As you all should know, Gen and Aaron Landis are getting married on September 25th. I was just looking through our calendars and saw that Gen had "Premarital" counseling scheduled for tomorrow night with one of Aaron's pastors. It kind of hit me - premarital means she's getting MARRIED! Wow.
They went over to the "Estate" for the weekly "engaged couples" open house just for fun. That would be a dream location for a reception, but very likely out of our budget range.
It's fun to watch them walk through this season. I love how God has brought them together and how they have honored him in their relationship.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Rebuilding Next Steps
We are finalizing the estimates with the builders. Looks like we should be able to move forward fairly quickly with getting things moving. Nothing solid yet, but signs are good. The insurance company is still, seemly, doing a good job of working with us. We continue to be amazed at this and see it as God's kindness to us. The electric panel was prepared for inspection yesterday and should be approved for reactivation in a day or two.
I'm meeting with David Bard, our builder, tomorrow morning to go over some of his outstanding questions on his estimate. I'm hoping we can have that submitted before the weekend and then we'll see about timing.
Clean up of the house continues. We saw some of the charred boards being removed yesterday and Gen's room has been cleared out. Most of the moisture has also been removed by the dehumidifiers now that all the "stuff" has been cleaned out.
I'm meeting with David Bard, our builder, tomorrow morning to go over some of his outstanding questions on his estimate. I'm hoping we can have that submitted before the weekend and then we'll see about timing.
Clean up of the house continues. We saw some of the charred boards being removed yesterday and Gen's room has been cleared out. Most of the moisture has also been removed by the dehumidifiers now that all the "stuff" has been cleaned out.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Vermont is Off
We were scheduled to travel to Vermont to visit our families this coming weekend. It's kind of a tradition to go to the Derby 4th of July Parade. For those who don't know Derby, it's a small town in northern Vermont - about a mile long and one street wide. The entire county seems to show up for the parade. Without prearrangement I can count on seeing most of my family there because it's the thing to do on the 4th.
We were also supposed to attend our 32nd High School Reunion. The 32nd was due to a number of consecutive graduating classes celebrating together.
As you can probably tell, we are not going to be traveling. As we say in Vermont "we've been out straight" for the last 3 weeks following the fire and need a little time to "take a breath".
I got a text from Sarah today who is currently in Florence, Italy for a couple of days on her European tour.
We were also supposed to attend our 32nd High School Reunion. The 32nd was due to a number of consecutive graduating classes celebrating together.
As you can probably tell, we are not going to be traveling. As we say in Vermont "we've been out straight" for the last 3 weeks following the fire and need a little time to "take a breath".
I got a text from Sarah today who is currently in Florence, Italy for a couple of days on her European tour.
Monday, June 28, 2010
World Travelers
Sarah, Kelsey and Andy are off to Switzerland for 10ish days. I dropped them off at the airport yesterday afternoon for a 6:30 pm flight. I received a text at 4:45 am that they had arrived in Munich safely and again later in the morning when they arrived in Switzerland.
To follow their specific progress you can see their blog at http://twobestfriendsandeurope.blogspot.com/
I'm really going to miss Sarah (sniff, sniff). Pookie, if you are reading my blog, I am praying for you and missing you!
To follow their specific progress you can see their blog at http://twobestfriendsandeurope.blogspot.com/
I'm really going to miss Sarah (sniff, sniff). Pookie, if you are reading my blog, I am praying for you and missing you!
Investigation Evidence Gathered
The fire investigators completed their evidence gathering at the house Friday afternoon. They released the "scene" and now the interior clean up can be completed. We should be hooked up tomorrow with a temporary electrical panel, but it won't be powered up until the inspection is done and PECO reconnects it.
The interior of the house is completely gutted except for the laundry room, powder room, sun room and the back wall of the kitchen (which also has the cabinets). I believe the back wall and cabinets will also come down, but we are waiting for the official ruling by the adjuster.
We've set up our new internet connection at the guest house. Not great, but I think we can live with it for a while. Life is starting to settle into "normal". I had to cut the grass on Saturday so that makes it feel more like our own.
We got a preliminary cost estimate from the insurance company's builder. Not as much as I thought it would be, but still a lot of money. Our builder is finalizing his numbers and then the haggling begins.
The interior of the house is completely gutted except for the laundry room, powder room, sun room and the back wall of the kitchen (which also has the cabinets). I believe the back wall and cabinets will also come down, but we are waiting for the official ruling by the adjuster.
We've set up our new internet connection at the guest house. Not great, but I think we can live with it for a while. Life is starting to settle into "normal". I had to cut the grass on Saturday so that makes it feel more like our own.
We got a preliminary cost estimate from the insurance company's builder. Not as much as I thought it would be, but still a lot of money. Our builder is finalizing his numbers and then the haggling begins.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The drive from Graduation to the fire
To continue the Fire Day story...
We are all standing in the lobby, having just left Sarah on stage wondering why we just left unexpectedly. One of Demi's hands me a phone and says "It's the fire chief and he wants to speak with you.". Through the conversation we confirm that it is our house that is on fire and no one was home when it occurred. I'm asked "When will you be here?". This is one time (not the only time) during this situation I regret my response. "I'll be there as soon as I can get off the phone with you!" said with marked irritation in my voice.
At some point Emilianne says "I wonder about Percy." He's our pet rabbit who lives in the laundry room.
Erik and I jump in the truck and Laurie, Emilianne and Laurie's parents head home in the van. As we are driving along Erik, as usual, is full of all kinds of questions. Will there be fire engines there? How did they know to go put the fire out? Do you think Percy is ok? Then he gets really quiet and is looking out the side window. I ask 2 or 3 times if he is ok without a response. He finally says "I just got a book from the library." with tears in his eyes. I reassure him that the Library will understand and we can pay them for the lost book. He says "No, it's not that. I was really looking forward to reading that book." I can't help but smile at him. Then he starts to cry a little more and says "I wonder if my Bible burned." Now it's my turn to tear up. (FYI - His Bible made it through fine).
When we arrive on the scene it's organized chaos. We hit road blocks 2 streets from the house. We are let through. There are dozens of fire trucks and ambulances, but a clear lane through them all. They've done this before. The fire is out and the clean up has already started. Erik asks if someone was hurt because and ambulance has a stretcher out on the grass. No, that's just there in case it's needed.
We are met by the fire chief. We reconfirm it's my house and I'm the home owner. With compassion he states that I need to remain where he can find me and goes off to talk to someone else. Someone comes over and tells us that the rabbit is fine and is in the back yard. A fireman who was checking the house to see if anyone was home found him in his usual corner. There are at least 50 fireman and rescue folks at the scene - all volunteers. That gives me a new perspective and appreciation for these folks.
