Caution - Bump in the Road

HAPPY MONDAY!

So I know I mentioned that N and I are experiencing a little bit of a bump in the road. I know that I've also mentioned that we were trying to buy a house, somewhat in the Denver metro area. Why in the Denver area you ask? Well, originally I was supposed to student teach in Brighton and in the hopes of getting a job there or at another local high school there after we realized we needed to move.
Then that didn't happen but I still got a job in Broomfield and so we still thought - yup gotta move. So we started looking. And we figured out that there are 3 things we didn't want to compromise on.
1. We had to have a yard for Oliver. He grew up with a huge backyard in the house we're in now and we couldn't get ourselves to take that away from him. Especially because our busy schedules don't allow us to take him to the park as often as we'd like and so we feel better knowing he's got his adventureland out back to keep him exercised and healthy.
2. At least another bedroom if not 2 extra bedrooms besides the master. We've been spoiled with the 4 bedroom house we're in now (N's mother bought the house his sophomore year and has been renting out to him since) and we just really want to have at least an office/guest bedroom, or both.
3. NO Apartment. We've always hated apartments. We're just house people. But we were ready to at least settle for a town home/condo type house.

So off we go, searching for our first house to start our little newlywedded bliss in sometime this year. And what do we find? -NOTHING-
No yards. No extra bedrooms. Only apartments. And also nothing for rent. We quickly realized we'd have to up our search to look into actual houses. And that was a little more uplifting. We found a few. One in particular that we fell in love with! here is where the compromising began: the house we loved was in Johnstown, between Erie and Loveland. So the talk of commute came up. At first, I have to admit I was super reluctant. I did not like the idea of driving up and down I-25 everyday. Remaining further away from family and friends that have started to move back home after college, etc.
So on Saturday Nick goes and meets with the lender and realtor we'd been talking to - and totally gets shut down. Not that they were mean, but buying a house, or at least one that is not falling apart at its hinges and still applies to the above mentioned limitations, is just not in the cards right now.

I'm going to fast forward a little bit..to the part where we realized we had two options.
1. We REALLY compromise, put our limitations out the door and settle for something way small in the Denver area. We'd have no commute. No yard. Maybe an extra office room. And loads of neighbors. Oh ya and we'd pay about $1000-$1200 a month.

-OR-

2. We talk to N's mother about buying the house we're in now from her and stay right where we are. The pros are: 4 bedrooms, Oliver keeps his adventureland, our own garage, quiet neighborhood, and our own house. Oh ya. For the same price as the mini house above. The one con: commuting.

So we've spent the entire weekend talking about it. Going back and forth racking our brains. Deciding one minute on the apartment and the next on the house.
Then yesterday afternoon I came home from work and it was so nice we grabbed our sneakers and took Oli to the park. As we're walking hand in hand along the walk way to the park literally right behind our house we turn the corner to the field and see the foothills and horsetooth lit up in sunset. We literally stopped, looked at each other and knew. We're going with option #2.