Packing and Purging

August was a blur of packing and purging. We moved from a space of 2200 sq. feet to maybe 1300 sq. feet. That meant a ton of furniture, toys and various other items needed new homes, including our piano. The girls needed to get rid of 2/3 of their toys and stuffies. That was a fun conversation with Pookie who declared that each of her stuffies were special to her! They did great though and are loving having their own bedrooms. Plus with a big backyard we got them a trampoline. Wow, that may have been the best investment ever...hours of entertainment and activity. Bear definitely loves it more since she is less interested in watching TV and more interested in moving and playing.

As for the purging, it meant some selling, a lot of donating to various charities and some dumping. (I really hated sending some much to the dump, but what else to do?) For me, the purging was the most rewarding. There is a sense of order and more of a balance of daily use stuff and seasonal stuff, with a lot of memory items that I need to sort through. There are still some boxes in storage that I need to go through, but it is strange...I feel less burdened by our belongings than ever before. Quite freeing actually.

The highlight for me in the chaos of moving/cleaning/packing/unpacking, was the chance to give Hubby a hard time for the sheer amount of clothes he has. I'm pretty good with getting rid of clothes if they become worn out, whether I've gained/lost weight or just don't like it. For a guy that wears t-shirts and shorts/jeans to work, and slightly nicer t-shirts and jeans for home, having so many other clothes was ridiculous...plus the fact that as he continues to work at construction, he is getting skinnier, but with huge muscles. Half his clothes can't fit over his shoulders and arms anymore! So out they went and our closet looks good.

Lots of folks ask if we regret our decision...I look around my family and see 2 girls loving their bedrooms, trampoline and living close to their auntie, I see a husband who now feels less of a burden in terms of financially providing for his family and I see a beautiful house space with lots of light. So far, so right.