Back to Normal

Life is getting back to normal here. There is still a lot of equipment we need to purchase for the business and we're trying to make wise decisions about it. It seems like the things that are available right away are way more expensive, but then again, there has been so much that we people have sold us at a discount because of the situation.

Lily and I are trying to plan her birthday party. I can't believe she is going to be 3 already, and yet somettimes it feels as if I have known her all my life. I already have princess tiaras and invitations, but she says she wants a bunny party. So it's going to be a princess bunny party and we're going to have it at the park so I don't have to stress out about the house and cause stress to every member of our family. Luckily her birthday is right after Easter, so I'm planning to raid the stores the day after Easter to get all their bunny party supplies at half-off.

So, that's what's going on now. We still can't believe it's only been a week since the fire and we're already running full-speed in a brand new building. God has really carried both of us through this. We are so thankful and we look forward to blessings in abundance for our family and all those who have blessed us with equipment and especially their prayers. Now to go pick more rocks out of the garden. It has been neglected.

New Shop

We are moving to the new shop tomorrow! It is the most beautiful metal building in an industrial park I have ever seen. It's so clean and bright. So many people have offered to let us borrow their tools or sell their equipment at super cheap that we are ready to get back to work at full speed ahead. The guys have been working all week in shop space that another furniture company let us share so thankfully none of our employees have suffered any down time either. There is no way we could have thrown this business back together in 5 days on our own. God has proven over and over that He provides perfectly and that we need to be totally dependent on Him.

Also, for some mysterious reason (sarcasm) the pictures of the bible that survived are getting erased. I didn't realize that some force higher up on the www chain would be going in and deleting pictures of the bible from my blog, especially when there is so much evil on the web waves that others have the freedom to spread. I put them back on and I will continue to post them over and over. Even if I get shut down, no one can stop the testimony of how God is providing and how that bible was the only thing that survived a five-alarm fire. The newspaper has already interviewed Paul about all of this and so many people all over the world have heard. God wants us to proclaim His glory when He works in our lives.

Pictures of the old shop

There is actually a van in one of the pictures, but you can hardly tell. The white space in the fourth picture is where Paul's bible was sitting on his desk. The whole desk and laptop were melted, but the bible remained. God has provided so much through this. I hope this encourages your faith.

The Word of God Stands

This is Paul's Bible that survived the fire. You can read every page and every verse in it even though you can't even recognize the desk that it was sitting on.

Good News!

We're not going to stop for one minute to focus on the negatives in this tragedy. God is providing for us from all over the place and we are so lifted up in peace and thanksgiving and we're motivated about moving forward. First of all, there we're four jobs in the shop that were being built that are now ashes. We have to complete those but all the builders are completely understanding that they are going to be past the deadline. So many people have offered to let us borrow tools and machinery that we could realistically be up and running on Monday. The only problem is that we have no shop to work in, but we are positive that God will provide that, too. Paul was able to collect some money that was due to us yesterday and even deposit checks for two new jobs! He even got a call from a guy that he had never met that wants us to do his cabinets! Immediate providence. Now we can buy the materials to finish the jobs that were destroyed. The next thing that happened is that Paul called the company that sold us the $9000 software that he uses for the layouts and cut-sheets. They said that we would have to buy all new software because it wasn't covered by fire damage. Later, they called back and said we would only have to pay $250 plus shipping! Amazing! Paul was then able to buy a new laptop that was on sale, so we can start doing new drawings.
Back to the jobs that were destroyed. It was going to be a lot of hassle to go and remeasure and everybody try to remember what they ordered and what they had where because all those drawings were gone just like everything else that was in there. Even the exterior brick walls are gone. I mean, there is nothing left. It's still smoking today and the fire started Thursday night. So, Paul went poking around in the muck that's a foot deep of wet charcoal yesterday afternoon. He went over to his desk that is now melted to the floor with his laptop melted into it, and right next to where his laptop was, is his Bible completely intact and untouched by the fire. I'm telling you, there's nothing left in the whole shop, but his Bible is sitting there and you can read it with only a little water damage. God is showing us that He is in this and is going to take care of us no matter how bad it is. Then Paul took a few steps and slipped on something. When he pulled it out from under a pile of charred wood and soot, it was a ring binder of drawings, measurements, colors and the contract of one of those jobs that was destroyed. This is a huge deal! Then he feels around some more and finds another job book, and another, and another. All four job books for the four jobs that were destroyed! Not old ones, the ones he needs. I can't describe how much was lost (some machines were so new that we haven't even used them yet!), but the only five things that survived were so important. God is so good!
Well, That's what's going on. We're all healthy, we're all safe, God is good and that's all that matters.

My Sweet Lily

I forgot to add a minute ago that this morning after us only having a couple hours sleep, Lily (having no idea of what is going on) crawled into bed with us and snuggled up with Paul. After a minute she said in her sweetest voice, "My Daddy is so great!" He needed that more than she could ever know. God has such a sweet way of using children to show us beauty in the midst of the ashes. Literally.

