House Hunters: Denver

Last week was fun/stressful. Steve and I were excited to finally fly into Denver to pin down a place to live. At first, and due to all of our research we knew that we were going to have to downsize to a condo, or town-home. We were set on the area, and wanted to rent a town-home from an owner instead of a apartment community but Denver's real estate is booming so much, that there was hardly any rental properties on the market, as most decided to sell. So, we had to look into an apartment community in our target area. 

First of all, can I just say, that Denver is really pretty but it's also surprisingly pricey for Texas standards. We knew that we were going to pay more, but expected more space or storage than what we got. Thankfully, the area and schools really make up for it. We will be in the suburb of Aurora in Denver. It's a carefully planned community with tons of kid activities, great schools, and super safe streets. Bonus, is only about 10 min away from Steve's work! Steve is SUPER excited to cut his commute down! He's been known to sit in traffic for an hour on really bad rush hour days. So, off we flew early in the morning and arrived to some scheduled showings. 

Our criteria was the following: 

2 bed 2 bath

At least 1000 sq feet

First floor/ preferably

Had to belong to amazing schools

Needed to have lots of light (apartments can be so dark sometimes, I didn't want to be stuck in a place like that all day)

Dog friendly complex, so that we didn't have to worry about taking Riley. 

No. 1

The first place we saw was great, and immediately felt like that was THE apartment we should go for. It's a new complex, and all apartments had tons of windows. There was a lot of light, and was very airy. These are pictures of their 2 bed, 2 bath model, and if we wanted something like this, we needed to be on the second floor, as there is no 1st level floor plan like this... No bueno.

I love this little desk nook off of the entry. Perfect place to place keys, or even use as a desk for my laptop since I would have to sell my actual desk! Yep, not enough space in any of these properties.

LOVED how bright it was! And I also loved that had laminate floor, because I was dreading carpet during the snowy months, when we will have to take off shoes, and leave a slushy mess everywhere.

The kitchen was on point! But I think that's all properties in that area, because all of the places we looked at had a ton of counter-space and updated kitchens. Did not expect that from an apartment.

LIGHT AND WINDOWS! Yes, this place really impressed me! I loved the windows everywhere! I think I get seasonal depression when it's all cloudy, so I told Steve that we HAD to get a place with light, or I was going to be miserable. This apt had all of that.

 This complex was really dog friendly! Had a little doggy run and washing station, the only thing is that the doggy run, was truly tiny. The picture makes it look big, but it was more like a large bedroom size. Still is better than nothing for exercising Riley on really cold days.

Again, we loved the property, but still wanted to see if we could find a better deal. 

No.2

Second place we looked at was a 3rd floor 2 bed, and 1 bath. Was slightly cheaper than the first place, but not by much, and we would have to give up one bathroom. 

Already, I was like: "NO." I mean, 3rd floor?!

Apparently, those are the nicer ones, because you get a vaulted ceiling and a large porch that wraps around the place. And are slightly less expensive. 

I kept an open mind, but I was already thinking how miserable it was going to be to take Riley out to pee everyday, going up and down 3 flights of stairs! The bathroom thing didn't bother me, because Steve leaves really early, and we all have different times that we shower, that don't conflict.

I did like that the floor plan was very open, and bright.

The only bathroom was pretty nice size, so it wasn't going to be hard to share. 

The kitchen (not pictured) was long and narrow, but very nice and had a lot of cabinets, but not enough counter space. The apt lady suggested we add a little cutting board counter or something. 

This place had a GREAT dog run! More like a doggy park! and was closest to Steve's work, 5 min to be exact, that would mean we could take the kids out for walks, and bike rides as a family, which is what we are planning to do.

No.3

The third place we looked at a 2 bed, 2 bath in another property, but was at the very tippy top of our budget, and that made me feel uneasy. I mean, to just be moving to Denver for a year, I wanted to really enjoy all that the city has to offer, and not worry about budgeting, and feeling house poor, so I was kind of not even interested in looking at it, but it did offer the most square footage, and storage.

The pictures don't do it justice, but it was light and spacious. 

The master bath was HUGE!

This place had the most spacious dining room, and I liked that because I would be able to put my desk and dining room table along that wall. Again, it was pretty large, but my pics aren't very good.

The laundry room was nice. The other apartments have small dryer and washers. These were full size and brand new!

This was a small bathroom, but it was nice for the kids.

This place was nice, but it felt a little dated and the price was too much in my opinion, but they did have the first floor option.

