Here is a picture of the outside of the house! We will get more pictures up in the days to come...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Mom goes to Oregon
I didn't rush to OR when Kendra called...it was a very exciting moment for me to realize that though I am still her mom, the care of my daughter has now been passed to Brad! There was no burden for me to rush to her side when she was injured, that gave me the freedom to rest in the Lord and experience His peace in new ways. Several days after her injury Kendra asked me to come down. I went and spent a week arranging for people to bring meals, setting up visitors for the woman who couldn't move much and taking care of Brad as he took care of Kendra! It was a wonderful time of fellowship and talking and praying together as well as healing for those involved in Kendra's accident.
While I was gone, my long time dream came true...my family moved into the house! Yippee!! I came home to a mostly settled family and mostly unpacked boxes. Hooray!
While I was gone, my long time dream came true...my family moved into the house! Yippee!! I came home to a mostly settled family and mostly unpacked boxes. Hooray!
Furniture moving
We are SO blessed with so many wonderful friends!
8-10 people showed up at 10 am to help move fruniture into our new home on November 6th.
I stayed busy feeding peolpe, making coffee and directing furniture to rooms.
Everything ran smoothly until the last piece of furniture was ready to be moved. Our rolltop desk is beautiful...and heavy. I was asked, "Hey Shelly, how do you like your desk?" I replied that I loved it..."How do you like it right here?" I told the men that while the desk looked lovely in the container van, it was getting cold outside and I knew that it would look better INside the house on the wall it was designed for!
As the men discussed the how of moving the massive piece, I decided it was better for me to go off on an errand rather than stick around and see how it was done. :)
When I returned, the desk was in its place and the helpers were hungry!
Thanks Maryann for the wonderful homemade cookies that went great with lunch.
Christopher and Alyssa put together the dining table and chairs...good job guys!
We all worked over the next few days to finish putting together beds etc
Many, many thanks to those who gave up their Saturday morning to help! We appreciate you!
8-10 people showed up at 10 am to help move fruniture into our new home on November 6th.
I stayed busy feeding peolpe, making coffee and directing furniture to rooms.
Everything ran smoothly until the last piece of furniture was ready to be moved. Our rolltop desk is beautiful...and heavy. I was asked, "Hey Shelly, how do you like your desk?" I replied that I loved it..."How do you like it right here?" I told the men that while the desk looked lovely in the container van, it was getting cold outside and I knew that it would look better INside the house on the wall it was designed for!
As the men discussed the how of moving the massive piece, I decided it was better for me to go off on an errand rather than stick around and see how it was done. :)
When I returned, the desk was in its place and the helpers were hungry!
Thanks Maryann for the wonderful homemade cookies that went great with lunch.
Christopher and Alyssa put together the dining table and chairs...good job guys!
We all worked over the next few days to finish putting together beds etc
Many, many thanks to those who gave up their Saturday morning to help! We appreciate you!
day of many posts!
I finally have a minute to sit and update this blog! Thanks for being patient! :)
On November 6 we received a phone call from Kendra at 9:30 pm. She told us she had been in an accident on the ropes course, had broken some bones in her back, had a CT scan at the ER and would be in pain for several months, would be flat on her back for a week, and she would eventually, the Drs. hoped, be okay. Wow! And a bride of three weeks to boot!
This caused some stress to us...no kidding! We carried on with our plans to move furniture the next day, praying all the while.
On November 6 we received a phone call from Kendra at 9:30 pm. She told us she had been in an accident on the ropes course, had broken some bones in her back, had a CT scan at the ER and would be in pain for several months, would be flat on her back for a week, and she would eventually, the Drs. hoped, be okay. Wow! And a bride of three weeks to boot!
This caused some stress to us...no kidding! We carried on with our plans to move furniture the next day, praying all the while.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Furniture moving day!
Saturday is coming!! Saturday is coming!! We will be moving furniture out of the barge container and into the house!
We do not yet have a hard and fast move in and live there date; there are a few details that need to be taken care of like water filter/softener system, finish plumbing details, electrical trobleshooting (very minor) before we move in completely. But getting the furniture in will give us such a feel for our home.
I will keep you updated as we uncrate and get settled.
We do not yet have a hard and fast move in and live there date; there are a few details that need to be taken care of like water filter/softener system, finish plumbing details, electrical trobleshooting (very minor) before we move in completely. But getting the furniture in will give us such a feel for our home.
I will keep you updated as we uncrate and get settled.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Indian Summer!
We arrived in Portland, OR early Sunday morning. The kids all did so well on the flights and with long hours in the airport in ANC. I was glad I had booked a direct flight!
Our planned trip to visit friends in WA has not happened yet. All of their children were down with a cold virus and the mommies decided it was wiser not to expose the wedding party! We hope to be able to visit sometime over the week-end.
The weather has been absolutely amazing. A bit of fog in the mornings, and beautiful balmy blue skies the rest of the day. We have all enjoyed spending lots of time outside enjoying the sunshine and playing. Brad took the kids crawdad fishing! They all loved it and managed to catch one each!
Today is ropes day. The littles are very excited and all have special things they'd like to do. Dillon is looking forward to the climbing wall. Anybody surprised?!?!? :)
Kendra's friends here on the base had a bridal shower for her last night. It was fun to meet her friends and to see the special, loving, godly women my daughter is surrounded with. God has so blessed her!
Our planned trip to visit friends in WA has not happened yet. All of their children were down with a cold virus and the mommies decided it was wiser not to expose the wedding party! We hope to be able to visit sometime over the week-end.
The weather has been absolutely amazing. A bit of fog in the mornings, and beautiful balmy blue skies the rest of the day. We have all enjoyed spending lots of time outside enjoying the sunshine and playing. Brad took the kids crawdad fishing! They all loved it and managed to catch one each!
Today is ropes day. The littles are very excited and all have special things they'd like to do. Dillon is looking forward to the climbing wall. Anybody surprised?!?!? :)
Kendra's friends here on the base had a bridal shower for her last night. It was fun to meet her friends and to see the special, loving, godly women my daughter is surrounded with. God has so blessed her!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Salem, OR here we come!
We have been waiting for this day for 10 months and it is finally here! Susanna, Thomas, Dillon and I leave tomorrow for Salem to spend a couple of weeks with Kendra before her wedding. We are all SO excited! There are things we are looking forward to: McDonald's playland (nobody really wants to eat there, they just want to play!) "Cloudy with a chance of meatballs" will be the first real theater movie the boys will remember being in, inexpensive gas and groceries, visits with Kendra and with dear friends, parks to play and run in, warm sunshine (just a little more Indian Summer in OR please Jesus! :)). And then there are things we are NOT looking forward to: lots of car time, traffic, driving "forever" whenever we need/want to go somewhere, stop lights, other cars, lots of people, did I mention traffic? :) Needless to say, we live a pretty quiet life here in our little bush city and the busyness of 'outside' holds little appeal.
We covet your prayers for travel safety as we make our way to the Lower-48.
We covet your prayers for travel safety as we make our way to the Lower-48.
Finally, FLOORING!
Oh my goodness! After reading the last posts about the barge and how ready our flooring expert was, I now look back and chuckle! Of course, this is Dillingham and nothing but nothing runs on the same time as elsewhere in the world. Long story short...the floors are laid and are in the process of being finished!!! Hooray! The kids and I went and peeked in the front door yesterday; the vinyl was not yet adhered to the floor, so we just looked from the porch. It was very exciting to see that the vinyl choice I had occasionally agonized over looked terrific, with no discernible seam! Thank you Lord!
The next thank you is to you our faithful praying freinds. The smoke smell in the house is no longer detectible. The side attics and floors had to be re-sprayed and that took care of the problem!
The next thank you is to you our faithful praying freinds. The smoke smell in the house is no longer detectible. The side attics and floors had to be re-sprayed and that took care of the problem!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Waiting for moose!
Hi again! Two posts in one day...wow!
Ron is hunting right now and it has been pretty hard on the kids and I for several reasons.
1) The kids are older this year and miss their Dad more than ever.
2) I don't have my 'big girls' here to help (for the first time). Alyssa is visiting Kendra in Oregon for a few weeks before her trip to Uganda on the 23rd.
3) Ron took two trips this year and has been home for one day in the last ten days-usually he has a moose by the sixth to eighth day and is home.
Dillon prayed in the car yesterday that daddy would get home last night. :( He is missing his Dad! All three kids prayed at bedtime last night for God to bring daddy home safely and soon!
He will be back no later than Wednesday, he has to return to work on Thursday, so we have the potential of a few more days without him.
Please pray these things for us (and however else God leads you!):
1) Peace in our home-we need a supernatural peace to descend on us. We are all on edge and are tending to snap at one another rather than love one another.
2) Safety for us as Ron is gone.
3) No more migraines for me! I was in the ER Thursday at noon for shots for a killer migraine. God used several of my dear friends to 'fill in' by taking the kids on a walk, cooking dinner and driving me to and from the hospital. Nevertheless the kids were worried and stressed by mom being so sick while daddy was gone.
4) Sunshine. We all feel better when it is sunny.
Thanks again for holding us up in prayer! I am so thankful for you all!
Ron is hunting right now and it has been pretty hard on the kids and I for several reasons.
1) The kids are older this year and miss their Dad more than ever.
2) I don't have my 'big girls' here to help (for the first time). Alyssa is visiting Kendra in Oregon for a few weeks before her trip to Uganda on the 23rd.
