Vacation planning!

So, after saying something about Cancun in Tuesday's post, MIke and I started dreaming and scheming.  We absolutely LOVED Cancun summer of 08(thanks to George W's stimulus checks!!).  We took Carter and Abby and went with Mike's sister, her husband and 2 girls who are right around Abby's age.  We had the best time, loved every single minute of our time there.  We aren't the most disciplined savers.  I mean, we are fairly tight and practical and don't spend money on frivolous or expensive things.  Besides the usual retirement accounts and such, we have found an unconventional way to save money.  Ask any financial planner or CPA and they will tell you this is a horrible way to save, but it works well for us.  Mike and I don't claim deductions on our checks during the year.  Basically, Uncle Sam gets a huge portion of our check and keeps it for us til tax return time.  We always get many thousands back on our return and use it to pay off debt, give to a cause dear to us, go on mission trips or vacations, pay on our adoption loan(that is what this year's will do) and contribute to our college fund.  If I was trying to save a good bit every month, I know I'd be robbing myself all the time for things I "need"!  We are looking ahead and making big plans.  This summer we will do the great family lakehouse that my parents rent every year.  Then, in late July we will take the fam to Korean Heritage Camp in Tulsa that our adoption agency(Dillon International--the BEST adoption agency ever) puts on for families with children adopted from Korea.  Carter will be a Jr. counselor this year.  Next summer, Mike and I are planning on going to San Francisco by ourselves.  We never do anything for our anniversary and are ready for a get-a-way.  The BIG plan is for summer 2012.  I've already talked with Mike's sister and we are all headed back to the white sandy beaches of Cancun.  We will get a huge tax return next year thanks to the federal adoption tax credit(it is 11400 in case anyone out there is interested in adopting and needs to know about finances)!  So, there is my savings.  I'm so stinkin excited.  I feel like I need to start working our right now so I'm ready for the beach ;)