at the gate from time to time. Crying won't kill them...put in my earbuds, turn on pandora and move it along. Yeah, sometimes sitting on my ass in front of the computer seems like more fun, but it's not going to give me the results I want. If you have 30 minutes to hang out on the computer, in front of the tv, reading a book, snacking on a bag of chips, coming up with a million and one excuses as to why you can't lose weight...well then, you've got 30 minutes to get up and go for a walk, ride a bike, hop on the treadmill, throw the kids into the wagon and drag them to the park AND play with them...not sit on the bench and watch them.

Oh, and that bag of chips you won't admit to yourself you just ate...you did, and that will show up on the scale later. ;) I've always been a healthy eater...I love my fruits and veggies. Big ol' leafy green salad? Yes please! I've also always had a super sweet tooth that I've always just given in to without telling myself "NO!" Self...I feel like having 2 big ol' milky ways (which is really 4 bars, since the "king size" comes with 2 of them)...okay self, after eating so healthy all day, what could be so wrong in indulging with 920 calories and 36 grams of fat.....wha...whaaaat?! Also, I could easily down 6 12 oz cans of diet coke/day. I know that diet coke doesn't have any calories and all that jazz, but um...cutting the pop out has helped significantly. Also, the "fake" sugars are so, so, soooo bad for you. Yeah, exactly. If you're sitting there telling yourself the same thing, the only one you're hurting is yourself.

So, my "diet" consists of really...just cutting out junk. Now, don't get all upset...it's not all the time. I DO have pop here and there. What I was drinking in a day...I drink less than that a week now, about 4 cans a week, and not the diet stuff, either. I hate water, so much, but, I drink it because I have to. I'd like to live long enough to see my kids graduate, to grow old with my husband, to enjoy life. Something about stopping to test my blood sugar and injecting myself with insulin just doesn't seem that appealing to me. If I'm feeling like I need some candy, I stick with the "fun size", or...Skinny Cow...I love her. I have some Skinny Cow ice cream in the freezer, and some skinny cow candy bars on top of the fridge for those "GOTTA HAVE SWEETS OR I'M GOING TO KILL!" cravings. I refuse to take pills, or join some new fad. Once I get this weight off, I want it to stay off. Endangering my health is not worth taking the pills for, and the depression that comes with gaining all the weight back plus some makes not starting something like Atkins worth it.

I could carry on and on. Maybe another time I will, but for now, onto that weekly weigh in. This week I am down 3 pounds, putting me back into the 100's. (I had a gain last week, after our Anniversary weekend, which also happened to fall during Easter weekend. Yeah, there was a lot of horking down whatever the hell I felt like then. ;) This puts me at a total of 28.6 pounds lost, and just 1.4 pounds shy of my next mini-goal: 30 pounds. I set lots of mini-goals and big goals for myself to hit. It helps me to not get discouraged. Looking at the big picture, I needed to lose 77 pounds. If all I had to reach for was 77 pounds, I'd have already quit. So, next mini-goal is 30 pounds lost, next big goal is 179 pounds, because I've not seen that weight since I was pregnant with Aubrey- the 2nd oldest. Yeah, that's how long I've been carrying around all this extra weight. That's nonsense!

Also, my BMI started out at 37.8...YIKES! When I first started, I was obese class II...that's SEVERELY obese. It doesn't feel very good to know that the medical community looks at me at severely obese. Whether I've looked like it or not is beside the point, the fact of the matter is, I was.  I don't take the BMI as an exact science all the time, but I mean, there is obviously *something* to it. Today my BMI is 33.0. According to my BMI, I am obese....that doesn't sound so nice. I am .1 ...POINT ONE away from being overweight instead. I've not been "overweight" in a LONG time. And overweight might not seem so grand, but to me, it means everything! I'm ready, I AM doing this, nothing and no one is going to discourage me or stand of my way this time.  

XOXO

Well, here I am...starting a blog...

I guess I'll make my first blog post about myself, as a little insight to who I am, what I do, and maybe what to expect. Go ahead and get comfortable, maybe grab a drink, I like to talk, and I tend to get wordy.

 I'm Jennifer, but most often go by Jeni, and get called Jenn a lot, too. I am the wife to the absolutely most amazing man there ever was and ever will be, Ryan. I call him sexybeast hubbyman often. He is my high school sweetheart, and my best friend. You know how they say "when I say I won't tell anyone, my best friend doesn't count"? Well, that's Ryan...he's the person I tell EVERYTHING to. We are the parents to 6 wonderful and super fantastic kiddos. I used to homeschool them until Sept. 2010, and then I made the decision to put them into public school. There's a million reasons why I made that decision, but at the time, it was what needed to be done. I miss them, I wish they were homeschooled again...and maybe one day they will be, but for now, it's just not in our deck of cards.

