Life continues...

I'd say it's been an eventful few days, but it hasn't been. And really, we're okay with that.

We went to Myrtle Beach for the holiday weekend. It was nice to get away from the immediate situation and just have some family time. Katherine had a great time playing, feeding turtles in a little pond (okay, I'll admit this was pretty fun for me too!) and going to the beach. The "down-time" was good for all of us. We even cooked our Easter dinner. Ham, macaroni & cheese and green beans. It was awesome!! K and I made an Easter Bunny cake together that I'm not sure who was more excited to eat - K or S. It was a box cake with some can frosting and bagged coconut but brought a whole lot of smiles. AWESOME!!

We returned home on Monday to meet the FEMA inspector. He came through our house, took some pictures and some of our information and went on his way. As we understand it our initial application for assistance was denied because we have homeowners insurance. We need to wait to see what the insurance will cover and then may be able to re-apply for assistance. I'm not certain but I believe we have until June 11th to submit that application. Not a whole lot of time given the situation, but hopefully enough time for us to know what's happening.

We haven't heard back from our insurance company yet. I don't think we've gotten any further communication from the adjuster either. I've been working the last couple of nights on documenting the contents inside of the house that were damaged. I didn't realize how much there was until I started documenting each line item and quantifying the cost associated with replacing it. I certainly didn't expect it to take as much time as it is. But isn't that usually the way? :)

Stephen and I continue to feel so blessed and grateful. It seems odd sometimes but under other circumstances I think I'd be having a nervous breakdown. Really. But in this situation I'm glad that it's a feeling of, we're fortunate to have a roof over our head and clothes on our backs. Food in the house is still debatable - but that's our own fault. Grocery shopping is certainly an item on the list of "things to do". The best news to report is: We're back in "the family house"! The first night I was pretty anxious. I struggled getting to sleep waiting for something to "happen". I'm not sure what I thought was going to happen, so I just waited. Eventually sleep happened. Thankfully. While I know it will take time for things to get back to "normal" - We're at least back in our routine. School/Work>Dinner>Bedtime. And tonight we even threw in a little playdate for KK with the neighbor.

I'm so grateful for getting to know our neighbors better. I am certain it's been our own fault that we haven't known them better in the past - and I'm so glad that we're getting to know them now. Truly fantastic people. Funny, sarcastic, easy-going, family people... I love it!!!

Vacuuming is also something on my list of things to do. Daily. Repeatedly. Obsessively. And no matter how much I vacuum the carpet there's still glass. Shop-vac vacuum. Vacuum where I break a vacuum (apparently for the 30 minutes I was cleaning and *thought* I was picking up glass I was pushing the machine back and forth over the carpet - AWE-SOME!!!) I'll continue to be obsessive. It's one of the few things I can control. And I'm referring to vacuuming. ;)

So we wait... We called the insurance company on Monday to see if we could get any money to cover the immediate expenses we had. The answer was no. Asked if we could rent an air conditioner or buy one to help keep the house cool this week - the answer was no. Fortunately my cousin came to the rescue with a window unit that we are using to help keep us cool! THANK YOU MICHELLE!! xo

On Saturday there are a group of volunteers from our neighborhood that are coming to help us remove the three trees from our backyard that either fell or are in the process of falling down. Fortunately all are far enough away from the house, and the trees are short enough, that there shouldn't be any risk of them landing anywhere to damage something! ;) Men & chainsaws... I think I'll stay away from that event!

Below are some pictures from the Easter weekend in MB. Continued thanks for everyone's support!!
xo
Darlene, Stephen & KK

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