Unexpected Visitors

Have you ever noticed that no one ever drops in on a clean, organized home? This week we've been rushing around sorting items, finding items, de-cluttering and getting ready for our garage sale. Straightening up after 9 people is a big job, even with helpers. Mike cleaned up the garage, which is now filled with boxes and bags of stuff for the sale, with more stuff frequently being added to the piles.

The kids completed the shed, where all the bikes and outdoor toys are stored. Paige and Allie's room was cleaned and sorted by me on Tuesday. All of their toys except for 5 plush toys, 3 dolls with assorted clothing, 2 Sit n' Spins, and Mr. Potato Head were removed. The removed toys are either in the toy storage area or in the garage awaiting a new home.

Katie has deep cleaned her room. She even washed the walls. There was a lot of Madelyn's items in the closet and Katie was glad to acquire more space.

Yesterday, I cleaned out the laundry room and sorted out the boxes in the crawl space. The boys helped haul all the stuff out on the deck, so it could be sorted in the fresh air and any sale items could easily be taken to the garage.

Amy, Stephen, Joe, and Madelyn have been working on the former play room. Recently it became the depository of all garage sale items. Some of the garage sale items were mixed up with items that were designated to be stored for use on shelves. The task of resorting is monumental. Amy volunteered to do the entire job and I am forcing some of the other kids to help.

The laundry was also being done while we were working on cleaning and sorting. The clean, folded laundry was stacked in piles on my coffee table and in baskets in the family room.

My mom, sister, and nephew dropped by in the early afternoon. Yay! It's always embarrassing to be caught with total disarray in your home and yard. Everyone was really nice about the mess and they didn't stay long. My sister did ask to purchase a toy truck and child's bike trailer that was set aside for purchase.

After they had gone, my sister-in-law (from out of town) dropped by to ask if she could take Madelyn to the lake with their family. Madelyn was excited about an unexpected beach day, so I let her go.

Katie had some running to do, so we were gone for a couple of hours. While we were gone, it hit me that my sister-in-law would probably come in again when she dropped Madelyn off. After quickly completing our errands, we raced home to put the house in order. We put the clean laundry away, cleaned the bathroom, and picked up stray items throughout the house. I didn't do my normal thorough cleaning though. I just didn't care if she saw my house a wreck.

Instead, I whipped up a couple of pizzas and tossed them in the oven around 4:30, so I could offer them a snack. While the pizzas were baking, my sil arrived with a huge stack of pizza boxes and a case of water. We combined the pizzas and visited for over 4 hours. The kids played with the boffers and jousting poles in the back yard, jumped on the trampoline and enjoyed being together. My sil and I laughed and caught up with each other's lives.

What could easily have been a stressful, embarrassing evening became a time of fun and fellowship. It was an unexpected blessing in my life. I need to worry less about having a clean home, so I can relax and enjoy the people I love.