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Chapter 31

The Surprises

It's Saturday morning. The day before moving day! Good morning beautiful! How are you feeling this morning? I feel like I've gained a lot of weight but I know it's the babies growing! Are you going to still love me when I look like a beached whale? In the first place I will never see you as a beached whale and second, I will never stop loving you! The bigger you get the more I love you because you are carrying my babies inside of you! You will always be beautiful to me! Beth you will always be the sun, the moon and the stars to me! You, Jarrick and these babies are my life! Now how about you get up and get dressed! I'll meet you in the kitchen for breakfast. I need to talk to you about something. Is something wrong? No we just need to make a decision on something. Oh ok be right there.

She comes in the kitchen and sits at the bar. He places her breakfast of a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and dry toast in front of her and a glass of orange juice. Jarrick comes in and crawled up to the bar and sits down. Jack places to same thing in front of him. He places his next to Beth and takes a seat. Ok. I need to talk to you about selling this house. Alright she says. So your father asked me about selling him this house for when they are in town because it's going to be 2 years before their home is built. So what do you think Beth? He asked me at Thanksgiving but I told him that I would have to talk with you first. That's fine with me Love. By selling it to him we won't have to put it on the market! We'll need to get appraised so I can call and get it appraised next week if you want me to sweetheart? That's fine because ill be packing and probably won't have time. Ok I'll make the call. So do we cut him a deal or sell it to him at appraised value? How about we find out what it appraised for and go from there. That sounds like a plan Love. So how much longer do I have to wait to see the house, Love? I think I've been patient enough! How about today, he replies. Oh Love, really, I get to see it today? Yes you do! She leans over and starts kissing him all over his face! Ok, ok, ok! I get it he says! So after we finish breakfast we can go look at it!

They pull up in the driveway at the new house. It's a true log home. The front of the house has 2 sets of double windows on the left. There is a triple window on the left of the front doors. There's a triple window in the right of the front doors. They walk up the steps. Oh Love it's beautiful! It's just like your drawing! Jack unlocks the front door. French doors to! He lifts her up into his arms and carries her across the threshold and sets her down! Love you built it identical to your drawing! This den is awesome! That's a huge fireplace! Let's look at the kitchen first! She walks into the kitchen. She is in awe! Oh the breakfast nook with cushions! She runs her hand down the island bar! It's perfect! The 8 barstools! Now the dining room. You even put the swinging doors in! She walks into the dining room. It was extended to seat 20 people! Look here Beth, when we don't need all these chairs and leaves they will go into this little closet just for the extra! She puts her hands up to her mouth and says, you thought of everything! She runs her hand down the table as she walks! He takes her hand and leads her to the guest bed and bath. She walks into the room and says, Love this light teal blue is gorgeous! The bathroom matches just like the picture you gave me! Yes it's identical to the picture! I love it! Back out in the hallway. This is the half bath you wanted! She opens the door and says, you chose the burgundy with matching towels! How did you get the same towels that in the picture? That's a long story Beth! But let's keep looking! Now upstairs? Yes let's go! I love the balcony over looking the den! The first bedroom was painted light gray with a twin bedroom suit! The second bedroom was a mauve paint with a twin white bedroom suit! The third bedroom was painted a teal with a twin bedroom suit! The forth bedroom was painted light blue with a twin bedroom suit! Jarrick speaks up, mommy, this is my bedroom! Oh Jarrick it's beautiful! Did you choose the colors? Yes ma'am I even got to pick the furniture! Daddy added my desk! I can't wait to get to sleep in here! Your comforter is very manly! Daddy chose that! Well I figured that if I got a manly one then we wouldn't have to replace it anytime soon! Jarrick do you like it, she asked? Yes ma'am! See the train running around the top of the wall? I do little man! Daddy thought of that too! I love you're room! How about we go back downstairs? Alright Love! I want to see our bedroom! Ok let's go! He opens the white French doors! She walks in and she is in awe! She walks around the room with her hand in her mouth! Using her free hand run her across all the furniture! It was painted a pale yellow! Love it's just like the picture! The four poster bed with the feather mattress! The bedding is just like the picture! How did you remember all this? He opened the top dresser drawer and pulled out the picture. I saved all the pictures! You handed 5 pictures for each room so I chose the one I liked the most and showed them to the contractor. Then I read the article and found the furniture and everything online! I wanted you to have exactly what you wanted! That's why I got you so many magazines! This is the master bathroom. He opened the French doors. Oh Love you chose the one with the double shower and double jacuzzi tub! Mirror over the vanity double sink is gorgeous! I love the French wallpaper on the walls! All the candles are beautiful and romantic! Now for the last surprise! Come back out here in the bedroom! She followed. Now you see those French doors? Go open them! She walks over and pulls both door knobs at the same time. She grabs her mouth and starts to cry! She walks into the the nursery and looks around the room! She walks over to the crib and gazed at it then looks around the room again! Love? When did you add this to the plans? After they got the sub wall up. I walked in here and noticed that our bedroom was so big and it hit me that we couldn't put the babies upstairs for a while. So I measured it off so it would accommodate 3 beds. The cribs turn into toddler beds. So they will fit oh Love this is the best surprise after our honeymoon! Love where are the other cribs? Sweetheart I put them upstairs in the attic. The attic is completely closed in! It's just like a one long room up there so we don't have to worry about the weather elements up there. That's where those steps lead to at the top of the stairs. You won't have to climb a ladder to get up there. I built this house completely safe! If you noticed the railing on the balcony goes all the way to the ceiling up there.

