24

When we went to bed on Monday night, Gary and I were seriously considering renting a sweet little (!) place downtown. It was a bit of a stretch with a few safety concerns, but appeared to possibly be the best way to get "settled." It still wasn't looking good on our possible purchase of a home, and we need to get more permanent housing soon because of school starting in two weeks.

Well, Tuesday a.m., after much talk and prayer, we decided that the timing for the rental just wasn't right for where our kids are in life right now, so I made the call to the owner and thanked her for considering us.

A few minutes later our realtor called. The investor who is the seller for our home had finally agreed to the terms we had to have in order to move forward. So, the whirlwind began. We had just received our insurance money the day before, found an insurance agent to go to the home and get home insurance ball rolling, singed the final papers for the title company, and called in a friend to help with the electrical - he needed the work and we needed him fast!

So, today we are praising the Lord and looking at many of the original boxes for dishes etc to start packing (it's more fun to pack than shop...trust me). We should close sometime next week (hopefully early in the week), and then the process of repairs and moving will begin.

Prayers for the days ahead...

• Good, inexpensive ways to get the repairs done. The seller is not doing any of them, and we are now very tight financially. We are praying to get them done early as some are rather serious.
• Smooth moving (it shouldn't be too hard - hee hee) and joyful setting up of our new home.
• Good items at garage sales as we are now working on finding some hobby items and ways to make the home better.
• Transitions for the kids to go well and safely. Pray for friends that love Jesus or will love Jesus through our family.
• Final pieces of school registrations to come through.
• A "Point Person" to run a concert/fund raiser to help our family with the other more costly items on our "list of needs." We aren't even sure how to find this kind of person, but as there is a great band that has offered to help, and others who have said they would really like to see this done for us, we are praying that God will send just the right person.
• Lots of hugs, love, and rejoicing for all of us as we come "home!"
• Lots of friends and teens and new friends to fill our home with laughter!

Love and God bless and big hugs to all of you!

gary & tam

Reminders

This has been a week of reminders... Running into a former neighbor at a garage sale (still trying to find odds and ends - garage sales are good for that!), sorting through laundry and having to look at almost every tag to try to remember which clothes belong to each of us, and big hugs from so many - whether in writing or in the physical.

There are also reminders that kind of catch us off guard. Yesterday we came upon one of those. While living in Wisconsin, Gary and I had saved for quite some time to buy a special kind of mattress that cut down on aches and pains more than many others. You know how it is...as you get a bit older, sleep can sometimes be a bit less easy. We loved (in a very materialistic sense of the word) this mattress. So, yesterday, we set out to see if we could find one similar to our former one. The last few weeks my pain levels have shot up, and we realized I would probably need a special mattress again.

We shopped around for a while and then went to a store where we knew they carried the same kind. When we laid down, it felt so much like "home" we both had tears in our eyes. It wasn't the mattress as much as the reminder of something so familiar. Yes, we are planning to save for a very good mattress again, but we are also reminded of how great God's love is for our family.

He didn't save the small stuff, or even most of the "big" stuff, but we shop for all these things together. We are rebuilding our "home" together, and finding our way through each of these reminders together.

Bea and I looked at what will soon be our new refrigerator at a dear friend's home who is remodeling. Isaac came with us to find some new tools for Gary - for when he needs to take apart some of our furniture to move it. Caleb and I grab a few minutes here and there to enjoy putting together a puzzle from someone who new we would need some quiet distractions. And Tati, my precious organizer, is constantly helping us rethink where things should go, how they should look.

After shopping for mattresses, we all sat down around ten last night and watched an old TV show online (those shows from the 80's are great for the kids). Everyone was laughing at the show, and playing with our new dog and kitten, and one of the kids stopped at some point and mentioned how great it felt to just be "family."

So, yes, there are certainly a thousand reminders everywhere we look of our new "reality," but there are far more reminders of the love of family, friends, and most of all God. He has wrapped us up in a new "blanket" of His love and we simply can't forget that He is sustaining us through all the reminders.

Much love to all of you. Thank you so much for continuing to ask how we are doing, being interested in what is happening, and just cheering us on!

Week 6 - REALLY?!

