Hmmph. I was never going to leave this house. This was It. I was going to watch my kids leave for college, missions and marriage from here. This isn’t another post with me bemoaning dismay at losing my house. That’s done, water under the bridge. This is about me kicking myself for thinking I was done moving and getting rid of all my boxes and packing stuff. For thinking, since I was never moving again, I didn’t need to keep my food storage in cannery boxes, because they looks so much neater and prettier lined up on the shelves. Man, in the almost three years since buying this house, I have accumulated a LOT of crap!
This morning, five different women from my ward showed up and opened up a can of Jinkme-Foo on my living room and kitchen. It’s entirely packed. In less than two hours. LESS than TWO hours. I KNOW! Even my fancy china and knick-knacks from my grandma. Tomorrow and the next day there are more ladies lined up, and the kids’ rooms will be done in nothing flat. We just ran out of boxes, or I have no doubt that today’s crew would have done that too.
There is a crew of people painting my Little House today, and tonight the YM are taking care of the yard. Tomorrow the cleaners come in, and Thursday the carpets are being done. Mormons rock.
Now I’m off to visit-teach. Because I need to serve, too.
Dandelion Mama 
You are absolutely remarkable. I knew I liked you!!
It is truly amazing to see the crap that accumulates in a short amount of time. You are very blessed to have helpers!
I’m a total lurker who has been praying for you and your family. (I found your blog through MMW, I think …). Thank you for sharing your testimony of service today. I’m about to go visiting teaching myself, and I was feeling frustrated with the lesson this month. Somehow, reading your testimony in your post helped me find a place to stand in the debate between self-reliance and needing others. I’m not explaining myself very well, but just know that even this has helped someone else today.
Thank you Sarah- I’m so glad you decided to de-lurk. I always like that when someone lets me know who they are. I appreciate your kindness and your prayers.
Sweet, I’m the fourth to comment! Usually I’m way down the list…
I love your attitude in everything you say! I love that there were so many wonderful helpers lined up to make things less of a burden and that you are spreading the love by serving too! Isn’t it great that EVERYONE is needed even when it feels like we have nothing to give. pause. ponder.
Love you!
It’s true. We have mad moving skillz.
New paint and carpet IS pretty much above and beyond. Awesome.
I have too many boxes kicking around my garage. I think of you every time I see them.
Niiiice. It’s amazing what a little help can do. I’m glad you get to help others as well.
Wow. I did the same move pretty much by myself last summer, and it was awful. You are lucky to have such a good ward, and you are brave to let them help you.
K, I wish I could go back and help you. I wish I had known what you were going through.
What is Jinkme-Foo and where can I get a can of that? Will it help me get my own House of Crap that I’ve accumulated in order or do I need a crew of Relief Society ladies?
I love those moments when we get to see the awesomeness of the church machine in action. When we want to get something done, it get’s done. You want a house packed, call in bunch of RS ladies, we’ll pack your whole house, make a scapbook page for the contents of the box, clean your toilets and leave you with a casserole while the men pack you up. I LOVE it!
So is new small house in your same ward?
Yes. Yes, it is. 😀
It sounds like you have a great ward. I’m glad they are taking good care of you.
Every two years when we pack up our house (okay we organize it for someone else to pack it up) to move to yet ANOTHER COUNTRY, I am amazed at what we accumilate. And that is after we de-clutter every 6 months or so. I can imagine what I could collect if we didn’t move so often.
That aside, I am so glad you have all the help packing and all the help getting your new house ready. Thank goodness for kind people and service in action. And thank you for letting others serve you.
Continued prayers and much love…
That is the way it is supposed to work. Thanks for letting it.
Awesome! I love it when everyone works together to accomplish such great feats! We all have our own ways to serve best. When we moved last summer, one of my RS sisters volunteered to help but said she’d rather do something besides packing boxes. So she chose to clean and paint one of our bathrooms. It was huge for me – what I REALLY needed. Others helped me pack. They all saved me vast amounts of time and stress. It was lifesaving.
Nothing highlights the accumulation of stuff better than moving… We couldn’t bring everything with us when we moved. It was hard to let go, but I came to realize that it really is just Stuff. Some of it can (eventually) be replaced; other things you learn you can live without. The most important treasures are the things you bring with you.
Moving under any conditions is stressful. Hooray for love and service to make it a little easier for you, Tracy!
Throw away as much stuff as you can (especially moving from a bigger to a smaller house). Moving is a great time to declutter.
Your ward quite obviously rocks!