"How about going up to see how our new house is coming along this afternoon," Mark said as he and Bret prepared to go do chores.
"Those are the most wonderful words I have heard in a long time!" I told him going to him and throwing my arms around his neck. "I'll have Kate ready when you guys get home."
After driving an hour north, we pulled into a parking lot and stopped. There were new homes setting everywhere, waiting to be moved to their new locations. There were one story ones, two story ones, brown ones trimmed in white and white ones trimmed in all different colors. We got out of the car and slowly walked to the door that had a sign OFFICE over its top. Inside, the receptionist looked up and smiled. "What can we do for you?"
"We are having a new home built here and we were told we could come see it anytime. We wonder if this is a good time to do so?" Mark asked grabbing for Bret's arm to keep him from going to far.
"I'm sure someone could take you back. Just wait here and I'll check," she said getting up and hurrying back through some doors.
It wasn't long until a man appeared. "Hello, I hear you are here to see your home," he said holding his hand out to Mark.
"Yes we are anxious to see how it is coming along."
"Oh I remember now...you are the folks who lost yours in that fire in December. I know how anxious you must be . Just follow me and we will go take a look," he said heading for the door on our left.
We slowly walked into a huge warehouse full of unfinished homes standing in a line. Mark held Kate and I held tight to Bret's little hand. All around us men in hard hats with toolbelts hanging from their waists, were going into homes or walking around outside them. Some were hanging sheet rock, some were doing electrical work, some were nailing 2 x 4's. It was loud with saws, hammers, talking and fans.
The man took us past a number of unfinished homes and stopped at a simple one story little house half way down the line. "Well this is yours," he said inviting us to step in. We stepped up into our new home. 2 x 4's were nailed here and there. A tub stood in a room they called the bathroom. A shower stood all alone in one little corner off a bedroom. There was electrical wires running in and out through the 2 x 4's among small pipes and some larger ones.
At this stage, we just had to imagine our bedrooms, our kitchen, our living room. We imagined how it would soon be home as we followed the man through the skeleton house and he pointed out different things to us. But even in our imagining, we were fast falling in love. We were falling in love with this house that would soon be our home. In my minds eye, I could see little toys strewn over the living room floor. I could see little unmade beds, and the table all set for dinner. I could hardly wait for this little home to come to us.
It was a beautiful spring day in March when it did come to us. Our phone had rung the day before and when I answered it was a man's voice on the other end. "Ma'am this is Wardcraft homes calling. Your home is ready to deliver. We are planning on bringing it tomorrow morning if this is ok with you."
"Oh are you sure?" I stammered in the phone.
"Yes I am the one who will be driving the truck. I want to make sure you are ready for the delivery."
"Oh, of course. I guess I am in shook. I have been waiting for this call for so long. Of course, we will be looking for you!"
"That is great. We should have it to the site a little after noon."
Oh I was so excited! Our house was coming tomorrow. I did a little dance right there in the living room.
Sure enough around noon we heard the sound of truck motors coming closer. We all ran outside to look. The first thing we saw coming through the trees was a white flat bed pickup. This pickup had pulled up stop signs and trimmed off low hanging branches and even cut down a small tree or two so the house could get down the road.
Behind the pickup was our house. A semi was pulling a large trailer and on that trailer sat a beautiful light brown house with a darker roof. It was quite a sight to see that big 26 x 52 foot house come down the road!
A red haired man pulled the house up to the north side of our basement and stopped. It was amazing how he handled that huge building. Jumping out of the cab, he started to bark instructions. Out came heavy jacks, huge beams, crow bars and wenches. As we stood there watching those men worked together to move that beautiful home onto its foundation and tie it down.
I couldn't believe it! Our house was here! It smelled so new, so clean, so perfect! There was some last minute things that had to be done before we could move in. The basement steps needed to be built. A small porch was built on the east end. All the walls had been painted and the carpet was down. We had decided to change the floor plan a bit from the old house. It was just plain beautiful.
One bright morning, I slipped quietly from the trailer where the children slept. I walked slowly into our new home. I walked around for a little while, just taking it all in. I found myself in the living room standing in front of the large picture window that ran down to the floor. I just stood there looking out, and thinking. There was something about this whole experience that humbled me. I knew it would as long as I lived. Have you ever been told to go out and buy what you needed for your home and it would all be paid for? Have you ever had generous, giving people give and give for your cause? Have you ever had men give their lives for your cause? Well, we had just experienced those very things. Total gratitude flowed from my heart as I stood there looking out that window. Gratitude for all the many wonderful people we came in contact with. Gratitude for the kindness of our insurance company and those men who walked beside us through all our decisions. Those men had stayed with us until we were 100% satisfied.
I was and would forever be thankful for all of those things. But as I stood there, in our little plain home, no wall paper in the hallway, no curtains on the windows, I was so thankful! Our little children were safe asleep in the trailer next door and it wouldn't be long now until these rooms would be echoing with laughter.
