The last month was completely consumed with packing and moving. It was such a huge task to get everything sorted, split, packed and moved to storage. It took weeks to really get everything done. It seemed like every time I thought I had a room finished there were three more boxes of crap to pack! It was never ending. We had a big garage sale the first weekend in January. It was a last minute decision because I heard that the weather was going to be in the 70’s. (Little did I know it would be warm all month!) I felt like we should just get it done in case it was snowing the next week! (you never know in Texas) I took off Thursday and Friday and got everything pulled out. Scott helped get things out of the attic and set up everything for the sale. I seriously could not believe how much was up in the attic! He was joking saying it was like straight up hoarders! (And it kinda was!) It really felt good to go through everything and clear out all of the clutter.
One thing was obvious from packing. I have to get control of my pictures. I think prob 50% of the boxes I packed have pictures in them. There were 4x6’s in every drawer, every cabinet and every closet. It’s crazy! I need to go through and collect all of them and put them in albums so that we can enjoy them. I also really would like to take the time to scan all of the non-digital pictures. It really is one of those things that haunt me. I worry that we will have a fire or flood or something and I will lose them forever. Pictures are my most favorite thing in the world. I would be devastated to lose them. Right now they are packed away safe in storage…eeek! At least I hope so! I also found a ceramic nativity scene set that Granny and I had poured but then I got pregnant with Nolan and have never made the time to sand, fire, paint and glaze it. My whole family on my dad’s side has the same set. Like thirty years ago my Granny got into ceramics and made sets for everyone. Well when I moved out I wanted to have a set like theirs so Granny helped me hunt down a ceramics shop that still had the molds for the same set. She helped me make mine and I chose to do it a little different. Everyone else’s are washed with brown and accented in touches of gold. I made my set washed with grayish black and accented in silver - they are the same but with my own spin on it. I love them. I am so glad that I made them with Granny. We worked on them one night a week for months. I had planned to make a set for Becca and Michelle and give it to them when they got married but it just never happened. I would really like to do them now that I am going to have more free time.
We donated tons of stuff because as I was packing I started to freak out about where it was all going to go and how I would every fit into a duplex or what not with everything. We had tons and tons of closet space and cabinets so I tend to keep everything just in case I ever needed it again. Ugh. I really can’t even blame it all on kid crap (although there was plenty of that too) it was craft stuff, wrapping stuff, shower stuff, platters and punch bowls – you name it; I probably had it. Like I said, it really did feel good to go through it and do a clean sweep! My mom has been absolutely amazing this past month; she helped with loads to the storage and even came with my uncle and moved my furniture while I was at work. It was so awesome. I had everything out of the house and either packed in storage or taken to mom’s house by Sunday the 22nd. That night the boys and I officially moved to mom’s house. Scott stayed at the house that last week and moved all of his stuff to a townhouse last weekend.
I cleaned the house from top to bottom once the house was empty. The house looked so “used” once everything was out and I hated that. I scrubbed the carpets, cleaned the oven, gave extra attention to all of the floors and baseboards and worked the house over with a magic eraser. Since almost all of the woodwork in our house is painted white there was a lot to wipe down. I do have to say that those little magic erasers are pretty amazing and probably my favorite cleaning product. I left Saturday feeling pretty satisfied with leaving the house – like everything was finally done. On Sunday the boys and I went to church and then went and bought the new owners a little present and a “welcome home” card. We stopped by the house to drop it off that afternoon. Within the five minutes we were there, Hudson managed to choke and puke on the back porch one last time. With absolutely nothing there for us to clean it up, I guess they were also welcomed with an extra little present. : ( We paid respect to Daisy buried in the backyard for the final time and literally kissed the house goodbye. It was sad but it was good closure for all of us.
We closed on Tuesday as planned and everything went perfectly. I thought I would be a basket case but it was really just more of a huge relief. It has been such a long slow process and something that had to happen for us to be able to move forward. I am just thankful that we were able to be there through the holidays and that pricing wise it all worked out perfectly. I love our realtor; she is a good friend and was very helpful every step of the way. Another chapter finished.
Next Wednesday, February 8th is our court date. Scott doesn’t even have to be there so I guess actually it’s just my court date. At 8 am I will go in and stand before the judge and finalize the divorce. I have to get up and give a statement and literally ask for him to dissolve the marriage. I am very nervous/sad/stressed about doing this. I want to be brave and strong and just get through it. I know it’s going to be a hard day but I am praying for another day like closing where it goes smoothly. I have had friends offer to go with me but honestly it’s something I would rather do without an audience. I think it will be more emotional if I have my mom or a friend there – you know? Scott has said that he will go and I am kinda on the fence about that too. On one hand, I feel like we should both be there and have to experience it - but will that make it harder for me? I just don’t know. I guess I will leave that one up to him and if he wants to go then he will and if he doesn’t then I am going to trust that’s what’s best for me and just go and get it done.
