Settling in

We've lived here over a month now and we're starting to get settled in I guess. There are still things that aren't put away, a few boxes of pictures to go on the walls, shelves, posters, other things just sitting around waiting to find a home. I've put it off because we are still waiting on our landlord to bring us the paint for the walls. 

Turns out we have a bit of a slum lord who makes promises but doesn't actually follow through.  I guess we should have expected it by the condition of the apartment when we looked at it, but we still trust people and expect them to stick to their word.  There's nothing extremely wrong, I don't feel like our health or lives are in danger by living here or anything, it's just little things like door knobs, or a handle for the oven, the paint, and well, now the toilet wont stop running. It's just stuff that as spoiled American's, we expect. 

I've been watching HGTV lately and it really makes me laugh, the amount of money people have to spend on their summer homes in Nicaragua, or the people buying their first house that get upset because the backsplash isn't glass tile.  It gives the impression that most American's wouldn't even consider living in an apartment like the one I currently call home.  I've learned so much about different things from each place I've lived, none of them have been like places on tv, but it doesn't matter honestly. I choose a less fancy home so that I can fill it with love, not stuff. I choose cheaper rent and home cooked meals so that I can be home with my children, teaching them, playing with them, finger painting and sharing Christ with them. I choose to wear used clothes, or clothes found on clearance racks over American Eagle, Aeropostale, Tommy Hilfiger or whatever the expensive brands are. Sure, you might look at me and feel sorry for me because I have less, but when you look on the inside, less is more.