Spring Break: Massive Basement Cleaning and Fun Trip

We started our Spring Break with a trip to Western PA to visit my cousin, Alice, and her husband, and their two kids.  Justin is a camp outdoor/adventure director and he had all kinds of cool initiatives for my kids to try in the woods and in the camp.  It was very fun.  Even Owen and I got to climb the rock wall--very exciting!  (On a side note:  That climb was much more strenuous for me than it would have been three children ago.)  Our kids had a blast, and then when they were all tucked in for the night the grown-ups all played games (especially Time's UP, which is one of our favorites).  I love games.  So that trip was a great way to start our break.

Micah tries out rock climbing with Daddy's help (and Caleb and Uncle Justin's supervision).

 Then came the cleaning.  My goals for the break included--but were not limited to--drastically cleaning a drastically dirty and disorganized basement, painting wooden window frames installed three years ago, installing a water filter (more on that one in a separate post), organizing the laundry/gardening/weight room (you can see the problem just in that description), fixing a stool, getting compost for another section of the garden, fixing a leaky faucet, and hosting Easter dinner for extended family.  That last goal did not blend so nicely with all of the other goals, especially since the basement clean-up involved a plethora bags of clothes to donate (which filled the dining room) and even a few furniture pieces to get rid of.  But I am very thankful to be able to report that we got all of our list finished.  It was amazing!  Owen had quite a list and he worked through it methodically and got it all done.  And that was just love, baby, because he didn't really feel strongly about any of it.  He just knew that I did.  I mostly did the basement cleaning.  And I actually had been working for hours and hours on that before Easter break even came--just to make it conceivable that we could break through the nightmare over break.

So here are a few of the results:

Wash floor of play area three times and organize play area for Abigail: check!

Clothes and storage organized and cleaned (and all outgrown baby clothes in bags for friends or donation): check!

Gardening bench in order: check!

Owen didn't think anyone would find that last photo, of the gardening bench, very inspiring.  But I assure you, when it was covered with the tarp, used paintbrushes, painting sheet, and I don't even remember what else, it did not look like a gardening bench.  This actually functions like I want it to.  I actually use it now when gardening.  The kids' easel is peeking through the edge of the picture and is a little in the way in the laundry room.  But for the time being it needs to be kept in a room Abigail has no access to, she really likes to put her fingers in the paint, and she's not ready for the art world.

Anyone else do any inspirational spring cleaning lately?  :)