A Christmas column: Residents helped fulfill dream of home ownership
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ALPENA -- Santa had little to do with delivering my family's Christmas gift in 2016, which turned out to be the best present I ever received.
Instead, a handful of local residents in Alpena came together to fulfill a dream of mine by helping my wife Andrea and I purchase and move into our home.
The elves who made this gift a reality were Lori Stephen from Real Estate One in Alpena, Barb Fox of First Federal Bank, which is now Nicolet National Bank, Aaron and Lisa Medina, who sold us their home, Matt Waligora who graciously helped us move in -21 degree weather, and my mom who provided the final influx of funds to get us over the finish line.
Without them, Christmas wouldn't have been what it was that year, or any year since, and I will never be able to thank them enough.
As the holiday approached, Fox worked diligently to complete the transaction so we could be in our new home in time for Christmas, and she was successful. She was a pure professional from day one and helped us through the complex process and kept our stress level manageable.
That was much appreciated and badly needed. Thank you.
Stephen hammered out the final details with the Medinas and soon the needed documents were signed and we received our keys to the house. She also gave us our first housewarming gift, which we proudly display near our front door.
I still get teary-eyed just thinking back to that day.
Andrea, and my two stepdaughters, Jade and Caitlynn, knew we wouldn't be able to move in until after Christmas, so we devised a plan that allowed us to enjoy the first night in the house to celebrate it being ours.
The house was empty, but we loaded up our artificial Christmas tree, lights, decorations, and set it up in our new living room with Christmas music playing in the background.
That was all we had in our large new home, the tree, but it made the day, and holiday season, more special than it already was.
We posed for some pictures with the tree and the kids danced and skipped around the house with large smiles of sheer joy.
It was magical and I still feel blessed to have witnessed their unbridled joy. The happiness I felt, I suspect, will never be recreated, at least for me.
Thanks to Naomi Schleben, we were able to move the many boxes packed with small items we needed to set up our home before Christmas, but I saved the heavy lifting, and bitter cold, for Waligora.
After Christmas, Matt agreed to help me move the furniture and appliances from one house to the other and Mother Nature didn't cooperate at all.
It was freezing and the winds were brisk, but Matt never wavered and insisted we do the work, despite me considering saving it for another day.
Waligora and I waited about a half an hour in the cab of the UHaul for it to defrost enough to safely drive it and then we loaded and unloaded the couches, chairs, and beds while trying to stave off frostbite.
With every trip, we could see the house taking shape and becoming more livable.
It is easy to look back and laugh about the intense cold now, but at the time it was anything but fun or funny, but thanks to Matt's generosity we were able to be in our new home in time for New Years Eve.
Cheers Matt.
Things have changed a lot in the handful of years we have lived in the house.
Andrea and I have become empty nesters as the girls have moved out on their own and are working toward fulfilling their own dreams.
Jade and Naomi are in Texas, and Caitlynn, who I affectionately call Bug Juice, lives in Alpena so we see her on occasion.
This holiday will be a touch difficult without Jade home with us, but maybe next Christmas we can all be together again.
After that first Christmas, we decked out the house in lights and decorations from top to bottom during the holiday season, and for the first time, we are hosting the annual Christmas Eve gathering with my family this year.
I'm excited about that and I'm sure great memories will be made.
Still, nothing will top Christmas in 2016, no gift will ever be as meaningful, and no amount of gratitude is enough for those who made it possible.
Thank you again, merry Christmas and happy new year from the Schulwitz clan.