Costa Rica Report

Well since my beautiful wife already announced I'd be giving a travel report, here goes. :)

Although 80% of the time was work in the warehouse of our factory, I did spend a little time out experiencing the country. On Saturday, I did a one day trip into the jungle to see what it was like.




First we drove through the "cloud forest," a high altitude rain forest usually eveloped by clouds.


The jungle there was about 60 or so feet high, with very very dense trees, vines, and everything you'd expect in a jungle, except that it was fairly cool, about 65%. I wasn't so much raining as misting.

At one point we passed a small river bed with two parallel rivers running through it. One was bright white and foamy, the other was a little larger and deep mud colored. Apparently, they share the same channel for about 10 miles before they finally join. It made for quite the picture, although I didn't have my camera ready. :(

Finally we stopped and climbed into a boat, which we took down the river for an hour and a half. Along the river banks there were all sorts of cool fauna, including lots of howler monkeys, an iguana in a tree, some cool birds, and a goat. I don't know this, but I think the crocodile was a crock, meaning a planted fake.
When we got to the jungle hut, we rested and ate lunch (gallo pinto, chicken, and sweet potatoes), then rode some horses into the jungle.

After 20 minutes, we got to a huge tree by a meadow. We climbed the ladder 60 feet high and started cruising through the jungle canopy on zip lines. We did this for an hour or so before we'd had enough. It reminded me of the Star Wars world of Endor with the trees up in the canopy of the jungle.

About 45 feet up.

Here's a poison dart frog. I didn't pick him up!If you're still reading, I apologize for the long post! I'll also throw in a few pictures from my Sunday walk home from church to show you some of the local architecture.

Today is July 13th and I want the correct date...

even though I started the previous post awhile ago.

Sometimes it's easier to just point and click...

The typing isn't gonna be much right now, but we're all doing fine. Summer is going much too quickly, but at least it means I'll never hear "I'm bored" since school comes early here.

Our littlest gal is growing and changing--she now coos and smiles, especially at mommy after everyone else is in bed.

Darren is enjoying San Jose as much as can be when you're working many hours a day. Maybe he'll tell us all about his zipline through the jungle when he gets back. He didn't do anything exciting last time he went, and he had a free Sat. so I told him he should do something memorable this time. Someday we'd like to go together (a guy in one of the wards there said he should come back and stay at his hotel!). Maybe a certain family member who served his mission there would like to bring his wife (my sis) and we'll go in say five years or something....(anyone else would be welcome also!) ;)

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

It's been a month now

and it feels like our little E has been with us for even longer. The transition to five kids hasn't been exactly easy, but she is a sweet baby, and the newborn stage has its' own magic to balance the difficulties. The twins have been quite helpful when it comes to anything to do with their younger siblings. Darren has made more meals and done more dishes than he probably imagined would be a part of his idyllic future. The two younger boys are up and down--obsessing over a sleeping sister by kissing, wriggling, nudging, yelling until she startles awake (which is the desired outcome), but showing signs of helpfulness and maturity occasionally too. I am recovering, though it has taken me longer than I remember it taking at other times. But I didn't hemmorrage, or pass out several times, and I was younger during my other deliveries too. I can't get enough of this tiny baby stage because I know it will once again go too quickly. Eliza has already changed more than I realized as I was looking at pictures. We hope she grows to like us as much as we like her--at this point she focuses only on the basics--mostly food, sleep, and a dry bum, with that occasional awake time where she is taking it all in! :)


A few pics:
Note that the baby pics were taken on a quiet Sunday afternoon when the chaos was still at church! She'll soon be as loud and wild as the rest, I presume, but I took advantage of the calm as only a mommy of five is inclined to do.

She's here!

We're a little late posting this, and perhaps a little incoherent as we do, but want to introduce you to our sweetie, Eliza, born May 18. She's been eating well and is healthy. Emily is doing well also, although still sore and tired.

Her brothers and sister are very proud of her and staunchly defend her from each other. It's pretty funny when they see who can say "Shhh!" the loudest to let her sleep.