So, our stuff is gone. Most of it anyways. Anything we still have in our house will either go in one of our two-bags-per-person or be mailed to ourselves.
So what does that mean our house exactly looks like right now?
May I present ... a military pack-out ... Kitsteiner-style.
Our master bedroom includes two mattresses that came with the house. Since JB and I can't possibly sleep on a full mattress together (we can't even do a queen), they have been moved from the third floor guest rooms and are both on the floor in our room. Normally, jumping on beds is outlawed in our house. But because they are on the floor, we allow it (with some extra padding along the windowsill to try and keep everyone safe.) We've been decorating the walls with coloring sheets since all of our wall decor is gone. Here is a pic of the kids, pausing for jump a moment during their jumping for a picture. A lot of rules are changed during a PCS to help ease the insanity of an "empty" house.
These beds were "loaned" to us by the Base. We opted to put a queen and a twin in a room together. Because there is so much change going on right now, we thought Abigail might appreciate sleeping in the room with her brothers. So she has been sleeping on the twin bed, and the boys are sleeping sideways on the queen. The stuffed animals and blankets that remain are a "few of their favorite things" that will go in luggage with us to TN. The sheets and pillows will go in luggage as well so that we will have things to sleep on when we arrive.
This was formerly Hannah and Abigail's room. We have told Abigail that as soon as our stuff arrives in TN, she will move back in with Hannah. Hannah is now in the pack-n-play in the corner and has adjusted well to the change. Our housekeeper Hita especially likes it because she wasn't tall enough to get Hannah out of the crib very easily (she would actually pick her up by her sleep sack to get her out -- it was quite comical). The bed on the other wall is a loaner bed from the Base that I am using for a changing table.
This room is downstairs. It was formerly JB's office. These are their very favorite toys -- superheroes, cars, Magnatiles, and a few dollhouses that were donated for my fundraiser, and I'll be selling before we leave. We also let them keep their Batcave (far left.) That will be mailed. This stuff will either go in our luggage, or, if we can't fit it, be mailed. They love playing in this room because no one else goes back in here ... they can then set things up and leave them set up. I'm not asking Hita to clean it which means it is their's to do with what they want. The telephone is also in this room (on a stool that belongs to the house against the wall.) You can see a few rugs/mats in this room that will either be discarded or mailed.)
We let the kids keep some costumes. This was formerly my little office, and now, it just houses costumes. These will be mailed.
This is our upstairs living room. I borrowed the gates from a friend on Base. (I borrowed another set that we have in the sunroom downstairs.) The furniture you see in the picture is loaner furniture from the Base except for the green chair. We borrowed that from Josh and Rebekah's house so that all the grownups can sit and watch a movie at night. There's Hannah, doing her best to find an exit -- her new favorite game. I kept this 5 x 7 rug because Hannah was a new crawler. We will mail it to ourselves.
In our sunroom downstairs, the dining room table belonged to the house so we still have that. It came with about a dozen chairs which we use for extra seating here and there around the house. I also kept a huge area rug in that room that I am going to sell when we leave. That gives Hannah two good, soft areas to crawl in.
The house doesn't feel nearly as empty as I imagined it feeling at this stage of the game. I guess eight people, loaner furniture, and a whole lot of remaining items, can do that for you.
In about 30 days, we will move out of this house and into the Base hotel where we will stay for about a week before boarding a flight back to the States.
I'll keep you posted on this slightly daunting adventure!
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