Slow Goin' in Mexico

It has been sllooowww going in Mexico. We have been here 6 weeks and only have the seawall up. But we did have a 3 week delay with biology studies and engineers in the beginning. This week they are bringing in truckloads of boulders to fill the hole behind the seawall. Once the foundation is down the walls will go up pretty fast. As in life, a good foundation takes time. I have been constantly sketching and modifying details on the house while I still can. Since we nixed the yoga center for a stronger foundation, we have decided to add a big palapa to the roof of the house that we are going to call the Tree House. For those who want a real Caribbean experience it will have a beautiful grass roof, a hammock of course, rooftop views of the Caribbean and the bay of Cancun with an Indian carved poster bed and amoire. Rusticity at it's finest! It will have no AC but the grass roof makes the room amazingly cooler. Our first home on the island had a grass roof and people would walk in and be surprised how refreshingly cool it was with just ceiling fans. All the heat can escape through the grass so you don't get the oven-like build up like you do in concrete and clay roofs. We plan on staying in it when we are there and all the suites are full. Sophia is excited about new friends she is making. When we return Sophia and I are going to volunteer at an English school on the island and sharpen our Spanish skills while helping kids with their English. Sophia will also make plenty of new friends and be contributing to others so we are looking forward to that with anticipation.
We have 3 weeks left till we return to the States for Thanksgiving and Christmas and although I am enjoying the island itself, I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends and not being in one room all the time. Speaking of this room, I am getting out of here and going to go sit on my seaside rock to read and pray. I'll be thinking of you.

Another Week in Paradise!

We have been on Isla Mujeres a little over a month and finally a building is starting to go up! We've had wranglings with the water company, wranglings with the city and all the head aches that make building in Mexico so intimidating. But in the end we have made it through thus far. We had a full several weeks of walking out to the lot to body surf and take pictures of the progress, homeschooling Sophia, and sketching out details for the house. When you are building on a windy salt-filled coastline there are so many factors to think about - what kind of shutters for hurricanes and security, how big to make doors and windows to get enough light but not too much heat, where to put light switches and lights and on and on. All three of us spend much of the day in our hotel room since Sophia homeschools. Well a month of 24/7 family bonding time in one room aint paradise! Plus we all three have to share one computer! (Did I hear a gasp?) The Bible says iron sharpens iron, and there has been a whole lot of rubbing going on. The scripture, "It is the glory of a king to overlook an offense" has once again helped me to get over myself! In the midst of it all we have enjoyed a Caribe Cultural festival that was going on in the zocolo for 4 nights. Every night was folk dancing and more folk dancing, but the highlight was a Cuban group that played some fabulous music that had everyone dancing. One day they played on the beach during the day and we happened to be there with an old friend and his family having a beach picnic and swimming. Tonight we ate Bochinette (a tasty fish here) at a little beach front eattery called Valaquez. It is a run down little place right next to the docks where the fisherman come in. You sit at red plastic Coca Cola tables with your feet squishing in the sand, ocean breezes swaying the palm branches and the moonlight glistening on the Caribbean. It's all the ambiance I need! Where else but Mexico can your Chihuahua run around the restaurant while your nine year old builds sand castles in front of your dining table. It definitely gives new meaning to the phrase "dining experience." Well until next week, I intend to enjoy the sunset every evening, walk the beach every morning and eat guacamole everyday! Paradise does have it's perks.

Diggin It In Mexico

After a trying week we are fiinnaally back to digging out and laying a foundation. Our crew is so hard working. They start at 7 am and work till 5 in 95 degrees of scorching sun. They do everything by hand from shoveling dirt and rock to mixing cement. If you think your job is tough think again. Your shirt is soaked within minutes of standing in this heat. It has been a difficult week of family complications back in Missouri, and engineering hang ups here, but it looks like things are finally moving forward. We totally changed our foundation design and lost our yoga exercise room for a stronger foundation. In the midst of it all I am enjoying playing with Sophia on the beach and teaching her to snorkel. Yesterday she had her first day in fairly rough open water. She was eager to skin dive, and we did a little exploring hand in hand but didn't see much except for some fish. Next time we will go a little farther out where I know there are some coral formations. After our snorkel expedition we did some body surfing! The waves are a blast and Sophia's favorite part. Homeschooling here is going great. Our Rosetta Stone Spanish is coming along also. We are all doing the course. Earlier in the week we rejoiced with our old friend Porfilio, who just had a baby girl named Evangelina. You can see photos of his family and their new little angel. We were blessed to lead him to the Lord about 14 years ago so he has a special place in our hearts. We are enjoying seeing old friends and making new ones. Till next week you will find us walking on the beach, eating guacamole (everyday), and practicing our Espanol and wishing you were here to share it with us!