I mentioned in my last post that we were so blessed to have both sets of grandparents present for the big move-in week. Words can't express just what an understatement that is. Even now, two weeks into going solo with the kids all day while Craig works, I marvel at all we were able to get accomplished in the first two weeks in the house compared to the glaring goose-eggs I've gotten done since then.
The best part about having family here was to celebrate our new life and show them where we had chosen to make our home. We walked the property lines together, remarking over every tree and watching the sun set for the first time. Our happiness was increased by sharing it with others.
After all, we'd bought our house after two long showings in October and not seen it since our offer was approved. During the long escrow process, I wondered a few times if we were doing the right thing by buying. What a relief to get here, move in, and be totally as much in love with the house as we were with the dream of it that kept me going for two months during the long move.
That said, we had our work cut out for us that first week. Six adults and three children moved into a house that had been standing empty for a while. It had no drinking water, hot water, laundry, dishwasher, garage door remotes, and a huge list of other non-essential but pesky repairs.
Grandparents to the rescue! While our well was being reconditioned and we worked at the house putting things away, the kids were very well entertained. They were taken to the library, out shopping, and of course to Chick-fil-A.
My mom and dad stayed an extra few days at a hotel so we could take advantage of the laundry, showers, and pool. On our second night in the new house, right when the kids were too exhausted to fall asleep, they were bathed at the hotel and driven home in their footie pajamas. Arriving, we found them all asleep in their car seats and effortlessly placed them in their beds. Ahhhhh.....
Craig's parents worked tirelessly too, both with the kids and managing the unpacking duties. Phil straightened out every piece of crush paper and collapsed every box so that we were certain that nothing got lost in the unpacking. Their work remains stacked neatly in the garage, promising to provide the kids with a few years of drawing paper and box forts.
It is humbling to reflect back on the conditions that everyone endured for our sake and the cheerful and selfless attitudes with which we were served. Until our water was safe to drink, everyone ate on paper plates and brushed their teeth with bottled water. After that, the first use of our dishwasher sent water out onto the tile, so Florence washed dishes in the sink without complaint. It was hard enough for us to live without laundry for two weeks, but how much harder for them to live out of a suitcase with nowhere to refresh a limited wardrobe!
Most importantly, all four grandparents spent some fun time with the kids, making memories and soothing any raw nerves that the disruptive move had produced. Just this was a full time job.
It was also nice to have extra sets of hands to hold the camera. People on facebook watched the move and the first weeks unfold through "our pictures" when we were too busy to change clothes, much less take and post pictures.
We all had our fair share of weather to try out here, too. Just forty-eight hours in, a storm hit and the kids saw snow for the first time in conscious memory. My mom and dad went on an epic trip to Wal-Mart, stocking us with staples and encouraging us to text if we needed anything added to the list. Then they enthusiastically snapped pictures of the kids in their beautiful winter scene, encouraging me to get in the picture in my new polar bear jammies my mom had bought for me. After the kids were in bed, my mom presented us with a handmade fleece blanket in a snowman-and-mug-of coffee pattern. It matched the living room decor scheme that was spontaneously falling into place at the time.
Later, they were peripherally affected by the great Chicago storm, having to delay their return an extra four days because they were set to lay over in a closed airport. It sounds great, and it was for us, but the icy trip up to the Philly airport to stand in a cancellation line for four hours was a huge ordeal for them.
As a result of the extra Grammy and Grandpa time, Devon got his first haircut in two months (not coincidentally, the last time he saw Grandpa).
Grandpa always feels the situation warrants a reward. Last time, it was sunglasses. This time, it was a new truck. Lucky guy! All three kids got new toys that we are still enjoying now.
Carrie and Melina enjoyed their color aprons that Grammy bought specially. The general chaos in the background of the photo is a fitting reminder of how disrupted things were for those first few weeks and how much everyone put up with.
I'm framing these pictures for my mantle, even though it may seem strange to have a picture featuring one's mantle sitting on the mantle. It's such a good memory of everyone in the house together, working tirelessly to make this house work for us.
Sitting in my living room with nothing more than the usual clutter of
life amiss, it's so hard to imagine that we've been here only a month. My books are on the shelves, my light fixtures are dusted, my pictures are up, and tonight we can turn on the gas fire after the kids go to bed. I
have a Maryland driver's license, a dishwasher, a brand new washer and
dryer, and countless other things that would not have been accomplished
had we not had enough help. I'm not even sure how much help is "enough" for three kids under four. There are days when I think the starting lineup of the Green Bay Packers wouldn't be enough bodies to keep these kids happy and give me enough time to make a phone call. I just know that we are so blessed to have family clear our schedules to help us when we needed them so much.
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