The rain came down and the floods came up!

I wasn't sure if I wanted to include this in my blog or not, but then I decided I needed to document it. We have had water in our basement before, but never like this. Watertown got over 7 inches of rain on Saturday and Sunday. Our basement couldn't keep it out and the floods came up. ( I am borrowing that phrase from the Bible song, The Wise Man Built his House upon a Rock.) We are on top of a hill and figured we wouldn't have a water problem but apparently this is not true especially when the rains just keep coming! The water was flowing in through the cracks in the cement floor! We were fighting a losing battle for a good portion of Sunday and Monday. Finally on Monday afternoon it seemed to dwindle down to more of a trickle. Our carpeting is completely soaked and every inch of the basement had some water. We have a sewer drain opening, but when this basement was poured, apparently they didn't make the sewer drain the lowest point, but rather the highest, so nothing flows to it! Now I am no house builder, but it seems to me next to not building your house upon the sand (again the song) you should make the drain opening the lowest part of the basement, but that is just me!

We worked in that basement all day Sunday, got up at 2:00 A.M. Monday morning, and then worked down there all day Monday. I have included pictures for documentation. The industrial shop vac was from Maas Brothers Construction compliments of my brother!

Wedding dresses, Cinnabons, and Rainbows

Yesterday we traveled up to Appleton to be with Alissa at her first Wedding dress fitting. The dress fit her to T except for the length. She is going to be a beautiful bride! She was willing to let my mom, myself, and Mallory join her and Courtney in this special moment. After the fitting we headed over to the Fox Valley Mall. My mom and I went off to find wedding shoes for her while the girls took off to do some fun shopping. When we met again to enjoy large Cinnabons and milks we all agreed that the shopping trip was successful for all of us. We headed back to Oshkosh to visit and to play some frisbee disk golf. (Just as a side note, I am the champ at this game!)

The weather turned on us later in the afternoon. Alissa and Nathan drove through torrential rains and flooding on their way home to Milwaukee. The entire city of Milwaukee was flooded with cars in three foot water in some places. We drove home through some heavy rain but luckily had missed the worst of it. At some point between Juneau and Watertown on County M the water was running across the road! In the midst of this scary weather, we did see God's promise in the form of a beautiful rainbow which stretched across the entire sky. It was a reminder of all God had done and continues to do for us! God is Good.

Our basement has water and John is down there now turning on the fans. Let the mopping begin. We are used to it and it always dries up eventually!

My message of the day to Tizita Desta: We talked about you so often yesterday. Mallory decorated your magnet walls in your playroom. Auntie Alissa and Uncle Nathan brought you so many nice toys including a water table, a cabbage patch doll that licks ice cream, and a pink lawnmower that blows bubbles. They also bought you a swimming suit, two polos, and a swimming cover up. Such cute things! Now we just need you here with us so we can see you in the clothes and play with the toys with you!

I wonder if you will be here for Alissa's wedding or will you arrive shortly thereafter. I know it will all work out in God's perfect timing as all things always do. I just am so anxious to meet you.

Top ten reasons I am excited to be a grandma!

1. I am excited to share my favorite books with Tizita. I cannot wait for her to sit on my lap and read with me.
2. I am excited to take Tizita to the zoo, the museum, and countless other places. I want to see all these places through her eyes.
3. I am excited to buy her things. I won't spoil her because I know her mommy and daddy won't allow that, but I love to shop and now I have a reason.
4. I want to take her to Disneyworld, go on all my favorite rides, and watch her eyes light up as she sees Cinderella's castle for the first time.
5. I am excited to sing songs with her and teach her my favorite finger plays. I have so many fun things to teach her.
6. I am excited to have her visit my Preschool. I want to see her interact with the children. I wish she could be in my class, but distance will not allow that so I will have her as a visiting student.
7. I am excited to teach Tizita about Jesus and share my favorite Bible stories with her. There is nothing as heart warming as the faith of a child.
8. I am excited to take her on bike rides and show her our favorite places to ride.
9. I am excited to play at the park with her. Sliding, swinging, and climbing brings out the child in me.
10. I am excited to see John as a Grandpa. I remember how his gentle side came out when our girls were growing up and I want to see that side again. I know Tizita will wrap him around her little finger just like Courtney and Alissa did.

Top ten reasons I am excited to be a grandma!

A trip to Amish country

Today John and I took my mom, my Uncle Herb, and my Aunt Pearl up to Amish country. Herb and Pearl have taken countless trips up to this area over the years to visit relatives. They are no longer able to make the trip themselves so we offered to drive them up there. We began our trip with a stop at the Amish General store located near Montello. The shelves are stocked with plastic bags full of spices, cereals, candies, and baking ingredients of all kinds as well as jellies, relishes, and other goodies. There are also quaint toys, books, and remedies for all kinds of ailments. The store services the Amish community as well as the non Amish. The prices are very reasonable and the employees are friendly. After that stop we drove to the nearby community of Harrisville, the home of Pearl's brother and sister in law both of whom passed away. It was nice to hear of all the happy memories they have of their many visits to this area. We had lunch at Sparks Restaurant in Montello, a favorite of Pearl and Herb's. Even though they had not been there for months, the waitresses remember them and what they liked to order. They are such warm, personable people that it is easy to see why they are remembered and liked by so many.

After lunch we headed over to Oshkosh to see Courtney and Paul. They wanted to show Pearl and Herb the plants that they had gotten from them and planted in their side yard garden. Herb could not say enough about their beautiful, old house with the refinished wooden floors and radiator, steam heat. He said it is a well built house that will serve them well until they grow old. We enjoyed Ethiopian coffee and treats from the Amish store before heading home to Watertown.

Note of the day to Tizita Desta: We noticed your picture displayed in various rooms in your soon to be new home in Oshkosh. We all admired your great beauty and talked about the day you would be here with us.

Finally a home for the family

Last Christmas I gave my grandchild, who at that time had no name, sex, or age, two families for a doll house. Being a teacher, I have access to lots of teaching toys and I found these two perfect families to blend and make into the happy Van Auken family. I gave them a caucasion family and an African American family. Both families have a grandma, grandpa, sister, brother, baby, and a mom and dad. Now Tizita can make a family just like hers or she can mix and match them however she chooses. So we have the family, but I had to wait for their house until school was over for the year. This house that they will move into is very special because it belonged to Mallory. She generously donated it to my Preschool, but now it is time to take it to Oshkosh so Tizita can set up housekeeping in it when she arrives. It is one of the most popular toys in my classroom so I know she will have lots of fun with it. It still has all its original furniture, too. Great Grandma Marge lovingly washed it all up today so it will be all ready for Tizita.

To my little Tizita Desta: It is so much fun getting these things ready for your arrival. I am looking forward to sitting down with you and playing with your family and your doll house.

Daisies

The weather is about as close to perfect as it gets here in Wisconsin today. The sun is shining and warm, but not hot, the breeze is soft with just the right amount of coolness to it. There are no mosquitos yet. Yep, perfect! I took a few pictures of my daisies. Daisies are my favorite flower and I finally have a nice amount of them in one of my gardens. These daisies came from my Aunt Pearl and Uncle Herb so a small part of them will continue to grow in our yard long after they are gone.

A note to little Tizita Desta: I wonder if you will have the same love for daisies as your mommy and I do? Or perhaps you will like a nice blue hydrangia like your Auntie Alissa. How fun it will be to show you all the beautiful things in this world of ours!