"We're moving! We're Moving!" chanted Daniel as he skipped and hopped. Suddenly he stopped. "Mother, how soon will we move?" he asked.

"Perhaps in a few weeks. This evening we want to go and do some cleaning in the house. Then we can tell better just how much it will take to get things in shape. We'd like to move before garden-planting time," replied Mother. "That isn't very far away."

"Here comes Joseph," sang out Daniel.

"Look, Mother. Seed catalogs! Can we send for seeds for our garden?" he asked eagerly.

"This evening we plan to go start cleaning our house. Maybe I can order seeds tomorrow. But change your clothes quickly and set the table for me while Daniel picks up the toys and puts them away. Then you may look at the catalogs."

Without a word, Joseph dashed up the stairs.

"Oh, two catalogs alike!" exclaimed Mother. "That's nice. You can each have one to look at."

Later that evening, equipped with buckets, soap, Spic and Span, brooms, mops, and brushes, the Yoder family prepared to clean the old house.

Father had gone by on his way home and turned on the heat and water heater so that it would be warm for Baby Joel and they would have hot water for scrubbing.

"I'll scrub everyone clean," warned Allen, waving a scrub brush and laughing.

"How about scrubbing the kitchen instead?" Mother smiled.

"The bedrooms all have wallpaper. Shall I start cleaning the walls and see how they look after a good dusting?" asked Father.

"Oh, that would be nice, and would you please get Joseph started scrubbing in the bathroom while I vacuum the living room and get the little boys settled in there?"

When Mother had the boys settled in the living room, she peeped into the kitchen and exclaimed, "Oh, Allen, it's beautiful! You are doing a marvelous job. I'd no idea it was so lovely."

"It's hard work. But it is kind of fun seeing the color come out. Like sunshine coming out from behind a cloud. That gray, dingy, scum of smoke is the clouds, and I'm chasing them away to let the sunshine through," chuckled Allen.

"You're doing a good job," repeated Mother. "We'll have a sunny kitchen. Now I must go see how Father and Joseph are doing."

Several hours later when everyone was back in the car, Mother said, "Oh, I'm so pleased. It really looks very nice. Thanks, everyone, for helping so well. Sometime later maybe we can paint the woodwork, but for now a good scrub will be satisfactory. I'd rather get moved into our new home soon."

Everyone agreed. Moving day was planned for a week from Saturday. It was a busy week.

The next Saturday, Daniel bounced out of bed shouting, "It's moving day! It's moving day, Joseph! Help me,Joseph. I'm so excited I can't get my socks on right," Daniel pleaded. "Hurry, I might miss something."

"But how can I get dressed if I have to stop and help you?" asked Joseph. "There, we're both dressed. Let's go." Joseph dashed for the door.

"Wait! Wait on me! Joseph, you didn't help fix the bed covers," reminded Daniel.

"Remember, Mother said we don't need to do it this morning." Joseph was already halfway down the stairs. "Come on, Daniel." The two boys galloped down the stairs and tumbled into the kitchen.

"Easy there, boys. What's all the rush?" asked Father chuckling.

"We don't want to miss anything," explained Joseph.

"I understand that you will want to see what is going on. But you must be careful to stay out of ;the way," Father cautioned. "Otherwise I'll need to send you to your room, and then you'll miss plenty."

"We'll stay back, won't we, Daniel?" promised Joseph.

Daniel nodded. His face was sober. "I don't want Father to send me to my room. He would, too, if he said so. Father always does what he says."

Soon neighbors started coming. The men helped load the truck Uncle John had loaned to Father. The women folded up the bed clothes and packed the last dishes.

As the women came, they each brought along some food. "Now remember, like I said, don't you bother about dinner, Mrs. Yoder. We'll put all the food in my car as it comes. I'll see that it gets to your new home in time for dinner, I'll stay to help serve it. Later I'll return all the dishes to the proper owners. You just don't bother yourself about it," reminded Abbie Erb, their nearest neighbor.

"Oh, Abbie, thank you so much. I just don't know what I'll do without you as a neighbor. I'll surly miss you."

"Humph!" exclaimed Abbie. "You won't even get a chance to miss me. You're not moving that far. We'll still be neighbors. Just not as close, and I'll see to it that you won't get homesick for me."

It didn't seem long at all until Father announced, "We have everything loaded. Did you check all the rooms to see if we missed anything?"

"Yes, I think we have everything," agreed Mother. "Abbie has the dinner in her car, and Ethel took Joel home with her. She'll bring him this evening. That was so thoughtful of her. I'm sure we'll miss all these helpful neighbors."

"We surely will. All right, let's go. The little boys want to ride in the truck with me. It's just as well. You'll have to ride with Abbie. I'll get our car at Uncle john's when I take the truck home," explained Father.

"Can't I ride with you in the truck?" asked Mother. "Abbie's car is full of dishes."

"Sure, come along." Father headed for the truck.

As they neared their new place, Daniel bounced up and down on the seat. "We're almost there, Joseph."

"Yes, this is where Robert Brown lives," said Father. "Joseph will come home from school with him. His father is the one who told me about our new place. And in this house lives an old couple. You'll want to visit them often. They are a nice old couple, but lonely."

"Who lives in that house way over there?" Joseph pointed.

"I don't know. We'll have to go visit them soon. If they don't know about Jesus, we'll tell them." Father smiled. "Here we are."

Chapter 2 of Adventures on Lilac Hill
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