05/04/2022
It is long, but please read. Life is A Lot sometimes. One minute you are at the height of joy and happiness and celebration and the next…
Because my social media activity is not very regular, I am not sure how many of you will actually see this. PLEASE share this post so I can reach each and every person who needs to see this message.
Because my social media activity is not very regular, I am not sure how many of you will actually see this post. PLEASE share this message so I can reach each and every person I who needs to see this message.
Family, friends, community and supporters both near and far. Words cannot express our gratitude for all of the love, prayers, encouragement and support we have felt from you all over the past few days. So many of you have reached out through phone calls, text and social media message platforms. I have seen every message, relished every hug and appreciated every offer of help. I am doing my best to touch base with every one of you personally, but please forgive me if I haven’t gotten there yet as the magnitude of events surrounding a life “in flames” is overwhelming! We feel undeserving of the generosity pointed our direction. However, every act of kindness, every hand lifted, every moment spent with our children, every meal provided, every dollar shared, lightens our burdens. Helps us know we are not alone. And It.Is.Everything!
We truly have so much to be grateful for. While the burning of our home is difficult, we cannot say we are devestated by our loss. All of the living, breathing members of our family (including our 🐶 and 2 bearded dragons) are safe and healthy. Our 11 and 8 yr old boys, who were home at the time of the fire, did so many right things and made choices in the first moments of realization, that helped preserve as much of our home and lives as possible. By closing the doors to the master bedroom and the basement, they saved valuable minutes that trapped the fire into the master bedroom long enough to allow the perfect timing of the Verde Valley Fire District to save our home from total destruction. Through their fear, they were brave. When they discovered they could not put the fire out, they acted quickly to get themselves out and called for help. As a mother, I could drown myself in the “what ifs”. What if Jonovan hadn’t seen the fire when he did? What if they had tried to get the bearded dragons out of the cages they cannot reach? What if the door was open while Jonovan was downstairs and he was trapped in the only 2 ways he could escape? What if big brother was not there to ensure little brother got out of the house? Only God can prompt a spirit to be in the exact right place in the exact right time to make the exact right choices. For this, my credit belongs to the Lord.
I admit I must have been a complete disaster in those early moments of reality sinking in. After knowing my children were safe, my livelihood, my family contribution, my business was of utmost importance. My computer, 8 external hard drives and 4 full camera cards containing the most important days in the lives of many of my clients were on the line. I asked many of you to pray specifically for the weddings and graduates whose moments were preserved only within my smoke and water damaged equipment. Prayers were answered. Verde Valley Electronics is beyond! 100% data recovery of the many special occasions and jobs I have not yet completed. The past 15 years of my digital photographic memories and career, saved. Again, my credit belongs to the Lord, along with his faithful servants, who interceded through prayer on my behalf.
The next most important thing in my world, the photographic memories of our entire lives. ALL safe. There is damage in the walls and ceilings of the basement, but the memories we hold most dear are virtually untouched.
Everything else is just stuff. Replaceable. But we are blessed enough that we do not have to replace it all. Much of the boys clothing and toys, salvageable. Our important documents (birth certificates, ss cards, birth and adoption records, car titles, etc) a little worse for wear, but survived in the midst of the worst of the damage.
As we were able to start removing things from the house today, I felt the loss of one of the only items I kept from my grandpas house after he passed. A painting I adored that hung above my bed. But just as the sadness was sinking in, we were surveying the basement with the claims adjuster, and I found not one, but two of the hats most often found on top of his head I didn’t even realize I had. I will miss my painting, but I have his favorite hats! I know that I will have many more moments like these as we continue the process of sifting through our stuff. There will be loss. It will be sad. But equal, if not more, moments of joy in the things that survived.
This may seem strange, but so many who have asked how to help still have the beautiful faces of your children sitting in a sports or school gallery I have photographed. Purchase your photos. Contact me if you need your access code. Save your memories and help me to know I have given you something precious in return!
Accepting help is hard. But in all humility, we know our greatest strength comes from the hands that are helping lift us up during this time. Our needs will become clearer in the coming days and weeks. How lucky are we to have so many compassionate hearts surrounding our lives! From the deepest recesses of our souls, Thank You!
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