Home sweet home

This is our new home for the  next 3 months. Our room is on the 3rd floor, far right window. Here's a few facts about our new abode. It's called the Milton A. Barlow Center and is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. About 10 years ago the Church, BYU, and Brother Barlow bought and renovated this building.  It was finished and dedicated by Elder Merrill J. Bateman in 2002, and it has been a blessing to the Church ever since.  You can read the dedicatory prayer here. The first floor is used by the Church Educational System for institute classes and young single adult activities for the DC area.  The second floor has the Church Governmental Affairs Office, and the third and fourth floors have rooms for BYU students doing the Washington Seminar Program (that's me!) 

Here's our cute little murphy bed and Tom's homework desk, which he will be working at long and hard this semester.  The Barlow Center even had extra bedding, so a big thank you to whoever brought our lovely checkered bedspread however many years ago and left it for us :)

We even have a little kitchenette, complete with a fridge, oven, stove, and microwave.  The couch on the left is where I sit to do my homework or blog about our adventures.

This is the view out our window of Pennsylvania Avenue, which happens to be the same street the White House is on.  If you look closely you can see a Papa John's and Subway sign. Mmmm.  There is also a Trader Joe's right around the corner, and a Whole Foods by the metro stop, about 5 minutes away.  The Barlow Center is in an awesome location.  Georgetown is just up the street, GWU campus and Foggy Bottom are right next door, and it is only about a 15-20 minute walk to the National Mall.  We feel happy and blessed to have very affordable housing in a safe location for our first few months here.