Decorating Attempt: Couch Pillows

I have found myself being inspired by author Myquillyn Smith, also known as The Nester over the past few years.  I discovered her website and book, Cozy Minimalist a couple of years ago when I was desperate to purge and think more minimalistic with my home. She has a very warm style and is very intentional in how she decorates her home -- yes she decorates even though she believes in having minimal stuff. Now, I have a long way to go before my home even remotely resembles her's (it never will...), but I loved the way she talked about using texture and color to compliment her home instead of clutter it. 

I recently heard her being interviewed on the That Sounds Fun Podcast with Annie F. Downs. They were talking about the top three things to have in any home to make it feel welcoming and cozy. I believe they were 1) rugs 2) curtains and 3) pillows. 

One of the first things we purchased when we moved into the condo was rugs, mostly because we had laminate flooring, children and neighbors. We desperately needed to reduce the noise! So we have a large rug and two runners in our upstairs hallway/living room. They all match with the same whimsical teal, blue, beige pattern . . . because I couldn't comprehend how to match rugs and runners any other way. And then we purchased our couches which are grey. And this is what it looked like for a long time:

We have a loveseat and couch and it came with four pillows that matched the fabric of the couch and one more decorative pillow seen above. Hearing the podcast recently reminded me about using colors and textures to decorate for seasonal changes. With Fall approaching I was compelled to make a change. And the pillows were an easy way to do it. I didn't even buy new pillows, I just bought new covers. And being this was my first attempt at really decorating I went on the cheap side because I had so much doubt about what I was doing... and even things like pillow covers can add up quickly!

I purchased two teal covers (which ended up being more shiny than I had anticipated, but match the rug fairly well), and two cream, pom-pom, corduroy-like fabric covers to bring in a bit more texture and warmth, and then one smaller orange frilly cover for a Fall accent.  It looks so different, right?!

I intend to keep the teal covers on year-round and I might keep the cream ones on too but to me they feel more Fall/Winter. So, I'm going to keep my eyes out for something else for Spring/Summer. But can hold off until I find something I really love. The orange covers will be transitioned to other covers as the seasons change too, but it was really fun to try something a little "out there" for me. 

We still have to tackle the idea of curtains which is fairly daunting to me. But slowly our space is coming together. 

I have found myself being inspired by author Myquillyn Smith, also known as The Nester over the past few years.  I discovered her website and book, Cozy Minimalist a couple of years ago when I was desperate to purge and think more minimalistic with my home. She has a very warm style and is very intentional in how she decorates her home -- yes she decorates even though she believes in having minimal stuff. Now, I have a long way to go before my home even remotely resembles her's (it never will...), but I loved the way she talked about using texture and color to compliment her home instead of clutter it. 

I recently heard her being interviewed on the That Sounds Fun Podcast with Annie F. Downs. They were talking about the top three things to have in any home to make it feel welcoming and cozy. I believe they were 1) rugs 2) curtains and 3) pillows. 

One of the first things we purchased when we moved into the condo was rugs, mostly because we had laminate flooring, children and neighbors. We desperately needed to reduce the noise! So we have a large rug and two runners in our upstairs hallway/living room. They all match with the same whimsical teal, blue, beige pattern . . . because I couldn't comprehend how to match rugs and runners any other way. And then we purchased our couches which are grey. And this is what it looked like for a long time:

We have a loveseat and couch and it came with four pillows that matched the fabric of the couch and one more decorative pillow seen above. Hearing the podcast recently reminded me about using colors and textures to decorate for seasonal changes. With Fall approaching I was compelled to make a change. And the pillows were an easy way to do it. I didn't even buy new pillows, I just bought new covers. And being this was my first attempt at really decorating I went on the cheap side because I had so much doubt about what I was doing... and even things like pillow covers can add up quickly!

I purchased two teal covers (which ended up being more shiny than I had anticipated, but match the rug fairly well), and two cream, pom-pom, corduroy-like fabric covers to bring in a bit more texture and warmth, and then one smaller orange frilly cover for a Fall accent.  It looks so different, right?!

I intend to keep the teal covers on year-round and I might keep the cream ones on too but to me they feel more Fall/Winter. So, I'm going to keep my eyes out for something else for Spring/Summer. But can hold off until I find something I really love. The orange covers will be transitioned to other covers as the seasons change too, but it was really fun to try something a little "out there" for me. 

We still have to tackle the idea of curtains which is fairly daunting to me. But slowly our space is coming together. 

Rearranged Furniture and a Quiet Corner

I'm not sure if any of you are going through a "fix all the things" in your homes as you shelter in place... but we certainly are! Shortly after I posted the tour of my condo we decided to make some changes to our living room; we knew all along that we needed a few other things to make it complete but hadn't known just what we wanted or how it would all fit. And rearranging furniture/decorating isn't one of my strengths so it took some time. But I think we're closer!

The first thing we did was swap the TV and loveseat and move the loveseat closer so it was easier to watch movies (previously it was just a little too far from the TV). Then after weeks of online shopping we picked out a new entertainment stand. Wa-la:

This TV stand was one of our first purchases (from the Salvation Army) when we first moved into our apartment 10 years ago. bye-bye!

 By moving the loveseat we created a little nook for the boys which I was hoping would become a "quiet corner" for reading or listening to audio books. Temporarily it looked like this:

I loved that they had a place to display their art, but it wasn't cozy enough for them to hang out back there. We were also struggling with the "no jumping on the new couches" rule when shelter in place got extended. So, I DIY-ed a few "jumping pads" that could double as cushions in this corner. (Bought a giant piece of foam, cut it in half, put crib sheets on them and called it done.)

The boys love having an approved place to jump, but it has made them much more daring in finding new heights to jump from. (Eek!) Brightside: I don't have to get mad about couch jumping nearly as much. And since the cushions/pads are movable, they can go anywhere -- quiet corner, bedroom or living room. 

The last step was adding a new bookshelf. One I have wanted ever since I had a little baby. But never felt very functional. But now, in this narrow space meant for reading, I think it fits perfectly!

We will see if they want to put up their art again and how that changes the look; but functionally I think it turned out pretty nice. (Current artwork are things I had from long ago, someday I will make a big art poster for the corner... or they can make one themselves).

The whole space looks so different and I am loving it. 

I'm not sure if any of you are going through a "fix all the things" in your homes as you shelter in place... but we certainly are! Shortly after I posted the tour of my condo we decided to make some changes to our living room; we knew all along that we needed a few other things to make it complete but hadn't known just what we wanted or how it would all fit. And rearranging furniture/decorating isn't one of my strengths so it took some time. But I think we're closer!

The first thing we did was swap the TV and loveseat and move the loveseat closer so it was easier to watch movies (previously it was just a little too far from the TV). Then after weeks of online shopping we picked out a new entertainment stand. Wa-la:

This TV stand was one of our first purchases (from the Salvation Army) when we first moved into our apartment 10 years ago. bye-bye!

 By moving the loveseat we created a little nook for the boys which I was hoping would become a "quiet corner" for reading or listening to audio books. Temporarily it looked like this:

I loved that they had a place to display their art, but it wasn't cozy enough for them to hang out back there. We were also struggling with the "no jumping on the new couches" rule when shelter in place got extended. So, I DIY-ed a few "jumping pads" that could double as cushions in this corner. (Bought a giant piece of foam, cut it in half, put crib sheets on them and called it done.)

The boys love having an approved place to jump, but it has made them much more daring in finding new heights to jump from. (Eek!) Brightside: I don't have to get mad about couch jumping nearly as much. And since the cushions/pads are movable, they can go anywhere -- quiet corner, bedroom or living room. 

The last step was adding a new bookshelf. One I have wanted ever since I had a little baby. But never felt very functional. But now, in this narrow space meant for reading, I think it fits perfectly!

We will see if they want to put up their art again and how that changes the look; but functionally I think it turned out pretty nice. (Current artwork are things I had from long ago, someday I will make a big art poster for the corner... or they can make one themselves).

The whole space looks so different and I am loving it. 

The Condo: One Year In!

Can you believe we've been in our "new" home for a year!? I can't. I also can't believe I failed to post more photos as we've made changes/decorated. Well... I can believe that because it took us forever to do that. In fact, we still aren't done. But I'm not really rushing it either.

So we may not be completely done yet but I'd like to show you our place! And as much as I wish I could have spent a day cleaning and photographing my home without interruption/family currently living in it (aka staged), I couldn't. So these are far from perfect photos. But at least this way you get to see more of our reality (on a good day). And now the tour:

Our entry way was one of the first things to come together. We found a hallway runner we both loved right away and I still love to look at it when I walk in the door. We found these lovely, super-slim IKEA shoe cabinets that fit perfectly in the hallway. And our coat hooks above them make it super easy to get out the door. I also love that the boys know exactly where their shoes go (we each have our own cabinet) and they usually put their shoes away without a fuss. Yeah! 

Now we'll travel up the stairs and you'll find the boy's bedroom at the top. This room came together pretty quickly after we got their bunk beds. I can't say we really "decorated" it, it's mostly just functional with a few photos but it suits them well. And I really like that the floor is left fairly empty (except the shelves against the walls) so that they can pull out anything and have plenty of space to play; or as William currently prefers -- play football in the bedroom. Eek!

Next to the bedroom is the bathroom. Nothing too thrilling there.

You'll now walk down the hallway, passed our laundry room and kitchen. Which were shared here.

We are nearly done with the living room/dining room. We have rugs and couches and a dining room table and chairs. We found a great deal on the table and chairs on Craigslist.com -- 6 chairs and a table for $80. The chair covers were in terrible shape so we had a friend recover them for us. So worth it!

Our couch and loveseat came from a store called Living Spaces which saved us from having to guess at all the online options. Online furniture shopping is fairly close to a nightmare. We are very pleased with our choice. The style was a little different that we originally intended but they fit us really well (aka: Chris can lay down!) and they are super comfortable.

The two kid rugs in this area are our temporary solution to keep the kids from sliding all over the place as they run around . . . and dampen the noise for our downstairs neighbor (it doesn't work).

The two pieces of furniture we kept from our old place were the TV stand and our china hutch. Very functional if nothing else. (Still trying to figure out which wall to put the Europe art.)

And now we'll travel back down stairs to the "master suite." You can laugh at that joke on your way down. You'll pass another long hallway with a closet (our only storage space now... no, I'm not showing it to you).

Our bedroom is nearly completed. We are just missing the perfect desk which will magically hide all the stuff. But I feel like even after we find it, the room may not feel like anything special. It feels very much like the rental we previous had. But I have zero know-how in how to make it feel special with what we have. We did hang up our picture frames and canvases last month so it does feel more personal and finished. All I can say is that having our own bedroom with a door has been just as amazing as I had dreamed it would be. That's special enough. For now.

