Well, we left around noon on June 7th to go on our vacation.  The plan was for the kids and I to hang out at Mom's for a couple of days, then head on up to Delaware.  Not 30 minutes after I got to my mom's house, I got a phone call from Christan telling me that my house was on fire!!!  I didn't believe him at first, but it didn't take long for it to sink in. 

Long story short:  the fire started in my bedroom, and was probably caused by someone dumping an ashtray into the trash can with a hot ash in it.  My bedroom is GONE.  Faith's room (was right next to mine) was scorched, and the Great Room is pretty much torched, as well.  The rest of the house was covered in black soot.  Except Alex's room and the basement.  I had shut and locked Alex's door to keep Amber's kids out of there, so his room was pretty much untouched.  The basement only suffered water damage from the fire hoses.

We are going to level the house and build a new one.  Thank God Gaylon is a contractor and can build us a house for a fraction of what it would cost to pay someone else.  Right now we are just waiting for the check from the insurance company so we can get started.  Gaylon and I are about to go crazy waiting. . we have so many things we would like to get started with, but have to wait for money.  We really do need some closure on this deal. 

There have been many blessings in all of this, however.  God is always good, no matter what the circumstances.  Our insurance coverage has been wonderful, and we should have plenty to rebuild our home and replace the main things we lost.  (Of course I can never replace things like letters from my dad, or from deceased aunts, or some of my poetry.)  Anyway, we should be okay, there.

Our friends in DE were fantastic!  The gave us a coffee pot (DeLonghi) brand new towels, jelly, hams, and all sorts of other goodies.  They are the best thing that came out of us living in Carlsbad, that's for sure!  They also just built a beautiful (HUGE) home in DE.  They are very proud of it, and they should be. 

Well, I think I should probably go take a shower or something.  The kids are at camp this week so Gaylon and I have the place to ourselves.  Well, Christan is here, but he sleeps all day, now that he is doing a paper route every night.  So it's just like being alone.