The dog is barking at the condo-hood dogs. I guess he found his "voice" when he realized how many more dogs there are in the world. It's a sweet bark, so we don't mind. Reggie has become quite a delight to our whole family - yes! even Gary!. Gary has always asked, "Why would anyone want an animal dwelling in the same building with them?" Today, however, he invited our precious little mutt to come cuddle in bed with him! What a miracle!

Tomorrow Reggie will, Lord willing, get a little brother - a feline brother. The girls have continued to miss our Joseph-kitty, and so even though they really love the pup, we're going to become a 2 pet family.

What else? Well, things continue to move forward on the home we are purchasing. Inspection is done. Appraisal came in a little low, so the owner is having to lower the price (yes, I'm serious), and schools are allowing us to register with papers that show we will soon have permanent housing. That is wonderful!

We love our big pink "boat," especially on the highway up to Santa Barbara, where the road is so bumpy, we have a blast enjoying the suspension (or lack thereof?) in this old towncar.

Emotionally? Again, I am realizing that slowing down on the intensity of it all is allowing all of us to realize what we miss. Funny, but very, very little of it has anything to do with "stuff." The kids are really coming to grips with losing their neighborhood playmates, the easy walks to the CVS and post office, and Gary and I are missing neighbors and just the feel of "home," meaning Ventura. We are being as strategic as possible to make sure that all of us stay connected - finally feeling like we are breathing enough to have the energy to do so.

We are comfortable with the fact that most of our immediate needs are now covered...from here we will fill in some of the "wants." Things like boogie boards, a surfboard, a yard swing, and a few more "toys" to give us back the sense of having hobbies. We will soon find some additional chairs for our patio set (1/2 burned), maybe a dresser or two, and a couple of bookshelves. I know Craigslist has gotten quite a reputation, but it's a great place to find a player piano (even though it's green).

The new home is feeling more exciting as we go too. We found out the other day that the two big palms in our backyard are actully BANANA trees! How happy is that?! And there are oranges, lemons, tangerines (or cuties - what's the difference?), and even some sage - or was it thyme? Our "garden" has already been planted, so now we get to care for it and enjoy.

Sounds a bit more normal, doesn't it? We think so too.

Please, when we are settled, come by - even those who are far away! We would so enjoy your company!

One month, one week

Where are we at 5 weeks after our family fire?

Enjoying a little more furniture, driving our free pink town car, and eating a home-cooked supper. All good.

We found the kids' shot records - Praise the Lord! And their social security cards too. For some "strange" reason, I moved those silly things to an entirely different part of the home (after 3 years) a week or two before they would have been lost forever in our kitchen.

It still won't be easy to enroll the kids in school yet because we haven't closed on the house in the town where their schools are...so please pray for a smooth transaction (as long as this home is God's will), that happens in the timeframe it is currently set for.

Tomorrow we will meet with our insurance adjustor, our very long list, a ton of photos to prove that it all existed, and a fantastic gentleman from our church who has been in the insurance industry for many years to help us make sense of it all. We are SO thankful!

So, the short version is that quite a bit is getting done and honestly, it finally feels like things are starting to become a bit easier and not quite so intense.

Yet, as we start to jog instead of running, I'm finding that there is more time, and the processing of the entire event, although stuffed with reasons for rejoicing and thanksgiving, is starting to hit. Tati and I are both experiencing a few more emotions about fire, the little losses are feeling a bit more deep, and the infamiliarity of everything around us irritates us all. We forget to do the "normal," like watering the flowers, because the abnormal, such as continuing to clean fire from odds and ends, or running from town to town so we can get our mail, are often rather time-consuming and cumbersome.

The famous question is still, "How are you guys doing?" I'm so thankful people still ask. And the truthful answer remains, "We are doing wonderful!" We are doing wonderfully well. Your prayers continue to sustain us - because they are heard by God and He is gracious and kind, seeking to comfort and strengthen His own.

Love from Oxnard!
The Andersons

Furniture and flowers and inspections and youth group

The girls and Gary are gone to youth group and the boys and I are in a very quiet condo enjoying some rest. Life is very seldom quiet, but when it is, we all soak it in.