And our own bathroom: 

Our new neighborhood has a lot to offer too. We've had a great time exploring. At least twice a year there are festivals just a few blocks away; the neighborhood rec center has a pool for the kid's swimming lessons; they can join basketball and soccer teams there in the future. And there are three great playgrounds along our street. There are a number of fantastic restaurants within walking distance. Not to mention a movie theater and a spa that I love to go to (once a year). Quick story: One night our babysitter forgot about the gig. Our dinner reservation was at 8; We called him at 7:45 and he was able to show up within 10 minutes. And we still walked to this fancy dinner spot on time!! Love that that's even possible!

I don't know if I should be embarrassed or thankful that it took me 11 months to realize I could walk to a Target from our new home. I knew it was somewhere in "that" direction but I didn't realize it was actually close enough to walk to (it's not an easy walk... many hills). There is also a Trader Joe's near it; two stores I love but tend to ignore because a) I spend too much money when I'm there and b) they had never been convenient to get to before. Life changing and too fun.

We've gotten to meet a handful of our neighbors and like them very much. We've had a few really weird interactions and run-ins, but for the most part (for better or worse), most people stay to themselves and our complex is very quiet (with the exception of a lot of dogs and two Babiak boys).

So after living in our own place for a year, we are still pretty over the moon happy about it. Grateful on a daily basis for the Lord's provision of this place for us. If you are ever visiting the city and want to check out our comfortable couch for a night or three, don't hesitate to call ahead come! We'd love to share this blessing with you.

Can you believe we've been in our "new" home for a year!? I can't. I also can't believe I failed to post more photos as we've made changes/decorated. Well... I can believe that because it took us forever to do that. In fact, we still aren't done. But I'm not really rushing it either.

So we may not be completely done yet but I'd like to show you our place! And as much as I wish I could have spent a day cleaning and photographing my home without interruption/family currently living in it (aka staged), I couldn't. So these are far from perfect photos. But at least this way you get to see more of our reality (on a good day). And now the tour:

Our entry way was one of the first things to come together. We found a hallway runner we both loved right away and I still love to look at it when I walk in the door. We found these lovely, super-slim IKEA shoe cabinets that fit perfectly in the hallway. And our coat hooks above them make it super easy to get out the door. I also love that the boys know exactly where their shoes go (we each have our own cabinet) and they usually put their shoes away without a fuss. Yeah! 

Now we'll travel up the stairs and you'll find the boy's bedroom at the top. This room came together pretty quickly after we got their bunk beds. I can't say we really "decorated" it, it's mostly just functional with a few photos but it suits them well. And I really like that the floor is left fairly empty (except the shelves against the walls) so that they can pull out anything and have plenty of space to play; or as William currently prefers -- play football in the bedroom. Eek!

Next to the bedroom is the bathroom. Nothing too thrilling there.

You'll now walk down the hallway, passed our laundry room and kitchen. Which were shared here.

We are nearly done with the living room/dining room. We have rugs and couches and a dining room table and chairs. We found a great deal on the table and chairs on Craigslist.com -- 6 chairs and a table for $80. The chair covers were in terrible shape so we had a friend recover them for us. So worth it!

Our couch and loveseat came from a store called Living Spaces which saved us from having to guess at all the online options. Online furniture shopping is fairly close to a nightmare. We are very pleased with our choice. The style was a little different that we originally intended but they fit us really well (aka: Chris can lay down!) and they are super comfortable.

The two kid rugs in this area are our temporary solution to keep the kids from sliding all over the place as they run around . . . and dampen the noise for our downstairs neighbor (it doesn't work).

The two pieces of furniture we kept from our old place were the TV stand and our china hutch. Very functional if nothing else. (Still trying to figure out which wall to put the Europe art.)

And now we'll travel back down stairs to the "master suite." You can laugh at that joke on your way down. You'll pass another long hallway with a closet (our only storage space now... no, I'm not showing it to you).

Our bedroom is nearly completed. We are just missing the perfect desk which will magically hide all the stuff. But I feel like even after we find it, the room may not feel like anything special. It feels very much like the rental we previous had. But I have zero know-how in how to make it feel special with what we have. We did hang up our picture frames and canvases last month so it does feel more personal and finished. All I can say is that having our own bedroom with a door has been just as amazing as I had dreamed it would be. That's special enough. For now.

And our own bathroom: 

Our new neighborhood has a lot to offer too. We've had a great time exploring. At least twice a year there are festivals just a few blocks away; the neighborhood rec center has a pool for the kid's swimming lessons; they can join basketball and soccer teams there in the future. And there are three great playgrounds along our street. There are a number of fantastic restaurants within walking distance. Not to mention a movie theater and a spa that I love to go to (once a year). Quick story: One night our babysitter forgot about the gig. Our dinner reservation was at 8; We called him at 7:45 and he was able to show up within 10 minutes. And we still walked to this fancy dinner spot on time!! Love that that's even possible!

I don't know if I should be embarrassed or thankful that it took me 11 months to realize I could walk to a Target from our new home. I knew it was somewhere in "that" direction but I didn't realize it was actually close enough to walk to (it's not an easy walk... many hills). There is also a Trader Joe's near it; two stores I love but tend to ignore because a) I spend too much money when I'm there and b) they had never been convenient to get to before. Life changing and too fun.

We've gotten to meet a handful of our neighbors and like them very much. We've had a few really weird interactions and run-ins, but for the most part (for better or worse), most people stay to themselves and our complex is very quiet (with the exception of a lot of dogs and two Babiak boys).

So after living in our own place for a year, we are still pretty over the moon happy about it. Grateful on a daily basis for the Lord's provision of this place for us. If you are ever visiting the city and want to check out our comfortable couch for a night or three, don't hesitate to call ahead come! We'd love to share this blessing with you.

The Condo: Two Weeks In

We have been in our new home for two weeks. There are still a dozen boxes to unpack and a growing pile of things to get rid of. We still need a few things like a dining table, chairs, living room furniture a small desk and some organizing totes. Another shower curtain and a bathroom rug would be nice too. Maybe some alternative shelving. The boys will be getting a bunk bed soon. All I'm saying is that we are still figuring things out. BUT . . .

It is starting to feel like home anyway! We are finding our groove in our new space and learning our new routines. I am surprisingly happy (as apposed to the anxiety I felt before the move or the nervousness I thought I'd feel about being in a different part of the city, meeting new people, etc.) and at peace. Even in the not-nearly-furnished home, I am content and finding new rest.

Our new place is on a much quieter street and we're on the third floor so even the sirens we hear aren't as intrusive. Chris and I have our own room (can I get a "Thank you, Jesus!") and bathroom. I think overall we are sleeping much better than we have in the past five years . . . remember when we slept on the floor in the living room before we moved our bed out there? Remember when our living room became the master bedroom complete with infant bassinet (with infant) and changing table surrounded in blackout curtains? (William's bedroom had three dressers, a twin bed and his toys.) Oh, the transformations our living room had seen in the past 8 years!

Our new kitchen looks smaller than our previous one but I think it does have more counter space.  It is much nicer with newer appliances, granite countertops and even a sharp looking backsplash. When I keep it clean, I find a lot of joy being in it. The dishwasher is an efficiency size (like half the size of a normal one) which is odd and fills up way to quickly!

Another perk of our new home is that we have a washer and dryer in our condo! No more quarters or shared laundry . . . but if it breaks, we have to fix it!

As I said before we are still trying to figure out the living room and dining area (which is one open room) but it has a lot of potential and I hope I don't screw it up. We have a nice bay window and  wood (laminate) floors which we need to cover with rugs. More photos will come soon.

I am so grateful for our new home. Still find myself a little surprised that this one actually worked out. I feel like I was expecting it not to happen right up until moving day . . . and then "Ta-da" here's your new home. I don't think it feels like that to Chris who did ALL the paperwork and inspections and organized all the details.

After 4 years of searching it's great to finally be here.

We have been in our new home for two weeks. There are still a dozen boxes to unpack and a growing pile of things to get rid of. We still need a few things like a dining table, chairs, living room furniture a small desk and some organizing totes. Another shower curtain and a bathroom rug would be nice too. Maybe some alternative shelving. The boys will be getting a bunk bed soon. All I'm saying is that we are still figuring things out. BUT . . .

It is starting to feel like home anyway! We are finding our groove in our new space and learning our new routines. I am surprisingly happy (as apposed to the anxiety I felt before the move or the nervousness I thought I'd feel about being in a different part of the city, meeting new people, etc.) and at peace. Even in the not-nearly-furnished home, I am content and finding new rest.

Our new place is on a much quieter street and we're on the third floor so even the sirens we hear aren't as intrusive. Chris and I have our own room (can I get a "Thank you, Jesus!") and bathroom. I think overall we are sleeping much better than we have in the past five years . . . remember when we slept on the floor in the living room before we moved our bed out there? Remember when our living room became the master bedroom complete with infant bassinet (with infant) and changing table surrounded in blackout curtains? (William's bedroom had three dressers, a twin bed and his toys.) Oh, the transformations our living room had seen in the past 8 years!

Our new kitchen looks smaller than our previous one but I think it does have more counter space.  It is much nicer with newer appliances, granite countertops and even a sharp looking backsplash. When I keep it clean, I find a lot of joy being in it. The dishwasher is an efficiency size (like half the size of a normal one) which is odd and fills up way to quickly!

Another perk of our new home is that we have a washer and dryer in our condo! No more quarters or shared laundry . . . but if it breaks, we have to fix it!

As I said before we are still trying to figure out the living room and dining area (which is one open room) but it has a lot of potential and I hope I don't screw it up. We have a nice bay window and  wood (laminate) floors which we need to cover with rugs. More photos will come soon.

I am so grateful for our new home. Still find myself a little surprised that this one actually worked out. I feel like I was expecting it not to happen right up until moving day . . . and then "Ta-da" here's your new home. I don't think it feels like that to Chris who did ALL the paperwork and inspections and organized all the details.

After 4 years of searching it's great to finally be here.

It's Happening!

It's happening. I have hesitated to write about our most recent housing experiences because I just didn't know how it would end. But now, I can tell you! It's happening. We are moving! WE BOUGHT A CONDO!

It's a long story, but a good one. So if you bear with me, I'll tell you about it!

We've been trying to find a home for over 3 years. I wan't yet pregnant with Stephen when learned about the loan assistance programs through the San Francisco Mayors Office of Housing. If you qualify, it's a pretty amazing opportunity. And we did! So we took the classes and started our search. Most of the buying opportunities are lotteries. But some are first come, first serve. All options require you to make below a certain salary, but some options give a higher bracket. The numbers take into account the size of your family too.  It's confusing but that's the gist. (If you live in SF and need details, call me!)

If you've read my housing updates, you know that we've come so close a few times but never quite won. Last year we were juggling a lot of decisions about the finances. Chris had the option for a raise but if he took it we wouldn't qualify for a majority of the housing available. But we couldn't really NOT take it either . . . we ended up putting it off a little while until we knew for certain the last home we applied for was a NO. And then in early November he got the raise. Which was awesome! And we were and are so very grateful! But we also were sad because we didn't know what that meant for our housing options. It felt like giving up on this thing we had been striving for.

Whenever I become sad over our housing situation, God meets me there. And usually within a day or two he has reminded me of all the blessings and abundance we have and he gives me a new contentment for staying where I am. And he did that again. I was ready to stay put.

