Packing Frenzy

7 years in one house (the longest I've lived anywhere in my adult life) will cause you to accumulate a good bit of stuff. That stuff seems to multiply when you're trying to wrangle it and pack it into boxes. Despite the pruning we've done of our possessions over the last several months, there seems to still be a lot. And, with a house twice the size to fill, throwing out some of our furniture and decor just isn't an option until we get somewhat settled into our new space and see what works there.

The move is definitely going to happen Wednesday. Well, it's as definite as anything in this process is which means I'll believe it when I see it. The last several weeks have been filled with a lot of headache and uncertainty in trying to wrap up this whole move process. Time line changing events happen daily and we're trying to roll with the punches....and then make all the calls necessary to deal with the snowball effects of those changes.

In any case, this weekend was the last big packing weekend. And boy did we pack! While there's still all the stuff left that has to wait until the last minute to get packed, we have rooms filled not with daily life things, but with boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. Of course, this being the last weekend in our home, we couldn't let it pass by without one last go round of some fun family traditions.

Dylan is obsessed with pancakes. I've been making them once a weekend most weekends (whole grain ones of course) for the last couple of months. So, of course we needed one last pancake breakfast!

This is how happy pancakes make Dylan.

Another Hines family tradition, since long before Dylan came around, is Saturday pizza night. I LOVE pizza and making it at home, with healthy ingredients, is pretty much the only way I allow myself to eat it. So, for our exciting Saturday nights as newlyweds, we often made pizza and hung out on the couch. I know, can you stand the excitement? Once Dylan came around and was old enough to eat solid foods, he came to love family pizza night too. In fact, one of my dearest memories of that little guy is on a pizza night. While I was cooking some up just over a year ago, I got to see Dylan take his first steps in our kitchen! Good memories, I tell ya!

Pizza and Party Cups

Pizza makes my boys happy!

On Sunday morning, Mike had soccer so Dylan and I got to hang out and pack together. Before we got to the packing business, we had breakfast to attend to. Sometimes on weekends, I let Mike sleep in while Dylan and I get up to go for a long walk. When we do that, we usually stop at Panera on the way home and pick up bagels for breakfast. Dylan loves bagels probably only 2nd to pancakes. So, Sunday morning, we started the day with a walk down to Panera for breakfast. With our weekend traditions done, we were clear to pack up the rest of the kitchen equipment!

Now, I'm kind of the queen of to do lists around these parts. Even though this moving thing is stressful and driving me insane, I must say there is one serious upside to it....I feel very accomplished since my to do lists get totally checked off! But, I guess that's what happens. When you're moving and everything HAS to get done, you don't have an option but to tick off all the boxes.

By late Sunday afternoon, we all needed a "get out of the house and away from the packing" sanity break. We got in the car and drove north a little ways to a huge, amusement park type furniture store. For those that live in the Boston area, you know where I'm talking about. For those that don't, know that I'm not exaggerating. This furniture store is massive and not only has a theater, restaurant and ice cream stand, but has a jelly bean store, statues of Boston icons all made out of jelly beans, a water show and a trapeze school. If furniture doesn't entertain you, something else there will! There are some furniture pieces we'd like to get sooner than later so a trip to the mega furniture store was necessary. Plus, as a nice treat, my in-laws met us there, shopped with us for a bit and had dinner with us. Dylan always love spending time with his grandparents!

It was an exhausting weekend but we're definitely feeling a lot more prepared for the move. There's still work to be done but we will get it done. Today and tomorrow at work will be hectic (this also being my busiest time of the month at work). Wednesday we close and move into our new house. Thursday we'll get any last bits out and the current casa cleaned then close on it Friday. I'll take Wednesday to Friday off work for all of this and hope to also get a good bit of unpacking done. My in laws have been kind enough to offer to come help us all day with Dylan (and whatever else we need) on Wednesday. This means we won't be relaxing in the near future...unless relaxing means passing out from exhaustion! So, until I get a chance to kick up my heels again, I'll have to keep one of my new favorite pictures of me and Dylan in mind. This was taken sometime over the last couple of weeks when I took a movie snuggle break with my boy. Don't we look peaceful??