"Those are the most wonderful words I have heard in a long time!" I told him going to him and throwing my arms around his neck. "I'll have Kate ready when you guys get home."
After driving an hour north, we pulled into a parking lot and stopped. There were new homes setting everywhere, waiting to be moved to their new locations. There were one story ones, two story ones, brown ones trimmed in white and white ones trimmed in all different colors. We got out of the car and slowly walked to the door that had a sign OFFICE over its top. Inside, the receptionist looked up and smiled. "What can we do for you?"
"We are having a new home built here and we were told we could come see it anytime. We wonder if this is a good time to do so?" Mark asked grabbing for Bret's arm to keep him from going to far.
"I'm sure someone could take you back. Just wait here and I'll check," she said getting up and hurrying back through some doors.
It wasn't long until a man appeared. "Hello, I hear you are here to see your home," he said holding his hand out to Mark.
"Yes we are anxious to see how it is coming along."
"Oh I remember now...you are the folks who lost yours in that fire in December. I know how anxious you must be . Just follow me and we will go take a look," he said heading for the door on our left.
We slowly walked into a huge warehouse full of unfinished homes standing in a line. Mark held Kate and I held tight to Bret's little hand. All around us men in hard hats with toolbelts hanging from their waists, were going into homes or walking around outside them. Some were hanging sheet rock, some were doing electrical work, some were nailing 2 x 4's. It was loud with saws, hammers, talking and fans.
The man took us past a number of unfinished homes and stopped at a simple one story little house half way down the line. "Well this is yours," he said inviting us to step in. We stepped up into our new home. 2 x 4's were nailed here and there. A tub stood in a room they called the bathroom. A shower stood all alone in one little corner off a bedroom. There was electrical wires running in and out through the 2 x 4's among small pipes and some larger ones.
At this stage, we just had to imagine our bedrooms, our kitchen, our living room. We imagined how it would soon be home as we followed the man through the skeleton house and he pointed out different things to us. But even in our imagining, we were fast falling in love. We were falling in love with this house that would soon be our home. In my minds eye, I could see little toys strewn over the living room floor. I could see little unmade beds, and the table all set for dinner. I could hardly wait for this little home to come to us.
It was a beautiful spring day in March when it did come to us. Our phone had rung the day before and when I answered it was a man's voice on the other end. "Ma'am this is Wardcraft homes calling. Your home is ready to deliver. We are planning on bringing it tomorrow morning if this is ok with you."
"Oh are you sure?" I stammered in the phone.
"Yes I am the one who will be driving the truck. I want to make sure you are ready for the delivery."
"Oh, of course. I guess I am in shook. I have been waiting for this call for so long. Of course, we will be looking for you!"
"That is great. We should have it to the site a little after noon."
Oh I was so excited! Our house was coming tomorrow. I did a little dance right there in the living room.
Sure enough around noon we heard the sound of truck motors coming closer. We all ran outside to look. The first thing we saw coming through the trees was a white flat bed pickup. This pickup had pulled up stop signs and trimmed off low hanging branches and even cut down a small tree or two so the house could get down the road.
Behind the pickup was our house. A semi was pulling a large trailer and on that trailer sat a beautiful light brown house with a darker roof. It was quite a sight to see that big 26 x 52 foot house come down the road!
A red haired man pulled the house up to the north side of our basement and stopped. It was amazing how he handled that huge building. Jumping out of the cab, he started to bark instructions. Out came heavy jacks, huge beams, crow bars and wenches. As we stood there watching those men worked together to move that beautiful home onto its foundation and tie it down.
I couldn't believe it! Our house was here! It smelled so new, so clean, so perfect! There was some last minute things that had to be done before we could move in. The basement steps needed to be built. A small porch was built on the east end. All the walls had been painted and the carpet was down. We had decided to change the floor plan a bit from the old house. It was just plain beautiful.
One bright morning, I slipped quietly from the trailer where the children slept. I walked slowly into our new home. I walked around for a little while, just taking it all in. I found myself in the living room standing in front of the large picture window that ran down to the floor. I just stood there looking out, and thinking. There was something about this whole experience that humbled me. I knew it would as long as I lived. Have you ever been told to go out and buy what you needed for your home and it would all be paid for? Have you ever had generous, giving people give and give for your cause? Have you ever had men give their lives for your cause? Well, we had just experienced those very things. Total gratitude flowed from my heart as I stood there looking out that window. Gratitude for all the many wonderful people we came in contact with. Gratitude for the kindness of our insurance company and those men who walked beside us through all our decisions. Those men had stayed with us until we were 100% satisfied.
I was and would forever be thankful for all of those things. But as I stood there, in our little plain home, no wall paper in the hallway, no curtains on the windows, I was so thankful! Our little children were safe asleep in the trailer next door and it wouldn't be long now until these rooms would be echoing with laughter.
Precious Memories!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to continue with you on your journey cousin. <3
ReplyDelete