Open One Day only...Lizzie's Lunch! (slogan: "everything is so great!")

Lizzie has been begging me for a week and a half to let her host a lunch. With school off for Easter, and the weather sunny with a breeze, it was the perfect day.

Eli gallantly assumed the role of "Entertainer" - by juggling foam bowling pins. He was well prepared for this - he practiced for at least 10 minutes before the guests arrived.

Watch out! There's a flying bowling pin (fortunately it's foam) about to hit your head!!

Lizzie served lemonade, "crustables" (peanut butter sandwiches with no crusts), corn dogs, BLTs, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. For minimal fees. ;) The water, mints, and the entertainment were Free.

Bon Apetit! And thanks to the Steenhoeks, Laytons, and Andrews for making Lizzie's day! :)

Adam's new name

Ivy is really becoming interested in letters and sounds lately. One of her favorite things to do is write everyone in the family's name down on paper, over and over and over. It's so cute.

This morning, when she was writing "ADAM" she was saying the word slowly to hear all the different sounds. Then she looked at me with a very worried expression:

"'Adam'...'Aaaadaaammmm'. . . 'A-dam' . . . 'A-dumb'. . .It says 'dumb!'
"I'm writing a 'Y' at the end instead."

So now it's "Aimee and AdaY," thanks to Ivy cleaning up Adam's name!

"Let me esplain...no, there is too much...let me sum up."

Saturday:
Woke up to a view of this:

Then did a little of this:

Which made me feel a little like this:

Because our first repel was this:

But afterwards, I felt more like this:

And it didn't hurt that the outfits were so dern cute that it made us want to pose like this:

But then, we were done and had to say goodbye to this:

Because we went to this (VIVA LA LEAGUE!): And were cheering in our matching outfits like this: Which made Ward feel like this.At dinner later, our waiter entertained us by dancing with a customer like this:
Before we went to sleep in our $35 hotel that looked like this: So that was Saturday. In other backup issues of 'Costa Rican Vacation News,' Adam tried surfing for the first time ever. Enjoy:




Not bad for a beginner, eh?

Well, this is the end of our amazing trip. I will remember it forever.

Pura Vida!

Arenal Volcano, Alligator bridge, and Missionary Moment

Adam can't stop saying, "DUUUUDE!!!"

Here's why:

Here he is taking the extended shot pictures:
Also today, we drove over a bridge that had some carnivores lurking beneath.
On our drive to the volcano, we drove right through one of the country villages that Adam lived in for four months as a missionary.

We drove slowly through town as he was looking for the house he used to live in. Suddenly, he stopped. "That's them."

We parked, got out of the car, and walked up to a family that was sitting outside. The woman came and opened the door and hugged Adam immedietely. 15 years ago, she had housed him and fed him three meals a day as he served and taught the people the gospel in that area. Their family still houses missionaries today. Adam left a little note for the missionaries...Odile found a picture in an album of Adam! She insisted that we take it with us.Here is the family now. The triplets were adopted 10 years ago, and the dad has now been reactivated to church.

The boys also walked us down a couple blocks to the chapel, whose congregation has greatly increased in the last 15 years. They were so friendly and welcoming to me, and the Andrews as well. Hugs and kisses all around! What wonderful people. I thanked Odile from the bottom of my heart for taking care of my husband so well. What a good woman. What a blessing that we got to meet them today!

Vacation Quote

"I'm glad I had a nap because now I feel ready to eat and relax."

--Lisa Andrews in Costa Rica

We're just monkeying around here...

Yep, I know it looks like the cover of National Geographic, but Adam did take this picture! This white-faced monkey was totally working the camera in Manuel Antonio, a national park we visited.

The beach at Manuel Antonio was The Perfect Beach. We're glad we found it! After those guys left, we had the place to ourselves!
This morning, we played a little zippidy-doo-dah.It was TERRIFYING. Not really! This is my Yoga Pose while zipping through the jungle.Fun times.
What can I say - Costa Rica is an amazing place!

And I have to say that it is blowing my mind that I am right now at this very moment in a bungalow on stilts a stone's throw away from HUGE crashing waves in Playa Hermosa, listening to the frogs croaking and waves crashing - miles from any sort of civilization, and yet, I am blogging.

Amo a Internet.

Adventures in Costa Rica

We woke up this morning to an earthquake!

Did I mention that our bungalow is up on stilts, and it sways even when we walk up the stairs, yes, even as I type.

Mangoes, coconuts, and papayas were shaken from the treetops, and the monkeys chased after them howling into the jungle!

Later, we visited the Arenal Volcano, which decided to explode lava chunks into the air above us.

Adam, who had just recently rented a surfboard, whipped out his board and surfed down the lava flow, pulling each of us to safety to the nearby river.

Ward looked ahead and saw the river was crocodile-infested, and grabbed a jungle vine to swing us all safely across it.

Many a native Costa Rican commented to Lisa and me on our ride down, "Your tan looks perfect, baby!"

The local newspaper took a picture and named us "Ticos of the Day!"



April Fool's! We don't visit the volcano until tomorrow! Today, we just visited a private uninhabited island, soaking up the sun. Quite uneventful, really. But we handled it fine. :)