Out with the old...

I'm getting a real hankering for some spring cleaning. All I need is spring. Really, though, I have a ton of projects that I'm actually anxious to do. Okay, so not so much that I'm super-thrilled and dying to do the work, but I'm excited for the finished product. One of those projects is purging and cleaning the garage. That's where the spring thing comes in. I do need a little bit of warmth and dryness to unload that abomination and organize it.


In an effort to at least start de-cluttering, I made a deal with the kids. We have some big toys that are too big to live full time in the house. They mainly stay in the garage and we rotate them in and out. I told the kids that if we sell (or get rid of) several of the old big things, that we'd buy them one new thing to replace all of the old. After careful thought and deliberation, they chose a new play kitchen. Okay, really it was a very fast, very unanimous decision. They are very excited for a new kitchen - so excited that they were okay as we sold a number of their other old things.



We got this Little Tikes kitchen back when Matt was about 3. It's been a favorite of all the kids. It was almost a little sad to see it go, but hey, new kitchen. :)

So at about this same time, we all went shopping for real furniture. Steve and I bought some very inexpensive couches in our first year of marriage which have lived in our living room (not the garage) since then. After so many years, they have seen a lot of life and are looking (and feeling) not so new. They're not in horrible shape, but it was time for new ones. Thanks to tax return 2009, this is the year for new couches.



We were amusingly and pleasantly surprised that the kids enjoyed furniture shopping so much. Sweet Matthew was helping keep an eye on the girls while Steve and I deliberated. At one point, we turned and they were gone. (We weren't worried as we new that Matt was with the gals). We rounded the corner and this found them enjoying a little entertainment.







It's been a really fun month as we've anticipated new furniture and done a little refreshening of our living room. It's also been kind of nostalgic. It's amazing how many memories are tied to furniture. I mean, as we're preparing to get rid of the old couches (anyone know anybody who needs new old couches?), we've taken quite a few strolls down memory lane. These couches were some of the first "big" purchases we made as newlyweds. We brought home each of our new babies and took the very first pictures holding those sweet little bundles on this furniture. We've sat for hours talking, laughing, crying, scheming, watching movies, visiting with friends and family... It's been a good ride. Thanks, Old Green Plaid Couch and Loveseat, thanks.