I find out later that it's Wendy, our neighbor, who noticed the house burning and called the fire department while her husband broke into the house to see if anyone was home. Thank You!!!
Two Fire Marshalls come over to ask me about the layout of Gen's room where the fire started. They are trying to determine the cause of the fire. It's seems pretty clear that it was probably a box fan that was on the floor by the window. They go back into the house to do further investigations. The day after the fire we are driving through West Chester and pull up to a light. We see Andrea, one of the Fire Marshalls, at the light we are stopped at. We all wave and give her big smiles. She gives us a confused look then recognition dawns on her face and she waves back. I like being on a first name basis with the Fire Marshall.
Laurie arrives almost immediately behind me. Emilianne's first question is about Percy. I think she went back to check on him once she found out he was ok. Sarah, Gen and Aaron arrive about ten minutes later. Sarah is distraught and saying "It's all my fault, I left the iron on. I'm so sorry." I start to cry, not because of the fire, but because Sarah lived with this thought all the way home from her graduation. I reassure her that it was not her iron, which has an automatic shut-off, but likely a fan in Gen's room. Relief immediately shows on Sarah's face. By the way, Sarah's iron was not left on.
We are all standing in the lobby, having just left Sarah on stage wondering why we just left unexpectedly. One of Demi's hands me a phone and says "It's the fire chief and he wants to speak with you.". Through the conversation we confirm that it is our house that is on fire and no one was home when it occurred. I'm asked "When will you be here?". This is one time (not the only time) during this situation I regret my response. "I'll be there as soon as I can get off the phone with you!" said with marked irritation in my voice.
At some point Emilianne says "I wonder about Percy." He's our pet rabbit who lives in the laundry room.
Erik and I jump in the truck and Laurie, Emilianne and Laurie's parents head home in the van. As we are driving along Erik, as usual, is full of all kinds of questions. Will there be fire engines there? How did they know to go put the fire out? Do you think Percy is ok? Then he gets really quiet and is looking out the side window. I ask 2 or 3 times if he is ok without a response. He finally says "I just got a book from the library." with tears in his eyes. I reassure him that the Library will understand and we can pay them for the lost book. He says "No, it's not that. I was really looking forward to reading that book." I can't help but smile at him. Then he starts to cry a little more and says "I wonder if my Bible burned." Now it's my turn to tear up. (FYI - His Bible made it through fine).
When we arrive on the scene it's organized chaos. We hit road blocks 2 streets from the house. We are let through. There are dozens of fire trucks and ambulances, but a clear lane through them all. They've done this before. The fire is out and the clean up has already started. Erik asks if someone was hurt because and ambulance has a stretcher out on the grass. No, that's just there in case it's needed.
We are met by the fire chief. We reconfirm it's my house and I'm the home owner. With compassion he states that I need to remain where he can find me and goes off to talk to someone else. Someone comes over and tells us that the rabbit is fine and is in the back yard. A fireman who was checking the house to see if anyone was home found him in his usual corner. There are at least 50 fireman and rescue folks at the scene - all volunteers. That gives me a new perspective and appreciation for these folks.
I find out later that it's Wendy, our neighbor, who noticed the house burning and called the fire department while her husband broke into the house to see if anyone was home. Thank You!!!
Two Fire Marshalls come over to ask me about the layout of Gen's room where the fire started. They are trying to determine the cause of the fire. It's seems pretty clear that it was probably a box fan that was on the floor by the window. They go back into the house to do further investigations. The day after the fire we are driving through West Chester and pull up to a light. We see Andrea, one of the Fire Marshalls, at the light we are stopped at. We all wave and give her big smiles. She gives us a confused look then recognition dawns on her face and she waves back. I like being on a first name basis with the Fire Marshall.
Laurie arrives almost immediately behind me. Emilianne's first question is about Percy. I think she went back to check on him once she found out he was ok. Sarah, Gen and Aaron arrive about ten minutes later. Sarah is distraught and saying "It's all my fault, I left the iron on. I'm so sorry." I start to cry, not because of the fire, but because Sarah lived with this thought all the way home from her graduation. I reassure her that it was not her iron, which has an automatic shut-off, but likely a fan in Gen's room. Relief immediately shows on Sarah's face. By the way, Sarah's iron was not left on.
Friday, June 25, 2010
It's Graduation Day!
I wanted to reflect back to Sarah's Graduation Day and fill everyone in on how that day went (the day of the fire).
Mom and Dad Burlton came in on that Saturday, June 5th, so that they could go to Sarah's Graduation on the 6th. It really meant a lot to Sarah that they drove down from Vermont.
So the family is sitting in our assigned row. Marty has finished his address to the Graduates and now Joseph is calling up the parents to hand out the diplomas. As usual we will be handing them out in alphabetical order. {Side note: How is it that we "randomly" assigned the family rows, but the Adam's get the front row like it was assigned alphabetically. What's up with that :-) I just thought that was funny.}.
We are up to the Doyles when Andy askes me to step to the back of the church with him. I'm thinking "Is there something wrong with the sound system that he needs me? Doesn't he know that I need to be here to give Sarah her diploma?" I step out of the row as Laurie is thinking "Something really bad must have happened that Andy would call him out - maybe something happened to Everett's parents."
When I get to the back of the auditorium Andy tells me that, though not officially confirmed, our house is on fire. Um.. Ok. What do I do now? I have to wait for Sarah to get her diploma (we just got to the M's) - I can't interrupt the Graduation. Ok, I'll wait until it's time to go up for Sarah, walk down the aisle and pick up Laurie on the way to the stage. Ok, That works. No, that doesn't work. I need to tell Aaron and Gen what's up because the rest of us need to leave as soon as Sarah gets her diploma and Sarah needs a ride home. I also don't want to tell Laurie about the fire until after we get off the stage.
So I'm going to wait until just before I need to go on stage, sit down with Laurie for just long enough to tell Aaron to give Sarah a ride home and then go on stage. Ok, that works. I only have to wait through the M's and N (there are no O's) before Sarah goes up. Then I remember. We have Mox, TWO Monza twins, TWO Muir twins, an N (sorry I forget his name) and then Sarah. The wait seems like eons. Oh, and I need to lean over to Joseph as I go by him to tell him to pause after Sarah gets her diploma to give us time to get the family out of the auditorium.
So I execute the plan. But I forget to tell Joseph as I go by because I'm watching Sarah's slide show. Oh well.
