Well, we returned home safely from PA. It was a long, quick trip (if that makes any sense…) – but well worth it! The house was still standing when we pulled into the driveway late Tuesday night. Funny the things one assumes when you go away, but I guess I would know if that was not the case.
From the outside I could see that the new trusses had been installed and there was new plywood over what used to be a giant hole in our roof. (I love living in the mountains, I love the trees, I just don’t love them falling into my house!).
We opened the garage door and squeezed our way through the tiny path that was left amongst the stacks of clothes and everything else from our master bedroom suite, up the stairs into the house. I put my hand on the door knob of the laundry room door, as I always do when I come home through the garage. But this time it was stuck; it didn’t move. It was locked. We never lock this door! Okay, I thought, it was just the contractors making sure everything was secured before they left.
Will went back down the stairs, weaving his way back through the tiny path in the garage, around the front of the house, up the front stairs, unlocked the front door, and came over to the “locked” laundry room door. “How do I unlock this, Hon? There’s no lock on this door.” he said to me. “What?” I replied. “No lock?” I was stumped! Come to think of it, I don’t remember there ever being a lock on that door, but why couldn’t I open the door?!
I jiggled the handle again, but it still wouldn’t budge. Then I gave it a big tug; still nothing. Finally, I grasped that handle and turned it with all my might (well, it wasn’t really all my might…) – click! The door opened, and there stood Will, laughing at me. Oops, guess I was just really tired!
There was a light on and the windows were all still cracked, as well as the back sliding glass door – hmmm… don’t remember leaving that one open… The contractors probably forgot to close it all the way (I hope). Nothing seemed to be missing or out of place – except of course everything that we deliberately had to move out before we left.
Will brought up the suitcases and I got out the couple items we needed to bring the boys inside (they were passed out in the car) and put them to bed. Thankfully they transferred quite easily (it was almost 2am east coast time).
I unpacked our bag of snacks and food from traveling, got a bottle ready for Brayden in the middle of the night, and got myself ready for bed. It was back to the air mattress in the guest room / office and the cardboard box as a night stand. I laid down in hopes of drifting off to a peaceful sleep. Instead, I nearly rolled off the side of the deflated mattress. 5 nights away and it lost that much air without anyone even sleeping on it, really??? Okay, fine. I give in – let’s blow it up.
Take two. I laid down in hopes of this time really drifting off to a peaceful sleep… Home at last. I just wish my house was back to normal…