Love what else is left to do? Everything looks like it's done! Even the sod has been laid! Sweetheart, actually that's your last surprise! We start moving tomorrow! Oh Love! I'm so happy! Jarrick jumps up and down screaming with excitement! Can I just look around a little while longer before we go, Love? Sure Sweetheart! Look all you want! Would you like to go out on the porch? Oh I forgot about the porch! They walked back through the kitchen to the right of the breakfast nook, past the laundry room on the right, out the back door facing the mountains! The wrap around porch had a wicker glider swing sitting on the floor With 2 matching wicker rockers chairs and a wicker coffee table. They had matching cushions with matching pillows. On the other side of the back door was a pair of matching wicker rockers with a small table in between them. On the front porch was the same as the back. Beth sat down on the swing, Jack joined her and put his arm around her. Are you happy Sweetheart? Love the only thing that could make me happier is the day I have these babies! Jarrick spotted a wooden play set in the back yard! Jack and Beth sat on the swing watching their son having the time of his life playing on the play set! She leans her head over on him and says, Love how could I get so lucky? He said, Sweetheart I'm the lucky one! I've found my soulmate! Beth you are the one, my only one! They sit there just staring at the beautiful view around them! It was breathtaking! Beth? Yes Love! Have you noticed what's over there? She looks in the direction he was pointing! Our arbor! But are those real flowers growing up it? Oh and it has a bench in it! He takes his arm from around her and holds out his hand. Take a walk with me? She replies, I'd love to! They stand and he leads her down the back steps, across the yard to the arbor. They sit down on the bench. He leans in to her and kisses her gently on her lips! He backs up just enough to whisper, Beth I love you so very much! I promise to always love you and protect you with every beat of my heart! I promise I will never leave you for as long as the good Lord will allow! I will spend the rest of my life trying to keep you happy and content! After these babies if the Lord so blesses us with more than I'm happy!

Today is moving day! Hey Beth? Yeah Love! Beth the movers will be here in 30 minutes. So I think we need to get ready so we can leave as soon as they get here. Ok Love I'm almost ready! I'm so excited! I've waited for this day for 3 months! I know Sweetheart! I'm just sorry I didn't get it done sooner! Oh Love I wasn't saying that! I just meant that when you started it I couldn't wait to get in it! I knew what you meant Sweetheart! We need to put the stuff we're taking in our vehicles. Well I think if you'll help me, I want all our pictures taken down and put in your car. We can take all the food from the fridge and freezer in mine. Ok I'm on it. The movers are here Sweetheart! We need to get going. Is Jarrick going with you or with me? He needs to go with you because my back seat is packed with pictures. Ok Jarrick! You need to get in mommy's SUV! Come on little man it's time to go! Coming mommy!

Jack an Beth pull up in their driveway. Charlotte and Tom are there waiting. Tommy pulls up behind Charlotte's truck. Wow i didn't know everyone was coming Beth says! Charlotte says, you didn't think we were going to let you do this all by yourselves do you? No mom we didn't. We thought it would be after the truck gets here! Everybody grabs something from Beth's and Jack's vehicle and takes it inside. The pictures are placed on the dining room table except for 1. Jack takes it to the den and hangs it over the fireplace! Beth puts a post-a-note on each one saying where it went. Everyone chose a room and gathered the pictures that went in that room. Beth took the pictures that went in Jarrick's room and headed upstairs to his room. She pulled out the 3M hangers and went to town hanging all the pictures. When she was done she stepped back to look at the finished room. As she looks around his room she thinks about how he was going to grow up in this room. A few happy and sad tears slide down her cheeks. She sees him in elementary school running and being funny. Then she sees him in Junior high play sports. The she can see him in high school play baseball or football, then his prom, then graduation! Jack comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her and says, a penny for your thoughts. Oh I was visualizing him growing up in this room! Some happy tears and some sad tears! I truly hope he grows up to be just like you, Love! I hope he has some of his mother's traits. She had the most tender heart. She found the good in everything and everyone! Then I hope he grows up just like both of you. If he does then he will be a good man, Love!

By the time they got through putting up all the pictures the truck was there. Beth went into the nursery. She picked up the 3 pictures and stood them on the corner shelf! One was of Jack and Beth on their wedding day. One was of Jarrick's school picture. The last one was of the 3 of them together.

