There's No Place Like Home

"There's no place like home" what new meaning that famous quote from the Wizard of Oz holds for us now. Finally, nearly 16 months since the fire, we are back!!! Thanks to my sweet friends and a plea on Facebook, we had tons of help moving, actually a few folks that we don't see too often have been checking in now and again just to see what the updates were and make sure we knew they "really did want to help us". So it was pretty fast and a little chaotic but we got it all here and though my "gals" did a great job unpacking the kitchen, and my sister flew in from Colorado to help me get organized, I do have a few boxes that need to be tended too - most of them in the craft room but one day soon creativity will be flowing in there, I'm sure of it!

Some FAQ's

"Is every thing "done", done?" No, but we don't mind have the workers here. In fact we may even miss them when they are gone. We have spent more time with them than some of our closets friends over the past few months

"How are Aidan's Fish?" Aidan's fish didn't survive long after the fire and many of the replacements did not survive the move from Dove Canyon BUT these newest fish seem to be doing great after transport.

"Has all your furniture arrived?" Yes and no. I only ordered furniture for the kitchen and family room and it's here. We have beds now we just have to figure out what we want in the other rooms. I think our ping-pong table will look great in the dining room for now.

"What do you like most about your house now?" Everything! There are things I love about every room and I can't really pick a favorite. You'll just have to come see for yourself.

"Does it feel like home?" Funny though everything is new (except the foundation) it still feels like home to us. It's so familiar in fact, that I keep trying to throw things away in the dishwasher - because that's where the trash can used to be, and I reach for light switches that have been re-located, the list goes on but it's not upsetting to me. Every time I find myself reverting to an "old habit", it makes me smile because I am reminded that I am finally home.

More progress

Wood floors went in the kids rooms, craft room and study today. Kitchen cabinets are still being installed and work on the banisters has begun. Also, decision has been made on family room sofa and chairs - now if I can just get them ordered, we'll at least have a place to sit when we move back in!

We're getting closer!

It's been two months since my last post and there has been a ton of progress on our house! It's really fun to go over and see the daily changes and I'm much relieved to find it feels familiar even though everything is new and all the finishes are all different. The stone flooring is finished, and much of the tile work is done. The kitchen, bath and linen cabinets are being installed and next week a template will be made for the counter tops. Most of the interior paint is finished as well, the kids each picked their own colors for their rooms and they really look great, but unfortunately we are having a hard time with the exterior color - in comparison to the issues we have had up to this point, it's no big deal, we'll get it worked out.

We did end up having to do more work in the front and back yards than we anticipated. It's a shame to think of the money we wasted keeping the plants alive and yard looking well to see it all get torn up either by heavy equipment or as things that needed to be replaced were exposed by the chain reaction caused by demo for new construction. It really is going to look like a new house when we are done, landscaping and all. I have always wondered what it would be like to live in a new home but this isn't exactly the way I had hoped to go about it.

We still don't have a firm move in date, end of May is all I know. My sister is coming out to help and has already booked her airline ticked so I hope it holds true - if not, I'll have to find another way to keep her busy ;) It may involve buying furniture as that is the one task I still haven't conquered. I have been "shopping" everyday for lighting fixtures, handles, knobs and pulls, toilets, sinks and plumbing fixtures but decided to take the week off to play with our friends that are visiting from Indiana for Spring break. I really do need to get back at it next week or we truly will be sitting on patio furniture and sleeping on air mattresses - which actually will still be wonderful since we will finally be home!

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Extravagant Love on Valentine's Day

What a weird week! I have heard that "anniversaries" of losses can creep up on you in unexpected ways and I suppose that the fact that our fire happened on such a commercialized date, Valentines Day, should have made it obvious to me that there will probable never be a time when the date would pass unnoticed. I really did not expect the emotions that have been triggered. It began last week during bible study when we were discussing "Extravagant Love". People recounted stories of receiving expensive gifts like cars and diamonds (both of which I have also received) but what came to my mind was the extravagant love expressed to us in the simplest of ways last year on Valentines Day...friends taking our horrific smelling clothes home with them to wash, clothes that really weren't even worth keepin in the first place...the woman we had never met that drove up from San Diego when she heard about us because she too had lost her home in a fire and she wanted to make sure there was someone there to tell us it really would be ok...friends that showed up that didn't know what to say or do but just wanted us to know they cared. The list is so long and the cost was so small (mostly just time) and yet the extravagance leaves me overwhelmed with emotion, even now, and inspired to try to love others in that same extravagant way. I think, unfortunately, this is one of those things, like motherhood, that you can't ever communicate to another person but once you have experienced it, you get it and it becomes a part of who you are forever.

