Moving On

For several pesky little reasons, almost a month passed after we moved out of the house in McAllen before we were able to list it for sale.  Praise God, however, that we had a contract for sale within days of listing it.  Praise God again because the contract didn't fall through, and we closed a few days before Thanksgiving.  

We ate one last family meal in the McAllen house a couple days before the closing and as expected, I cried as we prepared to walk out one last time.  The house in McAllen was our first house together.  The first place we stayed long enough to put down real roots.  The house we remodeled and thereby stamped with a small part of ourselves.  The house to which we brought Katy home from the hospital.  The house where we hosted countless gatherings, potlucks, and parties.   The house surrounded by familiar places and dear friends.  I cried for the loss of all these wonderful things that the house represented.

I was so excited to finally move our furniture out of the McAllen house the week before the scheduled closing.  I anticipated that finally moving the bulk of our large, tangible objects would suddenly make the new house feel like the home I had in McAllen.  But of course, the house in McAllen was so much more than just tangible objects; it was all the sentimental things that made me cry when we finally said good-bye.  And so the new house is currently a messy house.  Some of our furniture is in pieces because it didn't fit, a lot of furniture is waiting to be moved into place, there is still nothing hanging on the bare walls, and most of the sentimental attachments that make a house a home are yet to be formed.

Our last trip to the McAllen house.

I sure loved the light fixture in the dining room.  Sigh.