Tonight we went to the Valley to a neighborhood by Pierce College to look at Christmas lights. Both Danny and I used to do this with our families when we were kids. It was a blast. The cars move so slowly the kids are able to look at the lights out the moonroof. It was a jolly good time. Ryan liked to stand on my shoulders so his little head could stick out, too. “More, more,” he’d say if ever there was threat of the lights ending. So fun. (Pictures coming soon)
since I’ve posted anything. i’m getting there. i just unpacked a few more of the remaining boxes yesterday (many thanks to my mother in law for taking seth and laura to seth’s soccer practice…wouldn’t have happened otherwise!) it felt really good to make some progress to normalizing life around here. i’ll be glad when all there is to do is normal cleaning instead of unpacking, hanging up pictures, organizing and reorganizing this closet or drawer while trying to figure out how i really want it to be. off to go drop off my comforter at the drycleaners. do know how much they charge to dryclean a comforter? it is highway robbery! if you have a favorite, inexpensive cleaners–please share!!
Boat landing on the coast - 40 miles across the ocean in heavy swells - we feared for our lives:
Sirena Station:
Airstrip in the jungle:
Corcovado coast:
Into the jungle:
Laura is actually wearing her pajamas because we had to carry everything on our backs, and after two days, they were the only dry clothes we could find! She is about to encounter a deadly fer-de-lance snake on the trail right in front of her, but fortunately it slithered away.
This was a very remote national park where we took the kids for two days of hiking (with a guide). It was incredible. Our guide was Carlos from Corcovado Expeditions. They are independent from any of the hotels in Drake Bay (the nearest town) and are one of the few guides that will take you to Corcovado overnight.
I should note that there are a number of logistical hurdles to actually hiking with young children in Corcovado. I doubt that many other tourists have actually taken 3 kids aged 6 and under to Corcovado overnight. We were only able to do so after carefully considering and pre-planning each leg of the trip and figuring out how the children would cope. The trip involved, among other things, four lengthy boat rides on the open ocean (one of which was extremely rough); carrying everything we needed for 3 days on our backs, including the kids carrying their shares; all changes of clothes getting soaked through and dirty while we were still in the jungle; and a close encounter with a deadly put viper.
It also helps to have kids with even tempers and good travel instincts!
I’m also trying another google maps mashup. Click on the blue pins to see information about the trip:
We will gradually post some Costa Rica pictures, but are still sifting through 100s of them. For now, here is a series of the kids playing with a tree frog found on the grounds of the hotel:
In the craziness of moving 3 days after coming back from one of the most amazing places on the planet, I came across these wise words from a dear friend from our time at UofM. It was a great reminder to me to look for and relish those “perfect moments,” regardless of how crazy life is.
