I planned my next blog entry to be about Caleb's birthday and our fun fall adventures, but I still need to load the pictures onto my computer, and so Kara inspired me to write the following instead:
It was one year ago Wednesday that my parents' home, the home that my sisters and I grew up in, burned down in the Witch Creek Fire that ravaged San Diego County. Caleb was three days old, and my mom was here with us in Boston, leaving my dad with my elderly grandparents and three foster kids. Caleb had woken both me and my mom up for an early morning feeding when my mom got the call from my dad that they were definitely being evacuated. We'd been evacuated for fires before and even had one burn onto our property line, so I think most of us thought this evacuation would be like all the others. But I think my mom knew. She remembered and had my dad pack up all kinds of irreplaceable things she'd never remembered about in prior evacuations. She kept talking about how it felt different this time. And she was right, as she so often is. The next few days were a blur of sleep deprivation, hundreds (if not thousands -- I'm not exaggerating) of phone calls, changed travel plans, and an emotional rollercoaster. My mom went back home as soon as she could. My mother-in-law changed all her plans and came out to help with Caleb. Kara has blogged about this much more eloquently and visually (with lots of pictures) then I can: http://karaandjohn.blogspot.com/2008/10/one-year-ago.html.
4 comments:
I really appreciated this post and the post of your sisters. Spence and I looked at the pictures in awe...how fast the things we own can be taken from us. What a tragedy. Love the Christmas picture of you all at the house, quite amazing really. Thank you for sharing. Where do your parents live now?
holy cow. so sorry! I totally cried looking at the pictures. I can't even imagine. That must have been really hard to deal with, especially with a 3 day old baby!
When I heard last year, I cried for you. I remember when we went to visit your family freshman year. What a fun home, and your family seemed so happy in it. You seem to have had a very positive attitude. It has helped me remember that a home is where family is, and that the wonderful feelings do not come from the walls or the stuff, but from the relationships we build.
Wow, Maren, I can't even begin to imagine! What a tragedy. Thanks for sharing. I remember that beautiful lemon orchard, and all the awesome lemonade. I hope everything is going well for you and your family. :)
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