Gary and I have FINALLY completed our list - or as far as we are willing to go with it - and have come to the conclusion we should have insured ourselves for more than we did...and we don't want to ever accumulate so much again. Tomorrow we will submit what receipts we can find, the list and any photos that we feel will help the insurance company to see a wide variety of the items we previously owned. Thank you to all of you who have prayed for us during this list making. I would take 200 college papers to what we've just done; no, I'm not kidding.

Yesterday was fun as some new furniture was delivered, so we now have a table to eat at, a wonderful easy chair and various other items that are lovely. We've never really been "buy stuff new" people, but filling in some of our needs with new and well-built furniture has been rather fun.

Today was exciting as we had the home we are purchasing, Lord willing, inspected. The inspector was very informative and helpful, and the two of our kids who hadn't yet seen the home were very excited. Isaac began telling us how we can make the yard wonderful (next summer, he said, since it would be hard to do during the school year - smile), and the others ran to check out the park across the street, and later the neighborhood pool (which we are hoping to get a membership to as our family really does swim an awful lot).

The furniture store laughed when we purchased some of their "decorations" while looking at various other pieces we still need. Some small floral prints, a cookie jar, a comforter, & a couple of fun "fake flowers (they look real though)" left their show room to brighten up our rooms.

So many of you continue to fill in for the items that continue to be needed. We are so thankful, as it continues to be quite a job to finish simple tasks, and yet easier each day.

Wish we could hug you all around the neck and sing praises together of what a wonderful God we serve!

Please give each other hugs from us!

Some of the stories

There is no way we could truly share all that has been done for us in the last several weeks, but I want to share a few stories so all of you can enjoy the remarkable way God blesses His people.

Several years ago, I went with a close friend to Russia to help her bring home her new daughter. While we there, I remembered another gal back home that mentioned how much she loved the nesting dolls found there, and picked a set up for her. A few days ago, in the mail, a small package arrived from that friend.

In pondering the loss of our material things, she realized that any keepsakes I had from Russia would have been lost. She wrote that she wanted me to have something from that remarkable trip, so she was giving me the sweet little dolls I had given her so long ago.

One of the "side effects" of this kind of occurance in a family's life, is the realization that only your memories are left of your history. No physical reminders remain. So, when Gary and I looked, we felt so touched to have a tangible reminder of that time.

Another gift was sent that truly gave us a greater understanding of the "widow's mite." A very special friend of our's, who we have stayed in contact with over the last 18 years sent a rather sizable gift. There are many who have done this, and every gift is greatly appreciated and celebrated, however, this one was a little bit different.

Our friend married into a very famous Christian family, and then was later abandoned by her husband and cast out of the family. Although she had been in ministry for many years prior to getting married, when she lost her husband and her "name," she became an outcast in many Christian arenas. Now she lives near her parents as they are aging and she has a job that pays the bills but allows for little else. And yet, she was sharing with us abundantly. We were reminded how great God is that He calls all of us to share in each other's burdens. We have prayed and cried with her for a long time, and now she was giving back in our need. It was so humbling.

Today a bumpy envelope showed up in Gary's box at church. Inside were 6 tokens for free ice cream at one of the local ice cream shops. A woman from our church was thinking about our family when she was out on her daily walk, and decided that giving our family a gift of "good 'ol normal fun" would make our day brighter. It did!

There are so many more stories from so many of you who have sacrificed in order to help things not be so overwhelming. I wish we could tell them all...but I haven't even been able to get thank you's out to anyone yet. Yet the care and love you have shown us has been so joyful!

Our new little dog (from another family from church) is blending in as if he has always been with us, we signed some papers to get the ball rolling on the home we found, I am driving a lincoln towncar (pink) from two men we didn't even know, and we are almost done with our list (which is good, because some of that insurance money should help with our new home.

The girls are at volleyball camp (another gift from a friend), Caleb has taken our dog on as his
"younger brother", and Isaac is helping every chance he gets. The condo we are in is tiny, but fun, and Gary and I just pray for energy, wisdom, and joy as we go.

Love to you all!

House and a Dog

What an amazing day we had!!! Our offer on the house was accepted - oh my!!! Now we're going to be scrambling to get that list done (it's somewhat key to us having the right amount for our down payment - hee hee).

And we were gifted a DOG!!! We have all been so missing Joseph-kitty, and praying about replacing him with a cat or a dog. Well, yesterday we received a text message and a family from our church gave us our new Reggie. He's such a great dog! But shhhh. The girls stayed overnight with a friend last night and don't know yet.

