First the delight - it is a pearl of a little village with lots of friendly neighbors, generous and willing to help. One family is British, and have 3 pre-teen girls. Another family has an 11 yo boy and a girl the same age as Annelise. They’ve been playing every day for hours, and they’ll be in the same class in school! What an answer to prayer! There is a French couple next door who run a B&B who have been the caretakers of our house in the absence of the landlords.
The surroundings/hikes/views are spectacular. We’ve enjoyed going out for a discovery tour each day. Here is glimpse from a 2 hr round trip hike into a gorgeous nearby valley where there’s a refuge and cafe. We hope to ski in and stay overnight next spring when we are in better shape.
The disappointment has been in the state of the house. We knew it would be a rustic, very old un-renovated farmhouse, but we didn’t expect it to require so much work for us to make it comfortable and functional. I’ve spent hours cleaning out the kitchen because mice left a lot of mess and previous tenants left a lot of dirty greasy surfaces. The electrical and plumbing are wonky. It was very musty and there's work to be done in the LR from water damage. We are thankful for landlords who have been supportive and responsive from NZ.
A few days ago, I was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (to quote a kids book). We were all feeling the effects of a tiring move. The kids were all out of sorts and missing their friends (read feeling all the big feels and acting accordingly). To add to the stress, Francois’ surgery on his finger to re-attach the tendon failed. (He flew back to PA this week for corrective surgery.) I lost my iPhone at the market in town. I put a little dent/scratch in the door of the rental car. No one in town knew where the car is that we are supposed to use for the year. And, the list went on and on! I was at the end of my reserves, and struggled to make sense of all that was swirling in my head and heart.
In the last few days, I feel back in my skin with a hopeful, positive attitude. I have more patience and grace for the ups and downs of all of us. I think the shock wore off, we all are seeing the house becoming home. We are all trusting that God has us in the palm of his hand. That he brought us here and will take care of us (and he already has).
Love you all, we appreciate your prayers and positive vibes!
Please let us know your latest, as we’d love to hear what is happening on your side of the globe - it’ll help us feel more connected :)Joy and fam
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