New House

We are finally in the "new house" as it has been affectionately called for the last three months! In! Amidst boxes and chaos and clutter and figuring-out-where-everything-goes, we are home. My goal is to unpack and find homes for things in at least 4-6 boxes a day. Why? Because if I look at everything at once, I get overwhelmed and start to freak out ... but if I decide this is my assignment for the day, I can do it.

The boys are happy. Matthias is having trouble going to sleep without Mommy sitting by him until the eyelids droop, but I remember having a week or two like that when we moved into my parents' house as well. Adjustment period. Our first night here, Reuben wrapped those arms around my neck, squeezed super hard, "Mommy! I am sooooooo sooooooo glad to be in the new house and sleeping here!" And Jonah slept about only six hours that night, because he kept coming into our room. Not scared, just unsure how he felt being in the new space.

The differences between boys.

I'm figuring how to creatively store towels without a linen closet, learn my way around in the dark (I walked right into a wall yesterday morning - my first super early work morning in this house), have peace with the piles of laundry growing around me as we still don't have the dryer hooked up yet, and remember it all DOESN'T HAVE TO BE COMPLETED IN A FEW DAYS. Um, yes, I have to remind myself of that daily, maybe hourly! Oh, I like things to be done, finished, arranged, ducks in order ... and it is not going to happen immediately. = ) Learn to let go.

Our goal is to get rid of 30% of all we own as we open boxes and re-arrange things. Why? Because we don't need so much "stuff". This all dates back to the Seven book I posted about months ago ... and realizing that the last thing we want is to instill in the boys that "things" are a focus for us. Hard to do in America when acquiring is a goal. More and better cars, nicer furniture, the newest electronics, and for my bushel ... POKEMON CARDS. More is not always better!!!!

So, we are sorting, thinking, and laying aside. Memories can still be kept even while giving away the item. How many cake pans do I really need? Are we every going to use that again? Is that item useful to the family or beautiful for the home? Or just a "thing"? It's a process. It also means that garage that I am so excited to park in someday will be filled for awhile with boxes and items as we prep for a garage sale that we will hopefully be ready for in early September.

But we are so glad to be here.

I can't wait to have people over into our space. Meetings, dinners, get-togethers, play-dates, wedding and/or baby showers for friends ... anything! And so I continue to delve into the boxes surrounding me, opening up the space to make this house a home, and a home full of welcome and hospitality.