Acclimating

It is definitely going to take us some time to acclimate to our new environment.  The house we are staying in is at a much lower elevation than where we are normally at when we have traveled to Costa Rica.  Even though it is only about 15 minutes from where we are normally are, it is a huge difference.  Add that in with peeps who are used to air conditioning and that = CRANKINESS.  I will say, it is 2:00pm here and we are on the downhill slide now.  There is a wonderful breeze coming through since it started raining about 45 minutes ago, and it is WONDERFUL!!!  One of the 2 houses we looked at yesterday is at a much higher elevation and was designed with no air conditioning in mind; still waiting to hear from the realtor.

So hot she was just in her undies : )

Our only supply of toys...but they are making it.

When it was so hot this morning I got the laptop out with the bright idea they could watch pbskids.org or stream something from Hulu, well not so.  Since our IP address has changed on our laptops we pretty much can't stream anything.  They have been having to take turns with the Ipad and the 5 toys that we have, well that and chasing iguanas.  

The kids have been chasing 3 iguanas.

Mammaw you would be proud of her singing.  

We tried to catch it on video, but she stopped when 

she saw us.  She was singing at the top of her lungs.

He is concentrating very hard.  Not a 

complaint from him at all today.

After lunch Leia was begging for a bath.  She was so hot I just gave her a cool bath, and she just kept smiling and saying, "Ahhhhhhhh."  Silly girl refused to put clothes on after her bath and just kept telling me, "Diaper, no clothes for nap."  Little stinker is sprawled out in her diaper on top of the covers snoozing.

This evening we are going to walk down the road to the little store and see if we can't get some sweet cold sodas for the kids.  Even with the crankiness today they are being troopers.  Have to remind myself they are only 7, 5, 4, & 2.  

David working on his lesson for tomorrow in his 

Costa Rican office.  He has a beautiful view in front of him.

David spoke with Myra, who we normally stay with when we are here, and we are to have services at her house at 1:00 tomorrow.  We will take a taxi into Atenas, then a bus to Altos de Naranjo.  The last bus from Altos leaves at 1:30, so we will take a taxi back from her house back to where we are staying.  It has been almost 3 months since they have had someone here with them.  They are very excited.  Can't wait for the kids to get to play and meet again.    

Too hot for makeup and hair fixing.  Just as we are : )

:

All In A Day

Well we are a little worn from travel.  If you have been following me on facebook then you know our travel day yesterday was quite eventful.  But, oh so thankful that we made it safely.  And all 14 pieces of luggage made it too!!!!!!!  I mean it wouldn't be an adventure without a story.  Long story put short, our dog did not get to come with us despite all the appropriate paperwork that had been completed and we had 2 carry on suitcases that a lady made us check pushing our checked baggage to over the limit by 2 pieces.  That cost a whopping $300 for those pieces.  If I hadn't dissolved into a bucket full of tears at this point maybe I could have coherently told her that I saw several other passengers for that same flight with the exact same piece of carry-on luggage.  Oh well, what do you do?

1st day in Costa Rica

We headed out this morning to Kay's, a wonderful restaurant for Gringos.  She makes some amazing biscuits and sausage gravy.  Olivia and Logan remember eating there last year and were looking so forward to it (especially since we didn't have supper last night).  By the time we got through customs and got our baggage last night and made it into Atenas it was after 9:00 and everything was closed.  No Kay's this morning.  She was there but no cooking because they were replacing something in her kitchen.  So, plan B, our next favorite breakfast place in Atenas.  Fueled the kids up with good food.

Olivia and I headed to the bank while David and the other three kids headed to the park.  Can I say Olivia and I got the better end of the deal, well at least we think so.  We didn't mind the 45 minute wait to exchange money because there was air conditioning.  Yes, I admit, I am spoiled and really enjoy the air conditioning.

Next order of business was getting me a cell phone that works in Costa Rica.  We have had one for a while and just recharge minutes on it.  It is a process here to get a cell phone.  You buy it at one place and go to another place to purchase minutes.  We now have two working cell phones.  Yay!

Can I just say my kids have been fabulous and such troopers.  So, reward was ice cream!!!!  Funny how both Olivia and Logan knew exactly where the ice cream place was geographically located in this town.  They both remembered from there trip here last summer.

