Hello everyone.  I know I have not posted anything on my blog for over a month, but I don’t think I am going to have near as much time for posts this year as I did last year.  Today I am home, however, so I decided to take advantage of that.

As some of you know, I drive my daughter to town four days a week for her Charter High School classes.  So since they are spread out and she’s only in one to two classes a day, I stay in town, go to the gym, and run errands.  Today, however, things are a little different.  My husband took the day off and took my daughter to her class.  He needed to get out of here a while to get away from all the stress I think.

Yesterday, here at the fish hatchery where my husband works and we live,  there was a loud knock on the door at 1:45 a.m.  One of the single guys who lives down the street said the house nextdoor to him was on fire!!  My husband drove down the street, then his co-worker and he began trying to put it out with the fire hose in front of the house, but it was spreading too big.  The neighbor who came to our door had already called 9-1-1 so we were waiting for them to come, but they didn’t arrive for at least 20 minutes or so I think.  We live out in a rural area, and the fire stations nearest us are mostly run by volunteers.  So you get the point.

The home that burned down housed a family of four; dad, mom, and two little girls, 5 and 8 years old.  We have known them for ten years or so.  We still don’t know the cause of the fire, but he was able to get his girls outside.  Unfortunately, when he went back for his wife, it was too late.  She died in the fire.  His oldest daughter has 3rd and 4th degree burns and his younger one has minor burns and smoke in her lungs.  I believe he was okay physically, but this will take a great deal of time to heal from I am sure.

This is a tragedy like no other I have ever seen.  She was my friend for many years although it has been quite a while since we have talked.  I loved her, though, and have cared about her, her husband and four children ever since we met them.  Her two older children do not live here anymore even though we see my son’s friend, her son, ocassionally.  I talked with him a while last night which was difficult.  I wanted to hug him but couldn’t.

His sisters are in two different hospitals because of the severity of one of them’s burns.  I have not gotten updated on her yet.  It was also so hard to see her suffering after she and her sister and dad came to our home when it happened to await medical care.  She was talking nervously and was in a lot of pain.  Her younger sister kept saying her mommy and doggie were dead.  My heart was breaking.  I have never felt so helpless before.  But this is not about me.

I love this family.  I am sad about the loss of my friend.  I am just sharing this so those of you who pray will hopefully pray for this family.  They need all the help they can get.  Thank you, friends.

Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug……before it’s too late.