Sarah gets her diploma, I pick up the rest of the family on the way down the aisle and head to the lobby. There I tell the rest of the family that the house is on fire and we are heading home immediately.
Laurie and I have discussed this situation a number of times. She would have wanted to know about the fire immediately, before she went on stage. In the absense of not knowing she imagined all kinds of things way worse than a fire. When I did finally get to tell her in the lobby her response was something like "Oh, is that all." So I have promised to Laurie that if we have this situation again I will tell her first. If we are in the middle of the graduation of one of our kids and I find out that our house is on fire then I promise I'll tell her before we go on stage.
More to follow.
Mom and Dad Burlton came in on that Saturday, June 5th, so that they could go to Sarah's Graduation on the 6th. It really meant a lot to Sarah that they drove down from Vermont.
So the family is sitting in our assigned row. Marty has finished his address to the Graduates and now Joseph is calling up the parents to hand out the diplomas. As usual we will be handing them out in alphabetical order. {Side note: How is it that we "randomly" assigned the family rows, but the Adam's get the front row like it was assigned alphabetically. What's up with that :-) I just thought that was funny.}.
We are up to the Doyles when Andy askes me to step to the back of the church with him. I'm thinking "Is there something wrong with the sound system that he needs me? Doesn't he know that I need to be here to give Sarah her diploma?" I step out of the row as Laurie is thinking "Something really bad must have happened that Andy would call him out - maybe something happened to Everett's parents."
When I get to the back of the auditorium Andy tells me that, though not officially confirmed, our house is on fire. Um.. Ok. What do I do now? I have to wait for Sarah to get her diploma (we just got to the M's) - I can't interrupt the Graduation. Ok, I'll wait until it's time to go up for Sarah, walk down the aisle and pick up Laurie on the way to the stage. Ok, That works. No, that doesn't work. I need to tell Aaron and Gen what's up because the rest of us need to leave as soon as Sarah gets her diploma and Sarah needs a ride home. I also don't want to tell Laurie about the fire until after we get off the stage.
So I'm going to wait until just before I need to go on stage, sit down with Laurie for just long enough to tell Aaron to give Sarah a ride home and then go on stage. Ok, that works. I only have to wait through the M's and N (there are no O's) before Sarah goes up. Then I remember. We have Mox, TWO Monza twins, TWO Muir twins, an N (sorry I forget his name) and then Sarah. The wait seems like eons. Oh, and I need to lean over to Joseph as I go by him to tell him to pause after Sarah gets her diploma to give us time to get the family out of the auditorium.
So I execute the plan. But I forget to tell Joseph as I go by because I'm watching Sarah's slide show. Oh well.
Sarah gets her diploma, I pick up the rest of the family on the way down the aisle and head to the lobby. There I tell the rest of the family that the house is on fire and we are heading home immediately.
Laurie and I have discussed this situation a number of times. She would have wanted to know about the fire immediately, before she went on stage. In the absense of not knowing she imagined all kinds of things way worse than a fire. When I did finally get to tell her in the lobby her response was something like "Oh, is that all." So I have promised to Laurie that if we have this situation again I will tell her first. If we are in the middle of the graduation of one of our kids and I find out that our house is on fire then I promise I'll tell her before we go on stage.
More to follow.
No Technology yet...
Wednesday morning our "satellite guy" (that sounds like a movie title) was supposed to install our internet service. Upon arrival and examination of the property it became apparent that the only location that would work properly was right in front of the house. Oh, and by the way, this is a 40" dish and not one of those small 18" DirectTV dishes. Oh, and by the way, we can't install it today because we have to determine, through PAOneCall, where the existing utilities are before we dig the holes and cable channel.
On top of all that, I just didn't have the heart to have it cemented into the middle of the front lawn.
So we are going to try another technology avenue. MiFi. It's like a cellular "air card" that functions as a portable HotSpot. We'll give it a try.
On top of all that, I just didn't have the heart to have it cemented into the middle of the front lawn.
So we are going to try another technology avenue. MiFi. It's like a cellular "air card" that functions as a portable HotSpot. We'll give it a try.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Technology is such a part of our lives
Being on the Estate provides some exquisite quietness. We have a neighbor in the garage next to us, but the nearest highway or busy street is at least a 1/2 mile away. Quiet in terms of man made noise. But don't talk to Gen about the frogs. They were so loud the first day that they woke her up.
But the distance has it's disadvantages. Only very old land line phones are available. Cell phone reception is very spotty, no regular internet access and not even a TV antenna. So it might seem weird that we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the satellite internet installation guy. This should provide a consistent connection to "the outside world".
On another note - We thought we had lost Sarah's birth certificate in all the shuffle after applying for her passport renewal. But the passport office just returned it since it had been submitted with the renewal. Duh.
We are hoping that the fire investigation and evidence gathering will be completed today. Then we can move forward with the clean out of Gen's room. This would also mean we can get the power turned back on soon which would also help with the drying out of the house.
But the distance has it's disadvantages. Only very old land line phones are available. Cell phone reception is very spotty, no regular internet access and not even a TV antenna. So it might seem weird that we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the satellite internet installation guy. This should provide a consistent connection to "the outside world".
On another note - We thought we had lost Sarah's birth certificate in all the shuffle after applying for her passport renewal. But the passport office just returned it since it had been submitted with the renewal. Duh.
We are hoping that the fire investigation and evidence gathering will be completed today. Then we can move forward with the clean out of Gen's room. This would also mean we can get the power turned back on soon which would also help with the drying out of the house.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Father's Day Photo
Per the post from this morning - here is a photo from our sun room. I wasn't kidding - the little wilderness at the bottom of the slope was the Estates Italian gardens including gravity fed water fountains.
Mark your calendars
Gen and Aaron have officially picked a date! Mark your calendars for September 25th.
Have Passport, Will Travel!
We stopped by 916 today (the home we own) to pick up a few things from the garage and some deck chairs. We found a FedEx package with Sarah's Passport in it in the mailbox. WooHoo! Sarah can officially travel now. This week will be busy with her getting all the things she'll need for the trip. Thanks for everyone's prayers for this.
Father's Day morning on the Estate...
Early this morning Laurie and I sat down in the Sun Room overlooking the Italian gardens of the Estate with our first cups of coffee. What a beautiful view even though the gardens are overgrown. A doe with her fawn walked through the gardens having a morning snack. We took a moment to marvel at all that has happened in the last couple of weeks and where God had brought us. Who would have thought we would be sitting is this spot on this day with all the wonderful things so quickly arranged around us to make our lives enjoyable. We long to be back home in "our home", but are enjoying the "home" we are in. What kindness and care the Lord has expressed to us through all the circumstances.
