villages - jes

I spent the weekend in Kansas with my dad, helping my big brother Cody move out of his apartment so that he can hit the road. And by "hit the road" I mean take a twelve hour flight to Croatia where he's going to do research and live with his beautiful wife and charming baby. The point is, I got a lot out of hauling old desks, televisions, and rugs down three flights of stairs: the satisfaction that I was helping AND a bunch of other stuff that he was going to send to Goodwill. Though Marshall and I have plenty of stuff, there are so many basic things that we're lacking and it's a gift that so many have helped us out, even if it just means calling before they take a load to donate.

My good friends Ashley and Matthew are embarking on their own adventure, with Lawrence being their launch point as well, they gave us some amazing pieces including a solid wooden rocking chair and an intriguing little globe, modeled after one built in 1504. Like I said, not everything is necessary or practical (such as the set of silverware we got from Cody), but all of it is filling up our house the way we want it.

So many people have chipped in, it's incredible. The Crockers let us root through a bunch of stuff that their daughter decided she didn't want, my Oma is holding onto an end table and gave us a couple of lamps yesterday, and my Mom and Dad were gracious enough to store things in their basement for me during their own big move. It surprises me how much more like a home this house feels when we add something as simple as a chair or a bookshelf. Thanks to everyone who has helped.