Pack, sort, blah

Or sort, sort, sort, toss, pack, blah.  So many changes are coming for us and this month is turning into our "go through everything with a fine tooth comb" month.  We're analyzing our reason behind everything we own.  We don't want to pack and move things that don't need to go with us anymore.  I'm accepting that just because someone gave me something doesn't mean I have to keep moving it with us from place to place if I don't use it and love it and need it and want it (or any combo of these).  So it feels like we're getting rid of as much as we're packing away to the storage unit we've rented.  (The 'keep' pile of boxes tells a different story though).
In fact, that wonderful, fabulous stash of boxes we had from John's brother's recent move into our neighborhood?  We used them all.  Luckily we have more connections.  Yesterday I went to my mother-in-law's house then to my mom's house (no boxes) but on the way back to my house I pass a liquor store.  Liquor stores have great strong boxes!  (Many of my moves would have you thinking I'm a raging alcoholic if you were just to look at the stack of boxes...) So I stopped to see if they'd save me some and what do you know?  They had a pile right there at the front door ready for me!  Then later yesterday afternoon I was at the grocery store with Spencer and Mak and we went to say howdy to John's brother 'uncle boone'.  While we were chatting with him I inquired about boxes, he took us to a magical room FULL of them.  And they were good boxes!  Before when moving I've kind of hated grocery store boxes because they have been squashed, and ripped, and water damaged and such.  But these were good ones.  So I took a few.  Daniel asked if we'd need more because he could take more at the end of his shift, (of course we did!). 

So last night my garage magically filled with boxes again!  Now we have all we need to make it through the whole move!  (if not then it is simply a sign that we haven't gotten rid of enough stuff!).

Back to analyzing our real reason to keep any and everything we own, I find that a lot of my 'keeps' are for sentimental reasons.  I've kept baby clothes of Spencer's (down to one small box now, it gets smaller every time I go through it).  I've kept baby books of Spencer's (down to a few select must keeps like "Little Sheep Time to Sleep" and "What Do You Do With a Kangaroo?" and ones that have inscriptions from his parents, grandparents etc.).  These are manageable keeps.  But I also have his first tricycle, a larger, not as manageable keep if we aren't using it. And then there are things I've kept that just stay in a box or sit on a shelf that are a bit sentimental to me because of where they came from but not really my style.......so I've decided I'm going to take pictures of these and maybe make a little book of items with a little story about each, keep the book and part with the clutter of the actual items.

And the tricycle (and mouse ears) and a huge box of books found a home with this girl and her little sister.

It is easier to let things go when you know they'll be loved!

Jen keeps asking "aren't you sad? doesn't this make you sad?, is leaving this house going to be sad?" in regards to our moving, our parting with so much 'stuff' etc.  Yep, it does. But oh so happy too!