poppin' in

this is going to be a short post without any pictures.

why??

well, i have been packing, painting, stuffing boxes, packing, packing & more packing ALL day with the help of my amazing family & friends!!!

we got it all done -- i can't believe it!!!

a big thank you to my in-laws for watching and keeping my boys all day!!

thank you - thank you!!

i wish i had taken pictures of us while we were packing and painting.

some us had more paint on our clothes, faces, hands, legs, etc than on the walls.....i'm just saying!!

now that all of phase 1 of the move is over - we begin the waiting game.

this week is all about tying up loose ends, getting vehicles serviced, cleaning house after movers come, making sure i have all the paperwork i need

and the worst part of all

trying to say goodbye to those who have helped me through the most difficult season thus far.

i guess this is the week that i MUST deal with my emotions!!!

so, if i seem distant or clingy, down or sad, snappy, emotional or whatever........

just know that inside this short, non-tanned, tired body that i am trying to deal the best way i know how with saying goodbye.

and who likes saying goodbye???!!!

{not me}

PACKING

two weeks ago yesterday i found out we weren't moving to VA just yet, but moving back to KS.

no big deal, right? wrong!

the move to VA was going to be and still is a PCS move...however, getting me and the boys back to KS is not. do you see where i'm going with this?

FACT: we are paying for this move & packing up the house! {boo!}

so....for the last 2 weeks my mind has been in overdrive!

i want to be super organized for this move and not be stressed out.

as i began to research how expensive moving boxes were -- i decided to stake out the local liquor stores...i even, ahem, looked through dumpsters!! {i'm desperate here}

after hitting up several liquor stores and rummaging through some of our areas finest dumpsters....i'm sad to say i have ZERO boxes to show for it!! sad :(

enter: my dear friend

i got a phone call from a dear friend of mine telling me he had about 300 boxes at work that i could have. woo hoo!! yipee! :)

a couple of days later i loaded the boys in the van & headed downtown to pick up the boxes.

just about the time 'my dear friend' was bringing the boxes down it started to rain and when i say rain...i mean SHEETS OF RAIN!! we managed to get the boxes in the back of my van -- what we didn't manage to avoid was getting soaked. BUT, i got some boxes :)

i get back in the van and head towards home and the sun starts shining {sort of mocking me in a way}. i mean, literally, the minute i pull out of the parking lot is stops raining and the sun is beating down!! i just had to laugh at my luck or lack there of.

FAST FORWARD to the next day.

me and the boys are heading out the door & when i open the van door there is this funky smell.

{note to self}

wet cardboard that has then dried and stored in a van overnight does not leave a pleasant smell.

however, after spraying the van down with some FEBREZE -- we are back to normal!!

i have posted some pics to show you all that i have accomplished in a short time.

save the accolades for later.

here is my progress on packing.

notice the labels on the boxes -- that way i know what each box holds inside!! :)

impressed?

well, don't be.

all of those boxes

are

EMPTY!!

but, at least i have them put together and taped and labeled them, right?

well, it's a start.

do you guys have any packing tips?