And away we go...

I've been thinking about starting a blog for some time now and finally decided to stop thinking about it and do it. I may not blog a lot or often but I hope it helps keep our busy family better connected with our wonderful friends and relatives...

Where to begin… hmmm.

Last year was a crazy busy year and quite honestly I'm glad it's behind me. There were a lot of good times but a lot of stressful times as well. A lot was accomplished and some of the biggest decisions to affect my life were made.

After years of visiting Bend, Oregon we purchased a condo there. Andrew and I went there for the first time together in 2001. We fell in love with the town and all that the area has to offer and returned a dozen times before the little guys came into our lives. Last September we took Robby and William for the first time and somewhat impulsively made an offer on a place. The economic crisis had a silver lining for us and we got a great deal. I had a ball shopping for furnishings and decorations for our little “home away from home”. It was nice starting from scratch and not having to consider how new things would look and work with what we already have. Our condo is decorated completely differently than our home in Edmond. I'm not finished yet but it's getting homier with every visit.

We've been able to go to Bend quite a lot since Andrew made a significant change in his job. He is no longer a full time employee of the company but is now a contract person. He has been able to cut his hours considerably, work from home and take extended vacations. I absolutely love having him with us almost all of the time.

We also made the decision to sell my "dream home". Although we all love this house we finally came to the realization that it is more work than we want, particularly if we're not going to be here all of the time. It was not an easy decision to make but now that I've gotten used to the idea I can hardly wait to move. It helped tremendously to have had a chance to look around and find and fall in love with a new neighborhood. We decided to go from one extreme to another - 1+ acre to zero lot line homes and began looking at patio homes in and around Edmond. My favorite neighborhood so far is Edinburgh between 150th and 164th on May Avenue. Too bad there doesn't seem to be much interest in this house!

Although we made the decision years ago, I am too excited for words to officially start homeschooling my kids this year! I am getting organized and putting the final touches on "homeschooling goals" for Robby. I finally feel confident that I can provide my boys with a good education. I haven't been able to say that until now. Home-pre-K here we come!