FRIDAY - JANUARY 27, 2012 - On Friday, I closed on my new home. MY very own home. I did it, all by myself! I didn't have a co-signer. I didn't have a husband. It was all me. It was a very long day at closing. A few hiccups, but it finally closed before the end of the work day. I could hardly breathe as I signed every piece of paper that came my way - then, finally, it was done. I can't believe it. ME, a divorced woman and single mother who just turned 50 years old - ME!
I nearly fainted. I cried. My realtor cried. We hugged each other. She took me to lunch. I cried some more. My hands started shaking. I became lightheaded (thank goodness I was sitting down). I thanked God over and over for giving me this wonderful blessing.
And, after packing for two months in a "I can't believe this is really happening coma", I became exhausted, both mentally and physically. I planned everything perfectly. The movers were scheduled to arrive on Saturday. My teenage son, Tony, had a few friends lined up to help with the small stuff. Some of my church friends were lined up to help also.
It was nearly dark when I got back to the rental home, and I started loading up things to take to the new house for the night. I had already planned what to take and it was ready to go. I was determined to sleep the first night in my new house - by myself. Well, sort of. I loaded up my sweet cat (Cheyenne) and my beautiful dog (Anya the Siberian Husky), along with their beds, food (a few special new home treats) and kitty litter, a pillow and blanket for me, my clock radio and my laptop, and yes, I am ready to go.
(To back up a little, I had been living in a rental home that did not have a fence around the yard. That made it very difficult for my dog, Anya, to run around. I promised her that someday she would have her own yard to run around in. And, the house was very small, and not much room for my cat to run around in either.)
Okay, back to the present. My realtor, Jean, met me at the house with the keys. I will never forget the moment I drove into MY driveway - YES, it really is MY driveway! With tears streaming down my face, I got out with my dog on a leash and my cat in my arms and met Jean at the door. She handed me my keys and said "Welcome home" - what a wonderful feeling!
I walked in with my arms loaded and let the pets down to run around and check out everything. Cheyenne, my cat, was the first one to start checking out all the rooms. Now, instead of a small rental, we have a much larger tri-level home, complete with stairs and a big back yard. Cheyenne went up and down the stairs, across the banister in the living room (which is now her private kitty walkway), and seemed to love it. I could hear her purring as she ran around.
Anya, my dog, sniffed around a little, then I led her into the kitchen, where I put her food and water bowl down. Then, the wonderful surprise. I led her into the back yard, complete with trees, bushes, and a fence! She looked up at me as if to say "Mommy, is this for real? Can I play?" I said, "Anya, go play, this is your yard now." As if she understood what I was saying, Anya took off. She ran and ran and ran and ran. She was definitely in doggie heaven.
Jean and I hugged and cried some more, then she left.
Now, wait a minute. I am alone. Except for my pets, I am really here alone - in my own house - by myself. I felt liberated - independent. I felt so blessed beyond words. I know it's the norm nowadays for women to do anything and everything by themselves, but it wasn't the norm for me. I have been through things that would make Stephen King cringe. But, I survived! I am a survivor! I am strong! I AM WOMAN!
I ran through the entire house taking pictures with my cell phone and thanking God and crying happy tears. I even went outside and walked the entire perimeter, crying happy tears and thanking God for my home. I just hope none of my new neighbors were watching - they might think I'm nuts. Oh, well, who am I kidding? I AM NUTS!
So there I was, alone, in my own home. It was winter time and very cold. Snow expected by next week. But, I didn't care. I had my own home.
My son, Tony, and his friends, arrived with the first small load - a cooler with food and things like that in it. I gave Tony his set of keys. I let him give Anya her GIANT MAMMOTH BONE that I got at Murdochs. I took a cool pic of that. The look on Anya's face was priceless.
Bedtime came. I made a make-shift bed for myself on the floor with my lamp, clock radio and laptop. I emailed some family and friends, and watched a DVD before turning in. I laid Anya's bed next to mine. Cheyenne and Anya slept next to me. It was very peaceful. I slept like a log.
SATURDAY - JANUARY 29, 2012 - I woke up Saturday morning, with my dog and my kitty with me, and felt happier than I have in many years. No time to play around, I had to get back to the rental house and start loading up. I got ready, left the pets at the new house, jumped in my truck and took off. Fortunate for me, I was only about 4 miles away - so going back and forth wasn't that bad. Anyway, to make a long story short, the move went very well. I had enough help and between loading my Dodge Dakota, Tony's car, my church friends (THANK YOU LIFEHOUSE CHURCH FOR YOUR HELP - COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!) and the moving truck (complete with strong movers), we got 90% of everything moved by dark. Only thing left were a few odds and ends. As a result, by Sunday evening, Tony and I had the rental house empty. I hired a cleaning company to come in on Monday and do a complete move-out clean - then I gave that to my landlord, who turned it in to their corporate management company, so I could get my well-needed deposit back.
[GO TO NEXT BLOG - MY FIRST WEEK IN MY NEW HOME]
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