So as usual on a Sunday afternoon we went to the church to workout, and made a pit stop at the BCM to pick up some music equipment. We were gone a total of an hour and a half tops. I was planning on leaving for Vidalia that night so I was pushing Jeremy to hurry up so I could come home and pack, because let's face it I do not like to drive through Baton Rouge in the dark. When we got home some guy had parked his huge truck behind my car, which immediately made me go on an on to Jeremy about how I had 10 minutes to hit the road and he had to move. Ha! Was I ever wrong.
Our neighbor's brother immediately runs to our can in a total panic saying how he needs in our attic and can barely spit out why, he just wanted our dogs our and in the attic. Something about a fire. And that right there is where the 2 hour delay of fun began.
I walked into our house to fetch the dogs and was immediately hit with an overwhelming smoke smell. But I couldn't see anything so I assumed it was all out. We took the dogs out and our neighbor went for the attic.
I initially thought nothing was that bad because the firemen went in wearing nothing, however they immediately came out and put on full gear with oxygen tanks. That is about where I mentally lost it. My biggest irrational fear as a child was a fireman waking me up and being carried out of a smoke filled house.
Apparently the whole thing got started because the guys next door had a fire going in their fire pit and they thought it was out, but some ash hit cardboard & a couch and went wild. It torched the couch and immediately spread into our attics. Luckily attic damage was restricted to the back of the house and all my antique and irreplaceable items are in the front. I would have died had something I couldn't replace had been lost. Died!
I really couldn't say enough nice things about our pastor & his family, but to add to just had genuine and kind they are I had posted this on Twitter and within minutes our pastor had called Jeremy and his wife text me that we could stay with them. Most people would probably say sorry, but in a sucks to be you sort of way. But no we have honest to goodness good people as friends. I was very overwhelmed at the thought that people cared about us. We are really blessed with a great church family that cares about people and wants to live out the gospel and spread the word among nations. Of course I knew all this before a couch caught my attic on fire, but doesn't hurt to reiterate it myself.
When we were talking to the fire chief after it was all said and done he told us that 5 more minutes and we would have been burned to the ground. Attic fires apparently eat your house up quick. 5 more minutes and I would have lost my furbabies, my antique Lincoln rocker that I cherish because my Nanny finished re-upholstering it hours before she died, wedding pictures, and a table that my parents had made for us when we were married. The dogs were in the back of the house, had the fire been in the front I would not have been able to get in and get them out. It just blows my mind. We got home just at the right time, the fire was put out just at the right time.
God seriously protected us and my sanity.
However with the sanity I did walk away with I am not sure what I packed, I know I grabbed a swimsuit and my wedding albums, and a few hair products. I have a sports bra and some shorts...but we will check and see just how much I am living out of my sister's closet for the rest of the week. Let's just be glad I was calmed down mentally enough to not take picture off the wall and strap a couple hundred pound table to the top of my car.
Coping mechanisms for me apparently include but are not limited to eating string cheese and beef jerky I got at a gas station while blaring Hillsong all the way home. I did get home to find a box of homemade chocolate chip cookies, and we won't talk about the fact that I had four while I watched Dilbert on my iPad. I think I deserve the late night carb load after that though haha.
