Missed it by that much! :D

By now most of you know that we learned some valuable lessons about fire safety this week. (You know, like not to start them in a forest...or on a mountain...or near a house...)

The fire had been burning throughout the day on Sunday, and both Lee and I had smelled the smoke and commented on the fire. We both left (me to work, him and the kids to go to his folks for dinner) the house at about 3:30.

I got a call from Lee at about 8:00. He sounded sort of panicky, and tells me I've got to leave work right now, that I'm being evacuated. My first thought is that I'm not sure I can leave...I'm the "closer" at my store, who's going to do the end of day stuff with the money if I leave? So I tell Lee that...and he takes this deep breath, and now without the panic, says "Just see what you can do and call me back, okay?"

Now I'm nervous! I went and talked to my boss, and she without hesitating told me to go. So I did. As I pull up to my house and get out of the car, my kids are crying and scared. Poor things! Anna and her hubby Ryan had come over with their truck to help us get stuff out. Lee had all the pets loaded. He had grabbed artwork off the walls and photo albums/discs. Lee's mom, with Chad and Kendra pulled up to help, too, and we were going through the house to make sure we had everything when Anna grabbed Lee's arm and showed him that not only was the mountain above us on fire, but the hill right behind us as well. That was it...we were out of there. We loaded up and left. We went to Lee's parents house, where they generously let us stay...even though with Kendra's family is already living there and Dad is recovering from back surgery they probably would have preferred us NOT be there...But they didn't hesitate to let us come. AND cute Kendra and Chad, at 11:30 at night, ran to the store to buy clothes for my kids for the next day, since we had dashed off in such a hurry we didn't grab much. (She even picked up a shirt for me...Which was great since everything I had grabbed smelled like smoke!).

To say we slept at Lee's parents house would be an exaggeration...But the kids slept and we watched the news. Then the news ended, and we tried to sleep. I don't know about Lee, but I got a couple of hours in.

Long story short...(Too late!)...Our house is fine. We all smell like we've been at girls camp for a week, but other than that, we're good. I'm getting the house cleaned this week, they're sending my laundry out, and I get my carpets cleaned. All in all, I think we came out ahead...

But here's an interesting story I haven't shared with many:

I've left work and I'm driving toward Herriman. The smoke is getting thicker, my tummy is getting more nervous, and I can see the orange glowing...right where I'm headed. I have the radio tuned to the Sounds of Sunday. Slowly I approach my street, the smoke is so thick. An instrumental version of "Come, Come Ye Saints" is playing on the radio. Just before I turn onto my street, the music plays "All is well, all is well". This incredible sense of peace comes over me. I didn't know what would happen to my house, all I knew was that I would be okay. My family would be okay. That All would be well.