A Very Different Christmas

 This was a very unusual Christmas.

The past few years I've managed to have my decorations up, knitted gifts made, cookies baked, Christmas dinner planned all in time to enjoy the holiday with minimal stress.  Not this year!

We closed on our new house on December 19 and moved in that evening.  No decorations were hung because they were all in a storage unit somewhere, unable to be delivered because of the blizzard that hit the Midwest on December 22-23.  The extent of my decorations were the handful of Christmas cards we received addressed to the new house and a Christmas gnome a friend gave me.

Don't believe the idyllic picture.  This was the only corner of the house that was in order.  The rest of the house was/still is a shamble of boxes and stuff waiting to find its proper place.

I only managed to make socks for Ed and Blake this year.  The rest of the family will receive their knitted gifts later, once I get time to make them.

After we went into contract on the old house, I baked a few batches of cookies.  The kids came over on December 17 for one last meal in the old house and to help bake cookies.  It was a fun evening and a nice way to say Goodbye to the house.  Most of the cookies didn't make it to Christmas though.

After we closed we had the 16' unit that sat at our house moved to the new house.  We spent the evening unloading it.  That night my body hurt so bad I couldn't sleep.  It also didn't help that the neighbors had a bright light that shown into the bedroom window.

On December 20, Ed and I pre-signed the papers for the closing of our old house.  We then went there to pack up the last storage unit full of stuff (12' unit).  A couple friends came over to lift the last heavy things.  It was a long day.  After we got home and I unloaded my plants, I soaked in a bathtub and went to bed.  Ed stayed up organizing his side of the closet.  He said I was snoring.  Usually I'd deny that, but I slept so well, he's probably right.

On December 21, the 12' unit from the old house was delivered as well as one of the 16' units from storage.  I had hoped my Christmas decorations were on that 16' unit, but they weren't.  We got the 16' unit unloaded in time for the company to pick it up on Thursday morning, but with the impending storm, they could not deliver the last 16' unit.  No decorations this year except what is pictured above.

We got the 12' unit unloaded before the storm hit, but it stayed on our driveway over the weekend.  It helped to act as a marker for our unexpected guests on Christmas Eve.  My oldest sister, Mary Anne, and her husband, John, were journeying from New Jersey to Cincinnati on Christmas Eve.  The road conditions were bad and they made very poor time.  Just as Ed, Blake, and I arrived at Kristin's for Christmas Eve dinner, Mary Anne called to ask if they could stay overnight at our place.  The remainder of their trip would be 2 hours under normal conditions, but would probably be at least 4 as it was.  I gave them directions to the exit off the highway for my new house.  They found a restaurant to get dinner while we had our meal with Kristin.

Kristin made a very nice dinner:  beef rib roast, twice-baked potatoes, mac and cheese, rolls, asparagus and salad.  She even had a cheesecake for dessert.  Her house was beautifully decorated.  It was a wonderful evening.  After the meal, though, we decided to get back home and rescue the travelers.  Kristin headed over to her boyfriend's apartment to leave a meal on his doorstep.  He was quarantined at home with COVID, not able to travel home to spend Christmas with his family in Michigan.

Christmas morning our surprise guests ate breakfast, showered, and then resumed their journey.  All of the kids came over to the house for brunch and to open gifts.  After that we got in the car and headed to Cincinnati ourselves to have Christmas dinner at my younger sister's house.  Jameson got to meet many of his aunts, uncles, and cousins on my side of the family.  We drove home that night, grateful the road conditions were greatly improved.

On Monday, December 26 Ed and I went back to the old house for the last time.  We cleaned up everything and left the keys on the counter.  It was sad to say 'Goodbye' for the last time.  We ended the evening by going to a restaurant that we like over there, figuring we won't likely ever go back.

The last storage unit was delivered on Tuesday.  It is now empty, waiting to be picked up.

Now everything is in this house.  It is time to sort through and find a place for it all.  I already know a lot more is going to be donated.  We purged so much, I've learned how freeing it feels to get rid of stuff that you just don't use anymore.  I am not sentimental about stuff.

Once I get this house in some sort of order, I am going to cast on a new knitting project to celebrate the next chapter in our lives.  More details about that coming soon.