In one minute life Changes!!

Well, I don't even know where or how to begin what has gone on since my last post. My family has had the highs and than the lowest of the low happen all on the same day.

Friday started off like any other crazy morning with my family except Fri. the 17th was the highly anticipated day of our house closing here in Colorado. My mom watched the boys while we signed a zillion papers and we received the keys to our new humble abode! Yippee. Ben and I were beside ourselves with happiness, we finally could have a place to call HOME again. We headed home to get the boys and change into some painting clothes to finish the last of the painting before move in day the next morning. Having no idea that, that quick stop back at my parents to get changed and grab the kids would be the last time we saw my parents beautiful home ever the same again. Just before 6pm we started to clean up all the painting mess when we got the call that I hope to never get again. My dad called to say the "My house is on fire, I am so sorry I don't think you'll get your things out. Oh my god, I have to go!!". Well as you can imagine Ben and I about shit our pants and grab the kid and got in the car to head to their house. On the way we heard from my brother that lightening had struck the house. By the time we got there the fire was out but the damage was done. The house which had become my second home over the past few months now had a horrible burning, smokey stench, and was a complete lose. The lightening went thru the basement and out the side of the house and they think it caught mattress on fire on it's way out, which sent a inferno thru out the rest of the basement and smoke and fire thru the heating system. Everywhere there was a air vent was smoke and burnt carpet. Smoke damage was really bad. I am just thankful my parents are OK. Minutes before they were sitting in the living room and thank god they got up to do somethings in the kitchen or they could be injured or worse.

Later were were able to go in and see the damage and boy was it bad. It was like walking into another world. In some areas it looked just like it did before we left that day with a added layer of ash and sut and black grime and other areas were burned, and melted. Things like curtains were just burned to nothing as the rod was there but the curtains was gone. Keaton's beloved croc stuffed animal that is his lovey he sleeps with was laying right in the middle of the living room. Things all around it were burned but it was OK other than being a little black and stinky. We couldn't get it until they supported the floor in that area as it was caving in. Amazingly however the croc was sent away to some special cleaning place and it came back OK. Things like that just seem amazing to me.

Well to make a long story and lots that I could write about short. The insurance company has been wonderful and already have my parents in a beautiful rental home. They now have the long and daunting job of recovery however. The house will be gutted and rebuilt which will take until at least Feb. or March. Mom and dad are handling things pretty well under the circumstance but they miss their real home and everything that made it their home. Please pray for them as it will take time for them to recover mentally from all of this.

By the way we did move in our new house the next morning and more to come on that.