And on November 25, we went to an open house for a 2 bed/2 bath condo. It wasn't a lottery property but it was listed on another loan assistance program through the city which was first come, first serve. It also had a higher salary bracket to qualify, so even with Chris's new raise we were able to apply!

We looked at it, completely open to the possibility that this was not going to work out for us again. Hopes were low, but we also wanted to give it a shot. It was a nice space. It wasn't perfect (third floor, no outdoor play are for the kids, smaller kitchen) but it was close (garage space available, in unit washer/dryer, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and an open layout).

Chris did all the application work again (it's like a part time job) and it was accepted and approved!  We entered the contract in mid December. We had never gotten to that step before. It was all so new and scary . . . and still in the back of my mind it wasn't going to really happen. It could stop for a number of reasons. But it kept going. We got the necessary inspections. We signed the loan papers at the bank. We signed the title papers. We signed papers at the Mayors Office of Housing, we signed more papers from our agent. It kept going. And then on Thursday, January 31 we closed.

And Chris got the keys.

It was done. We bought a condo.

And now, I can let the feelings consume me. I can let the reality sink in. That after 8.5 years of living in our apartment, after 3.5 years of looking and trying to move, I get to pack. I get to unpack. I get to make a new place my new home.

We move in 2 weeks. I will share more details with photos once we are settled. Thank you for your prayers and hanging in there with us. It's been quite a ride!

It's happening. I have hesitated to write about our most recent housing experiences because I just didn't know how it would end. But now, I can tell you! It's happening. We are moving! WE BOUGHT A CONDO!

It's a long story, but a good one. So if you bear with me, I'll tell you about it!

We've been trying to find a home for over 3 years. I wan't yet pregnant with Stephen when learned about the loan assistance programs through the San Francisco Mayors Office of Housing. If you qualify, it's a pretty amazing opportunity. And we did! So we took the classes and started our search. Most of the buying opportunities are lotteries. But some are first come, first serve. All options require you to make below a certain salary, but some options give a higher bracket. The numbers take into account the size of your family too.  It's confusing but that's the gist. (If you live in SF and need details, call me!)

If you've read my housing updates, you know that we've come so close a few times but never quite won. Last year we were juggling a lot of decisions about the finances. Chris had the option for a raise but if he took it we wouldn't qualify for a majority of the housing available. But we couldn't really NOT take it either . . . we ended up putting it off a little while until we knew for certain the last home we applied for was a NO. And then in early November he got the raise. Which was awesome! And we were and are so very grateful! But we also were sad because we didn't know what that meant for our housing options. It felt like giving up on this thing we had been striving for.

Whenever I become sad over our housing situation, God meets me there. And usually within a day or two he has reminded me of all the blessings and abundance we have and he gives me a new contentment for staying where I am. And he did that again. I was ready to stay put.

And on November 25, we went to an open house for a 2 bed/2 bath condo. It wasn't a lottery property but it was listed on another loan assistance program through the city which was first come, first serve. It also had a higher salary bracket to qualify, so even with Chris's new raise we were able to apply!

We looked at it, completely open to the possibility that this was not going to work out for us again. Hopes were low, but we also wanted to give it a shot. It was a nice space. It wasn't perfect (third floor, no outdoor play are for the kids, smaller kitchen) but it was close (garage space available, in unit washer/dryer, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and an open layout).

Chris did all the application work again (it's like a part time job) and it was accepted and approved!  We entered the contract in mid December. We had never gotten to that step before. It was all so new and scary . . . and still in the back of my mind it wasn't going to really happen. It could stop for a number of reasons. But it kept going. We got the necessary inspections. We signed the loan papers at the bank. We signed the title papers. We signed papers at the Mayors Office of Housing, we signed more papers from our agent. It kept going. And then on Thursday, January 31 we closed.

And Chris got the keys.

It was done. We bought a condo.

And now, I can let the feelings consume me. I can let the reality sink in. That after 8.5 years of living in our apartment, after 3.5 years of looking and trying to move, I get to pack. I get to unpack. I get to make a new place my new home.

We move in 2 weeks. I will share more details with photos once we are settled. Thank you for your prayers and hanging in there with us. It's been quite a ride!

Keep Trusting and Waiting

A week ago, we had our first MOPS meeting of the season and it blew me away. We had the biggest turn out ever and everything seemed to go fairly smoothly. I'm the lead coordinator this year and was feeling a lot of self-driven pressure leading up to the morning. I could not have expected or hoped for a better meeting. I was riding on this high all day and then Chris came home and told me some news that turned my high into the lowest low.

Back in July we had applied for another condo through the Mayors Office of Housing (they have below market rate units for sale if you qualify). It's all done by lottery. The results came out in August and we were near the top. In tier 3 we were number 3 (total number 5, I think). There were a total of 6 units and we were super hopeful that they would get to our number and we would qualify and be approved for the mortgage and finally be able to move.

Well, I think you can see where this is going. After weeks of waiting for the applicants in front of us to be vetted we got an email last week that said everyone in front of us has entered into contract and they are moving on to the 4th tier (only the first two applicants were taken from the 3rd tier per all the rules that are too cumbersome to explain/understand.)

There were a number of reasons my hopes had been so high.
1) The location: 8 blocks or less from several friends, walking distance to church, in a sunny part of town, closer to Chris's work...
2) The size: although it wasn't huge and there wasn't a yard or community center to be seen, it was a two bedroom with plenty of storage and a decent kitchen. There was even a walk in closet that could be an office.
3) There was a washer/dryer in the unit, a parking spot and a bike spot.
4) For this year it would have been 3 blocks from William's school.

It seemed so perfect. I could be more active with my friends in that neighborhood, we could be super close to church and be a little more active there (not rushing home for naps all the time). We wouldn't have to walk 2 blocks to get to our car -- we wouldn't need to take our car everywhere! Strengthened community was the biggest pull. It sounds silly, but the effort it takes to get anywhere often deters me from leaving the house.

Another reason I had high hopes in this unit was that we'd been waiting for something just like this for so long . . . nearly 4 years! Actively looking, saving, applying and waiting . . . four years.

So, that was the news on Tuesday last week. And those are some of the reasons I found myself in such a low state. Giving up, letting go of dreams that had started taking root felt so hard. And it hit me at that moment that I didn't even know how much hope I had been leaning on until it was taken away. I fell hard.

Fast forward six days and I'm teaching children's church on Sunday to several 3-5 year olds. The memory verse was Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart." Words that Chris has often quoted in this process. The lesson that day was focused on Abraham and Sarah waiting on God's promise that they would have decedents more numerous than the stars. Can you picture that kind of waiting? To have decedents you have to have children. Poor Sarah is watching the months go by, becoming years and years . . . just waiting. Her husband so certain that God will make good on his word. But she is passed the age of bearing children. And then she has a son.

Every month the kids learn a catch praise. This month is "God keeps his promises." And although we haven't had an actual promise that we will get a 2 bedroom condo in San Francisco for less than half a million dollars (I would love if scripture were that direct!) he does promise that he will provide for us, that he cares for us, and knows what we need. So, as I was teaching these little children to trust in God's promises even if you have to wait a long time, God was reminding me to do the very same.

So, I'm letting go of those dreams I held so tightly and seeking God for new dreams and next steps and trying each day to remain faithful in trusting Him while I wait. If I have to chant the catch phrase like a 3 year old, so be it!

A week ago, we had our first MOPS meeting of the season and it blew me away. We had the biggest turn out ever and everything seemed to go fairly smoothly. I'm the lead coordinator this year and was feeling a lot of self-driven pressure leading up to the morning. I could not have expected or hoped for a better meeting. I was riding on this high all day and then Chris came home and told me some news that turned my high into the lowest low.

Back in July we had applied for another condo through the Mayors Office of Housing (they have below market rate units for sale if you qualify). It's all done by lottery. The results came out in August and we were near the top. In tier 3 we were number 3 (total number 5, I think). There were a total of 6 units and we were super hopeful that they would get to our number and we would qualify and be approved for the mortgage and finally be able to move.

Well, I think you can see where this is going. After weeks of waiting for the applicants in front of us to be vetted we got an email last week that said everyone in front of us has entered into contract and they are moving on to the 4th tier (only the first two applicants were taken from the 3rd tier per all the rules that are too cumbersome to explain/understand.)

There were a number of reasons my hopes had been so high.
1) The location: 8 blocks or less from several friends, walking distance to church, in a sunny part of town, closer to Chris's work...
2) The size: although it wasn't huge and there wasn't a yard or community center to be seen, it was a two bedroom with plenty of storage and a decent kitchen. There was even a walk in closet that could be an office.
3) There was a washer/dryer in the unit, a parking spot and a bike spot.
4) For this year it would have been 3 blocks from William's school.

It seemed so perfect. I could be more active with my friends in that neighborhood, we could be super close to church and be a little more active there (not rushing home for naps all the time). We wouldn't have to walk 2 blocks to get to our car -- we wouldn't need to take our car everywhere! Strengthened community was the biggest pull. It sounds silly, but the effort it takes to get anywhere often deters me from leaving the house.

Another reason I had high hopes in this unit was that we'd been waiting for something just like this for so long . . . nearly 4 years! Actively looking, saving, applying and waiting . . . four years.

So, that was the news on Tuesday last week. And those are some of the reasons I found myself in such a low state. Giving up, letting go of dreams that had started taking root felt so hard. And it hit me at that moment that I didn't even know how much hope I had been leaning on until it was taken away. I fell hard.

Fast forward six days and I'm teaching children's church on Sunday to several 3-5 year olds. The memory verse was Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart." Words that Chris has often quoted in this process. The lesson that day was focused on Abraham and Sarah waiting on God's promise that they would have decedents more numerous than the stars. Can you picture that kind of waiting? To have decedents you have to have children. Poor Sarah is watching the months go by, becoming years and years . . . just waiting. Her husband so certain that God will make good on his word. But she is passed the age of bearing children. And then she has a son.

Every month the kids learn a catch praise. This month is "God keeps his promises." And although we haven't had an actual promise that we will get a 2 bedroom condo in San Francisco for less than half a million dollars (I would love if scripture were that direct!) he does promise that he will provide for us, that he cares for us, and knows what we need. So, as I was teaching these little children to trust in God's promises even if you have to wait a long time, God was reminding me to do the very same.

So, I'm letting go of those dreams I held so tightly and seeking God for new dreams and next steps and trying each day to remain faithful in trusting Him while I wait. If I have to chant the catch phrase like a 3 year old, so be it!

1 Timothy 6: Contentment

I have been struggling this week. Struggling to stay positive and trust the Lord that he is providing and will provide. This mostly has to do with housing as another opportunity has come our way but is just as confusing as all the others and the answer is still cloudy with a chance of heartbreak. I get my hopes up time and time again and then it's just that much harder to face my reality of staying put. I long for a change.

My husband continues to encourage me that we won't be in this apartment forever. He even declared a deadline! "This space works for now, but we can't have two teenagers in this apartment." I will hold him to those words! (I had originally proclaimed I wouldn't raise two babies in this place.)

