Owen surfing! This is so super awesome! He loves it!

The beginning of this week was extremely difficult for me. I was just having a rough couple of days. My great friend, Cindy, talked me through the challenge, built me up and gave me some great advice. I set some small goals, just enjoying the next two weeks (a small increment of time) to the fullest (rather than feeling exhausted about being here indefinitely), and keeping an open mind about how and where I can find interaction for the kids and myself. I set another goal to talk to someone new, a native, and try to connect and make a new friend. Both goals, so far, have been very uplifting for me to work towards. I met the parents of a friend of Kaylee's at school this week. Both are Tico, and speak very little English. Kaylee was invited by her friend, Sheylie, to go boating this weekend. However, there's been a red tide at some of the nearby beaches (not ours luckily), and the trip may be postponed until the girls are able to swim, snorkel, etc. But chatting with Monica and Gregory felt great. Monica was sitting in the front seat with her three week old baby, baby was just riding on Monica's lap in the front seat?????? Wow, I am still awe struck at some of these things! The parents are both super sweet and Kaylee has a great friend in Sheylie. I also asked the gal who cleans the home here if she would be interested in helping me for several more hours during the week. Now that I have Jed home, and Owen only going a half day of school (both boys were very unhappy with full day school), I need more help. Help so that I can practice speaking Spanish more, and help when I just need a little break. Gretyl was thrilled to have the extra work, and it's shameful how inexpensive it is to hire one of the locals here for around the house labor. Gretyl chats with me during lunch and we talk all the way to pick up Owen, and while the boys are playing at the beach we talk some more. It is great practice for me to listen and try speaking so much. Gretyl also stays with Owen and Jed while I make the trip back to school for the older kids, so the younger boys don't have to make the lengthy drive one more time. She has been fantastic so far, and we'll see how the trial period goes after a week or so.

Anyway, in addition to making some goals, I decided to make a list of all the things I DO love about Costa Rica. It is such an interesting country, and so laid back, which is how I prefer life to be, that sometimes I am surprised that it has taken me so long to adjust. In any case, here are some of my favorites about this wonderful places:

1. The language: this is a given, obviously, my main reason for wanting to be here. However, when I hear it, understand it, and respond with a comprehensible sentence, it is such a cool feeling....like I am part of something bigger, like my world has just opened up to an entire new huge group of people around the world.

2. There is no road rage. If someone is going slow, just pass them...if you need to go slow, just go slow, people will pass you! It's unbelievable. Maybe also because there are NO stoplights....

3. Cars are SUPPOSED to be dirty, inside and out....ahh, finally, I don't have to feel guilty anymore!

4. The beach: need I say more. It is just the most incredible feeling to hear the waves all night long (unless the rain is overriding the waves!). Every morning I go out early and before I run, I look out and tell Heavenly Father how much I am in awe of His creations!

5. Small class sizes. The kids are getting more than enough one-on-one teacher time.

6. Casado con pescado: done right, this is the most incredible food! Rice, beans, fish, and salad with homemade dressing. The authentic tico food is very inexpensive. I've tried to make tico food at home, and Zach and I have a good laugh and call it Kreeco food.....my old cronies would totally understand this joke. In high school, my sisters and friends called me Kree....anyway, I don't know if anyone would pay very much for Kreeco food. Trying to perfect it!

7. Pineapple, mangoes, avocados: Huge, perfect, delicious!

8. The landscape: I've mentioned this before, just I just love, love, love, the lush, green plants and interesting trees, vines, and creeping green things....everything just grows!

9. The rain: Yes there are days when it rains most of the day, but they are few (so far). Usually it rains in the late afternoon, and sometimes only at night, but it will pour. The thunder and lightning are unlike anywhere I've ever been. We have seen some shops close up and "leave" for the rainy month of October. It's like they know something we don't....kind of eery. One school in the area is closed for the first two weeks of October, and many destinations have "rainy season" routes, because roads are just washed away...where there was once a road, now a river flows through.

10. 2 for 1 ice cream on wednesdays! our new family tradition

11. Panaderias: Okay, so I'm not walking into Great Harvest, but I did make the mistake of eating an empanada (chicken), and it was so tasty.

12. Diesel: I've never owned a diesel, but I love having one here, cheaper per liter, and lasts longer....great since the nearest gas station is 30 minutes away. Bummer if you forget to fill up.

13. Warm pools, warm beach: I love that the water is always warm. We learned quickly not to take towels to the beach....WHY? not necessary, because whether you're wet or dry, you're warm....towels just get in the way, and get dirty!

So overall, I'm working really hard to focus on the best things! the good things! There are many.... At the end of our journey, it is what it is....the kids and I will have learned as much as we possibly could have, and we will continue our endeavors. We are growing, and sometimes that hurts!

On Tuesday we ate at this very cool pizza place in town.

There was a park out back, right in the jungle.

The swings were hammocks!

All the furniture in the restaurant was made from ONE tree,

a Guanacaste tree that fell during a storm in Nicaragua. Absolutely

beautiful wood....Zach and I had the prosciutto, arugula, and fresh parmesan pizza.

I felt like I was in downtown Boulder!!!!

Owen hangs out with one of the elders.

On Wednesday our family went to a bonfire in Brasilito, but the bonfire got

"rained out"...Luckily it wasn't raining when we arrived, but it had been and was too wet for

any fires. We had a "family home evening" with the very new, very small branch in

Brasilito. There are about 8 people who attend in Brasilito, including our branch president

and the elders. The branch currently only meets every other week for Sacrament meeting only.

I think Zach or I will try and make an effort to attend after our own meetings in Santa Cruz.

We met at the house/ restaurant of one of the members. This brother has been inactive for some time and hopes to get to the temple soon. The elders shared their testimonies

and our branch president too. We then enjoyed fruit refreshments! It was great to meet

a few of the kids and the other members. Their sacrament meeting is also held at the member's restaurant, which is really just a covered, outdoor, open area, with some chairs.....