and here we....go!

Hello everyone. Matt here. My better half has been working tirelessly the past week to get our home in order, so she's resting. I figured now was as good of a time as any to post some photos of our new place and just talk about some of the things that have been going on in the wonderful world of East Tennessee.

Believe it or not everything that we own was packed in that Budget truck, Sonya's car, and that little black car in the back. As you can see, Sonya is anxious to get going.

We began our day bright and early Saturday, August 14, 2010, loaded and ready to move to Knoxville. After 7 hours, a stop to add air to a tire, a phone call to a friend to make sure our moving truck was not going to explode, sitting still in traffic for an hour, and all of the pop music the Budget rental trucks am/fm radio had to offer... we made it to Johnson Bible College! (applause here)  There are no pictures of us unloading the truck, because obviously all hands were carrying boxes and furniture, but just let me say that it was truly a group effort. Sonya's parents and my parents, along with aaron and morganne (brother and sister) made record time. So, after a long day of moving and unpacking, the eight of us went to Puleo's italian grill. Many laughs and good times were had. Sonya and I really love and appreciate our families. There's no way this move could have been made as efficiently and effortlessly as it was without the help of everyone. So, thank you!

Well....ever since then we've just been sitting around and waiting for the boxes to unload themselves.... ok.. this is not true. We've been moving and shaking and unpacking and cleaning (i washed dishes for 4 hours straight the other day). 

Yes, this is Sonya chasing me out of the kitchen....lovingly.

We've made a lot of progress. It hasn't been all work though. It has been time of rest and exploration. Johnson isn't exactly in downtown Knoxville, so to go anywhere is a trek. It has been fun though. We've been downtown and walked around, drove around University of Tennessee campus...which does pail in comparison to University of Georgia campus.. just saying. We've also walked around the Johnson campus. It's beautiful out here with the rolling hills and and trees and even a river that runs past our campus.

This is a view from atop the hill outside our back door. 

Ok, on to the good stuff. Now a tour of the house. First is the study/work room. I will be a student, so it was very important to me to have a good work area. I have a nice new desk and computer(praise the Lord)! We also have some beautiful artwork (courtesy of Lauren Porter, Anthony Faris, and Gabe Hall). 

The desk on the left is Matt's, the work table on the right is Sonya's

Sonya's art supply closet


It's great because not only does the study house my workspace, but there's room enough for Sonya's work table and art supplies so she can be creative and experiment and have fun.

Ok, downstairs (I know I'm doing the tour backwards) is the living room/dining room/kitchen area. This was the first set of rooms to be "finished" mainly because we couldn't walk anywhere with all of the boxes in the way. We've spent some time here eating and watching movies and cooking. 

view from the stairs

view from the front door

Sonya's personal favorite so far, I would say, would have to be the kitchen. It's been great to see her finally have a place to put all of our dishes and for us to be able to use all of the gifts that were given to us at our wedding. This may sound crazy, but I am starting to think that there's a holy moment when a wife finally gets her kitchen in order and steps back and is satisfied--if she likes to cook of course...which she may not admit at first.  

Pardon the mess, I was making BCT's (bacon, cheese, and tomato)
we were out of lettuce. 

The other side of the kitchen with our sink and all our cooking utensils. 

A few rooms, like the bedroom and bathroom are not COMPLETELY finished, but will be soon. It's been an exciting week so far. Travis and Emily came over from Johnson City for a night. We've played bananagrams and just been able to hang out. Classes start on Wednesday, so I am getting pretty excited about my classes. We're also going to be applying for jobs and just trying to live. Praise the Lord for the opportunity to be here and for His provisions. We ask for your prayers, of course, as all of this is definitely new to us. Pray for Gods continued provision for jobs and finances. Pray that I can remember, somewhat, how to be a student, while also remaining humble and teachable. Pray for Sonya as she begins the job hunt this week. And most of all, please just pray for our spirit as we do miss home and family and friends. We pray that this step of faith be glorifying to God and that we are able to play a small role in whatever He has for us here. Thanks again for your prayers. We love you all!!!!