This morning I had a brief moment of near quiet and decided I would read my Bible. A habit that has not made it back into my daily routine yet. I read 1 Timothy 6. And these words jumped at me, literally 24 hours after stating my discontent to Chris and less than 12 hours of declaring the same to my counselor.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain,  for we brought nothing into the world, and[c] we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. . . .11 Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (ESV)

I brought nothing into this world. Nothing will go with me. I have food and clothing (NASB says "covering" which made me think of shelter/housing at first) with these we will be content. Why does contentment seem to be the most fluctuating emotion in my life?

Well, for starters, I'm focusing on the wrong things. Paul tells Timothy to pursue righteousness (not money or riches), godliness, faith, love, gentleness. Not bigger and better things that you cannot take with you! Here's a quick example: Every night when I cook dinner, I don't pursue a gracious attitude or thankfulness that I have 2 feet of counter space and most often it's covered in dishes and unusable for dinner prep.


But I'd like to start. I'd like to begin pursuing godliness and take take hold of the eternal life to which I was called. This was the wake up call I needed this morning. "Godliness with contentment is great gain" or as the NASB says "But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

Thanks for your prayers for us and our housing search.

I have been struggling this week. Struggling to stay positive and trust the Lord that he is providing and will provide. This mostly has to do with housing as another opportunity has come our way but is just as confusing as all the others and the answer is still cloudy with a chance of heartbreak. I get my hopes up time and time again and then it's just that much harder to face my reality of staying put. I long for a change.

My husband continues to encourage me that we won't be in this apartment forever. He even declared a deadline! "This space works for now, but we can't have two teenagers in this apartment." I will hold him to those words! (I had originally proclaimed I wouldn't raise two babies in this place.)

This morning I had a brief moment of near quiet and decided I would read my Bible. A habit that has not made it back into my daily routine yet. I read 1 Timothy 6. And these words jumped at me, literally 24 hours after stating my discontent to Chris and less than 12 hours of declaring the same to my counselor.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain,  for we brought nothing into the world, and[c] we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. . . .11 Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (ESV)

I brought nothing into this world. Nothing will go with me. I have food and clothing (NASB says "covering" which made me think of shelter/housing at first) with these we will be content. Why does contentment seem to be the most fluctuating emotion in my life?

Well, for starters, I'm focusing on the wrong things. Paul tells Timothy to pursue righteousness (not money or riches), godliness, faith, love, gentleness. Not bigger and better things that you cannot take with you! Here's a quick example: Every night when I cook dinner, I don't pursue a gracious attitude or thankfulness that I have 2 feet of counter space and most often it's covered in dishes and unusable for dinner prep.


But I'd like to start. I'd like to begin pursuing godliness and take take hold of the eternal life to which I was called. This was the wake up call I needed this morning. "Godliness with contentment is great gain" or as the NASB says "But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

Thanks for your prayers for us and our housing search.

Housing Update: Hard Decisions

I had asked for your prayers two months ago that our number be drawn again for a 3-bedroom condo in the Mission (a much desired location). And God answered, although it was in a convoluted cloudy way . . . our number was drawn, but it was fourth on the list for the one available unit. So, we thought that maybe, just like before, they work their way down the list and get to us and we would jump with glee and laugh and praise His Name with a new found joy. We had already seen the place and knew it would work for our family. But, the call never came (or hasn't yet anyway) and from what we were told, lottery winner #1 took the space.

But in that same conversation, where we were told it wasn't meant to be, we were told to consider another 3-bedroom condo space. The deadline to apply was approaching rapidly. I think Chris had to fill out an application, submit one hundred pages of proof-of-everything-we-have in 48 hours. We weren't able to connect with the realtor before the deadline so applied after just seeing photographs. No one else had applied so we had a really great chance if we were approved for the loan.

The photos showed a nice looking place and a good layout so I was hopeful. Started to dream again. Finally after a loan pre-approval and many discussions with the city's program contact and the bank and our realtor, we were able to see the place. I can't say the photos were misleading - but it left a lot out. The space was fine and the layout made sense. I was thankful that it seemed to have ample storage and a connected garage (it looked more like a townhouse than a condo). But it was dirty, the floor was sticky, everything in the kitchen was covered in grease. The bathroom doors didn't close all the way, the closet doors were hideous. The carpets and walls were badly stained. Of course, all of these things can be fixed up, replaced or repaired. But when we went home and ran the numbers we wouldn't be able to afford any of them. And if we did decide to buy it, the things we have said we valued wouldn't be possible either (retirement, savings for our children, travel, fun money, haircuts . . . you get the idea).

I've been waiting for a larger home for years. Seriously, we've been looking for over 2 years. And every time we have a contract in front of me and I think of what increasing our mortgage/rent payment would do to our lives, I can't sign it. And I look around our apartment and I wonder why I need more space at all. Thoughts circle in my mind nonstop. Needs vs. wants; present vs. future; security of savings vs. living paycheck to paycheck; faith vs. numbers on the screen; my desires vs. God's will . . . it doesn't end.

Paul writes in Philippians 4 (emphasis added):

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

We stayed up late discussing the pros and cons. Chris feeling that he could be confident in either step we took. Me feeling like I could be talked into taking it, but felt the loss of what we would give up. This morning, Chris grabbed our white board and we started making a list of what we loved about our apartment. It's a practice of growing in gratitude he has found helpful. Over the course of our lunchtime, this is what we came up with:

I am certain we will find more things to add - like it has a dishwasher and coin-operated laundry on site! So once again I find myself coming to a place of contentment in the space we are in. The space we have been in for 7 years. I think we'll keep trying to find a bigger space - we would like to host small groups again or have space for someone stay with us (please come visit us anyway!). But for now and the immediate future we are okay.

Dave Ramsey has a saying "Live like no one else so that you can live like no one else." He refers to saving for your retirement/future and not spending all your income now. I think that quote applies to us in a different way. We can live simply in a small space (when our culture tells us more/bigger is better) and save for retirement and do more things like travel or we can get a mortgage twice our rent and not really live. It's worth considering.

I had asked for your prayers two months ago that our number be drawn again for a 3-bedroom condo in the Mission (a much desired location). And God answered, although it was in a convoluted cloudy way . . . our number was drawn, but it was fourth on the list for the one available unit. So, we thought that maybe, just like before, they work their way down the list and get to us and we would jump with glee and laugh and praise His Name with a new found joy. We had already seen the place and knew it would work for our family. But, the call never came (or hasn't yet anyway) and from what we were told, lottery winner #1 took the space.

But in that same conversation, where we were told it wasn't meant to be, we were told to consider another 3-bedroom condo space. The deadline to apply was approaching rapidly. I think Chris had to fill out an application, submit one hundred pages of proof-of-everything-we-have in 48 hours. We weren't able to connect with the realtor before the deadline so applied after just seeing photographs. No one else had applied so we had a really great chance if we were approved for the loan.

The photos showed a nice looking place and a good layout so I was hopeful. Started to dream again. Finally after a loan pre-approval and many discussions with the city's program contact and the bank and our realtor, we were able to see the place. I can't say the photos were misleading - but it left a lot out. The space was fine and the layout made sense. I was thankful that it seemed to have ample storage and a connected garage (it looked more like a townhouse than a condo). But it was dirty, the floor was sticky, everything in the kitchen was covered in grease. The bathroom doors didn't close all the way, the closet doors were hideous. The carpets and walls were badly stained. Of course, all of these things can be fixed up, replaced or repaired. But when we went home and ran the numbers we wouldn't be able to afford any of them. And if we did decide to buy it, the things we have said we valued wouldn't be possible either (retirement, savings for our children, travel, fun money, haircuts . . . you get the idea).

I've been waiting for a larger home for years. Seriously, we've been looking for over 2 years. And every time we have a contract in front of me and I think of what increasing our mortgage/rent payment would do to our lives, I can't sign it. And I look around our apartment and I wonder why I need more space at all. Thoughts circle in my mind nonstop. Needs vs. wants; present vs. future; security of savings vs. living paycheck to paycheck; faith vs. numbers on the screen; my desires vs. God's will . . . it doesn't end.

Paul writes in Philippians 4 (emphasis added):

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

We stayed up late discussing the pros and cons. Chris feeling that he could be confident in either step we took. Me feeling like I could be talked into taking it, but felt the loss of what we would give up. This morning, Chris grabbed our white board and we started making a list of what we loved about our apartment. It's a practice of growing in gratitude he has found helpful. Over the course of our lunchtime, this is what we came up with:

I am certain we will find more things to add - like it has a dishwasher and coin-operated laundry on site! So once again I find myself coming to a place of contentment in the space we are in. The space we have been in for 7 years. I think we'll keep trying to find a bigger space - we would like to host small groups again or have space for someone stay with us (please come visit us anyway!). But for now and the immediate future we are okay.

Dave Ramsey has a saying "Live like no one else so that you can live like no one else." He refers to saving for your retirement/future and not spending all your income now. I think that quote applies to us in a different way. We can live simply in a small space (when our culture tells us more/bigger is better) and save for retirement and do more things like travel or we can get a mortgage twice our rent and not really live. It's worth considering.

Housing Update: When God Answers

It's been six weeks since I've given you a housing update and it's not because I didn't want to share. I did. But the things I would have written would have been speculation and hope and a whirlwind of emotions, not a sure thing. Until today. Now I know what to say.

Back in March, our lottery number was drawn for a brand new condo I mentioned here. It was drawn! Out of hundreds of numbers, ours was picked! There were 11 total units and ours was the third one. We were stoked and a little bit scared. This was a huge answer to our prayers! And then all the "buts" and "what ifs" started. And the lack of understanding the process would hit us day after day.

Even though we were third on the list, there were several other applicants ahead of us due to a couple of laws in our city government. Those that live in the same neighborhood as the available condo are given first priority and those that were evicted under the Ellis Act are also given priority. And then us -- the ones who just want to stay in the city. So after weeks of waiting for it to be "our turn" and doubting that there would be a 2-bedroom even available we continued trusting (and trying to wait) that God would indeed work this whole thing out.

And the waiting was a blessing too. In that six weeks, Chris went to several interviews (remember his employer ran out of funding? So we've been living on savings since February) and today he starts a new job! We couldn't very well get a mortgage if we didn't have an income. This is another answer to our prayers! But let me back up.

"Our turn" came up last Thursday. We received an email that our application was approved and we could move forward with the process. The process being, viewing and selecting our condo out of the available units and then working with our bank to get our loan. There were four 2-bedrooms available when we went to the viewing on Sunday afternoon. Another answer to prayer! After looking at them (some more than once) we made our selection and drove home, not at all excited. What?!