3) Ron took two trips this year and has been home for one day in the last ten days-usually he has a moose by the sixth to eighth day and is home.
Dillon prayed in the car yesterday that daddy would get home last night. :( He is missing his Dad! All three kids prayed at bedtime last night for God to bring daddy home safely and soon!
He will be back no later than Wednesday, he has to return to work on Thursday, so we have the potential of a few more days without him.
Please pray these things for us (and however else God leads you!):
1) Peace in our home-we need a supernatural peace to descend on us. We are all on edge and are tending to snap at one another rather than love one another.
2) Safety for us as Ron is gone.
3) No more migraines for me! I was in the ER Thursday at noon for shots for a killer migraine. God used several of my dear friends to 'fill in' by taking the kids on a walk, cooking dinner and driving me to and from the hospital. Nevertheless the kids were worried and stressed by mom being so sick while daddy was gone.
4) Sunshine. We all feel better when it is sunny.
Thanks again for holding us up in prayer! I am so thankful for you all!
After living in the bush for nearly ten years, I thought that seeing a barge in the Bay was pretty commonplace...until I saw the barge pulling in last night (two days late)! I was SO excited! Why? Because that barge carries my flooring, appliances and furniture! In short, nearly everything we need to make the house our home! I can hardly wait! The flooring guy is ready to go as soon as the container with the flooring in it is located. The lights are all installed, with the exception of the hanging light in the stairwell. That one somehow got turned around in Anchorage by Fed-Ex. It is supposedly on its way back here...we will see!
I would like to ask you all to pray hard for something, please...we noticed a few weeks ago that there is still the smell of smoke upstairs. When the upstairs was gutted, most of it was sprayed and sealed with Kilz, but not the side attic storage areas. Ron and I pointed out the omission to Andrew (the guy who has done the lions share of the work) and he sprayed those attics after the walls had been rebuilt, insulated and drywalled. I am not sure whether or not the roof and ceiling joists were sprayed. Anyway, it still smells like smoke from aobut the middle of the stairwell on up the stairs and into the girls rooms. Ron and Andrew discussed it and Andrew thinks the smell is from the floor where the sealant has worn off from work crews. Ron authorized him to re-spray and lay a subfloor in the upstairs portion of the house. Please pray that this will solve the problem. If it does not we are left with a really yucky possiblity of having to gut the upstairs again! Really yucky on many fronts...time, money, flying a crew in from ANC AGAIN to re-do walls, winter is coming, and I could go on and on! :) I do know one thing-God is bigger than the lingering smell of smoke in the house! Actually, I know two things-God listens to the prayers, pleading and petitions of His people! Okay, make it three- all things, circumstances and events that touch my life are filtered through His fingers of love! Thank you so much for thinking of us and praying for us throughout this time of trauma, trial and triumph! It is a privelege for me to share with you all who God IS to us and what He has done and is doing in our lives.
Foe now I rest in this truth...my furniture, appliances and flooring are on that barge!!!
I would like to ask you all to pray hard for something, please...we noticed a few weeks ago that there is still the smell of smoke upstairs. When the upstairs was gutted, most of it was sprayed and sealed with Kilz, but not the side attic storage areas. Ron and I pointed out the omission to Andrew (the guy who has done the lions share of the work) and he sprayed those attics after the walls had been rebuilt, insulated and drywalled. I am not sure whether or not the roof and ceiling joists were sprayed. Anyway, it still smells like smoke from aobut the middle of the stairwell on up the stairs and into the girls rooms. Ron and Andrew discussed it and Andrew thinks the smell is from the floor where the sealant has worn off from work crews. Ron authorized him to re-spray and lay a subfloor in the upstairs portion of the house. Please pray that this will solve the problem. If it does not we are left with a really yucky possiblity of having to gut the upstairs again! Really yucky on many fronts...time, money, flying a crew in from ANC AGAIN to re-do walls, winter is coming, and I could go on and on! :) I do know one thing-God is bigger than the lingering smell of smoke in the house! Actually, I know two things-God listens to the prayers, pleading and petitions of His people! Okay, make it three- all things, circumstances and events that touch my life are filtered through His fingers of love! Thank you so much for thinking of us and praying for us throughout this time of trauma, trial and triumph! It is a privelege for me to share with you all who God IS to us and what He has done and is doing in our lives.
Foe now I rest in this truth...my furniture, appliances and flooring are on that barge!!!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Barge is on the way!!!
Our house is beginning to look livable! The outside is mostly painted, the kitchen cabinets are about ready to be installed. Oh my goodness! We don't have a move in date yet, but I plan to pack up the trailer before I leave for Oregon on October 3rd. Our furniture and appliances will be here around September 10th.
Please pray with us that the finances to complete this project will be available when they are needed. We need about 6,000 for the barge shipping charges and probably about 4,000 more dollars for finishing up expenses. We are standing firm in the belief that our God has all these things in mind and is working out the details even now. So, please pray for peace and steadfast trust in the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He has cared for us over the last eight months and has shown Himself mighty to save again and again on our behalf. Thank you all again for praying for us unceasingly!
Please pray with us that the finances to complete this project will be available when they are needed. We need about 6,000 for the barge shipping charges and probably about 4,000 more dollars for finishing up expenses. We are standing firm in the belief that our God has all these things in mind and is working out the details even now. So, please pray for peace and steadfast trust in the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He has cared for us over the last eight months and has shown Himself mighty to save again and again on our behalf. Thank you all again for praying for us unceasingly!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
A firm foundation
Alyssa comes home today! Only for a few hours...better than not at all! I am excited to show her the progress on the house in person. When she left for the lodge, the walls were up; there was no insulation, no drywall, no paint, no sub floor, no cabinets.
The cabinets are in the house and from the look of the drippy weather, they will be installed today! They are beautiful!
The building site is certainly starting to look like a house.
We have been talking about the wise and foolish men in Scripture, and drawing pictures of the ways each of them chose to build their houses. It brought to mind the day we were told that our house was on a foundation, but had not been anchored. I was glad for a wise builder and a wise husband who despite the difficulties it presented had the crew attach the house to the foundation. Now our house will be secure against outside forces that will beat against it. So too will our lives be secure in the Father's hand because we have chosen to anchor to the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.
The cabinets are in the house and from the look of the drippy weather, they will be installed today! They are beautiful!
The building site is certainly starting to look like a house.
We have been talking about the wise and foolish men in Scripture, and drawing pictures of the ways each of them chose to build their houses. It brought to mind the day we were told that our house was on a foundation, but had not been anchored. I was glad for a wise builder and a wise husband who despite the difficulties it presented had the crew attach the house to the foundation. Now our house will be secure against outside forces that will beat against it. So too will our lives be secure in the Father's hand because we have chosen to anchor to the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
A fully equipped house!
Flooring, Appliances and Furniture! These three words dominated my trip to Anchorage. I was able to buy flooring and appliances on Saturday and almost all of the furniture on Sunday; that left one bedroom for Monday morning after an appointment that was to take place by telephone, but since I was in ANC I was able to meet face to face.
I got the bedroom furniture and what I thought were the perfect kitchen lights and went back to the hotel to pack. After a quick lunch, I called Ron to report my success. I was excited to return home knowing that my household goods would arrive by barge sometime mid-October.
Within an hour of eating, I realized that one more night in ANC would be a must...bad chicken for lunch! Yuck!!! I recovered and returned home on Tuesday.
What alot of work to outfit a house. How much fun though! And boy was I thankful for a husband who is so detailed. I went with a list in hand that covered everything I needed to know. It made life much easier.
To top off the trip, it was sunny every day! After three weeks of rain at home, the sunshine was doubly appreciated.
So, now we wait on the barge. The interior walls are ready to be textured and then painted; the exterior is in the process of the siding going on. The roof is here and ready for installation.
We are moving along. Thank you for your continued care for us and for praying for us as you remember us.
I got the bedroom furniture and what I thought were the perfect kitchen lights and went back to the hotel to pack. After a quick lunch, I called Ron to report my success. I was excited to return home knowing that my household goods would arrive by barge sometime mid-October.
Within an hour of eating, I realized that one more night in ANC would be a must...bad chicken for lunch! Yuck!!! I recovered and returned home on Tuesday.
What alot of work to outfit a house. How much fun though! And boy was I thankful for a husband who is so detailed. I went with a list in hand that covered everything I needed to know. It made life much easier.
To top off the trip, it was sunny every day! After three weeks of rain at home, the sunshine was doubly appreciated.
So, now we wait on the barge. The interior walls are ready to be textured and then painted; the exterior is in the process of the siding going on. The roof is here and ready for installation.
We are moving along. Thank you for your continued care for us and for praying for us as you remember us.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho off to Anchorage I go!
Yippee! God answers prayer!
I will be going to ANC tomorrow to buy our flooring. The supplier that we wanted to get the floors from, did not have them in stock; our contractor offered to send me to ANC to buy them!
I will also be able to get the appliances and get them on the barge.
Our God, who promises us life abundantly has given me the day or so of respite that I desperately need after the week of flu that the boys had. A pool at my hotel beckons me for some exercise and the car I will be driving will be filled with the sounds of "Selah".
Thank so much for your prayers! It is fun to see the way God answers!
I will be going to ANC tomorrow to buy our flooring. The supplier that we wanted to get the floors from, did not have them in stock; our contractor offered to send me to ANC to buy them!
I will also be able to get the appliances and get them on the barge.
