No, I haven’t forgotten about you. The last eight days have been packed and I’m having to compartmentalize and prioritize my demands: school and the blog have been sidelined, subservient to the needs of work, family and the house. I apologize for another delayed update, and I regret that the next may be equally delayed as house demands accelerate. Just know that you are on my mind and I am eager to get back to you with updates.
We’re five days away from closing on the 15th. The preparation for move-in begins the next day on the 16th. That day is the most unpredictable right now. We did a walk through of the house yesterday and discovered that the kitchen wall treatment was done over wallpaper. So instead of sanding down the walls in the kitchen, we’ll be pulling down wallpaper before re-texturing and priming. The same goes for the upstairs bathroom. This makes things unpredictable because the job could be easier than we originally planned, or more formidable. At first blush it seems that the kitchen wallpaper will come off with relative ease; only time will tell.
We’re aiming to do a handful of things on the 16th: paint the ceilings, remove the moldings, sand down the non-uniform treatments, remove the popcorn ceilings on the second floor, re-texture the necessary walls and prep the house for painting the next week. It seems like a lot and it is; however, I think we have the right mix of manpower and equipment to get it done. It all depends on the number and magnitude of problems we run in to that day. That being said, if you were wanting to help on the 23rd and were not going to make it, feel free to join us next Saturday instead. We’d be glad to have you. We’ll be going from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
We’ve been running the project with multiple workstreams and everything seems to be converging in our two bedroom apartment: while we’re packing things in boxes, more things are arriving from Amazon with supplies for the new house. It frustrates Tiffany, but I get a little giddy at all the new toys. Similar to when I repaired the standing chair for Claire, I like to take each of my new tools out of the box and admire them. I’ve stopped short of naming them because that would just be over the top. With each new box, the house starts to take shape in my mind’s eye. I’m excited.
We shared our excitement with the girls yesterday when we took them to see the house for the first time. The girls had one criterion when we were looking for a house: stairs. Success. The house qualifies. The stairs, however, were soon relegated to second tier status after they saw their room. While we walked through the house making notes, the girls would pass in and out of our field of vision, quietly whispering and making their own plans. Autumn has the habit of making grandiose plans without consulting the necessary stakeholders, so I am curious to hear what she has cooked up with Heidi.
Claire’s first visit to the house wasn’t as successful because she much preferred to sleep. She had to wake up earlier than she wanted and let us know that she didn’t appreciate it. Papa, fresh off a plane from Colorado, held her and that helped calm her disposition. All in all it was a good visit and the whole family is excited to move in.
The house preparations were punctuated with our normal routine. Claire’s horse therapy session on Friday went well: Claire continues to strengthen her core muscles and her ability to hold her chest up. Tiffany also got to ride on the horse with Claire this time. She smiled the whole time.
We haven’t seen many significant changes in Claire of recent. The steps are small – sometimes they feel nonexistent – and she continues to move forward, albeit at a labored pace. The slow progress coupled with packing the home has been a vicious combination. Claire hasn’t know any home except the apartment. Claire was brought here after she was born and it’s where she sustained her injury. The emotion of this place closes in around us as we begin taking pictures down from the wall and putting memories into boxes. It’s been trying. We never know what we might find in the back of a closet that reminds us of the lives we led just four months ago. It weighs heavy on me and Tiffany. It will be hard to leave, no matter how good the house is for us.
We thank you for your continued support and prayers. We are looking forward to seeing (and meeting) a number of you on the 23rd. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Our Claire Journal 
Congratulations on your new home! A new chapter begins in your family story – a new beginning for you all – and prayers to you, Tiffany and your beautiful girls!!
Still praying for your baby girl. I’m so glad that you guys were able to find a house:) GOD bless you guys in the days to come as you adjust to living in new surroundings!
I’m so excited for u guys. Although leaving many memories behind, I’m sure that this new beginning will help u a lot as a family. I will surely see u on the 23rd, I’m looking forward to participate on that day, for me will be a new experience 🙂
Thank you for the update! I hope everything with the house falls into the easier than harder category. I continue to keep you all in my thoughts and prayers!
I pray for enough help, not too many snags in the preparation or the move itself, and many wonderful new memories in your new home. Glad Autumn and Heidi are excited. So glad to hear the the equestrian therapy is helping with Claire’s core muscles–that will pay off in lots of ways. I can just see Tiffany grin when she got a ride too!
Love and prayers,
Dodie
Congratulations on your new house! We’re so happy for all of you and will be thinking of you in the next few weeks as you pack up and move. Lots of new memories to make! We love you!
moving is never easy… no matter the circumstances. so emotional. will be praying for you as you pack, remodel, move, unpack…exhausting in “normal” circumstances. may you all weather this journey well, and may you be blessed abundantly in your new home. praying there are a multitude of joyous memories in your new home.
We are very excited about your new house. Truly we wish we were close enough to help u in some way but Connecticut is too far away. SO what we will do is pray up a storm that u have the rite folks with the rite abilities to help u…..We trust our Lord to guild and support you. Sincerely Barb and Frank Philip “the American Grandparents”
congratulations. I’m so excited for you and know this has been a long time comming! Mandy
Dear Tyler, Tiffany and Girls:
We wish you many joys and much happiness in your new home.
The tasks you now have before you would probably seem overwhelming to Ken and me; but we’re so much older than you are. We think that when you get all settled in and start making memories in your new home, you’ll be happy there.
We pray that many blessings will come your way in your new home; and that the greatest of these blessings will be Claires’ total recovery to health.
God bless you and guide you as you enter this new adventure in your lives.
In His Love,
Ken & Jana Kirkpatrick
216 Horse Ranch Road
Jesup, GA 31545
I’m excited for you guys and your new house! I can’t wait to see pictures. Here’s hoping that the wall paper comes down easily and the ceiling doesn’t need to be re-mudded when the popcorn comes down! I will cross my fingers for you! 🙂
i am so excited for you guys! moves are always exciting and trying on so many levels.
i am passing along a word of advice – cant remember who told me – “say goodbye” to the house. so – as a family – we went room to room and said goodbye. we had some tears, laughed, and then all stood outside and yelled goodbye. it was fun – we still talk about it.
I have an out of town wedding to attend this weekend. Is there another Saturday that you guys are planning on people helping out?
Amy:
The 16th and the 23rd are our big project days. Have fun at the wedding!
So excited for ya’ll. We recently (well, 2 years ago) took on a foreclosure and it has been all that you mentioned and more! And lots of fun to make it our own. I am so glad that ya’ll will be doing that very soon. I pray for you as you do go through old memories. May the Lord be your strength. Congrats!!
love
natalie grubbs
Congrats on the house. Looking forward to a few pics when you get a chance – before and after shots, of course! The apartment will always be vivid in your mind, but it’s good that you’re now starting something new and so very exciting with the family.
Congrats on the house. SO sorry you have some fixin’ to do. If I lived near you guys I would volunteer to help.
Miss Claire looks beautiful. Remember.. it is a marathon not a sprint… it is the slight changes that make the big difference.
I think of you guys often! You guys are doing an awesome job!
Thoughts and prayers always from Arizona!
Thanks for the kind words! It’s good to remember that it’s not a sprint, even if you’d like it to be. I hope you are all doing well. Thank you for your prayers!
Congratulations on the new house! Praying for comfort there for all of you, as well as wisdom to handle trying times with Claire that may test your patience! Y’all are all doing an awesome job!
Prayers for a smooth transition to ur new home.