Catch up, part 2

I ended the last post at the closing of our vacation. Busy, but beautiful.
 The day after we returned we got a call about a death back "home". Not someone we were close to personally, but a family member of Andy's best friend. It just felt right to drive up and be there for him.
 So, I unpacked from Charleston, did three loads of laundry, and repacked again. I hadn't planned to go north for a few weeks still, but since we were driving that direction anyway, I figured I might as well stay.

 You see, my grandparents recently moved into a retirement home. They took their favorite furnishings, books and dishes with them. However, it is much smaller - and easier to maintain - then the old family homeplace.
 But 60 years worth of memories have to have somewhere to go. My parents house seems to be the catch all, since the other siblings either live farther away, or just aren't interested.

  My parents needed help deciding what, how, where, etc. 

 The four of us sisters decided to try the divide and conquer method...

 Things already in the house had to be cleared out and organized to make room for the "new" stuff coming in. 

 Any wild guesses who this is? 

Mom tucked a picture of Zion down in the corner cause she thinks he looks like me in that picture. 

I found myself doing random things like cleaning out the "junk drawer"... just because it was there. 

I had no idea there were that many writing utensils in my parents house, forget in one drawer!

Before Andy headed back home on Monday I snapped a few pictures of him. He had taken the entire week off while we were in Charleston, so of course, being the military man he is, he hadn't even packed a razor. 

Here is his slightly trimmed up, but still very grungy look.

If he can do this in 10 days, just think what he will be able to do in his two months of terminal leave! December and January will be an adventure. 

For some reason I love this picture. You can see the red in his beard so nicely, and the sun is shining on his ring tattoo. (and he is "talking" to his Garmin, before he drives off and leaves me at my parents for a week.... at least he has the ring saying he belongs to me!)

 It was a busy week, mostly just going through boxes, rearranging furniture, and deciding what to put in a yard sale, pass along to other family members, or simply throw away.

 It was exhausting, but, as always with my family, loads of laughs.

 Well, I thought I had this last one rotated, and it was silly enough the right way up... but somehow, having it upside down makes it even better.
 Four silly girls, smashed together trying to hold the camera ourselves to take our picture. That's what sister's do.
 Now I have a week's worth of your blogs to catch up on reading!