Our God, who promises us life abundantly has given me the day or so of respite that I desperately need after the week of flu that the boys had. A pool at my hotel beckons me for some exercise and the car I will be driving will be filled with the sounds of "Selah".
Thank so much for your prayers! It is fun to see the way God answers!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Extra prayer cover please
Today is a difficult day...we've been leading up to it for awhile. All three of our younger children are having a very hard time sleeping with multiple wakings for each of them each night. I (Shelly) am worn out with being up with them, trading beds, and calming fears. One of our children is having anger issues and it is hard to decide how to deal with those things.
Oh, I also have a migraine! Lack of sleep and stress undoubtedly, knowing that doesn't make the pain stop though.
So, as you think of us today please offer some extra prayer cover. Pray that God would calm hearts and fears, that we would all get restful sleep, that there would be peace in our house and that the enemy would be rendered helpless and cast out.
Thanks!
Oh, I also have a migraine! Lack of sleep and stress undoubtedly, knowing that doesn't make the pain stop though.
So, as you think of us today please offer some extra prayer cover. Pray that God would calm hearts and fears, that we would all get restful sleep, that there would be peace in our house and that the enemy would be rendered helpless and cast out.
Thanks!
Bumps in the road
There have been a few bumps in the road to rebuilding in the last week, nothing terribly unusual just frustrating.
The local drywall contractor will not be able to do the job after all. This leaves us with the option of flying a crew in from Anchorage. Our contractor is working on that.
We did find a white...lots of shades later! :)
The new challenge is finding flourescent fixtures for the kitchen. All the other lights have been ordered and should be on their way to us in a day or two.
The local drywall contractor will not be able to do the job after all. This leaves us with the option of flying a crew in from Anchorage. Our contractor is working on that.
We did find a white...lots of shades later! :)
The new challenge is finding flourescent fixtures for the kitchen. All the other lights have been ordered and should be on their way to us in a day or two.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Paint, appliances and flooring, oh, my!
We are busily looking at paint and appliances. Hooray! Do you know how many shades of white exist in the paint world? No? Me either! I do know however that the answer exceeds ALOT!!! The plan is to have the interior sprayed white; then we will paint rooms later. Choosing paint in the Bush is a whole lot different than choosing paint in the Lower-48. No paint cards here...just the internet! Hours later, we still haven't decided between eggshell, cloud, marshmallow etc. and I wonder who names all these shades of white anyway?
The drywall begins to go up next week! A drywaller was found locally...thank you for praying! The drywall will take a couple of weeks, then they will need that elusive shade of white.
We covet your continued prayers for safety on the job site, delivery schedules to be coordinated so that supplies are here when needed (paint, appliances, flooring), and for the insurance settlement to cover the expense.
The drywall begins to go up next week! A drywaller was found locally...thank you for praying! The drywall will take a couple of weeks, then they will need that elusive shade of white.
We covet your continued prayers for safety on the job site, delivery schedules to be coordinated so that supplies are here when needed (paint, appliances, flooring), and for the insurance settlement to cover the expense.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Building, building, building!
We visited the building site tonight after dinner. What an amazing difference from just a few days ago! The windows are installed except for Susanna's bedroom; the insulation in the walls is in and awaiting ceiling insulation. Our contractor told Ron that the roof and kitchen cabinets are ordered and on the next barge. Wow!
God is SO good. Thank you for your prayers, God is moving and we are thankful! The targeted completion date is still November and I look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving in our new home!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The house is proceeding ahead of schedule! The heating/plumbing and rough electrical are all but done more than two weeks ahead of the target! Praise God! The windows and drywall are here and awaiting installation. Please continue to pray that a drywall crew will be found and available to begin drywalling as soon as things are ready.
Ron took Thomas and Dillon on a nine day camping adventure! They are camping up on third lake and will move to second lake tomorrow or Thursday. They will be home on Sunday.
This has left the house very quiet as Alyssa is working at bearclaw Lodge for the summer. Susanna and I are having a very fun, quiet time just hanging out, walking and getting some projects done.
Have a terrific day and think on the One who created it just for YOU!!!
Lamentation 3:22 tells us that God's lovingkindness never ends and His mercies are new every morning!
Ron took Thomas and Dillon on a nine day camping adventure! They are camping up on third lake and will move to second lake tomorrow or Thursday. They will be home on Sunday.
This has left the house very quiet as Alyssa is working at bearclaw Lodge for the summer. Susanna and I are having a very fun, quiet time just hanging out, walking and getting some projects done.
Have a terrific day and think on the One who created it just for YOU!!!
Lamentation 3:22 tells us that God's lovingkindness never ends and His mercies are new every morning!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Happy Father's Day!
Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! :)
Our house is progressing apace. The rough electrical is about 2/3 rd's complete. The heating and plumbing will be started next week!
It is exciting to see the progress. Today Ron and I walked through the house and discussed lighting options. It is pretty fun to get to choose all new things!
I am taking a day trip to Anchorage on Monday to get Alyssa her yellow fever vaccine for her Uganda trip and we will shop for lighting and I hope to have soem time to gether a bit of info on flooring.
Have a wonderful day and thanks for the visit!
Our house is progressing apace. The rough electrical is about 2/3 rd's complete. The heating and plumbing will be started next week!
It is exciting to see the progress. Today Ron and I walked through the house and discussed lighting options. It is pretty fun to get to choose all new things!
I am taking a day trip to Anchorage on Monday to get Alyssa her yellow fever vaccine for her Uganda trip and we will shop for lighting and I hope to have soem time to gether a bit of info on flooring.
Have a wonderful day and thanks for the visit!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
We have walls!
The walls are up! After a few minor glitches, the exterior walls in the new part of the house are up! It is very exciting to see the progress as the days go by. The crew is building roof trusses that we hope will be ready for installation by the week-end!
How can you pray and support us right now?
Pray for continued safety for the men working on our home. Ask for God's favor and mercy in keeping them safe and accident free. Pray for the electrician and plumber/heating men. They are slated to begin work soon. Ask that their work will go quickly and smoothly and that they will work "as unto the Lord", that the work they do for us will be excellent.
Pray for our children and for us. We are all going through the loss process and are experiencing dreams, sleep difficulties and emotional things tht need to be worked through. We are so thankful for the support of wonderful people who are helping us talk through the "stuff", we need you all too though your prayers are precious support for us!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Framing? Not!
Well, I have been waiting all week to post hoping to have pictures of the framing going up. No luck yet though. It has been pretty wet and rainy all week, so we are still waiting. There is progress though! Today the wood was being sprayed/painted with 'Kills' to kill any mold that may be hiding, next they will seal the wood to keep any lingering smoke smell from coming through.
Keep checking back for new photos!
Keep checking back for new photos!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Utilities
We got word a few days ago that our utilities were not being offset by churches in the community (as we thought they were). The board here was put in the uncomfortable position of asking us to pay a rather large amount monthly to meet the costs they are incurring as a result of our family being here in the trailer. We were happy to agree to do that, as well as happy that the board let us know that the cost was on their shoulders. When we moved in we didn't want our stay here to be a burden on these wonderful people. So, please pray for us as we adjust to living very carefully and being concious of our budget. God works in all things, and we believe that He is good-all the time. Thanks for keeping up with us through this blog, and for sharing our concerns with us in prayer! We appreciate you!
Floors are in!
We talked with our contractor this evening and he told Ron that the new floors are in place and the crew will be ready to start framing soon! We are very excited!
Please continue to pray for safety for the men who are working on our new home, for wisdom for our contractor as he schedules the work, that we will be a living, breathing extension of Jesus to those who we come in contact with throughout this process, that our home will not just be 'livable' but completed. Thank you for continuously praying for us!
Check back for more pictures in the next few days!
Please continue to pray for safety for the men who are working on our new home, for wisdom for our contractor as he schedules the work, that we will be a living, breathing extension of Jesus to those who we come in contact with throughout this process, that our home will not just be 'livable' but completed. Thank you for continuously praying for us!
Check back for more pictures in the next few days!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The endless winter
This picture was taken at the end of April! We thought winter would never end...however God had the perfect timing in mind! Just a few weeks after this shot was taken break up was in full swing and most of this snow was gone.
Half a house
This is a shot from the front of the house. The kitchen was in the front right corner and the living room in the front left corner. You can see the roofline just below the two windows, when the tin was removed form the roof the timbers collapsed. We are so thankful that the roof held through the winter preventing the interior from getting wet and rotting.The steps to the arctic entry are just left of center. We have decided to square off the front of the house, moving the footing out about 3 feet to match the kitchen side. This will be easier for the crews to match walls and siding. Alos it will add a bit of living space to the living room...no complaints here! :)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Demolition!!
Friday! What a beautiful word! On Friday a crew began to take down the house! Hooray!! Over the week-end a group of men worked hard and got the entire front of the house ready to be sealed and sprayed. All of the drywall was removed from the rest of the house and they are working on removing the floors and insulation.
Ron worked all day Saturday on walls and ceilings, and he is paying the price in sore muscles. It is exciting to see progress though.
Many thanks go out to Wally and Gary who 'stopped by' the house and stayed to work! I am not sure that oatmeal raisin cookies were enough thanks, but they'll have to do! :)
Check back later today to see pictures of our progress.
Please begin to pray now for smooth work schedules and quick progress! Thanks!
Ron worked all day Saturday on walls and ceilings, and he is paying the price in sore muscles. It is exciting to see progress though.