You read that right. We just didn't feel comfortable with the space. It is a brand new condo in a really great neighborhood with beautiful parks and a library all in walking distance. But that two bedroom, two bathroom condo felt so tiny. The bathrooms and designer kitchen were stunning and made me a little giddy, there was even a fitness center on site. And having in-unit washer/dryer and garage parking were things I've had high on my priority list for years. But the bedrooms were tiny and picturing our two boys sharing one tiny room (where two twin beds may or may not even fit) was just depressing. And the living room/dining room was fairly small too. There wouldn't have been space for a couch and a dining room table. Hosting has been something Chris and I love doing and the thought of having to get a small table for the four of us in order to have space for a couch was hard to consider. None of our current furniture would fit well here. And where would the toys go?

We currently live in 600 square feet and we have a lot of open floor space for the boys to play. We wouldn't have any floor space in this new home even if it was 850 square feet. The layout left us wanting more. We can get rid of a lot of stuff and go all-out-minimalist and even go broke buying fancy "tiny-house" friendly furniture . . . I've come up with a few ideas so far.

Was it worth going into debt to live in a space we would most likely outgrow in a few years? (Even with the below-market rate price it is still expensive.) And then there is the HOA which just sounded snooty. I understand they want the building to look and stay a certain way but telling me which curtains I can hang made me want to scream.

The weight of this decision sucked the air out of me and left me even more sleepless than the previous weeks of insomnia I've suffered. Chris and I talked it out over and over and kept coming to the same conclusion. It just isn't for us. And that stinks. We've seen God answer all of these prayer requests in the past six weeks and then to come to this conclusion? Are we crazy? Can beggars be choosers? Shouldn't we be grateful for this opportunity and just take it?

Over and over again we said "no." We don't have to take this. God is still in control and can still provide for our needs. And wouldn't you know it! There is an older 3 bedroom/2 bath below-market-rate condo available for resale. The lottery for this unit (there is only one) is next month. Please pray that somehow our number be drawn again! 

It's been six weeks since I've given you a housing update and it's not because I didn't want to share. I did. But the things I would have written would have been speculation and hope and a whirlwind of emotions, not a sure thing. Until today. Now I know what to say.

Back in March, our lottery number was drawn for a brand new condo I mentioned here. It was drawn! Out of hundreds of numbers, ours was picked! There were 11 total units and ours was the third one. We were stoked and a little bit scared. This was a huge answer to our prayers! And then all the "buts" and "what ifs" started. And the lack of understanding the process would hit us day after day.

Even though we were third on the list, there were several other applicants ahead of us due to a couple of laws in our city government. Those that live in the same neighborhood as the available condo are given first priority and those that were evicted under the Ellis Act are also given priority. And then us -- the ones who just want to stay in the city. So after weeks of waiting for it to be "our turn" and doubting that there would be a 2-bedroom even available we continued trusting (and trying to wait) that God would indeed work this whole thing out.

And the waiting was a blessing too. In that six weeks, Chris went to several interviews (remember his employer ran out of funding? So we've been living on savings since February) and today he starts a new job! We couldn't very well get a mortgage if we didn't have an income. This is another answer to our prayers! But let me back up.

"Our turn" came up last Thursday. We received an email that our application was approved and we could move forward with the process. The process being, viewing and selecting our condo out of the available units and then working with our bank to get our loan. There were four 2-bedrooms available when we went to the viewing on Sunday afternoon. Another answer to prayer! After looking at them (some more than once) we made our selection and drove home, not at all excited. What?!

You read that right. We just didn't feel comfortable with the space. It is a brand new condo in a really great neighborhood with beautiful parks and a library all in walking distance. But that two bedroom, two bathroom condo felt so tiny. The bathrooms and designer kitchen were stunning and made me a little giddy, there was even a fitness center on site. And having in-unit washer/dryer and garage parking were things I've had high on my priority list for years. But the bedrooms were tiny and picturing our two boys sharing one tiny room (where two twin beds may or may not even fit) was just depressing. And the living room/dining room was fairly small too. There wouldn't have been space for a couch and a dining room table. Hosting has been something Chris and I love doing and the thought of having to get a small table for the four of us in order to have space for a couch was hard to consider. None of our current furniture would fit well here. And where would the toys go?

We currently live in 600 square feet and we have a lot of open floor space for the boys to play. We wouldn't have any floor space in this new home even if it was 850 square feet. The layout left us wanting more. We can get rid of a lot of stuff and go all-out-minimalist and even go broke buying fancy "tiny-house" friendly furniture . . . I've come up with a few ideas so far.

Was it worth going into debt to live in a space we would most likely outgrow in a few years? (Even with the below-market rate price it is still expensive.) And then there is the HOA which just sounded snooty. I understand they want the building to look and stay a certain way but telling me which curtains I can hang made me want to scream.

The weight of this decision sucked the air out of me and left me even more sleepless than the previous weeks of insomnia I've suffered. Chris and I talked it out over and over and kept coming to the same conclusion. It just isn't for us. And that stinks. We've seen God answer all of these prayer requests in the past six weeks and then to come to this conclusion? Are we crazy? Can beggars be choosers? Shouldn't we be grateful for this opportunity and just take it?

Over and over again we said "no." We don't have to take this. God is still in control and can still provide for our needs. And wouldn't you know it! There is an older 3 bedroom/2 bath below-market-rate condo available for resale. The lottery for this unit (there is only one) is next month. Please pray that somehow our number be drawn again! 

Could this be it?!

Our application is in. We have a number. The lottery is a week from today. Could this really happen?!

I've mentioned before that we were hoping to get some help from the city for housing, by way of down payment assistance or a below-market rate condo. I also mentioned that funds were no longer available for the down payment assistance option a few months ago.

But, after I left my job in January we realized that our income now fit within the bracket for the below-market rate housing! Chris got busy applying and after submitting a three-inch stack of paperwork (that could not be filed electronically) we were given our number and told to wait until March 23.

The waiting is the hardest part and I'm getting a little stir crazy! I'm trying to keep my hopes high (but not too high, you know?). My heart beats faster when I think that this could really happen! Chris reminds me that if God wants to provide a home for us via a lottery, he can do that, even if it sounds crazy. If he has another way, he'll show us that when the time comes. We need to keep our trust in Him. There are only six two-bedrooms open and most likely hundreds of applicants. But God doesn't really concern himself with the odds does he?

I want to have faith and hope that our number will be drawn, that our family will be provided for (blessed, really). Will you pray with us? Will you pray for the lottery next Thursday? That the numbers drawn would be for the right families. And maybe that would include us?

Our application is in. We have a number. The lottery is a week from today. Could this really happen?!

I've mentioned before that we were hoping to get some help from the city for housing, by way of down payment assistance or a below-market rate condo. I also mentioned that funds were no longer available for the down payment assistance option a few months ago.

But, after I left my job in January we realized that our income now fit within the bracket for the below-market rate housing! Chris got busy applying and after submitting a three-inch stack of paperwork (that could not be filed electronically) we were given our number and told to wait until March 23.

The waiting is the hardest part and I'm getting a little stir crazy! I'm trying to keep my hopes high (but not too high, you know?). My heart beats faster when I think that this could really happen! Chris reminds me that if God wants to provide a home for us via a lottery, he can do that, even if it sounds crazy. If he has another way, he'll show us that when the time comes. We need to keep our trust in Him. There are only six two-bedrooms open and most likely hundreds of applicants. But God doesn't really concern himself with the odds does he?

I want to have faith and hope that our number will be drawn, that our family will be provided for (blessed, really). Will you pray with us? Will you pray for the lottery next Thursday? That the numbers drawn would be for the right families. And maybe that would include us?

One Week In

I've been at home with my boys for one week. For the most part, it has been awesome! I haven't found my rhythm quite yet but I'm loving the flexibility and the focus to get stuff done. I've take photos of my baby, blogged about him, updated both baby books, cooked meals every night and even did the dishes most nights. I still have many things to cross off of my to-do list, but I'm not in a rush. (Can I say that again? I am not in a rush!)

On Thursday, my husband came home and said "Want to hear some news?" My stomach did a flip and I knew exactly what he was going to say. I had after all just quit my job. What else could he say but "we aren't getting paid tomorrow"? And that's what he said. The managers have said he will be paid, but the when is a little gray. I couldn't even be upset because I totally expected this. Worried, anxious -- for sure. But not surprised.

The other news that was revealed to us this week was that the housing loan we were hoping to get for a house is no longer available through the city. They don't have money available for the program this year. So, looking for an at-market-rate home and getting a down payment assistance loan will not be happening. This was a little more devastating because we had spent so much time searching for a new home in 2016 and thought we were getting closer to the end. But, because I am not working now, we might qualify for the below-market-rate loan program. So we are now looking into that. My hopes are high and I fear they will be dashed again. But I still like hoping.

That's all the news for this week! Hope to have more (better) things to share soon!

I've been at home with my boys for one week. For the most part, it has been awesome! I haven't found my rhythm quite yet but I'm loving the flexibility and the focus to get stuff done. I've take photos of my baby, blogged about him, updated both baby books, cooked meals every night and even did the dishes most nights. I still have many things to cross off of my to-do list, but I'm not in a rush. (Can I say that again? I am not in a rush!)

On Thursday, my husband came home and said "Want to hear some news?" My stomach did a flip and I knew exactly what he was going to say. I had after all just quit my job. What else could he say but "we aren't getting paid tomorrow"? And that's what he said. The managers have said he will be paid, but the when is a little gray. I couldn't even be upset because I totally expected this. Worried, anxious -- for sure. But not surprised.

The other news that was revealed to us this week was that the housing loan we were hoping to get for a house is no longer available through the city. They don't have money available for the program this year. So, looking for an at-market-rate home and getting a down payment assistance loan will not be happening. This was a little more devastating because we had spent so much time searching for a new home in 2016 and thought we were getting closer to the end. But, because I am not working now, we might qualify for the below-market-rate loan program. So we are now looking into that. My hopes are high and I fear they will be dashed again. But I still like hoping.

That's all the news for this week! Hope to have more (better) things to share soon!

Why We Stay

It's really difficult for me to explain the reasons why we want to stay in San Francisco. It's complicated and it feels like there are layers and things unseen (and unknown). Let me try!

We have lived here for over 6 years and it has become home for us. What once seemed scary and uncomfortable has become familiar and enjoyable (biking, public transportation, busy city life, etc). We have a really wonderful community that has gone through so many seasons together and provide love, support, encouragement to us - like family. So when we think of moving, we think of leaving them and that's just too hard to ponder.

But there is more to it than that. Its a strange and new season for us spiritually. When we first moved here we were very mission-minded. We've desired to do ministry here but felt stuck and uncertain for so long and finally, just this year have felt like we're ready for it. We still don't know what this looks like but we've both felt like something is stirring. Finally! I think for me it's a fresh involvement with my church through MOPS. For Chris, it might mean volunteering with youth somehow. Like I said, it's all uncertain. But our church just found a new pastor and with that comes excitement for steps of faith, growth and changes.

Then there is the logistical arguments. When we first moved here, our friends claimed that living on the western side of the city felt like a whole different city all together. No one visited you out there and it took such a long time to get from one side of the city to the other and required a lot of effort to stay connected. We laughed because we came from places that were super spread out and SF is just 7 miles wide. But it is true. If you leave your little pocket-community, it changes life and effects relationships. And even more so when you consider moving outside the city and staying within the Bay Area. People don't make time to cross bridges for play dates or hanging out! Life goes by too quickly and soon you are distant friends living 10 miles apart. When we consider moving we've often said "If we're going to leave the city we may as well leave the state. It would be starting over either way."