The truck was unloaded. The boxes were put in the room that was marked on it. Charlotte took the kitchen to put everything away. Tom and Jack took the den. They hung the tv above the mantle but below their wedding picture. Beth took their bedroom and nursery. Jarrick took his room and Tommy took the dining room. By the end of the day they were almost completely moved in. Charlotte says, son we're going to go but will be back tomorrow! Ok mom. Thanks for all your help! We sure do appreciate you all! I'll tell Beth you said goodbye. Where is Elizabeth son? He motioned with his finger to follow. They followed him to their bedroom doorway and he points to the bed. Charlotte whispers, bless her heart. She is plum tuckered out. We'll see you tomorrow and kisses his cheek. Jack closed the doors and went up to Jarrick's room. Hey bud you want a sandwich? Yes sir! Ok come down to the kitchen and I'll fix you one. Ok daddy. Jarrick follows him downstairs to the kitchen. He climbed up on a barstool. Jack fixed them both a sandwich and a glass of milk. Jarrick asks, where's mommy? He replies, she fell asleep so we're going to let her sleep. Is she ok daddy? Yeah bud. Carrying the babies makes her real tired. So we just have to let her sleep. Ok daddy. When you get through eating you need to get a bath ok bud. Yes sir. Daddy? Yes bud! I really like my new room! I'm glad bud! You know you start riding the bus on Monday. Really, I get to ride the bus! Yes you do but that means you have to get up earlier because the bus runs earlier out here. What time do I have to get up? 6:00 because the bus runs at 7:00. Wow that early daddy. Yes it is but it won't take long to get use to it. You need to start going to bed at 8:00 at night so you can get enough sleep, ok? Alright daddy. After they get through eating Jarrick goes upstairs to get his bath while Jack cleans up the kitchen and puts the dishes in the dishwasher. He goes upstairs to check on Jarrick. Jack knocked on the bathroom door and asked, hey bud did you grab a towel out of the box? Jarrick replies, no sir they were already in here. Is the shampoo in there to? Yes sir. Ok I'm going downstairs on the couch so when you get through you can come down, ok? Yes sir. Jack goes downstairs and turns on the tv. Waiting for Jarrick. He finds a program on the animal planet channel. Jarrick comes down about 30 minutes later. Hey did you put your dirty clothes in your hamper in your room and your towel in the hamper in the bathroom? No sir, I put everything in the hamper in the bathroom. How about you go put your clothes in your hamper. The hamper in the bathroom is just for towels. Yes sir be right back. He runs upstairs to do what he was asked. After he was done he came back and sat on the couch to watch tv with his daddy. He curled up with his daddy. When the program went off Jack says, ok bud it's time for bed. Let's go. I'll tuck you in. They head up to Jarrick's room. Jack tucks him in and says, I love you bud! Sweet dreams! If you need me you can come down to our room and get me, ok? Yes sir. There is a nightlight in the hallway and the stairs are lit up to. So you can see. Ok bud? Yes sir. I love you to daddy! Good night son! Good night daddy! Jack gets up and walks over to the door and shuts the light off. Hey do you want your door open or closed? You can leave it open. Ok good night!

Jack goes into their bathroom to take a shower. On his way he grabs his sleep pants out of his drawer. He closes the bathroom door so he doesn't wake her up. He gets his shower. He puts his towel in the hamper and takes his clothes out and puts his dirty clothes in their hamper. He shuts the bathroom light off and crawled in the bed he scrunches up next to her and put his arm over her and slides his hand over her belly. He can feel something! It's very light but it's there! He smiles and closes his eyes. It doesn't take long before sleep finds him.

The next morning Beth is up early in the kitchen making cinnamon rolls. Jack and Jarrick wake to the smell of cinnamon throughout the house. Jack looks over but Beth isn't there so he grabs his robe and heads out to the kitchen. Jarrick comes down the stairs about the same time Jack comes from his room. Hey daddy do you smell that? Yeah bud let's go find out what mommy's making! They walk into the kitchen and there in the bar is fresh cinnamon rolls and a glass of milk for Jarrick and a cup of coffee for Jack. Wow Sweetheart this is nice! Well I woke up a couple of hours ago and decided to make them! They all sat at the bar eating their breakfast! Wow mommy these are delicious! Yeah Sweetheart they are! This is the first time you've made them for us! Well this is our first breakfast in our new home so I figured I make something I've never made you! What do we say to mommy bud? Thank you mommy! Thank you Sweetheart! He kisses her cheek! About that time Charlotte and Tom knocked on the front door. Jarrick yells, I got it! Hey bud ask who it is before you open the door, ok? Yes sir but it's Grammy! I know but we live out in the country now so I want you to get in the habit of asking, ok? Yes sir. He jumps down and runs to the door! Jarrick walk don't run. Yes sir. When he gets to the door he asks, who is it? It's Pop and Grammy! Jarrick unlocks the door and opens the door. Hey Grammy and gives her a hug then he says hey Pop and gives him a hug! What is that smell Jarrick, Pop asked? Mommy made cinnamon rolls for breakfast! They are giant and delicious! Come on before they are gone! Good morning mom, dad! Have a seat and I'll get you a plate and coffee! My Elizabeth, these are delicious! Your going to have to give me your recipe! I got it from this months issue of Better Homes and Garden! I've made them before but not this recipe! Well honey these are the best I've ever ate! Don't tell her but these are better than Abigail's! I'm going have to bring her one of these when we go home! Here I'll put you one in a plastic bowl! Here you go just don't forget it! Thanks I won't!