This New Hampshire Life: Act 3 The Aftermath

Our first full day with electricity has been an exhausting one. I woke up with the "smart" but very generous idea of calling the Barlow family and offering our house to stay at if their electricity was still out. Now let me take a moment to explain, the first time I met the Barlows was about a year ago at Chase's first basketball game. Part way through the first quarter I saw this very happy woman and her husband both pushing strollers, one double stroller one single and with three kids in tow and I said to myself "self, they have to be Mormon" they came and sat next to me. I started talking to them turns out that Brad Barlow is from Utah and works at Fidelity. Now three key pieces of information very large "happy" family, from Utah and works at Fidelity...so I ask, "Are you Mormon?" and they said yes and we have been good friends since then Kathy, Brad, Logan, Morgan, Anna, Noah, Ella and Lilly...

Now I digress, after inviting 8 people to come and live at my house (three of are very young twin girls that just turned 2 and Noah that is 3) I realize that my house is a disaster. Now I know most people say that but they say that to be dramatic. But believe me after being in the hospital for 3 days and confined to bed for 3 days and then the electricity off for 2 days my house was a complete disasater. Let's be honest even before the hospitilization the house was pretty bad. And I hadn't been in the basement (which is where I said they could stay) since I had pneumonia over a month ago. Needless to say it was trashed. So I got the kids up (and did I mention I had two other kids at my house that spent the night? Yes, I am crazy) and we started cleaning and we cleaned and we cleaned...until 4:00 and it was finally done. And it was a good thing because it was time for me to go pick up Ken from Boston's airport. By the time we got home I was able to cook dinner sat down to eat and the Barlow 8 knocked on the door.

The Barlows live in a very tree intensive area, they have been told they could have electricity as early as tomorrow or as late as a week from now. They are a great family and I feel very lucky of the 5 different offers they got from people to live with them I was chosen. (see Lezlee my luck is changing, or is it?). You may think the reason we were chosen over the others is because we were their favorites, or they thought we would be good examples for their kids, or even that they look up to us and want to emulate us...but alas it is not so. Remember the three kids under three? They were too afraid that taking them into other peoples home they little one's would destroy the house. But with my house no worries about that. So what is the lesson of this story? Big packages come to those in messy houses! Really it was the basement, my basement is fairly big and has very little in it, other then a bed, big couch and tv's. Perfect area to lock three little kids in.

I tell you this story purely for you to adore my generosity, remark about my kind nature and to certify that "yes Virginia, Jennifer is crazy". Remember I have 5 days until we leave on a cross country trip to get married and I don't even have the invitations printed up. So if no one shows up to my wedding we can blame (pick your choice) the pneumonia, the hospital stay, Ken's father's heart surgery, the ice storm or the barlows!

P.S. Ken's father is doing well....