I’m pretty sure I won the lottery of life. I get to share my days with the funniest, cutest, most sincere and enjoyable people I know. I get to love them and they love me back. Life is not always easy, but it is always good. I am one blessed, blessed little momma.
Tags: 4 year old, Big Daddy, Joy, Life, Love
WWJD? Probably not what I did. I didn’t make an instant move, though. I thought it through and the end result was what I hoped was right. It’s all about these sandals. They’re Kyah’s. She took them off at Kidspoint a couple of weeks ago and we never saw them again. Then, Cristel came to our house to play and I noticed them on her feet. I asked where she got them and she just looked at me like a deer in the headlights of a 4×4. Her sister spoke up and said they were a gift from her aunt, while at the same time, several other girls began to rat her out. I was conflicted. I felt that if I let her keep them, even though she knew that I knew they weren’t her shoes, I was reinforcing the negative behavior. So, I grabbed her by the foot, yanked the shoes off, and she took off crying and running for home. Not really. Well, she did take off for home with big crocodile tears, but I politely asked her for them back because they weren’t her shoes. I’m so mean. Writing this makes me feel guilty. I wish I had a pair of sandals that are actually her size to give her. I just couldn’t gift her something that was stolen. What would you have done?
Tags: Costa Rica, Firsts, Missions, WWJD
In our small barrio we have met some of the most wonderful people. People we will stay connected with throughout the remainder of our lives. We have developed true friendships – the kind where they just pop up at your house to hang out – no invitation needed. We had friends like that in the states (and we miss them like crazy!), but here it has been more difficult to find heart friends. Why? At first we didn’t know Spanish well, so that was an obvious barrier. I also think being here as “missionaries” put a flashing light above our heads. It’s unfortunate, but many missionaries will enter a place and try to convince people they need to become more like them. i.e. wear certain clothes and don’t wear others, fix your hair a certain way, do this, but don’t do that. We have always had the mentality that God would change the things that need changed and we are going to live a transparent, authentic life.
Some of our new friends live just a few houses away. Robert and Cody both have a love for fishing and he was the first one to invite Cody to hunt lobsters at night with a water pistol. Swimming with crocodiles and/or sharks at night would freak me out, but not Cody. I love my manly man. As you may or may not know, I also love to fish. One of the many things that Cody loved about me when we first met. Haha! Many women don’t fish and I don’t enjoy being the “only female” so I usually stay behind. Luckily, Robert’s wife Rudy is a fisherwoman. So, as couples (with our small daughters) we get to hang out and fish every once in a while. Then we usually have a big dinner and enjoy the day’s catch.
We took the boat down a back river that comes off the ocean. These trees lined both sides of almost the entire thing.
One of Cody's fish.
Robert cleaning some of the fish. We caught 11 that day!
FINALLY getting to swim!
Tags: Amigos, Costa Rica, Family, Friends, God's creation, Life, Missions
Took a trip down to Panama with the fam for our 90 day exit. We weren’t supposed to have to do this again, BUT our lawyer apparently doesn’t care about our plans, sucky mode of transportation, or rapidly decreasing funds, so we took off for the border and tried to make the most of it.
Frenchy made the trip with us. I’m still not entirely sure she was allowed to cross w/o some form of paperwork, but since she’s only 2 pounds, I shoved her in my bag and never let them see her. She’s a pretty chill dog, so that helps.
We made the trip with only a couple of backpacks. There’s a lot you can do without for 3 days. Kyah is such a great traveler, we often take it for granted. Once we made it to David and checked into our hotel we just let her run around. She and Frenchy were stoked to get rid of a little extra energy.
A little friendly competition between Big Daddy and Ky.
She had to knock her cups over and he had to hit the middle one and make the top fall into the bottom…and he still won!
We decided to take Ky to the circus one night. Big Daddy ended up being the star of the show. He didn’t get selected to go into the center ring for one act….nope. He was picked for two! Although there were clearly signs posted saying “No Video Recorders” (in Spanish of course), I played dumb and caught the whole thing on video.
There was a huge park across the street from our hotel, so when it wasn’t raining, we were there.
I love my little social butterfly. She finds a friend wherever we are. Such a blessing since we are often in different areas with new people.
Ok, girls, hear me on this one. Cody just didn’t understand. Kyah needed to use the restroom so we found a great little spot. She went in, tinkled, and then kept insisting she needed toilet paper. I told her to just grab some and she informed me there wasn’t any. I checked the next stall and there wasn’t even a toilet paper holder. After checking all the stalls, I told her to wait and headed out to ask Big Daddy to check the guys restroom and noticed this right by the exit door. What in the world? So apparently you are supposed to get your tp upon entering the restroom. I’m still dumbfounded by this. Only in Panama.
On our way home. Thankful for the BEST travel buddies.
Tags: 4 year old, Blessed, Bliss, Family, Firsts, Fun, Joy, Kyah, Panama, Travel
wanted dimples? Well, apparently, according to ask.metafilter.com and my daughter’s new little mark of beauty, you can give yourself one without a doctor or goofy cheek piercing.
While we were in Panama, Kyah and Big Daddy were playing with a pillow. A little something like this video, except on a slick hotel floor with a big wooden door. Incredibly, she didn’t even cry much.
So, after the cheek-sized bruise subsided, I began noticing this adorable dimple, quite large might I add, whenever she smiles, chews, or laughs. I began questioning my vision. How had I never noticed this before? I’ve taken 10,000 pictures of my baby, but never seen this? I looked through pics from a few weeks prior and it definitely was not there. While talking to my momma on the phone I mentioned this new dimple. My little nephew has the cutest dimples, but he’s had them since birth. Why did her’s just show up? So, my mom, in all her infinite wisdom and googling skills informed me that bruises, when deep enough, can in fact turn into a dimple. Something about damaging the cheek muscle which causes it to pucker.
It is reversible…with plastic surgery. I think we’ll just opt for the new addition to her sweet little face.
Tags: 4 year old, Big Daddy, Dumbfounded, Life, Panama