Let's see...about the house. It's four bedrooms, has a living and a dining room, a big yard with lots of fruit trees, and it IS in Ventura, which we were beginning to think was completely impossible. God is so incredible!

Thank you all for praying, and please don't stop!

Some New Surprises

Gary and I were on the way to the church this morning when we received a call from a man from our church who knew of another man willing to donate a car to us. A few hours later we drove to the "smog" center with a silver/pink Lincoln Towncar. It has bells and whistles I've never seen, and was owned by a sweet Gramma for all 115,000 miles. We are so, so thankful!

Again, we set out to go to the church to work on Gary's expenses, and this time we received a call from our realtor. There was a counter offer on an offer we put out yesterday. So, needless to say, that changed everything. We went and signed the offer, went back through the home, and started praying a ton. Now we HAVE to get that insurance list done, as we will need some additional $$$ to make our down payment! But what a great incentive!

So, probably tomorrow, we will know if we will be living across the street from a wonderful elementary school, or if we will need to keep looking.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who are covering us so diligently with your prayers! We know that your prayers have sustained us and helped us to be hopeful throughout this whole process.

Please continue to pray that all the pieces and details will come together if this is the home that God has chosen for our family. And if it is not, pray for our stamina to keep up the search as each day counts in the next several weeks.

What else? Hmm. We are looking for a gas stove and gas dryer for this little condo, as our oven and dryer don't work. This continues to keep us searching.

Big hugs, much love, and joyful celebration to all of you!

the anderson six

Together Again!

Everyone is back from camp and there is a general celebration of being together running through the home. It is so good to smile, hug, and even argue and just do it all together!

I do not like cleaning "fire" off the few things we saved. Wow! But we continue to do so as those items do offer a sense of history and comfort. We are still throwing away much more than we are keeping, but honestly, our home is really beginning to look like a home.

God blessed us with an incredible furniture sale this weekend, and we were able to add some crucial items and were quality, but very inexpensive. Very fun! Most of our home is filled with the love gifts of so many, and we are rejoicing over and over for all of you!

This week our family has begun to accept that our cat, Joseph, is probably not going to found. An incredible amount of people from our old neighborhood continue to search, but we all are finding the need for closure, so now will be delightfully surprised if God chooses to reveal anything else to us.

Thank you also to all of you who ask questions, who drop us notes, who want to know how we're doing. We are really doing so much better than I thought possible. God has an amazing ability to sustain His people during difficult times. However, we don't want to give the impression that there aren't things that make us sad.

This last week has been a bit tougher in the memories, the reminders, the reality. We are each dealing with different sorrows, but running to God and each other so much more than we used to. We are making decisions as a family, and seeking out ways to minister to each other because we realize that each of us feels bad several times a day, but we also realize that each of us is capable of offering the others great comfort - whether it's in writing notes, listening, playing together, distracting each other, hugging, or simply crying for a few minutes.

Please know, if we forget to write a thank you, or you call or email and we don't reply, we haven't forgotten anyone. We are incredibly overwhelmed with so much to do, but with time, it will be "normal" again and we'll be so thankful to chat and show you how much we love you all!

In the meantime, we have some very specific prayer needs:

1. We must find more permanent housing as soon as possible. It is our desire to purchase a home, but we are asking God to show us His will.
2. For all of us to be patient about having a new pet. The home being gone, intensifies the pain of losing Joseph. We are used to loving and enjoying how God makes animals to comfort and simply be "buds" with people.
3. Our list for insurance is very, very long, but still far from being complete. Please pray for Gary and I as we continue to work as quickly as possible on it. We cannot receive our insurance check until we are done, and it's important that we are able to communicate in full the level of loss.
4. Ask the Lord to continue to draw us to Himself and more close with each other. It is so seldom that a family has such an amazingly defining moment in their lives that a "new beginning" is given so completely. We are all taking this to heart and embracing it together.

God bless you all!

the andersons

Right now...

Procrastinating. That's what I'm doing right now. It was probably three hours ago that I spoke again with our insurance agent, and I have to get the list of contents in our former home done for them to settle with us.

