Simplicity Part 1

As I think back on the last 2-3 months, I think about how complicated things were to get here.  We rented our house out, had mounds of stuff to go through, pack, sell, and an endless list of things that had to be done before we left the country.  Why?  How did we end up with so much stuff?  I was always going through stuff, reselling things, and having lots of yard sales.  I thought we had gone through everything right before Christmas.  So, how did we still have that much stuff to get rid of?  I am ashamed to say that we lived in a 2400sq ft home, and it was completely full when we had our estate sale, as well as the front yard.  The sentimental things and pictures are stored in Jeff and Linda's attic.  We packed 2 pallets, 4'X4'  to ship to Costa Rica and the boys' bunk beds.  Then we came with 3 suitcases and 7 small airline approved totes.  We could have had less totes to fly, but 200lbs of that was the kids' school stuff for the next year.   I tell you these things, because I feel so much better.  People ask was it hard to get rid of all of your things, sell all of your furniture, and not bring but essentials with you?  Parting with those things was not hard, actually having to physically get them gone was a lot of work. I will not lie getting rid of it was a hard, grueling 3 weeks of intense labor.  But, oh did it ever feel so great for it to be gone. It was a relief.

Life is easier without the clutter, without the demands of unfinished projects.  And, let me tell you I had a list a mile long of Pinterest projects.  We had no idea where we were going to live when we moved here.  We knew we would probably be downsizing because of expense but did not have any idea the extent.  I would have never thought that I could live comfortably in 940sq ft with 5 other people in the house, much less hosts guests.  But I can, and so happily.  Why did I ever think that I needed at least a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, with a dining room, living room?  We can do with so much less.  It makes life simple not having a huge house...less to clean, less to get cluttered (you can't really let it get cluttered or you won't be able to find anything), and you have no choice but to be super organized.

David came across this article the other night and sent it to me and I thought of how true it is of the society that we Americans have become.  We are drowning in stuff.  We are consumed with stuff.  We have so much stuff we have to buy bigger homes, build sheds, add more shelves, and all just to hold more of our stuff.  I am guilty.  I am still guilty.  With as much as we got rid of, we still have a lot of stuff compared to millions of other people around the world.

I am so blessed to have this home we are living in.  Yes, I can finally call something here home.  The first week in a temporary house was rough, but now we are home.  This is home.  This sweet home is where my little ones all snuggle up in the same room at night and giggle together until they fall asleep.  It is where you smell the sweet aroma of cookies wafting quickly through the house with the breeze that pours through the open doors.  And, it is also where people drop by at 7am in the morning.  I can actually say I wasn't frantic with the drop by...well, maybe for like a half second.  Why should I worry that there were dead bugs on the floors from the night?  It is a small house but it is so much more than what a lot of these people have.  I didn't need to worry that I didn't have cinnamon rolls already prepared and ready to pop in the oven.  Why?  Because what I have to offer is so much more than what they have.  We are truly blessed.  And if you are sitting here reading this, then you are too.  You either have a computer or you have access to a computer. 

 The beautiful wildflowers the kids picked for me 

this afternoon on their walk, and Olivia 

arranged them.

Watching the butterfly Logan caught.

 Logan says he is petting this butterfly.

 I was impressed with how long they were able to keep

this little butterfly.  They had it for about 10 minutes.

That was 10 minutes of peace and quiet with no 

fussing and fighting.  Oh, the simple things to be adored....

QUIET : )

 Admiring the Flutter

I feel like there is a whole new meaning to hospitality, and it doesn't have all the stress that comes with hospitality in the states.  And, there is no reason I should have been stressed about it at home.  I did that to myself.  Why did I ever worry about there being enough food, or that there was something that everyone liked?  The 1/2 second that I was frantic yesterday morning, I thought what am I going to fix?  My meat order hasn't come in...I don't have bacon, sausage, no cinnamon rolls in the freezer.  I quickly recovered from this frantic state and remembered that I have food in the refrigerator and baking supplies in the cabinet.   I am living in a home that doesn't have a leaky roof, tile floors (not dirt floors), windows with screens, a kitchen with modern appliances, and clean beds.  The blessings that we have are endless, from the basics to the non necessities.  It hit me like a ton of bricks...I have enough, for it is far more than most of the world.  I have what I need and so much more.  It doesn't matter if the food is served in a pretty glass bowl or a warped Tupperware bowl.  It doesn't matter if I don't have meat to cook up for breakfast, because plain and simple I have food to offer them.  I am embracing simple.  It is so much less stressful.

Simply Happy!

Well...this is simply life in Costa Rica with

no car...one wet mess.  The picture doesn't

really do justice what he looked like when he

came walking his bike through the front gate ; )