more from last week

A few more photos from last week . . .

On Saturday, we attended the annual Riddlesperger reunion in Athens, Texas. Ella May Riddlesperger was Neal's great grandmother (his father's maternal grandmother), and these folks are descendants also. They all came from the Christian Riddlesperger (or Rhetesperger) line, which originated in Salzburg, Austria. Christian emigrated to the US (South Carolina) in the late 1600s. We saw Neal's Great Aunt Zilla, who is still quilting away at 94. She is amazing.

Last week, we also attended Autograph Night at the Rangers Game. The kids got autographs from three players, which was super exciting.

We took a couple of Parker's (large) friends to the game with us. Here we are with the Silver Boot, which the Rangers hope to earn by winning the best of 6 games against the Astros in the Lone Star Series, which resumes tomorrow!

 Parker showing his stuff in the Sports Park.

Grateful Sunday

Rally caps at the Rangers v. Astros game. Unfortunately, the caps didn't come through. We lost.

Today, I'm grateful for:

• the promptings of the Spirit. I know that the Holy Ghost is a real part of my life and the lives of those whom I love. This has been proven to me several times this week. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to listen to the Holy Ghost.
• the Priesthood, and the worthy men I know who bear it and use it.
• the love of extended family. Neal's family has gone through some heart ache this week, as a friend of his brother's lost a child. I am grateful to be part of a family who supports and loves each other, especially during the rough patches.
• my calling. It is a vital part of my life and I am grateful that I can serve in this way right now.
• my kids. For being awesome, even though their favorite summer past time is arguing with each other about meaningless things. I forgot about that until summer started. But we are working on it, and I hope that by the end of the summer, they'll remember how much they love each other.
• happy progress in the lives of people I love. Katie expanded her business and it looks like Elliott and Ginger have sold their house. I'm so happy for their happiness.

Lucky Duck

Parker has been attending a Texas Rangers Baseball Camp this week. He's having so much fun. They meet each morning at the Youth Ballpark, a mini version of the big ballpark across the street. So far, they've gotten to use the Rangers' batting cages and meet a player. Awesomeness.

Parker with Rangers outfielder, Craig Gentry.

He told us today that, during a scrimmage game, he had an in-the-park grand slam! Now we're wishing we stuck around all four hours instead of going home!

Grateful Sunday

My dad and me in the snow, probably in Lake Arrowhead, circa 1980.

It's good to be home. Today, I'm grateful that:

• I grew up with a loving, happy, gentle father. My dad is wonderful, and he is the best grandpa to my kids. I feel so blessed that he is a part of our lives and that business often brings him to Dallas! Love you, Dad! Happy Father's Day!
• Audrey and I had haircuts before our trip. We both lopped off about four inches, and the minute I realized we would be showering outside with very little in the way of shampoo, I was grateful that we had less hair to deal with!
• Neal speaks Spanish. It was so fun to hear him use his Spanish so much. You get such a different feel from a country when it's easy to communicate with the people. The kids and I picked up a little bit, too. Neal would have us practice when we were ordering food. They've been saying Hola and Adios and Gracias and Me Gusto! and Pura Vida! since we got home. :) I loved opening up their mind to a new culture and a new country. Hopefully it is the first of many such trips!
• Neal's new iPhone. So maybe I had a little too much fun secretly getting it all set up for him last night. He has a new phone number. Let me know if you need it!
• our ward is so great. The Primary organized a Pie Buffet for all of the dads today. We had the Senior Primary kids help greet and serve pie to the dads of the ward, and the Relief Society majorly came through with dozens of pies. I love our ward family!

Costa Rica VII

Our last adventure of the trip was zip-lining at Los Lagos. It was so much fun, and we were so glad that the entire family got to go! We couldn't guarantee that Miles would be able, but since he is almost five, they let him go (with a guide, of course). At times, we were 200 feet from the ground, high in the canopy. The last two cables went right over the hotel grounds. So fun!

 Here we are learning the safety rules. And then off we went!

Costa Rica was incredible. I'm glad we did our research and planned ahead for the climate, etc. Here are the things I'd tell you if you were planning a trip there!

1. Bring as little as possible. Since we flew on those small airplanes, our luggage restrictions were tight. We had only carry-ons, and had 5 pieces for our entire family. We each brought only two pairs of shoes (flip flops and Keens, which are a must). Two pairs of shoes for nine days was hard for me, but I did it! Nothing fancy is needed in Costa Rica. No hair dryers, jewelry or anything like that. Swimsuits, shorts, tee shirts and a rain poncho are all you need. The only time I wish I had checked baggage was when they confiscated all of our sand and shells that we had collected. Sad. They also took away all of our sunscreen and bug spray that we had packed. We should have just planned on buying it there.
2. Get used to bugs and being dirty and wet. There are going to be bugs and creepy crawlies all over the place, and I never really felt clean the whole trip due to the humidity and heat. This was hard for me, but Neal was good at reminding me that the bugs weren't there because of dirt or filth (like they would be here). It was just the nature of the environment. We were, by no means, roughing it, but this was also not your run-of-the-mill tropical vacation.
3. Learn some Spanish. I was so glad that Neal could communicate with the people. We learned so much more about the country because he could chat with the locals. The people in Costa Rica are incredible, they are very happy and helpful, the food is delicious, and every single bathroom was spotless! I was so impressed. The kids picked up a few Spanish phrases and now have an impetus to learn a language!
4. Don't just go to a fancy resort. You can sit by a pool in Mexico or Hawaii. If you're going to go to Costa Rica, try to make the trip more authentic by getting out of your comfort zone a little bit. Get into the rainforest, drive through a river. I'm so glad we did!
5. Don't bring toddlers or babies to Costa Rica. Miles is almost five and I wouldn't bring anyone younger than that on a trip like this. Also, there are many five-year-olds I wouldn't bring, either! Our kids had to entertain themselves with very little a lot of the time. We spent most of our time outside, and the kids never complained. The hikes were hard at times, the ants were biting, etc. In other words, your kids need to have a good attitude or you'll wish you'd left them at home.
6. The only thing I'd do different next time would be to bring a little bit of laundry detergent (for hand-washing clothes).

