About a month after we moved to the cute little house, we came back to actually get most of our things. Rhen wanted to get as much actual moving-our-stuff-out-and-over-to-the-house as possible in one trip, so he just broke down and rented a U-haul. That’s a big truck.
I’d been packing for weeks and weeks, so most of our things were in boxes…
but, oh, my GOODness–I have soooo much STUFF!
But the guys were patient and kind and hard working and packed that big, old truck, not once…
but TWICE.
Then they drove it allll the way…
to my cute little house up the road.
The weather was pretty dang soggy, but they didn’t seem to notice. Guys are such a wonderful idea. haha.
They packed as much as they could into the carport, and put everything else…
in the front room…
and family room.
I’m sooooo excited to start putting things where they belong. Some of this stuff, I haven’t seen in a few years.
As I pulled out of the driveway from my daughter’s house, close to midnight on Christmas Eve–to spend the very first night at my very own little house, of course I was excited. Then, I looked back up at the big picture window and I could see them, Lyndi and her husband moving around in the front room to get everything ready for Santa Claus’ visit. I got the strangest clutch in my chest. My first thought was, “What am I doing?! Family and love and Christmas and happiness is happening right there, right now and I’m driving away from it–to be almost alone!”
I’ve lived with my daughter and her family since before her children were born. Since both boys went on their missions. Since before Jillian got married. Since before Dane got married. Eight maybe nine Christmas’–I don’t know, I’ve lost count. It’s all we’ve known for a long, long time. Everything just the way that it was.
I kept driving out into the night with all the funny, scared, lonesome thoughts going through my head. By the time I was half way to my house it was snowing hard. After sliding a bit on a slow turn, I pulled over into a gas station parking lot…and started to cry. I was quite prepared to sit there for however long it took, to calm down and get a hold of myself.
Then my phone rang. It was one of my other daughters calling to wish me a Merry Christmas Eve and to just see if I was ok. I think some little angel must have nudged her to call at that very moment. She told me that she was proud of me and that some things would be hard and different, but that they would also be good and wonderful. She told me that my family was still the same and close by and mine. She said that the scary things that were changing would be great.  Most importantly, she said, “Mom, everything is going to be all right.”
Insert big, heavy *sigh* right here.
Funny how those last few words have such an incredible ability to actually make everything all right.
I drove the rest of the way home singing, “Chestnuts roasting…” with Nat King Cole, and it was warm and soft and lovely.
Of course this isn’t really a Christmas shelf–as in, that’s all we will ever use it for. It’s just that the very first official use of the thing was to set up a bit more holiday cheer–so to speak. Most of our Christmas storage boxes are nestled deep in the shed or back patio with 80,000 more boxes and tubs stacked on them. So, all that we are decorating with here are the new things acquired this year, or whatever didn’t get put away from last year.
Slim, but still decent pickings, indeed.
I saw this in Target one night and it reminded me so much of my daddy and all his gingerbread making skills, that it worked it’s way into my cart–at the expense of two boxes of cereal.
Had to be done.
This is a cute little “shelf elf” of sorts, that I won last year from the local toy store called Blickenstaff’s. I don’t remember what I had to do to win, but he was worth it.
My dear friend Sue made the little wooden nativity and totally fulfilled my quest to get a new little set, from somewhere each year. Thanks, Sue!
Then there is our most beloved manger scene that Rhen brought back from Kazakhstan. Here’s the little shepherd with his lamb, his donkey and his enormous dog.
Here are the three wise men with their gifts.
And of course, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus–in his wooley manger bed. Being a non-Christian country–this had to be specially and very quietly ordered, ahead of time. It’s really beautiful.
Our plan is to sleep over for the first night in the new house–tomorrow–Christmas Eve.
