Protected.

Remember about a month-and-a-half ago when I wrote THIS -- my second in a continuing series post on our run-ins with Mother Nature, aka the latest Edmond tornado? In said weather-themed post I made mention of my need for an anti-tornado shirt. Apparently the gods heard my cries! Okay, so the gods are disguised as my awesome east-coast sister-in-law Juli, if you must know. And THIS fantastic one-of-a-kind creation graced my mailbox today. 

Words cannot describe. I love its humor, its comfort, and --most of all-- its giver. I know it will give me strength through the coming spring months. I mean, really. "Seek Shelter Immediately" across my butt? It doesn't get better than this.  Thank you, Jules. I'll keep you advised. 

Dose of happy.

Taking a break from our continual gloom-and-doom to bring some pictures of our growing little boy. Oh, how thankful we are for his bright and happy personality. He is just the best! 

This is from earlier today. He looked so grown up in his overalls (sniff, sniff):

Real men take business calls in their PJs:

Frog towel, post-bath:

Took advantage of the cold day in March a couple of weeks back to get one last go at the sweater he never got to wear during the winter: 

Last but not least, Kevin went in to check on him in his crib tonight and discovered this. Apparently there was some kind of frog battle before bedtime and Riley obviously won. Then, he used them as pillows:

Let it show.

Nothing like a big huge hole in the wall to bring on the showings. I love the poetic timing of life. Since our charming water incident on Sunday afternoon/evening (which Kevin repaired like a champ, by the way), we've had two showings. One on Tuesday and one Thursday. We're thinking of lowering the price a tad to drum up some more action.

Also in the process of deciding on a roofer. I'm good with a few estimates and rolling with it. Kevin feels like we should talk to every roofer in a 50-mile radius. Slight exaggeration. Slight. We are picking soon. If not, I may take the insurance check out on a shopping spree. And it would be a good one, let me just say. 

So maybe two showings in a week is a good sign of things to come. Bring on the offers...or just one perfectly worded offer for full asking. I'm not greedy. I don't need two. 

Suck it, Murphy.

The well-known "everything-blows" law is distributing havoc in our direction, once again. Just when you think we've been through it all, we experience this:

Now, just so we're all on the same page here. What you are resting your sweet little eyes upon is none other than a big, fat hole --in our master bedroom wall. No lie. Oh yeah, and that bubbly, uneven look the paint has? That comes from water. W-A-T-E-R. 

Here's the gist: We were enjoying the gorgeous Sunday weather in the backyard, Kevin goes to freshen up the dogs' water and the hose will not work. Weird. We look for a kink...nothing. He reconnects it. Nothing. Riley is playing the water that does manage to come out at the faucet.It's on full-blast, you know. Whatever. 

Few minutes later, I decide to go grab some scissors to clip tags off of plants (random, I know, but a key decision as it turns out). I'm opening the back door to head out and I hear water. I think bathtub and that Riley managed to turn on the water without me knowing. Egads! 

I head to the noise, open our bedroom door and what do I see? Um, water, gushing out of the wall. Gushing like we installed a faucet right there next to my nightstand. After cleaning up the mess, Kevin cuts a square of the drywall around the gushing water hole and finds the copper pipe with a nice jagged gash in it. Yeah, because I mean, really. Why wouldn't it, right?

It has little to effect to say it but, SIGH. Make it stop, already! I hate to dwell on the negative by posting yet another "FML" post, but I'm afraid if I don't document this insanity I'll never believe any of it happened. Pretty sure when things take an upward turn, I'll be blocking all of this crazy nonsense out, permanently. 

If it's nothing more than pictures of Riley, so help me, there will be a happy post. And soon. Count on it. 

Sad.

Thanks to everyone who has e-mailed or commented with well-wishes and thoughts for our family. We love and appreciate you so much. It is with a heavy heart that I convey that Kevin and Juli's Granny and Jacque's mother passed away in the early hours of Thursday, March 5. She died the same manner she lived her life, with grace and dignity. And I don't mean that in any kind of generic way at all. She was lady. She had style, she had class, and she had qualities that most women today could only dream of. If you ever had the lucky chance to meet her, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

We will be headed to Houston for a memorial service this weekend before returning to Oklahoma City for her funeral next week. Please keep Granny's husband Lloyd, and the Millers in your thoughts and prayers as we journey through this together.

Our love to all.