A Calhan family of nine encounters a stroke of bad luck. First the father gets laid off then their house is destroyed by a fire.

The Choate family has already gotten a lot of help from their community and from their church, but they still have a long way to go.

There are seven kids in the Choate family ranging from 12-years-old to 18-months-old. There are five boys and two girls.

The family says things were going great for them until several weeks ago. That's when Adam Choate was unexpectedly laid off. He's a Software Engineer. "I've been looking for a new position and then this happened so it's been crazy," said Adam Choate, father of seven.

He's referring to the blaze that destroyed his home. The fire broke out inside the family kitchen, and it would be enough to blacken everything inside, 14-years worth of memories. "It didn't hit me that night even seeing it," said Adam Choate.

It happened on a night when they all might have been home, but on that evening they all went to go see family. "The most important thing is our kids. I am so glad that they weren't here, that none of us were here. That blessing is, it's a miracle," said Roberta Choate, Adam's wife of 14-years and the mother of his seven children.

It's a miracle, they say, that even the family cat left with them.

The Choates say the home was not insured at the time of the fire. They say that insurance money certainly would have put them in a more comfortable position.

The Choates are staying with a family friend. They're still looking for a permanent home. Clothing has been donated to them, but they'll still need furniture.

A charitable fund has been set up in the family's name. If you'd like, you can make a donation at the Farmers State Bank. There's one in Falcon, Ellicott and Calhan.