We're well settled into the new place. Two trips to Ikea, many trips to Target, the Dollar Store, etc. etc. have gotten us to the place were we have all we "need". The electrician has the outlets fixed so that we can run the A/C units. Now it's just the "wants" that are left and a few other things. You know, the little things that we could do without (well, that depends on who you ask), but address those annoyances we don't have the patience to deal with. The salt shaker we got pours too fast (except for Gen), an alarm clock, a hair dryer, etc.
But I can't go through this moment without considering that all these things don't represent, even close, my greatest need. That's my need for a Saviour. And today, on Father's Day, I am deeply grateful to my Father in heaven for having sent the Saviour, Jesus Christ, to meet that need.
We're well settled into the new place. Two trips to Ikea, many trips to Target, the Dollar Store, etc. etc. have gotten us to the place were we have all we "need". The electrician has the outlets fixed so that we can run the A/C units. Now it's just the "wants" that are left and a few other things. You know, the little things that we could do without (well, that depends on who you ask), but address those annoyances we don't have the patience to deal with. The salt shaker we got pours too fast (except for Gen), an alarm clock, a hair dryer, etc.
But I can't go through this moment without considering that all these things don't represent, even close, my greatest need. That's my need for a Saviour. And today, on Father's Day, I am deeply grateful to my Father in heaven for having sent the Saviour, Jesus Christ, to meet that need.
Friday, June 18, 2010
We're in!
It's been a very long day. I hit exhausted about 6 hours ago. I'm not complaining. Nope. Just stating the facts ma'am. I'm so grateful for this home and the furnishing we were able to get.
Everyone except Gen is safely ensconced in their new beds (and I'm obviously still up writing). Each and every one gave a contented sigh of relief as they laid down for the night on their new beds. I did my best to "Dave Ramsey" the guy at the mattress store.
We also made quite a spectacle at the Ikea last night.. "Oh, No! We haven't even made it through the entire show room picking out the stuff we need and the store closes in 20 minutes. Grab a cart!. Erik, find me aisle 22, bin 33. Emilianne, you find me aisle 26, bin 15." The two little guys were panting and laughing from me running them through the store and I was drenched in sweat. Then the pièce de résistance- I'm paying for this with 15 gift debit cards I got from the great folks at work. So we are about 90% complete with the transaction and Sarah asks "You do have my bed don't you?" (the entire reason we went to Ikea in the first place). "I thought you got it"? Yeah, right. Sarah pulled a solid wood, queen size, canopy bed off the shelf by her lonesome and loaded it onto a cart. At this point it's way after closing. But the lady at the check out was very kind and let us go get the bed. Oh, and I found another gift card I want to use to pay for it :-).
Our rental furniture arrived at the house at about 10:30. The two guys unloading it did a great job and were very nice. The stuff is really great and fits will with the decor. We had help throughout the day with cleaning, furniture assembly and general move in tasks. Then Laurie headed out to get linens, I waited for three of the mattresses to be delivered, then I headed out to get the final two mattresses we needed and then back to the house to finish up the essentials. Then dinner, another trip to the store for more "essentials" like shower curtain rings, etc.
Tomorrow we hope to finish up the cleaning (the house has been unoccupied for about a year while they updated the kitchen, etc.). After that we need to furnish the kitchen. Maybe another adventurous trip to Ikea... Maybe I'll take roller skates this time.
Everyone except Gen is safely ensconced in their new beds (and I'm obviously still up writing). Each and every one gave a contented sigh of relief as they laid down for the night on their new beds. I did my best to "Dave Ramsey" the guy at the mattress store.
We also made quite a spectacle at the Ikea last night.. "Oh, No! We haven't even made it through the entire show room picking out the stuff we need and the store closes in 20 minutes. Grab a cart!. Erik, find me aisle 22, bin 33. Emilianne, you find me aisle 26, bin 15." The two little guys were panting and laughing from me running them through the store and I was drenched in sweat. Then the pièce de résistance- I'm paying for this with 15 gift debit cards I got from the great folks at work. So we are about 90% complete with the transaction and Sarah asks "You do have my bed don't you?" (the entire reason we went to Ikea in the first place). "I thought you got it"? Yeah, right. Sarah pulled a solid wood, queen size, canopy bed off the shelf by her lonesome and loaded it onto a cart. At this point it's way after closing. But the lady at the check out was very kind and let us go get the bed. Oh, and I found another gift card I want to use to pay for it :-).
Our rental furniture arrived at the house at about 10:30. The two guys unloading it did a great job and were very nice. The stuff is really great and fits will with the decor. We had help throughout the day with cleaning, furniture assembly and general move in tasks. Then Laurie headed out to get linens, I waited for three of the mattresses to be delivered, then I headed out to get the final two mattresses we needed and then back to the house to finish up the essentials. Then dinner, another trip to the store for more "essentials" like shower curtain rings, etc.
Tomorrow we hope to finish up the cleaning (the house has been unoccupied for about a year while they updated the kitchen, etc.). After that we need to furnish the kitchen. Maybe another adventurous trip to Ikea... Maybe I'll take roller skates this time.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The move begins
We signed the lease on the Guest house this afternoon. Gen hadn't seen the house yet and went through with her jaw dropping and saying "I love it." Then we went on a shopping spree. Ok, it wasn't really a shopping spree, but we did buy 3 queen size mattress sets, 1 full size and 1 twin. We also got some work/school tables for the kids.
The house is in great shape, but does need a good amount of cleaning.
Looking forward to sleeping in our new beds tomorrow night! Will post more after the move.
The house is in great shape, but does need a good amount of cleaning.
Looking forward to sleeping in our new beds tomorrow night! Will post more after the move.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Temporary Housing Update
Plans for moving into the temporary house are moving forward according to plan. We sign the lease on Thursday and get the keys. The rented furniture arrives on Friday. We'll be shopping for new beds (we didn't want to use the rented ones) on Thursday and have them delivered on Friday.
If you would like to see the house here is a link. I almost feel guilty about it being so nice. But we serve a God that loves to bless us!
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1034-Phoenixville-Pike-Guest_West-Chester_PA_19380_1118907330
Another thing we are dealing with is Sarah's Passport. She is headed to Switzerland on June 28th and getting her passport back in time (it has to be replaced because it got singed in the fire) might prove to be difficult. We've contacted our local congressman's office to request their assistance and they seem to be on it.
Gen will have the same problem since she'll likely need to get her passport in order to go out of the country for a honeymoon in September.
If you want to see some additional photos of the fire here is a link to the Daily Local News story that ran the day after the fire as well as a posting done by one of the fire companies that responded to put out the fire.
