The Hunt is On

For those of you who know Haden and I well, you'll recall that we weren't the biggest fans of our last apartment. Called the Gables, the complex was built in 1909 and is on the national registry of historic places. It's one of those places that people drive by and comment on how cute they are because of their "character." To put how old these places are into perspective I'll tell you that my old boss's parents lived there when they first got married.

She just turned fifty.

The carpet must have been as old as the place, frigid air seeped in through the windows in the winter, the toilet took forever to flush (until Haden fixed it a month before we left) and the hardest thing for both of us was our next-door neighbor who smoked like a chimney. Oh, and Haden had to do all of the laundry because the washer and dryer were down in a creepy room in the basement; I didn't feel safe going into it alone. When we first moved in we thought we were getting the place for a steal at 510 a month. I learned two months before we moved that some of our friends were paying 520 for great places on the South Hill. Bummer.

"Character" isn't all it's cracked up to be.

We signed the lease on our last place very quickly without looking around much. Yes, there were some great things about it, like the location and great views from the balcony. However, I don't think that we would have rushed into the lease so quickly if we had given it some thought.

All of this lends us to be more cautious and thoughtful this time around. Living in Denver we are forced to pay a bit more for rent, but we are also willing to pay more to get something we will be happy in. We want to find a place that is clean, fairly new and close-ish to both of our jobs. An open floor plan and in-unit washer/dryer are also very high on the list.

At our last place we didn't do a very good job of connecting with and reaching out to our neighbors. I was bitter towards our smoking neighbor for her habit (and her little rat-dog that pooped all over our porch) that also effected our lives and we just were so different than many of the people there. Looking back, none of these should have been excuses, but they were. At our new place we want to make a concerted effort to be friends and a light to the people around us.

We have been looking for several days now and it's amazing how exhausting it is. We have seen so many places that they all seem to jumble together in our heads except for the select few that we really like. Our search continues today, keep your fingers crossed.

For those of you wondering how we are doing at my parents, it's going pretty well. We have both had to make some adjustments.

My parents eat fairly gourmet foods, at least in our eyes. The kinds of meals my mom prepares are usually way more complicated than what I would choose. Haden has had to adjust to the time and energy it takes to make dinner around here. It's especially hard for him when I'm at work. He misses the days when we would just throw together some grilled cheese and watch a football game. On the other hand, I love the food and knowing that when I get home from work at 8pm there will be a delicious meal waiting for me. It's great.

For me the adjustment has come in learning how to balance the fact that I'm no longer in high school and living at home. I'm married and living at home. It has been hard at times, but good for both me and my parents. They are able to see how Haden and I interact and get to know us better as a couple. I'm learning to be more assertive in my interaction with the parental units. Yes, they are still my parents, but I value Haden's opinion above all else.

We are anxious to be at our own place again, but we aren't clawing our way out the door, either. If nothing else, this will be a phase of life we can look back on as a great learning and growing experience.

God is good and full of blessings, even here at 7250 S. Ivy Ct.