Close Call...

"Record setting rainfall has hit Harrisburg area in past 24 hours, forecasters say"

This post has nothing to do with my baby. He or she is still safely inside of me, and I don't expect to be at the hospital today (although I really do feel like labor could start any second...but, I've had these feelings five times before and it hasn't happened!). 

Rather, this post is about historical rainfall in Harrisburg, PA. I can't even believe that just this past Monday was when I posted pictures of the kids with their umbrellas and saying that we really needed rain! Crazy to think that we just got over 9 inches on Thursday and Friday!

A year ago, this wouldn't have bothered me. Because, at the time, we were living in our old house which did not have a basement. So, while it was a bummer when our backyard flooded and the kids couldn't play outside for a week (and this happened pretty much every time it rained!), we didn't have to worry about potentially ruining a very valuable part of our house!

We actually know the people who lived in this house before us. I blogged about that last November...how divine Providence put us together so we could both end up in the right houses for our families! They are a wonderful family. Currently, my daughter Cecilia is in class with their youngest. And, the mother has offered her support and help with carpooling and play dates when this new baby arrives! I will definitely take her up on it!

Anyway, the basement in this house flooded two years ago during another "historical rain fall"...kind of weird that history happened two years apart, no!? The repairs were made properly...a bigger, better sump pump and a gorgeous new wall-to-wall carpet! The whole beautifully finished basement is the playroom for our children...and, they literally live down there. I (we) would be so lost without this blessing!

So, when we heard yesterday morning that our next door neighbors got water in their basement, I started to panic! There are obviously much worse things that can happen and it was completely out of our hands, but I was praying that our basement would be saved. There's no way we could afford to replace the nice carpet...not to mention all the stuff that is on the floor that could be lost (my husband was at work and my pregnant body wasn't about to start rearranging the storage room, toy bins, etc...that probably would've ended me in the hospital!).

Long story short (usually too late!), our basement was spared (this time...that's not to say that a storm in the near future couldn't do harm because the water table is so high now!). Our trusty sump pump is still running constantly (even though it's a beautiful sunny fall day out there now!). 

I am very grateful to have been spared the hard work, drama, and cost of repairing our basement (many of my friends were not so lucky...sigh!). Ironically, Gianna's library book this week was about Noah...so I could confidently tell my kids that the rain would stop...eventually...because of God's promise! This was reassuring...to all of us!

Enjoy your weekend! I am really hoping this baby stays put until my parents arrive on Friday (and then I will have childcare and I will be at peace to go into labor!). But, when it rains, it pours! So, God's will be done :).