Big Fears.. Big Flames

It's always been one of my biggest fears.. a house fire. When I bought this house six years ago it was just one of the things that was constantly in the back of my mind. Of course I checked the smoke detectors, and was religious about changing batteries. I even got a fire extinguisher for Christmas one year!!! Last Tuesday, January 22nd, that fear hit a little too close to home. We came home from work to find our house full of a campfire smelling haze -- in the basement, the main floor, and upstairs. The first instinct for us both was to find the source. Easier said than done... after ten minutes or so we gave up and called 911.

The benefit of living in a 4 sq mile city is that the Police/Fire are literally right down the road! From the time we hung up with the 911 dispatch, we had time to grab the kitties and get them in the running car and Immediately we heard sirens. 3 minutes later they had found the fire in the walls of our house and were using an axe and chainsaw to cut into the siding and extinguish the flames.

Watching all of this unfold led us to realize so many things:

We are greatful for our neighbors. Both neighbors next door offered us anything we needed.. a place to stay, a shoulder, and even some hot tea. They checked in on us the next day -- what wonderful people.

Someone was watching over us. Had we been sleeping or even gone out for dinner, the results could have been different. Someone had a hand in timing this.. and we have an idea who.

We are surrounded by people who care. From our co-workers who know us from 8-6.. offering up their suggestions for contractors, places to stay, things we might need... to our family and friends offering to come visit or help us clean up... we have people in our lives who are genuine and unselfish. It is hard to find people who immediately reach out to others instead of turn to their own comfort. We are glad we have them near us.

Even though we are being challenged yet again... we have the strength of each other to keep us moving... to keep focus and to remain hopeful that someday things will turn around and go our way. We can't wait for that day.

New Year, New Coffee

2009 has launched itself wide open leaving us to wonder just what exactly the New Year will bring. We are officially glad to have the Holidays behind us and although we are still picking up the pieces from some of our hardest hit moments we are happy to have so many blank pages ahead of us to create.

It's been a challenge to get back into the 5:30am daily routine, but we are both so thankful to still have the very same jobs we love. We are even being successful at our attempt to minimize caffeine! (Shocked? We are!) Chris found his love of flavored coffee creamers last year that caused him to go into overdrive with once loathed coffee. Meanwhile, If I didn't have that afternoon latte I was hard pressed to make it through the work day. Now we both are drinking less coffee and half-caff at that... making us officially old farts. Ain't life grand?