Oh, what a night

Last night was a night like we've never had before, EVER. It all started when I asked Gill, yet again, to build another project. Another grand idea by Jul to make the most out of every inch of space in our house. As always, Gill agreed, made the plans and got to work with Patrick and Finn to make Mommy's wish a reality. While finishing the project last night, something went terribly wrong. A nail that was supposed to hit wood, decided to hit a water pipe instead. (Yes, I'm blaming the nail).

First there was a drip, then there was some profanity, then the drip became a trickle and it was all down here from there. Before we knew it, I was rushing our children to Johanna and Brian's house, while all our friends in the neighborhood gathered to help Gill try and salvage our first floor. The emergency shut off valve in the house did NOT work. Water flooded our first floor and could not be stopped.

The fire department arrived about 30 minutes into it, not only to help with the flood, but because the water could start an electrical fire. 2 hours, 10 neighbors, 2 firetrucks and countless uses of profanity later, they finally found the emergency shut off, buried under 8 inches of soil and shrubs in our front lawn (yes, they had to dig).

Our boys were such troopers, as we gathered what belongings we could could, accepted a cooler full of food from Johanna and a reservation to the closest hotel made my MJ and Bern and brought Patrick, Finn and Sully on a "hotel adventure".

As we made our way to the hotel Patrick announced,

"this is the best night EVER!! We get to see 2 firetrucks and sleep at a hotel!"

I know there is an expression to the fact that everything will look better in the morning,

but I'll let you decide:

At 5am this morning: Yes, Sully looks adorable, but his mom? Not so much!

7am - Yes, the boys look comfy, but even from here I can see the stress in Gill while he sleeps

The boys look like they are having fun,

but you can't see me cringing for actually letting them play in the Chic-fil-A PlayYard

(lunch and playtime there was much better than the hotel room)

And, finally, I got to take a look inside the house....

Water in the electrical outlets, furniture damaged and moved,

and finally that emergency shut off valve now exposed after we spent hours looking frantically for it.

Definitely not our best day.

However, as I sit on the hotel bathroom floor with Gill right now, laptops in hand,

listening to silence as our 3 boys sleep peacefully, I count my blessings.

Everything I truly need is in this small hotel room.