Instead I have made four business calls, taken two calls about things that can be donated, unloaded a couple of boxes, sent out emails, discovered 2 dead tadpoles (now if we can just keep the frogs alive - they are a good distraction), went on facebook, searched the local animal shelters for Joseph, looked at a few extra animals if we have to replace him, and told every one I can our new address, which happens to be PO Box 3816 Ventura, CA 93006. I've had to look up our new phone number at least 3 times in the last hour, but here it is too. 805-263-6975. I do want to warn you, however, that this is a temporary phone as we will be needing to find more permanent housing in the next 8 weeks.

Ending my procrastinating with a note to those who read this blog.

Yesterday morning, we had no pots, pans, serving bowls, spoons, measuring cups, etc. Today we have a full set of pots and pans, a family griddle, 3 serving bowls, several cassarole (how do you spell that silly word:) bowls, some serving utensils, and my first Christmas item - a lovely crystal platter. We also received several other items that are making our sweet condo feel more and more homey.

The pace has not slowed at all since Gary and the three younger kids left for camp, but it is certainly more quiet. Though I would enjoy quiet a bit more...not so much.

So, now I should be off to finish this incredible list...but guess what? I found another reason to procrastinate (which, by the way, is not at all my nature)...one of my business callers phoned me back!

Off I go, but first, God bless to all of you! Please know how much you have touched our lives and encouraged us along the way!

Rebuilding

This is the third night we have spent in our little condo. Gary, Tati, Bea, and Caleb are all settled at camp for the week, and Isaac and I are working to "unpack." Really, we're unpacking things from brand new boxes much more than anything else.

Everywhere we look are gifts from people who care what is happening, purchases made with more gifts, clothing in 24 different sizes - some bagged and ready to pass on, others waiting in piles or on shelves for putting away, and even more that still need to be sorted for keep or pass on.

The night before last, the girls and I came home from a long day of errands (to get everybody ready for camp) to the boys sitting on the living room floor eating hot dogs and beans. The hot dogs were understandable, but I wasn't too sure how they had cooked those beans, since pots and pans are not here yet. Gary smiled, saying, "I just cooked the can on the grill." I did notice the next morning, however, that the last 1/4 of the beans were in a bowl on the counter - no seran wrap. Sometimes we have to decide if it's worth it to go to the store again.

Today, Isaac and I will make our first trip to the grocery for food that we will eat and also put on our shelves. We are anxious to have some home-cooked meals that don't include hot dogs or cereal. We will continue to tidy this home, go to the post office, work on the endless list for the insurance, go and look at some options for more permanent housing, and maybe even look at a car to replace the blown up one.

The kitty is still missing, but we believe we may have spotted him, so trips to the old neighborhood continue. Bea, Caleb, Gary, Debora, and I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. the other night attempting to draw him out several times.

Wednesday is the scheduled day for demolition of the old house. This was tough news. Not sure why. It isn't as if anyone could live in the barbeque pit left by the fire, but maybe the finality. This is good as well. We need finality, and the journey ahead promises to be full of new beginnings, so this is just the catalyst into the new.

We do have a new "permanent" phone number: 805-263-6975. Oh, and we have telephones now too!

New surprises every day...

Unique experiences when your home burns down:

1. The TimeWarner man comes to your condo to start your phone/internet line and you get a phone number. Immediately it hits you; you may have a number, but you don't have any phones.

2. A dear man, who you don't know, but cares a lot, buys your new mattress, brings it over to your temporary condo, and happens to have the cutters to cut the padlock on the garage that no longer has a key to it.

3. That medicine cabinet won't clean up, so you buy some more shelf liner.

4. The CD cases that weren't completely burned, were drowned by python-sized fire hoses. So, you take out the only slightly burned CD to clean and see if it happens to still have music on it.

5. While listing every single Playmobil toy you have ever purchased for the kids (researching the company site and ebay for a couple of hours), you remember that your kids also had Littlest Pet Shop, Barbies, cars, Star Wars and Prince Caspian toys. It's good the computer still works.

6. While putting your groceries and orchid you have dreamed of buying for 3 years, and have bitten the bullet and picked out, the lady ahead of you asks you a question that brings up the fire (can't remember the question - sorry), and then she tells you she's been searching for your cat. You've never met her before, but she still cares about the details of your family's lives.

