Day 0

This is what happened Wednesday, March 14, the day that followed our long night.

Now that we were all awake, the kids were ready to play.  We were staying in our Bishop's house for the time and thankfully, they have a well-stocked playroom!

Before coming to us after they shut off the water, Tyler had entered our home again to retrieve some necessities he could salvage.  Tyler had brought two boxes of 3T and 4T clothes for the kids that I had stored.  They were all off-season clothes that didn't currently fit either kid, but we were grateful we had something to put them in.  He also brought back baskets of dirty laundry because I had suggested to him those were clothes he could probably get to safely.

Somebody dropped off a box of diapers, wipes, water, and snacks for us.  We were really grateful that someone had acted so quickly!  Eli is still in diapers so obviously this was an immediate need.

I made Tyler go lay down.  He slept for one or two hours.  The Smith family (that's the Bishop) provided us with breakfast and lots of love.  We started having texts and emails pour in.  We had originally planned to get a clean up group in that night, but someone from our ward who had experienced a fire before gave me a call.

She gave us lots of useful information, including the fact that we needed to work with the insurance adjuster and let them see the unit in it's current state before we removed items we might need to claim.

Tyler had already filed a claim so we waited all day for a call from our adjuster.

Around 11 Tyler and I left the kids with the Smiths and went back to the apartment. I was wearing my pajamas, the only clothes I had.  We started at the front office, to discuss what they were doing.  We were told the city was going to fence of the building and we could not enter after 6 pm that day.  They continued to insist we either sign a lease continuance for a new unit in the complex or sign a release on our lease.  

They showed us the unit they would put us in.  It is still half-way through a remodel, and doesn't have a small fenced patio like our previous unit.  We knew if we moved in there, they would be cutting corners to get us in sooner.  As it was, our fully remodeled unit was hard to live in and this option was less and less appealing to me.  On top of it all, it was the exact same layout as our previous unit and I honestly did not think I would ever be able to feel safe there.  

Throughout the day we felt pressure from them, but I refused to take action on such a big issue while we were still so emotional.  Thankfully I married a lawyer who knows a few delay tactics that helped buy us another day to decide what we wanted to do.

Once we got away from the bossy front office, we drove over to the apartment.  It was a very emotional visit for me.

I had looked at pictures on Tyler's phone that morning so I thought I was prepared for what I was going to see, but I wasn't.  ^In this photo you can see the printer still in the box.  This was brand new, we had picked it up on Monday.  It had been left on the floor so it is soaked.

The windows and doors were opened wide.  Various workmen were coming in and out.  Primarily they were trying to remove the standing water that was seeping into everything.  The floor was wet but most of the water was gone when I arrived.

I began removing things that were important to me.  A beautiful painting my grandma had given me, a cactus plant I had dug up and brought from Albuquerque, photo albums and pictures.  

This table and chairs we've had our whole marriage.  We refinished it when we moved to Provo.  The photo below shows the wall damage behind the dining area.

We had a huge bag of library books and they are all completely ruined.  I still haven't made it to the library to find out what we are going to do about that.  We haven't even found all of the books yet.

The roof downstairs --

I started making my way upstairs but one look in my bedroom sent me over the edge.  There was rubble everywhere.  I had to leave and go back to the car.  I called my mom and cried.  She, my dad, and my sister in Albuquerque were packing and rapidly rearranging their obligations so they could drive out right away.

 We realized our fish were still alive.  We couldn't do anything for them at the moment so we left them

 When the ripped out the roof above the kitchen, it rained down rat poop into our kitchen.  On top of being a wreck, this whole area is now completely unsanitary.  The water line burst a little to the right of the bar, where the table and chairs are.  It was a hot water pipe so it rained scalding water all over the items in the kitchen and dining area.

 All through the house, things were thrown randomly.  This rug onto the sink, the kids trampoline onto TJ's bed.

 They punched lots of holes in the wall to make sure that any embers or fire in the walls were completely out.

