After much stress, many prayers, and 2 1/2 weeks of living homeless in New York City, we have finally moved into our new apartment. It is the top floor of an old Victorian home full of character and charm. We can see the Bay from our windows and watch the sail boats during the day and the sunset across the water in the evening. It is lovely, much more picturesque than our "Bronx" address would lead you to envision. We are loving it. However, poor Bryn is not nearly as entertained by me as she was by the LaBelle children.
Our {now} dear friends, the LaBelles, graciously allowed us to stay with them during our apartment hunt escapade. One month ago we had never met these people; I had only been put in touch with them through a friend in Oxford. I don't know what we would have done without them. We are indebted a lifetime of free babysitting! They have 3 children whom Bryn loved to watch and interact with, especially Levi:
Now, let me briefly expand upon our "apartment hunt escapade": We saw countless hole-in-the-wall places, like seriously
HOLE-IN-THE-WALL, with unbelievable price tags. I kept asking Justin, "Is it even ethical to be charging money to live there? The landlord should pay the tenant to live in that place!" One apartment shown to us by a real estate agent had cockroaches in the bathroom. We asked, "Are they going to fumigate the apartment before people move in?" The agent's response, "This is New York City, Honey...get used to it." What?! This is still America, isn't it? Not some third world country?
We finally found a place without cockroaches nor mug shots of men wanted for rape taped on the apartment complex doors, so we decided to take it. The landlord refused to rent to us because we have a baby. Wait a minute, discrimination? So we find another place. We sign the lease, are given the keys, and are just waiting for our things to arrive from CA before we move in. Meanwhile, we realize the deadbolt on the door to the apt. is broken. We call the landlord and ask for it to be fixed. Landlord calls real estate agent and tells her he wants us out. He refuses the lease because clearly we are going to be "too much trouble." Is it unreasonable to want to be able to lock the door to your apartment? Especially when you're living in the Bronx?So now we have less than 24 hours before the truck with all of our things arrives, and we have to have a place to put it. Not a moment too soon our current apartment enters our lives like manna from Heaven. Great place, great landlords, lease signed, keys received, moving truck arrives, missionaries unload truck in no time at all, and voila! Here we are.
Other significant events that have gone unblogged thus far: Justin's arrival from Oxford; Bryn's two front (bottom) teeth, Bryn's blessing, and my mom's wedding. Will I blog these events? Only time will tell.
I borrowed Mark's uber nice camera while in CA and had a little photo shoot with Bryn. Here are some pictures for your adoration:
