Kitchen Woes

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to start unpacking my kitchen. Since being able to cook with my own supplies again was the one thing that I was most looking forward to, I felt excited at the thought of getting everything organized and put away. I am one of those sick individuals who loves organizing anything!! ( I can hear my college roommate laughing at the memory of awakening to me organizing my drawers in the middle of the night so that I could sleep) I decided to work my way through the boxes in our garage one at a time until everything was properly put away. The first box went well, until I started putting things away. Just as the cabinet would sparkle with perfection I would remember something else that should go in its place. Convinced that I couldn't possibly do this properly without having everything unpacked, I began to pile things on the counters, island, table, and floor until I decided that I better see how many boxes I had left. Surely there couldn't be more than 5 kitchen boxes total!



Well...I started to count...2...4...6...10! Where did all of this come from??? Our old apartment kitchen was modest in size and I never felt like things were coming out of my ears. What could possibly be in the boxes?? As I continued to pack I was horrified to discover how much glassware we own. I am equipped to throw a cocktail party for at least 50 people. Is this really necessary? Do I even have 50 friends? Just as I became completely overwhelmed with the task, I started to remember the memories associated with the things that I was unwrapping.



I have been rambling about my Emma dishes for days on Facebook so I think that it is time to explain. Shortly after college I discovered my dream dishes on a trip to Pottery Barn. They were simple with enough character to make them interesting. I was in love, but there was a problem. I was a single girl living with her parents and I did not need, nor could I afford them. Every time that I would visit Pottery Barn I would check to make sure that the dishes were still available in case I was to meet my prince charming some time soon. Well...I did and we rushed to register for the dishes shortly after he proposed!! These are the dishes that we ate on as newlyweds in our little 1-bedroom apartment, and the dishes that we used to celebrate every milestone that we encountered during that first year of marriage. Slowly the dishes themselves faded away and all that I could see was what they represented. So, as I continued to unpack them I couldn't help but remember all of the memories. And that made the task less daunting.

As I unpacked the waffle iron, I remembered Saturday mornings as newlyweds. We would enthusiastically jump out of bed and rush to make waffles and smoothies. Then, we would jump back in bed and watch several episodes of "Sex in the City" before starting our day. As I unpacked the coffee mugs I though of all the times that my husband brought me coffee in the morning when we had the same work schedule. As I unpacked the serving dishes I though of the first Thanksgiving meal that I prepared several years ago and how much I look forward to doing it again now that we have a table big enough for 8 people.


Suddenly the kitchen was complete...well except for a few random pieces that are packed who knows where- I mean why would I pack two of a three canister set in one box? Now we are moving on to new memories and experiences. God has given me life, a husband who loves me, an amazing family, and the ability to find peace in that. I pray that I will wake up each day and remember that His promises are new EVERY morning.