A house, family, and Memorial Day

After we got back from PNG, my wife and I had two pretty different views on our housing situation for the next three years. To boil it down, I wanted to buy, and she wanted to rent. I thought, there's no time like now to buy, right? I mean, everyone is always saying it's a buyer's market, and the internet can make places look pretty sweet, especially when you're in a "least developed nation." Stephanie, however, had a different perspective, largely due to her parents' current situation involving a house that won't sell and renters who don't pay rent. Understandable. So, we came to Nebraska determined to look at all our options and make a good decision.


In situations like this where big decisions are involved, I think it's beneficial to have differing opinions on what to do. Well, at least as long as both are not too attached to their opinions. I mean, I knew I was going to have to have pretty good reasons to buy for Stephanie to feel good about it, and vice versa. Otherwise, we might just brush over the reasons against, and go ahead with something that may not be the best for us.


In the end, we went house hunting, couldn't find anything worth buying for a price worth paying, and settled on a nice little house for rent. It is owned by an outgoing resident at UNMC and her husband, and it is less than 5 minutes from the med center. They are giving us a sweet deal on rent, and are going to hire a lawn service to mow once a week. Score! So, even though I "lost," I think we ended up in a really good situation. Here's a picture of the place.
Nothing flashy, but very well taken care of 3 bedroom, 2 bath, finished basement, with appliances that stay and a nice backyard. And yes, the Wii will go nicely in that basement! The only hang up will be when we can move in, but once we do, you're more than welcome to visit.


Since I don't blog too often (sorry Officer Kumorski) I've got a couple more topics to touch on. It's been really nice to spend time with my family since we returned to Bellevue last Friday. I've been staying at my dad's house, so I've gotten to see quite a bit of him and my step-mom. It's been really nice to get to chat with my dad, and even nicer to see Caleb have lots of fun with his grandparents. Elizabeth helped me unload our moving truck, even with her bum elbow, and I had a great time just laughing with her again. I've also gotten to hang out with John and Brent, and then all three of them together along with some of Brent's friends on Memorial Day. I haven't seen much of Rebecca and her kids yet, but hopefully we'll get to hang out soon. It's been nice to kind of catch up a bit, and it just reinforces to me that even though we are very different people with some differing views on life and what constitutes acceptable beverages/entertainment/behavior, I love them all and look forward to the next three years of being (geographically) close.


As far as Memorial Day goes, I've got to give a shout out to my brother. Check out his blog for a good commentary on the holiday, especially in light of current politics. I really don't have much to add, except to say thanks for your service to all our guys who have been involved in making and keeping our country and world a better place.