It’s that time of the year again. My home is bursting at the seams. College is done for the spring semester and my daughter is home until the middle of July.
Last evening my husband, daughter and I took the pickup truck and trailer and headed to St. Cloud after work. We needed to move her large things from her apartment home until she moves into her new apartment in July. She already brought a car load of items home after finals but needed help with the large stuff.
Her apartment is on the second floor but the apartment itself sits on the top of a hill above the parking lot so its like she is on the third floor by the time you carry everything in or out of the apartment.
As we were carrying out her box spring, mattress, TV, desk, refrigerator, chair, bookcase, shelving unit,couch and some smaller items I thought back to the past few years and just about every May has been a moving month along with August. This year is no different with one exception. When we move our son the end of this month it will be the last time for a very long time. He bought his own home.
I’m glad I don’t own an apartment building or rental property. The walls in the stairway and doors show wear from the constant moving of stuff in or out. We don’t own rental property but our home is also starting to show wear from moving kids in and out. Last evening we once again moved furniture in the family room to make room for the extra furniture until July.
Each time they move from one place to the next they seem to accumulate more furniture. This time my daughter added a couch to her stuff that a friend gave her for her next apartment. Last month my girls bought a table, set of four chairs, and a bakers rack for their new kitchen which now reside in my sun room.
My mom and dad updated their appliances last month and gave our son their old appliances which now reside in the garage until the end of the month. Great deal for him since appliance were not included in the house he bought. The timing is perfect except it would of been nice to be able to move them directly to his new home without a pit stop in the garage.
My mind is already rocketing forward to the end of this month, July and imagining the moving of more stuff. I hope my daughters’ new apartment has easy access and is on the main floor. I know my son’s new home will be an easy move in his front door just four steps up or four steps down and you can back right up to our front door and his.
I think a minimalist theme would be an excellent new choice for my life and children. I like traveling light maybe I could start living light, less stuff = more happiness
For your viewing enjoyment this morning, a slideshow of some the wildflowers I found yesterday morning.
Flying Gma's Blog 
pearlsandprose
May 12, 2011 at 9:26 am
One of the best parts of moving, for me, was getting rid of stuff I no longer wanted. My parents were in the same house for over 50 years and it took my brother and me two weeks to clear everything out. And we worked until midnight every night. Traveling light is good.
flyinggma
May 12, 2011 at 10:35 am
We’ve been in our present home since 1993 which has allowed us and our kids to accumulate a lot of stuff.
My sister had a fire that they lost everything about ten years ago. She said it was the worst and best thing that ever happened to her. Worst because they lost photos and some precious items to them and best because she could start from scratch without all the clutter. She USED TO BE a packrat. No longer.
nrhatch
May 12, 2011 at 2:24 pm
We had a flood in the basement once that had the same impact on us ~ we realized how much unnecessary stuff we had been carting around with us.
Letting it go has been wonderful.
We travel best when we travel light.
flyinggma
May 12, 2011 at 11:15 pm
I couldn’t agree more. Perhaps I should start taking some before and after shots of our home as I get things pared down and cleaned out as a reminder to me of how cluttered things had become.
writerwoman61
May 12, 2011 at 11:13 am
I hope your kids’ moves go smoothly…I wish Kaylee would come and take the six boxes of stuff of hers I still have…
Loved the flower photos!
Wendy
flyinggma
May 12, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Every time I visited my parent’s home after I got married they would send at least one box of my stuff home with me or more if we had room in the car until I finally had all my stuff.
Dean’s mom did the same for him but she has been giving it to us one piece at a time over 28 years instead of a box at a time. Taking a little longer to get all of his stuff home.
Glad you enjoyed the flowers. I’m so happy that I got the shots yesterday even though it was cloudy because we have had nothing but rain since and is forecast for the weekend.
planejaner
May 12, 2011 at 11:40 am
Jeanne–
what a time of upheaval and transition! I struggle with being peaceful during those times…all that middle stuff between one thing and another. Sounds like you are holding up well, though!
I LOVE your photos today.
New life…reaching toward the light.
beautiful.
blessings
jane
p.s. less IS better…I just KNOW it! I can’t convince my family, though…alas.
flyinggma
May 12, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Can’t seem to convince my kids of that either but they will learn when they have to start dealing with all their stuff on a regular basis.
Less is better!
Carol Ann Hoel
May 12, 2011 at 12:04 pm
The wild flowers are gorgeous! Thank you for sharing them. The moving going on is amazing! The Great Shuffle! When it all gets finished, you will be able to settle down and rearrange everything exactly the way you want it. Blessings to you, Jeanne…
flyinggma
May 12, 2011 at 11:22 pm
Glad you enjoyed the flowers. I think the Hepaticas are my new favorite wildflowers. I have always loved the Trillium but the variety in colors and the delicate nature of the Hepaticas drew me in.
harrisonjones
May 12, 2011 at 4:58 pm
My college grandkids are like a band of gypsies. I shoiuld have bought a moving truck long ago.
flyinggma
May 12, 2011 at 11:24 pm
We bought a trailer for Dean’s race truck this spring that works well for moving big stuff from one place to another. It is an open trailer. We should have bought an enclosed trailer and just left everything in there until July when our daughters will move into their apartment.
Linda
May 13, 2011 at 9:19 pm
I know how you feel. My daughter will be moving again in the next few weeks for I think the 5th time in as many years if I haven’t forgotten any. I think this time will be the best and where she needs to stay put for awhile. I hope a U-haul will be involved this time instead of many trips with a pick up.