Home!

My parents have been so generous about the home we live in. They own it and have allowed my children and I to live in it without a single penny's rent for several years. I am so grateful to them for this!

So I've finally been able to buy the home from them and boy, do I have plans for it! I call in a reputable remodeling company first and go over all the modifications I have in mind--redoing the kitchen and one of the bathrooms, as well as installing a really good insulation. We also improve the heating element in each of the bathrooms. We put in new windows--the kind that will open from the top as well as on the side. Then I contact an interior decorator, and this is when the fun really intensifies! We choose new appliances that will last for years and years. We decide on new carpet and curtains, along with furniture for the living room and for all the bedrooms. We also pick out sheets for all the beds. In the front room, we focus on a welcoming theme for any guest that may come through the door. We purchase towels, mats, and a shower curtain for the bathrooms. It's all so much fun, but even when we complete the task, it's really not done, because . . .

I contact a friend of mine who works in a shelter here in town. I ask my friend if she knows of any families who have had a really difficult time and could use a break. Of course, she has a name for me right away, and I find out how to get in contact with them. I am bubbling with excitement, because this will be the very best part! I decide to ask my friend to come with me, since she knows them and will help to make my news for the family more believable. As we travel to the family's location, I let her in on my plan, and even though she is amazed at what I am telling her, she gets just as excited as I am.

We arrive at the family's place--actually, the shelter my friend works at. They are all together, quietly occupying themselves. My friend and I ask them if they'd like to come with us to get something to eat. They're concerned about leaving their things, but I promise them this will not be a problem. My friend assures them they can trust me, and so off we go.

We arrive at the restaurant and I tell them to feel free to order whatever they want. We all make our selections and a waitress takes our order. While we wait for our food to arrive, I spring the news to them: they will be moving into a new home TONIGHT! Of course, they are aghast, and my friend and I are just grinning from ear to ear. I tell them we can stop at some stores after we eat and they can pick out food for their new kitchen and some new clothing, too. When what I say finally sinks in, they are talking excitedly and asking loads of questions. I don't answer most of those questions because I want to let them see the home for themselves.

Needless to say, we all eat our food as quickly as we can because the family is definitely ready to embark on this new adventure. We stop at a department store and we all have loads of fun on the buying spree! We take our bags to the car and drive to their new home.

Oh, the excitement as we enter! They are all super impressed at what they see all throughout the house and my friend and I have smiling muscles that are just about worn down for as happy as this is making us. But then I have one last piece of news for them--that the father and the mother are welcome to come work for me if they'd like, and if I don't have anything that interests them, I will help them find work elsewhere. I tell them we can discuss this detail in a few days.

So, needless to say, I leave their home with my friend feeling totally elated. And I know that there is one less family in misery because I HAVE A ROOM FULL OF MONEY!