We’ve moved into our temporary living this weekend. Our insurance is covering the rent and renting us furniture. That is such a blessing. When you have nothing, it’s unbelievable the amount of stress that even thinking about buying furniture can bring about. So, today, we have a place to sleep, and thanks to our neighbors and the Brandermill Community, we have clothes to wear.

Today, I replaced the computers and (thanks to a neighbor who doesn’t know it yet) we have internet access. Aunt Kitty (Kerry) and Uncle Kitty (Jim), the ‘Grandparents’ of two of our dearly departed cats have come to town on a cat mission. My daughters are now the proud, happy owners of two new cats, Oreo and Midnight Junior.

All in all, it’s been a good day. And really, what more can you ask for?

I was going to end this post there, but I want to make sure you do something:

CHECK YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS!!!

That’s your assignment.  The smoke detectors literally saved my family’s life.  If you’ve got smoke detectors, check them.  If you don’t have them, go get them.  I’m looking for you all to report that your smoke detectors work in the comments.  Go ahead, do it now.  I’ll wait.

This is from my wife, it was in an e-mail that she sent out to family. I wanted all of you to see it also, to know that all the help is appreciated.

I just can’t believe how much help we have gotten from the neighbors. Money amounts that make our mouths drop. Clothes for Greg and the kids all over the place. The neighbors are asking for Christmas list because they want to take care of the gifts for the kids this year. My friend Michelle is the ring leader of all of this. She is organizing everything. They have said they will feed us dinner up until Xmas eve. The Food Lion gave us a weeks worth of food. People I don’t know are giving us stuff. It’s just so overwhelming. So please learn from this and start paying it forward. I feel so guilty now for all those stories I heard of people locally suffering and I did nothing because I didn’t know them.

I also wanted to thank everyone at mye28.com, you guys are some of the best friends a guy could ask for.

Early Saturday Morning, I awoke to the smoke detector. This was not a false alarm [Link to Video]. The family is safe and sound, and now we’re beginning to rebuild our lives.

I am writing this as a thank you to everyone in the community, our family, friends, neighbors, and my employer. We have lost everything, literally, and you have stepped up to help in such a way that I never thought possible.  We’re nowhere near being ‘back on our feet’ but you’ve set us in the right direction and continue to help and it’s the most wonderful thing in the world. 

I have never in my life felt as much love, kindess, and caring as I feel now. Christmas has new meaning to me, and to my family.

Midlothian, Brandermill, Swift Creek Elementary, nTelos, iSoldIt Midlothian, the Fire Dept., and the Chesterfield County Supervisors,

Thank you.