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/06/07/news/police/doc4c0cf47a01c6c124701345.txt
http://www.goodwillfireco.org/apps/public/news/newsView.cfm?News_ID=58
Fortunately, news stories are wrong in that the house was not a total loss.
If you would like to see the house here is a link. I almost feel guilty about it being so nice. But we serve a God that loves to bless us!
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1034-Phoenixville-Pike-Guest_West-Chester_PA_19380_1118907330
Another thing we are dealing with is Sarah's Passport. She is headed to Switzerland on June 28th and getting her passport back in time (it has to be replaced because it got singed in the fire) might prove to be difficult. We've contacted our local congressman's office to request their assistance and they seem to be on it.
Gen will have the same problem since she'll likely need to get her passport in order to go out of the country for a honeymoon in September.
If you want to see some additional photos of the fire here is a link to the Daily Local News story that ran the day after the fire as well as a posting done by one of the fire companies that responded to put out the fire.
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/06/07/news/police/doc4c0cf47a01c6c124701345.txt
http://www.goodwillfireco.org/apps/public/news/newsView.cfm?News_ID=58
Fortunately, news stories are wrong in that the house was not a total loss.
Monday, June 14, 2010
To God be all the Glory!!
Two praise reports. God continues to bless us beyond all that we ask or imagine.
1) We got the house on the Greystone Hall Estate. The lease isn't signed (probably Thursday), but all the interested parties are in agreement. It's about 1/2 a mile, as the crow flies, from our house so we'll be able to be close by while the house is rebuilt. You can see the estate at http://www.greystonehall.com/ if you want to get a flavor for the place. We'll be renting their guest house. WOW! Pinch me. If all goes well we should be able to move in Friday or Saturday this week. We're tentatively planning on the furnishings to be delivered on Friday. We may need to arrange some stuff on Saturday before we move in.
2) I got the second installment of gifts from my co-workers from Endo today. I am not surprised at all, but also amazed at the outpouring of generosity from those I work with. THANK YOU ENDO FAMILY!
Well, I would love to post more, but I really need to get some sleep.
1) We got the house on the Greystone Hall Estate. The lease isn't signed (probably Thursday), but all the interested parties are in agreement. It's about 1/2 a mile, as the crow flies, from our house so we'll be able to be close by while the house is rebuilt. You can see the estate at http://www.greystonehall.com/ if you want to get a flavor for the place. We'll be renting their guest house. WOW! Pinch me. If all goes well we should be able to move in Friday or Saturday this week. We're tentatively planning on the furnishings to be delivered on Friday. We may need to arrange some stuff on Saturday before we move in.
2) I got the second installment of gifts from my co-workers from Endo today. I am not surprised at all, but also amazed at the outpouring of generosity from those I work with. THANK YOU ENDO FAMILY!
Well, I would love to post more, but I really need to get some sleep.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Pictures
An anonymous source, who shall remain Joel our son, said that we should post some additional photos of the house. Without further fanfare, here are some pictures Sarah took with her really cool new camera.
Here's what the living room looked like after the fire burnt through the floor of Gen's room right above.
Here's a Photo taken by the Daily Local News as it appeared in their front page article on June 7th, 2010.
Here's a really cool shot with the charred walls of the house in the background.
It's funny how your perspective changes. Whenever someone in our house breaks a glass on the floor, the first thing anyone says is "don't anyone move - we don't want anyone getting cut". For the past week we've been walking in and out of the house with the remains of the back door window glass all over the floor. Apparently a neighbor broke into the house by breaking this window so that they could check to make sure no one was in the house.
I'm not sure if this is a picture of the kids bathroom before or after the fire.
This is wild. Sarah found this charred dictionary open to the definition of Fire.
Blogging Hypocrit
You may find it interesting that I really don't follow many Blogs. I love checking out what my daughter Sarah is up to (http://sarah-hellodesigns.blogspot.com/). I used to follow my son Joel's blog, but he hasn't posted anything this decade. It's not that I don't think there are some valuable Blogs out there. Our church, Covenant Fellowship Church (http://www.covfel.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=50794) has an excellent Blog that will challenge you to pursue God all the more.
But I spend so much of my life in front of a computer that I don't make time for Blogs - so I won't blame you if you don't follow this one. The first Blog I ever followed closely was http://www.prayforian.com/. Steve Murphy started that Blog (probably for similar reasons that I started this one) for the ordeal they were going through with Ian's accident and recovery. Steve has since gone on to be with the Lord, but I am still provoked by the example of passion and faith he and his family lived out in front of us through this communication tool. My hope is that my family and I will provoke you towards God in a similar way.
Steve and Mary, we are grateful for the examples you have been and are for pointing us towards the Saviour and glorifying Him through it all!
But I spend so much of my life in front of a computer that I don't make time for Blogs - so I won't blame you if you don't follow this one. The first Blog I ever followed closely was http://www.prayforian.com/. Steve Murphy started that Blog (probably for similar reasons that I started this one) for the ordeal they were going through with Ian's accident and recovery. Steve has since gone on to be with the Lord, but I am still provoked by the example of passion and faith he and his family lived out in front of us through this communication tool. My hope is that my family and I will provoke you towards God in a similar way.
Steve and Mary, we are grateful for the examples you have been and are for pointing us towards the Saviour and glorifying Him through it all!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Saturday PM Posting - Prayer Requests
Hey All,
We were able to tour the latest housing option. Gorgeous home from 1907, 6 bedrooms/4 baths and right around the corner on the Greystone Hall estate (for which our street is named).
So we have two specific prayer requests:
1) Temporary House - That we would be able to get this particular house for our temporary location. There is another interested renter and they would be taking it for a longer rental period which obviously benefits the owners more than our short-term rental.
2) Petit Home - That there were be no delays in moving forward into the rebuilding phase because of the fan investigation.
Even if we don't get this particular house, just the possibility is a demonstration of how God is blessing us with opportunities and options.
Thanks so much,
Everett
We were able to tour the latest housing option. Gorgeous home from 1907, 6 bedrooms/4 baths and right around the corner on the Greystone Hall estate (for which our street is named).
So we have two specific prayer requests:
1) Temporary House - That we would be able to get this particular house for our temporary location. There is another interested renter and they would be taking it for a longer rental period which obviously benefits the owners more than our short-term rental.
2) Petit Home - That there were be no delays in moving forward into the rebuilding phase because of the fan investigation.
Even if we don't get this particular house, just the possibility is a demonstration of how God is blessing us with opportunities and options.
Thanks so much,
Everett
Saturday AM update, June 12th
Hey Folks,
Here is the latest on how things are going.
