Hang with me...I will get some photos of our house for you. Right now, I'm trying to get my hands on "before" pictures...since I forgot to take any prior to work being done on the house.

Actually, you should trust me when I say you really don't want to see pictures right now...it looks like a small tornado went through and left boxes and paper and who-knows-what-else scattered in its wake. Last week, before we moved anything in, my project was to get everything nice and clean...and then we moved most of our stuff this past weekend. And I'm now back to square one in the cleanliness department. This weekend, I lined all of our cabinets (a task that I hope never to have to do again!) and have started unpacking the bathrooms and kitchen. If I can get those rooms squared away, then I will be in business.

So for now, I want to share our closing story with you. It's a unique sort of story. Nothing earth shattering, but I want to remember it, and in the process, would like to share it with you.

From what I understand, most home closings are fairly cut-&-dry. Many times, both parties (buyer and seller) are friendly...other times, there is animosity because of one having taken advantage of the other. In our case, it was (and since then, has been)...well, just unique.

Last Tuesday, we arrived about 10 minutes before the closing was set to take place. The seller (who I will refer to as "Mr. B") is an 80 year old man who loves to talk...and he and his realtor ("Ms. F") were already there, and we were waiting on our realtor to get there. While we were waiting, we thanked Mr. B. for letting us go ahead and have the walls painted and the carpet taken up before closing. He said, "Well, when Ms. F asked me if y'all could do those things, I told her, well, it doesn't matter to me...they will be the ones living there! So, it was no problem." He went on to tell us that he had lived in the house for 40 years. He had purchased it from the original owner about 5 years after it was built. He says he never married and his parents lived with him in the house.

He also started to tear up when he told us he hopes that we enjoy the house as much as he had enjoyed it for the past 40 years. It was an emotional moment. We talked for a few moments more, and then it was time for the closing.

Talk was light through the paperwork signing process. The lawyer was a little schmoozy, which I didn't care for so much, but he got the job done. Once all the papers were signed, and everyone had their copy, we were about to get up from the table, when Mr. B. pulled out a notecard and asked us if we had just a minute. Of course we did! So, we sat while he went down a list of several things he had thought of to tell us about the house -- where the breaker box is located, names and telephone numbers of neighbors, who he had used for his yard service, and several other things. He teared up again when he talked about the neighbors, and how fortunate we were to have such a great group of people to live around us.

We ended the conversation by him giving us his phone number...in case we need to ask him anything about the house.

So after we left, we went by our rental house and picked up a few things...and then went over to our new house. I started cleaning up after the flooring guys (they had left a MESS) and when it was time to go pick Iliya up from daycare, Nathan left. As I continued cleaning, guess who came to the door?

Mr. B.

And he had brought the neighbors over to meet us and see the progress we'd made on the house. After chatting for a few minutes, Mr. B. asked if he could wait for Nathan to get home, because he thought of a few more important things to tell him. As he waited, he asked if he could get our phone number...just in case he needed to give us a ring.

So I gave it to him.

Nathan got home with Iliya and Mr. B. showed him whatever it was that needed showing. Then he was gone. We worked on cleaning up for a little while longer and then called it a night and went back to our rental house. We ate supper, bathed the child, and got him in bed. While I packed, Nathan cleaned the kitchen. At 9:15, our telephone rang. Guess who it was.

Yep! Mr. B. And he was just calling to ask if we minded him bringing his girlfriend over in the next day or two to see what all we had done to the place. Of course, we didn't mind, so he said that he would bring her over, perhaps Friday.

And he did. Right in the middle of us unloading boxes and furniture, he showed up and we showed her the house. He also had brought us some pest control stuff that he swears by...and had thought of something else - about the chimney - he needed to share with Nathan. They didn't stay long, and he promised that he wouldn't become a bother - he just wanted to let his girlfriend see the place before we got all moved in.

Saturday, we spent much of the day at the rental house, cleaning and getting a few more loads to take over to the new house. At one point, Iliya & I were at the rental...Nathan was at the new house, and Mr. B. stopped in for another moment to tell Nathan "something else" he had thought of.

I suspect that Mr. B. is having a hard time saying goodbye to his old friend. It had become too much for him to keep up with...and he has told us how thrilled he is that a young family has purchased the house. He never had children, so he's excited that the house will be able to have a child grow up in it. He's also told us just how pleased he is with what we have done with the floors and the walls. I think his frequent visits are a way for him to process his emotions...as well for his peace of mind, that he tells us all we need to know to keep the house going strong for another 40 years.

And we will be patient with Mr. B. and allow him the time to process his emotions... with the hope that he will, in time, trust us to be good to his old friend.