Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Home Sweet Home

Well there goes my fun. I left our camera in the rental car in the U.S. and doesn't look like we will be getting it back :( That would include all our pictures from the States trip this year as well as tons of other pictures. Boo hoo!

The good news is our upstairs is almost done. We actually have a really big school up there. It is so cool and feels so awesome up there. Not to mention a really great view of the Valley.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Great Quote

I have heard the last part of this quote but never the whole thing, it is awesome:

"Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Mary Oliver

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Fears

I was just reading a blog I like and she had posted the question, "what do you fear?"

I had to laugh because she was trying to downplay any "fears" we might have right now at this moment. I imagine she was thinking that most of us would look around and say yeah you're right my fears are not really that real.

The reason I had to laugh is because of the answer that came to my mind when she posed the question. The thing that came to my mind was, " I hope my son stays alive through this night."

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Swim Lessons

Baby and I have spent the last couple of weeks teaching her to swim. The only problem is that she already thinks she can swim and is pretty clear about not taking directions from Mom. She is doing pretty good overall and I think she could keep from drowning if the situation should arise.

She is getting to an age that I would like to put her in some kind of lessons but can't seem to find anything she is really interested in. We have done it all of course with six older siblings, and she does not find any of the activities that interested them interesting to her.

We have kind of run out of creative things for her to do. She thought she wanted to take karate, then I told her I had problems when I thought of her hitting people and getting hit. She thought about that for about a minute and changed her mind on that one. We tried dance and she found it really boring. I told her DS is not an option for an activity!

I think she is trying to find something her elder siblings have not tried out, now that is going to take awhile to find. We went and sat in on a gymnastics class for children, no way she said it looked boring. The grandkids are all charged up about that one and will be going to classes there, but that was not enough to convince her.

Hubby has talked about taking Chinese language lessons with her, maybe that is more up her ally. I just get a little hung up on her physical self. Too many years of doing triathlons have taught me that if you don't start a kid when they are young on a sport they will not have a chance at being competitive. There is that word, the one I think baby is trying to avoid. She does not want anything that looks "competitive". She does not like it and tends to be very much like her Mom and Dad, super competitive.

The search is on!

Monday, May 30, 2011

Lazy Daze

Puerto Viejo with the family. It was beautiful and the food was great, oven baked pizza!
The trip from Hell! Our bus got caught up in a strike by the truckers traveling across Central America. What should have been a five hour trip to Nicaragua ended up being an eight hour trip.
Senior and Senora Viejo in Puerto Viejo a fun trip.
A mother daughter moment in Viejo!
Tattoo time with her big brother.

O.K. so I have had a bit of a lazy spell about blogging. I really should not do that as I am planning to blog to book all my posts and that is about as far as I get on the whole scrap booking idea. I have included a few recent pictures to update out big adventure.

When we moved here four and a half years ago I never imagined the effect the move would have on me. I can't speak for the rest of the family, but for me it has been a life changing adventure.

One of my sons called me from the U.S. today to tell me about how he almost got a ticket for riding his skate board through a stop sign. It was the most bizzare feeling in the world to realize that it made no sense to me. It also made me wonder how it ever made sense to me. I asked my family " if you are driving in your car and you get pulled over they can give you a ticket if you do not have a seat belt on. Why?"

No one could answer that question. It no longer makes sense to us.

I have also had my named removed off the rolls of the mormon church. I cannot talk bad about my experience in the church. It was what it was and I am ready to move on. There are many, many people who are very bitter about their experience in what they refer to as the "cult".

