Electricity

I have arranged to have the power & gas shut off at Farfa Yconno and set up a new account and power will be turned on at our house in a few days. :)

Udaaaaate

We have been warmly welcomed by all our new neighbors!!

We have made a quick assessment of things that need to be done right away at our house.

That's right, I said it: "Our House." The place we are in the process of moving out of will henceforth be referred to as "the/our OLD house" or it's unofficial name of "Farfa Yconno ("yuhk-own-oh")." (All the places I have ever lived in has had a "name." I came up with the name Farfa Yconno when it came up as a code in the cap of the 20 oz Pepsi I was drinking when we moved. The place before Farfa Yconno was Chesterchin. No name for our house yet.)

I have called and cancelled the cable services for Farfa Yconno and I will call to shut off the water today. We are hoping we can move in this or next weekend.

I am waiting on the phone call saying we're allowed to start turning on utilities and using it is our primary residence.

My husband is so desperate to get out of our old house that he has called four times to see if I've heard back yet (like I wouldn't call him when I found out ~ jeesh). But it's not like we can start sleeping over there or anything...we still need to paint, and we still need to clean the old house. I am not interested in a "circus jump." I want things done slowly and in a way I can't lose control of everything that's coming in. I want to thoroughly CLEAN and REPAIR (if necessary) every single item that comes in and construct an extremely detailed and extensive "chore list" full of extra things that need to be done if the kids want to start earning money.

I will be very unhappy if this move doesn't go exactly the way I want.

I have our television room and almost all of the computer room packed and at the storage locker. Next I will be "packing" up the yard, including digging up and potting plants I want to take with us. I want some iris', our grape vines, some raspberries and whatever I can save from the garden.

I am fairly confident that the book I am borrowing from my brother is the only book in the entire house. Everything is looking sad and empty LOL.

Surprisingly (or not, with this family) it is still pretty difficult to keep the old house clean....

Back at it!!! :D

Quick Post

The papers are signed and notarized. The living room is completely packed, the TV room is very nearly completely packed, the kids are all working on their rooms....my husband and I are both so excited! We're like kids getting ready to go to Disneyland!!!

We could be able to move as early as this weekend if everything goes all right. We already have paint over at the new house along with scrapers and spackle to make repairs. We are getting new locks for the garage so we can start loading it up with our stuff.

Well I'm off! Lots to do!!!

Frustration

I had a whoooooole list of things to do today and I can't do any of them!! (Except laundry)

I wanted to dig up plants I want to transfer to our new house but either the kids have lost my shovel or it got stolen (and lets hope the kids just lost it).

I wanted to finish packing up my walk-in closet but I'm out of boxes!

I wanted to take another load of packed boxes out to the storage locker! Buuuut I can't do that either!

I wanted to finish cleaning out the pool!! Actually, I want the pool to be done, but I don't want to DO it.....I might bribe a kid to do it later, idonwanna.

So what am I left with? Doing regular chores, doing even more laundry (which I'll do regardless), or cleaning out the garage.

As you know, I was originally cleaning out my garage before we decided we were moving, and if I continue to work out in the garage at least I'll feel like I'm accomplishing SOMETHING today!

So I guess after I walk the dogs I'll be in the garage sorting through stuff. SIGH. Today hasn't turned out nearly as fun or productive as I hoped it would. It is the kid's first day of school and I'm just a wreck without them. Although it will be nice to blast whatever music I want without worrying about not hearing the kids or worrying about some of my non-PG13 sings heh heh. (I say that but right now I'm listening to classical/orchestra music. What a badass am I?)

TOO MUCH STUFFFFF!

After packing for a few days I have come to the realization that I have too many interests!!!!! I have SO MANY things that I can't give up! There's my books, my playing card collection, my Animaniacs collection, my Star Trek collection, my unicorns, my musical instrument collection, my stuffed animals, my NAIL POLISH! (I have a suitcase full of nail polish, I'm not even exaggerating.....I will have to post a picture of it, it's just pathetic.) I have too many loves!!

The kids watched me pack all my books, all the pictures and paintings off the walls, and I have even packed a few boxes of their own stuff and they never said anything.  Today they saw me packing up my Animaniacs collection and exclaimed "she's packing up what she loves, we must really be moving!!!" **rolls eyes** What jokers.

I took a large load of packed boxes to the storage locker, stopped by two different places to get boxes, and dropped off two bags of nice, mostly name-brand clothes to the Good Will. After going through a bunch of clothes I used to fit in (10 years ago) that I refused to give up because they were expensive jeans, I realized they were too small for my 15 year-old stepdaughter...there was NO WAY I would ever fit into them again, so I donated (most of) them.

I am trying to keep it even as far as packing in the house and packing in the garage. I want it to be obvious to my husband that I'm working, and at the same time get everything I want to keep from the garage taken care of, too.

The town we're moving to is so small that even though we haven't told anyone that we're moving, my new neighbors congratulated me!!

Word travels FAST, LOL!

It's Ours 2!!

We went over to the new house (I can finally say that now!) and took the "for sale" signs down. When we came out we had to talk to some people (I'm assuming the neighbor and one of his friends) that were standing outside waiting to ask us if we bought it LOL.

We also put down all the blinds so it looked more lived in.

It's OURS!!

(Taking down the "for sale" signs)

VERY HAPPY!!

It's ours!!!!

I have been to the bank and I have made the down payment - the house is ours!! It's great news but I'm still waiting for the other pin to drop. On my way to the bank I was SO NERVOUS. I was actually shaking. I had to do calming meditative breaths while I was standing in line. I finally told myself, if it's meant to be, it will be ~ if not, then the house wasn't for us anyway. But it's ours (after the paperwork gets processed).

Now I have a hundred things to do and I can't do any of it! I keep getting started on ten different things then I turn around and start something else. My head is just spinning with this news!!

When my Mr. gets home we will go over as a family and take the "for sale" signs down. Then my Mr. will change the locks while I'm photographing everything! (Need those "before" shots!)

But for now I had to concentrate on one thing at a time!!!

I can't pack anything else until I have more boxes, which will be tonight. I can't mow because it's going to rain any second. I've started the laundry...that just leaves my regular chores. I've already given all three of my dogs baths and their collars are in the wash so I think I will go out and clean the garage. I will stack boxes by the door to be loaded some other time.

I am very happy to be a homeowner!! I can't wait to get started on repairs and painting. I can't wait to make it our home. I just have a hundred things to do!!

Getting Excited

Almost every book in the house (not counting the garage yet) has been either thrown away, donated, or packed. Most of the books are in banana boxes (no lid and has holes to "breathe") but my "special" books got wrapped inside plastic garbage bags and packed that way.

I have procured a 10 x 15 foot storage locker and I have taken a load out already. My mad Tetris skills come in handy at times like these. I have all the boxes and tubs already stacked in a corner. Not very many people are as good as I am with utilizing vertical storage space!!

My husband and I have already started looking at furniture for the new place even though we haven't GOT a new place yet. We didn't buy anything, both because we're saving up for the down payment AND because we don't want to jinx it, LOL.

We are really hoping to pay the down payment tomorrow and seal the deal.

We met who would be our neighbors if we get the place - and she said several people have been by to look at the place, and a few of them more than once (like us - we've walked through it four times now).

We are already trying to decide what colors to paint it so it would be pretty hard on us if we didn't get it. We are trying SO HARD not to get our hopes up.

I'm honestly surprised at how excited my husband is to move! His whole family HATES MOVING! My husband's brother has had to move three times in six years and he told us when he moves away from the house he's currently living in he will be in a hearse, haha!

But my husband almost seems more excited about it than I am! I guess that's just more of me rubbing off on him! He is almost cute in his boyish enthusiasm. ;)

The Stress Starts

So now we're moving. Moving is stressful under any circumstances but in our instance it's starting early LOL! We haven't even made an offer on this house yet and we're already arguing about how to pack!

 My husband thinks we should pack up everything that irritates him: the books, the kid's stuff, my decorations.....and he wants them out of the house the very second we get a storage locker.

 I, on the other hand, would rather get everything out of the garage (storage) except the Mr.'s tools and fishing and camping gear, THEN get all the pictures and things we just look at, THEN start packing by room - doing the common rooms first and doing the bathrooms and kitchen last. THAT way the most important (or at least the most used) things get UNpacked FIRST.

But the Mr. wants something to be visibly done by the time he gets home, so we can at least go through all the books and maybe my photo albums. That will take a lot of time and he will be able to tell something got done. Then I can get to work on what I want to work on.

Sheesh. Men.

Decision Made

We have pretty much decided to go for the house. So now we're in super-saving mode.

I have packed 12 boxes so far, and I have run out of boxes. So now I am pretty much stagnant until I get more boxes. My father in-law left us some "banana" boxes but they don't have lids. They're perfect for books, however, so at least they'll get utilized quickly.

Short post today ~ I'm tired!

Hopefully we can get enough money put together for the down payment ~ and hopefully the house is still for sale if and when we DO come up with the down payment!

Massive and obsessive cleaning starts TOMORROW.

Pros and Cons

I have included my father in on the discussions. We took our reluctant daughter for our second walk-through, and she said she would be willing to live there even though she would miss home.

CONS:
-We would have to start all over in a new town.
-The house we are looking at has less actual living space (I won't have a foyer hallway, a computer room or a TV room)
-ONE BATHROOM. ONE BATHROOM!! FOR SEVEN PEOPLE!!!!
-It has a MUCH smaller yard. I would really really REALLY miss our current yard!!
-We'd lose our fruit trees. I've spent the past six years turning saplings into an orchard....this is the first year we are going to get fruit ~ and now we could just leave them?
-ALL the work and money we've put into this house and yard so far and we'd just be giving it up.
-We just bought a brand-new gas stove and the house we're looking at only has hookups for electric.
-This other house needs a lot of improvements.
-There is no gas station in the new town. I would have to drive nine miles away to get gas.
-We would be even further away from our families than we are now!
-The roof needs work
-The basement needs work
-No cable (I'm sure by now you've gathered that it's a small town)
-Neighbors ~ I haven't had to deal with neighbors in TWELVE years! I have five loud kids, three dogs, a penchant for loud music and a husband who doesn't care who sees him in his ratty undies when he's checking the mail LOL
-My youngest son & daughter have a LOT of friends here, including a couple of best friends. I have no doubt they will make NEW friends, and probably pretty quickly given their personalities, but it will be hard to not see these kids every other day like they do now.
-Small closets!! I am so used to my wonderful walk-in closet that I'm not sure I'll be able to handle a step down from this! WHERE WILL ALL OF MY FABULOUS CLOTHES GO?!!??!?
-"Better" quality house means a lot more rules from me. Also more strict application of the rules we already have, plus added rules in regards to neighbors!
-I am going to want this new house spotless from the get go. I want neighbors, friends, and family to be able to come over whenever and I want a clean house for them to come to.
-The payments aren't going to be any easier than rent.

PROS:
-A fresh start. We would have over a month to move ~ we could do whatever we wanted (within reason) to that house before we even moved in!
-There is a LOT more storage space in that house! Unfortunately none of it is closet space.
-A tiny yard means a lot less yard work.
-We would own it, so we could start improvements right away!
-There is a reasonably priced grocery store a block from the house one way, a post office another, and a park another.
-It's a real house! With REAL floors, and REAL walls!
-The floors are all hard-wood floors. More work but well worth it!
-The trailer we live in is like Swiss cheese. We have had mice & occasional bug problems since before we even moved in. I saw bugs in our original walkthrough, and because of all the holes in the house, we've never been able to get rid of them!!! A new start in a real house (no holes, I checked!).
-Real windows (as apposed to the plastic ones we have now), and a lot of them!
-A basement. Enough said.
-A HUGE garage! HUGE!!
-Stairs. We will be healthier just by going to bed!
-My older kids have friends in the new town.
-It's a REAL house! That's very important to me. I haven't had a real house since San Diego.
-I can pretty much live anywhere and be happy....I am afraid I will miss the yard terribly, but I could live in a box and be happy.
-I can keep it clean from the get-go!
-Our boys would get a real bedroom
-Our credit score will be better (we currently do not have a credit score...really)
-We will not be scrambling to find money for "extra" charges our landlords keep coming up with.
-LAUNDRY SHOOT
-Plumbing that would be SO MUCH EASIER than here!!
-Outlets; outlets everywhere!!
-There are clothes lines. Awesome!
-The kids wouldn't have to change schools
-I would finally, after TEN YEARS, get my own side of the bed!!! I have rarely complained, but I am getting older and I will just keep getting older no matter what we do, and it would be so great to have my own side of the bed. (Read: the past 10 years I have had my side of the bed up against a wall - I have had to climb to the end or crawl over my husband and whatever kid ended up sleeping with us)

As you can see, there's a lot more pros than cons, and indeed I am leaning towards moving. The allure of a new house alone is making me want to move....it's saying good-bye to this yard that's hard. We will see. We should be making a decision soon.

Approved!

**Note** If you're reading this, keep the subject off Facebook until we're absolutely sure we're moving, thanks. :)

We got approved today. Even though we're still not sure if we're going for the house or not I was so thrilled to hear those words! It doesn't make our decision any easier, however.

We broached the subject with our children. I told them we would have a family discussion later tonight, so they need to really think about everything until then.

The oldest, Poinsettia was at first distressed but then gave an enthusiastic "yay."

My stepson, Tank, was all for it under the condition that when the basement is fixed he can use it as his bedroom.

My Star, 13, gave an enthusiastic "YES!!" Since his best friends are already there.

My youngest has no opinion yet. I have yet to really discuss it with him in a way he will understand.

My daughter, Diva, was the only one I was afraid to talk to. She tends to be dramatic and you can't get much more superficially traumatic than a family move. The other four kids knew we have been thinking about this and even walked through the house with us. We weren't about to involve our Diva. When I finally tried to gently introduce the idea to her she did NOT disappoint.

"WHAT?!? There's NO WAY! I love it here! All my friends are here! I'M NOT MOVING! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!! IT'S NOT happening because I'm STAYING HERE!! If you leave you're doing this without your daughter!!!!"

Then the tears started. No crying - just tears. I tried to soothe her and assure her that we hadn't even decided yet, we just wanted to TALK about it. As I left the room she made sure to exclaim, "I'm not going anywhere!!"

It's hilarious that she's so predictable and even through all her tears and screaming I was trying so hard not to laugh. Her universe is going along exactly how she thinks it should and how DARE I suggest to change it!! She gets it from her Dad's side of the family. Specifically, his brother and his dad.

I also begged all the kids to keep it to themselves until we've actually made a decision. Some of the people we know and interact with LOVE drama, and will cause it just to have it. Also I didn't want anyone to know until WE know for sure.

Just so happy that we're approved if we want to go for the house!!

Deadlocked

I have secured first dibs on our local convenience store's boxes next time they get a shipment. I started going through some things to separate what's to be gotten rid of and what I should keep. I packed all of two boxes when I received a phone call. Apparently my husband told his parents about our looking at other houses, they told my husband's brother and his wife, and his wife told the daughter of our landlord. So our landlord(s) called us up saying they'll take $2,000 off our final price and rewrite our contract so it's a little more fair and if we give them $5,000 now and $5,000 at the beginning of 2014, our current property will be ours free and clear.


Let me take this opportunity to exclaim how I hate drama-starters and gossips!!! I was LIVID when my husband told me! I love his family like my own but if I wanted something kept a secret I KNOW not to tell things to someone that I KNOW will tell the one person who would blab it to EVERYBODY!! But at least I have this example to put to him the next time I tell him NOT to tell his parents something~!!!!

UG!!!!

Now, on to the new contract...I am still as hopelessly deadlocked as I ever was. My current yard is gorgeous but the trees have been dying over the past few years and it's a LOT of WORK!! But I love it so!! Also, the trailer I'm living in has had floor problems since before we moved in. We've spent who knows how much money trying to keep up with the floor repairs! But at the same time I have a nearly-new kitchen sink, a gorgeous bathroom double-sink, and we installed a large bathtub with spa jets!! I LOVE THIS TUB!! Also my husband installed it in such a way that there's no way to ever UNinstall it. So if we leave, we leave the tub.

Also as far as the one house we did the walk-through on...it is a lot smaller. The kitchen is smaller, it doesn't have a dining room, TV room OR computer room! The foyer here is a hallway complete with a closet, this other house's foyer is a mere 2 feet by one and a half a foot. Also, the yard is miniscule - there would barely be enough room for my pool ~ and with three dogs I would have to pick up four times a day instead of once every three days as I do now. Lastly - this other house we are looking at is in-town surrounded by houses. That means neighbors. I have not had to deal with neighbors in 12 years!!

Then there's the house. Small or not, it's a real house! With a foundation and walls and floors....and I haven't lived in one of those since California - TWENTY years ago!! If we decide to keep this place we will still have to live here until we can afford to tear it down and build our own house, and who knows how long that will take!

So many pros for leaving, so many pros for staying - so many cons for both! Plus I have five kids I have to take into account.....being a grownup sucks LOL.

To be honest I'd love a change of scenery. I've lived here for seven years and that's longer than I've ever lived in any one place. But also we've spent so much time and money here it would be hard to let go.

Still deadlocked.

No More Garage Cleanup Posts

So we might have to move. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand I'm not happy about it; on the other hand I'm crazy excited. On one hand I have too much junk to take to a new place; on the other this is a great excuse to finally go through it all and minimize! On one hand I hate the POS trailer that I've been living in but I love love LOVE the property!! I would miss it so much!! On one hand, we can't afford anything nice...anything we could afford is going to need a LOT of work; on the other THIS place (the POS trailer) needs more work than is worth spending the money on...we'd have to tear this place down and start all over again.  On one hand it would be great to start all over in a brand-new place, on the other it would take a lot of effort to clean, prepare, move and repair all my valuable items (valuable to me anyway). On one hand it would be a great learning experience for the kids; on the other hand it will be hard for them to leave their friends here, especially the three who have hoards of friends that they hang out with every day! And of course there's the money ~ the down payment, etc, etc, vs not having to pay rent anymore!

Even though my mind keeps going back and forth between how wonderful it would be and how horrible it would be, I have an obsessive/compulsive need to be prepared either way. While I'm currently in discussions with my husband, the kids and various extended family (and family-like friends) my mind is already getting ready for a move we might not even make. I already have a moving AND packing checklist for the whole family. I am already thinking of what I'll want to buy new and what I'll want to save. I'm already asking businesses about their cardboard boxes and looking into temporary storage companies.

We have already looked at a few houses and we've done one walkthrough.

Right now we are still trying to decide whether or not we're going to try and get the property we're on or move somewhere else, and the uncertainty of it is driving me up the wall. I haven't slept an entire consecutive 8 hours since we started talking about it! I HATE not knowing for sure, and if things aren't planned out exactly right we would end up temporarily homeless, and I'm certainly not wanting to experience THAT! ESPECIALLY with five kids, two of which are my stepchildren, who's biological mother is prone to throw fits over any little thing if a certain mood hits her. So everything has to go smoothly!

My first order of business was to make up a list of things NOT to pack. A list of essentials and things we'll need before we unpack all our junk at the new place:

-Bible (ya, I'm religious)
-Spot (he is a stuffed animal that will be buried with me, I won't risk him being lost or otherwise destroyed or damaged)
-Toilet paper & paper towels
-Notebooks & pens (OCD!! I NEED these!!)
-Soap (hand & body)
-washcloths
-toothpaste, tooth brushes, floss & mouthwash
-sunscreen
-trash bags
-bath towels
-5 school/work outfits, 2 play outfits, 1 dress outfit, & shoes for each outfit
-nail clippers and a nail file
-hair brushes
-broom & dustpan
-1 complete set of dishes or disposables
-a shower curtain
-flashlights & some basic towels
-curtains for bedrooms and a set of sheets for each bed
-important papers
-ladder
-camera
-favorite snacks for the kdis
-a favorite movie to watch on a laptop and the laptops.

I will also likely bring a scale with my workout binder just because I am trying to get healthier and I don't want to get out of the habit of working out every day while we're in the process of moving (if we move).

Next will come packing. The things we are the least likely to need will be packed first and unpacked last, and while I'm packing I forsee a LOT of trips to two places: the local Goodwill for donations, and the DUMP. Even if we DON'T end up moving I am on a mission to get rid of ALL excess belongings!! I'm sick of it! I will be ruthless!

All this and we're not even sure we're moving yet!!

I'll keep you updated!!

Dear Spider:

Dear spider that I killed:

I am very, very sorry I had to brutally murder you by smashing a book into your body three times. You were a brown color, small, had long legs, and you were sitting on a small irregular web. I apologize for jumping to the conclusion that you were a brown recluse spider.

 If you were a brown recluse spider, you should already have known that punishment for being in the vicinity of my children is instant death.

If you WEREN'T a brown recluse spider I am very sorry you died for no reason. :( I will take any and all blame.

Sincerely,

I don't usually judge a book by it's color but you were the WRONG color, in the WRONG-shaped web in the WRONG place at the WRONG time.

<3 br="">

No New Pics Today

I did work out in the garage a bit (about two hours) but all I mostly did was separate clothes and move stuff around....I have come to the conclusion that I desperately need new boxes to store my decorations, and therefore I will not get much else done until I receive boxes.

So luckily I am on very good terms with most of the people who work at our local convenience store so the next time they get their deliveries they will save their boxes and I will go over there and pick them up. Any leftover boxes I get I can use to reorganize everything else in this garage.

So even though it LOOKS like I just moved everything around I actually did do a lot of work. Went through some more books, took a box of books and FOUR bags of clothes to the Good Will.

I live halfway between two fairly large towns, one much larger than the other ~ where I need to go for whatever reasons determine which Good Will I take all my donations to. Since today we had to go to the big town in our county I went ahead and took the bags I had in the van today over there and dropped them off. If I get a lot more bags during this week they will likely go to the really big town in the next county over because we have back-to-school shopping to do and we usually do it over there.

I was happy to hear the Good Will takes books, because I usually donate books to our local VA.....but somehow I don't think they'd appreciate all my little kid's books (reading level birth to kindergarten)!!

All my ADULT reading level books will continue to go to the VA hospital for our injured vets to enjoy (or their spouses, whoever likes syfy & horror LOL).

I nearly have the broken treadmill cleared off but my husband said I'd have to leave it there until he gets rid of what's in the truck. I've been filling up the back of the truck with all the unrecycleable garbage I've been finding. It's pretty full!! He will probably empty it tomorrow or Sunday.

In the meantime I plan on spending all of Saturday in that garage.....and I'll take Sunday off to do nothing but make family home videos and swim ALL DAY (assuming the weather agrees....I haven't checked the weather in a week!).

I hope you all have a great weekend!!

(No pics today, sorry! -- my stepson saw a picture I posted yesterday and said "You can't just shove everything to the side and say you cleaned!!!" I then had to explain to him all the work I did do and the stuff "shoved to the side" were the decorations I needed new boxes for!!! Then I showed him my growing new burn pile which HE can deal with since he made an issue of "what did you get done today??" and I showed him the full bed of the truck AND the four bags of donate. I'm pretty sure next time he will keep his mouth shut LOL!)

Garage Cleanup 4

Today was a hard one. It was finally warm here in central Illinois (it's been extremely cold for the past week!!) and of course I wore jeans. I was unwilling to change, however because I was getting into "the corner," and I was pretty sure there was a spider metropolis back there. I have no fear of spiders and I don't mind sharing my garage with them, but I was going to do some massive reorganization and I was pretty sure I'd be less than thrilled to have fifty spiders crawling up my bare legs....so the jeans stayed on ;).

I reorganized the fourth of the garage I have cleaned out to this point and I am VERY happy with how it looks so far. :)

While going through the books my daughter observed that I have three copies of Shakespeare's "Romeo  & Juliette." She was then horrified as I dumped two copies in the donation bins. I had to explain to her that one copy of a story is all anyone needs unless it is a VERY SPECIAL book. And I never really liked Romeo & Juliette so one copy is more than enough for me.

My sister once gave me a large book containing all three volumes of "The Lord of the Rings" (Tolkien, if you live under a rock) in the same book, so I thought I could get rid of my individual copies of the books. My son saw them, however, and wants them for his personal library, and I went ahead and gave them to him. That's when he noticed something funny on "The Return of the King."

Let's see if you notice it:

 He says the guy on the cover looks just like Nicholas Cage!!!

Here's a closer look.

 Naw.....maybe a LITTLE....but naw, LOL.


Here's what I got done today:

Looks good right?? And of course, within ten minutes of having the weight bench completely clear, THREE children came in to use it. At first I was confused, since I certainly am not the person who put "the pile" there in the first place, and I have been able to use that weight bench two to three times a week!! But it's all good ~ at least now that it's cleaned up I don't have to worry (as much) about kids getting hurt while they're out there on the bench.

Boy, they'd better help me KEEP it this clean!! I'm not doing all this work just so they can trash it in a few weeks....I'm going to keep my eyes WIDE open and if there is so much as a candy wrapper in there I plan on throwing one heck of a hissy fit!!! This is MY garage, now, and people had better help me keep it the way I want it or they can just stay out of it!! LOL

I have been working on the garage for four days, and I'm about one fourth of the way through it (NOT counting the loft). I am very happy with the progress so far, and I'm very happy I've been doing so well about throwing away stuff we don't need, and donating things nice enough that someone else might be able to use it. I am also separating the clothes. I have my own bin, my Diva has her own bin, and my Bear has one. The other kid's are all in one bin until I get some more empty.

I have a pile of shoes to go through and see if I can find pairs. If I find pairs I will see which ones fit my family, and any that don't - too big OR too small - will get donated. I'm going to put the elliptical over there by the weight bench and put a radio over there, too (probably on that little table on the right of the picture). I will get rid of the treadmill because it hasn't worked a single day since we got it and it's not doing me any good since it's broken. Buh-bye.

I feel kind of under the weather after today's work, either because of the massive amount of dust I had to wade through or the mouse nest I found and had to deal with (I'm extremely allergic to field mice, dust, and mold). I've taken some tylenol and I'll see how I feel tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up this pace ~ I can have an amazing garage in a week and an amazing loft in two. :) 

Wish me luck.