The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The five Jollys have moved into our house in Sewanee, TN and are working to settle in. This has been quite an adventure - even more so than I thought.

First the Good: Two dear friends, Allison and Laird, and my mother brought the girls to Sewanee on Friday after we came with the moving truck on Wednesday. They stayed all weekend and worked hard to help us unpack and feel at home. Not only was their gift of their time and hard work such a blessing to us, but just having this house full of family was the greatest gift of all. After they left, we started to slowly explore this community. We have met several wonderful people, explored parks and trails, and listened to outdoor concerts. I have my student ID, and we are registered at the Physical Activities center. The girls have ventured out on their bikes, and we are working to get comfortable with giving them more range than they had at home. This truly is a beautiful place, and a warm, inviting community. It is hard not to love being here when you are walking around.

Then the Bad: It is amazing to me that students continue to come to Sewanee - there is little to no cell service here. We knew this to be the case coming in, but underestimated how frustrating it would be to have to walk half a mile up the street to make a phone call. After days of struggling with technology issues (including TWO trips to Murfreesboro an hour away and multiple walks up the street for troubleshooting phone calls), we are now connected to the outside world. We are, perhaps, more addicted to technology than we would like to admit, but having no ability to talk with friends and family would be frustrating for nearly anyone. My sense of isolation from all those whom we love dearly set in firmly when all the family left, and not being able to adequately talk to anyone only served to magnify that feeling. Now that I know we can make and receive phone calls, send and receive email and texts, and of course blog and Facebook, it is easier to enjoy the beauty and adventure of our life here.

Then there is the Ugly: The winner of the "you can't judge a book by its cover" contest: Our house. As fabulous as it is on the inside - and I truly love it and already feel like it is our home even with the boxes everywhere - the outside seems to be infamous. Several people have asked us, "and WHY did you choose to live in that house?" :) As we enter into this stage of our lives, it helps to be reminded daily that God created us all in His image and are beloved - regardless of how others see us. Hopefully when I act out of the stress of this change, those around me will appreciate what is on the inside! Meanwhile, we keep unpacking slowly, and look forward to whatever tomorrow brings.