Costa Rica VI

Oh yes, the posts just keep on coming! One of those days last week, (we never knew what day it was), we flew away from Bosque del Cabo (sadly), and back to San Jose. This flight was even scarier than the other one. I was content to die on a small plane in Central America, as long as we were all together!

 Here we are in the "airport" in Puerto Jimenez.

And boarding our plane. The town graveyard is just behind that little white wall. Reassuring.

We arrived back in San Jose, where we rented a car. (This is where Neal's Spanish came in super handy.) We drove to Arenal, a large, active volcano northwest of San Jose. It took us almost three hours to get there, on super curvy roads through very small villages. For those of you familiar, imagine driving up the Sundance road for 80 miles. Yes, this was our drive. We arrived at our resort, Los Lagos, which was definitely more of a resort than our previous lodgings. Tourists everywhere; it felt a bit like Disneyland after the authenticity that was Bosque! Arenal and La Fortuna (the town nearby) are famous for the hot springs. People come from all over to bathe in the pools, heated by the volcano, which is very close by. (That's it, behind the kids. It cleared up later.)

Hot springs and water slides!

 Really large volcano with smoke coming out the top! There was a large eruption here in 1968, and there have been several smaller instances ever since. There is always something coming from the volcano, though it has been rather quiet for seven months, we learned from a guide later.

We went into town (La Fortuna) for dinner. Here, the volcano looms large.

 The next morning, we visited the National Park at the volcano. We thought this sign was fun until later in the tour, when we were on the volcanic rocks and our guide told us about tourists that had gone a little too high up on the volcano, and had very bad timing (a small eruption occurred and a few of them perished). This is a dangerous place.

Navigating the rocks which were once ejected from the volcano, to come to rest here. The volcano is an eerie place.

 Neal and the kids went horseback riding on the volcano that afternoon, while I stayed back and started on my fifth book of the trip. I loved all my reading time! 

 The volcano, when it cleared up, from the grounds of our hotel.

The next day was zip-lining! Oh boy!

Costa Rica V

Another day, we wanted to go to the gulf side beach, which had calmer waves for swimming, Pan Dulce. It was a bit far to walk, so we hitched a ride in what I like to call a "refugee truck." People like us just pile in the back and bounce along down the rocky "roads."

Along the way, we picked up some German students who wandered out of the forest, looking for way back to town (miles away). Next thing we knew, our truck had a flat tire. So we hopped out onto the road while the driver and his buddy changed the tire. Barely. Oh, Costa Rica.

Eventually, we got to the beach, where we watched the surfers, and picked up rocks and shells, all the while avoiding the thousands of hermit crabs on the sand.

 We had to walk up the road a bit to wait for our ride to pick us up at the appointed time. We sat on this old wall, with our new stray dog friend.

Fun times on Pan Dulce! Pura Vida!

Costa Rica IV

There was a "Pacific Trail" from the grounds of Bosque del Cabo, and though we had heard it was rather treacherous (especially for a 4-year-old), we decided to go for it anyway. At low tide one afternoon, we made our way down the cliffside (many, many steps) to the shore. Our goal was a waterfall about a mile up the beach and a few hundred yards into the rainforest. We eventually got there.

 Down we went.

 Over the fallen trees.

Aside the pounding surf. 

 To the waterfall, which was gorgeous and refreshing. And much farther than we had anticipated!

I had never seen anything like this beach. The massive rainforest was practically spilling into the ocean. I felt like we were on an episode of Lost this entire day. Mysterious sounds are always coming from the trees, and this beach is completely deserted.

 Cool tide pools in the basalt on the way back.

And these beautiful, tumbled granite stones everywhere.

Costa Rica III

At Bosque del Cabo, we spent hours exploring. We were there for four days, and spent most of the time hiking, walking, and looking for wildlife. The rainforest wildlife is the reason we came to Costa Rica, and we were not disappointed! We quickly learned that it is never a good idea to stray from the paths in the forest, though. During our stay, several lost hikers wandered out of the forest after spending hours looking for a way out. We did not want that to happen to us! We were very careful and enjoyed all of our time in nature.

The view of the gulf from one of the trails.

Wandering into the forest! Imagine this picture with lots of noise. The rainforest is never quiet.

One morning, we met with a guide at 6:30 to look for birds. Here we were crossing a pretty suspension bridge. We found lots of birds, and a whole lot of everything else, too.

Some Scarlet Macaws, flying over the ocean by our deck.

Please note that Audrey is her daddy's girl. Here, she is holding a Rhinocerous Beetle, which she came upon on a walk. Please also note that I have had insect nightmares every night for over a week now.

Pretty toucans and more Macaws.

Lots of poison frogs (Neal's favorites), monkeys, and leaf cutter ants all over the place.

These next two bug pictures are for my nephew, Andrew, who loves bugs more than anybody.

This cockroach is the source of my bad dreams. He is about 4 1/2 inches long, about 2 inches wide. And he was on the path on the way home from dinner. Ack!

This Harlequin Beetle was spotted by Neal and the kids on the four-hour walking tour they took with Philip. Parker wasn't super excited about putting his hand that close, but Neal wanted some size perspective! The Osa Peninsula is an entymologist's dream! Andrew, you must go one day!