Our New Home

I have to say that hunting for houses is not my favorite pastime. In some ways, seeing all different sorts of houses is interesting. No two houses are the same. Some have some really interesting features (like, who puts a sink the size of a bathroom sink in a kitchen – exactly how do you wash a pot in that?). And they all take on the personalities of their owners. But the whole ordeal is exhausting. Especially when not one of them “fits the bill”. Not that we were looking for the house of our dreams, but something that would suit our needs for many years to come was our hope. 

Another option on the table was building our own place on a piece of my parent’s property. Not a sure option since the county hasn’t even yet given the nod to start the process let alone the months it will take to get through the red tape, build and move in. We were told if we could start the process today it would take ten months at the very least if no problems arose. With that in mind, we decided to settle on a rental house we had seen for the next couple of years – and pray all the hoops can be jumped through so we can build.

Located in the town of Lafayette, Indiana, it’s a rather quirky little place. It has three bedrooms. Not huge ones, but quite sufficient for us. One is the kid’s bedroom, another the “play” room (where Ethan naps) and the third is the master. The kitchen is rather on the narrow side, but it’s larger than what I had and is working out quite well. There’s a dining room (a huge plus!) with just enough room for my desk so I can work. The living area is large enough that I can have my chair back to enjoy. Although it has only one bath, we can manage. It has a garage and a fenced in backyard so the kids can play when it gets warmer out. The neighborhood is quiet, but also central to just about everything.

The quirkiness lies in all kinds of things. Not one room seems to have sufficient lighting. It was as if whoever did the updates was trying to be more contemporary than practical. The small addition includes the master bedroom and dining area which don’t get enough heat and with three sets of doors for only two rooms, is also drafty. Meanwhile, the kid’s room could easily be a sauna since there is a big grate right above Emry’s bed. The paint and woodwork are slapdash, but I’m not complaining much about that since I have two small children who put their fingers (and just about everything else) all over walls (and just about everything else). The oven has neither microwave nor fan/light above it. The garage door has no motion sensor. Some of the light switches are in very odd places. And one bedroom has no closet. There are other little things that just seem a little “why-this-and-not-that”, but all-in-all, it’s a cute little place and will do nicely for the next couple of years.

Which maybe how long it takes me to get all the boxes unpacked. With Ed having to leave town for several days and two small children to unpack around…well, it’s slow going. And then Christmas is just around the corner…sigh. It’s good to have a home, but it would be better if it didn’t include boxes stacked everywhere!