Reflection

As I reflect on the last month, in some ways it seems like we have been here forever and in other ways it seems like we just arrived.  We are finally starting to settle into a routine, which the kids majorly needed.  I think we are acclimating pretty well to things like having no A/C...well, at least on most days, figuring out where to find most things, bus schedules, and the lingo.  We are having the hardest time adjusting to no car.  I can't really say if there will be a complete acclimation to that.  The kids have already become very thankful for transportation that comes in the form of non-walking.  When we are walking anywhere Leia says, "Taxi, taxi" and gives you these puppy dog eyes.  Well, maybe one of these days we will have a car here, until then we will get lots of exercise.  The exercise is nice, well, maybe on the side of excessive.  Yes, I am complaining, but if you are reading I hope you are my friend and will just listen for a moment and then forget I had my little venting session.  I call it that, because life goes on.  The world still continues to exist while I am nauseated and turn all shades of green every time I ride the public bus.  I tell myself every time that there are small children in this world who walk all day to fetch water, dirty and contaminated water, for their family.

This morning Olivia, Logan, and I went for a walk or you could say hike.  Yes, we will go with hike, because there were lots of hills and mountains.  It was beautiful, peaceful, quiet, and wonderful.  I grabbed my camera and off we went.  I hope to have some time to really learn how to use my camera.  I want to capture the beauty of this country and the people in it and show you everything that I can.  You will just have to bare with me on my candid snapshots that aren't so professional.  Maybe one of these days I will be able to capture and relay the exact beauty that is before my eyes, because right now I just can't capture it the way it appears before me.  You may ask why I took pictures of cows, but as we walked I just snapped shots of things the kids thought were camera worthy.  So, here is what they wanted to show you from our hike.

This is the view as you walk down the street 

where we are living.

Logan said this cow was looking right at him.

The kids are in love with all of the butterflies.

They are everywhere.

You rarely see anything flat and straight.

Logan picks these for me pretty much every time

he sees them.0

Always about 20 steps ahead of us.

There are wild impatients everywhere you go.

Not sure what this flower is called.

Maybe some of you with a green thumb

might know.

He was very concerned we would 

not be able to find our way back home.  

So, he made tracks most of the way.

Logan asked, "Do you think this

corn might taste better than what you 

fixed the other night?"

Yes, we are missing the sweet summer

corn on the cob...well, any corn for that matter.

One of millions I am sure.

This kid needs a butterfly net.

And he passed her.  He was about 40 steps behind 

her and took off like a bullet to catch up.

Olivia so graciously emptied our bottle of water

before we were even half way done.  Nope, I didn't

get a drop.

You would find this in someone's yard in the states as

a decorative flower pot.  Here you will find this being used.

A man was cutting  something down and getting ready to

haul it somewhere.

Leaf-cutter ants.  You will see these everywhere.

  You just step over them, not on them, and keep going.

Wild flowers

In a month we have made new friends and strengthened bonds with old ones.  Every time you leave the house, or even in my case when I don't leave the house, you meet new people.  I don't go anywhere that someone does not speak to me.  And, I mean really converse with you.  We live in a small town where everyone knows everybody.  And, well we kind of stick out.  I think I am one of two blondes in the entire town married to the tallest man in the country, with 2 blonde kids, and 2 "chinettos."  We draw attention, and the fact that my kids are not the quietest children ever born.  It is nice to receive the smiles and the "Holas" when we go anywhere and for people to stop and ask how you are doing.  

Erica and Leia

Amigas

21 people in attendance last Sunday.

We were so glad to have visitors this past week.

We loved having you Keith, Rob, Heather, Jessica, 

Reed, Zach, and Hannah.

During that walk this morning I reflected on all things about Costa Rica, the good, the beautiful, the bad, and the ugly.  And at the end of the day I know we are right where God wants us.  Skype and FaceTime make it a little easier to be so far away from family, and my mom will be here in less than a month.  The count down has started.  I miss home and a lot of other things but I am okay, we are okay.  We are more than okay.  We are blessed to be here and to be able to do God's work here in this foreign country.