That Elusive House

I sit here surrounding by boxes in our former home.  A week ago, the 24th of January, we officially signed the papers over to the new homeowners.  They are young and just found out they are expecting their first child.  This house will be perfect for their small family. 

I am internally morning this transition, fighting our loss, frustrated over unforeseen complications on the new house.  We will be closing on February 4th and have to be out by the 7th.  Through this whole process timing has not been in our favor.  We keep thinking we will have plenty of time to move, but in truth we will have just a couple of weekdays to get it done.  As I understand things, the mortgage process is rarely a smooth one, and usually filled with surprises along the way.

For now I am trying to concentrate on the task at hand, packing up eight years of our life, and not on the sadness that has been slowly creeping up.  The joy of the children has kept the many memories of the house at bay.  Their excitement and constant questions about when and how long keeps me focused and prevents my ultra sentimental brain from wandering to the cries and smiles and milestones that have been soaked up by the walls and floors. 

I have so many feelings and memories to go over, sort, and begin to finally transform into words, but for now boxes still call my name.  Stress of moving has gotten to me and words fail. 

Closing Day

We finally got word that we will be closing on our new house on January 29th!!!  That means we will start moving in right away.  I am elated, nervous, overwhelmed, pretty much all the customary reactions one feels upon such milestones in life.  We are hoping the new house will  be our "forever" home.  One that we can watch all children graduate from high school and hopefully college in.  The house that wears Noelle's and Violette's prom dresses and sees Max and Zane wearing tuxedo's in. The house they all learn how to back out of the driveway in.  The house that holds break up stories of first loves.  The house where my grandchildren come to visit in.

We say goodbye to the house they spent their first night in.  Farewell will  be said to first smiles, first rolls, first times sitting up, first crawls, first steps, first words, you get the point.  This house holds a lot of firsts for us.  The walls holds whispers of babydoom.  It reeks of our first chapters of marriage and parenthood.  Our lives hold many more chapters and we are finishing up Part I.  I could go on and on, and that time will come when I'm ready to shed the necessary tears. For now it is still two weeks away and I will hold on to those two weeks.

We have no way of knowing what the future holds.  For now, our dream is to stay on in Adrian Michigan (never thought I would imagine Adrian as being my dream town, but we really do like it.  If the lotto is in our future we are outta here and moving up to Traverse City, but likely, this will be our city to dwell in) and watch the children grow to adults.

We will continue to have an unpaved driveway and porch.  The weather is too cold, and the builder will finish those around May, when the temperature warms up and the cement is able to cure better.  So that means the house will not look as complete as we had hoped, but the inside is done.  Sigh.

Here is a sketch of the finished house:
Pictures will be taken, eventually.  For now a sketch will suffice.  

Snowed In

Today is Thursday, Snow Day # 4.

I started a five day cleanse and fast.  As in NO FOOD.

Temperature is -14.

Supplies are dwindling.  Last piece of paper was just used.

Food is my enemy and their want all the time.

Sickness has hit all our friends.

Roads conditions are severely poor.

Not worth the risk to leave the house, which we haven't done in weeks.

Moral is fading fast.  Mine.  Theirs.  The animals.

It's not pretty.

They fight.  A lot.

They cry.  A lot.

He still smiles.

Wish us luck.  It's been rough.

Breaks On, Reverse, Go!

Wow!  It’s January 7th, 2014 already!  The children are on their second snow day, a small part of the them ready to see their teachers and friends, but we are honestly enjoying each other and the extra time home together. Currently it is –13 degrees and the wind chill is hovering around –39 degrees, so inside we stay, playing with all the new toys from Christmas and soaking in the time without a schedule.  I’m not sure school is on the agenda for tomorrow with the very icy roads and sub zero temperatures.  If we are home, we will continue on snuggling and playing and squeezing in a few lessons from school here and there. 

 

Let’s backtrack to the week before Christmas…Violette and Zane had a visit from Santa Claus at school.  They all loved having him there and he even brought them a little present.  I’m surprised by Zane’s lack of fear, but he is by far my most out going child, ready and willing to talk to any and everyone that will listen to him.

 

On the 20th Tom took the day off of school and I was able to help out in Max’s and Noelle’s classroom Christmas parties.  It was so much fun seeing the children in their classrooms with their friends.  I was able to make Noelle birthday/party cupcakes that turned out very well with my lack of baking skills. 

Saturday was Noelle’s 8th Birthday, but also our annual Babcock Family Christmas in St. Clair. To make her day special I scheduled her an appointment for an updo at the salon.  She was so excited to say the least!  Her hair turned out beautiful land she was ready for the party!

The Babcock Family Christmas was wonderful, as usual.  Lots of family, gifts, and above all laugher and joy. 

We even got a full family picture!  Not perfect, but all six of us were in it, even Zane peeking out!

This is the funniest picture!  Check out Max’s face!

On Sunday evening beloved Uncle Alex came to stay with us until Christmas.  The children (including Tom) were thrilled to have him here.  He played endlessly with the kids and stayed up late laughing with Tom and I.  We, Tom and I, realized we are not 21 anymore either! 

  

Christmas Eve came and the whole Goodhue Gang arrived late.  Charlotte, Mike, Maizey, Grandma, and Grandpa all piled in the house for one last Christmas here.  Good times were had!  My camera only came out Christmas morning, but on the bright side, I was able to get some pictures!

 

Zane was tired out by the afternoon:

 

Maizey loves her cousins:

Family left and we spent the next few days playing with all the new toys.  Next up was Max’s birthday on the 31st.  He opened gifts and had a relaxing day including an evening over at friends house, then went to bed later than usual.  No, the kids did not stay up to bring in the new year, Tom and I are just not ready for the late nights and early mornings!

New Year’s Day brought along with it about 8 inches of lovely snow and we headed out sledding and enjoying the snow.

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That brings us to Sunday, when another large storm hit, leaving another 10 inches of snow and bitter cold temperatures.  I just heard that Wednesday, January 8th, will be another snow day with schools cancelled.  I think we are all ready for school to begin and are schedules to return to normal, but we will soak up the last day off tomorrow and hopefully get out in the bountiful snow. 

We continue to wait on word of a closing date on our current house and our new house.  Looks like we might be morning towards the beginning of February.  That is fine by me, as we enjoy the last weeks of this precious home where all four of my babies made their debuts and took their first steps.

Happy New Year to all.  May this new year bring you much joy, adventure, prosperity, and most importantly love!