home sweet home

There it is.  Our new home.  Beautiful, right?  No, not the tractors ... the land!  This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago.  Since then, there has been much digging, filling, and pouring going on.  Here are some pictures of the progress:

I have to admit, it's really fun to watch this whole process.  I mean, seeing an empty lot turn into something we've only seen on paper and in our imaginations is pretty cool.  The boys run through the house envisioning where their rooms will be saying things like, "I'm the first one in this room!"  After one particularly muddy visit to the new house, Ben cleaned off all of our shoes at the kitchen sink.  The small rocks and mud that went down the drain broke the disposal.  $125 for a new one.  Sweet.

my hot date(s)

Went to lunch at Applebees with Sam's 4th grade class today.  Two words come to mind ... wild and crazy.  They ate the sugar packets.

catching up

I can't believe how quickly January disappeared and that February is almost history as well. So far, 2010 has been action-packed. Here's a little summary of what we've been up to ...

Part 1 ... Last month we spent a week in Cancun. What a trip! Ben and I had been there before, but this was the boys first trip to Mexico. As parents, we really want our kids to see the world. Not just because we love to travel, but because it "opens your eyes." I believe that seeing other parts of the world changes you. Not only does it make you more grateful for where you live and what you have, but it also helps you to be more understanding of others and see them in a different light. You see where they live, you see how their way of life is different from your own, you see what they eat (and even try it sometimes!), and slowly ... you begin to understand what makes them who they are. Anyway, not only was this trip FUN, but it exposed our kids to a part of the world they had never seen. And, they loved it! Plus, we loved having our kids all to ourselves for a week ... no school, no homework, no lessons/practices/games, nothing ... just us, spending time together! It was perfect. Here are some photos (warning ... lots of photos!):

 
the beach in front of our hotel

Luke playing in the ocean

 
Sam catchin' a wave!

my view

 
one of the ruins at Coba

 on top of the pyramid at Coba

 

a Mayan warrior - so cool!

really, really big iguana

Tulum    

getting searched for drugs (we were clean)

we bartered for sweet stuff at the market

 . . . save me a piece of that corn!

snorkeling in the cenotes

Isla Mujeres

Emery holding Poncho the shark

awesome wristbands from the market

My kids learned the fine art of bartering, became expert snorkelers, climbed ancient ruins and swam in cenotes. Plus, they showed their mom and dad what great boys they are. I can't wait for another adventure!

Part 2 ... After returning from our great Mexican adventure, we awoke the next morning to a slight flood in our basement. Since I was so busy calling the disaster/clean-up company and finding my sorel boots to wear in my basement, I forgot to take any pictures. That's okay, though, because I don't really want to remember my basement being torn apart anyway.

Part 3 ... House for sale! We decided a few months ago that it's time to build a home. We've lived here for 7 years, and we love, love, love our neighborhood and friends, so making the decision to move wasn't easy. But, our boys are getting bigger, and their friends are getting bigger, and we would love a little more space for them. So, after our basement was all dried out, re-built, and put back together, we put a "for sale" sign out. Luckily, we're only moving a couple of miles, so we won't be too far away.

Reasons to start a blog ...

Why am I starting a blog? There are definitely a few reasons not to ... I'm busy enough anyway, you really don't know who's reading your blog and why, etc. But there are also good reasons for starting a blog, and I think they out-weigh the reasons not to. So, here goes. This is why I'm starting a blog ...
1. Because I have an excellent memory ... for phone numbers. But I can't remember things that happen in LIFE. Call me crazy, but when my husband and I are old and gray and my kids are grown, I'll probably want to remember what life was like now.
2. Because I'm horrible at keeping a journal ... maybe I'll be better at blogging.
3. Because I've read other peoples' blogs for a long time ... it's about time to start my own!
4. Because life is usually great, always busy, and sometimes totally chaotic. It'll be fun to see what makes it onto the blog ... the great stuff, the busy stuff, or the chaotic stuff! My guess is, some of each.