The Secret to Living Life... Clutter-Free

Ever since our house was listed last Thursday, we've had a steady stream of visitors coming through.  That's a good thing when you're trying to sell your house, right?!?  But we're beginning to miss being at home! I have found that the best way to get a clutter-free house is to get ready to sell your home.  Having just gone through this personally, I can speak with new found authority on this subject matter.  Why?  Because suddenly, you're forced to look at your home through your realtor and prospective buyer's eyes... and shudder! It's time to de-clutter!!! The Salvation Army quickly becomes your best friend as you scour through your house de-cluttering.  Friends who don't mind second-hand stuff also become your best go-to source for de-cluttering :o)  Once the house is empty of all the things you haven't used in eight years, barely used in 3 years or whatever, you'll find that the square footage in your house has increased and multiplied nearly overnight (or in our case, two weeks!)! And you might find that you like your spacious house again and want to stay there forever...! Just kidding!

Friends are wondering how we manage to keep our house clutter-free with a five-year-old and a fourteen-year-old.  It's very simple---leave early in the morning and return home late.  And somehow, in between things, we manage to find errands to run, friends to visit and things to do (right now, school in the car has been quite popular for us)! In the morning, the kids and I make a mad dash around the house making sure all toilets are flushed (five-year-old boys have a tendency to forget that important task) with the lids down.  Any towels and extra laundry gets thrown back in the washing machine and we keep all the counter tops clear.  Done.  Then we leave for the day and by the time we come home, it's about 7pm---time for Michael's bedtime routine.

I just finished reading Robin Jones Gunn's Finally & Forever (the finale in the Katie Weldon's series) and loved it!!! Now I've started The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E. Brunstetter (which I'm enjoying very much!).  Finding time to read is very tricky when most of your time is spent trying to juggle life, Krista's schedule and doing school with Michael.  Thankfully, he's a fast learner in most things, so doing school with him is pretty enjoyable.  Except when I assign him several pages of work to do and I find him doing a totally different set of pages because he just liked these pages better.  Sigh.  We have to work on following directions---an important skill set for the future when your employer has the power to fire you if you don't do what he/she wants!

I need a weekend to recover from this past weekend! On Friday afternoon, we got to hang out briefly with my friend Marcy and her two children.  Michael had such a nice time playing with Josh and Jayden! Then, later on Friday evening, we went to support LOMSAA's (Krista's middle school program) talent show and fundraiser.  It was so much fun!!! The kids are incredibly talented, entertaining and so full of life!!! Krista will miss her 8th graders when we move, but I know she will stay in touch with them.  The dessert auction was a blast and bidding for special time with the teachers was extra memorable!!! We got home way past Michael's bedtime and having to get up early the next morning was very painful.

Krista had her final skating competition on Saturday in El Segundo at the Toyota Sports Center (home of the LA Kings).  Her first event was in the morning and her math tutor and friend from 7th grade came to see her! We love Sasha and miss her dearly, but thanks to FB, we can stay in touch easier :o) It was a total GOD thing that Sasha made it just in time to see Krista's program since, for the first time ever, in our experience, the competition was running early! That's normally unheard of!!!

Corporal Sasha J. & Krista

In between Krista's next event (after 6pm), we headed to Arcadia to visit my friend Mark (from our Family Conference days at Tuscarora Inn, Mt. Bethel, PA) and Lisa and their super photogenic son & daughter.  Michael had a great time playing with Matthew & Samantha and it was great seeing their beautiful remodeled home (Lisa has exquisite taste!!!) and spending time with them!!! Now why didn't I remember to get some pictures taken with them?!?  Hello?!?  I hate that when I forget something so important like that!!!

Thanks to Hurd Video Productions, you can see Krista's programs here:
  
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FkTM3bPFu4&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV5Hd9aHmjY&feature=youtu.be

Today after church, we had an impromptu lunch with Steese and her two sweet daughters (Michael always has the best time with Annabeth and Eva!).  The kids played at the fountain and I know Michael had so much fun since he loves any kind of fountain! Again, why didn't I have the camera to capture these precious moments?!?  It's the story of my life...!

As events get checked off my planner, the countdown to our move date is accelerating.  My heart is full :o) Have you noticed how life can change in the blink of an eye?  Sometimes these changes catches us by surprise and sometimes, we can foresee it.  In the midst of all the craziness in life, I'm thankful we can depend on a faithful God in Heaven who never changes.  As the seasons of our life change, He remains the same!!! He's always there---never leaving us or abandoning us (Heb 13:5b).  His love is constant and unconditional (John 3:16), His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22-23) and He is with us (Psalm 139:5-10).  I love the NLT's version of these verses...

⁵ You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
 

⁷ I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

⁸ If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to Sheol (the place of the dead),you are there.

⁹ If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

I'm blessed and thankful to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God!!! Isn't it amazing how He's on the right hand of the Father interceding for us... even now (Rom. 8:34)?!?