This is more of a journal entry, and it's LONG. Please don't feel obligated to read it. I just felt the need to record these events.
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In six weeks we fly out West to look for a home. If we don't sell our home before then, the trip will seem pretty pointless. We have to move in eleven weeks, regardless of whether we sell. However, any money we have is wrapped up in our home. Of course, we can rent out there, but that won't eliminate our mortgage here, and our money cow just hasn't been giving quite that much milk. So, I feel a sense of urgency and necessity in selling our home -- soon!
Last week, the weather predictions weren't looking too good, and I knew we had an open house for our home on Sunday. So, when the weather turned out to be nice on Wednesday, despite my migraine, I went out into our yard at about noon to rake up all of the leaves that had gathered around our fence line and in our flower beds. The kids played (and Brianna napped) and I worked. And I worked. And I worked. Um, did I mention that we have a HUGE back yard?? Yup. Add to that the feeling of urgency to sell, the upcoming open house, and the predictions for bad weather the remainder of the week. I felt like this was my ONLY opportunity to get the yard in order before the open house. So, I pushed myself to my physical limits. With only a few short breaks to take care of my kids, I worked until after eight o'clock. I was physically ill. I thought I was going to vomit, literally.
I dragged myself into my house, and made myself shower, because I was filthy. I didn't have the strength to dry my hair, so I grabbed a dry hand-towel and put it under my head, and fell asleep on the couch near my husband as he worked on stuff for work. I slept there until some time around two a.m., then between my migraine and my aching body, I couldn't fall back to sleep until sometime around 5:30 a.m.
When my kids woke me up around 7:30, my medicine had taken the edge off of my migraine, but my body was screaming at me to just take it easy. However, the weather decided to be nice again, and as the day went on, my body felt a little better. So, I seized the opportunity to make the front yard look nice also. Yes, I still had a migraine; yes, my body was aching; yes, my kids were tired of playing near me in the yard, but if I didn't do it, it wasn't going to get done. I guess I did, comparitively, take it easy; I only worked about five to six hours.
I decided Friday and Saturday would be my days to get the house sparklingly clean for the open house. Ha! My migraine did switch from the right side of my head to the left on Friday, but it was still there, and stronger than ever. I managed to get Ben to school, but nearly as soon as I got home, I began to experience severe dizziness. I was dizzy even when I was laying down. Even with my eyes shut. Then the nausea set in.
Brianna didn't take well to her mommy laying on the floor, whimpering. Maybe she had had enough of feeling neglected over the two previous days as I had been working in the yard. Whatever her reasons, she kept pinching me and hitting me, and screaming. Love that kid, but none of her efforts were actually helping me feel better. Then, when I was vomitting in the toilet, she was laughing hysterically. She thought it was so funny. (I have since found her 'spitting' into the toilet and then giggling.)
Well, at about this point, I knew there was no way I could take care of my kids that day. I wanted James to come home and take care of the kids, clean the house, and take care of me. I was mad that there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that he would be able to do that. I was sobbing on the bathroom floor and praying for help. I wanted Heavenly Father to at least make me feel better, if He wasn't going to send James to my aid. However, as I was praying, pleading for help, the Spirit reminded me that my friend had called while I was busy throwing up. I had the distinct thought that there was help available to me, but I had to ask. I hate asking. I don't mind so much if there is plenty of advanced notice, but at the last minute, I feel terrible putting anyone out.
But I made the call. My friend came right away and took sweet Brianna to better circumstances for the day. I then slept for about an hour until I went to pick up Ben from school. Luckily, when I woke up, the dizziness had subsided. I still felt lousy, but I was able to go get him.
On the way home, I told him that I was really sick, and that he would need to get himself a bowl of cold cereal for lunch and watch a show. (Hello, that's my kid's dream afternoon!) He didn't complain a bit. As soon as we got home, I went back to bed.
In a little while, another great friend came and picked up Ben for the afternoon. I was able to sleep and get some much needed rest. Somehow, that evening when the kids were back home, they did actually get fed and put to bed. I don't really remember the details on that.
That night, my sweet husband and my brother were able to give me a blessing. I was so grateful. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to get the house ready for the open house without some heavenly intervention.
Saturday, I woke up feeling quite a bit better. I still had a migraine, and I felt very weak. But overall, I was feeling much better. James and my brother had an all-day training at work. I decided that I would just have to work slowly, but steadily, and take frequent breaks, if I was to get my house ready for the open house Sunday.
I started by sweeping the kitchen floor, because I was tired of walking on all the crumbs. When that was done, I was exhausted. I realized just how low my reserves were, and reminded myself that I would definitely have to pace myself.
At about that time, my good friend called to check on me, and offered to take my kids for the morning. I decided that that would probably be a good idea. She came and got them. Then the wonderful girl who helps me clean my house (and who incidentally rearranged her schedule for me so that she could come help me on Saturday) showed up. About five minutes after she arrived, I received a call from the realtor's office, asking if we could have a showing in an hour and a half!
Remember that I basically hadn't done anything on the house since Wednesday. It was a total yucky mess! Remember also that feeling of urgency to sell the house. This was the first time anyone had wanted to come and see our house. I said yes. So much for pacing myself and taking it easy. My house-cleaning friend and I worked in a frenzy to get the house in acceptable showing status. Forget deep cleaning, we're talking pick up the dirty clothes, try to fit four days worth of gucky dishes in the dishwasher, sweep up all the crap that's been tracked into the house and make the beds. We worked furiously, and in the end, our house looked pretty darn good. Great, in fact, if you had any idea what it had looked like!
We ended up having two showings that day!
Thank God for great friends who totally stepped up and helped me in my desperate time of need this week. Thank Him also for the priesthood in my home. Thank Him that there are people actually interested in seeing our home. Thank Him that my kids and I survived this week.
As a result, I've made several calls to his daddy, while he was at work, to ask advice. Granted, I call him more often than just about infected fingers, and sometimes, I just want to hear his voice. Often, when the kids and I call, he is unavailable, and we just get his voice mail.
