HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAN

Happy Birthday Babe I hope you have a great day!!

I love this pic!!

Thanks Jeannette for taking it.

Logans team placed 5th at State Go Rangers!!

They lost their first game but won game two and three.

We have had an interesting week with sick kids. Grace has had a fever off an on all week getting as high as 103.2. I took her in today and she has bronchitis.

As for Hunter I got a call from his teacher that he collapsed/passed out at the teachers desk. I got to the school and he was in the nurses office just shaking. I called the Dr and got him in right away to discover he had strep throat ( I swear he complained not once about a sore throat) so he is on meds for that. They then sent us to the hospital for a cat scan. He has in impacted sinus cavity so he will be on meds for 10 days then we recheck then we will do another 10 days and go from there. I talked to the Dr today and he said he may need to get scoped to really clean it all out of there. I feel so bad cause this little man has had headaches for as long as we can remember. We spent the summer at the chiro and everything. So needless to say we are exhausted.

State hockey started today for Logan they had their first game today at three but we lost it :( Tomorrow will bring a new game so we are praying for a good turn out there.

BISA is putting on pancake feed benefit for our family at the hockey arena Saturday from 7am-10am!!

Austins home tournament starts tomorrow GO RANGERS!!

The younger boys school did a coin drive for our family and they raised $1,078.94 UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!

What a great weekend of hockey games we had. Logan played in Mitchell Friday night, Yankton Saturday night and then at home Sunday. They won all three games!!! I wish we were able to be there to watch him the first two games but yesterdays game was a great game to watch. Austin had two games on Saturday but lost both but also fun to watch. Austin even scored a goal right away in his first game. Hunter had three games this weekend they won their first two and lost their last. He had three goals this weekend. GO RANGERS!! Next weekend Logan is in Sioux Falls for state. The other boys here at home for games.

Today has been two weeks since our fire. We are getting settled into the duplex for the most part. We are hoping to hear some numbers from the insurance adjuster today.

Grace got a very special quilt in the mail. Grandma brought it to her today and she LOVES it!! My Aunt Debbie made it for her and it is so stinking cute. She layed down on the couch with it this morning and I had to take a picture to share. So thank you Aunt Debbie for the awesome quilt and to the both of you for the gift of money.

Happy Birthday Auntie Joyce (belated one day late)

updates

We have made it through another week and everyday seems to get a bit easier. The kids are all adjusting quite well and I am so thankful for that. We are slowly settling in to the duplex and hoping this weekend I can get some more things done around there. We will be busy working on doing inventory this weekend also. All we have left to do is price the items and approximately how long we had them. I think once that is done it will be a little less weight on our shoulders. Sean has been a rock through all of this he is so amazing I love him so much!!

Thanks to all the people who have helped us out through all of this we Love You!! Mariah thanks for supper Wednesday night it was very good.

Have a great evening :)

New Blankie

I got a really neat phone call yesterday from a fellow classmate. She had read my blog and noticed Graces blanket. She searched online until she found the same one. Lastnight the new blanket arrived here at our new house. Grace loves it and now says she doesn't want her old one it stinkey. She has already discovered the "broken spot" on her new blankie. Sam we can never thank you enough for taking the time to find that for her. You made a little girl so happy!!!

Letter from a great friend and felt the need to share it with all of you

Sean & Kathy,



Just a word of encouragement for your Monday morning. Our family has been talking a lot about your experiences this past week. Like everyone else the question of why always comes up when we discuss it with our kids. I told them the same thing that every parent has probably told their kids when they ask the same question…I don’t know! But, when I began to think about it, I realized that the “why” doesn’t really matter. It is the matter of “what” will we do with this situation…”who” will we turn to and “who” will help us…”when” will we realize what matters…and “where” do we go from here.



The obvious answer to all of these questions is to put our faith and trust in God. There are times when situations that we face aren’t just meant for us…they are a way for God to see how his people will respond…opportunities for us to be the people God calls us to be every day. We have definitely seen the best of what Brookings has to offer this past week from the Firefighters, to strangers, to friends, to shoulders to lean and cry on, to help of all kinds. Unfortunately I am sure that in all of this there may be some you hoped would be there that weren’t. It is all there for us to learn from, to reevaluate our true purpose in life, to reevaluate what is really important in our lives.



Please remember that God will never burden you with more than you can handle. Find your strength in Him…He won’t let you down. There are those that go through life never “getting it”. They ignore the Lord’s opportunities for growth and purpose. Use this tough time to rally around one another and look for your opportunities to be even better than you were before.



I was TOTALLY unprepared for what I saw on Saturday at your home. Never could I imagine the wreckage that was there. The vision, the smell, the “hollow” sounds will be something I will never forget. I was exhausted when I got home. I know this experience although far more minimal than yours has changed me and my family.



Embrace the generosity, praise God for your safety, Look forward to your very bright future, Rely on your friends, and Trust in God!



Steve

Updates....

It has officailly been one week since the fire. We have had good days and we have had bad days. I guess you could say it is like an emotional rollercoaster. We found a duplex to rent in town for the time being until we can get it all squared away at the farm.

A big thank you to all of our friends and family who have been there for us. We will never be able to repay you for all that you have done.

It was a typical Monday morn in the home of a young couple waking up for the day, with the mom up first before the family, making coffee to bring to the husband laying inbed yet, trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep before hitting the shower and getting ready for the day.The mom woke up the kids to get them ready for their day of school and after school activites.........they all went about their pretty normal routine of eating breakfast and getting ready to leave the house for the day. The dad taking the three boys off to school and the mom heading to daycare with the little girl and then heading off to work. No one realized when they shut the door that day that it would be their last day to live in what they called their home, where memories and laughter and tears were there to make this their home together, where friends and family had spent many times enjoying each other. .

