why we say our prayers

Last night while standing in the kitchen:
Ty: Zuzu went down to sleep really well.
Jenn: That's great. Did you say her prayers?
Ty: Yes.
Jenn: Did you remember "God bless our house and keep it safe and keep us safe in it?" I say that with her every night.
Ty: "No, I didn't pray that."
Jenn: "Uh oh."


Just after midnight.
Thunder! Rain! Boom! Boom! Jenn and Ty both jump up and run to the patio doors. They watch the rain outside. BOOM! CRACK! Biggest crash ever. White light outside and through the skylights. Darkness. Jenn and Ty each say they think the house was struck by lightning. Zuzu starts crying and her alarm clock, oddly, starts ringing. Jenn and Ty grab flashlights. Check the breaker box -- almost all the switches are flipped.

12:45 am:
Fire department arrives. Thankfully without a siren but with a very bright spotlight on the house. Inspection, infrared camera, confirmation that we were struck. Fire department leaves at 1:00 am.

2:00 am:
Jenn, Ty, and Zuzu go to bed together.

4:00 am:
Zuzu starts crying and wants Horsey and Giraffe. Jenn brings them into bed.

6:00 am:
Zuzu starts crying. Ty puts Zuzu in her crib. Delirious with sleepiness, she repeats the word "dinner."

7:15 am:
Ringing. Where is it coming from? Jenn goes into Zuzu's room and discovers it is her alarm clock again. Zuzu wakes and says it has "loud bings and bongs."

8:00 am:
Ty and Jenn start writing down all the things that don't work. This light switch, that appliance... An electrician's call is in order. Jenn groans when the garage door is added to the list.

9:00 am:
Call to contractor to uncover second sump pump line (just in case). Call to siding guys to put our gutters back up (just in case), which they took down the day earlier. Call to insurance company to make a claim.

Later today:
We will buy some lottery tickets.