Home..safe..sound...

I am so thankful to say that we are home. We are sleeping in our own beds this evening. We are looking forward to enjoying multiple Christmas celebrations with friends and family.


Have you ever watched a home burn down? My god, I simply can not describe it. My neighbors home was from the early 1900's. Once the fire began, there was no stopping it. Their lives were devastated in under 5 minutes.

People questioned why we would jump in our cars and drive away unknowing of what was happening. The only thing I could think the whole time was that if the flames came through our woods and took over my home, I did not want to watch the devastation take place.

The owners of the home arrived moments after the fire was reported, clearly they worked in the area. They stood there, watching everything they owned, every photograph from their son's life, every piece of clothing, all their Christmas gifts, all burn away. Gone Gone Gone, while they stood there helpless.

When we had the split second decision to leave our home my mind raced with thoughts....the first one was "where is the cat" there was no way I was leaving behind my cat (and I knew that little K was in her crib - contained) and any of you that have or do own a cat know that wrestling one into a carrier is not an easy task. Once I had him in his carrier and by the door, I grabbed the kid - out of a sound sleep, sock less, shoeless, frightened and dumped her into T's truck. Then my mind raced....what do I grab? What do I leave? What is TRULY important?? All her baby books can be replaced since I made them online, all her photos are uploaded to Flickr, facebook and snapfish so picture CD's were out, clothes can be bought, items replaced. There really was nothing that I could not live without. In the end, other than our bodies I grabbed my personal laptop, ipod and camera...and off I went.

Had my home burned, I certainly would have been sad to lose my baby pictures, the pictures of early days of mine and T's relationship, and the CD's of videos of Little K as a baby. But really, they are not devastating things to lose when I would have had my family...

I am so thankful to be home tonight, thankful to have you all to tell this story to. I wish every one of you a Merry Christmas (or a belated - Happy Hanukkah) and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Thank you all for being a part of my life.