My Second Vehicle is a JOHN DEERE

I 'm on Orcas Island, have been since Thursday morning. The days are running into each other as my time has been spent tending to 13 horses..feeding, watering and mending fences. I am grateful for the summers I spent learning to run the John Deer tractor for it has become my main source of strength in heavy labor. Luke thinks mommy is pretty cool and he has been right there with me riding along. All of this has been in my free time of course, between all the phone calls and pop ins from friends, neighbors and complete strangers that are arriving to show great care and concern for what has happened to my parents over this past week.

I met with the Fire Marshall, Fire Investigator and Insurance Adjuster on Thursday. I also had new keys made for some things that had become recently key-less. My Uncle Tom and another friend of my folks , also named Tom flew up for the day on Friday. Tom's x 2 , was double the hugs and double the support. They spent the day digging in the rubble for anything of value, which there was non to be found. I am so grateful for their presence and reassurance at this time. My Uncle has stepped up to the plate in a huge way and I seriously don't know what we would do with out him.

I have spent some time in the ashes..pocking around and just trying to process what has happened. It is so surreal...everything is just POOF- GONE! It looks like the Land of the lost...black, charred, unreal! The fire Marshall found one box of pictures- amazingly it was all of the UW Basketball history about my dad. What a gift, and what kind of freaky timing is that? Dads Rebound Record was broken by Jon Brockman just last night at the Oregon game. The fire marshall also found a fire proof box that contained....(well this is kind of gross)...but it contained my grandpa's ashes. Both my grandparents died last winter and their remains where both being stored in my parents home until we could honor their wishes. Grandpa had asked for his ashes to be taken to Mexico to a favorite fishing hole. It looks like we will still be able to honor that wish. Grandma on the other hand..well....she was not in a fire safe box. This might sound totally wrong to some of you, but it just felt right... well kind of. I spent some time collecting ash in the spot where grandma's box had been kept. I think I found her! She's in a coffee can now...she always loved coffee and I seriously was talking out loud to her saying, "Grandma your probably laughing out load right now, don't worry I'll let some of you stay here with all the antiques you always loved so much!"

To say the very least it has been an incredibly bizarre week. Besides loosing one of my children or my husband, I feel like I am living my worst nightmare. I am at a neighbors so I can have access to a computer. My son is asleep on her couch with her cat. My sister drove up to be with mom in Seattle and go visit dad in the hospital. Scott and Makayla will be coming this way next Wednesday thru Sunday. My dad is scheduled for another surgery for this coming Monday because the incision site is not looking good.

It is going to be a very long and very slow process to try to recover and rebound. There are going to be some big decisions that need to be made and I ask that you would pray for Gods Grace, Mercy, Wisdom, Strength and GLORY to be shown.

Much Love-
Kimberlyn