Many thanks go out to Wally and Gary who 'stopped by' the house and stayed to work! I am not sure that oatmeal raisin cookies were enough thanks, but they'll have to do! :)
Check back later today to see pictures of our progress.
Please begin to pray now for smooth work schedules and quick progress! Thanks!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Word pictures
I will do my best to describe the action that took place on our first lake trip of the summer.
Suzanna, Thomas and Dillon were dressed in rain boots and jackets as they hopped out of the car at Aleknagik Lake this afternoon. "Picnic!!" was the joyful cry as they launched themselves from the car and ran to the gravel beach. They promptly began to leave 'mini lakes' everwhere they stepped. The snow melt has left the water level very high and even their light 50-70 pounds was enough to bring water to the surface of the gravel. After a brisk, windy walk to the place where the snow met the beach and mom refused to go any further, we decided to picnic in the car. After watching the ice breaking off the shelf near the island, and seeing the rapid progress of mini icebergs toward the mouth of the Wood River as we ate lunch the kids wanted to see that ice up close. So we set off to the beach and watched as ice chunks floated, driven by wind and waves to the shore of the Lake. When the ice reached the shallows, it began to pile up in floating, disintegrating, sheets of ice that suddenly called to the boys. 'Jump on us, see how far you can walk without getting wet!' What young boy can resist that call? So, over the caution from mom 'if you get wet, we go home!' they took off on a thrill walk! What fun! They bobbed and weaved as they rode the ice. Suzanna joined them and just looking at the slushy ice filled water made me shiver! Brrr! The kids didn't seem to notice, they were having such a good time. Eventually, one of them fell off their 'burg and it was time to head home. We had to make it back down the beach first though and of course their boots were filled with water when we reached the car. Thomas did a terrific job of emptying his boots outside the car! We rode to Teddy's for slush puppies and talked about our first lake trip of the season. After two cold, rainy summers I am hoping this was the first of many trips!
Psalm 27:4,5 One thing have I asked from the Lord, that shall I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
Suzanna, Thomas and Dillon were dressed in rain boots and jackets as they hopped out of the car at Aleknagik Lake this afternoon. "Picnic!!" was the joyful cry as they launched themselves from the car and ran to the gravel beach. They promptly began to leave 'mini lakes' everwhere they stepped. The snow melt has left the water level very high and even their light 50-70 pounds was enough to bring water to the surface of the gravel. After a brisk, windy walk to the place where the snow met the beach and mom refused to go any further, we decided to picnic in the car. After watching the ice breaking off the shelf near the island, and seeing the rapid progress of mini icebergs toward the mouth of the Wood River as we ate lunch the kids wanted to see that ice up close. So we set off to the beach and watched as ice chunks floated, driven by wind and waves to the shore of the Lake. When the ice reached the shallows, it began to pile up in floating, disintegrating, sheets of ice that suddenly called to the boys. 'Jump on us, see how far you can walk without getting wet!' What young boy can resist that call? So, over the caution from mom 'if you get wet, we go home!' they took off on a thrill walk! What fun! They bobbed and weaved as they rode the ice. Suzanna joined them and just looking at the slushy ice filled water made me shiver! Brrr! The kids didn't seem to notice, they were having such a good time. Eventually, one of them fell off their 'burg and it was time to head home. We had to make it back down the beach first though and of course their boots were filled with water when we reached the car. Thomas did a terrific job of emptying his boots outside the car! We rode to Teddy's for slush puppies and talked about our first lake trip of the season. After two cold, rainy summers I am hoping this was the first of many trips!
Psalm 27:4,5 One thing have I asked from the Lord, that shall I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Spring is here!
I will fly toAnchorage tomorrow for the week. Ron will take the week off to be "Mr. Mom".
Alyssa starts a job with Head start on Tuesday. She will work until the end of May. She has finished her senior year studies and so this will be a good thing to keep her busy until graduation, she will also be able to save some money for college next year.
Spring is well on its way here in the frozen north. Break-up is in full swing, which means mud, mud and more mud for us! The boys have gleefully surfed Alaska style in the 'lake' that formed in front of the mobile home when the snow first began to melt. They took a sled, floated it in the water and jumped on for a ride across the lake. It was lots of fun to watch. They also floated boats, rode their bikes and joyfully stomped in the just above freezing water. They spent a good long time cutting a path through the snowbank on the low side of the lake to allow it to drain. They were not successful, but were excited to see that the water had melted its own path a few days later. Now we just have a front yard full of muck and mud.
No new report on the house. Hurry up...and wait is the order of the day. We are concentrating on taking one day at a time, thankful for the blessings that God continues to shower upon us.
Thanks for the visit!
Alyssa starts a job with Head start on Tuesday. She will work until the end of May. She has finished her senior year studies and so this will be a good thing to keep her busy until graduation, she will also be able to save some money for college next year.
Spring is well on its way here in the frozen north. Break-up is in full swing, which means mud, mud and more mud for us! The boys have gleefully surfed Alaska style in the 'lake' that formed in front of the mobile home when the snow first began to melt. They took a sled, floated it in the water and jumped on for a ride across the lake. It was lots of fun to watch. They also floated boats, rode their bikes and joyfully stomped in the just above freezing water. They spent a good long time cutting a path through the snowbank on the low side of the lake to allow it to drain. They were not successful, but were excited to see that the water had melted its own path a few days later. Now we just have a front yard full of muck and mud.
No new report on the house. Hurry up...and wait is the order of the day. We are concentrating on taking one day at a time, thankful for the blessings that God continues to shower upon us.
Thanks for the visit!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Breaking the silence, but not yet breaking ground
This week we have seen some progress and are one step closer to getting our re-building project off the ground. The adjuster submitted his final numbers to the insurance company, we signed an affidavit, spoke with the mortgage holder and our contractor. We are waiting for the final pay out and our contractor is nearly ready to start the project. I grumbled some yesterday about the spring blizzard with its accompanying 6-8 inches of new snow, upon reflection though I realized that our contractor will now be delayed in starting our project for another several days while he clears snow! This endless winter is working in our favor. :)
We are ever aware of the saints who lift us before the throne daily, and even hourly. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for us!
Happy Easter...may the peace of the One Jesus, who rose victorious be with you today!
We are ever aware of the saints who lift us before the throne daily, and even hourly. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for us!
Happy Easter...may the peace of the One Jesus, who rose victorious be with you today!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Re-building?
I've been asked several times in the last week what is happening with the house...have we started to re-build?
We have been working for the last few weeks with the adjuster to get a complete estimate of the repair costs on our home. Ron has submitted a final list of missing items to be added to the estimate and we are looking forward to having a good, complete working estimate by Monday March 9th.
Our contractor will return from a trip on Tuesday March 10th, and we are anticipating having the final estimate to him on Wednesday. I am so thankful for a husband who is detail oriented and who also has some construction experience! He has saved our contractor countless hours of negotiation by pre-viewing the estimate line-by-line. We hope that with this estimate we will see a topping out of our insurance. That means that our insurance company will make a one time pay out of our max insurance on replacement of our home, rather than making a smaller pay out and then issuing another check when the money is used up. This will free us up somewhat by getting us out from under the insurance company's expectation of having the repairs finished within 6 months of the loss.
Our contractor is wanting to be done in the house with his part by June 1, which fits in perfectly with a team of builders who are planning a trip to Dillingham in June to work on our house! God is SO amazing in His timing.
We have been working for the last few weeks with the adjuster to get a complete estimate of the repair costs on our home. Ron has submitted a final list of missing items to be added to the estimate and we are looking forward to having a good, complete working estimate by Monday March 9th.
Our contractor will return from a trip on Tuesday March 10th, and we are anticipating having the final estimate to him on Wednesday. I am so thankful for a husband who is detail oriented and who also has some construction experience! He has saved our contractor countless hours of negotiation by pre-viewing the estimate line-by-line. We hope that with this estimate we will see a topping out of our insurance. That means that our insurance company will make a one time pay out of our max insurance on replacement of our home, rather than making a smaller pay out and then issuing another check when the money is used up. This will free us up somewhat by getting us out from under the insurance company's expectation of having the repairs finished within 6 months of the loss.
Our contractor is wanting to be done in the house with his part by June 1, which fits in perfectly with a team of builders who are planning a trip to Dillingham in June to work on our house! God is SO amazing in His timing.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Pneumonia and wedding dresses
Today is turning out to be a difficult day!
Dillon has pneumonia...likely a by-product of the smoke inhalation he suffered during the fire. He does not have a fever and has about 2/3 of his normal energy, he is also very touchy and cranky making it hard for anyone to get along with him. I feel like I have been scolding children all afternoon...Suzanna feels that way too as she said, "don't take your bad mood out on me!" when I sent her outside to play after asking for the fourth time that she lower her voice and calm down.
Kendra called with the news that she had found her wedding dress! How exciting! I am waiting to see pictures that seem to be taking forever to come through on e-mail! I didn't expect to feel sad about not shopping with her, but I do! I am wishing that I was in Oregon to shop with my girl. I am thankful for Brad's mom who, after weddings for four daughters, is a fabulous wedding dress shopper!
I am also thankful for friends who are having us over for dinner tonight! Yippee! I don't have to think about cooking! :)
Dillon has pneumonia...likely a by-product of the smoke inhalation he suffered during the fire. He does not have a fever and has about 2/3 of his normal energy, he is also very touchy and cranky making it hard for anyone to get along with him. I feel like I have been scolding children all afternoon...Suzanna feels that way too as she said, "don't take your bad mood out on me!" when I sent her outside to play after asking for the fourth time that she lower her voice and calm down.
