We all know that preparing for the holidays creates tons of "stuff" to do and at our house that is no exception. Beginning last night, the 15th, until Christmas Day we have to be somewhere every day or evening for some sort of celebration or event.
Last night we started off our Christmas marathon with a trip to Bellevue Square, a local mall, for Santa photo's and dinner with friends. After dinner we stayed for the 
celebration. An entertaining event where toy soldiers come to life and snow falls! From there we took a walk around the park to the Group Health Ice Arena. After making our way back to our cars we drove over to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens for Garden D'Lights where 500,000 twinkling lights have been transformed into flowers, lizards, birds, palm trees and lots of other things. All done by volunteers. Entry is free, parking is $5. or you can catch a shuttle.
By the time we got home it was 9:30pm and I was tired and my feet hurt. But wait.....I need to go to Toys R Us one more time, but when is the million dollar question. So at 10pm my husband, who is usually Mr. Ba-humbug, says lets go! While I was getting the boys to bed he had called and they were open until midnight! And on a rare occasion my 20yr old daughter was home. What could I do? I certainly couldn't say no, after-all Travis was excited and wanted to go!! So off we went. By the time we got home and wrapped the gifts we crawled into bed at 1:30am!
Needless to say we were slow in rising this morning. My 8yr old had to be at a birthday party at noon. My 5yr old had a birthday party to go to at 1pm and my husband was going to help friends finish installing their new windows. In our house Sunday is also laundry day and we had to be at friends at 5:30pm for a get together! So we get all the laundry sorted, the kids have breakfast and my husband takes our 8yr old and they leave at 11:30am. Meanwhile my very good friend calls me and tells me her sister just called from CA. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer and needs a mastectomy on Wednesday. We are supposed to go to her house tonight for our families Christmas get together, but understandably she's not feeling very festive.
I ask that everyone say a prayer for Betty Lou as she begins her battle with breast cancer. 
While I was really sad and worried for them, I'm actually a little relieved that this frees up our evening so I can get my Christmas letter and cards done. Oh, and my sister has been text messaging me about gift ideas for my kids for the past hour too! Now it's noon and I really need to get in the shower.
About 12:15pm my 5yr old tells me he's going potty. About 12:20pm he tells me he clogged the toilet. I replied OK but between running out of time and texting with my sis it didn't really register. At 12:45pm as I'm throwing my clothes on, Ethan runs in and proclaims
"Mommy it's raining in the kitchen!"
I said "you mean outside it's raining"
He said "no it's pouring down in the middle of the kitchen!!"
I ran down the stairs and water is pouring out from around the can lights and the sprinkler head. Since we live in a townhouse, code requires sprinkler systems. At first I think the head sprung a leak, then I remember......
CRAP! THE TOILET! ETHAN SAID HE CLOGGED IT!
I ran back up the stairs to 3" of standing water in the bathroom. It's beginning to flow out the door and into the hall where all the piles of laundry are waiting to be done! I shut off the water and run for the plunger in the other bathroom. Then I grabbed all the clean and dirty towels. I threw some down on the bathroom floor and ran back down to the kitchen and managed to stop the water before flowing onto the dining room or living room carpets!! I noticed that the stream of water was now slowing to a trickle then a drip! So back up the stairs I go to start wringing out water into the tub from the bathroom floor. Then Ethan says "Now I can't go to my party" to which I have to say no and he has a melt down. As you can imagine that was not the time to have to deal with a 5yr old having a melt down. I did manage to get a hold of his sister and she was on her way home to take him to his party. I also called my husband and said it was raining in the kitchen. He came right home!
Well after 4.5 hours we managed to have all the water sopped up. We now have three or four holes in our living room ceiling where we sucked water out from between the floors. The carpet is pulled up outside the bathroom door and around the laundry closet. There are fans and heaters going and I'm happy to report it's drying quickly. We did cut the pad out and will have to replace that tomorrow but that's no biggie!
Ironically, I wrote a post last week to which I need to complete part 2, about the floods in our area. While my hours of extra time I was given didn't get spent on writing a letter or Christmas cards, I did get a teeny tiny taste of what all those people are still having to deal with in the devastating floods of December 3rd. Many are still cleaning up now two weeks later and many many families have lost everything.
It may have been an inconvenience but I still have my home and I didn't lose anything, for that I am thankful. I am also grateful that it started raining in the kitchen before I left for the day or we'd have come home to the upstairs in the living room and the living room in the garage below!!
Again I ask that you say a prayer for Betty Lou and also for all the families and businesses dealing with the storm damage.
Sandy Noll
Realtor®, eAgent
Keller Williams Realty
425-890-0878
sandranoll@kw.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
Kirkland, Bothell, Woodinville
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Sandy, I remember in years past being so busy I did'nt really get to enjoy the season. Don't forget to slow down and take a look around. This time of year comes and goes to fast!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!