So here we are a year later, on the one hand the memories are as vivid as if it happened yesterday and on the other hand it seems like it happened a lifetime ago. The big question now (right after "how's the house") is, "are you going to Big Bear?" It has been a tradition for years and the answer is, "Yes". Though, truth be told, I voted not to go. The kids and Mike are not ready to "throw away our tradition just because our house burned down". I don't know, it sounds like a good enough reason to me ;) The odds of it happening again are very slim but I worried that the memory of it would cause more pain than the event itself did. So we compromised, I agreed to go and they agreed to stay in a different place. But it seems that for as many things as I am in control of changing, there are things that are out of my control that are going to be exactly the same, so my attempt at complete avoidance has been thwarted, shucks! Oh well I guess I'll have to put my big girl (ski) pants on and deal with it head on.

As for the house, it's coming along great! the roof is on (sort of), windows and doors in, scratch coat of stucco on, interior walls taped and mudded. Next week the stucco will be complete and the other exterior finish work will begin. Our completion date is projected for sometime in May and we have started selecting interior finishes - soon we'll have to make some decisions on furniture too! Sounds fun but it is overwhelming though with an end in sight, it makes it much easier to carry on. Unfortunately, even at this late stage, we are not done battling with Allstate. The good news is we have learned how to do it better and remove the emotions from it...sort of ;) So while a lot has changed this year, a lot is still the same.

Here are a couple interior pictures for you to peek at. We'd love to give you a tour if you are in the neighborhood just make sure it's during the day because we still don't have any lights!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

It's A New Dawn, It's A New Day!

Yay, 2009 is finally over! Don't get me wrong; I acknowledge life goes too fast, and when I look at my "big" kids, I often wish I could turn back the clock. Recently a friend had posted on her Facebook Status "What was the high and low of 2009 and why?" Mine were the same - our fire. Worst for obvious reasons and best because never before have we felt so loved by so many - and even many we never would have expected. Our Christmas tree was just one example - I packed up over 175 ornaments, they are all so special to us, because they represent more than decorations, they represent 175 relationships, each one chosen especially for us and none a surprise, of course we were surprised when we received them but accepted with a knowing nod - of course we'd get a Catalina ornament from our friends we've spent a weekend in September for nearly the past 10 years (wow, am I that old?) with, of course Mike would get a cigar ornament, Alyssa an Elvis, Aidan some fish/ing, some pugs, some Starbucks - of course, of course! I wish I could list them all but hopefully you've already seen the photos and you know...and if you know us, you weren't surprised either.

But 2009 is over. It's a new dawn, a new day and for us, that means a new house!!! The framing is done, the rough plumbing and electrical in, we have HVAC (the furnace is in a new location and should it catch fire and fall out of the ceiling, it will not cut us off from our kids). I have been busy trying to select tile and flooring as well as plumbing fixtures, and wishing I had a crystal ball to know if glass tile is going to be the glass block of the 2010's. But I don't really care, I like it, so I'm getting some. Good taste never goes out of style :)

Don't take this to mean we will be moving in any time soon. Many of these products have long lead times so we need to get them ordered which means furniture orders will be just around the corner. The completion date, well month, is May but we all know how that goes, so I'm just shooting for summer. The trick to this new era will be in remembering to "live" these next 6 months, not just wait for them to be over.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree....

...how lovely are the branches. Thank you to all our wonderful family and friends that joined us (despite the horrendous weather) for the ornament party. It was a huge success, 81 adults and 56 kids (not including us) came out to help us decorate our tree and share some Christmas Joy! It was POURING rain but we had guests from as far south as San Diego and as far north as L.A. Of course we missed those of you who were feeling under the weather or just not up to braving the storm, but since we hardly had a moment to visit, it's probably best

We had dancing, cookie decorating, puzzle making, visiting, eating and of course, tree trimming! Our tree is so gorgeous I don't ever want to take it down. Our landlord, Diego, came by to decorate it (with out ornaments) so it was spectacular before the party even began.

Below is a link where you can view some some photos. I asked each guest to fill out a card to let us know why they chose their particular ornament and am planning to make a scrap book. Unfortunately I didn't get any pics of the cookie decorating but if anyone has any (or others), please send them to me

We are all set for a great vacation and came up with a compromise that made the whole family happy, we are heading to Hawaii but will be back Christmas day. Hopefully when we return, the plywood for our new roof will be up and I'll have lots to report on construction progress.

Until then Mele Kalikimaka! (which means Merry Christmas in Hawaiian)

Click here for the pictures

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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

December is here and lots of little elves have been showing up around the Reynolds' house and the places we frequent. Which, of course has lifted our spirits tremendously. I ended the month of November trying to shake the guilty feelings off. You see, I am embarrassed to admit that over the past couple weeks I have become painfully aware of just how important Christmas traditions had become to me. I think I have mentioned in the previous post, that I feel like God is often "setting me up" and this is no exception. I was already doubting my true motivation behind our traditions and then the message at church on Sunday talked about how traditions can become so routine that the meaning gets lost and then, as if that wasn't enough, yesterday at bible study, we talked about how traditions can often be created around a false truths in the first place. It seems that everywhere I turn, I am forced to think about tradtions but really I just want to escape them! I don't think I fall into either of those categories but, then again, a year ago I wouldn't have realized I fit into this category either. I have been on the other extreme, my traditions, though beautiful and well intentioned, had super-ceded the true meaning of Christmas.

