Dear Kids,
          Our only news this week is that we closed on the new house. The garage doors never were replaced, but Fieldstone Homes put $2,000 in escrow so that if they don’t do it in 60 days, we get the money. And if you think the escrow agreement might not be airtight, well, I wrote it. At the closing. The one they put in front of us didn’t exactly say what the problem was, or how we would get the money, so they let me re-do it to our liking. After that, it was just a few papers to sign, and a trip to the bank. I could hardly believe that after all those months of anguish, the deal was done. 
          All that happened Friday morning. Since then, we’ve been moving stuff and painting. Why would you completely re-paint the inside of a new home? Partly because the color I chose didn’t seem right, and partly because their paint has a smell I don’t like, and it’s still in the house, after several weeks. We’re covering it over with Walmart paint, which has a nice gentle odor that is gone in a couple of days. And besides painting, of course, there’s all the tweaking you have to do with any house you move into: shower curtains, toilet paper holders, towel bars in the right places, knobs on the cabinets and drawers, blinds, all of that. It’s lots of fun. Monday night Phares Gines is loaning us his truck, his trailer, and himself, to move the heavy things. Donna and Bevan are coming to help. Tonight John is bringing his kids and his sledge hammer, to break up the little porch outside the garage. We need to have that area re-graded, so there will be light in the basement window that’s right next to it. I pointed that out to the building supervisor during construction, and he said he was required to pour the porch, but that he wouldn’t put in any rebar, so we could break it up easily. Huh? You’ve gotta love regulations. Thank goodness we’re done with all that. We hope.
          We’ll be totally obsessed with moving for the next couple of weeks or so, but after that we hope to get back to real life. We hope you’re all doin’ great and lovin’ it. We are!
          Love, Mom