2 Years and Counting...

Be warned.  I did not proofread.  No time for that.

Time flies.  In some ways it seems like just yesterday that we were going through the stress and trials of an international move with a family of 6.  And today, I sit here in shock that we are now legal residents of Costa Rica.  It is kind of surreal.  In my wildest dreams, ten years ago, I would have never imagined this would be my life.  Amazing how God works in our hearts and changes our lives, sometimes in a blink.  In some ways the past two years seems like just that, years, and then in other ways it was a blink, a blur.  But, it is official, we are residents and pray that the Lord will guide our steps and keep us here as long as he wants us here.

What is going on in our life?

• I have a daughter who starts 4th grade in two weeks!!!  What???  She passed third grade with flying colors and tested way above grade level on her standardized testing.  Post Grad on some of them!!  Go Olivia!
• Two little boys who have two more weeks of 1st grade and then will be BIG 2nd graders.  Whom also did amazing on their standardized tests and tested way above grade level.  Go Carson and Logan!
• A little Princess who is starting Kindergarten, a year early.  She is bored and is ready to start school.  So, I have a very eager Kindergartener who is ready to start in two weeks.  Wish me luck!!  4 kids schooling.  I already have NO spare time!  Yikes.
• David is juggling 2 services every week and 3 every other week, 2 different locations.  And was in much need of his two Sundays off while we were in the states.  He does this along with everything else he has going in the middle of the week.  He is an amazing man!  And all of it in Spanish!  And the best husband and father!!  Kind of love him!
  
  {hehe..I couldn't help it.  This was one of those 
  things I just happen to catch with the camera.
  He usually proof reads and checks my posts,
  but not this one.}
• We have been so encouraged by the new group of Brothers and Sisters in the Atenas area that are meeting in our home on Sunday mornings.  They make me feel like home.  Mrs. Gloria is my second Mama and also doesn't miss a beat correcting my Spanish and making me repeat everything a million times until it meets her satisfaction : )  And she doesn't let David be my crutch when I don't understand.  They are family!
• Spend every Saturday evening studying with the Atenas group for 3-4 hours.  Love that I get to go to these.  We have an amazing neighbor, Rita, who loves our kids to pieces, and is always here in a second to help out.  She and her two daughters come over every Saturday night to watch and play with the kids.  The kids love her and her family and love going to her house and them visiting us.  This was a huge blessing meeting her almost a year ago.  She looks out for us all the time!
• Keith visited the reservation while he was here and looks like the clinic is going to happen.  Construction has not started yet.  My understanding is the lot is being cleared.  Things may be slow on this front for now, the rainy season has begun.  I don't think the supplies could be taken in there right now.  
• Have spent the last week recovering from our whirlwind trip to the states.  The kids and I spent 6 weeks there and David came for 2 1/2 in the middle.  It is hard being there without him, but you have to make those plane tickets worth it!  I say whirlwind because we didn't stop until the last week we were there.  When you don't buy anything for over a year, except a few things here and there we have brought down, it makes for major stress trying to get every SINGLE person clothes and shoes...especially when kids grow out of clothes while we were there!!!  WHAT???  
  
• Working on getting supplies for the five Indigenous women who are helping fellow women on the reservation.  So far we have a fetal doppler donated and also a TOCO/FHR monitor donated.  I am working on obtaining some other supplies and getting prices for the items that are needed now, clinic or no clinic.
• Starting the process for Days for Girls for the women and girls of the Cabecar Reservation.  I am hoping to get this going and have the first of, I hope, many projects of this down here at the end of July when Keith and Lesa Avaritt visit and Rob and Heather Moore visit.  Time cruncher!!  It will be here before I know it.
• Have got to get my continuing education credits done sometime  online, so I can keep my nursing license.  Planning to meet with the Doctors who have been working on the reservation for years and start volunteering doing medical things (I couldn't think of a better word!).  I miss medicine and nursing so BAD!!  I need this.  Looking forward to this meeting.
• Trying to find the time to study Spanish, but lately there has not been any dedicated book study time, just using what I know and correcting what I can and learning from the real life experiences.
• Meal times are Spanish practice for everyone at the table. 
• Trying not to get stressed...I am a lot better than I used to be, but then some days I think about things too much.  Usually I am so busy I don't have time to think and that is a good thing..and bad.
• Still waiting on Cool Whip to be imported.  My friend Dom says the local Coope grocery store will import anything.  I think I am going to test his theory soon.  I will keep you posted on that.
• Trying to make my kids be bookworms.  Carson is a natural bookworm.  Liv is a bookworm with my old American girl books.  Logan, well, we are working on that.  Leia makes up her version of the story : )
  
  
  
  
• I actually missed "casados" (typical tico cuisine) while I was in the states.  But, I was filled with Larry's and as much Mexican food as I could get.
• We need a beach day.  I mean we live 40 minutes from the ocean and we haven't seen it since January, when my parents were here.

Our plate is full but our cup runneth over will all the blessings we have received from living here.

{Glasses are a bear}