4 Year House Fire Anniversary
June 28th. Not my most favorite day of the year, but it’s a date that significantly impacted our family for forever.
If you’ve been following my blog for some time, you are likely aware of our 1886 Victorian home being struck by lightning and catching fire.
4 years ago today, our lives were forever changed. Exactly 3 months prior, we had uprooted our family from North Carolina and moved to Wisconsin.
Never in a million years would any of us have expected that on a random Friday morning at 7:04am our beautiful 1886 Victorian home (with us home!!!) would be struck by lightning and catch fire.
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The road we’ve traveled has been long, painful, agonizing, unfair, lonely, humbling and uplifting all at the same time. I can truly say that I’m so proud of my family for being so tough and resilient (even when it felt impossible to do so!)
While it’s still an ongoing process, light always shines through at the end…and I’m determined for this old Victorian lady to be a beacon of hope and encouragement for others. Things don’t always go our own way or as things were planned, but sometimes that’s not a bad thing –> and remember, be thankful for what you do have because it can all change in an instant. I praise God that the things that mattered most were saved!
The Journey Through Photos Video…
While capturing some of these moments were emotionally hard, I’m so thankful that I did snap these photos because it helps us see what we were able to come through. While I’m unable to share a lot of the details of why my husband and I were “gifted” back our house to complete, I wouldn’t have wanted to walk through this with anyone but him. These past four years have been hard, draining, maddening and trying – to say the least – but I’m proud to say that we were able to walk though this together, unbroken.
![](https://gatheredinthekitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/xo-Stephanie-Signature.jpg")
Stephanie—home cook, DIY addict, seasonal decor fanatic, and proud chicken wrangler living in a Victorian house that’s always a project. Whether I’m cooking with garden-fresh ingredients, herding mischievous chickens, or tackling another DIY, I’m here to share the fun (and chaos).
Nice Job! Sad to look back at the horror… but glad to see how you and your family persevered through it all! Not everyone could have done that! Kuddos to you all! 😊
From shock and tears to tears of Joy! You amaze me Stephanie! I know you and your family will persevere!
Stephanie, I read the whole fire story tonight! Wow, you guys have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the house and I love your determination to preserve it the best way you can! I’m sure anyone with any tiny connection of history to that place appreciates you! I can’t wait to stop by and check it out some day!!