7. Countless calls, a ton of new clothes for a really tall son, and a 20 minute stop for a massage (another luxery I've waited a year for), and the realization that the eggs your kids found down by the hotel's creek were snake eggs - okay that's just creepy. You know what else WAS down there? Tree frogs. And they not only can stick to trees, but also red hotel walls, in spite of their fatigue from tree frog races up and down the stairs.

So many surprises, so many little joys, and a few critters I really didn't want to meet; overall, it was a very good day!

Such a Great Day!

This was a totally fun and productive day - something that has not happened so much since the fire. Isaac was dropped off at our new condo to do some serious carpet cleaning (which of course meant that Caleb cannot go in now for 3 days due to his history with Kawasaki Disease).

Gary was dropped off at work where it is probably nowhere near as chaotic as living quarters right now. Please be in prayer for him, other staff, teens, and our four kiddos as they will all be heading off to camp for a week starting this Sunday. I think it will be a wonderful "normal" time of fun and growing, and I'm looking forward to working slowly and steadily making the condo feel a bit more like home.

The kids and I then ran a series of errands; picking up clothes at one place, some dishes at another, getting a few more perscriptions, and then off to Target for several things to make other steps easier and more beautiful. One of the things I loved about our other home was that there were wonderful flowers and fruit trees growing right outside our bedroom patio door. So, today I purchased some wonderfully fun and pretty flowers to decorate our small patio and front doorway. It's nice here because flowers grow and bloom year round (not all, but many).

Then, we picked up Gary and he dropped Tati and I off at the condo and went back to swim with the others at our hotel. Soon, Lisa and Debora came with some bedding and a futon (probably the girls' bed for awhile, but maybe part of our living room motif. It was a beautiful futon, so that was so nice. Our only surviving piece of furniture from the fire, a wonderful rocking glider, matches the futon perfectly and felt so delightfully "familiar" now that Lisa cleaned the cushions so they no longer smell like fire.

Tati and I also did quite a bit of cleaning which also felt simply joyful! You even miss the irritating chores when they are suddenly not necessary or even possible. One task we are finding rather confusing is doing the laundry. Because everything is new to us, we often don't recognize what belongs to whom, thus doubling the time spent. Soon it will all be familiar, but today it wasn't.

It is such a joy to hear from so many of you, run into quite a few friends when we are out and about, and knowing that your love and God's love is truly sustaining us in all of this. Big hugs!

Fun Steps

Today was nice. I was able to go into our little condo with a wonderful friend today and hang a new shower curtain and put a couple of towels in places where towels go. We also purchased a few extra things that are really "normal," like wastebaskets and file folders, which is comforting.

It's interesting. There are so many different "feelings" that are part of all of this. I feel like we've been "traveling" for 6 months, and yet don't miss my own bed or wish we could head home. Perhaps it's harder to long for things and places that simply don't exist. Yet, when we were at the condo today, the little place (maybe about 1000 sq ft) felt a little like "home" and that was so very exciting! It felt "happy" to think about the few little things we can do around the place to make it better - things like fix cupboard door hinges, maybe a little painting, or simply laying down cupboard liners.

I was able to bring some odds and ends back to our hotel to "clean" up and see if they will make it, or transfer information so it's more available. It was wonderful to accomplish things that were visable and tangible as so much of what we are doing is just sustaining what must happen.

Last night, I even did some work (for my business). Although Gary has been continuing to work as much as possible, I had to set it aside for a while as there were just too many diddly (do you like that word) details to take care of every minute.

Another blessing today was some shopping for the girls with the Meyer's from church. They got all set up to go to camp next week which is keeping all the kids excited right now.

Thank you to all of you who have been writing emails, facebooking, sending gifts and encouragement and just being there for us. If we had to do this alone, it would have been unbelievably hard.

We have had some encouraging possible "sightings" of Joseph-kitty. No one has been able to actually catch him, and it does appear that he is loosing weight rather rapidly, but there is still hope that he is out there and alive. We keep praying.

Worst part of this right now (other than the cat) is having to make this crazy insurance list of every single item we owned so that we will receive the money for all that was insured. Best part of having to do that? Well, not owning so much of the stuff on the list is rather "freeing." We do have to admit, however, that furniture is a really nice thing to own - not as easy to do without as the 500+ books, DVD's, CD's etc.