We have a couple of housing possibilities we are checking out. One we looked at (8 bedrooms and 4 baths), but the kitchen "is dreadful". We are supposed to look at another today if we can hook up with the agent.
The kids are doing fine. They got some time in the pool yesterday and we are hoping for some more time today. I'm looking forward to possibly sleeping in tomorrow (that means 8:00 am). We might even get a chance to kick back and watch a movie or something tomorrow afternoon. Looking forward to church and worship tomorrow!!
The house will be completely empty of "contents" by noon today. We are just sorting through the last items. The gutting of the drywall continues, but the drying will be running non-stop from now on.
The insurance company will likely be continuing the investigation of what caused the fire. They are fairly certain it was a small box fan in Gen's room, but want to determine if the fan was at fault. This may delay things a little until they gather any evidence they need.
Anyway, thanks again for all your help and thoughts. Yours prayers are the most helpful!
Thanks
Everett
Here is the latest on how things are going.
We have a couple of housing possibilities we are checking out. One we looked at (8 bedrooms and 4 baths), but the kitchen "is dreadful". We are supposed to look at another today if we can hook up with the agent.
The kids are doing fine. They got some time in the pool yesterday and we are hoping for some more time today. I'm looking forward to possibly sleeping in tomorrow (that means 8:00 am). We might even get a chance to kick back and watch a movie or something tomorrow afternoon. Looking forward to church and worship tomorrow!!
The house will be completely empty of "contents" by noon today. We are just sorting through the last items. The gutting of the drywall continues, but the drying will be running non-stop from now on.
The insurance company will likely be continuing the investigation of what caused the fire. They are fairly certain it was a small box fan in Gen's room, but want to determine if the fan was at fault. This may delay things a little until they gather any evidence they need.
Anyway, thanks again for all your help and thoughts. Yours prayers are the most helpful!
Thanks
Everett
Friday morning update from June 11th. Joel's 25th Birthday today. Forgot to call him until 8:00 PM when he was at work.
Dear Friends and Family,
Yesterday was a very productive day.
We’ve packed up the majority of the items that will be kept. Still have some smaller stuff today including my office. We had some folks stop over yesterday and do most of the packing – Thanks so much to everyone – that was a big help. Our neighbor (I'm pretty sure it was Debbie Traci, but I'm horrible at remembering names) provided an excellent lunch and endless drinks.
The restoration company has removed a majority of the “keeping” contents for storage and trash contents from the 1st floor and basement. The second floor, which will be gutted immediately and all ruined contents removed, will be mostly completed today. Once that’s done then the dry out process begins. Then reconstruction starts.
We’ve got a couple of leads on temporary housing. May even be able to check out a couple later today. One of the houses is the Historic Boyd house at the end of our street. That would be tremendously convenient. Needless to say, Laurie would love the chance live there, even for a short term stay. We'll keep you posted.
The kids are doing very well. We are all a little crispy just because our sleeping schedule is completely off normal. We are letting them sleep in this morning for the first time this week and Laurie will be taking them to the pool for some much needed R&R this afternoon.
We could still use some light help with some packing tasks, errands, etc. So feel free to stop over today or Saturday morning. I hope to get everyone together for some family time Saturday afternoon (get away and forget about the house for a couple of hours). We had a great time of relaxing, dinner and fellowship with the Farmers last night and we were able to talk about other adventures we are facing like a wedding. Fun stuff. And you never have a conversation with Andy without benefiting from Godly wisdom. Looking forward to doing the same tomorrow night with the Burkes.
The Lord continues to show his generosity and care for us through offers of help, sympathetic calls, great suggestions to consider and helpful insights. We so appreciate every one's prayers!
Thanks,
Everett
Yesterday was a very productive day.
We’ve packed up the majority of the items that will be kept. Still have some smaller stuff today including my office. We had some folks stop over yesterday and do most of the packing – Thanks so much to everyone – that was a big help. Our neighbor (I'm pretty sure it was Debbie Traci, but I'm horrible at remembering names) provided an excellent lunch and endless drinks.
The restoration company has removed a majority of the “keeping” contents for storage and trash contents from the 1st floor and basement. The second floor, which will be gutted immediately and all ruined contents removed, will be mostly completed today. Once that’s done then the dry out process begins. Then reconstruction starts.
We’ve got a couple of leads on temporary housing. May even be able to check out a couple later today. One of the houses is the Historic Boyd house at the end of our street. That would be tremendously convenient. Needless to say, Laurie would love the chance live there, even for a short term stay. We'll keep you posted.
The kids are doing very well. We are all a little crispy just because our sleeping schedule is completely off normal. We are letting them sleep in this morning for the first time this week and Laurie will be taking them to the pool for some much needed R&R this afternoon.
We could still use some light help with some packing tasks, errands, etc. So feel free to stop over today or Saturday morning. I hope to get everyone together for some family time Saturday afternoon (get away and forget about the house for a couple of hours). We had a great time of relaxing, dinner and fellowship with the Farmers last night and we were able to talk about other adventures we are facing like a wedding. Fun stuff. And you never have a conversation with Andy without benefiting from Godly wisdom. Looking forward to doing the same tomorrow night with the Burkes.
The Lord continues to show his generosity and care for us through offers of help, sympathetic calls, great suggestions to consider and helpful insights. We so appreciate every one's prayers!
Thanks,
Everett
Original E-mail update from Wednesday Night, June 9th
Hey All,
We had a very productive day today. Here's the latest.
Gen was able to go back to work today (she had to hunt down appropriate cloths for her "uniform" - somehow, shopping because you have to isn't as much fun as when you just want to). Sarah is working tomorrow. I will be returning on Monday because I have a ton of things to coordinate at the house in the next couple days.
The house inventory is going great. "SOS" is a company that does this professionally and the Insurance Company contracted to have them do it. Ramona and Regina came over for a few hours to help inventory the "consumables". I'll compile this list tonight. Gen and Sarah have been recreating the inventory from Gen's room since everything was destroyed in her room. The rest of the house cataloging was covered by SOS.
So here's the gist of what is happening with our "house contents". But first, please know that even though this sounds bad, we are grateful for what we are able to salvage and keep. All our photos were in the sun room and completely without smoke damage. We are also very grateful that most of the stuff is intact so that the inventory listing is pretty accurate for replacement costs.
Everything from the 2nd floor is lost with the exception of two sealed bins of winter cloths from Erik's room and all of our master bedroom closet contents (the closet door was closed and far enough away that the contents just need to be cleaned). What a blessing that was. Again, shopping is bad enough, but shopping for work cloths is the worst :-).