There's Saphire- she's almost 11! I just can't get over the fact that I'm old enough to have an 11 year old, but whatevs. We call her Saphie most often. She has an amazing head on her shoulders, and is wise beyond her years. She is quite the social butterfly, and has such a kind and caring heart. She gets very defensive of those who won't defend themselves. If you need someone to be your advocate and stand by your side, she's your girl. She's also your girl if you need someone to cry with, laugh with, when you need a hug, or to have an ear to lend. I think she's started to pick up on my sarcasm. Crap...and awesome, too! She loves to laugh, and is quite humorous at just the right (and unexpected!) times.

Aubrey recently turned 9, and still...even though she's the second oldest...she's STILL "baby" Aubrey to us. Maybe because she was the original baby? She is super smart, she carries all A's in school. She's also VERY athletic, and runs the mile in under 8 minutes now., her goal is to do it in 5...that girl cray! She loves basketball, soccer, and cheer leading to name a few. She likes to keep us busy! ;) She is quiet, and super sensitive...she's far too serious sometimes, and I think having a mother who just can't be serious all the time might get on her nerves from time to time. It's taken me some time, and I still have a lot to learn, but I think I've finally figured out the right ways to handle my little introvert.

Amelia will be 7 in just a few short days. She's pretty excited about that, because her and her younger brother are only 10 months apart, and for 6 weeks out of every year, they're the same age. She is our little ar-teest! That girl LOVES art! She's an eccentric child who marches to the beat of her own drum, which she created. Like the rest of her siblings, she is very smart. She's also quite athletic and likes to run with Aubrey, and has been cheering since she was 2 years old. She's a happy-go-lucky kind of girl who requires a little time to herself every now and then. She is a very loving child, but don't let that fool you! That girl knows how to hold her own! I have no idea where she gets her hot-head from....

Gabriel- our first son! We most often call him Gabe. He recently turned 6. As mentioned above, he's only 10 months younger than Amelia. We were actively avoiding pregnancy, but he happened anyway...he is meant to be here, and I fell as though he is destined to great things. That boy is FULL OF LIFE! He has the energy of a million boys. He is also one of the most kind, caring, and gentle people I know. The way I feel about his dad? Yeah, someday there will be a VERY lucky girl who will feel the same about him, for this I have no doubt. He is extremely outgoing, and most definitely our extrovert. He asks a million questions a day, and he isn't trying to be annoying, he's just genuinely curious and eager to learn. Yep, he'll have a brain like his daddy in NO time. He is a fabulous brother, too. Not that any of his siblings aren't, he's just that person...the one the you know when you're long gone, will still be holding the family together. He's definitely special.

Julian is soon to be 4! Gabe's only brother, and inseparable best friend! He is technology obsessed! In fact, he can operate a computer, my phone, and the tv better than I ever could! Once he's focused on something, it's hard to take his attention away from it. He's so super smart! He knows his alphabet, how to count to 20, and how to beat me in any game he's ever played! He loves to play outside, and race. He's a very competitive little guy! Even walking to the bus stop to pick up his sibs turns into a competition over who will get there first! He's also very loving and sensitive, and loves long snuggles on the couch with plenty of hugs and kisses. The biggest thorn in his side, and his biggest competitor....? See below.

Brenya, she's 2.5, and the baby of the family...FOREVER! No, there will be no #7, and I am 100% a-okay with that! Besides, little Miss Diva couldn't handle not being the baby. She is all that, plus a bag of chips! We call her Bennie most often. She is funny, and lovable, and oh so adorable...which is what keeps her standing most days, lol. I would like to take credit for her knowing how to count, knowing the alphabet, being smart, but nope...that all stems from competing with Julian, and always trying to one-up him. They act like they don't like each other, but they are lost without one another. Bennie is a momma's girl for sure, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My family is my life. They are my sunshine, my everything, so this blog will probably focus mainly on my life with them in it. I'll do a lot of posting on my opinions on things-things that are irritating me, or that make me smile, definitely food and recipes...because that's just how this Martha Stewart rolls, crafty things I make here and there...it will be a mod-podge of things that are affecting me at the time.It's just how I work. ;) Enjoy my insanity!