Kendra called with the news that she had found her wedding dress! How exciting! I am waiting to see pictures that seem to be taking forever to come through on e-mail! I didn't expect to feel sad about not shopping with her, but I do! I am wishing that I was in Oregon to shop with my girl. I am thankful for Brad's mom who, after weddings for four daughters, is a fabulous wedding dress shopper!
I am also thankful for friends who are having us over for dinner tonight! Yippee! I don't have to think about cooking! :)
Friday, February 20, 2009
Starting to feel like home
Dillon said to me on Wednesday, "you know, Mom...we have been in this house so long that it feels like home now!" I was SO happy to hear that! I also was glad for the hug from my boy that accompanied that sentiment.
This IS starting to feel like home, here in our snug mobile home. We have gathered some comfort items...like books! :) around us and are settling in.
The children are starting to sleep better, a relief for their parents :) We are discovering the wonderful sledding available out our back door- a terrific run onto the tundra and how like God to save this place for the time when the younger children are ready and able to enjoy it to the fullest extent possible!
While we are all starting to feel like this is home, I was reminded today that there are changes imminent in our living situation. We received the repair estimate from the adjuster today making it very clear that as much as this place feels like home, it is only for awhile. We are about to be thrust into decision making mode. We must first decide whether or not we will actually rebuild. We are leaning in that direction, but there is also the possibility of cashing out, selling the land as-is and buying something else. Please remember us in the next several days as we seek to sort through all the options. My desire is to glorify God, above all...whatever that means; re-build, cash out, rent for a bit...whatever will cause the most people to look at Jesus and realize that He is real and loves them, just like He loves me, that is what I want!
I spent almost all day at the dentist today. I had a tooth that was sensitive to pressure and temperature changes, so I knew going in the door that I probably needed a crown. Yep, I was right! As the dentist was prepping for the crown, he discovered that the contact point between the two teeth concealed a large crack in the enamel of the adjacent tooth. He graciously worked me into his schedule for the afternoon to make it possible to prep the second tooth since this was his last day in Dillingham until April; I came home (after two hours at the office) quickly fed everybody lunch, went into town to check the mail-and collect the inevitable packages :)-and stopped at home to make sure that Alyssa was okay with Suzanna, Thomas and Dillon staying home with her while I went to have the second tooth prepped. Champ that she is, she said that was fine and I took off. Two hours later I returned home to a clean and vacuumed living room and four children who were worn out from sledding! I am now typing this entry at 11:21 waiting for the meds to kick in and conquer the migraine and tooth and jaw ache that I am fighting. At least eveyone is asleep and it is quiet.
Oh, BTW for those of you who don't live in Bush Alaska...our dentist flies in from Anchorage for four days every 5-6 weeks. Unbelievable to most of the US, but just part of living here! There is dental care available all the time at the clinic at the hospital compound, and we take the children there for check ups and work on their baby teeth, but prefer the fly in dentist for grown up teeth.
This IS starting to feel like home, here in our snug mobile home. We have gathered some comfort items...like books! :) around us and are settling in.
The children are starting to sleep better, a relief for their parents :) We are discovering the wonderful sledding available out our back door- a terrific run onto the tundra and how like God to save this place for the time when the younger children are ready and able to enjoy it to the fullest extent possible!
While we are all starting to feel like this is home, I was reminded today that there are changes imminent in our living situation. We received the repair estimate from the adjuster today making it very clear that as much as this place feels like home, it is only for awhile. We are about to be thrust into decision making mode. We must first decide whether or not we will actually rebuild. We are leaning in that direction, but there is also the possibility of cashing out, selling the land as-is and buying something else. Please remember us in the next several days as we seek to sort through all the options. My desire is to glorify God, above all...whatever that means; re-build, cash out, rent for a bit...whatever will cause the most people to look at Jesus and realize that He is real and loves them, just like He loves me, that is what I want!
I spent almost all day at the dentist today. I had a tooth that was sensitive to pressure and temperature changes, so I knew going in the door that I probably needed a crown. Yep, I was right! As the dentist was prepping for the crown, he discovered that the contact point between the two teeth concealed a large crack in the enamel of the adjacent tooth. He graciously worked me into his schedule for the afternoon to make it possible to prep the second tooth since this was his last day in Dillingham until April; I came home (after two hours at the office) quickly fed everybody lunch, went into town to check the mail-and collect the inevitable packages :)-and stopped at home to make sure that Alyssa was okay with Suzanna, Thomas and Dillon staying home with her while I went to have the second tooth prepped. Champ that she is, she said that was fine and I took off. Two hours later I returned home to a clean and vacuumed living room and four children who were worn out from sledding! I am now typing this entry at 11:21 waiting for the meds to kick in and conquer the migraine and tooth and jaw ache that I am fighting. At least eveyone is asleep and it is quiet.
Oh, BTW for those of you who don't live in Bush Alaska...our dentist flies in from Anchorage for four days every 5-6 weeks. Unbelievable to most of the US, but just part of living here! There is dental care available all the time at the clinic at the hospital compound, and we take the children there for check ups and work on their baby teeth, but prefer the fly in dentist for grown up teeth.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day!
21 years ago today Ron asked me to be his wife...and I said yes! :)
Our motto throughout our marriage has been "Life is an adventure" and we have looked back over the preceding year on Valentines Day with laughter and tears and recounted the adventure that we have faced together, united with each other and with our God. This Valentines Day there may be more tears than laughter, and that's okay! I live by faith and not by sight-remember Hebrews 11? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen...what things am I hoping for in the coming year? Well, a completed house that we can make into a home...a settledness for myself and our family as we walk through the uncertainty of life...and an abiding joy that confounds the world and draws them first to us to ask "why?" and then allows them to be directed to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Those are the things that I hope for the coming year and God's unfailing word assures me that He is in charge of all those things that concern me and that my heart longs for.
We will celebrate Valentine's Day again this year as we have in the past-as a family, recounting the adventures God has led us through.
Wishing you all a wonderful day!
21 years ago today Ron asked me to be his wife...and I said yes! :)
Our motto throughout our marriage has been "Life is an adventure" and we have looked back over the preceding year on Valentines Day with laughter and tears and recounted the adventure that we have faced together, united with each other and with our God. This Valentines Day there may be more tears than laughter, and that's okay! I live by faith and not by sight-remember Hebrews 11? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen...what things am I hoping for in the coming year? Well, a completed house that we can make into a home...a settledness for myself and our family as we walk through the uncertainty of life...and an abiding joy that confounds the world and draws them first to us to ask "why?" and then allows them to be directed to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Those are the things that I hope for the coming year and God's unfailing word assures me that He is in charge of all those things that concern me and that my heart longs for.
We will celebrate Valentine's Day again this year as we have in the past-as a family, recounting the adventures God has led us through.
Wishing you all a wonderful day!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Challenges and Changes
Life continues to throw curveballs at us...we continue to walk in the path that God lights before us-one step at a time!
Challenges:
Monday evening, Ron arrived home from work to let us know that he was working mandatory 10 hour days for all of February and that Saturdays may be necessary also. While the extra income is welcome and helps us make our budget work, having the 'husband and daddy' of this family gone for so many hours a week is tough on all of us.
Dinner time on Monday, Thomas didn't eat...he had a high fever! He began to cough and have a difficult time breathing from swollen vocal cords. He was so cute when I told him he had a fever, he said, "no mom, I don't have a fever, I have just been laying on this couch for hours and this couch is burning up!" Poor guy!
Tuesday morning Dillon and I went to run errands (and buy a thermometer). We were both looking forward to a walk in town. Our first stop was dropping things off at the library. Dillon sat down on the floor and asked if we could go home. I asked if he wanted to walk to the post office and he said no. OKAY! Those of you who know our Dillon know that he is the catalyst behind the "Turbo twins" name that Thomas and Dillon have been tagged with! On our arrival home, Dillon had a fever of 101...the boys have spent the rest of the week on the couches-thank goodness for four couches in our living room! :) Today, Friday the boys are still running low-grade fevers, and are enjoying strawberry smoothies.
Changes:
Our new home, until we re-build, is wonderful and cozy. It also has a fabulous view of Nushagak Bay. I am thankful each morning as I watch the sun rise and reflect off the snow and ice.
We are working on getting back into a smooth pattern for our days in this new environment without our school desks or curriculum.
Less 'stuff' is blessing our days with fewer things to put away.
Psalm 119:104 tells me that God's Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path-I am daily experiencing that lamp as the next step is clear before me and as the path He has marked for me is bright and all obstacles are clearly seen.
Challenges:
Monday evening, Ron arrived home from work to let us know that he was working mandatory 10 hour days for all of February and that Saturdays may be necessary also. While the extra income is welcome and helps us make our budget work, having the 'husband and daddy' of this family gone for so many hours a week is tough on all of us.
Dinner time on Monday, Thomas didn't eat...he had a high fever! He began to cough and have a difficult time breathing from swollen vocal cords. He was so cute when I told him he had a fever, he said, "no mom, I don't have a fever, I have just been laying on this couch for hours and this couch is burning up!" Poor guy!