There is also a potential increase in commute times if we moved elsewhere. Chris already drives 45 minutes to work each morning. If we move east or south it would be even longer. And moving north means smaller towns, when we really love the urban city.

And then the financial points. My least favorite. Bay Area housing is expensive. I was told this even before I moved here. And it has increased so much more I can't even believe it. We do need to move to a larger space. That much is certain. If we decide to rent a two bedroom space, our monthly rent would at least double if not triple what we pay now (because of rent control, we pay basically the same amount as when we signed our lease). We're looking at buying a house here for two reasons 1) the mortgage could be less than paying rent if we found the right space and stick to our budget and 2) the city provides a really great loan for city residence to buy their first home here if you meet all their requirements. If we leave the city limits, this loan is no longer available to us.

So, we love the urban city. We can walk to a lot, bike, take the bus. There is a lot going on here -socially, professionally and with potential ministry. The city is full of people of all walks of life and that is really amazing. We are part of a wonderful community and don't want to start over. And if the housing stuff lines up as we're praying it will, it could work out and we could buy a house! We've been discussing the pros and cons for nearly two years and although there isn't anything really making us stay, we honestly don't feel ready to leave. So we're doing whatever we can to stay for however long that might be.

It's really difficult for me to explain the reasons why we want to stay in San Francisco. It's complicated and it feels like there are layers and things unseen (and unknown). Let me try!

We have lived here for over 6 years and it has become home for us. What once seemed scary and uncomfortable has become familiar and enjoyable (biking, public transportation, busy city life, etc). We have a really wonderful community that has gone through so many seasons together and provide love, support, encouragement to us - like family. So when we think of moving, we think of leaving them and that's just too hard to ponder.

But there is more to it than that. Its a strange and new season for us spiritually. When we first moved here we were very mission-minded. We've desired to do ministry here but felt stuck and uncertain for so long and finally, just this year have felt like we're ready for it. We still don't know what this looks like but we've both felt like something is stirring. Finally! I think for me it's a fresh involvement with my church through MOPS. For Chris, it might mean volunteering with youth somehow. Like I said, it's all uncertain. But our church just found a new pastor and with that comes excitement for steps of faith, growth and changes.

Then there is the logistical arguments. When we first moved here, our friends claimed that living on the western side of the city felt like a whole different city all together. No one visited you out there and it took such a long time to get from one side of the city to the other and required a lot of effort to stay connected. We laughed because we came from places that were super spread out and SF is just 7 miles wide. But it is true. If you leave your little pocket-community, it changes life and effects relationships. And even more so when you consider moving outside the city and staying within the Bay Area. People don't make time to cross bridges for play dates or hanging out! Life goes by too quickly and soon you are distant friends living 10 miles apart. When we consider moving we've often said "If we're going to leave the city we may as well leave the state. It would be starting over either way."

There is also a potential increase in commute times if we moved elsewhere. Chris already drives 45 minutes to work each morning. If we move east or south it would be even longer. And moving north means smaller towns, when we really love the urban city.

And then the financial points. My least favorite. Bay Area housing is expensive. I was told this even before I moved here. And it has increased so much more I can't even believe it. We do need to move to a larger space. That much is certain. If we decide to rent a two bedroom space, our monthly rent would at least double if not triple what we pay now (because of rent control, we pay basically the same amount as when we signed our lease). We're looking at buying a house here for two reasons 1) the mortgage could be less than paying rent if we found the right space and stick to our budget and 2) the city provides a really great loan for city residence to buy their first home here if you meet all their requirements. If we leave the city limits, this loan is no longer available to us.

So, we love the urban city. We can walk to a lot, bike, take the bus. There is a lot going on here -socially, professionally and with potential ministry. The city is full of people of all walks of life and that is really amazing. We are part of a wonderful community and don't want to start over. And if the housing stuff lines up as we're praying it will, it could work out and we could buy a house! We've been discussing the pros and cons for nearly two years and although there isn't anything really making us stay, we honestly don't feel ready to leave. So we're doing whatever we can to stay for however long that might be.

Open Houses that Opened our Eyes

Before Stephen was born we toured a number of houses. I remember seeing one that we both really liked. They were closer to the beach which is typically known as the foggy part of the city (but it is sunny every time we end up there) and is much quieter than where we live now.

I have no photos to share or even many details to point out as it seems so long ago now, but what I do remember is that it had space for our family to grow, was cute/clean enough to move into, and felt comfortable to be in. It even had an in-law unit on the lower level next to the garage. This was really nice -- we could have people stay with us! Right?! Well, not quite. This is when we discovered that whatever home we wanted to put an offer in had to be completely vacant. (This is a requirement for the loan we were approved for, not for everyone.) This home had a renter in the in-law and would come with the purchase of the home. It sounds so strange, right. I purchase a house and it comes with someone living in it! And evicting him/her isn't a pleasant thing as there are many laws attached to doing such a thing. (I realize this is common for apartments but this was a house . . .  the in-law is operated under the same guidelines.)

I also remember that the price being a bit high for what we were hoping to pay. So, we decided to pass on putting an offer in and not hassle with the in-law issue. It was early in our search and thought we'd find something better. Now, looking back this house tends to be the one that we keep thinking of and wondering all the "if" questions. Would it have hurt to study up on all the tenant laws and put in an offer anyway? Find a work-around with our loan? Who knows!

A few weeks after seeing that house, we met our realtor to look at three other houses in a part of the city I had never really been in. The houses were priced lower than what we had seen before so we were hopeful that we might actually be able to be competitive when it came to putting in an offer.

I've forgotten the order in which we saw them but they were all interesting. One of the houses was huge, I believe they said it was four bedrooms. Walking through it was a bit of a maze. It seemed like every room led to another room and another and soon you forgot where you were. Each room had some sort of funky red carpet and clashing paint on the wall. There was an area that looked like it had been added on to at a later time which slanted severely downhill and had a bar area and sleazy chairs. I can't even describe how bizarre this place really was. Someone mentioned it looked like several families lived in this home together and tried to make separate spaces as much as possible. They may have been right!

Another home was a two bedroom with a huge basement. An elderly woman lived there and some of her things were still present (which we rarely see in all of these super-staged places) so this one stood out. The kitchen was nice and spacious (also rare) as was the bathroom. But the really interesting thing was the basement. There was a room in the back with at least a dozen sewing machines! And then another area full of sewing supplies. At first, I was like, "this is so cool! I'd have my own built in craft room!" But then I looked at Chris to get his reaction and he mouthed "sweat shop" and that was the end of that. And then on the way back to our cars we noticed all of the vulture like birds hovering over the trash in the street and realized upon further observations that this was "the projects." Let's move on!

And now I've written this much and cannot for the life of me remember that third house! Bummer. Well, you get the idea of the variety of things we've seen!

The other stipulation that we've discovered about the loan we want to get is that it cannot have any "Section 1" repairs required. This includes things like mold, dry rot, or anything "dangerous/safety concerns" There have been three homes we've wanted to put offers on but were not able to because of these types of things being reported at the inspection.

I often even wonder if there are any homes in this city that would qualify for this loan! It's hard to stay positive and hopeful when every home we see has "something" that stops us from pursing it. We have our list of things we want in our home and then we have a list of "no's" from our mortgage broker. The combination of the two leaves us waiting.

Our eyes have seen a lot in this search and have been opened wide to see all the tiny details that might be red flags, they've also opened wide in search and expectation for the one that will be our home. We continue to have faith that we will find it!

Before Stephen was born we toured a number of houses. I remember seeing one that we both really liked. They were closer to the beach which is typically known as the foggy part of the city (but it is sunny every time we end up there) and is much quieter than where we live now.

I have no photos to share or even many details to point out as it seems so long ago now, but what I do remember is that it had space for our family to grow, was cute/clean enough to move into, and felt comfortable to be in. It even had an in-law unit on the lower level next to the garage. This was really nice -- we could have people stay with us! Right?! Well, not quite. This is when we discovered that whatever home we wanted to put an offer in had to be completely vacant. (This is a requirement for the loan we were approved for, not for everyone.) This home had a renter in the in-law and would come with the purchase of the home. It sounds so strange, right. I purchase a house and it comes with someone living in it! And evicting him/her isn't a pleasant thing as there are many laws attached to doing such a thing. (I realize this is common for apartments but this was a house . . .  the in-law is operated under the same guidelines.)

I also remember that the price being a bit high for what we were hoping to pay. So, we decided to pass on putting an offer in and not hassle with the in-law issue. It was early in our search and thought we'd find something better. Now, looking back this house tends to be the one that we keep thinking of and wondering all the "if" questions. Would it have hurt to study up on all the tenant laws and put in an offer anyway? Find a work-around with our loan? Who knows!

A few weeks after seeing that house, we met our realtor to look at three other houses in a part of the city I had never really been in. The houses were priced lower than what we had seen before so we were hopeful that we might actually be able to be competitive when it came to putting in an offer.

I've forgotten the order in which we saw them but they were all interesting. One of the houses was huge, I believe they said it was four bedrooms. Walking through it was a bit of a maze. It seemed like every room led to another room and another and soon you forgot where you were. Each room had some sort of funky red carpet and clashing paint on the wall. There was an area that looked like it had been added on to at a later time which slanted severely downhill and had a bar area and sleazy chairs. I can't even describe how bizarre this place really was. Someone mentioned it looked like several families lived in this home together and tried to make separate spaces as much as possible. They may have been right!

Another home was a two bedroom with a huge basement. An elderly woman lived there and some of her things were still present (which we rarely see in all of these super-staged places) so this one stood out. The kitchen was nice and spacious (also rare) as was the bathroom. But the really interesting thing was the basement. There was a room in the back with at least a dozen sewing machines! And then another area full of sewing supplies. At first, I was like, "this is so cool! I'd have my own built in craft room!" But then I looked at Chris to get his reaction and he mouthed "sweat shop" and that was the end of that. And then on the way back to our cars we noticed all of the vulture like birds hovering over the trash in the street and realized upon further observations that this was "the projects." Let's move on!

And now I've written this much and cannot for the life of me remember that third house! Bummer. Well, you get the idea of the variety of things we've seen!

The other stipulation that we've discovered about the loan we want to get is that it cannot have any "Section 1" repairs required. This includes things like mold, dry rot, or anything "dangerous/safety concerns" There have been three homes we've wanted to put offers on but were not able to because of these types of things being reported at the inspection.

I often even wonder if there are any homes in this city that would qualify for this loan! It's hard to stay positive and hopeful when every home we see has "something" that stops us from pursing it. We have our list of things we want in our home and then we have a list of "no's" from our mortgage broker. The combination of the two leaves us waiting.

Our eyes have seen a lot in this search and have been opened wide to see all the tiny details that might be red flags, they've also opened wide in search and expectation for the one that will be our home. We continue to have faith that we will find it!

