218 N Dianne: Preparing and Moving
In very old news, we closed on a house in Mahomet the weekend before Mother’s Day. It was a smooth process although we’re glad to be done with signing papers and all the fun legalities that go along with such a big purchase. This was the second home we had made an offer on this spring and I think it was good to have gone through a declined offer before this offer was accepted. The first time we walked through the house we separately had a sense of “wow, this could feel like home.” I’ll admit that there are times of buyers remorse, like when you get lots of heavy rain and find that every house in the neighborhood drains to your backyard and ultimately into the crawl space. But in those times we remind ourselves that this home is more than enough and the problems are fixable.
One major task we took on before moving in was scraping popcorn off the ceilings in the main living areas: kitchen, dining room, living room, and hallway. (I’ll add here that we hadn’t really noticed the ceilings in our first walk-through and looking back it’s funny to see all those things you can overlook when you really want to find a house.) It’s yet to be determined whether or not we’ll touch the bedroom ceilings seeing as it’s a messy project. There’s no way we found to avoid making lots of dust, and Seth researched various methods before going with one that worked well. Still, it took hours of climbing up and down ladders, covering floors in plastic, and hoping that the end product would look better. Thankfully what was under the popcorn didn’t require too much bandaging and Seth did an incredible job mudding the seams to make a smooth ceiling.
We’re both really glad to have done it. There’s something satisfying about putting hours into a project that rewards with such visible improvement. And for me, a huge benefit was that we did it together. Okay, I’ll be honest: Seth by far did a majority. And seeing as acts of service is one of my strong love languages, moving into our own home has made me fall in love all the more as it has opened my eyes even wider to what a servant heart that guy has. I don’t mean to get all gushy, but I am really thankful for the grace of Jesus that allowed a week of low sleep and exhausted bodies (and a hormonal, pregnant wife) to be a time that I reflect on as a blessing in our marriage. Sure, there were times of frustration as I followed Seth in circles around Lowes, and there were times my expectations were simply unrealistic. Still, overall there was–and continues to be–this element of joy in doing it for our home, for each other. So I can’t help but feel incredibly grateful to be Seth’s wife during these months of settling in–which I’m sure will turn into years of settling in. Is it ever really over?!
Before…
During…
Now…
There were many people who have helped with some part of the process whether before or after we moved and if you’ve moved before you know how humbling it is to have so many people help just to help. Because they’re nice and they love you. If you were one of those people and are reading now, thanks again.
On Friday we took a quick trip to Indiana to spend some time with my family since McCormick’s were down. It ended up being the boost I needed to finish strong before moving in on Monday. Quiet time Saturday morning in the creek-bed with a view of grazing horses and a trip to Fountain Park with Calvin were a welcome time of peace and quiet. We celebrated birthdays and with lots of extra hands Dad got the yard weeded and mulched.
On Friday we had left with a paint of coat drying on the walls in the living room and the carpet cleaners working on all the carpeted floors to hopefully remove the smell of the previous homeowners’ pet. I had pictured walking into the house Saturday night welcomed by fresh-smelling floors and an overall sense of cleanliness. Seth was going to put another coat on the walls while I did some prep for serving lunch the next day. Instead we opened the door and were overwhelmed by the smell of wet dog. Disappointed, Seth called the cleaner who came back and gave it a second treatment that night. It was kind of him to come twice, but the odor still lingers and it delayed the painting until a more inconvenient time. If only life was about convenience 
As mentioned before, we served lunch Mother’s Day weekend and I think there were eight people who sent cookies/bars and even more who offered. I had made some lasagnas the week before that were in the freezer ready to go and Saturday night I got the cheesy noodles ready. On Sunday it all came together smoothly (with help of course) and ended up being a great experience, albeit one I hope I don’t have to repeat soon.
Monday was the big moving day. Mom Waibel and Leah helped me box up my kitchen stuff in the morning and all throughout the day I was making the quick trip back and forth between homes moving the small boxes. It was nice to be able to do that throughout the week: an armful of clothes here, a box of miscellaneous there. Even though we tried to be careful to not accumulate too much stuff in the first year I have a weakness for free things and found that my stash of birch logs would have to be more selectively picked through.
There were lots of willing hands to help with the heavy lifting later that evening and my boss’s husband offered his trailer which worked well. Tuesday Mom Waibel helped me clean the rental and we handed over the keys that evening. I thought I’d miss that house more–it was a great first home.
Yet rarely do I really wish to be back there because God has opened the door to where we are now and why would I wish it were otherwise? Even though pictures need to be hung and there are a few strange smells that seem to ooze out of the walls and carpet, it’s slowly becoming more and more settled. And in the process, I continue to be more and more amazed at the man I get to share the place with.
We truly love having people over, especially since we have more space. So please, don’t be shy and invite yourself sometime. But beware: if you come at the right moment I just might hand you a paintbrush!
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