So, which one did we choose?...

We chose No. 1! 

We will be in the second floor, which was not really what I wanted, but that promised the most uninterrupted light and a little nook that made all of the difference in the world to me.

Basically, the first level apt was exactly as the pictures above for the first option, but it didn't offer a closed off balcony, and didn't have this nook below:

This nook was only available on the second floors, and was only $50 dls more added to the rent. Now, that was important, because this is where we will have our dining room table/desk for me to work, plus it offers those little shelves ^ and a large corner closet (not pictured) for winter stuff, so those $50 bucks made it worth it to me for storage, and to not sale my dining room table, which would have bummed me out. It also saves us a storage unit that we were thinking of getting, saving us more in the long run.

Also, because it was a new apt complex, the rent is more on level with what we wanted to pay as they are just being introduced and had more available options.

So, although it's not huge place it feels open, and nice. We also plan on selling even more furniture, and that alone has really made me think of how I live and what I truly find to be necessities, which are giving me a whole new perspective on clutter and living within our means.

Remember, visitors are WELCOME! We can fit an air mattress in the living room, or there is a hotel 2 min from our place if your prefer to spread out.  The other plus about this complex is that we have a whole shopping and movie theater withing walking distance, and the rent includes the Stapleton Community Card!< that's huge, because Stapleton offers a Community Garden, 6 resort style pools, and dog parks that can only be accessed with that card! If we didn't have that, we would have to pay a membership for our family and that would have been a lot of $$$! 

So, it was an awesome deal in the end! 

Can't wait to start decorating the place! I really hope to make it feel homey and enjoy our year there. 

Jazmin

Greetings From Austin!

Ortho Quiz Bowl happens once a year? Anyway, Steve's Orthopedic department has this jeopardy type thing happen in Austin, where 2 residents from each Texas Residency program from their specialty department will go and compete to win the title of best residency program? Actually, I'm not entirely sure of what it really is, but basically, Steve volunteers because if you go representing Dallas we get a free night stay in a super fancy hotel in Austin.  And any reason to visit Austin, is a good reason!

The truth is, we love Austin because of the food, free hotel, food, and hotel!

JK, we really just go for the food, and to go to the Texas Longhorn Co-Op store which for Steve is like visiting holy ground... Seriously, it is. That store has a pull on Steve! The minute we arrive, Steve suddenly becomes Mr. Money Bags and anything you see in the store with a longhorn on it, is the perfect thing to bring home!

Seriously. Olivia got an overpriced Texas Longhorn dress. 

We didn't need it.

Below are some pictures from our weekend trip! Also, this time we got to meet with some amazing friends from our medical school days! 

We love the Kunz!!! They are one of our favorite families, because we all get along, and all really love eating out, and talking about nonsense! Love how they are so laid back!

We got to stay in the Austin Downtown Double Tree hotel! What's super funny, is that they double (no pun)booked us, so when we walked into our suite, we saw some dude laying on the bed! After the confusion, we went back to the front desk, where they apologized profusely and gave us a suite in the 14th floor with the best view! Total upgrade from the 8th floor. Plus, we got free chocolate chip cookies, so it was fine.

Olivia admiring the view in her expensive NEW dress. ^^^

We met the Kunz for some grub and to hang out. The Kunz totally know exactly where to eat in Austin, as they often drive there from San Antonio. Plus they are major foodies, and we love that! We ended up at Torchy's because I kept saying I didn't like their tacos, but told me to try the corn and the Democrat, and they were sooo right! I loved the barbacoa taco!..and the corn!!!!!!!!!

The Kunz were our neighbors while we were in medical school, and we got super close! We really missed hanging out with them, and with our move to Colorado just a few months away, we knew we had to see them while in Austin, so we both drove there to meet, and it was fun times as always.

So glad Jaqline insisted we took a family picture! Matthew is starting to really hit that phase, where he doesn't want to be photographed and it's making me sad. I miss my little boy. 

Love this family ^

The Kunz had planned to visit the Bat area in Austin... I actually, don't know what is called but a bunch of bats that live under the bridge come out all at once each night! It was creepy cool, but those suckers were so fast, I could NOT get a picture of them!

Batman & Batchick! the weather was soo perfect! Little did we know 30 minutes after this photo, a monsoon hit the city!

Matthew is turning into a teen! Why?!?!?!?!? He's anti pictures these days...

For our last day in Austin, we went to the State Capital building. Now, this is the type of place we have shied away from before, mainly back when our kids were little, but now, they were super interested in learning all about the history of Texas!

