Emmett, EMILIO, Emma..RIP sweet Emily

[Tonja]

Thank you all, you have no idea how much the support has meant to me and my family including my critters, scaley and otherwise. I cannot thank you all enough for the encouragement as I have never been through anything like this before. I am still terrified of rain and run to the basement everytime I see a raindrop, will take time I suppose. Supposed to snow in Denver and praying for all those still heavily affected by the floods...we don't need snow right now. Going to be a long hard winter but we will get through it as always. Again thank you to each and everyone of you for the support. HUGS

 

[sweetiepie9]

That's what we're here for Tonya, support in any way we can. And don't ever thing you're "going on" about things, this is your journal and you can write what you want. It's a place to vent & get things off your mind. You've been through a very traumatic thing and to not be covered by any insurance is the pits, too.

I'm glad there was nothing worse than your hubby's broken wrist from the whole ordeal. I know the things you lost were important to you, but at least they were things. Your hubby, you, and your critters are all more important.

Glad things are getting back to sort of normal for you, too. HUGS back at you

 

[beardie parents]

Deb is right. I'm soo glad you didn't loose any of your family, like your husband, scaley kids and the other kids.

 

[Tonja]

Emily and Geico are fine, got them up this morning for breakfast and a nice warm bath. I give them a bath in a tub at my kitchen sink and I looked out and what did I see DANG SNOW! Gave them a bit of an extra warm bath let them pooh and wrapped them up good and dried them off and put them back to bask and to stay warm. Got my laundry done today, got the carpets shampooed with my brand new Hoover turbo Carpet Washer lol. I tell ya what, my old one would not touch the mud and dirt left in my carpet and left it matted and nasty. This new carpet washer took all the mud and dirt out and left my carpets nice, soft and fluffy. There is some staining from the mud but it kind of blends in with the carpet color so you really cant tell. I wanted my basement done before I shampooed but darnit, my carpets are clean and the house smells so good...used a good enzyme shampoo to clean them and followed with a mold and mildew killing shampoo that also prevents mold and mildew. Glad that's done now. Now off to feed Em and Geico supper and bedtime at 9 or so after some cuddling.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Sounds like you're getting your home very well organized, so pleased to hear this. And your babies are being spoiled as always!

 

[Tonja]

thanks sweetie..its a process when you flood, you have to pick your battles as to what comes first and what can wait. Carpets were last for me since there is only one way out of my basement and that's up the steps and around the hallway to the garage. Its the dang snow now that will slow everything else down but that's ok..the majority is done and most at no expense to me thanks to the Churches and Samaritan's Purse.

 

[beardie parents]

I thank God they were there for you. Help like that is a blessing.

 

[Tonja]

I AM DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got the shelves assembled in the basement and everything moved down to the shelves from the garage. Pressure washed the garage of mud and my driveway plus the gutter at the end of my driveway and got all the little shards of glass cleaned up from the street in front of my house! Glass came from broken basement windows. My car and his truck are now safely parked in the garage where they belong! I thank God for home depot!!! You have to hear this! I went to buy a small pressure washer but, asked to speak with the manager because of all the money we spent after this flood. I asked if he could give me a tiny break on the 100.00 price for the 1400 psi washer. These were not on sale but, he gave me 25% off it plus a 10.00 gallon jug of concrete detergent for a penny, then on top of that got my 10% military discount. so it came to 71.44 with tax!! Then I took my neighbor, who wanted a pressure washer up to home depot with the full intention of paying full price! Ethan, the manager saw us and I guess went to the cashiers and my neighbor got the same deal Ethan gave me. How awesome was that of home depot?

Emily and Geico are fine and I am fixing to put them down for the night so I can finally relax!!!! :lol:

 

[Tonja]

Gave my babies a little snuggle and tucked them into bed wrapped in warm beardie quilts I made..they have pockets in them so I can insert hand warmers should the power go during the winter, smart huh :lol: !? They both are still gaining weight but need to slow down, I don't want fat <obese beardies> so cut them back to 2 meals a day instead of 3 meals a day and cut back on calcium to 3 days a week and vitamins 2 days a week. I need to go get them some fresh greens tomorrow. Tomorrow is car washing day and viv cleaning day so my work is cut out for me and one more load of laundry <beardie laundry>. Have to wash repti-carpet and their wash cloths and blankets. I cannot believe they are not mad at me for neglecting them for 3 1/2 weeks with only their most basic needs met during this mess but they still look at me with those little adorable eyes and readily climb into my hand and up to my shoulder for meals and to cuddle. They both got nice long warm baths yesterday so will get them tomorrow..cut back to every other day since the flood so they don't catch a chill and the weather being cold..don't want them with RI's. Geico shed a leg and part of his back, belly and head, one nostril so far and one side of his mouth. Emily shed her back leg, part of her tail and her mouth. Neither are showing any signs of slowing down, both are busy basking and Emily still housekeeping bless her little lizard heart lol. We are going to invest in a generator for the winter in case power goes out, they will still have lights and we will have a tv and my fridge running off it along with the furnace. Have to keep them warm since they are predicting a cold hard winter for us this year. Well that's about it, ive bored yall long enough lol. Have a great night and great tomorrow!

