PURA VIDA

This is what so many of the Costa Ricans say to us.

It's used as a greeting or farewell.

It means Pure Life.

Pura Vida.

I love it.

Greetings from COSTA RICA

Yes.
I'm sitting here in a paradise!

On Monday we loaded on to a friends "bus" and we were dropped off at the airport for the long flight from Idaho Falls to Salt Lake to Los Angeles to Costa Rica.

We left Monday night at 6:30 and arrived in Costa Rica on Tuesday morning about 7:45 AM

It was a long day or should I say night, but it was all great.

We got a couple of rental cars and stopped at Walmart.

Yes, Walmart.

(we go clear to Costa Rica and go to Walmart????)

But it was an adventure as well.

We do it all wrong in the USA.
Black Friday....pashawww!
If you aren't doing Black Weekend you're just an amateur.

And the Walmart greeter had a gun.

We stopped on the way to see the Crocodiles.
Ugly little creatures.

We finally arrived about 4 hours later.
Even though distance-wise it was only about 55 miles.
Driving here is interesting.
And a little scary.

We are staying at a little....cottage????

 It is a beautiful home!
Wow!

 This is the view from the patio.
The pool looks like it goes right into the ocean.

 This is the view sitting in the living room.

 And I'm sitting on the patio.

 This is the view from the pool.
Notice Howie doing a little work on his laptop.
Grrrrrrrr.

I'm just amazed how gorgeous this house is.
If I stayed here all week long I would be in heaven.

But there are places to go and things to see!
We have plans for snorkeling, zip-lining and hiking.

I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to be here.

CRAFT DAY

The guys helped us this morning build some boxes out of some old pallets we have had.
After they finished that little honey-do they went shooting.

(It's nice having a cold garage to be able to use it as a refrigerator.)

 We made lipgloss.

 And we painted jars and made a Christmas arrangement in the wood boxes.

 Candice was "Martha Stewart" incarnate.

 Whe was showing us how she made the tree on the jar.

 We made them all a little different.

Candice's finished product.
Pretty stinking cute!

 Guen's is different and just as cute.

 Then we made bath bombs. We are waiting for them to dry overnight.

Between all the cooking and eating and crafting the kitchen has gotten quite the workout.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

THANKSGIVING

I am so incredibly thankful this year.
Like never before.

The year has been a whirlwind.

Most of all I am thankful for the miracle of modern medicine and a loving Heavenly Father and the tender mercies of Howie’s recovery.

I am thankful for our children.
Their spouses and their children.

So thankful.

 Why sit on the couch when there is a perfectly good floor?

 Why watch TV when you can gather around and watch something hilarious on someone's phone?

Candice loved getting some one on one time with her big brother. These two have always had a special bond.

Candice used to give piggy-back rides to this kid.
Things have changed a bit.

Finally enough room for pie.

 Leftovers are the best.

This year Thanksgiving means so much more.
I'm feeling blessed beyond measure.

Whoosh! Time flies!

How is it that it is less than a week from Thanksgiving?

Winco has had a great buy on turkeys so I bought 4.
They stay great in the freezer for a very long time and I love turkey.

We will have two separate Thanksgivings this year to accomodate all the family.

This will be the first Thanksgiving in our new house.
It will be so good to start building memories here.

 Last week was nice and Fall-ish.

 Then a day later.....not so nice....

and not so Fall-ish.

The Irish Twins

Life is busy and I get behind posting pictures but wanted to share these.

I spent several days babysitting for these little monkeys...

Little "Lella" is nearly two.

 And "Lolo" is nearly 3

 They are "Irish Twins". Born 11 months apart.
Miss "Lella" was born very preterm and spent many weeks in the NICU, but she is doing so well.
It was discovered earlier this year that she has Cerebral Palsy. Of course we ache about that, but she is a sweet tender little love and I love snuggles from her.
It appears to have affected her legs, she has great movement on her hands and arms, but her legs have been affected.

But thankfully to modern miracles and medicine she should make great strides.  She does and amazing army crawl.
And just a week ago she had Botox injections in her legs. This is to keep her leg muscles from being so spastic and as time goes on the hope is that she will be able to walk.


I didn't get pictures of the two older boys. Krew nearly 10 and Kendrix nearly 8. Happy beautiful little guys that love their baby sisters.

This one is a clone of his dad.

Full of energy!

Krew is such a doting big brother. I love watching how tender he is with his sisters.

I love this family picture of them all.

I need to get the rest of my kids to get family photos done.

Maybe that will be my project when they are around for Thanksgiving.

IT'S TOO "NOISY" OUT THERE

Too much noise.

Internet, TV, News...

Too much.

Too much yelling.

People everywhere causing anxiety,

instilling anger and hatred.

And I am fatigued of it all.

And we don't even have TV.

We have an antennae on the house...

and we get one channel.

And we don't even watch that.

I don't miss it.

I spent the day canning.

I made Spaghetti Sauce and Applesauce. 

I haven't canned for 3 years!

So unlike me.

And for the first time in 34 years...

It was easy to can.

I didn't have to do it outside 

because I have this fabulous gas stove.

And I have this functional kitchen.

It was amazing.

The apples were free from a sweet cousin.

I was able to get 50 pints.

It was therapeutic.

It wasn't noisy.

YOU MIGHT LIVE IN IDAHO IF...

You wake up to this.....

And go to bed to this.....

I love Idaho!