All solid wood furniture from the 1st floor will be cleaned and kept. Most of our book cases, any furniture with cloth (ie couches, cushions, etc.) and all our books, videos and DVDs are lost (it's just not worth having them cleaned).
Same is basically true of the basement. All the "entertainment" equipment in the basement will need to be replaced because of water damage.
Probably 90% of the drywall in the house will be removed and replaced because of water and/or smoke damage.
We didn't hear back from the Rental Agency today, but we got more leads we can pass on. I also heard from my employer, Endo, that our HR department works with a local agency on providing the same service for employees. Hopefully some collaboration between the two will provide quick results.
The builders were in and began to outline assumptions, damages and reconstruction requirements. That seems to be moving forward well. The power is not back on yet. The fire investigator needs to complete his report before they will allow that and initially only temporary power access will be set up (drying fans and dehumidifiers).
Most of the really wet drywall and all of the carpets have been removed so that the drying can begin. A large generator will be delivered in the AM so that the huge dehumidifiers and fans can begin to do their thing. One large load of couches, chairs and basement trash has been hauled away.
For securing the property during the rebuild it has been recommended that we store, off-site, all items that will be kept of our personal property. That means we have a little packing to do. Anyone who wants to stop by for an hour or two during the next 3 days will be put to work helping with this. Our neighbors have signed up to provide lunches and drinks for us and our workers into next week. We had some great pizza from Therese today as well as some banana bread from Ramona.
I can not emphasize enough how completely overwhelmed we are at the outpouring of prayers and offers to help. Everyone's generosity is continually a reminder of our great Saviour's care for us. Thank you to all of you for your love and concern. One absolutely tremendous blessing we received today was from my co-workers at Endo. They dropped off a loaner laptop for Gen to use for her college on-line class, an air-card for me to stay connected while our Internet is without power, a BOATLOAD of gift cards to local department stores and some significant cash from collections they initiated.
Thank you all!!
Everett
We had a very productive day today. Here's the latest.
Gen was able to go back to work today (she had to hunt down appropriate cloths for her "uniform" - somehow, shopping because you have to isn't as much fun as when you just want to). Sarah is working tomorrow. I will be returning on Monday because I have a ton of things to coordinate at the house in the next couple days.
The house inventory is going great. "SOS" is a company that does this professionally and the Insurance Company contracted to have them do it. Ramona and Regina came over for a few hours to help inventory the "consumables". I'll compile this list tonight. Gen and Sarah have been recreating the inventory from Gen's room since everything was destroyed in her room. The rest of the house cataloging was covered by SOS.
So here's the gist of what is happening with our "house contents". But first, please know that even though this sounds bad, we are grateful for what we are able to salvage and keep. All our photos were in the sun room and completely without smoke damage. We are also very grateful that most of the stuff is intact so that the inventory listing is pretty accurate for replacement costs.
Everything from the 2nd floor is lost with the exception of two sealed bins of winter cloths from Erik's room and all of our master bedroom closet contents (the closet door was closed and far enough away that the contents just need to be cleaned). What a blessing that was. Again, shopping is bad enough, but shopping for work cloths is the worst :-).
All solid wood furniture from the 1st floor will be cleaned and kept. Most of our book cases, any furniture with cloth (ie couches, cushions, etc.) and all our books, videos and DVDs are lost (it's just not worth having them cleaned).
Same is basically true of the basement. All the "entertainment" equipment in the basement will need to be replaced because of water damage.
Probably 90% of the drywall in the house will be removed and replaced because of water and/or smoke damage.
We didn't hear back from the Rental Agency today, but we got more leads we can pass on. I also heard from my employer, Endo, that our HR department works with a local agency on providing the same service for employees. Hopefully some collaboration between the two will provide quick results.
The builders were in and began to outline assumptions, damages and reconstruction requirements. That seems to be moving forward well. The power is not back on yet. The fire investigator needs to complete his report before they will allow that and initially only temporary power access will be set up (drying fans and dehumidifiers).
Most of the really wet drywall and all of the carpets have been removed so that the drying can begin. A large generator will be delivered in the AM so that the huge dehumidifiers and fans can begin to do their thing. One large load of couches, chairs and basement trash has been hauled away.
For securing the property during the rebuild it has been recommended that we store, off-site, all items that will be kept of our personal property. That means we have a little packing to do. Anyone who wants to stop by for an hour or two during the next 3 days will be put to work helping with this. Our neighbors have signed up to provide lunches and drinks for us and our workers into next week. We had some great pizza from Therese today as well as some banana bread from Ramona.
I can not emphasize enough how completely overwhelmed we are at the outpouring of prayers and offers to help. Everyone's generosity is continually a reminder of our great Saviour's care for us. Thank you to all of you for your love and concern. One absolutely tremendous blessing we received today was from my co-workers at Endo. They dropped off a loaner laptop for Gen to use for her college on-line class, an air-card for me to stay connected while our Internet is without power, a BOATLOAD of gift cards to local department stores and some significant cash from collections they initiated.
Thank you all!!
Everett
Posted to Family and Friends on Tuesday morning, June 8th before the post you just read :-)
So starts day two of the Le Petit Maison saga. Laurie and I find ourselves talking more about how God has blessed us so abundantly rather than about what's been lost. I would love to recount the entire story and give everyone a complete picture of what's happened so far, but with so much to do ... please bear with us.
Next priorities for us:
1) Remediate the house. The house needs to be gutted so that no further damage is caused by the water from the firefighting. Everything is smoke damaged to some degree, the second floor is a total loss, but not destroyed. Only Gen's room was completely destroyed. The insurance company is arranging for a remediation company to get started right away. So the first thing they do is remove all your personal belongings and determine what is salvageable and what is not. We need to be there during this to inventory everything in detail. Salvageable stuff will be stored away temporarily.
2) Find temporary housing. We are currently staying at a Holiday Inn. But due to previous reservations I think we can only stay until Friday. And I don't want to have to stay any longer than necessary. The house is going to take a minimum of 6 months, likely 9 months, to rebuild so we need someplace we can rent for that time period. And then we have to take care of furnishings as well.
So I will be contacting some individuals who can spearhead these two priorities for us (more priorities and opportunities will develop later I'm sure). They may contact you to help them. Once I get those folks lined up I'll let you know who they are.
We are walking in the knowledge that God is orchestrating all things for our greatest good today, as much as he was the day before this adventure started and as much as he will tomorrow!
Thanks for all your prayers and assistance.
