I'm sick and my house flooded

I'm really not complaining. Just thought you might want to hear the story.
Yesterday afternoon, I had just picked up Clay from school...Sam came home earlier complaining of nausea. We had 45 minutes before wrestling practice and I was getting dinner ready to put in the oven. I noticed there was a little puddle of water under my kitchen sink. I peeked under there, not thinking much about it because I'm getting things from under the sink ten times a day. The cleaning bucket was 1/4 full of water. Hummmmm. I emptied it and situated it back where it was to deal with when I wasn't so busy. I went downstairs to get some tomatoes and beans for dinner and there was water dripping from the rafters in the storage room. Hummmm. I cleared away Nates hunting gear and mopped that up and set up a couple buckets to catch the drips {slow and random} until I wasn't so busy. Took Clay to wrestling practice. Thought when I got home, I should probably just check and see where that leak is coming from. We {can't do anything without the help of my girls} cleared all the cleaning things {yes, I keep my cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink...I don't have a toddler anymore} and the towels out from under the sink and noticed a much fuller bucket of water than before. I decided to turn the water off. The valve was too tight. I yelled at Sam to find me the pliers. In the mean time I decided to trace the drip and find the exact spot where it was dripping. I saw the spot and thought, well, maybe I should just tighten that spot. I reached up to turn the grey connector and it split in my hands. It was instant hot water geyser coming from under the kitchen sink. Now I'm screaming for the pliers, which Sam promptly brings to me and then promptly, with the girls, begins to freak out. Even with the pliers I still can't get the water off. After assessing the impending damage, I decided I had to leave the scene and try to get the water off downstairs. Maybe that valve would work. I run into the storage room and I felt like I was in a rain forrest. Water was dripping from everywhere. Now I'm trying not to lose it, but I initially couldn't find a valve to speak of. Found one, turned it, well, tried to turn it...it was stuck too. Back through the rain storm to the upstairs where Sam is getting Nate on the phone. I yelled at him like it was his fault when he told me, "Just turn the water off, honey."
"NO KIDDING!?!?!?!?!" I'm sobbing now because there is not a dry part of my body and I can see no end to the water which is still spewing from under the sink and quickly reaching the living room.
Run back to the rain drenched room, and think...hot water heater, trace the pipes, find the valve. Found the valve...couldn't turn it.
Now, I'm no body builder, but I'm not a wimp either. I can hold my own, but I couldn't get either of the three valves to budge.
Back upstairs where everyone is still crying. I took one more try at the valve under the sink, and after about four yanks with the pliers, it budged, and we were in business. Mind you, the water was just barely lukewarm at this point, and not scalding me like the first time I tried. But it was spraying me straight in the face nonetheless. Water stopped.
Hooray!!!!
So, operation clean up begins. I grabbed the shopvac and started getting water up. We had barely started when Boyd and Kathy showed up almost simultaneously. Nate surely had called them on his way home, and sent them over. The vacuum was full in a matter of minutes.
Nate got home promptly and Ron came over with his heavy duty shop vac that worked a tons better than ours. I love our neighbors. Craig and Terreck cam over and fixed the faucet and Chris brought Clay home and fed the kids dinner {which I was being so prepared to have made:)} while we cleared out the wet things from the basement.
OK, this is getting a little long now. Sam started puking. Amelia started puking. I woke up puking, and have laid in bed all day playing school and dolls and watching cartoons and kitchen renovations until I realized I really had to get my information emailed to my accountant. So, here I sit very still at the computer, trying to find the humor in the situation.
I guess it was kind of funny to see water dripping like a waterfall from the light in my office. And the bubble in the paint in the bathroom is kind of entertaining. I didn't really LOVE my kitchen floor...it is easy to clean...but I think the edges of the boards coming up around the kitchen sink won't be really nice once they start chipping.
I thought this morning that I feel like such a lucky dog that there was no more damage than there was...my computer and my computer desk/shelves {which I slurged on at PBTeen} didn't see a drop of water. My years supply of food that was under the rainforrest was in sealed plastic buckets and #10 cans. The boxes contiaining my financial records and family history/memories were drenched, but nothing in them was wet. Nate's hunting gear is pretty waterproof, and is currently drying out. We have quite a bit of work ahead of us, but I feel very blessed that so much was protected. Yes, we'll be tearing out walls, but so much was protected!
I gotta go lie down.