Apartment Transformations

As you know (because I tell everyone), we live in a one bedroom apartment on a really busy street. We didn't realize just how busy it was until we had our first child and I was home all day. We've been in this same space since June 2010, so we just passed the 6 year mark. It's about 650 square feet and on most days it actually feels quite big.

Our living room has been through a lot of changes in 6 years. It started off of course as a typical living room complete with couches, coffee table, TV, desk and more. Then when William was born, we consolidated a bit and created a baby corner. We updated some shelving and our kitchen storage. And up until Winter of 2015, this is what our place looked like. After those photos were taken, we moved the bed into the living room and gave William the bedroom. This way we all slept better.

This worked out just fine; we still had room for a couch but had to get rid of the love seat and coffee table. We still had people over, although much less than before. And amazingly we still felt like we had space.

Once Stephen joined our family 6 months ago, we had to reorganize again! We didn't want to put the baby in with William quite yet so he joined us in the living room. Our "living room" is now a bedroom/nursery -- with a TV in the corner. I found a really comfortable reclining-rocking nursing chair on craigslist, which meant we had to get rid of our couch. We moved our other rocking chair from William's room so now we have two places to sit. The changing table/dresser I originally wanted to get for William was finally purchased and the pack'n play is set up again next to our bed.

And our newest update has been black-out curtains. I'm not sure why we didn't do this 2 years ago because it makes such a difference for our sleep, but it is great now and baby approves too! Chris also added a curtain as a separator between the dining room and living area, which gives us a lot more freedom to stay up past 6 p.m. and cook dinner without disturbing the baby. We've even had a few people over for dinner with this new improvement!

This one space is so used. The floor space we do have is often covered with toys for both boys. I fixed that issue a little by packing away our DVDs (which we haven't watched in two years) and making space on the shelf for toys instead of stuff we never use.

William's room now houses a twin bed on the floor, three dressers and a cradle for Stephen to use for naps when William isn't sleeping (otherwise we have to tip-toe around the rest of the apartment to do anything!)

On most days it still feels spacious . . . until it doesn't and then I feel a little depressed/sad/angry. We've been looking for a larger home for nearly two years, more aggressively since last fall when we learned Stephen was coming! I find myself getting more easily agitated with the noise level of our neighborhood and less patient with our hunt. But I'm always reminded of God's perfect timing in his provision and usually find a way to be grateful with what I have and where we are.

I am entirely thankful that we have a space in which we can shift and grow into. Even if it's a little unconventional. I'm thankful that our one bedroom apartment has provided for our needs for over 6 years. This is the longest I've lived anywhere since moving away from home!

If we do end up staying here past Stephen's first birthday William's room will have to get a make over. I'm not at all sure how to fit a crib and a changing table/dresser in there yet!

As you know (because I tell everyone), we live in a one bedroom apartment on a really busy street. We didn't realize just how busy it was until we had our first child and I was home all day. We've been in this same space since June 2010, so we just passed the 6 year mark. It's about 650 square feet and on most days it actually feels quite big.

Our living room has been through a lot of changes in 6 years. It started off of course as a typical living room complete with couches, coffee table, TV, desk and more. Then when William was born, we consolidated a bit and created a baby corner. We updated some shelving and our kitchen storage. And up until Winter of 2015, this is what our place looked like. After those photos were taken, we moved the bed into the living room and gave William the bedroom. This way we all slept better.

This worked out just fine; we still had room for a couch but had to get rid of the love seat and coffee table. We still had people over, although much less than before. And amazingly we still felt like we had space.

Once Stephen joined our family 6 months ago, we had to reorganize again! We didn't want to put the baby in with William quite yet so he joined us in the living room. Our "living room" is now a bedroom/nursery -- with a TV in the corner. I found a really comfortable reclining-rocking nursing chair on craigslist, which meant we had to get rid of our couch. We moved our other rocking chair from William's room so now we have two places to sit. The changing table/dresser I originally wanted to get for William was finally purchased and the pack'n play is set up again next to our bed.

And our newest update has been black-out curtains. I'm not sure why we didn't do this 2 years ago because it makes such a difference for our sleep, but it is great now and baby approves too! Chris also added a curtain as a separator between the dining room and living area, which gives us a lot more freedom to stay up past 6 p.m. and cook dinner without disturbing the baby. We've even had a few people over for dinner with this new improvement!

This one space is so used. The floor space we do have is often covered with toys for both boys. I fixed that issue a little by packing away our DVDs (which we haven't watched in two years) and making space on the shelf for toys instead of stuff we never use.

William's room now houses a twin bed on the floor, three dressers and a cradle for Stephen to use for naps when William isn't sleeping (otherwise we have to tip-toe around the rest of the apartment to do anything!)

On most days it still feels spacious . . . until it doesn't and then I feel a little depressed/sad/angry. We've been looking for a larger home for nearly two years, more aggressively since last fall when we learned Stephen was coming! I find myself getting more easily agitated with the noise level of our neighborhood and less patient with our hunt. But I'm always reminded of God's perfect timing in his provision and usually find a way to be grateful with what I have and where we are.

I am entirely thankful that we have a space in which we can shift and grow into. Even if it's a little unconventional. I'm thankful that our one bedroom apartment has provided for our needs for over 6 years. This is the longest I've lived anywhere since moving away from home!

If we do end up staying here past Stephen's first birthday William's room will have to get a make over. I'm not at all sure how to fit a crib and a changing table/dresser in there yet!

House Hunting: The beginning

Our hunt for a larger apartment started when William was nearly one. That was two years ago. We weren't all that serious about it at that time and it was hard to find something we liked that we could afford. It was actually quite depressing. Shortly after that, rent in the city increased even more and a mortgage was actually looking like a good idea.

Over a year ago, a friend told us about a city program that provides interest-free loans and down payment assistance to families within certain income brackets. They also have "below market-rate" or BMR condos and homes they make available to these families. We took the class and it sounded like we might actually qualify.

The BMR program is quite complicated and I won't go into the details, but the important thing to note is that if you do actually qualify and meet the requirements to purchase a home, it's a lottery. So your number has to be drawn . . . imagine a bunny being pulled from a hat because that's what it seems like to me!

But our God is big and can pull houses out of a hat so we gave it a try! (I'll try to write more another time on why we refuse to leave the city when housing is expensive!) We went through all the steps and filled out the application for the BMR lottery on a three bedroom condo. It wasn't our favorite location but it was a brand new building and the program made it completely affordable! We couldn't pass it up. Well, when our application got into the hands of the bank to give us our pre-approval it all came to a screeching halt. We made $1000 too much to qualify for the program. I was heart-broken. My husband stood firm that everything would work out for the best.

So, then we had to wait. Wait for another condo to open up with a higher income bracket. And as we waited, and waited we started to see the silver lining of not moving to that new condo. It was on a busy street (the same busy street we currently live on), parking was an additional $100,000 for purchase, and the neighborhood left something to be desired . . . the list goes on.

Chris started looking into the down payment assistance program that was available for market-rate homes. We were drawn to the idea of a home because they typically come with a yard, a garage and laundry. The condos rarely come with all of those! He did a lot of leg work to figure it all out and it looked like something that could work for our family if we stuck to a budget!

When we found out I was pregnant with Stephen, we started looking more aggressively for our future home. Now we had a pre-approval from a mortgage broker and a realtor. This was feeling very "adult" for us. Every weekend we would go to one, two or even three open houses. We had a "tiny" budget compared to what houses sell for in this area so we got to see some really interesting places. And if the answer wasn't "no" for obvious reasons (the house was falling apart or was in the projects), then it was "no" because we really felt like that wasn't the right place for our family. We are a praying bunch and the Lord has proven to hear our requests over and over again. We believed we could be prayerful about our desires for our family's future. We did see some really great houses too but in the end we would have had to go over our budget and decided not to pursue them. Bidding wars are a real thing here and it is scary how much a home can cost!

And then Stephen was born and we took a break because naps trump all outside activities with a newborn. And when we heard that the city raised it's loan amount we leapt with joy and were given a new hope. This could actually happen. Right?

Our hunt for a larger apartment started when William was nearly one. That was two years ago. We weren't all that serious about it at that time and it was hard to find something we liked that we could afford. It was actually quite depressing. Shortly after that, rent in the city increased even more and a mortgage was actually looking like a good idea.

Over a year ago, a friend told us about a city program that provides interest-free loans and down payment assistance to families within certain income brackets. They also have "below market-rate" or BMR condos and homes they make available to these families. We took the class and it sounded like we might actually qualify.

The BMR program is quite complicated and I won't go into the details, but the important thing to note is that if you do actually qualify and meet the requirements to purchase a home, it's a lottery. So your number has to be drawn . . . imagine a bunny being pulled from a hat because that's what it seems like to me!

But our God is big and can pull houses out of a hat so we gave it a try! (I'll try to write more another time on why we refuse to leave the city when housing is expensive!) We went through all the steps and filled out the application for the BMR lottery on a three bedroom condo. It wasn't our favorite location but it was a brand new building and the program made it completely affordable! We couldn't pass it up. Well, when our application got into the hands of the bank to give us our pre-approval it all came to a screeching halt. We made $1000 too much to qualify for the program. I was heart-broken. My husband stood firm that everything would work out for the best.

So, then we had to wait. Wait for another condo to open up with a higher income bracket. And as we waited, and waited we started to see the silver lining of not moving to that new condo. It was on a busy street (the same busy street we currently live on), parking was an additional $100,000 for purchase, and the neighborhood left something to be desired . . . the list goes on.

Chris started looking into the down payment assistance program that was available for market-rate homes. We were drawn to the idea of a home because they typically come with a yard, a garage and laundry. The condos rarely come with all of those! He did a lot of leg work to figure it all out and it looked like something that could work for our family if we stuck to a budget!

When we found out I was pregnant with Stephen, we started looking more aggressively for our future home. Now we had a pre-approval from a mortgage broker and a realtor. This was feeling very "adult" for us. Every weekend we would go to one, two or even three open houses. We had a "tiny" budget compared to what houses sell for in this area so we got to see some really interesting places. And if the answer wasn't "no" for obvious reasons (the house was falling apart or was in the projects), then it was "no" because we really felt like that wasn't the right place for our family. We are a praying bunch and the Lord has proven to hear our requests over and over again. We believed we could be prayerful about our desires for our family's future. We did see some really great houses too but in the end we would have had to go over our budget and decided not to pursue them. Bidding wars are a real thing here and it is scary how much a home can cost!

And then Stephen was born and we took a break because naps trump all outside activities with a newborn. And when we heard that the city raised it's loan amount we leapt with joy and were given a new hope. This could actually happen. Right?

The Apartment Tour

In June, we will have been in our apartment for five years. FIVE YEARS! I mentioned a while ago that we were looking for a new home, one with an additional bedroom. And the search continues. We've seen a few more since then, but nothing that fit our needs. 

