I've been playing around with my telephoto lens and took some pictures of my horse.

I am forever amazed that she is mine.

Today hubby took 3 of the kids on a day trip. The eldest two and one of the twins. Since I only had the two kids at home with me all day, I decided to get some deep cleaning and organizing done (well, started, half done, whatever you want to call it lol).

Is deep cleaning and organizing in a small home with 7 people ever truly done?

I actually began some packing today. Yes, packing. Yes, I know we are not moving for quite some time yet but we needed some more space around here. I packed up all my summer fabrics that I know I won't use before we move. As I explained to dear hubby, the closer we get to moving, the less time I'll have for sewing. I'm sure if I do have time for sewing as we come nearer to our listing date, it will mostly be business related. So, why bother tripping over summer fabrics for the next 6 months?

Making such a big move is difficult in some ways. It's not like when one makes a local move. You know that it's going to cost more, so you really have to ask yourself what is worth moving, and what is not. But then an item's "worth" can be measured in many different ways.
Take our livingroom set for example. On the one hand, it's heavy and we know it will cost us a fair amount to move it. So we've gone back and forth on the idea of selling it now. On the one hand, it would free up floor space in our tiny home so the kids could play. We really don't sit in our living room very often. Usually we sit around the table.
On the other hand though, the set was a gift to ourselves when we finally sold our first home and we were able to move onto having just one house payment instead of paying rent in one, and a mortgage in another. We picked out our livingroom set very carefully and we knew just what we wanted. The couch and chair were custom made, to OUR taste. We live our livingroom furniture, and while it is covered in blankets to protect it right now, I would love to be able to enjoy it in a nice living room again one day. So do we sell it, obviously at a loss because no one is going to buy a used couch at new prices. Or do we keep it, move it and enjoy it in our new home.

To me, the decision wasn't so tough. lol The furniture stays, but I may regret that for short periods of time while moving it to put in hard wood flooring. lol

We also have a piano. It's an old one-read VERY HEAVY. It's an upright grand. The finish on the piano is in need of work, but it's 'our' piano. It's the only piano we have ever owned. It's the piano all our children have been learning on since we first bought it for a fairly good deal 6 years ago. It may not be the 'prettiest' piano around, but it is our family piano. We went back and forth on that one as well, but I'm 99% sure we're going to keep it.

How do you put a price on memories?

Yes, these are just 'things', but they are things that our family needs, and uses. To me, the value is not in the 'thing', it is in the memory that the 'thing' carries with it. When I am old, and my children are grown, I will stroke the keys of that piano, sit down and play a tune, and remember the first times all five of my children played for me.

THAT is where the value is.