Everett & Laurie
Next priorities for us:
1) Remediate the house. The house needs to be gutted so that no further damage is caused by the water from the firefighting. Everything is smoke damaged to some degree, the second floor is a total loss, but not destroyed. Only Gen's room was completely destroyed. The insurance company is arranging for a remediation company to get started right away. So the first thing they do is remove all your personal belongings and determine what is salvageable and what is not. We need to be there during this to inventory everything in detail. Salvageable stuff will be stored away temporarily.
2) Find temporary housing. We are currently staying at a Holiday Inn. But due to previous reservations I think we can only stay until Friday. And I don't want to have to stay any longer than necessary. The house is going to take a minimum of 6 months, likely 9 months, to rebuild so we need someplace we can rent for that time period. And then we have to take care of furnishings as well.
So I will be contacting some individuals who can spearhead these two priorities for us (more priorities and opportunities will develop later I'm sure). They may contact you to help them. Once I get those folks lined up I'll let you know who they are.
We are walking in the knowledge that God is orchestrating all things for our greatest good today, as much as he was the day before this adventure started and as much as he will tomorrow!
Thanks for all your prayers and assistance.
Everett & Laurie
My first postings will consist of the e-mail updates I sent to a number of family and friends this week.
Here is what I sent out as the "Tuesday PM House Update":
1) Remediation started. I ended up remembering that a friend from church owns a remediation business. They were available to begin immediately and the insurance company authorized them to start removing wet carpets, etc. to prevent further damage. By the time I left at 6:00 this evening, most of the basement and 1st floor had been cleared of debris and carpets.
a. An SOS company will be arriving first thing Wednesday to professionally catalog all the personal property. They will determine if anything is worth storing and/or special cleaning and make arrangements for both. All non-salvageable items will be removed and disposed of.
b. The insurance company’s recommended builder and my builder of choice will be walking through the property tomorrow noon to get the basics of what needs to be done. They will both submit estimates and then I get to choose who I want to complete the work.
2) The insurance company has arranged for an agency to find us temporary housing (6 months with options to extend). The location/property will be our choice based on their research. Then furnishings will be arranged for us and they will assist us with moving in. They were also able to negotiate an even better price with the hotel than I did (darn J) and allow us to stay until 7/2 if we need to. Prior to this we were going to have to find another hotel on Friday.
3) I hope to reestablish electric utilities (via a temp hookup or generator) tomorrow and be able to connect to communications (phone and internet). This will allow me to be much more efficient while on site. Today I ran my phone battery out twice because I was making arrangements and providing updates all day.
Things are going way better than I could have hoped for. I think we have purchased most of what we need for the next couple of weeks while we wait for more permanent temporary housing. We are completely overwhelmed with how many folks have asked how they can help us. What a blessing.
Our neighbors have been beating down the Demi's and McMullin's doors asking how they can help. Debbie Demi is using them to coordinate drinks and lunches for us and the workers while we are there working through the remediation and cataloging. We all hope this will lead to opportunities for spreading the Gospel. Most of the actual work is being done by the contractors, but we would love to see any of your faces.
Thanks so much for your support, thoughts, gifts and prayers. They mean so much to us.
The Petits
Here is what I sent out as the "Tuesday PM House Update":
1) Remediation started. I ended up remembering that a friend from church owns a remediation business. They were available to begin immediately and the insurance company authorized them to start removing wet carpets, etc. to prevent further damage. By the time I left at 6:00 this evening, most of the basement and 1st floor had been cleared of debris and carpets.
a. An SOS company will be arriving first thing Wednesday to professionally catalog all the personal property. They will determine if anything is worth storing and/or special cleaning and make arrangements for both. All non-salvageable items will be removed and disposed of.
b. The insurance company’s recommended builder and my builder of choice will be walking through the property tomorrow noon to get the basics of what needs to be done. They will both submit estimates and then I get to choose who I want to complete the work.
2) The insurance company has arranged for an agency to find us temporary housing (6 months with options to extend). The location/property will be our choice based on their research. Then furnishings will be arranged for us and they will assist us with moving in. They were also able to negotiate an even better price with the hotel than I did (darn J) and allow us to stay until 7/2 if we need to. Prior to this we were going to have to find another hotel on Friday.
3) I hope to reestablish electric utilities (via a temp hookup or generator) tomorrow and be able to connect to communications (phone and internet). This will allow me to be much more efficient while on site. Today I ran my phone battery out twice because I was making arrangements and providing updates all day.
Things are going way better than I could have hoped for. I think we have purchased most of what we need for the next couple of weeks while we wait for more permanent temporary housing. We are completely overwhelmed with how many folks have asked how they can help us. What a blessing.
Our neighbors have been beating down the Demi's and McMullin's doors asking how they can help. Debbie Demi is using them to coordinate drinks and lunches for us and the workers while we are there working through the remediation and cataloging. We all hope this will lead to opportunities for spreading the Gospel. Most of the actual work is being done by the contractors, but we would love to see any of your faces.
Thanks so much for your support, thoughts, gifts and prayers. They mean so much to us.
The Petits
The Blog Begins
The idea for a Blog initially came to me as a way to get information out to our family and friends regarding the fire at our family home. But I just had too much to do this week to get it moving. I was sitting in my hotel room on Tuesday night - I set up the account and was ready to start writing (two days after the fire). Then I asked myself "Is this really the best use of your time at midnight when you have to get up early for another day at the house"? I said no, and turned out the light.
So here it is.
However, as I thought about it this evening I realized that this will be a long process as we await the day we get to move "back home". Now who will want to be checking the Blog to see what we had for dinner this week because nothing is happening on the house at the moment? However, there is a lot going on right now with the house, the wedding, Sarah's travels, etc. that I will probably have a lot to update folks on. So my initial Blog name of Le Petit Maison was specifically going to be about the house adventure, but I'm going to expand that to be what's going on in the Petit household.
In advance, please forgive the non-chronological order to the postings. Over time I'll post most of the facts and events of this past week, but I'm sure they won't be in order. I'll do my best not to confuse you on the timeline.
So here it is.
However, as I thought about it this evening I realized that this will be a long process as we await the day we get to move "back home". Now who will want to be checking the Blog to see what we had for dinner this week because nothing is happening on the house at the moment? However, there is a lot going on right now with the house, the wedding, Sarah's travels, etc. that I will probably have a lot to update folks on. So my initial Blog name of Le Petit Maison was specifically going to be about the house adventure, but I'm going to expand that to be what's going on in the Petit household.
In advance, please forgive the non-chronological order to the postings. Over time I'll post most of the facts and events of this past week, but I'm sure they won't be in order. I'll do my best not to confuse you on the timeline.
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