HOME.

Home... it's where the heart is, it's a place your feet may leave but your heart stays, it's where your story begins... I agree with most of the lovely quotes about home except one: "Home isn't a place; it's a feeling". Yes, I understand the sentiment, but our family has learned this year that it is nice to have a place to call home. We had an unfortunate event unfold in January that briefly displaced us out of our home, and while the experience could have been much, much worse, we are incredibly thankful to be back at our home on Rock Bend!

On Thursday, January 28, a woman accidentally drove her car off the road, through our neighbor's yard, across our driveway, and right into our dining room.



We were not home and no one was hurt (including our pets). Our wonderful neighbor Lori made probably the most bizarre phone call of her life when she called to tell me what had happened. Annie wasn't feeling well that morning so she spent the day with Nana and Papa, and I was meeting them at Target to pick up Annie when Lori called me. Having no idea what to expect when we got home, I sent Annie with Jan to pick up Cade and Bill went with me to the house. Seeing fire trucks and police cars blocking your street is quite unsettling! After making our way up to the house, I was first greeted by some one from the fire department who said "Everyone is fine. Everything that is broken is just stuff and it can be replaced. It's just stuff." I still waver between being thankful that he emphasized everyone's safety and feeling like he was a little too casual about the stuff. Yes, it was just stuff, but it was our stuff! And we really liked it!



Just a few days after these pictures were taken, all of that "stuff" would then be referred to as "debris" and be swept away into a dumpster. Tough day.

But, back to the task at hand. While there was very little we could actually do on the day of the accident, we did spend lots of time on the phone with our insurance company, family, and friends. We also got to spend lots of time with our neighbors, since almost everyone who lives in the neighborhood ended up standing on our street at some point that evening.



In the midst of all the chaos, we received wonderful support from so many people, and that support continued for months! Our neighbor and friend Kristy literally stood between me and the lady who drove the car because I couldn't stand to look at her. Nana and Papa took great care of the kids and Holly, picked up dinner for them, and took them to their house for the night. Our vet took Sarge as a last-minute boarder with no hesitation. Other neighbors offered to store our belongings for us, gave hugs, and prayed. My brother even slept at our house that night to make sure it was secure. There was no electricity or heat, and it was pretty drafty (big hole in the front, you know), but he said it was quite comfortable. What a guy!



Chancee and I got to Jan and Bill's house pretty late at night, but they had let the kids stay up until we got there so we could spend a few minutes processing everything. The kids were really very brave... Cade was a little more upset than Annie, but having everyone together and knowing that their rooms were not harmed definitely helped! Plus, we got to celebrate Cade running 10 laps on the track that day!



The next morning, the kids went to school and Chance and I headed to the house. A whole day off together! We really should do that again sometime :) As we looked through our house, we were overwhelmed with gratitude that we were not home. Seeing your dining room table pushed into the side of the refrigerator and rocks from the front of your house next to the stove makes you realize the power of a moving vehicle.



God's love is greater than the power of a moving vehicle. He worked through our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and home builder to make sure we were completely taken care of during the rebuilding process. More on that to come!