I am coming to you after a long blogging hiatus to give you an update…and as a drastic change of pace, I refuse to apologize for my absence! I have a huge tendency to work towards pleasing everyone around me at the cost of my own sanity. But this is not the time in my life to be doing that.

If you didn’t catch that we will be moving soon from my previous post…well then, SURPRISE! (You can go back and read all about that HERE.) But as much as I would love to blog about every detail – the good, the bad, and the ugly crying – if I have learned anything from other bloggers (even successful ones) its this:

Blogging and moving can’t co-exist. 

It’s true. You just simply don’t have the brain power to take on another task. Add in all the PTA Presidential duties and a sick kid and you EXTRA don’t have time. So there – I’m not sorry.

But as totally NOT SORRY as I am, I have just been dying to come back to my little desk and share about the process. So while I have the time, I thought I would share with you a few things I have learned throughout this whole selling the house/moving thing.

1. You accumulate a lot of stuff over 8 years. I mean, A LOT.

You guys. We have been preparing for this move for over a year. We have done virtual yard sale after virtual yard sale (and yes, that’s a thing…just ask and I’ll tell you all the details!) and trip after trip to Value Village and the dump. And yet, I keep finding more stuff to get rid of.

This past weekend, we cleaned out our garden shed. There were boxes in there that we moved in 8 years ago (during our last move) and never looked at once. And yes, 90% of those were just thrown away. A couple donated. Very few treasures. (But there were some…like my husband’s first Bible? That’s a keeper!)

2. Kids are resilient.

I spent so much time fretting and worrying about how my kids were going to handle this big change in our lives. I mean, they have never called another place home. And while there have certainly been some concerns and questions, overall they are thrilled about the move, sharing a room and the whole shebang.

As a tip – if you are encroaching on a big move yourselves…keep talking to your kids about the adventure it is going to be. Find something in the big change they are excited about and milk that as long as they can. For example, when Cocoa came to me sobbing one night because she was going to miss her bookshelves (which are, in fact, going with us – silly girl) I reminded her how fun it is going to be to sleep in their new bunkbeds and get to decorate a new room! Worked like a charm. In a matter of seconds she was giggling about how excited she was.

3. I might possibly be OCD.

I have always been a fan of the “To-Do” list. But, my friends…I may have gotten carried away. I have a To-Do list for what needs to be packed every week, with deadlines attached (now I am already behind on deadlines…but so be it). I have a list of items to sell and items to purchase. I also have a list of who I need to change our address with and what services to cancel. I have numbered boxes depending on what room they go in and a master list detailing what is in all those boxes. I have maps printed to show everyone what rooms to go in. And I even have a to-scale layout of our furniture printed so it can be posted throughout the new place.

Every single person who has glanced at my “moving binder” has laughed out loud. So it kind of surprises me that I can say this next thing I learned:

4. We truly have some of the best friends in the world.

Nothing like going through a very chaotic time in your life to find out how amazing your friends are. I am so grateful that I have the friends who will come wash my windows and polish my appliances before the open house. Friends who keep me motivated and on task. Friends who ask how I’m feeling during all this chaos and don’t laugh when I burst into tears. Friends who invite me to their home for a playdate so I don’t have to worry about breaking something on the house that is basically sold. Friends who help sort through my crap and shove things in boxes (and go along with the OCD labeling despite their true feelings). Friends who pray for me. Friends who drop off food at my doorstep because I have a sick kid. Friends who bring wine and chocolate for the much-deserved break.

5. Our God is a God of details.

We have never been more sure that we were walking in God’s will for our lives, than we are right now. As a detail-oriented individual, I have stressed and mulled over so many aspects to moving, many that didn’t even come into play. But every single detail in this story was an answer to prayer and a confirmation from the Lord that we are walking the right path. I can’t even share all those details on this blog…but they are so beautiful and so perfect it makes me cry every time I talk about it.

I pretty sure each of you has moved at least once in your life. What is your most vivid memory from the process?