The house that we rented is out much farther than we thought.  There are no buses that come out this far and a taxi ride into town and back is $12.  Since David will most likely be traveling everyday we need to find something that is much closer to town.  So, next on the list today was searching for somewhere else to live.  We knew we were going to be doing this anyways just thought it would be next week before we started looking.  We looked at the only 2 houses that are available.  Realtor is negotiating with the owner and will hopefully let us know something tomorrow.  


Made a quick grocery stop to get us through tomorrow and then headed back to the house.  The kids' little legs were so tired from all the walking all over town.  They were just plum worn out.  They were so tired they couldn't hardly hold their heads up when we Skyped with grandparents.

Please continue to pray for us and our children.  They are all going through so many changes in their little lives that they just don't know what to think.  We have moved them away from everything they have ever known, walked their little legs off and they looked like this by 7:30.

Spring Blooms

I have spring fever super bad.  The older I get and the more children I have, the more I LOVE spring and summer.  Gone with the coats and snotty noses, and out with the flip flops and dripping popsicles.  I can't really complain, we have had such a mild winter; I mean my yard is still green with lots of weeds.  Amazing the weeds can still grow in the scorching temps and freezing temps...they are just relentless.
The last several years I have done most of the kids' clothes shopping at Rhea Lana's consignment, but this last one for the winter just did me in.  I really hate to shop anymore.  It just isn't fun anymore, I mean I have to spend my own money and the clothes just either get stained or worn a few times because the kiddos grow three inches over night.  So, my solution for this season has been eBay and online clearance sales.  AWESOME!!  I have tried this before and just wasn't as successful at finding all of the deals.  It has taken me some time, but I am figuring it out.  By the way, shoes for kids are the not the best deals on eBay.  Just finished up Olivia's spring clothes and Leia's last week.  Now the boys have been a bit harder to find those deals.
All that said I have saved a bundle.  I mean we are averaging $1.5 per item that I have purchased and over 50% of them still have the tags.  Mom and I are going to complete the girls' little wardrobe with some cutsy boutique style outfits that we already have all the supplies for.  I can't wait to start and finish our little "Spring Blooms" ideas and see some spring blooms in my yard.
Let's see what blooms are in store in the near future.......
Now....I would prefer to see the blooms somewhere else, you know a SOLD sign in the yard or Rented would be GREAT.  We are praying and wish you would say a prayer for us to and the Lord's will.  This minute just isn't the minute he has chosen, maybe tomorrow, next week, next year...only He knows.  I do know one thing though, during the last 2 years since we started this journey and reevaluated our lives and the journey we should be on, there have been so many thoughts we have had that we rethought and saw a clearer picture.  Oh I how believe that this Spring we will see new blooms, whether it be blooms of change somewhere else or blooms of change in what we think is the path the Lord is directing us.

John 15:12-13

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:12-13

We are to love everyone this way.  Do we?  Are we loving like Jesus when we speculate?  When we argue and bicker?  When we drive past the homeless man with a sign?  When we ignore the pleas of the orphan?  Are we really living a life that is full of loving everyone like Jesus loved?

If we answer honestly to ourselves, I am sure the answer would be no.  I thought about this verse yesterday when the kids and I were working on a little Valentine's Day project for their friends.  I want to teach them to love their friends and to give something out of love.  (Yes, I am one of those Mommies who does not like giving other children candy and I don't like my children receiving it.  It is a waste of money...it sits in the cabinet and hardens, and then to the trash it goes.)  Do you love others enough to not remember their faults or their mishaps in life?  Jesus did.  He didn't bring out the list of all the faults and problems he had with his friends and give his life only for the ones who lived up to his expectation.  No, he loved enough to lay down his life for all.  His death is our opportunity. 

I want to love like Jesus.  I think it is something that we have to consciously strive for everyday.  Satan is sitting there waiting for that little crack in the window, so he can shatter everything.  He wants us to hold grudges, to remember things from that past that should be forgotten, to argue and bicker about nothing.  Satan loves hate....anything that is not love is what he is digging for. 

This Valentine's Day, make a commitment to God and yourself to love, truly love, everyone as He hath loved us.  What greater gift could you give to yourself and everyone you encounter?  I think that is a Valentine's Gift to remember.  Live with lots of Love!!

I will have to show you a picture of the

finished project when we get our

tags made for our friends.

Heart Birdseed Feeders 

A Lot of Joy

I hope your family had as much joy and laughter as we have had this Christmas. 

It was simple and wonderful!

