off for the children. We would just need ages and sex to get the
appropriate colors. -- And of course where to send them.
On Dec 16, 2:30 pm, jcm...@aol.com wrote:
> Is there anything else we can do for this family, like send clothes for the kids...winter coats, toys, kitchen supplies, etc? And address as to where to send. Thank you so much for sharing this. God Bless and our prayers are with this family and their needs.
> Jan in Florida <><-----Original Message-----
> From: Maree Cottam <maree_cot...@msn.com>
> To: everythingdoterra <everythingdoterra@googlegroups.com>
> Sent: Wed, Dec 15, 2010 9:11 pm
> Subject: [Everything doTERRA] FW: Please Thank doTerra for me.... [The Gustins] Tuesday, November 23, 2010
>
> thank you! ;)
>
> From: garne...@msn.com
> To: maree_cot...@msn.com
> Subject: Please Thank doTerra for me.... [The Gustins] Tuesday, November 23, 2010
> Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:17:45 +0000
>
> doTerra,
>
> Thank you so very much for your generosity. I spoke to Coleen yesterday and told her I had sent a package of oils that you so generously donated to this family, and she was
> so overcome with gratitude! She said she has been just wondering what she would do if her children started coughing. One of Coleen's friends asked Young Living if they were
> willing to replace any of her oils and after she received the run around she was told no.
>
> Words cannot begin to describe our gratitude for all you have done for this family!!! Thank you with all our heart!!!
>
> With all my love and wishes for a wonderful holiday season,
> LoriAnn
>
> Please do not share this sensitive message below from Coleen with anyone outside of the doTerra family. I know that is a lot of people and I just want everyone to be
> sensitive to their situation. She was very gracious to share it with us.
>
> Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2010 16:17:20 -0800
> From: gus...@mstar2.net
> To: garne...@msn.com
> Subject: [The Gustins] Tuesday, November 23, 2010
>
> It started just like any normal day...except that we had so much snow the night before that school was cancelled. The kids were excited for a fun play day in the snow. So excited, that by breakfast time several of them had already been out and back in to warm up. Todd and Kaden had already gone on a long quad ride. I had planned to go out to brunch for Kira's (one of my dear friends) birthdays. Tracie had come back in town, which made it extra special. Todd decided he could work from home and keep the kids. He had already been working in the garage that morning. He had a project to build a toy box for someone and planned to work on it if he got the chance. I decided to drive the group I was going with because we have 4 wheel drive and I was comfortable driving in the snow. So we took all of our carseats out and put them in the garage before leaving. It had gotten super cold overnight and was still super chilly. Todd has been using a small gas heater to warm his hands while he worked. When I left, Todd came in the house to take care of the kids. At some point, the heater fell over and started the power wheels toy on fire. Sometime around 11am my neighbor, Renea across the street stood at her kitchen window and she could see flames in our garage. She instructed her daughter to call 911 and ran across the street to get us out. At the moment she ran through the front door, Todd was in the bathroom. She yelled out for everybody to get out of the house NOW, it was on fire!! All of the kids (except Brock) were in the toyroom. Brock was in his high chair where he had fallen asleep. She was so quick and the kids were so obedient. They flew down the stairs and she grabbed brock, wrapped him in a coat and they were all running out the front door by the time Todd could even get out of the bathroom. In their bare feet, the kids went straight to our "meeting spot" that we had set up before. They made sure everyone was there and then went inside Renea's house to stay warm and safe. After knowing all were safe with Renea, Todd ran out to the garage. He said the fire was about the size of a large campfire. He grabbed a blanket that was right there and threw it on the fire. It was quickly on fire and burning also. So he ran back inside and grabbed a fire extinguisher from under the kitchen sink. He ran right back out in seconds and the fire was now the size of a car. He sprayed it but it was like spitting on a campfire. It did nothing. The night before, because of the freezing temperatures, Todd had winterized our pipes. So the water was completely shut off to the outside of our house. So Todd knew he couldn't get a hose of water on it. The fire was spreading by the second and at this point, Todd realized he was losing the battle and losing things fast. So he decided to grab stuff and pull it out of the garage. He moved his truck out of the driveway