In a plan with a lot of benchmarks along the way, we’re hitting the final stretch. Two big ones are getting close. Our property manager showed our house for rent for the first time today and it looks like my car is sold pending an inspection! Securing a tenant for a year is obviously critical to making ends meet. Hopefully all the work during Family Clean Night paid off, we’ll see. Selling the car is the final budget chunk needed.

The kids seem completely unfazed by the idea of complete strangers living in our house for the next year. Elliott did ask what we’re doing with the bunk beds today though. So far fairly vague answers are working. For the most part they’ve been blissfully unaware of our massive cleansing projects. We sold a couch 4 months ago and they never said a word!

A huge part of the preparation and planning process has been unloading belongings and gradual packing. This has actually been enormously cathartic for Erica and I. Deciding what went to Goodwill or on Craigslist was a lot more difficult 1 year ago. It’s easy now as we get closer. We’ve become expert Craigslist merchandisers over the past year and have sold over 30 items according to my count. A brief list of our sales: turkey blind, TV, croquet set, paper shredder, air conditioner, shotgun, 3 bikes, electric smoker, baby changing table, desk, and a rocking chair.

The packing effort is in full swing and out in the open with the kids thankfully. The goal now is to pack as much as possible early to avoid a complete panic as we approach departure day. Thus the guest room is now the storage room.