-1 Home

Friday night we headed to the airport to watch a the orphan census be ONE LESS!!!  I met Mary over 3 years ago when we started our adoption journey to Taiwan.  Little did we know that we lived in the same town and were seeking to adopt at the same time.  Mary and her husband began their 2nd adoption journey to adopt an older child from Taiwan.  Through the course of their wait it became apparent that it was going to be a great challenge finding an older child in Taiwan.  God had plans for them and their path moved to China.  Their journey began 3 years ago and Desi, is now home with her forever family.  Three years ago there was a little girl in an orphanage in China waiting for her family.  Wow, God has big plans.  Amazing how you think you are going to do one thing and then he guides you somewhere totally different. 

Waiting for Desi's plan

 Finally all together

 I think she is smiling at her audience.

 Olivia, Logan, Carson, and Leia were holding up signs that read

"One Less"  "Welcome Home Desi'  "-1"

Olivia spent the afternoon decorating them herself.

Jenna was sooo ready to see her Mama.

2 weeks was way too long for her : (

You are HOME sweet Desi!

 This was the best kind of Friday night...how mean how often to you get to watch amazing things like this.  Makes me cry just remembering it!!!!!  Welcome home Desi, and we can't wait for some play dates in the future!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

December is just one huge birthday bash at our house.  We have 8 people (5 just in my house alone) in our immediate family that celebrate birthdays beginning December 7th through January 9th.  Some years we have parties for the kids individually, sometime we couple them.  Well, this year we decided to have one big bash with the traditional cake, ice cream, party hats, and lots of family...and then on everyone's actual birthday we would just do something special at home. 

My baby girl turned 2 today.  Her actual birthday is December 11.  She was born in Taiwan and we are 13 hours behind them, so we celebrated today.  Birthdays around our house always start with our traditional homemade donuts...fixed just how each person likes them.  No birthday cake today (we will be doing that all on David's birthday)....but no one seemed disappointed in the banana splits that were served up.  She opened her gift sent from Aunt Lisa and she loved it (a grocery cart that will hold 2 babies).  We went  very simple this year and gave her a cabbage patch doll.  She was one happy little girl with her very own baby doll, grocery cart, and groceries.  She couldn't stop smiling; smiles that made my heart melt.

Like so many days I think of Xio Chi, Leia's birthmother, but today my heart aches for her.  I ache that she doesn't know what a beautiful and sweet baby Leia is.  I pray that she feels a peace as time has passed.  I know nothing of her current life situation but pray that she is protected, loved, and one day will understand God's word and the love that only He can give her.  Leia is one of the most precious things in our life, she is one of four precious beings.  I pray that one day she can look back and say she received the best birthday gift of all, LOVE.  Her birthmother loved her so much that she made a selfless decision to choose us as her family!  We love you so much Leia.  Happy Birthday!

Define Necessity

We are privileged, we are blessed, we are selfish, and we are spoiled.  I have heard so many people say this season, "I want my child to have this...Don't you think you need to buy more for them...I am going broke buying Christmas."  All of these things said are a choice.  You have a choice.  You can go broke, max out your credit cards, give your children things that they do not NEED and that you WANT them to have, or you can choose to show your child what it truly is to give.  There is no better way than by example. I am not saying it is a bad thing to buy people gifts; I love giving people gifts.  But do we really need to spend an insane amount of money on tons of things we don't need while there are humans wasting away because they have no food, while orphans sit in an orphanage with no shoes on their feet and no water.  Is it really necessary for us to HAVE all these THINGS???  No, but is a necessity to KNOW and OBEY the Gospel.  I challenge you to use this season as an opportunity to tell others about Jesus, not just his birth but of his death and sacrifice he gave for you and me.  He is the reason for the season, so tell everyone you know the whole story of Jesus, not just his birth.  Show the greatest gift of all.

Christmas In the Stars

 Ever wander about the Star of Bethlehem? What was it? Where did it go? Can we find it? Lets answer these questions together! Come listen to a presentation centered on looking to the skies to read the story of Jesus. Invite all of your friends and family to come listen to an amazing journey in the skies. It begins with the conception of Christ and ends with his death upon the cross.

I am so excited about this.  I hope if you live close, or not, that you will come and join us in listening to this amazing story.  Tell everyone you know and make this a night to remember with your family.  Merry Christmas to all!!

He Is Mine, and I Am His