 Matthew & Olivia just loved the architectural details, and kept asking me to take pictures of the floor, the cealing, and they both want to live in a "old house" one day. Love these two!

 I believe this is the House of Representatives? or the Senate, one of the two. Good thing I'm not the one giving tours!

Representing Mexico! ^^ Aguila y Serpiente!

We will miss you Texas, especially Austin, such a fun city!

Jazmin

Matthew Gets Braces!

Phase 1: Four Braces

So, Matthew got braces on 4/7/2015! Haha! I'm making this a bigger deal than it is, but it is to me! 

This is phase 1 of his treatment, and if we are basing his treatment on genetics, he has a long road! 

So far Matthew has had his expander for about 2 months, and because of the upper roof expansion, his front two teeth created a gap or "window", so, now that his expansion is where it needs to be, we no longer move that, and just wait for the bone to grow and work on closing the gap on his front teeth. 

He only has 4 little braces, but I feel braces are a rite of passage into tween-hood! He's no longer a kid, and is more of a tween! Not really, but he looks older than 11!

Anyway, yesterday, we went excited/nervous because we didn't know if his braces where going to be put on, as he had to get his expander thing measured one last time, before moving into the braces phase.

He knew it was likely to happen, and it was scheduled as that, but we still could have done it a week later. So, he was nervous, as he didn't know what to expect. He worried that having only 4 braces would look weird, but they look totally fitting for him!

This is the before shot! ^ 

And another one! He was really annoyed that I kept taking pictures!

 He knew he wanted green rubber bands, so he made sure to tell the Dr. what hue of green he wanted! not lime green, but camo green!

He totally looks fine with braces. I feel you can either look totally normal with the brackets or weird. He's a normal looking kid!

We will see what his friends say at school today! He was a little nervous, but I told him to just smile like normal, and people will get used to it quick. 

Will let you know how his day went!

Jazmin

I Want a House of Order.

If you take a look around my house, you will know that I like to decorate. I like frames, plants, layers, baskets etc. 

I like the warmth of a cozy blanket, and the texture of a good basket. That defines home to me, it makes me feel like HOME is giving me a bear hug! 

The moment we moved into this house, I worked really hard at making it a home. I made great purchases and some that weren't that great. I have hand me down furniture from family, friends, and things that we have accumulated over the years. 

All in all, now that we are packing, we find ourselves soooo overwhelmed and angry almost, at the thought of having to figure out what to do will all of the STUFF.

There is so much value in this stuff, not monetarily but sentimental value that it made me kind of cry the first few days we started to weed things out. But, as the weeks have gone on, I have become excited at the thought of donating, selling, and getting rid of things, as I know that as of now, those very things are what have been stopping me from becoming the mom that I want to be. 

I spent WAY too much time de-cluttering, rearranging, cleaning, and just doing chores on my days off to be able to spend adequate time with my kids! 

Also, my kids can't handle their stuff either! They are overwhelmed! So much so, that they hardly go into their room to play anymore! 

I have yelled, hurt feelings, and forced the kids to clean things up on too many occasions, and feel ashamed that I didn't see that the issue wasn't so much them (they do have something to do with it) but that the issue was that we have TOO MUCH! 

First of all, what a blessing to be able to type that ^^^!!!

I decided that I crave a HOUSE OF ORDER!

I want a house of peace, and happiness! All of which can't be accomplished right now, with all of this chaos. 

What good is a home that looks cozy and inviting, only to find that it really isn't?

I have decided to let things go. Really. 

I want to spend time watercolor painting with Olivia without worry that I have to clean up something or put something away, whatever that may be. 

I want to walk to the park with Matthew more, and to relax! 

I want a minimal home. It will still be warm, inviting, and cozy, only this time, it will be simpler.

I'm taking only our furniture that we use, and things we truly totally can't live without, like some wall decor and baskets... I LOVE BASKETS! But other than that, we are donating, selling, and gifting! 

I will only keep what I love, and use on a daily basis. Same with Steve and the kids, we will only take what we use. I told the kids, that we should travel light, because you never know what adventures await! 

And it's true! If you are tied down to belongings, you can't see the big picture as clearly. The reality is, we have not been living within our means. We have a 1500 square foot home, and we are living like we have a 2500 square foot home. It just doesn't fit! 

I want to soak in these moments with my family, and sadly, and for a long time, I have been on autopilot, but no more.

Here is to a NEW simpler chapter in our little family. Where adventures await!

