I am a little overwhelmed by the idea of dejunking/tossing stuff from my house.  I want to toss a lot but I’m not sure what to do with some of it and some of it I’m not sure whether we’ll need it again or not.  EEK!

I know that some of my cookbooks are going to my mom.  I have lots that I never use and they take up space that could be used for other things.  I have loads of scrapbooking supplies but I rarely (if ever) scrapbook.

It is almost paralyzing when I think about how to go about tackling it all.  I have fantastic intentions but then when it comes down to actual action I freeze.  Then I think about the phrase my friend always uses.

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

Which bite do I start on?

Do I prime the bedrooms first?  When I’m priming them do I shift the girls all around so they don’t have to be in the paint fumes but have to live “on the go” until I’m finished?

Do I lighten the clothing load?  What do I do with the ones we need to get rid of?  What if we move somewhere that requires much more in the cold weather wardrobe department?

School stuff.  What do I keep?  What “might” I use?  If I get rid of something and we turn around and need it again I’m going to feel rotten.

All the stuff in storage closet and garage, what the heck do I do with that???  If we go overseas we aren’t going to have the kind of storage space we have here so a lot of this stuff won’t be able to go.  We have curtains stored from various houses that we aren’t using here because they don’t fit the windows.  I can’t rid of them though because they may fit at the next house.  Ugh.

This gives me the feeling of needing to hide my head in the sand and ignore it until I have no choice but to face it.  But that leads to waaaaay too much moving stress that I don’t want to have to deal with.  Especially if this is a BIG move with enough stress of its own.

I am well aware that this post is rather whiney but I don’t really have much else to talk about right now.  Steven’s medical clearance appt was rescheduled for the first part of January due to a paperwork issue.  I’m wondering if the “what if”-iness of it all will subside a little when we get the list of bases to choose from.  Or will it not go away until we have orders in hand and know where we’re going.  Even then there will be lots of unknowns to face.  I have to make myself stop and slow down.  I remind myself regularly to Be still and know that He is God.  I have to quiet the chaos in my head and listen for that voice.  When I don’t, I have an utter mess in my head.

1. Best childhood gift from Santa:  The one I remember most is a little desk that had a chalkboard top that lifted up to store chalk and magnet letters.  I remember there being a Kermit the Frog stuffed animal sitting in the seat.  I loved that!

2. Best childhood memories:  Going to both of my Grandparents’ houses.  We always managed to go to both.  One on Christmas eve and the other on Christmas day.  I remember spending time with all my cousins, aunts and uncles.  There was always TOO MUCH food and so much laughter.

3. Favortie Christmas cookies:  I’m not sure it is technically a Christmas cookie but that is when I tend to think about making them.  My favorite is a spicy molasses cookie.

4. Icky Christmas memory:  I’m not sure I have one.  Maybe I’ve blocked any of that out.  Probably the first Christmas after my parents were divorced.

5. It’s not Christmas without: Christmas movies, hot chocolate, family and fun.

6. Our Church Service:  Christmas Eve service early enough that we can come home and do our traditional activities.  We always have one gift to open on Christmas Eve and that is new jammiew for the girls and a movie.  We then all snuggle up and watch the movie before the kids head to bed.

7. Christmas Pet Peeve:  Shopping this time of year.  I know most everyone says that but I truly despise it.  I hate how mean people get over an inanimate object.  Soooo not what Christmas is about.

8. Favorite Christmas CD:  Currently it is Harry for the Holidays by Harry Connick, Jr

9. Real or Fake:  I know I’m going to be stoned but I seriously don’t like having a real tree.  They’re terribly messy and, quite honestly, I can’t stand the smell.  We have a very nice fake tree and I’ll happily use it year after year.

10. I spend Christmas Eve :  I sort of answered this earlier.  Mainly we just plan to stay home (besides the church service) and enjoy family.  We travel a lot at Thanksgiving so that we can spend time together at Christmas rather than running from here to there and not enjoying any of it because we’re exhausted.

New day.  New book.  New year.  Some of my favorite things are new beginnings.

As I’ve said before we’re looking to move next year sometime.  I’ve been trying to get our home dejunked just because but now I feel a new urgency to do so.  I don’t want to move so much stuff just to have stuff.  Why do I keep all the cookbooks I never use?  Why do I keep clothes I never wear?  Craft stuff I never use?

Maybe all this can be blamed on the books I’ve been devouring lately about Amish life.  I crave that simplicity.  The serenity.  The “nowhere to be, no rush, learn to stop and smell the roses” type of lifestyle.  I long to have a home that shouts simple, comforting, and full of the joy of God.  I don’t need stuff to do that.  I need peace and simplicity.

I’m wanting to take each room in our home and clean it out.  If it doesn’t fit IN the drawers/shelves/storage we already have I want it out.  Flylady talks about hotspots and piles of things.  My house is apparently on fire.

On a different note, I got to thinking yesterday about what this move means in terms of staying in touch with family.  The likelihood that we’ll end up overseas or on a two year accompanied remote with The Boy is pretty high.  I’m ok with that.  I’m not nervous about the idea of living in Korea or Iceland or wherever.  But it did get me thinking about the fact that we’d most likely see very little of family while there.  So, I got to thinking….

I remembered when The Boy was in Saudi back when Katy was 3 and Em was 18 months.  That is when I started redneckmama.com.  This website was born out of a desire to stay in touch with the man we loved so dearly and keep him up to date on his family while he was away.  I haven’t blogged or taken just daily photos like that in years.  But I’m thinking that our impending move would be a good time to start.  I thought about daily blogging to keep the family and the grands caught up on the girls.  So much happens so quickly with them at this age.  We could even videotape some daily stuff and add that.

So in an effort to get back in the habit of regular blogging/photos/videos, I’m starting today.  My new beginning.  I may have nothing profound or funny or intelligent to talk about some days but I’m going to do my best to write more regularly.  Not only is it good for keeping in touch I think it is good for my brain.  Mental exercise, so to speak.