Tea Fire

As many of you know, Santa Barbara has been hit with a terrible fire. Several of our friends and neighbors have been evacuated and many people have no idea if their homes are still standing or in ash. Our house is one block away from the evacuation warnings and last night we could see the flames from our front porch. The yard and driveway are covered in ash and burnt pieces of trees and paper.
Last night we packed up several of our treasured items (mostly pictures) and put all the important documents in boxes and then waited. We live just a few short blocks from the Riviera, which is almost completely evacuated. All night helicopters and drop planes were flying over head. We could hear several loud explosions as well. It was very frightening.
We feel very fortunate that our home is still safe and sound -- we are hopeful that the firefighters will gain the upper hand in the coming hours.
These situations always give one a greater appreciation of friends and family. On that note, here are some pictures of our wonderful family from our trip last weekend. We love you guys!