and also his Dad's trailer, and the quad. By that time the back of his work trailer (that was in the driveway) had caught on fire too. He knew he had to save the trailer, it was full of all his work tools! He tried to grab it but the wheels had blocks under them. He tried to get the blocks out but it was too hot that close to the fire. While he was trying he burned the top of his head and side of his face. Our neighbor helped him and they used pure adrenaline and just pulled the trailer over the blocks and down the street, where another kind neighbor had a fire extinguisher and put it out. At this point the fire department finally arrived. We only live a mile away from a station but the firefighters were all down at the other Maple Valley station at the time and so it took longer for them to arrive. When they arrived the flames were covering the entire right side of our house. Todd tried to get a hold of me a couple times but he was using other peoples cell phones and I didn't recognize the numbers. The one he called me on was out of state and when I saw the number I silenced it because we were in the cafe and at the table eating. The 3rd time my phone rang it was a number I recognized, our friend and the husband of one of the ladies I was with. I answered thinking that he was worried about us in the snow. He calmly asked me how I was doing, and I told him we were just fine. He then said that there was an incident at my house and that we should leave right away and start heading home. I asked him what was going on and he said that there was a small fire and that the kids were fine. I asked him, "Are you sure????" Just hoping he had meant to call someone else or that he had meant to tell me something else!!! He told me he was on his way over there and that Todd called him and that from the panic in Todd's voice he was pretty "sure". Then it was me who was panicking! But I tried to talk myself out of it. "Its probably really small", "He said a small fire,I am sure its not that bad". I came back to the table to tell my friends we needed to go right away, and one of my friends had a gotten a call about it from a friend of hers that lives near me and saw the fire trucks, the smoke, etc...at that point I KNEW it wasn't a small fire and I knew I had reason to panic! My friends were trying to pay the bill as fast they could and I ran out to the car. I sat down and prayed! I pleaded that my family would be safe and was comforted that they were. I begged for strength and the calming of my nerves. My friends got back to the car, put me in the passenger seat and we started driving home. The 30 minute drive seemed to take hours!! As is usual for me when I am feeling major stress or trauma, I got really silent. I felt SO sick to my stomach and wished I hadn't just eaten. I had so many worries and just kept thinking "what do you do?". What do you do when your house burns down? What do you do when you lose everything you have? Where do you go? What do you do????? Becky was driving and I kep muttering things like "I'm going to throw up" or "I don't know what to do" and she just kept responding, "I know" "I know". I knew she that she did know the feelings I was having and somehow it was helpful just knowing that. A friend of mine (that wasn't with me) saw our fire on the midday news and she knew I was gone and so she ran over to get my kids. She had taken them back to Kira's to wait for us. We headed straight there. Kaden called me while we were driving home and told me that they all got out safe, that they used the meeting spot, that a helicopter was above our house, and that there was 4 fire trucks there. He was so brave, so mature. When we pulled up my friend had Brock and Tallie in her arms and brought them right to me. The second I saw them I started bawling. Then all the kids ran up to me and we sat down and hugged and cried. They told me what they saw and remembered and we cried some more. I can not describe how thankful and happy I was that they were all safe! We found a quiet spot in the house and had a very tender family prayer. We very tearfully thanked Heavenly Father for all 7 lives that were spared! After they got settled and playing, I decided to head down to the house. I was dying to talk to Todd. I still hadn't ever talked to him. We couldn't get very close to the house becasue of the fire trucks and other vehicles. So we parked and started to walk towards the house. Where our house sits, I couldn't see it until getting to the end of the street and turning the corner. Words will not be able to describe the emotions I felt as I turned the corner and saw our house burned, black, and smoking. The flames were moslty out and the damage was visible. I started to shake and cry. It was very, very overwhelming sadness. As I looked around I saw people everywhere. The firefighters were busy. Some were still spraying some were