So we got back from our first Florida trip mid-September. It took us a week or so, but I finally felt like we were getting back into our routine. The kids started our co-op and really enjoyed it. I'd filled the fridge up with food and unpacked our suitcases. Then, I decided to turn around and head back to Florida for a week and a half with the kids. Craziness, I tell you.
My Grandpa and his wife, Doris, moved into assisted living while we were at Disney. There house is reverse mortgaged and they had 60 days to turn the house back over. I knew the house was packed, but I had no idea how packed it was. There was a lot of stress on my parents in the first few weeks after the move. They were over-whelmed by the situation and my dad's blood pressure was up. I'm so thankful for homeschooling, because for once, I was able to say I'm coming and stay as long as I was needed. My mother in law agreed to keep the kids and try to school them (poor Joanie...she had no clue what she was agreeing too :p). We drove back down on the 28th, stopping over in Atlanta with Uncle Cliffy Wiffy :).
I was in no way prepared for the work that was ahead of us and I won't air my grandpa's dirty laundry. Let's just say, they hadn't thrown anything away in 30 years. Actually, I found junk mail from Doris' first husband from the 1960's. That's 50 years. It took 5 days of 3 of us working and a 6th day with us plus my brother and nephew, but we cleared the trash, sorted, and prepared for the estate people to come in for a sale.
We've been home a week now and I feel like we are finally getting back into the swing of things with school. In addition to that, I've had a couple of projects and some cleaning out of my own to do. I brought back an old dingy dresser that was buried in my Grandpa's garage. I cleaned it up, sanded it down, and repainted it a pretty tuscan red (thank you mom). It's so pretty. I also ripped the pad on my ironing board one night and then ripped the whole pad off in frustration. I ended up buying plywood to attach to the top and covered it with batting and material. I love my new huge ironing surface. Our couch cushions collapsed years ago during a move. I finally found a place here that sells foam big enough; so in addition to all of that, I also redid our couch cushion. They are so much nicer. I highly recommend it. I spent $200 and I'm happy with my couch again rather than $2000 on new living room furniture.
The biggest thing I have in common with my Grandpa is his love of pictures, but what I realized as we dug through his box is most of the pictures didn't matter. So many of his pictures were from his travels with his civic organizations. I was shocked at the pile of those compared to family. It's a lesson in what's important. They also had cards...cards anyone had ever given them that unfortunately went straight in the trash. I came home and pulled out my 5 under the bed boxes and 3 shoe boxes of pictures, cards, and keepsakes. I still have some organizing to do, but if I couldn't tell you who was in the picture, it went in the trash. If there were a lot of landscapes of one place, I kept one and threw the rest away. I couldn't believe the doubles I had. I filled 3 trash bags with stuff, and have my boxes down to 3 under the bed boxes and 1 shoebox.
Jaelyn helped me in our storage closet today. I don't have piles and piles of stuff, but the anti-hoarder in me wants to keep cleaning out after experiencing their house. Thankfully, I'm busy with school and projects for Christmas. Hopefully the itch to clean will go away soon :).
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