Changes

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that we have a lot of changes coming up and some hard decisions to make.  Well here are the details of those changes.  I'll do a quick version, and a long version.

Quick Version:

1)  We are moving to a different apartment across town.

2)  I got a new job!  As a secretary at an elementary school (my dream job).


Long Version:

1) When we first moved to Fort Collins, I wanted to find a place that we could stay in {ideally} for the whole time that we were here, or for at least 3 years.  We were just so sick of moving since we've moved 8 times in our 5 yr marriage, and have had 5 different apartments (some of the moves were into storage units).  So we picked a place that was priced at the top of our budget, thinking it would be worth it in the end to not have to move again.  Everything was going along great, we loved the apartment complex (management, neighbors, etc.), we loved the area, the ward, all of it.  But, turns out that when our 1 yr lease came to an end, the apartment complex decided to raise rent prices and force us (their CURRENT residents) to either pay it or move out.  I knew that rent price could potentially go up, but I thought it was only applicable to NEW residents, or that it would only go up by $10-$20.  I guess not, because they raised it by $100 per month!  Boo.  We just aren't interested in making that work, so a couple months ago, we started looking for somewhere else to live.  We thought that if we could find something that was a better set-up (a townhouse/duplex with a yard, garage, things like that) and cheaper than what we were paying before, that it would be worth it.  We quickly found that all the properties with those requirements were clear on the other end of town, away from the area and ward that we love.  The only thing available in our same area was another apartment complex, and we just really wanted to find something better if we were going to have to move anyway.  So, we had to decide between a great area or a great place and I spent weeks debating, praying, asking for advice and options and we finally decided to go with a place that we would enjoy living in, even if we have to leave an area we love.  It turns out that I already know someone in our new ward and we'll get to know even more people.  We're closer to campus, downtown and the mountains, we're just further away from stores and businesses.  It was fun being able to walk to the bank, grocery store, and frozen yogurt shop, but I think I'd rather have a garage, fenced yard and only 1 shared wall instead of 4 (which is what this new place has).  So we will be moving into our new place next week.  I'm sad to leave our great area, but at least we already have friends that we can still hang out with, we'll just have to drive further to see them.  And I am excited about this new place.  It's a little older, but we have our own garage, fenced yard, lots of storage and I can paint and make it personal.  My parents are coming in to town next week to help us move, so that will be a huge help.  I'll post pictures of the process later on!

2)  A couple months ago, I submitted an application to the school district here in Fort Collins for a number of jobs that had opened up for the new school year.  I wasn't expecting anything to come of it, because I've been casually looking for other jobs ever since I started at State Farm in January (ever since we moved to Fort Collins, for that matter) and haven't ever hear anything back, so I had just accepted that finding a job, that I enjoy, that pays well, that is in Fort Collins, was pretty much impossible.  But one day in May, I got a call to interview for a School Secretary position at Timnath Elementary.  I guess my interview was decent enough, because I got the job!  I'm super excited because this is actually the job I've been wanting for a few years now AND it pays {a little} better than State Farm AND it's closer to where we live (a 20 minute drive instead of 30)!  The only dilemma I had with this job was to choose between getting paid quite a bit less than expected, but also getting a paycheck during the summer (when I'm not working) OR get paid the full amount but not get a paycheck over the summer.  In the end, I chose to get paid the full amount during the school year, and I'll figure out what to do next summer when we get to that point.  I'll miss the people I've met at State Farm, it's a great company to work for and I love my managers and co-workers, but I won't miss the commute, or the job itself.  It was actually pretty easy, just not in my field of interest.  Anyway, I'm really excited and I start on August 6!


In other news:  Brody is enjoying his summer off school.  He is working about 10 hours a week on campus doing research, and is also writing a few papers that are due at the end of the summer.  Other than that he's been doing a lot of climbing and a lot of errands for me while I'm at work.