eating lunch. Some were putting things away. Neighbors were out watching. Friends were coming by to offer help in any way. But in that moment it felt like time stood still. Everything faded into background and it was just me standing there dealing with my loss. Then I saw Todd. He was very busy running back and forth. I don't know exactly what he was doing but he was a part of it. He saw me and came over and we hugged and cried together. He said he was sorry and I told him it was ok. I felt a little relief being able to see and talk to him finally. He ran back to whatever he was doing...and I was dying to go thank Renea for saving my family! So I knocked on her door and she opened it. I couldn't even get the words out, but she completely understood what I was trying to say. We hugged for a long time. She then told me how it happened. And what my kids said and did while they were with her. I thanked her again (and told her I may thank her everytime I see her) and went back out to face what would be next. The firefighters were dragging the boat out of the garage and hosing it out. They told us it would be a while before we could go back in. They were packing up. One man came out and said that it didn't look too bad inside and I felt hopeful! But after they were done we decided to go inside and take a look at the damage. I thought it was awful! It was very sad! There was 2 inches of water on the floor. There was holes in ceilings and walls, fire damage, and the smoke had touched EVERYTHING! The garage was just rubble. After looking at the damage everywhere, I was ready to go back to the kids. We visited with our insurance agent who came by and started the process. We made some calls to loved ones and visited and hugged the MANY friends and family that came by to support and love us. I can't even remember how many people offered clothing, food, a place to stay, meals, etc... It was so comforting to know that we had support. I headed back to the kids at Moulton's and Todd stayed at the house. He was going to stay until a contractor came to board it up and secure it. I am glad he did because Brody and Kaden's room lit back up. I guess there was a hot spot in the wall and he had to call the fire department to come back out. This time they did more damage (making holes) to make sure that it was really out. The firemen told us that we were lucky to have hardy plank siding or it would have been so much worse. They also said that if the fire were to have got in the attic the entire house could drop in minutes. It was close. We still don't know for sure if there is damage in the attic or not. While Todd stayed and took care of the issues there. I went back to my kids. We were visited by so many just dropping off clothes or things. It was so nice and so overwhelming. I felt so much love it was incredible. I had several friends stay there with me all day! They were the emotional support that i so desperately needed! They listened and cried with me. I will never forget that support of those good friends. The Puzey's (some friends of ours) were leaving the next day and would be gone the rest of the week and offered their home to us. Which we so thankfully accepted. By the time we got back there that night, so many things were dropped off for us, that it filled her front 2 rooms. We could not believe it! Clothes, shoes, blankets, books, daipes, toothbrushes, etc... It was amazing. We were exhausted! We got the kids settled and Tallie asked in all sincerity, "What happens if this house catches on fire tonight?" I realized the fear that we were all feeling was very real. While we are all SO thankful to be safe, we took some things away from our experience that we don't want to keep, like fear, anxiety, and sadness. I couldn't even tell her that THIS house wouldn't burn down, becasue it actually might. Having to face that reality concept so young for her was sad to me! But the kids all got to sleep. Todd hit the pillow and was out. I couldn't sleep. It was about 3 am and Todd started retelling the whole day, I think to himself. I was awake and was surprised he was too. We lay there talking for a long time. Going back over everything. How it happened, how we are so blessed, how much love we feel from everyone around us, how we will never be the same. One thing we will never forget is how much love we have felt from everyone around us! It has carried us through. We are still learning a lot and I am sure we will be for a long time, but we count it a blessing to have been able to see our Savior's love shining through so many people! Tuesday, November 23, 2010 did start out like a normal day but by the end we are a forever changed family. Thankfully we are all here to learn the lessons we need to learn together.
>
> --
> Posted By The Gustin Family to The Gustins at 12/12/2010 01:48:00 PM
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