For example, in a previous post, I mentioned how sad I was about losing my Nutcrackers. A couple friends had suggestions about where I could replace them but what I didn't write was that I was so sad that I had decided not to replace them at all for fear that pulling the new ones out would not bring me the same joy but only remind me of what I had lost. And then my mom called and said "there are 6 Nutcrackers on their way to you" since she was involved in the original purchase, I thought "OK, I'll take hers but no more".

Since then, I have been invited to several craft fairs and boutiques by well intentioned friends who have waaaay too much of their own Christmas decor but would love to live vicariously through me - I just couldn't do it. Walking in to stores and seeing Nutcrackers, Snow globes and Nativity sets (my favorite Christmas collections) didn't leave me feeling giddy as it had in years past but left me with a sinking feeling in my stomach. And, much like right after the fire when I would find my self standing in Target paralyzed, unable to make a simple purchase, I would walk out of the "Holiday department" empty handed.

The idea of purchasing decorations and ornaments was depressing to me, I wanted what I had or nothing at all! Decorating the tree would not be the same without reminiscing about where each ornament was purchased or who gave it to us, or how little the hands were at the time it was made. ***Here is some Stefanie Fire Trivia for you - during the last fires, someone asked, "if you had had the chance to be evacuated, what would you have taken?" I said "I would have died inside digging through Christmas boxes looking for the ornament Alyssa made at 4yrs old - a photo of her dressed as Mary in a Popsicle stick frame made to look like a stable and one Aidan had made in Kindergarten - his hand print in white paint around a blue glass bulb, the fingers were painted to look like snowmen. " Obviously I wouldn't have risked my life to get them, I'm sure they would rather have me than those ornaments (today anyway) but in hindsight I wish I had put one hand made item from each of my kids in our firesafe.*** OK, back to my confession, I did not want to have Christmas this year, I even convinced Mike that we should just go out of town for the Holiday.

The kids however, were not having it. They wanted a tree. Then I had an idea to have a Christmas party and ask each guest to bring us an ornament. It would be a great opportunity to thank all of our friends and family who have helped us out so much over the past 10 months and also help replace our ornaments in a more meaningful fashion (btw if you are reading this, you are invited - just RSVP). Just a couple days later the "miracle box" arrived on my porch and for the first time, the decorations, Nutcrackers included, didn't make me feel sad or angry, but loved and hopeful - that's how Christmas is supposed to feel! Of course, being the "feeler" that I am my emotions have swayed back and forth, but the highs get higher and the lows, not quite as low. It seems that just about the time I start to have a pity party for myself, something happens to show me that "new" doesn't necessarily mean bad. Yesterday at bible study I received ornaments, and other holiday decorations (Nutcrackers included) from my "table" of friends and I didn't have to pretend to be happy to recieve them, I truly was. Today I got a box of decorations from my mom, I didn't get through it all because I have some sort of stomach bug and it wasn't in reaction to items, though for the day, it made me regret having a party (how will I get ready if I'm sick?!). Tonight while I was convalescing, some "carolers" showed up in the courtyard.

I must admit I wasn't happy when I heard their joyful voices blasting Jingle Bells, my first thought was, "I don't want to get up" and my second was "I don't have anything to give them, maybe we should pretend we aren't home". But my conscience got the best of me so, I sent Alyssa to the door ;) She peeked out the window and was so excited to announce "It's all your friends". And then, even more embarrassing to admit, I thought "Really? They know I'm sick, why are they forcing Christmas on me, I told them I put up a tree isn't that enough?!" But they weren't here to be pushy and make me work, they were here to bring me soup and put up Christmas lights for us (we weren't supposed to be home but since I was sick, I cancelled our plans). I think Alyssa was the most excited to see them. She kept running in and out with updates and telling me how "cute" my friends were and how "sweet" of them it was. She said I should have reacted like the people on Extreme Home Makeover and walked out, put my hands over my face and started to scream and cry. Honestly, if I had been feeling well and come home and discovered it all decorated, like they had planned, I probably would have. But instead, I made hot chocolate for them and sipped 7-Up while I watched them work. And now, our courtyard is twinkling beautifully, we almost need sunglasses to sit out there!

This is one Christmas Tradition worth keeping, infact it's the original tradition - not the free Christmas Light Labor, though that would be a good one too - but, what at Terranova (our church) has become known as Incarnating Christ, or putting skin on Jesus. Simply put it means showing love to people in tangible ways. And boy do we feel loved!

Oh yeah, some of you may be wondering what's going on with the house. It really is a fascinating process. Slow though :( The framing is moving along, still just on the 1st floor. They had to bring a big X-ray machine out to X-ray the slab to see where the post-tension rods are so that they wouldn't hit them when they drilled in with the new footings. Deep trenches were dug around the house for those footings, and work has begun on plumbing and all that stuff that we won't see.

Here are a couple pictures for you. You can see straight through from the front yard to the back right now!

The first picture is from the front yard and the 2nd of the kitchen.