Tuesday morning Dillon and I went to run errands (and buy a thermometer). We were both looking forward to a walk in town. Our first stop was dropping things off at the library. Dillon sat down on the floor and asked if we could go home. I asked if he wanted to walk to the post office and he said no. OKAY! Those of you who know our Dillon know that he is the catalyst behind the "Turbo twins" name that Thomas and Dillon have been tagged with! On our arrival home, Dillon had a fever of 101...the boys have spent the rest of the week on the couches-thank goodness for four couches in our living room! :) Today, Friday the boys are still running low-grade fevers, and are enjoying strawberry smoothies.
Changes:
Our new home, until we re-build, is wonderful and cozy. It also has a fabulous view of Nushagak Bay. I am thankful each morning as I watch the sun rise and reflect off the snow and ice.
We are working on getting back into a smooth pattern for our days in this new environment without our school desks or curriculum.
Less 'stuff' is blessing our days with fewer things to put away.
Psalm 119:104 tells me that God's Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path-I am daily experiencing that lamp as the next step is clear before me and as the path He has marked for me is bright and all obstacles are clearly seen.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Short term memory loss
Well...I am learning that a trauma of the magnitude of our house fire does weird things to your brain! I had a bit of short term memory loss before the fire (don't we all?:)) but this is ridiculous! I am making good use of pen and paper to make lists, which I then carry around with me...now, if I could just remember to read them! HA!!
Fortunately for me, the memory loss extends to eating which has resulted in a quick jump start of my new years plan to work on getting in better shape for health reasons! Unfortunately, the memory loss also has made it difficult to remember to feed my family! Thank you, thank you to those of you who have reached out to us with delicious gifts of dinners and other food ready to eat!
Fortunately for me, the memory loss extends to eating which has resulted in a quick jump start of my new years plan to work on getting in better shape for health reasons! Unfortunately, the memory loss also has made it difficult to remember to feed my family! Thank you, thank you to those of you who have reached out to us with delicious gifts of dinners and other food ready to eat!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Another day!
Good morning!
Ron spent a good part of yesterday making refinemenfts to our "new house" plans. It was funny to be so aware of our two styles meshing...there's me, who can start at one jump to three, five ,eight and go back to two wothout blinking an eye and then there's Ron who is most comfortable following the numbers from one to infinity in order (I just don't get it-even after more than 20 yrs of marriage! And I am sure that if you ask him, he'd say the same thing!) Anyway...Ron was very grace giving to me as I said, "I can't answer that right now, could we go on to the next question?" time and again this was my refrain! :) Thanks to my wonderful, organized husbands ways, we now have most of a house plan!
Some of you know that we built a home early in our marriage. That experience was different from this in so many ways! I am not afraid to give input and state my desires...like all hard floors and the largest windows practical for this climate! We will not be doing the construction-hooray!!! Someone else will be worrying about all the details like plumbing and plumbers who are unavailable when you need them, windows that don't show up and when they do are not what you ordered, crooked studs, cracked sheetrock and all the 100 million other things that come up in the construction of a house. BTW, those are all examples from our home in CA :)
Thank you for checking in with us! Wishing you a blessed Sunday as you worship, and a fun family/friend time as you watch the Super Bowl!
Ron spent a good part of yesterday making refinemenfts to our "new house" plans. It was funny to be so aware of our two styles meshing...there's me, who can start at one jump to three, five ,eight and go back to two wothout blinking an eye and then there's Ron who is most comfortable following the numbers from one to infinity in order (I just don't get it-even after more than 20 yrs of marriage! And I am sure that if you ask him, he'd say the same thing!) Anyway...Ron was very grace giving to me as I said, "I can't answer that right now, could we go on to the next question?" time and again this was my refrain! :) Thanks to my wonderful, organized husbands ways, we now have most of a house plan!
Some of you know that we built a home early in our marriage. That experience was different from this in so many ways! I am not afraid to give input and state my desires...like all hard floors and the largest windows practical for this climate! We will not be doing the construction-hooray!!! Someone else will be worrying about all the details like plumbing and plumbers who are unavailable when you need them, windows that don't show up and when they do are not what you ordered, crooked studs, cracked sheetrock and all the 100 million other things that come up in the construction of a house. BTW, those are all examples from our home in CA :)
Thank you for checking in with us! Wishing you a blessed Sunday as you worship, and a fun family/friend time as you watch the Super Bowl!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Busy days
The last few days have been crazy busy...I am starting to replace some items that we need to have right away like school books, wallets, keys and birth certificates. I have been very thankful for the computers at the local library.
I do have a stable computer up and running at home now-yea!!!
I do have a stable computer up and running at home now-yea!!!
We have a contractor!
Ron came home last night with great news! He found a contractor! He is ready to begin work on the house as soon as we have a dollar figure from the insurance company.
We are now having lots of fun designing the 'new part' of the 'old house'. There are some things, like a sliding glass door that we are not going to put in the new house...we are going to use a single door and big windows in the dining room instead. This will make a big difference in heating costs in the winter and will also ease our minds somewhat as the winters were a little worrisome with ice coming off the roof sometimes just inches from the plate glass slider!
We will use the weekend to sketch in the floor plan for the contractor.
We are now having lots of fun designing the 'new part' of the 'old house'. There are some things, like a sliding glass door that we are not going to put in the new house...we are going to use a single door and big windows in the dining room instead. This will make a big difference in heating costs in the winter and will also ease our minds somewhat as the winters were a little worrisome with ice coming off the roof sometimes just inches from the plate glass slider!
We will use the weekend to sketch in the floor plan for the contractor.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Today's challenge
Today's challenge, should you choose to accept it is this...go through your home and count the number of toothbrushes you have, then count the pairs of socks...don't forget laundry baskets, under the couch, under the bed etc!
The purpose of this little exercise it twofold...
#1) we live in a society that values 'stuff' and as we have begun the long arduous task of inventorying the contents of our home, we were stunned by the fact that we owned 34 toothbrushes (many of them brand new) and 240 pairs of socks!
#2) we as a family are re-thinking the value of 'stuff'- how many pairs of those socks that I was just too busy, tired, lazy (you choose your own word if you'd like) to fold and put away could have been warming the toes of children in Yugoslavia this winter? How many of those 'extra, just in case' toothbrushes could have been sent to Brazil to aid in humanitarian efforts there?
I have been in an introspective mood today as I have mulled these questions...so, how about it? Go count those toothbrushes and socks!
The purpose of this little exercise it twofold...
#1) we live in a society that values 'stuff' and as we have begun the long arduous task of inventorying the contents of our home, we were stunned by the fact that we owned 34 toothbrushes (many of them brand new) and 240 pairs of socks!
#2) we as a family are re-thinking the value of 'stuff'- how many pairs of those socks that I was just too busy, tired, lazy (you choose your own word if you'd like) to fold and put away could have been warming the toes of children in Yugoslavia this winter? How many of those 'extra, just in case' toothbrushes could have been sent to Brazil to aid in humanitarian efforts there?
I have been in an introspective mood today as I have mulled these questions...so, how about it? Go count those toothbrushes and socks!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Mondays sometimes bring treasures
Monday...I am home from Tanalian Bible camp, a nicely rested, refreshed and blessed wife and mom.
I arrived home yesterday to a living room stacked in boxes and overflowing with things that our friends and acquaintances have generously given us. Ron said it seemed like every time he got a box or two unloaded, someone knocked at the door with more blessings!
We are getting settled in the mobile home and Suzanna, Thomas and Dillon slept in their new rooms in their new bunk beds last night! They slept all night! Yippee!!
We are facing new challenges each day, and God is proving over and over the promise that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. What our enemy meant for evil God is quickly and incredibly turning around for good and for glory to His name! I am humbled that our Father chose me to shine His glory through to a world that is SO very dark and hurting.
Today I received a package from Ron's sister Peggy...I had asked for a few cookbooks, so I eagerly opened the box. She had sent cookbooks and also a recipe file that she had copied some Roy family recipes into for me. In the bottom of the box lay a Bible with a cover that I vaguely recalled. "How sweet, Peggy sent me her Bible because she knew I didn't have mine anymore!" I flipped open the cover and began to sob as I realized the magnitude of the gift I held in my hands. The Bible didn't belong to my dear sil, it belonged to Ron's mom who went to her forever home nearly 11 years ago! What a priceless gift, with all of mom Roy's notes in it...I am very excited to take time and start reading!
I arrived home yesterday to a living room stacked in boxes and overflowing with things that our friends and acquaintances have generously given us. Ron said it seemed like every time he got a box or two unloaded, someone knocked at the door with more blessings!
We are getting settled in the mobile home and Suzanna, Thomas and Dillon slept in their new rooms in their new bunk beds last night! They slept all night! Yippee!!
We are facing new challenges each day, and God is proving over and over the promise that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. What our enemy meant for evil God is quickly and incredibly turning around for good and for glory to His name! I am humbled that our Father chose me to shine His glory through to a world that is SO very dark and hurting.
Today I received a package from Ron's sister Peggy...I had asked for a few cookbooks, so I eagerly opened the box. She had sent cookbooks and also a recipe file that she had copied some Roy family recipes into for me. In the bottom of the box lay a Bible with a cover that I vaguely recalled. "How sweet, Peggy sent me her Bible because she knew I didn't have mine anymore!" I flipped open the cover and began to sob as I realized the magnitude of the gift I held in my hands. The Bible didn't belong to my dear sil, it belonged to Ron's mom who went to her forever home nearly 11 years ago! What a priceless gift, with all of mom Roy's notes in it...I am very excited to take time and start reading!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
BTW and FYI
You know, for those of you who are reading our blog and keeping up with God's amazing works in our lives these posts may sound a little surreal sometimes. I mean really...this woman has just lost everything that is supposed to fulfill us and make it possible for us to be happy, and she talks about angels of light, a home that was partially saved against all odds, joy and praise pouring forth from the depths of her soul etc. Either she is crazy or there is something going on here that I just don't get! Maybe she is in denial! Oh, and don't forget, she has five kids!
