Well, we now have sort of a timeline.  18 to 24 months.  Seems like forever, and seems like the blink of an eye!  I know there is a lot that needs done here first - savings, job/career, readying the house to sell and more.  We'll know more about things in about a month.  Right now, I'm just trying to figure out what we can bring into the country (our pets, dishes) and what we can't (wooden furniture, brooms).  Lots to learn! 

However, a lot has happened!  We found out just before hubby's birthday that we're going to be grandparents again! How fun is that?!  Also, hubby's birthday is on Valentine's Day, so we had that to celebrate. We've done a lot  more talking, planning, goal-setting and the like.  Our basement bathroom remodel is nearly complete and looking (and working) awesome!  That's all the fun stuff.

Now, for the not so fun stuff.  Our furbaby Allie needs surgery.  She injured one of her legs pretty good and is going to have a plate put into her left hind knee.  Right now, we're charged with keeping her as immobile as possible.  The surgery itself is going to set us back nearly $2500.00, not counting the after-care and hospital stay.  She's still young, so this is what we need to do to give her the happy, healthy, joy-filled life we promised her when we adopted her three years ago.

So, to help with that, I've set up a page (more to come) of stuff we can sell to help raise the money to get her the help she needs - Thanks to some WONDERFUL, AMAZING, GENEROUS people, we are able to afford her
surgery! We're still raising money for her after-care - we don't have all of that yet. 

Remember when I was talking about the bathroom?  So the shower I bought didn't fit (drain hole issue) and instead of boxing it back up and taking it back to the store, hubby decided to take off the door, take down the walls, and rip up the floor!  Now, we need to replumb the entire thing, put down a new floor and then do the little bit that I wanted to do in the first place. 

Well, we decided that since, at some point in the future, we're going to be selling the house, we should probably start doing stuff to the house for it to be more sellable.  Or rather, bringing in the most money we can for it. There are a lot of things we've been wanting to do, however they were always - in the future, whenever we had the house paid off, etc. 

Why not enjoy some of the changes we're going to make before we sell the house, though?  So, we're taking out the old blue 1980s bathroom in the basement and painting it "Sandstorm".  We're going to trim out the window in white, repaint the medicine cabinet white and put in a sandy coloured tile floor.  I went out today while hubby was at work and bought a white vanity and new angled shower.  We'll need to add a window treatment and a new light fixture, and a ceiling(!), but so far, things are going all right.

I started painting the walls, but need hubby to help get the old (ugly blue) and old (torn plastic) shower stall out before I can do more.  Need to find a light fixture, too....

After much consideration, thought, research and relying on friends and family, we've decided that Corozal is where we'll most likely settle down.  It's a beautiful little city on the Caribbean Ocean and seems like what we're seeking in a relocation/retirement haven. So, now what we need to do is start getting our house ready for sale.  Since there's no timeline, there's no real hurry - but, we might as well start somewhere, right? 

I think, next week, I'll start on the basement.  And if any of you have seen our basement, you'll know that it's pure 1980s industrial.  Office style false ceilings, long tube lighting, horrid vents - and the bathroom. . . well, I'm not even going to go there.  Let's just say it's 1980s blue.  UGH.  So, I bought some floor tile and will be getting a vanity/sink this weekend and start the ripping up!  I'll try and post before and after pics. :)

Our finance guy came over yesterday and talked with me for over two hours with regard to savings, bills, taxes, job market, credits, accounts in the US and in Belize, and much more.  We decided on an Intermediate-Term Municipals Fund, another Roth IRA, and then within 12 months, opening an off-shore account.  I can honestly say, I've never, ever thought I would have an off-shore account! This is too  wild!  However, so far, things are looking good.  I've decided to start training for a work-at-home type of job. I used to do graphic design, a lifetime ago, so thought I'd start relearning that - as well as copywriting, SEO and editing.  My degree is in English and Art, so I should try and use it.  10 years in the non-profit sector have kind of gotten me out of the loop on it all.  Now that I don't have a full time job, I should do something more productive than Facebook!

This is going to be an adventure - wish me luck!