We took our kids out of public school last year. We were living with my (Judy) sister. Michael was going through cancer treatments and I was still working full time. We deregistered the kids at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. We could have put them back in school when we found out our trip was delayed, but that…
We watched the documentary Minimalism last night on Netflix. It was not earth-shattering for us because we have already begun to minimize our lives, but it did reinforce the decisions we have made and are making in our lives. We have two suitcases and four backpacks worth of stuff with us right now in Nicaragua. We have been gone for…
I (Judy) will say it. I am burned out. I am tired of COVID, tired of lockdown, tired of seeing people turn a blind eye to racial injustices, tired of a President who spends all of his time bullying other people, tired of figuring out what our next meal will be. I could go on and on (send out the…
We found out we were pregnant with Lucas at the same time Michael was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for the first time. He was born a month after Michael finished his chemotherapy treatments. He was a ray of sunshine at a time when we needed it. Lucas was an easy baby and is an easygoing kid. He has a calm…
Henry is the smallest person in our immediate family, but he has the biggest personality. There is never a dull moment with this kid. He came out of the womb with grit and determination. We don’t remember potty training him. He just watched his brother and wanted to do it too. We were worried about him learning his letters because…
We are heading into month 4 of quarantine here in Nicaragua. We are not able to go out and have experiences like we normally would. Before COVID, we would find activities or playgroups for the kids. We would travel to other cities, go out to restaurants, and take tours. Now that COVID is here, we stay at home and the…
When we set off on our trip to Central America, we planned to be back in the United States in May. One month in Nicaragua has turned into five, and we may be here longer than that. Before coronavirus struck, dental tourism was big here in Nicaragua. The cost of dental care is much cheaper in Nicaragua than in the…
In January of 2015, we took the kids on a cruise. Lucas was four and Henry was 2. We went with Judy’s mom Miriam and her husband Jim. We chose the Carnival Cruise line for its affordability and itinerary. The boat stopped in Belize, Honduras, and Mexico. Who knows how the cruise industry will rebound after Coronavirus, but we have…
In January of 2018, Michael and I went to Cuba for our 10-year wedding anniversary. Originally, we were scheduled to go in September of 2017, but Hurricane Irma had other plans. We were only in Cuba for six days, but it felt like three weeks. It was an incredible trip and we hope to go back there someday with Lucas…
In 2009, before Lucas and Henry, Michael and Judy took an amazing trip to Australia and New Zealand with Judy’s parents Richard and Lois. The trip started in Sydney Australia where we boarded a cruise ship for a two-week cruise to Australia and New Zealand. Ten years earlier, Judy traveled to Australia to study abroad. She backpacked in New Zealand…