Well, I got a lot of positive feedback on our "Wine Night Video Bilingual Update." I'm glad so many enjoyed it. I watched it the next day after posting it and I was so close to taking it down out of embarrassment over my rambling, but then I thought, "Ehhh whatever - I'm goofy, you either love it or you don't..."
So, now that I've had a few days off from writing I figured it was time to get back on the keyboard again. :)
*Side Note: If you are any of Sarah's friends/family - please give her a good amount of crap about not contributing - she has had a "draft" sitting on the dashboard for over a week...thanks! :) *
I was able to visit the home again on Thursday between the hours of 9 and 4. Since I have already taken a fair amount of time off of work through this whole ordeal, I only went over for a little while on my lunch break to get some things together. This time Sarah (and her friend Matt who is in town visiting) came with. This is the first time Sarah has been back into the evacuation area since we were evacuated last Tuesday.
Her reaction was pretty much what I had anticipated. Jaw dropped open and looking around in reverence, shock, and disbelief.
It is one thing to see the pictures and videos I was able to capture on my phone... it's a whole different story to see it in real life. It is unreal to see how blessed we truly were that our home was spared in this tragedy, but even harder to stomach was watching our neighbors sort through the ashes of their homes to find what bits and pieces of their life might still be salvageable.
Please, remember in your prayers the families in Colorado Springs that lost their homes. They had very little time to get things together and evacuate, so I can only assume the loss they must be feeling aside from just their home.
So, changing the subject for just a moment here: an update on the Waldo Canyon Fire
95% contained!!!
(I'd like to imagine here for a second the roaring sound of the applause from each person reading this...)
The efforts of our Colorado Firefighters and the firefighters that have joined in from other states to help is so greatly appreciated - I wish I could give each one of you (I think something like 1200 firefighters???) a big kiss! God bless you all!
With that, I'm not sure what the next step will be for Sarah and I. My mom and Patrick are coming out this weekend to assess the home, meet with an adjuster, and begin to take care of the tasks that need to be taken care of for the home to be lived in again. This process could be days, weeks, or maybe even months.
Although the home is in tact, the hazards are far from gone.
The utilities in the neighborhood are still being checked and worked on: gas, electricity, water, etc.
There is a TON of ash and debris ALL over the place.
The latest I've heard on the news is that because the fire burned so aggressive and hot, it fused the soil together - kind of like glass. So the potential for flash flooding is very high in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood. I've also heard of potential hazard from the chemicals that may have been released in the soil due to the high heat of the fire. So, I'm just not certain at this point what the next step is.
I want to end this point by saying thanks again to everyone. The love and support we have seen through this has been the greatest beauty to come out of this event. I can't feel down, or sorry for myself when I am so richly blessed. I love you all!
MJ
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