Thursday, Nov. 23rd was moving day - for the end goal of this whole build was to move Oma and Opa out of that dear old farmhouse and into the newly built one. The last week has been quite the flurry of activity - for once there was more going on at the old house than at the build site--sorry, new house. But yesterday afternoon things slowed down and all of us - the Aunties cleaning wearily, the cousins dancing in the big open living room, the teenagers reminiscing and the Uncles coming back from the build s--new house, on the pretense of hauling one last load of boxes but really to be at the old house - had time to go from room to room, shedding tears and saying good-bye. Then all us cousins were sent to the new house so mopping could commence, and I drove a carload of kids away, all of us sobbing the whole way there. That was the last time we were at Oma and Opa's house and the house my mother grew up in.
It was a strange supper that evening, all of us sitting on dining room chairs and three big easy chairs in the new garage, with a pile of boxes and furniture behind us that reached to the ceiling. We sang a song before we ate, the tears streaming down our cheeks, and afterward we said good-bye to our cousins and Oma and Opa and drove home.
Home! I am home for good after a month at camp and three months at the build. It is good to be home for Christmas this year. Merry Christmas everyone!