I wanted to add a BTW (by the way) and let you in on a little secret...I am neither crazy nor in denial AND my family is not perfect! I choose to share the encouraging, amazing, miraculous things our God is doing for us and in us day by day because He alone is worthy of the praise and credit that attests to our walking through this extrememly trying time.
That said here is the FYI (for your information) of my title. My boys are playing well together at this moment, however 30 minutes ago they came in from outside carrying the pieces of their new swords that they had shattered over each others heads in a new game they had invented. Both were hurt and angry, and got over it quickly :) Last night Ron and I had to physically separate them because they were fist fighting. Several times a day we fear for Snoopy's ( the orphan puppy) safety, because the kids are tussling over whose turn it is to hold him!
My daughters by turn love and annoy each other and are not afraid to say so. They are also wonderfully helpful (most of the time) and are tkaing care of each other. Just like normal kids!
I will continue to use this blog to write about miracles like a friend hearing that I am leaving for a retreat tomorrow and I needed a coat. She took off her coat and said, "This one is warm enough, take it!" So, off I go to Tanalian Bible camp in Port Alsworth in a coat that is perfect for the weather and is red...I love red! Thank you Father for meeting my needs is such unexpected ways!
I wanted to add a BTW (by the way) and let you in on a little secret...I am neither crazy nor in denial AND my family is not perfect! I choose to share the encouraging, amazing, miraculous things our God is doing for us and in us day by day because He alone is worthy of the praise and credit that attests to our walking through this extrememly trying time.
That said here is the FYI (for your information) of my title. My boys are playing well together at this moment, however 30 minutes ago they came in from outside carrying the pieces of their new swords that they had shattered over each others heads in a new game they had invented. Both were hurt and angry, and got over it quickly :) Last night Ron and I had to physically separate them because they were fist fighting. Several times a day we fear for Snoopy's ( the orphan puppy) safety, because the kids are tussling over whose turn it is to hold him!
My daughters by turn love and annoy each other and are not afraid to say so. They are also wonderfully helpful (most of the time) and are tkaing care of each other. Just like normal kids!
I will continue to use this blog to write about miracles like a friend hearing that I am leaving for a retreat tomorrow and I needed a coat. She took off her coat and said, "This one is warm enough, take it!" So, off I go to Tanalian Bible camp in Port Alsworth in a coat that is perfect for the weather and is red...I love red! Thank you Father for meeting my needs is such unexpected ways!
7 days of blessing
Is today Thursday? Yep! Wow! One week ago today our home burned. At that time, I could not have imagined how many blessings and how much joy could be packed into seven short days! We as a family are experiencing the truth of the Psalm that says that God's mercies are new EVERY morning. Each day we wake up, praise him for the breath of life that remains in us and get our lives back together a little bit more.
Our days have a new order that is blackened with soot and smells like smoke. We are learning how to take one day at a time, and lots of times one hour at a time. Ron and Kendra hope to finish the inventory of the bedrooms and bathroom tomorrow morning. It has been such a massive job! I have learned lots about how cluttered and overflowing our lives here in the US are. The verse that contiunes to run through my mind is, 'we have food, clothing and shelter and with this we shall be content'. I never knew what that meant until one week ago...I stand in testimony to the grace of God, that He will clothe, feed and provide shelter for us-AND bless us with the contentment that allows us to be thankful in circumstances that I could not have imagined prior to January 15.
My heart overflows with thanksgiving and my lips pour forth praise to my Abba.
Our days have a new order that is blackened with soot and smells like smoke. We are learning how to take one day at a time, and lots of times one hour at a time. Ron and Kendra hope to finish the inventory of the bedrooms and bathroom tomorrow morning. It has been such a massive job! I have learned lots about how cluttered and overflowing our lives here in the US are. The verse that contiunes to run through my mind is, 'we have food, clothing and shelter and with this we shall be content'. I never knew what that meant until one week ago...I stand in testimony to the grace of God, that He will clothe, feed and provide shelter for us-AND bless us with the contentment that allows us to be thankful in circumstances that I could not have imagined prior to January 15.
My heart overflows with thanksgiving and my lips pour forth praise to my Abba.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Happy Birthday!
January 20 marked Ron's 46 th birthday. I wore myself out making sure that I could bake his "traditional "cake...my grandmother's carrot cake. By 5 pm I was laying down with hives...no idea why...stress maybe? Anyway, Suzanna offered to bake the cake and soon the house was filled with the aroma of carrot cake.
We were all too tired to eat it, but we lit candles and sang and ate cake on January 21 for breakfast!
Ron is thankful that we are all here to celebrate his birthday...we are thankful for God's protection and for his provision in the days past.
Stay tuned for pictures of the house later today!
We were all too tired to eat it, but we lit candles and sang and ate cake on January 21 for breakfast!
Ron is thankful that we are all here to celebrate his birthday...we are thankful for God's protection and for his provision in the days past.
Stay tuned for pictures of the house later today!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Armor of God Bear
Little 7 year old Thomas Roy had received a bear called the "Armor of God Bear" for Christmas. The bear is designed to teach children about the armor of God spoken of in Ephesians. It is a stuffed bear, with a shield, sword, etc--full armor.
When Thomas' dad went into the house the day after the fire, searching for anything salvageable, he found the bear and took it to Thomas, who was very happy to see his beloved bear, scorched and sooty, but with armor undamaged and intact.
Thomas looked it over and said to Shelly, "Mom, I know that it will take a lot of cleaning, and Armor of God Bear will always smell bad, but could we build a glass case to keep him in to remind us of what God did for us?".
Well, you can imagine this grammy's reaction when I heard that. I cried, of course. To think that such a little boy, who KNOWS that it was God who woke him up in the night, recognizes God's hand so clearly is indeed a blessing beyond what I can express.
While these children are traumatized by the fire, they are nevertheless learning lessons about God's protection and faithfulness that will impact them for life.
Amazing Grace, indeed!
Love you all, Jan
When Thomas' dad went into the house the day after the fire, searching for anything salvageable, he found the bear and took it to Thomas, who was very happy to see his beloved bear, scorched and sooty, but with armor undamaged and intact.
Thomas looked it over and said to Shelly, "Mom, I know that it will take a lot of cleaning, and Armor of God Bear will always smell bad, but could we build a glass case to keep him in to remind us of what God did for us?".
Well, you can imagine this grammy's reaction when I heard that. I cried, of course. To think that such a little boy, who KNOWS that it was God who woke him up in the night, recognizes God's hand so clearly is indeed a blessing beyond what I can express.
While these children are traumatized by the fire, they are nevertheless learning lessons about God's protection and faithfulness that will impact them for life.
Amazing Grace, indeed!
Love you all, Jan
Monday, January 19, 2009
four days after
It is a clear Monday morning here in SW Alaska.
A friend is grocery shopping for me, so we will have all the basics we need to move into our new home.
The adrenaline is wearing off and we all are pretty exhausted today. We are excited about being able to give Johnny and Bonnie back their peaceful home :), and about getting ready to establish some sort of "new normal".
I am so thankful that God has been transforming that part of me that was too strong to ever admit that I needed help! It is such a freeing feeling to be able to say, "I just can't do that, will you please find someone who can?" It is also pretty cool to watch people in action and to be able to bless them by allowing them to help us!
I have been missing my cookbooks today...even though Alyssa and I had looked at the shelf a few weeks ago and said, "we have SO many cookbooks, we need to condense!"
Ron and Kendra and the team are capping off the water right now at the house, so that the rest of our neighborhood will have water. We are part of a shared well and if our pipes freeze the rest of the subdivision that is beyond us on the main line will not have water!
Our dog Licorice is ready to get to a new home too...she has gotten along amazingly well with Johnny and Bonnie's dogs, but they are all ready for their own space. The puppy is starting to toddle around the floor and play; he will have his first solid food today!
Today, I am thankful for sunshine, friends and family and fresh air.
A friend is grocery shopping for me, so we will have all the basics we need to move into our new home.
The adrenaline is wearing off and we all are pretty exhausted today. We are excited about being able to give Johnny and Bonnie back their peaceful home :), and about getting ready to establish some sort of "new normal".
I am so thankful that God has been transforming that part of me that was too strong to ever admit that I needed help! It is such a freeing feeling to be able to say, "I just can't do that, will you please find someone who can?" It is also pretty cool to watch people in action and to be able to bless them by allowing them to help us!
I have been missing my cookbooks today...even though Alyssa and I had looked at the shelf a few weeks ago and said, "we have SO many cookbooks, we need to condense!"
Ron and Kendra and the team are capping off the water right now at the house, so that the rest of our neighborhood will have water. We are part of a shared well and if our pipes freeze the rest of the subdivision that is beyond us on the main line will not have water!
Our dog Licorice is ready to get to a new home too...she has gotten along amazingly well with Johnny and Bonnie's dogs, but they are all ready for their own space. The puppy is starting to toddle around the floor and play; he will have his first solid food today!
