Home. We are home.
The first week of Dec, the contractor got an occupancy permit that allowed us to move in before the house was completely finished. We didn't actually move anything into the house. We just bought mattresses to sleep on and only spent the nights in the house. During the day we stayed in the camper until the construction crew was done working, usually around 6 pm. We spent about a week living like this back and forth between the house and camper. It was a bit of a difficult transition, as it rained the entire week and the yard was a complete mud pit. It was always dark when the construction crew left and we had to try and remember to gather up school clothes, food and everything we needed so we didn't have to go back and forth in the dark. We didn't have furniture or blinds on any of the windows, so we all hung out in the back bedroom. So for that first week we had kind of been living in our new home.
It's a strange feeling being here. Ever since the fire, my only goal has just been to get back home. Moving into the RV on our property helped a ton. Especially during the summer when i could be outside all day. Once the cold weather hit, and i found myself stuck inside all the time, i began to feel lost again. The space was too small to pull out the crafts that typically keep me sane during the winter months. i was watching the house being built, literally right outside the door and i was ready to come home. i didn't really know what that meant, i just knew the feeling.
So here we are, in this new house. It is becoming more familiar, but is still very new and very empty. At times it feels like we are back in the rental house, because of the room sizes and all the drywall. It's a strange deja vu feeling. We only moved across the yard, but emotionally it still takes a huge amount of adjustment. That camper has been our home for the last 6-7 months. But here we are, again trying to find home. Our old house had very little drywall, it was almost entirely wood. i wanted the wood paneling in the front room for this reason. It is the only wall in the house that isn't drywall, but it brings a little familiarity of my old house to this strange place.
The kids are happy to be here. They are very much enjoying their new rooms and creating their space. This is the first time Sage has had her very own room. She still sneaks into our bed each morning. :)
i'm adding the little details that help make this place feel like home to me. We started by decorating the windows with rainbow stars and snowflakes. We made lots of snowflakes, and hung them in the windows and from the wood trim across the kitchen ceiling. i brought in baskets of pine cones, and the stain glass dragonfly and butterfly (that were in the camper) to hang in my kitchen window.
We are still moving things over, and slowly unpacking. Creating our spaces, and creating new memories. We are getting there, each day a little closer. A little closer to home...closer to that feeling of home.
When you finally go back to your old home, you find it wasn't the old home you missed but your childhood.
Sam Ewing
