Walls... with paint!

I stopped by Wade & Alicia's house a few days ago, just for a quick minute.  I hadn't seen the house in a few months, so I had to take the opportunity to snap a few photos.  I think the house looks so lovely!  It's exciting how close they are getting!

Progress!

As fire was threatening thousands of homes in Herriman, UT - including one of Alicia's sister's home - I was walking through Wade and Alicia's home, checking out their progress!  It's really coming along, and they hope to be able to move back in in early November, so that they can spend the holidays with their family in their new home!  The electrical wiring, plumbing, windows, exterior doors, and insulation are all in, and this week, the sheetrocking begins!

A Very different house

I went over and visited Wade and Alicia the other day, and they took me to their nearly-unrecognizable house!  I took a few pics with my phone, so they're not great, but it (obviously) looks SOOO different!  They've moved closets & walls, lifted ceilings, changed room layouts... it's gonna be so great when it's done!!

 

Attention Yard Sale Hoppers!

There will be a special benefit yard sale to help make money for the Abbott Family who lost their house and possessions to a fire a few weeks back. Come and support them!

This Saturday, June 5 at 8:00 am. 6150 South Jordan Canal Rd. (Just off of 6200 S and west of Redwood Rd) Somebody is donating cookies that we are selling and we might have ice-cream for sale too. Lots of clothing, household goods and furniture will be there for sale. Every dollar will help them rebuild their home!

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=11021261&cat=6&s_cid=S0001

Betelehemu

Last night was the benefit concert and silent auction for the Abbott family, hosted by Indian Hills Middle School in Sandy, Utah.  These are 8th and 9th grade students performing a VERY hard song, titled Betelehemu.  Wade sang this while at BYU in the Men's Choir, and I dare say these middle school students rival that performance.  They did so great!



Thanks to everybody who came and supported the benefit and the students.  It was a fun evening!

Here is the Abbott Family expressing their Thanks to everybody at Indian Hills Middle School for their love and support!

Benefit Concert

Indian Hills Middle School (have we mentioned how AwEsOmE they are?! We ♥ IHMS) is hosting a benefit concert. All proceeds will go the the Abbott Family Fire fund to help them rebuild their home!


The concert is Wednesday, May 26 @ 6:00 p.m.  The school is located at 1180 E. Sanders Road (11600 S.).


There will be a silent auction, where some of the items to bid on include: 
-8x10 autographed pictures of the most popular Jazz players and Coach Sloan
-gift cards
-cameras
-a Moab Adventure get-a-way
-& many other fabulous items!


The Student Body Officers are working on a separate silent auction featuring items that students would be interested in.  Come see what they have to bid on!

Admission to the concert is free, but you may be asked to clean out your pockets at the door ;) (completely voluntary - of course).



Wade's 7th grade choir will perform first, followed by the orchestra and dancers from the school, and then Wade's 8th and 9th grade choir will perform.   If you haven't heard Wade's choirs before - they're AWESOME!



Please tell everybody about the concert and come show your support for the Abbott Family! ♥

Indian Hills Middle School

I spent a few hours helping Wade and Alicia get their Thank You cards sent out the other day.  I was able to see first hand many of the kind notes and generous donations from people at all stages of life.

The Teachers, Faculty, students, and parents of students at Wade's school, Indian Hills Middle School, have been so generous!

One student donated money he had earned last summer mowing lawns... I believe it was originally set aside for his missionary fund.

Yesterday, one of the parents, who is an owner of "Creamies," held a fund raiser at the school.  Every penny from the Creamies they sold will be donated to the Abbott's!

Another set of parents wrote a very kind note, saying, "We wanted to help.  I know this isn't much, we wish we could do more..."  But trust me, it wasn't chump change.

I have heard that there will be a benefit concert of some kind at the school to help the Abbott's, but I don't have the details yet.  I hope to be able to share them soon - check back for an update!

A HUGE Thank You goes out to everyone at Indian Hills!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

the DaMaGE

People are Wonderful!

People have been so great to the Abbott's!  I don't know all of the stories of who has helped them and what has been done for them, but wanted to share a few I do know about.

The night of the fire, before Wade and Alicia & family even left the scene, someone from their LDS ward went out and bought everyone in the family brand new shoes.  THANK YOU!

The first night after the fire, the Abbott's were staying with Alicia's parents.  Someone had pizza delivered to the Cox home.  Alicia said that was the first thing she was able to eat after the fire.  I'll bet Pizza never tasted sO GoOd.  THANK YOU!

After seeing the first story on ABC 4, a former high school class mate of Wade's called and offered to help them out with cabinets when they're ready for them!  That's a HUGE expense!  THANK YOU!

Teachers at Indian Hills Middle School (where Wade is the Choir teacher) gathered all the money they could and gave it to Wade his first day back!  That is where the cash that was showed on the second ABC news story came from.  THANK YOU, Teachers!  We know first hand how difficult it is being a teacher and trying to make ends meet!  THANK YOU!

One of Wade's former students (now in the 8th grade and not in Choir, and who I believe is disabled) went around to some of his friends and pulled together what cash they could.  They handed him an envelope with four dollars and change.  What a sweet gesture and sacrifice!  THANK YOU!

THANK YOU to everyone for the clothes, furniture, toys, EVERYTHING!  I'll share more stories as I have time and as I hear about more of them!

ABC 4's second story

We feel like this story was taken a little out of context, unfortunately. The video shows Alicia flipping through a stack of cash and checks, but doesn't air what wade and alicia were saying about the money they're received. The purpose of the follow-up story was to talk about how people can protect themselves for having a similar problem with insurance, but it was also a chance for Wade and Alicia to share all of the wonderful stories of people helping them. Here is the new story (minus the video - it's not available as of yet).

TAKING ACTION: Family without insurance gets help to rebuild home
Reported by: Brent Hunsaker
Last Update: 8:37 am




WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Wednesday night ABC 4 took action for a family burned out of its home, and you've responded.


The Abbott family tells us they've been overwhelmed by the offers of help.


"These people don't have a lot of money, I know that, and something inside of me just doesn't want to accept this," said Alicia Abbott, the family's mother. "I feel so much gratitude, and I know it's coming from their hearts."


They'd only been in their dream home for a couple weeks when fire destroyed the house.


The Abbotts say they contacted their insurance broker before the house fire, asking him to sign them up for home insurance, but that request was never processed.


"The state of Utah does recognize that when an insurance agent does make a promise to procure insurance or acts negligently on a professional duty, or acting on a professional duty to acquire insurance, that there is the possibility to holding that insurance agent liable for losses," explained Chris Peterson, Assistant Dean of the University of Utah Law School, and a contract law expert.


Since the Abbotts bought their home with cash, they didn't use a mortgage company. A mortgage company would not allow a home sale to close without proper insurance. Peteron says to make sure you're adequately insured, don't do it over the phone, but instead get a copy of the paperwork and sign over a check.


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