Today, I am thankful for sunshine, friends and family and fresh air.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Praising the Lord on a Beautiful Sunday
This morning we had a chance to share with our church family some of the things that God has done in the past few days. It was an absolute joy to stand in testimony to the faithfulness of our God! We cried together as we praised Him for life. I reminded them how much this God of ours loves us, and that faith that may seem shaky from the other side of tragedy, quickly becomes firm as it is tried and tested and proven.
Our family here in Dillingham, across Alaska, in Washington, in Oregon, in California, in North Carolina, in Florida, in Spain, in France and in Colorado and across the world united to be Jesus' hands and feet to us. As they and you have prayed for us, fed us, clothed us, housed us, touched us, loved us, cried with and for us, told others about our story...you have brought smiles to our Abba's face, and there is great rejoicing in heaven as those who have not acknowledged His name have heard our testimony and found it impossible to remain in unbelief!
Kendra shared Scripture and song that the Lord gave her for this day...and rejoiced in the joy that has and is overflowing from our hearts.
Our family here in Dillingham, across Alaska, in Washington, in Oregon, in California, in North Carolina, in Florida, in Spain, in France and in Colorado and across the world united to be Jesus' hands and feet to us. As they and you have prayed for us, fed us, clothed us, housed us, touched us, loved us, cried with and for us, told others about our story...you have brought smiles to our Abba's face, and there is great rejoicing in heaven as those who have not acknowledged His name have heard our testimony and found it impossible to remain in unbelief!
Kendra shared Scripture and song that the Lord gave her for this day...and rejoiced in the joy that has and is overflowing from our hearts.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Of Ambulances and ER's
The EMT's ran from our house to the neighbors, as they couldn't get the ambulance past our house right away. They came in the door doing assessments as they came. I was told by one crew member that the house was a total loss. They were not going to be able to save anything.
After assessing our condition, the crew moved us over the ice and into the ambulance. We rode with oxygen masks to Kanakanak hospital.
My oldest daughter and I suffer from pretty severe asthma, Alyssa's oxygen levels climbed steadily in the ER, but then she began to wheeze. The doctor started a nebulizer and she was fine in a few minutes. The ER of the hospital was buzzing as nurses and emt's and docs checked out five very shocky patients. They opened all the curtains between cubicles, so we could all see each other. Dillon's o2 levels dropped to about 80% in the ER and caused a bit of a stir, but in a few minutes of concentrated oxygen and close and loving care, his levels rose to 100%.My boys were being well cared for by the emt's Johnny Green and Susan Dunson ( Thanks!) Amazingly, they never cried for me! Susanna was with me and Alyssa was in the next cubicle. I began singing, "Amazing Grace" and looked over at Alyssa who was singing with me. Our pastor Max Merrill was there and he noticed Alyssa quietly crying. He went to her and prayed for her then gently wiped hr tears telling her that it was okay and good to cry. She replied, "Oh Max! No! I am not crying because I am sad, these are tears of joy. God rescued us and saved us and we are all okay!"
She expressed the thoughts in my mind perfectly.
John and Bonnie Green graciously offered their home to us and we arrived bedraggled and in shock at 5:30 am. Coffee was made and breakfast cooked as we all rejoiced together over the goodness of our Father who loves us so very much and is so faithful to walk us through anything!
The sharing of more miracles is yet to come, please come back soon and let us share our hearts with you and the incredible stories of God's provision.
After assessing our condition, the crew moved us over the ice and into the ambulance. We rode with oxygen masks to Kanakanak hospital.
My oldest daughter and I suffer from pretty severe asthma, Alyssa's oxygen levels climbed steadily in the ER, but then she began to wheeze. The doctor started a nebulizer and she was fine in a few minutes. The ER of the hospital was buzzing as nurses and emt's and docs checked out five very shocky patients. They opened all the curtains between cubicles, so we could all see each other. Dillon's o2 levels dropped to about 80% in the ER and caused a bit of a stir, but in a few minutes of concentrated oxygen and close and loving care, his levels rose to 100%.My boys were being well cared for by the emt's Johnny Green and Susan Dunson ( Thanks!) Amazingly, they never cried for me! Susanna was with me and Alyssa was in the next cubicle. I began singing, "Amazing Grace" and looked over at Alyssa who was singing with me. Our pastor Max Merrill was there and he noticed Alyssa quietly crying. He went to her and prayed for her then gently wiped hr tears telling her that it was okay and good to cry. She replied, "Oh Max! No! I am not crying because I am sad, these are tears of joy. God rescued us and saved us and we are all okay!"
She expressed the thoughts in my mind perfectly.
John and Bonnie Green graciously offered their home to us and we arrived bedraggled and in shock at 5:30 am. Coffee was made and breakfast cooked as we all rejoiced together over the goodness of our Father who loves us so very much and is so faithful to walk us through anything!
The sharing of more miracles is yet to come, please come back soon and let us share our hearts with you and the incredible stories of God's provision.
Our Story
At 2:45 am the morning of January 15th, 2009 our lives changed forever. Our 7 year old son Thomas came into our room asking, "Daddy, why is the house so smoky?" Ron jumped out of bed, and hit the floor running while shouting to me to get the kids and get out. He went towrd the front of our home crawling under the smoke that was rapdly filling the hallway.
I put Thomas on my bed and yelled for our two girls who were upstairs in the bedrroms that had been painted and moved into the previous Sunday. Shouting for them to get down and get out, get down and get out I turned to the bed to see a pool of light spotlighting the two boys. The girls burst into the doorway, coughing and I told them to get on the floor and crawl to the bedroom window.
Our 17 year old Alyssa yelled out,"what should I do?" I told her to get shoes for herself and me. I ran to the window, yanked on the frame that had been frozen shut a mere three days before and slid the window open. Instantly realizing that I had just unintenionally created an avenue of backdraft for the fire I quickly asked God to protect my husband who was in the path of the flames. At the same time, I was putting on shoes that my daughter had miraculously found in a bright closet and punching out the window screen. Alyssa (17) dove through the window and was followed closely by Susanna (10). I threw the boys to Alyssa and climbed through the window. The window slammed shut as I was climbing through, catching my leg. Alyssa and I together freed my leg and we each picked up a boy. We ran toward the front of the house up the steps of the deck and to the car. Ron came out the front door, went back in to get the keys and asked if there was anything else. "The puppy, get the puppy,"I screamed! H dashed back into the living room and grabbed the basket of the three week old puppy that we are providing foster care for jumped into the car and told me we'd have to drive to a neighbors house to call 911-the kitchen, where the phone was was in flames. We drove to a neighbors and I burst through their door screaming that our house was on fire-wihtin seconds Sam was on the phone, and Ron was on his way back to the house with Tom to see what was happening.
Sam made hot chocolate as we waited for the ambulance crew...Thomas asked, "Mommy, do you think God woke me up?" "Yes honey, absolutely, God woke you up to save us." "Mommy, that is really special."
Yes, Thomas that is very special...God used a seven year old boy to save the lives of his family. We were all safe, with no serious injuries and from the overflow of joy in our hearts came spontaneos songs of praise to our God who loves us so much, that he woke us and carried us through the flames away from certain destruction.
Many of you have asked if we were insured. Yes, we were. The adjuster will arrive on Tuesday to try to determine the cause of the fire.
Thank you for reading our story. I hope to add to it very soon!
I put Thomas on my bed and yelled for our two girls who were upstairs in the bedrroms that had been painted and moved into the previous Sunday. Shouting for them to get down and get out, get down and get out I turned to the bed to see a pool of light spotlighting the two boys. The girls burst into the doorway, coughing and I told them to get on the floor and crawl to the bedroom window.
Our 17 year old Alyssa yelled out,"what should I do?" I told her to get shoes for herself and me. I ran to the window, yanked on the frame that had been frozen shut a mere three days before and slid the window open. Instantly realizing that I had just unintenionally created an avenue of backdraft for the fire I quickly asked God to protect my husband who was in the path of the flames. At the same time, I was putting on shoes that my daughter had miraculously found in a bright closet and punching out the window screen. Alyssa (17) dove through the window and was followed closely by Susanna (10). I threw the boys to Alyssa and climbed through the window. The window slammed shut as I was climbing through, catching my leg. Alyssa and I together freed my leg and we each picked up a boy. We ran toward the front of the house up the steps of the deck and to the car. Ron came out the front door, went back in to get the keys and asked if there was anything else. "The puppy, get the puppy,"I screamed! H dashed back into the living room and grabbed the basket of the three week old puppy that we are providing foster care for jumped into the car and told me we'd have to drive to a neighbors house to call 911-the kitchen, where the phone was was in flames. We drove to a neighbors and I burst through their door screaming that our house was on fire-wihtin seconds Sam was on the phone, and Ron was on his way back to the house with Tom to see what was happening.
Sam made hot chocolate as we waited for the ambulance crew...Thomas asked, "Mommy, do you think God woke me up?" "Yes honey, absolutely, God woke you up to save us." "Mommy, that is really special."
Yes, Thomas that is very special...God used a seven year old boy to save the lives of his family. We were all safe, with no serious injuries and from the overflow of joy in our hearts came spontaneos songs of praise to our God who loves us so much, that he woke us and carried us through the flames away from certain destruction.
Many of you have asked if we were insured. Yes, we were. The adjuster will arrive on Tuesday to try to determine the cause of the fire.
Thank you for reading our story. I hope to add to it very soon!
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