God bless you all! Please be careful when cooking with oil or anything that includes fire - our newest lesson in life (said with a smile).

the andersons

Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1. Though the cover was ashes barely holding together, many blown away, the Bible was open to the Beginning of time. It sat out on top our old stove in the driveway, carried out by firemen in the midst of flames.

Rather telling isn't it. God doesn't miss a step. He doesn't waste anything. In the midst of these ashes, we find His message. This isn't the end of our memories, our history, our dreams; this is His gift of a new beginning.

This is a defining moment for our family. A moment in our history that we will always remember as a beginning.

We flew Isaac home from his boarding school to be with us. We can't start over without him. He can't grasp the reality of today without us.

So, slowly, we all began to dig through the piles of debris. A baby blanket here, a stuffed animal there, the remains of Gary's Gary Fisher mountain bike, a few pages of my Betty Crocker cookbook - the one that is just like my mom's. The massage chair, once too heavy for 4 men to carry, is now two inches tall, only the platform remains. Gramma's old secretary desk looks like last week's campfire...yet tucked inside a badly burned drawer, our neighbor found Bea's adoption papers. Untouched.

The lovely oak bookshelf is missing its top two shelves, contents and all. There is nothing left to show they ever existed, however, the baby books on the bottom two shelves have only burned edges and water dripping from the fireman's hose.

I keep wondering how this inferno could have left my little wicker purse, with its shell flower sewn on, completely intact. It doesn't even smell. The deposit inside is still waiting for the next trip to the bank, and my driver's license isn't melted.

These days are very hard, and yet we find ourselves rejoicing more than crying. No one was hurt. We all still have a thousand memories that bring up much more vivid pictures than any photos lost. We don't mind having only three outfits, no phone, no address, no toys. We have each other.

It's a new and beautiful start. God reminded us, when the smoke died down, and we found His message in His first Words, burned but lasting forever.

June 25, 2009

We have now moved into a Residence Inn in the town next to Ventura. This is allowing all of us to be together, sleep in good beds, have a pool and some meals provided, and let the wonderful Swan family who has been housing us this last week have their home back. We are so very, very thankful for all that they did to keep us sane - and that was so much!

We are currently in the process of making a list for our insurance of every single little thing we owned, which is quite a challange when it no longer exists. If any of you happen to have photos of us in any of our homes and it wouldn't be too hard to email/mail them, that would be very helpful. Or if you just have wonderful photographic memories of really strange items you remember, that's good too!

In the next 2-3 weeks, we will be moving into a 2 bedroom condo that our wonderful realtor found for us. This will allow us to take the time to search for the right home to purchase/rent. It will be fun putting girls in one bedroom, boys in the other, and Gary and I are hoping for a hide-a-bed for the wonderful living room. We will also be receiving a refridgerator from someone so we can cook there. Please pray for us as the condo does have a gas stove, and we're all feeling a bit jumpy around stoves right now - argh! However, we are so very thankful to have a place to live and breathe and call home for the next couple of months.

We did get a storage unit for the few things we were able to pull out of the house, but even the smell attached to everything in the home may deter us from keeping more than a little bit of it.

So, how are we all doing? Well... It really hit Isaac this a.m., so he and I have been talking through his feelings quite a bit. Tati and Caleb are really taking a lot of it in stride - just fits their personalities. Bea has had a few really rough days (every single thing of hers was absolutely gone), but today she was full of giggles and energy, so that was simply wonderful! Last night Debora (very close friend) took Bea and Caleb to Target to get a couple of games and a journal for Bea, which seems to have offered her a real turning point.

Our landlord/adopted Grampa & Gramma for our kids gave us back all the days of rent we had left and our security deposit. That was simply wonderful. He has also helped us with much of our clean up and just being a comforting presence through the painful pieces. We just couldn't be more thankful that God has orchestrated even this so beautifully.

Another adopted Gramma from our neighborhood made some sweet blankets and pillows for the kids that will be uniquely theirs. This too brought smiles and comfort.

Gary and I just continue to move forward and praise the Lord for our noisy, silly kids swarming around us every step of the way. There is nothing like family. This we know.

Our love and blessings to all of you! Every note, prayer, gift, etc brings great joy!

