Catching Up

I have been the worst blogger ever. I haven't really been reading blogs either. Well, I have no excuses, other than being a slacker in this area. But here is an update for you.
I decided to take the fall semester off of school, I was suffering from a case of burn out after taking math all summer (Math 100, people. Like pre-algebra in high school!). We also took a dream vacation to Orlando and I couldn't see myself doing homework while waiting in line for rides. I'll do a separate post on that, lots and lots of pictures to share.
September and October are the best months in Astana because it is still warm enough to do things outdoors but you don't need a parka. I read a lot of books and enjoyed my school-free time. We made big changes in our homeschooling this year (I'll write a separate post with specifics) and it has helped our days run so much easier. Nikolas turned 7 and we had a small party before our vacation to celebrate. My friend made him a cake that looked like a pizza, it was a big hit. We really do watch too much television living here. We aren't big into museums or the opera, so there isn't much to do here. I'm hoping that when we move that we'll be a bit more adventurous.

Happy Birthday Nikolas!

Drum roll please! Speaking of moving! We got our next assignment, which will be Rio de Janeiro! We will be there fall of 2015 after vacation time and some basic language training. We are excited to be in Rio for the Olympics and the year round warmth. It is a huge change from Astana and I think it will also be a positive move for us. I plan on learning Portuguese. We receive a homeschool allowance and I want a tutor to come and teach the boys, I think our experience will be so different knowing the language. Hubs doesn't usually get a chance to learn a language but there is some time in between leaving here and arriving there, so they said it would definitely be beneficial for him to go. That means we'll have a nice break in the US before heading south.
We had a quiet Thanksgiving and Christmas. The only reason we were awake at midnight on New Years was because of all the fireworks. Are we getting old? Maybe. But I like it. I can't believe we've been thinking about retirement and what we'd like to do. An RV will definitely be involved and I hope to travel the US, it'd be nice to see the country we're from.

I've got to say that we are so incredibly blessed. I thank God every single day for this life and this man that only He could provide.