Permanent Housing and Getting Our Stuff!

When we first arrived in Manila, we were put in temporary housing.  After two and a half months, we were able to move in to our permanent housing.

We were able to paint before we moved in - which is great and makes it much homier!














I love our kitchen - it has a lot of storage - a pantry - and a big freezer!

It's great for the kids to have their own space - and good desk space for studying.

One of my favorite things is the abundance of shoe storage. Welcome to the land of Imelda!

Can you tell I love shoes?

Once we moved, we were able to get all of our stuff.  Moving day is always tons of boxes.





It's a nice reminder to see the labels of our great moving guys from Brazil!

My cookbook collection

And so the unpacking begins!  I know most people hate moving, and it's certainly a giant pain.  But I really like the inventory that one is forced to take each time you move.  Both getting ready to pack, and unpacking provide an opportunity to really look at your stuff.  Each time, we end up getting rid of items that no longer work.  And also fall in love with stuff all over again as you figure out where to put it.

One thing you always end up with is a ton of hangers.  When you arrive at a post, they give you just a few - so we always end up purchasing a bunch when we first arrive.  And then our stuff arrives and we have all our usual hangers. Then - when you leave post, your stuff gets packed with the hangers - you don't bring hangers in your suitcase. Then you arrive and don't have enough hangers and the cycle begins again.