Well, in case you don't know already, Paul's shop burned down last night. All 10,000 sq. ft. is burned to the ground. Nothing could be saved. All of our equipment (which was a lot) is gone, all of the materials, computers and drawing software, all the cabinets already built and waiting to go out or be sprayed, all of it is gone. We only rented the building so we didn't have insurance on it and there was only very little on the equipment so we will be starting over from scratch. That seems pretty scary to me right now. I think we are both still in shock. That is why I'm asking everyone to pray for us because it hasn't really hit me yet. All I can think about is how thankful I am that Paul is alive and my children are healthy. I'm thankful that he didn't go in to the fire to rescue the computers or the van (which is gone too). Paul needs wisdom as to what to do next and please pray for our finances. There were jobs in there that he is still obligated to complete so I guess that alone is going to throw us back into business. I can't even begin to tell you how much was gone monetarily. It was a lot and we paid cash for all of it. I'm also thankful that we didn't take out any loans and now have to pay them back even though everything is gone. I'm just going to sit here and be thankful for my family and y'all pray for everything else because I can't right now. That's all. I can't think about this anymore.

St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ft. Worth

Lily says she's a cowgirl now. She was so serious about riding the pony. I honestly think it was the most exciting time in her life up to this point. I want to have horses and land and raise my kids on a small farm (as long as it's not a chicken farm). Both of my parents are probably laughing because I was the one who always wanted to move out of the country to live in the city. I guess I'm just a cowgirl at heart and Lily is a cowgirl, too.

Digging for fossils at the musuem. Nolan was born to dig!

On the train and rock climbing at the zoo.

We're Back Home!

We had a great time in Texas! We visited a museum, the Zoo, played mini-golf and just had a good time visiting with family. Emily made a new friend who is an amazing little girl. She survived having a brain tumor removed and is such an exciting person to be around. They exchanged email addresses and are going to be pen pals. Emily has always loved going to Texas, but has longed for a friend or cousin to play with while she is there. Life is so sweet. I love going to visit my family, I love my kids, I love my wonderful husband (who met me in Atlanta and drove me back the last 80 miles). Now we are going to get to the spring cleaning and de-tox from all the fast food. It was good to go and it's good to be back.

I have the best kids, ever!

My kids are the best when it comes to traveling. I guess it's because we do it so often. They don't really sleep much, actually a lot less than usual, and I make them take two-hour breaks between movies. If Nolan fusses, I just have to turn on some music to calm him down. Emily helps with the map and knows all about how to count the mile markers to see how far we have left. Lily only had one potty accident in the entire 925 mile trip and thankfully it was on the Burger King playground and not the car seat. I love my kids!

I Love Homeschooling!

So yesterday I said to Emily, "I really feel like going to Texas to visit all of our family." We were just there at Christmas time and we have plans to go at the end of May, but I just feel like being there now. I don't know why. I told Paul that I was thinking about it and I thought I could leave on Monday and he said that I should go now because he is going to be super busy with work starting today and hardly be home. So the kids and I are going to leave this morning when they wake up. We're just taking the schoolbooks with us and hittin' the road. Paul will have to get the garden started by himself. Oh, yeah. Thanks for all the tips everybody!

We're Planting A Garden!

Our neighbor across the street was plowing up a spot in his field so we asked him if he would mind plowing up a spot in our backyard. He drove his tractor right over and now we're going to have a garden! I wish I had my camera while he had his tractor here. It was pretty cool for the kids to watch him. He is going to come back tomorrow with a different plow blade so we get to see it again. This is so exciting for us! I know the garden is pretty huge, but I'm planning on planting it in 4 ft. square sections with wide paths between so the kids can walk through and pick without trampling my veggies. Or only plant every-other row to make walkways. I was planning on having some soil brought in because I'm not used to this red Georgia clay, but the soil doesn't look too bad. My one big problem is that we have fire ants. I don't want any chemicals in my garden, but I also don't want my babies' little feet getting bit every time they go out to pick. If anyone has any organically-minded tips, I would greatly appreciate them. Here is one tip that I will share: The neighbor with the tractor said to keep deer out, you should surround the garden with that bright-orange surveyor's tape. They won't get near it.

Art Day!

Emily was feeling sluggish this morning and I was more motivated to organize so we are putting aside the lessons for this morning and having art day. I turned the homeschool room table over on its side and used packing tape to secure posterboard to it to make a giant easel. We have a live webstream of worship music playing and are having a beautiful day. Emily is getting so passionate about art. We are planning to submit some of her artwork in our local Fine Arts Festival. Lily makes the prettiest messes I've seen since Emily was two.

My Men

They taught Nolan how to honk the horn. He was so proud to show me what he learned to do and that it made a huge noise. I think his hair is starting to turn back to red.

What's going on today

I don't have a pictures to post right now, but I'll let you all know what is going on with the kids. Adam and Emily are playing outside with four of the neighbor kids. I have come to the conclusion that little girls just have to scream for no reason and boys have to run with large sticks. I have no idea why they are compelled to do these things. I'm trying to clean the kitchen before dinner (I know that sounds backwards but Fridays are always the storm before the calm for me) and I keep hearing four blood-curdiling screams from outside. I race to the backdoor only to see everyone just jumping and screaming with a boy running in a circle around them. I can imagine that this same thing is happening in millions of backyards around the country at this same time.
Lily couldn't find any of her shoes except for one pair of dress-up high heels. We took a walk around the backyard today to find quite a few pairs of shoes and at least two pairs of her socks that have been there for I don't know how long. I just looked out the window and saw another pair of shoes. At least she's loosing them in pairs.
I think Nolan is getting more teeth because he's fussy, waking up at night and has a non-stop runny nose. He wanted to go outside today, but I was standing in the way so he tried to push me over and was stomping his feet. He's a little too big for his britches. After he calmed down he was giving me kisses. I releshed it even if they were snotty. I can always clean my face off, but I'll never get another chance for 15-month-old Nolan kissses.
That's all for now. The kids have friends coming over tonight so I better get to starting dinner.