So Friday was officially the three year anniversary of the day our lives were changed – the Great Kirksville Fire of 2011. I still remember it like it happened yesterday. It was 4:00 in the morning and I was awoken to the sound of breaking glass. I thought someone was breaking into our house until I sat up and saw the smoke and the glowing, flickering light under the crack of our bedroom door. I woke Ryan and we grabbed our glasses, phones and the dog and made it out the front door as quickly as possible. By the time we had the clarity of mind to think about going back for anything it was already too late… thick black smoke bellowed out the front door. Our home and everything in it was going up in flames in front of our eyes. We huddled in the back corner of our yard and waited for the fire department to show up but we knew it would be too late.

I remember all the phone calls we had to make. I dreaded calling my parents to tell them the news, but our car keys were lost in the fire and my parents had our spare set. I had to call clients to reschedule consultations and viewings and sessions until my equipment could be replaced. We had to go about the arduous task of replacing lost driver’s licenses, social security cards, checks, credit and debit cards, and the like. Then there were the essentials that needed replacing immediately like clothes, and underwear, tooth brushes, dog food, deodorant, … I never realized how much we used in a given day until it was all gone.

I remember driving out to the house (we were living with our dear friend, Matt, in Sullivan at the time) climbing up into the house and sifting through piles of soot and ash just hoping buried beneath all the debri and blackness that I would find some lost treasure. Some precious trinket that had been previously overlooked. Hope was always there, though I never really found anything.

I remember the day the bulldozers came and demolition began and the mixture of feelings that washed over me as I watched them tear into what remained of our first home. I was thrilled that we were finally able to move forward and make some progress on the rebuild, but saddened at the fact that I no longer would be able to come to search for those things I so cherished that were never found. I realized then that what was lost… was lost forever.

It was a busy and stressful time as we had meetings with our contractor, our bank, paperwork to do for the insurance company. The latter was the task appointed to me and it was not a joyous chore. Having to mentally walk from room to room of our non-existent former home and recollect every item we possessed. Our first gifts to each other when we started dating, wedding presents from friends, my favorite stuffed dog from my Grandpa, trinkets, but valued trinkets that could never be replaced. And here I sat having to remember every item and place a value on it. It was not a pleasant task.

But through it all we had each other and the support of many wonderful and kind people who helped us get through. And here we are today with a brand new home and a bright future and I could not be more grateful to everyone who helped us to get here. This past weekend we celebrated the anniversary of the fire that changed everything by spending time with those we love and remembering how lucky we are to have escaped and reach more stable ground. You may recall this video I put together last year, but for any new readers – here it is again today! Enjoy!

I hope you all are having a magnificent Monday! Cherish what you have and those you love, for you never know when they will be gone.