Our move...

Moving out of our house was quite the undertaking...you really accumulate a lot of STUFF with 4 kids and after 8 years of living in the same house. Matt loved that it forced us to de-junk and we are getting a lot of the random things that really needed fixing. Through this process I have learned that I could really do with a lot less, and that things really don't matter. Here I am packing up all my "things" into storage! I really can live without a lot of the stuff that my house is packed with. I also learned that I have a MAJOR candle fetish! Who knew??? I found out that I couldn't store candles in the storage unit and I really couldn't take them either, so my kind sister Kim let me fill up an under the bed plastic container and store it at her house. After filling that container completely I found TONS more candles! Man I have a lot of candles!

This move was very mentally overwhelming for me...it was a bit confusing for the movers as well. One of them admitted this was the strangest and most complex move she has done. I had to have 3 categories that everything had to fit into. There was the stuff I was moving to China that I needed immediately and that all had to fit into suitcases. (9 suitcases, and 10 carry-ons later). Then there was the stuff that I am taking to China but can do without until my sea shipment gets there in 6-8 weeks. Then there was the stuff going to the storage unit for a year.It really should have been simple to decide what went where....but I think the movers got sick of me moving things from pile to pile and throwing things on the truck last minute. The movers were very sweet and very patient while Gavin asked them "What are you doing?" a million times and followed them around. The house got up to 87 degrees due to leaving the doors open all day.We were hot and sweaty and tired by the end and we weren't even the ones doing all the packing and lifting. I don't know how those guys do it! Things went so smoothly. It started out a little rough...I seriously had an anxiety attack the first day they came. We were TOTALLY unprepared for them that first day. I don't know what I was expecting...I guess I thought there would be one or two guys there and I could just guide them and stay with them and watch as they packed things up...not so! They have someone in each room packing the entire room, and they are EFFICIENT! I started freaking out and Matt admitted in the almost 12 years that we have been married this was the first time I scared him! :) I was really having a breakdown and he was so great to calm me down and then he let the movers know that they weren't to touch our room this first day. That really helped me...then I looked like a crazy lady running from room to room grabbing stuff and shoving it into my room. I love the challenge of having to figure out how to survive without the things you usually have around. I borrowed one pot and a cookie sheet from my neighbor and we ate what we had left in the fridge and freezer. So I scrambled eggs in a pot and luckily I had accidently left just the right stuff in the dishwasher the day they packed up my whole kitchen. We had exactly 3 spoons and 3 bowls...just enough for cereal each morning :)

Our cars were tricky to figure out what to do with...again my sister came to the rescue. She is letting me store my van that I love so much in her garage. Then we didn't know what to do with Matt's car. We didn't think his work would let us store it and wondered if that would take a toll on the car. So then we entertained the idea of selling it. In fact we had a guy ready to buy it and was practically ready to give us what we had asked for it on Craigslist. When it came down to it Matt and I realized we both love his car and would be sad to see it gone. And then his work approved storage for one vehicle. Perfect! So he just had to say "goodbye for now" to it. I think he still wanted to shed a tear when the mover came to pick it up. :)

All in all I am very please with the way things went. I know that the Lord was there helping me through it all....in fact it was a tender mercy that Matt's visa didn't come in time because I REALLY wouldn't have been ready to fly out on Tuesday...I needed the extra days to get organized and say goodbye to friends. And then tonight we got a call from our friend, who is our rental property manager, and he said he has already had a few people calling and interested in renting and they may move in on Aug. 1. So our long week is over and our next step.... China!