My mind changes on an almost daily basis of how much longer I can handle our living arrangements. The pros and cons lists change all of the time. One minute, I'm content to stay here until we find the perfect next-home; the next moment I'm suggesting we broaden our search outside of city limits or rent out someones basement. Should I stay or should I go now? I struggle to stay content with what I have.

Anyway, enough drama. On to the tour I should have given you four and a half years ago!

We'll start in the kitchen, with a photo taken just weeks after we moved in! Me and my lovely baby sister showing off the kitchen. It looks the same except we've just recently put photos up on that big blank wall!

And the dining room (the photo is also from four and half years ago): We've updated quite a bit but I never have my camera around when it's clean enough to show you! We have a new chandelier (Thank you, Lord) and a new china hutch. The table and chairs are the same old squeaky furniture that was given to us when we moved in! 

the new china hutch:

The living room: At one time we had a computer desk and bookshelf in this space, but now William's toys, clothes, diapers, and everything he owns lives here. On the wall to the bottom left of the photo is our television and DVD collection, everyone has one, so there was really no reason to show it to you.

Here is another angle of the living room so you can see how it appears when you enter our home (I'm standing near the door). Also, the dining room starts right behind the couch on the right side of the photo. Cozy, right!?

And now for the bathroom. Everyone has one of those too, but you would be surprised that they don't all look normal. We've seen some interesting ones in our search and I cannot tell you how grateful we were when we found this place. The bathroom was my favorite. It's not pink, it is all in one room, and there is storage under the sink! And it was very clean. 

The last room in our tour is our bedroom. It looked a little nicer before we squeezed the pack'n play in the corner; the lamp and nightstand were actually near the bed. And we had art on the side wall which was removed in the name of book-storage. 

There you have it! Our home. We love it most of the time. It really is hard to find a place (in our budget) that we like as much as this space. We've been spoiled with things like a dishwasher, laundry in the building, and a bathtub. Some of the places we've looked at don't even have an oven -- just a range on the counter! And a new thing I'm seeing is tiny sinks, as in dishpan size. 

Thanks for reading. I will certainly keep you up-to-date in our apartment hunt. Maybe we can start a reality TV show, "Normal folks trying to Live in San Francisco" 

In June, we will have been in our apartment for five years. FIVE YEARS! I mentioned a while ago that we were looking for a new home, one with an additional bedroom. And the search continues. We've seen a few more since then, but nothing that fit our needs. 

My mind changes on an almost daily basis of how much longer I can handle our living arrangements. The pros and cons lists change all of the time. One minute, I'm content to stay here until we find the perfect next-home; the next moment I'm suggesting we broaden our search outside of city limits or rent out someones basement. Should I stay or should I go now? I struggle to stay content with what I have.

Anyway, enough drama. On to the tour I should have given you four and a half years ago!

We'll start in the kitchen, with a photo taken just weeks after we moved in! Me and my lovely baby sister showing off the kitchen. It looks the same except we've just recently put photos up on that big blank wall!

And the dining room (the photo is also from four and half years ago): We've updated quite a bit but I never have my camera around when it's clean enough to show you! We have a new chandelier (Thank you, Lord) and a new china hutch. The table and chairs are the same old squeaky furniture that was given to us when we moved in! 

the new china hutch:

The living room: At one time we had a computer desk and bookshelf in this space, but now William's toys, clothes, diapers, and everything he owns lives here. On the wall to the bottom left of the photo is our television and DVD collection, everyone has one, so there was really no reason to show it to you.

Here is another angle of the living room so you can see how it appears when you enter our home (I'm standing near the door). Also, the dining room starts right behind the couch on the right side of the photo. Cozy, right!?

And now for the bathroom. Everyone has one of those too, but you would be surprised that they don't all look normal. We've seen some interesting ones in our search and I cannot tell you how grateful we were when we found this place. The bathroom was my favorite. It's not pink, it is all in one room, and there is storage under the sink! And it was very clean. 

The last room in our tour is our bedroom. It looked a little nicer before we squeezed the pack'n play in the corner; the lamp and nightstand were actually near the bed. And we had art on the side wall which was removed in the name of book-storage. 

There you have it! Our home. We love it most of the time. It really is hard to find a place (in our budget) that we like as much as this space. We've been spoiled with things like a dishwasher, laundry in the building, and a bathtub. Some of the places we've looked at don't even have an oven -- just a range on the counter! And a new thing I'm seeing is tiny sinks, as in dishpan size. 

Thanks for reading. I will certainly keep you up-to-date in our apartment hunt. Maybe we can start a reality TV show, "Normal folks trying to Live in San Francisco" 

Creating Space: Furniture Update

With just six weeks left before Baby B enters our world, Chris and I have really started to think seriously (and plan accordingly) about making space for our little one. We have a one bedroom apartment, which is probably around 600 square feet. We love it. It's been our comfortable home for the past three years and has been perfect for the two of us. And now, we need to make it at least functional for the three of us!

A while back, I wrote about our hunt for furniture and our great china hutch find. After that, I had been looking for a few other key pieces on a weekly (okay, daily) basis - an entry way table with storage, a dresser that can be used as a changing table, and shelves.

It was slow going. Really. Everything we found that we remotely liked was either too expensive (especially for used furniture!) or two far away. I'd been looking for months. Seriously. And as time was speeding by and my baby bump was getting bigger, I felt like we needed to hurry it up a bit.

Chris agreed to go to IKEA with me, it seemed like our last resort, but we knew they'd have the functional pieces we needed. We spent a few hours there, which wasn't bad. And Chris handled it well. He had never been there before so I was a little worried he'd be overwhelmed; thankfully we got there right when it opened so it wasn't too crowded yet. We even stopped for some Swedish meatballs!

So, without further ado, here's a before and after photo for you!

The change wasn't drastic by any means, but it does provide us with a lot more storage! I didn't think to take a photo of all the stuff in our bedroom that now fits in this new cabinet, but now we have space for a pack'n play/mini crib next to our bed.

And all my hobby stuff is in one place! My camera and equipment, card making supplies, and sewing materials are all hidden away and much easier to get to! Success!

With just six weeks left before Baby B enters our world, Chris and I have really started to think seriously (and plan accordingly) about making space for our little one. We have a one bedroom apartment, which is probably around 600 square feet. We love it. It's been our comfortable home for the past three years and has been perfect for the two of us. And now, we need to make it at least functional for the three of us!

A while back, I wrote about our hunt for furniture and our great china hutch find. After that, I had been looking for a few other key pieces on a weekly (okay, daily) basis - an entry way table with storage, a dresser that can be used as a changing table, and shelves.

It was slow going. Really. Everything we found that we remotely liked was either too expensive (especially for used furniture!) or two far away. I'd been looking for months. Seriously. And as time was speeding by and my baby bump was getting bigger, I felt like we needed to hurry it up a bit.

Chris agreed to go to IKEA with me, it seemed like our last resort, but we knew they'd have the functional pieces we needed. We spent a few hours there, which wasn't bad. And Chris handled it well. He had never been there before so I was a little worried he'd be overwhelmed; thankfully we got there right when it opened so it wasn't too crowded yet. We even stopped for some Swedish meatballs!

So, without further ado, here's a before and after photo for you!

The change wasn't drastic by any means, but it does provide us with a lot more storage! I didn't think to take a photo of all the stuff in our bedroom that now fits in this new cabinet, but now we have space for a pack'n play/mini crib next to our bed.

And all my hobby stuff is in one place! My camera and equipment, card making supplies, and sewing materials are all hidden away and much easier to get to! Success!

The News We've All Been Waiting For!

On Saturday, June 4th, we packed up our car and truck once again to drive the last 36 miles of the trip we began last November. As we crossed the Bay bridge into San Francisco I felt the same sense of hope and excitement I felt when we initially left Colorado. It was unreal. We had been waiting for God to provide housing for so long that actually moving seemed more like a dream than reality.

I will spare you the details and emotions of trying to find a one-bedroom apartment in the desirable "Mission District" that we could actually afford and that we both liked. I will tell you that in the end of the two-month process, as we signed the lease, it felt like God was handing this apartment to us on a silver platter. We have a beautiful one-bedroom apartment on Mission street, in a very Mexican part of the city. The bus that both of us take to get to work is right across the street and parking has been fairly easy (being we still have two cars). And our really nice landlord is also a follower of Jesus! (Pictures of the apartment will be posted after we have it furnished!)

I find it interesting how quickly our attitudes and thoughts change when we get what we've been waiting and praying for. I have to admit that it was much easier for me to praise God with a genuinely rejoicing spirit after I knew we had the apartment than during the period of waiting. I have to remind myself that even when we are in the valleys (the low points or times of hardship) God is still God and very much in control. He does not change. It's amazing how quickly He can pull us out of that valley and onto the top of the mountain! It takes only an instant!

I am so glad we continued to trust in God, even when it was hard. He has blessed us with a wonderful place that already feels like home. And we know that he has a plan for us here. My job continues to go well and the realm of data-entry is growing wider and deeper every day (it's much more involved that I ever gave it credit for). And Chris still continues to work for the investment firm as an office manager.

After those last 36 miles, it feels like we started life again after an 8-month pause. And life is good; God is good—always. May we all continue to take steps of faith that will, without a doubt, bring us closer to our Lord.

Our New Address:

3812 Mission St. Apt. 1

San Francisco, CA 94110

On Saturday, June 4th, we packed up our car and truck once again to drive the last 36 miles of the trip we began last November. As we crossed the Bay bridge into San Francisco I felt the same sense of hope and excitement I felt when we initially left Colorado. It was unreal. We had been waiting for God to provide housing for so long that actually moving seemed more like a dream than reality.

I will spare you the details and emotions of trying to find a one-bedroom apartment in the desirable "Mission District" that we could actually afford and that we both liked. I will tell you that in the end of the two-month process, as we signed the lease, it felt like God was handing this apartment to us on a silver platter. We have a beautiful one-bedroom apartment on Mission street, in a very Mexican part of the city. The bus that both of us take to get to work is right across the street and parking has been fairly easy (being we still have two cars). And our really nice landlord is also a follower of Jesus! (Pictures of the apartment will be posted after we have it furnished!)

I find it interesting how quickly our attitudes and thoughts change when we get what we've been waiting and praying for. I have to admit that it was much easier for me to praise God with a genuinely rejoicing spirit after I knew we had the apartment than during the period of waiting. I have to remind myself that even when we are in the valleys (the low points or times of hardship) God is still God and very much in control. He does not change. It's amazing how quickly He can pull us out of that valley and onto the top of the mountain! It takes only an instant!

I am so glad we continued to trust in God, even when it was hard. He has blessed us with a wonderful place that already feels like home. And we know that he has a plan for us here. My job continues to go well and the realm of data-entry is growing wider and deeper every day (it's much more involved that I ever gave it credit for). And Chris still continues to work for the investment firm as an office manager.

After those last 36 miles, it feels like we started life again after an 8-month pause. And life is good; God is good—always. May we all continue to take steps of faith that will, without a doubt, bring us closer to our Lord.

Our New Address:

3812 Mission St. Apt. 1

San Francisco, CA 94110