JEAN TELLS WHAT'S NEW

We had Thomas' young lady and her parents over to our house for dinner.  During that time, we found out that they had adopted her when she was a little girl.  They lived next door to Englishers and they had asked them to watch their little girl while they went to a wedding.  They never came back.  On the way to the wedding they were involved in an automobile accident and passed.  As they are Foster Parents, they got to keep her until they found her a home.  They adopted her.

Katie was very interested in that as her parents were killed in an automobile accident.  She was in the back seat of the car at the time of the accident.  We brought her home from the hospital and is now one of our daughters.  She thought that when Thomas and his lady got married, she would have another sister, which is true.

Thomas' lady really wanted to live near her parents.  Thomas wants to live near us.  So she agreed to live near us.  Her parents are only about 45 minutes away by car from our house.  They will see her parents and her parents can come see them.

So the men have been out looking for property which brings Edward into this.  When his Grandmother died he told David and I to sell his Grandmother's house.  David offered to rent it out and save it for him.  Edward said he could never live in this house - so we sold it and put the money in a trust for him when he is 18.

About two months after we sold it, Edward started saying he wish we never sold it.  He understands that we did what he told us too, but he wish he still had the house.  He shouldn't have told us to sell it.  We know every once in a while he would drive the buggy past it - just to see it.  We felt bad, but there was nothing we could do about it.

David and Thomas looked at a lot of property and farms.  One day, in town, to get something for our farm, David decided to stop by the bank and see if they had any property they foreclosed on.  So they went to the bank.  The bank man had a couple of places that he thought David and Thomas might be interested in.  While softly reading the list of properties he hit one address.  David made him stop and reread the address.  Thomas asked why.  David said that's Edward's Grandmother's place.

The bank man said the people couldn't make the payments or just decided to leave because they stopped making payments and moved out.  It took them a while to trace them down and foreclose.  So the bank owns the property and it is up for sale.  Having known David's parents, my parents, David and myself, they gave David the keys to two of the properties and told them to look at them - one of them was Edward's Grandmother's.

Home they came and told Edward he had to stop what work he was doing and come with them.  He couldn't figure out why.  Seeing they had the driver to take them into town, he took them to the first property which they couldn't go in because the people still lived there.  Then they went inside the next farm as it was vacant.  Needed a lot of work.  Then they went to Edward's Grandmother's.  Edward couldn't believe it when they pulled up there.  He was the first one out of the car.

David couldn't open the door fast enough.  Edward was in walking through the house.  He is planning how he would remodel the house.  There is a door into the kitchen.  He would knock the whole wall down so the kitchen would open into the dining area.  Thomas told him to make sure there wasn't a main beam in that wall.  Still Edward went on designing the kitchen.  Then on to the next room.  While Edward was inside designing the house - Thomas and David went outside to see how much land went with it.  Not only was it a fairly good amount, it hadn't been used in years - which is good in farming.

When they got home and seriously talking David said I can only buy land for one.  He can't buy farm land for Thomas and Edward's house.  Edward couldn't buy it because the money is in a trust.  He can't take the money out until he is 18 and we can't take it out unless we need it for an emergency like hospital bill or alike.  That took Edward down.  Promised to pay us back.  David said, we don't have the money for two properties.  Plus he already had the property that we bought for him and Michael. We felt bad because we knew Edward really wanted that back.

David and I thought it was over until breakfast the next morning.  The boys had it all figured out.  When they explained it to us, we were confused.  Edward told us the first confusing time.  Thomas, the man of few words, told us the second.  The way they figure, we are to buy Edwards Grandmother's house.  As all of them are under 18, the property will go into David and my name.  Thomas will farm the land.  They will also start doing some remodeling on the inside of the house.  When Thomas marries, they will move into Edwards Grandmother's.  As Edward is 16, he wouldn't be able to own the property for at least a year - almost two.  By the time Edward is 18, Thomas should have enough money to build a new house.  Then Thomas will take over the land that is Edward's next to Michael's to build on - which we would put in his name.  Edward gets his Grandmother's house, which we will put in his name.  It took David and I a little while to figure this out, but it works.

Michael wanted to know what he got out of that deal.  Thomas said lots of work.  Really, Thomas said when his time came, we would all be at his place helping him farm his land  and building his house and barn.

David and I think it would be better having Thomas and Michael next door to each other than Edward and Michael.  Michael slacks off on the job sometimes and Edward doesn't say anything  - just does the extra work.  Thomas would make Michael carry his own.  If Michael needed help, Thomas would be there, but he wouldn't let him slack off to let others do his job.

When Michael became 18, we would put his section of the land in his name.  That way every one would get their property when they are 18.  That only leaves one more to get land for and that is David Jr., but he has a way to go yet.

Before we went down to the bank, we asked Edward if he was sure.  Could he live in that house?  He was sure.  Thomas said, if he couldn't he would keep it and Edward could have the land to build on. So off to the bank.  After going back and forth, we purchased Edwards Grandmother's.  We still have the closing coming up.  Bank man thinks we shouldn't be listening to our teenage kids.  David said they aren't normal teenagers.  They've all had hard lives.  Anyway it's our problem not theirs.  We bought the property for less money than we sold it for, which David liked.

We got permission to clear the farm land, even though the property hasn't closed yet.  So the boys have been over there working after their normal jobs and chores.  Edward didn't know there was so much land to it.  His Grandmother would not let him farm it.  But, I think he was too young to do all that work alone, at his age back then.  Whatever the reason, it is being farmed now.

David said even if this doesn't turn out like the boys have it planned, we still won't be losing here.  We could always rent Edward's Grandmother's house and we do have another son - who still has lots of years until 18 - but time travels fast.  So we have the farm and land situation taken care of.

Thomas hasn't set a date for the wedding yet because he wants to go through the adoption first.  When he marries, he wants our last name as his.  That probably won't happen until October, so we have a bit of a way yet.  His lady's parents asked if we would mind having the wedding at our house.  Our house is a lot bigger than theirs.  Also, Thomas would feel better with it here.  So we agreed.  Who wouldn't.

Before we bought Edwards Grandmother's house, Thomas took his lady there to see it.  Wanted to make sure she approves it.  As did Edward, she said the kitchen has to be remodeled, but she really liked the house.  Thomas told her it was only temporary.  She agreed it was fine with her.

Thomas said he felt it would look better.  She would give it a ladies touch.  Edwards Grandmother was ill most of the time she was there and couldn't do much.  Thomas' lady would add flowers, a garden, new shades, and more. She could also design a kitchen better than any man could.  Edward agreed.

So that is the big news so far.

Be With God,
Jean