 Huge pieces of ceiling were scattered everywhere.

 That had been a brand-new box of cerial the day before.

 This is our bedroom.

 The boys' room.  We hadn't cleaned up the night before so there were toys everywhere, made worse by firefighters frantically throwing things out of the way so they could get to the wall where the fire was.  The ceiling fan on the floor... ug.

 TJ's bed is the black frame.  The bottom left corner of the photo is Eli's bed - completely covered in rubble.

 The unit next door was completely hollowed out.

 All the glass was shattered.  Later, Tyler told me about watching the door melt as the flames devoured it.

 More photos of our upstairs.  The worst thing about all of it is seeing some things totally normal, completely untouched.  All the folded sheets and towels....

While I sat in the car and cried to my mom, Tyler was talking to some neighbors and I noticed some official-looking people standing behind the car.  I was still crying but decided to go talk to them.  I asked them about getting in to our unit after the city put up barricades (as the complex had told us they would that night at six).  They had no idea what I was talking about but the fire chief assured me he would make sure that we could get in with our adjuster and then remove our things when the time came.

Tyler came to join us and I went back to the car to calm down.

It was getting close to 1 and I wanted to get back to the kids.  We drove to a friends house where Tyler had left his car the day before.  He went back to the complex - a man from the red cross had asked to talk to him more.

I went back to the Bishop's house.  I called my mom again and cried to her the whole way.

When I got back, the kids had been fed a yummy lunch and there was in-and-out waiting for me and Tyler.  It was so yummy!  While I was eating, a member of our ward (church congregation) came over and helped me write a list of immediate needs.  She was really helpful in suggesting things that hadn't crossed my mind, and even pushed me to tell her our favorite brands.  

I honestly felt bad because I didn't want to demand anything when someone was being generous enough to buy it for us, but now I'm really glad she did that because it helps things feel a tiny bit more normal to have my regular brand of shampoo.  Little things like that have been huge for us.

I spent the afternoon fielding texts and emails, not really functioning as a parent.  Sister Smith was amazing about running interference with the kids and making sure everyone was happy and playing nice.  

She also ended up washing all of our laundry.  Most of the stuff was in the hallway upstairs, away from the worst of the smoke.  It all still has a tinge of smell but it came out clean.  I didn't have any shirts so I had changed into lime-green sweat pants I only ever wore around the house and one of Tyler's work polos.  I felt ridiculous but had nothing else to wear.

My parents called to let us know they had booked two hotel rooms - one for them and one for us.  We stayed for dinner with the Smiths, then went to the hotel for check-in. 

On the drive over, Eli fell fast asleep.  TJ asked about our home and I told him the simple story of waking up, seeing the fire, and getting to a safe place with him and Eli.  He asked about his bed and I said it was ruined in the fire.  He was very, very sad and somber.  He asked in a sad little voice, "So we have to sleep on the floor?" 

It just broke my heart.  I told him "No, baby, we are going to buy you new beds.  We don't have to sleep on the floor."  He had been playing all day, but I could tell that car ride was where everything he had heard and seen was starting to hit him.

He was sad for the car ride, but pretty happy once we got to the hotel.  TJ loves hotels.

We were so tired.  The kids were wired tired, but we finally got them bathed and in bed.

My amazing visiting teacher came over.  I had asked her earlier in the day to help me handle volunteers and donations because it was overwhelming.  She had brought two suitcases completely loaded up with new outfits for me and the kids, toiletries, and backpacks with a few toys and activities for the kids.

It was amazing.  I didn't cry because I was just tried up and exhausted, but I was so grateful.  She had done so much work for us (and is still doing so much work for us).

My parents arrived a little after 10:30.  I was so relieved to see them.  We talked for a while.  I was so tired but I was terrified to lay down and try to sleep again.  I was afraid if I just laid there I would think and worry and relive the night before. 

Thankfully, I had worn myself out enough that I didn't have time to think before I passed out in bed.