 

[beardie parents]

Wow, one month (almost) to repair all the damage that just an hour's worth (or less) of rain/flood caused. And that's with the help you got.

 

[Tonja]

I know and believe me my bones feel it...my wrists and legs hurt so bad by the end of the day and when I lay down they just scream in pain but that's Lupus for you. I finally get to relax and do nothing cept Em and Geico's laundry tomorrow. Gonna fill the Jacuzzi tub tomorrow morning and put in Epsom salts to see if that helps with the pain, it usually does. Don't even feel my feet anymore just pain in them from all the walking and up and down stairs. Dr gave me a 4 point massager for my legs and feet and it helps a little...gonna ask for a 10s unit for my wrists, hips and legs to see if that helps with the pain any. It did in physical therapy after my knee surgery. Im just glad my part of all this is over, the rest is up to the contractors to put in wallboard, stair carpeting and fixing my yard. I don't think I would have gotten through all of this without you all and the crews that volunteered their time to help with cleanup. I know others had it much worse and I wish now I could help them out with cleanup but my body wont let me right now..I cant and wont force it to do anything it cant do right now. All I can do is pray for those that lost everything, those that lost loved ones, and those still going through massive cleanup. It finally also hit me this morning just how risky it was to me and my health and well being it was to cross that raging water to wake up my neighbors so they could deal with water rushing into their homes. I could have easily been swept off my feet and hurt badly but it had to be done and I did it without thinking of what could happen to me, all I knew was I had to get to my 3 neighbors to wake them up at 3 am to 3:30 am. Billy Grahams sons organization, Samaritan's Purse Ministers came to check on us and called me a hero for waking my neighbors, it was embarrassing to me as I never once thought myself a hero for doing what needed to be done and still don't think that way. The important thing is, is that we all are ok and we made it through the mess, albeit tired and hurting. Its all over now! thank you for being there! I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

 

[beardie parents]

I understand how you feel. When we were evacuated in early June 2011 the people on here helped us the same way. Thankfully were were only out of our home for 4 or 5 days and we didn't loose anything. We do have items that can't be replaced, tho you can get another of the same object, it's not the same as the item's decorations are different.

 

[Tonja]

Been working again all day. Cleaned out the garage again and threw away a lot of junk we didn't need nor use any longer. Organized all the toolboxes and made room to walk around so everything is accessible. Took 8 downspouts apart and built French drains so all the rainwater goes to the plants instead of the yard or house, that was a job and a half! Then helped a neighbor across the street pressure wash the gutters around the cul-de-sac and swept up all the broken glass out of the street so no punctured tires! Drug all tarps that covered the basement window wells to the front yard and washed the mud off with the hose and hung them to drip dry to be put away! Cleaned up the backyard. Got new lights for Emily and Geico and new basking lights so they are taken care of and will be fine for the winter now...higher wattage basking bulbs for winter. New reptisun 10 tube lights also inside their tanks so they are happy. they got new containers of calcium and vitamins so that makes me happy. Both are tucked in bed sound asleep under nice warm quilts and look so cute sleeping soundly. I check on them through the night to make sure they are covered no matter where they choose to sleep.

 

[beardie parents]

That sounds like a job and a half, and then some. I'm glad you survived.

 

[Tonja]

Well here it is Monday again and all is ok. Thunderstorms woke me up and its raining its butt off again to change to snow later on. We already had our first snows last week I think it was, the days seem to just run together so I am nervous again and keep checking the basement windows and the irrigation ditch to see if its going to overflow again.
Emily and Geico are doing well and still growing. Geico is approaching 700 grams already and Emily is approaching 600 grams which I thought would never happen with her being a female, boy was I wrong. I had to up their basking lights to 100 watt bulbs to keep them warm enough since I don't run the heat through the daytime, and used their heat emitters last night for the 2nd time so far. Geico has a new thing going on when I feed him, if he likes something he will smack his little lizard lips as hard as he can while chewing then will look at me and open his mouth like a little bird for more, its so funny to watch him eat things he loves now, like a kid smacking their food when they eat, and no he's not sick he only smacks his lips when he's eating something he likes. Emily still moves things around in her house, she's quite the housekeeper. She has turned over her thermometer and moved it to where she wants it, moved her bed again and her dolphin is by her food bowl so she can lay on it and eat her salads. When I go to pick her up and she's on her little pillow which she drags all over the place to lay on she will hang on to it for dear life and out of the tank it comes with her, it's like a security blanket lol. So sweet to see! I will try to get some pictures up of them today.