Jazmin

Olivia is Getting Baptized!

Olivia turns 8 on January 26th, and as the date draws near, I still can't believe we have reached this milestone! Olivia is my little girl, but this little girl is growing WAY too fast!

Olivia Rose is my miracle baby. OK, that's dramatic, but my pregnancies were not easy.. like at all! So, when I got pregnant with Olivia I prayed that this baby would be healthy, but that this baby would also be a SHE because I didn't know if I could endure another pregnancy, and having had a boy already, I really wanted a girl. 

I remember knowing she was a girl the day I wanted to buy crib bedding and my ultrasound was not due for another week, so I remember just looking at the bedding that also happened to be on sale, and loving it, and decided I was going to buy it, because right then and there, I knew I was carrying a little girl.

A week later, the ultrasound confirmed 100% that I was indeed going to have a baby girl, and I was overjoyed! 

I knew her name was going to be Olivia. I knew this WAY before I got pregnant with her, because I remember dressing Matthew up as a girl when he was a baby (I'm a mean mom) and would call him "Olivia" I also loved the name, because Matthew & I would read Olivia the Pig books over, and over everyday for months! He loved those books, so the name stuck.

Olivia has a pure heart. She is honest, and sweet. She is also feisty and has some fight in her small little frame. This girl will move mountains one day.

Olivia is beautiful inside and out, and I still can't believe that we got entrusted with this perfect little spirit. She loves going to church, and trusts in the Lord.

While I wish she could stay little forever, I know that Heavenly Father sent her here for a special purpose, so glad that she has chosen to be baptized and follow in Christ's footsteps!

I hope she understands how much we love her, and even though that's a lot, it pales in comparison to the love Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ has for her.

I know she knows the importance of this step, and how this decision will shape her life. I'm proud to be her mama. 

Jazmin

It's the Most Wonderful time of the Year!

Christmas Time at the Gibbons House

It's that time again, where I just crave a little colder weather, and some Starbucks hot chocolate at noon. The time where staying in with the kids and watching ELF sounds like the most amazing plan ever! This year has been full of blessings, and I cannot tell you how thankful  I am! This year is also bittersweet, as we only have about 6 months left before we pack our little house and move to Denver. I love this house. I really do. It will be super hard to sell it, but I know that it will make a great home for another little family. 

This house is full of warmth, and really makes you feel loved. It's not too big, or small, it's got a great little yard, awesome schools, and the best fireplace ever. I will miss this home, our first home. 

From the moment we moved in, I made it my mission to create a magical place for the Holidays. We bought this tree 4 years ago, and I went and got it on Black Friday, as my Birthday/Christmas gift, because I wanted a big tree for first little house. I loved the tree! I wanted a Narnia tree so bad! With fake snow, and twinkling lights. 

This is the last year for this tree. We may have to give it to someone else, as we are going to travel light to Denver, but before we gave him up, I decorated it with love, and nicer ornaments. You see, we where strapped for cash a few years back, so all the ornaments where handmade or from the dollar store, but I know this tree, needed some nicer things, so this year, I upgraded a few pieces to hang.

I got this cute camping ornament with the little tree on top. I got it, because I really want a vintage camper one day, and because we love camping! And by WE, I mean Steve and the kids.

I also got these little dogs. Because, I wanted some ornaments to represent our fur baby Riley.

A snowman in a mason jar, was cute, and Texan to me.

This year, I also got to display my dog nativity! My cousin Dulce gave it tome after finding in a catalog, and since I have a slight attachment to all things dogs, she thought it would be a good gift. It is, and I love it! 

This is Riley looking at me, change the ornaments on the tree. This Dog is tired of me decking the halls! 

We also have a Charlie Brown tree. This may be our Christmas tree in Denver!

The kids love their new Reindeer Jingle! They have really taken him in, and loved on him. Our Elf Buddy is still one of our favorite Christmas traditions. 

I made the kids pose with their stockings the other day, while they were caught shaking their Christmas gifts! They were guessing what we bought them! Naughty!

Did I mention this house has the best mantle?! It does! I love to decorate it for every season!

This year has shown big changes in Riley! He has really matured! He has not messed with the tree or the gifts! He's been really NICE this year!

I hope your Holiday Season is going well for you! I started so early this year, because I knew that I wanted to really enjoy the season. I always feel like I'm rushing, so this year, I wrapped, bought, and sent our Christmas cards on time. I hope to make cookies, play, and spend time with my family. 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Jazmin