It was always my choice and I could have left at any point and time. We are glad to be done with that phase of our lives and look forward to the life and adventures ahead. Peace and pura vida!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Monday, March 7, 2011

Life Crazy Life



This would be babies first trip to the spa! We took our students to Spa Uno and they all got a foot massage. She was thrilled with hers and is hooked on them. I thought it was kind of ironic since you usually see the Asian chicks working on feet and here she is already spoiled to getting her feet worked on. Fun day!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Happy 17 and Chinese New Year


Happy Year of the Rabbit! We are all thrilled around here to usher out the crazy year of the tiger and welcome in the mellow restful year of the rabbit. Now saying that I may be asking for it, but it sure sounds good to think about a mellow year. At least all family members are somewhat settled in and ready to get through the year. Micah is finally in Buckeye, the girls are here, and now all the boys.

On another fun note tweeny turned 17! That is so hard for me to believe. I can still remember my 17th birthday. Went out with hubby for dinner at Red Lobster. Scary. I am just glad she still likes to have fun and will hopefully wait at least 10 years to settle down. She is looking at a fun year of taking the GED and getting started in her estitician career. Should be a great year!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

School Time

School starts in two weeks aughhh! It seems like baby just got out for summer break and it is time for her to return already. Her very lovely teacher has been spending an hour every week working with her and getting her ready for second grade. I keep thinking I want to homeschool but she is having so much fun I hate to take her out. I suppose as long as she is enjoying, learning and having a positive experience we will leave her there.
We have been in an ongoing battle with aerocasillas over mail delivery. Evidently thanks to homeland security you are very limited on what you can mail to yourself these days. That would include a mate gourd as well as some mate and a tatoo kit. Get real what is the problem?
I am trying to talk grandma into visiting and delivering gifts with her visit. She has not visited in the four and a half years we have lived here and I believe she would love it.
Daughter and her family have found a great three bedroom house right around the corner from us. It is nice to have a little elbow room but still have them close enough to run over.
Teeny worked for two and a half weeks at a call center taking verbal abuse for eight to twelve hours a day and decided it was not really what she wanted to do with her life. Now to get her studying and ready to take her exams. She really wants to go to estitian school. That would be fun for her and combined with her massage training she could work well at any spa.
We still have the "guy on the chair" playing his game non stop. I love computer and internet surfing but this guy puts me right to shame. Our oldest son is planning on moving here for awhile to chill and get his life together.
We really thought we found a pretty good hiding place here in Costa Rica but evidently not :) Actually I love having the tribe around and we are enjoying hanging out, going to the beaches doing leaves etc. Pura Vida!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Summertime and the Living is Easy


Yerba Mate latte!!!! We have been experimenting with mate recipes and this was the result of one try, yum! This particular recipe was mate, with chocolate syrup and some steamed milk on top. We make our own chocolate syrup from raw cocoa powder and raw sugar and water and vanilla. This one is a keeper for sure. We have added a little mint and that is good also. I made another one yesterday with mate, lemon juice, raw sugar and some fresh ginger grated in. Awesome! Soon to open our mate/cafe shop.

We took our summer trip to the Parque of Diversions. WE had a great time and the kids had so much fun. The craziest moment was when baby was too tall for the train. I almost cried when he told her she was a little too big for the ride. The funny part is her little short nephew weighs more than her :)

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Revolution Not Resolution

This year it is time for a revolution and I am ready!!! I just keep listening to John Lennon and know it is time for a revolution. My thinking has changed drastically this year and now I will have a time to act on it.

My biggest goal looming at the moment is Ironman Mexico in Cozumel this November. Boy I get really nervous in my stomach when I even think about that one, it will be a doozy. I have been doing four runs and three bikes a week. Next week the pool opens and I will add a couple of swims a week. The thing is I never get really fast at swimming, but I sure need to get stronger.

I have so enjoyed getting back on the bike. Man it feels good to cycle again and I forgot how much I loved it. Last week I even made it all the way up to Monte. It took some doing and I was a little sore in the hamstrings the next day, but it was awesome to make it.

One thing I am trying to incorporate this time, since I am not working as much and do not have six children at home, will be yoga. I hope that training will not be quite as stressful with less kids and less work and better weather. We will see. I do have the disadvantage of being 10 years older than the last time I did this.

Looking forward to an awesome year!