Andersons

Bulletin Insert - 6/24/09

Our phone numbers are now available. Gary is still 805-824-3551 and I am now 805-256-5681. Our email is still powder211@juno.com. As soon as we have an address, we will update you on that as well. Right now (until about July 15th) we are still using our former address 5344 Annapolis Ct, Ventura, CA 93003.



The following is the insert we placed in our church bulletin:



We would like to thank everyone in our church family for the immediate and loving response to our need for food, clothing, and housing due to the fire that consumed our home and car. Everyone is safe and uninjured and we were a bit relieved that we didn’t have to have our planned garage sale that weekend. We are following several leads for a new place to live, knowing God is providing for us every step of the way. So many of you have been asking what you can do to help, which we appreciate so much.

Prayer for Gary and Tami as we help each child process their feelings and embrace this new adventure. Isaac (15), Tatiana (14), Beatriz (13), and Caleb (10).
We have set up a bridal registry at Target so it will be easy to determine what we need and what has been provided. Whether someone purchases or gives one of these needs, we will check it off in the registry so it will be easy to know whether or not we are still in need.
Financial help for renting or purchasing a home. In the few months prior to the fire, our family has been searching for a home to purchase. This will help our family not have to be in temporary housing for a long period of time.
For those who are offering furniture or other big items, Lisa Polzien (949-584-8033) and Debora Rock (515-450-3433) have offered to keep a list of people and items available, so that we can call when we have a home in which to put them.
. ? Help with financial gifts ? through the ? deacon’s fund ? (Susanna?)

We will keep you updated through the church bulletin and this blogsite, http://thehealthyhome4all.blogspot.com/.

God’s great love and blessings to you all,

Gary and Tami Anderson and Family

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Today was our day to get into our home and start trying to salvage a few things. There was really very little to salvage, but we are experimenting with a few things we pulled out of our bedrooms.

The kids all went with us (including Isaac - who flew in last night). It was good for them to have the chance to put on masks and gloves and take flashlights in to see what was left.

The inside of the home was all black, and rather wet as well. There were small treasures here and there, and quite a bit of paperwork (tax stuff) that we were able to pull out, a few books, a couple clothes items and some cleaning supplies.

We then rented a small storage unit, so we don't have to bring any charred smelly items into anyone's garage or anything else. We also looked at a couple home options and spent some time looking for our still-missing cat.

Tomorrow we will either move into a Residence Inn, or perhaps some temporary housing. The Swans have been incredible and we couldn't be more thankful.

For a time, we are asking people who have items they feel we may be able to use, to simply make a list with your name, email, phone number, and then when we have some place to live, we would love to be able to contact you then.

We feel everyone's prayers and love and are continuing to praise God for every blessing He is bringing!

love to all,
The Andersons

June 22, 2009

We are beginning a blog so that we can keep people updated on what is happening, what we need (the most popular question due to all of you being the most wonderful people), and how we are doing.

Today was our last day of not being able to do "anything." Tomorrow our former home will be unboarded for a while so we can go back in and salvage what may be left. Although there is not furniture that could be saved, there are good papers, a few photos, and maybe our address book, that have been pleasant surprises so far.

This will also be when we meet with our insurance people and get that ball rolling as well. Although looking at the piles of burned "stuff" is a bit hard, it is also a bit of a relief. At the very least, it helps us know what we are saying "good bye" to and put some serious finality on the end of the "messy" era of our life and hopefully, enter into a greater simplicity - one of the joys of this experience (we are looking for them!).

For those who have meeting so many of our crazy needs, thank you over and over. And for those who have been asking what you can do and what we need...our first need is prayer. It is making all the difference in the world for all of us. Secondly, please keep letting us know you are out there. There are moments, because we've been displaced, that we are feeling a bit disoriented, and hearing from you makes this much better.

Last of all, for those who are hoping to help us "start over," we are going to register at Target and possibly Kohls or another department store for our basic needs. Then, whether an item is provided from another home, or from the store, we can simply mark it off and everyone will know. This has also helped us greatly as it's very hard to remember what was there when it isn't anymore.

We love you all, rejoice in the love you are surrounding us with, praise the Lord moment by moment for all His mercies, and look forward to inviting people over to our house again!

The Andersons