The Cottonware family lost their Centerpoint home in the July 4 floods. Thursday, marked their first Christmas following the tragedy.
CENTER POINT, Texas — The Cottonware family lost their Center Point home in the Fourth of July floods.
Thursday, marked their first Christmas following the tragedy.
Prepped and ready for Santa, 6-year-old Grayson Cottonware has toys all around. This year, it’s not the Hot Wheels he really wants the most, not even his two front teeth but the bike he lost the morning of July 4.
The lives of Grayson, his parents, Sondra and Nick, and his little sister June’s forever changed in minutes.
“And by the time we came out, it had gotten a lot higher,” Sondra said.
Their home in Center Point was ruined by the floods.
“It’s tested us in ways we’ve never been tested before,” Nick said.
They had to figure out how to get their 3-month-old, two dogs, and Grayson out, while leaving everything behind.
“It was very emotional for me, but very grateful we’re able to start over,” Sondra said.
The days following the floods would give Sondra and Nick a reminder of the good in people’s hearts.
“Thank God there were people there, and they took our 3-month-old baby from us at the time and got us a ride to the mini mart,” Nick said.
The family bounced around from place to place until recently, when generous donations afforded them a roof over their heads.
Lost memorabilia, even Christmas decorations passed down through generations, left a cloud hanging over Sondra.
“Christmas this year was really emotional, it really, I almost didn’t want to do it,” Sondra said.
Grayson lifts their spirits with Christmas cheer, unaware of what happened and focused on just one thing.
“I wanted a bike and a skateboard,” Grayson told KENS 5.
Okay, maybe a few things.
This Christmas morning, the cloud over Sondra let up, maybe just a bit.
It may not be the Christmas the Cottonwares intended, but enough to remind them of what Christmas is about.