THE PENDLETONS: Little bit of water...

It INCLUDES: Visiting teaching, a fall, a death, a funeral, and then some water. It is raining. It's been raining for a while. Though i would usually be one to anticipate the sunny skies, with the extra weight and bundle of joy, i have been enjoying the cool air and slight water drops. Besides the water that is filling Utah's lakes and reservoirs- thank goodness, there have been other down pours of water.

Work has been stressful, to say the least. With the summer pour-in of students mixed with employees gone on vacation, equals a very stressed pregnant financial planner. Pregnant women are emotional, period the end. Some express it in anger, others like myself express it with tears. So the story begins....

Two weeks ago, while attending our weekly sacrament meeting we found out that during our landlord's visiting teaching appointment she fell. Due to complications (brain damage) from the fall, she passed away.

Note: we are really responsible tenants, therefore, we pay rent always on the 1st- James is really good about

remembering unlike his pregnant wifey. We also have last months rent and a 500 deposit invested in our apartment.

So we were stuck with not knowing what was in store for our "housing" future and $1100, cash.

This is never good news for a women, let alone a nesting lady due just in TWO months. We, as women, have an innate desire or need for a "home," and the thought that this IDEA might be in jeopardy produced a few tears. Yet, the story doesn't end here. So we waited a couple of days to talk with Miss Jensen's, our deceased landlord, family. There were lots of people and cars throughout the week, so we waited. Here comes Friday. We decided the weekend would be a good time to start looking for another place or figure out who we should contact in the Jensen family. Friday at work was HARD. Hard is the only word I can think of right now to describe stress, 1/2 of the financial planners missing, many appointments to do, way too much work, no lunch break- which is so not good for my "condition" (Irony: I didn't get any of the work I "needed" to do done that day!! Crazy how that can happen). A Pendleton Conversation:

I get a text from Mr. Pendleton, "Jon and Dani are coming over for dinner at seven, and I will be home at six. They are coming with us to go see Beauty and the Beast".

My response: "What are we having for dinner? Am I cooking?" (Translation: I really don't feel like going home to clean the house and make dinner, while James is finishing up his golf game).

Mr. Pendleton: "I'll cook when I get home. you just relax and wait for a gourmet meal" (Yeah- more stress is diverted and tears won't meet my cheeks, this time).

The work day ends. I begin to drive home. I am nervous about what we are having for dinner even though my sweetie was fixing it. I open our basement door, and after proceeding to set down my bags, I stroll into the kitchen. Before I reach my destination, I notice the carpet feels a little squishy. I reached the tile, yet instead of a firm surface, I am met with 2-3 INCHES of water covering the entire floor.

Tears begin to swell and I can't hold it in. I didn't feel like explaining through sniffles why i was crying to Mr. Pendleton, so I just sent a text- "The kitchen is flooded". His response, "I will be home in a little bit". I walked to our bedroom to lay down. I needed it.

An hour later. Mr. Pendleton walks into a "situation" he wasn't expecting. Our rental history has been a few leaks here and there that can be taken care of with a quick towel wipe up. This was not one of those times. He met me in the bedroom and notice the tears: laid down next to me, gave me a hug and kiss, and asked what he could do. "Can you give me another hug," was the only response I could think of. It worked.

We both got up, stared at the kitchen floor, and did what any responsible tenants would do- called for pizza. We decided since we didn't know who our landlord was that the "mess" could wait. We walked out and shut the front door. It worked.

We had a wonderful evening with Jon, Dani, Jeff, Carly, Susan, Taylor, Emma, Logan, and Madi watching, Beauty & the Beast, at the Scera Shell Theater. I needed it. It was the first clear night in a few weeks. There wasn't water of any kind- rain or tears. It worked.