it's pretty cute. And amazingly clean. Seriously, this house has never been so clean -- not even for parties, or baby showers, or Bunco. You really should come over and see it. But please call first so I can do a quick wipe down of the toilets (I am the mother to two boys).
Ahh, it's bittersweet. Putting our house up for sale. We have loved this place for the last 5 1/2 years -- the floor plan is so open and we have so many windows to bring in natural light, there are no neighbors behind us, it's a quiet culdesac, our backyard is just wonderful . . . Yet, we need more space. Or rather, we want more space. But it's also a need-thing as we are planning for our future 1652 square feet with 3 bedrooms has been great for a long time. But I can already start to feel the space shrinking around me as those kids keep getting bigger. I don't think I gave them permission to do that.
It has been a stressful few days -- trying to accomplish everything on our realtor's to-do list, de-cluttering in a big way, major cleaning, and removing myself from the house today for 4 hours (not to mention I was without a vehicle for half of that time). But that stuff is over now, and I can relax again in my very clean house.
In this cleaning out process Scott and I have each had to make sacrifices in order to prepare the house for showing. Scott's beloved love-sac is sitting in the garage, all wrapped up in plastic. His sad, puppy dog face will tell you exactly how he feels about that. And I . . . . well, I had to pack up my scrapbook desk. {sob} It was a strange feeling packing everything into boxes, knowing that I may not see it for a few months. It really felt like I was saying good-bye to a good friend. Luckily the creative juices hit me the night before (not knowing I would have to pack it up the next day) and I created a layout after a 2 month drought. AND for some unknown reason I even took a picture of the process.
The weirdest moment of the last few days was when I saw the for-sale sign staked in our yard for the first time. I have to admit that it pulled on my heart a bit -- and I was kind of surprised by it. But really, this is all happy good stuff. We toured several homes in the area and spotted a few that would fit out needs very well. As for the kids, they think moving is a great idea. For the longest time Conner has been asking if we could move or buy a new house. I'm not quite sure what's wrong with this one. Payton is full of questions right now. He wants to know when we're moving, what stuff we're taking with us, what things are staying, and on and on.
Bottom-line . . . .
We're excited for this new adventure; realistic in the sense that it might take some time; hopeful that we will find some place new we love just as much; calmed by the fact we're not in a huge hurry -- we don't have to move this minute.; and willing to put it in the Lord's hands. Let's see what he has in store for us.
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daily gratitude three
1. a friend who is willing to accept my random request for shelter.
2. the toddler girls 60% off clearance rack at Fred Meyer.
3. remembering to slow down today & just watch/observe the kids play happily in the backyard.