The phone call comes that their house is on fire, they rush to get there only to be stopped by the sheriff with orders they cannot go near their house. They are left to stand down the road that leads to their house, the place they made their home the last few years, their "dream" house on their farm, and watch as smoke rolls out of it. Friends come and cry with them as they watch in horror as strangers, who are fireman, carry out some of their valuables, all the while them screaming inside this is my house why can't I go and help, why do I have to stand and watch, why do I have to be so helpless and stopped from going there.

After what seems to be an eternity, they are allowed to go into their home for a few brief moments and in numbness and shock find the little pink blankie of the daughter, some hockey equipment. Walking up the stairs and turning to the right they see their childrens bedrooms mostly in ashes, a wall completely gone and very little resembling the bedrooms where only hours earlier their children had been asleep. It is a moment that stops in time! How can your mind register what could have been had this happened during the night? The whole upstairs where the family had slept, where the childrens toys had been and clothes had hung in their closets are gone!

The night unfolds as a blur and doesn't seem real, how can it be real? How can this happen? People are called, prayers are said, tears are shed! The call goes out and people respond in love and giving. This is a story that is about our son Sean and his wife Kathy, and their children (our beloved grandchildren) Logan, Hunter, Austin and Grace. Their house caught on fire from what they believe could possibly be from the fish tank in Hunter and Austins bedroom.

Where was God in this? Right there we believe. Watching over what was important in their lives.......each other. We thank God for His mercy, for no one being in the home when this happened. That right now though many of the temporary, earthly things they had are gone, that not a hair on their heads were harmed! That tonight as friends opened up their homes to them to stay, businesses brought meals, friends and even strangers gathered and brought clothes to them, they all are together safely.

The blessings continue to pour out to them, with so many people reaching out and giving of what they have to them. Sean does this for a living, he cleans and restores homes that have had a fire, and yet he said he was never prepared for what happened that day. We are very thankful to God for being their protector, for hearing the many prayers throughout the years we have prayed for our family and their protection as they go about their days.


This is an email Seans Mom sent out it tugged at my heart so much I just wanted to share it with all of you.

Inside house pics

This is my kitchen as you can see there is not a lot of smoke damage but a lot of water. It got down to -15 or so last night so you can imagine how cold it is in my house well that is if the icicles didn't give it away

This would be our bedroom

Logans room has a lot of smoke and heat damage. The clothes melted right off the hangers.

Miss Graces room

Hunter and Austins room. Don't think I need to say anymore :(

Thanks to Robin for organizing all the clothes my kids have received from local families. You are amazing and we can not thank you enough.

Megan thanks for bringing food tonight it was awesome. Also for all that you have done from the notebook we will need to inventory what is left of belongings. For getting me makeup so I don't scare anyone anymore. I know I am forgetting more so thanks for everything else.

Thanks for all the gift cards we have received from hockey families to friends who have given some wonderful gift certificates.

THANK YOU

House Fire

I had a fireman go with me after the fact to go find Graces "pink blankie" THANK YOU

This is funny and you may of needed to be there to appreciate this story. With all that was going on and the fireman getting out what they could here one comes with the roast I had cooking in my kitchen!!

Wow where do you begin to even tell how our afternoon went to be honest it is all becoming a blur to me. I was at work and I got a phone call from a friend who is also a local police officer telling me that my house was on fire and the local fire dept was on their way out. I think after hearing those words I went into shock. I started screaming and crying NO I then called Sean and was yelling in the phone all while I am trying to drive to our home. We get there to be stopped on the highway from the sheriff. Shortly after our friends started showing up to comfort us and be there for us in the hardest time I would have to say of our lives. When the time came for us to go down there we found out a little more to what had happened. The fire started in the West bedroom which would be Hunter and Austins room. They are thinking it was the fish tank but we do not know that for sure. The fireman were so amazing and we are so thankful for all their hard work and dedication to their volunteer job. They saved almost all of our family photos that were on our wall on the main level. The upstairs in pretty much destroyed. Hunter and Austins room is ashes along with their bathroom from what we could see. I did not get to see Graces room so I am not sure about that. Logan's room has extensive damage but there maybe a few things in there we can salvage. Our room has a lot of smoke and heat damage. I will take pictures of the inside tomorrow. As for the main level there is a lot of water damage and smoke. We told the kids tonight and they were all shocked and very sad. Hunters first words was "my monkeys" I felt so horrible I broke down. Well that's about all I can remember right now like I said this day and night is becoming a blur to me.

On one last note I want to say THANK YOU for everyone who has called and brought my kids clothes and food. To all my friends who showed up out at our house this afternoon to comfort us in our time of need. Thanks to the Brookings Fire Department for all that you did for our family. We can't thank you enough for all that you did. Dan I will never forget you walking into my shed looking at us and dropping to your knees out of exhaustion from fighting the fire. Then to tell us you tried your hardest and you were sorry. Your a great guy and I know Sean appreciates your friendship. Josh I know Sean will be forever thankful for you saving his deer mounts. To all the rest cause I know I am missing you. Quams thanks for talking to me. Sullivan did you ever find your helmet?? THANK YOU THANK YOU

JD and Nikki thanks for letting us crash at your house tell we can get things figured out. You are the best of the best. We love you guys with all of our hearts.