We've been busy lately. I have the rest of our summer sort of mapped out and it seems like it will be over before I know it.
In 3 days it will be July. Our lease is up July 31st. We (sort of) have two choices before us. Either pay more to rent an older and smaller home - and Greg doesn't have much of a commute. OR we pay a little less for something bigger/newer - and Greg commutes everyday.
We already know that he will be working INSANE hours for the first few years. We will see him in the morning, but there will probably be a lot of nights he isn't home until the kids are already in bed. I always had it in my mind that we would just stay in this area for a little while. The problem with that though, is there are really only 3 public elementary schools nearby that I am ok sending Aimee to. And basically NOTHING available to rent in those school boundaries. I have been looking for months. A few months ago I would occasionally see something in our price-range (at least our would-be range, once he starts working) there was no way we could afford to break our lease and rent it then. Now that we are ready - I can't find a THING. Rentals are going SO fast, they aren't staying up for more than a day or two. People don't even need to list them online. They just stick a sign out in their yard and the next day - it's leased.
The prices are SO high right now. I saw a 3 bedroom, ONE bathroom for 2150. One bathroom? Really? I saw a 4/2 for $2800!! Freaking crazy.
Maybe I'm being too picky? I would like something over 1800 square feet (there are 5 of us, we need some space), at least 3 bedrooms (4 - if we move out to the burbs) at least one mature tree (I feel it a necessity in this heat - and I would like my kids to want to play outside)... and preferably something that didn't smell like wet dog. We found a house a few weeks ago - but for whatever reason I felt a little uneasy about it. I feel pretty confident that was a prompting from the Spirit. Really, there wasn't anything major not to like about it. So we said no. I felt like we needed to check out some homes in Plano so we did. The first home we visited I fell in love with! There were a few things I disliked, but they were pretty minor. The backyard was big for the suburbs, mature trees, a park down the street and an elementary school around the corner... and then I felt like I should checked the registered sex offender list. Lo and behold - there was one - a few homes down on the same street. UGH. That sort of burst my bubble. We looked at 5 more homes just this past Sunday. I wasn't thrilled about a single one.
On the drive home I felt so tired and so discouraged. I still feel super discouraged.
When I think about the things that are most important to me, like:
- The kids getting to see there dad before they go to bed (at least most of the time)
- Aimee going to a good school where she will make good friends
- Jack having good friends (He can be really timid at times and he isn't as social as Aimee)
- I want good friends too! Especially with Greg's schedule.
I have all of that already if we can find a home to rent right here. In another year or two that may not be the case. Our ward is super transient and a lot of my friends won't be in this area for the long haul. But we probably won't be either. Again the problem at the moment - I can't find anything.
So what to do?? There are so many suburbs in a 25 mile radius from downtown. We drove out East and came away feeling like it wasn't right. We've gone out northwest and I think it's nice but I don't have this strong desire to go out there. We've gone North and I have been through some really nice places and could almost "see" myself living there - but haven't felt right about any home we've walked through. Another "Con" to moving to the burbs is that we would probably have to shell out some money to rent a car until Greg's first paycheck (which won't be until probably mid-late September).
Our 3rd option - and the option looking more and more like the reality - is to rent month to month until we find something. That would mean sending Aimee to a school with poorly rated school and she would definitely be in the minority. Maybe the market will slow down a bit once school starts. But the thought of staying in this teeny tiny 900 square foot apartment, even another 3 short months makes me feel a bit crazy.
I have to laugh a little when people tell me that they are moving out of their apartments (or HOME) because it just too small (and they have 1 kid) and it seems like mid-sentence they realize who they are talking to, but can't back out of it... then there is that tiny bit of awkwardness that follows. Haha. I am happy to make you feel uncomfortable. Go whine to someone else about it. ANYway...
This is probably the most boring post of all time. Hah! It's really more for me at this point - sorry to anyone reading it. But it's been helpful just to write it all this out, instead of having it on repeat in my head.
So here's to lots more praying that we find a place that feels right - and won't totally break the bank or deprive my kids of ever seeing their dad.
And for the heck of it. A funny picture of the kids in the tub:
