Feliz Navidad!

So yesterday was Christmas, I was going to wait to post until I had gathered the information needed to write about homeschooling but thought I'd share how our day went. On Christmas eve, eve we set out early in the am and spent hours shopping for presents and ingredients.

 (See our bus coming?)

We decided that we would give out loaves of banana bread to our friends, neighbors and local merchants. For two days straight my 15 year old baked a whole lot of bread, don't worry she loved every minute of it. On Christmas eve hubby and a few of the children set out to deliver these treats wrapped in clear bags, tied with bows and mini xmas cards. The recipients would not let them walk away empty handed, so they returned home with two bags full of Tamales! They were banana leaves stuffed with masa or rice, chicken or turkey, carrots, garbanzo beans, raisins, etc. depending on the person who made it.

We were told to boil them in water for about 15 minutes and enjoy. We had never eaten them before and enjoyed every bit of them! We went to church that night and enjoyed a wonderful service. One of our fellow sisters in Christ walked half way home with us as we discussed how chilly it was that night. She spoke of her home being very cold as it was made of mostly metal and right beside a river. She said that she was believing that the Lord would provide a better home for her and her children. So for my believers out there, please keep Marisol in your prayers.
When we returned home, the older kids began their tradition of baking sugar cookies as I read Christmas stories to the younger kids and put them to bed. We were up cleaning the house around 11:59 when all of a sudden a myriad of fireworks began to go off. We looked outside of our windows to see the most spectacular fireworks show I had ever seen. It was beautiful! From the view in our dining room, you could see miles and it was a grand way to bring in Christmas day!
Christmas morning was wonderful as we celebrated not only the birth of Jesus but of my 10 year old daughter also. The kids were up at the crack of dawn as usual. Didn't matter that I told them that santa made Costa Rica his last stop, so they were welcome to sleep in a bit. (smile)
We kept gifts to a minimum this year and I was happy to see them enjoy the little that they did receive.  Though we could have, we saw no need to give ipods, ipads, laptops or cellphones. Instead they received much wanted clothing items, journals, craft items, beaded jewelry and the most prized gift of all... an am/fm/cd radio. I'm not bashing anyone who did opt for the more high tech, expensive gifts... but for us, we have decided that there are way more important things for them to value.
What an awesome day God gave us.
As we near our time to travel to Nicaragua next month, I am increasingly excited to see what God will do. We have been in touch with an orphanage with 14 children, of which 6 are babies! If the Lord wills it, we will go and minister to them in whatever way we can. I pray that we stay in God's will now and forever, Amen!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
More to come...

Hola Morena!

December 15, 2010

I did it. I went to the fiesta with the ladies from church this past Saturday! It was awesome. I spent an entire Saturday with about 22 woman of which not one of them spoke English. Well, you know what that meant, I spent my day butchering Spanish. I was anxious that whole morning while I prepared to go. I showered, pressed, dressed and headed out the door reciting memorized words over and over again in my head. As I turned the corner of our gate I waved to our Tico neighbor who called out “Hola Morena!” (Does that mean that I have been accepted as Latina? Probably not, especially since he has never heard me butcher his native tongue).

I walked down to the bus stop and was happy to see a few familiar faces there to greet me. We waited another half hour or so for the rest of the ladies and a few babies to show up and we boarded the next bus. I still had no idea of where we were going but I knew this bus and its route so at the moment I was relaxed. We rode all the way to San Jose and got off together. The woman took turns holding the 3 babies that were with us, giving the moms a break. There were merchants everywhere selling every and anything. Watches, gloves, toys, dvd's, food and kitchen sinks...literally.

We made our way through the busy streets and met up with a few other ladies and hopped on another bus. This time the ride was shorter and when we got off I was certain I had no idea of where I was. I followed the woman past stores, bakery’s and a playground that I swear looked exactly like the one I frequented as a child.

When we arrived at our destination I was starving but knew that the chit chatting was about to begin, so I sighed and thought... bring it.

After reading a few passages from the bible and praying together the Pastor's wife arrived, she announced that we would be pairing up in twos to get to know as much as we can about each other then standing in front of the other ladies to report our findings. 

Amazingly I carried on a conversation. I learned that my sister in Christ Haylee lives very close to me with a gorgeous view of a waterfall behind her home. We talked about our family's and where I lived in the US. As my confidence grew, I stood and spoke to the other woman about her.

We were served a delicious meal of grilled chicken, sausages, steak, rice and black beans. My foolish eyes said that I could finish the whole plate while my conservative belly begged to differ.

As I stuffed my face I could hear one of the babies getting fussy in the corner. Her mom was eating and she was being held by another one of the mothers in the group. Her mom looked over at her shrugged and said that she might be hungry and without blinking an eye the other woman whipped out her breast and fed the baby. Now, I am a huge advocate of breast feeding but I have never seen a woman breastfeed another woman's baby! Sure, moms and I have joked about it..but there it was in broad day light. Ha! I love these people.

After eating and playing a few more games which were all geared towards teaching us to work together, we enjoyed cake and coffee. 

The day was winding down and I truly felt like I was connecting with these woman. I didn't feel like much of an outsider, just someone who needed ever word articulated...and...said...very...slowly.

I shared a cab home with 3 other ladies and was happy to have had the experience I had. I was able to see these woman in a more relaxed environment and I dropped the constant worry of saying something wrong. I just spoke and when I was unsure I asked and they helped.

Back on the homefront, Christmas is creeping up on us and we are so unprepared. We finally have a tree, a live one I might add, but I have no idea what we'll do for presents. We have prepared the children to receive less this year so that we may have more to give to others to which they were less than thrilled about. I'm pretty certain that the Lord will direct us, even if its on the 24^th...

Homeschooling has taken on a mind of it's own as I went from a classical educator to an eclectic homeschooler. 

My kids have been doing what some may call un-schooling. I wouldn't call it that as I still give weekly assignments, but if they have an interests that I feel is relevant and will keep them engaged in learning they are encouraged to pursue it. That doesn't override all essential learning such as math, literature and science but I have definitely taken a more relaxed teaching style this year. Next blog post will include a “Day in the Life of ” just for homeschoolers. That was always very helpful to me as a new homeschooler and I hope that it will help, encourage or drive fear into someone out there... (smile)

more to come...

Saving a buck or two...

I really didn't have much to talk about this week. Things were pretty normal and I spent lots of time keeping house. I shopped, cooked, cleaned, homeschooled, bathed children, kissed booboos and entertained guests from the states.

Last night I went to church with the children, Tony had not gotten home from the cafe in time to go with us. I knew that the women were expecting me at a function next Saturday but I prayed that they would not try to ask me questions about it without Tony being there to help me with words I didn't understand. Well, right in the middle of service I heard my name and looked up at the woman at the podium asking if I would be there on Saturday. I quickly ran the days of the week through my head, smiled and said "Si, Sabado."

After church one of the ladies came to give me some more information to this event that I was clueless about. All I could catch was, San Jose, McDonalds, party, taxi or bus, 2 not 11, and will be fun. I thought that it was  in the catholic church in Guatuso at 11am?!? Oh boy, once again I smiled and said "Si, Sabado." I will not cower behind my Spanish/English dictionary (Tony). I will go on Saturday and sit next to all of my sisters in Christ, smile and try my best not to say anything stupid, so help me Jesus!

Since we have been here, our whole motto have been to live on a shoe string. No extravagances like we had in the US and absolutely no complaining about it out loud. My children have adapted very well to my surprise, even commenting on how clean they are able to get their socks by washing them by hand. (Is it weird to love seeing them scrub their socks in the laundry room sink?)

We came up with lots of ways to save money and not all include manual labor. We downloaded Skype and have used it daily as a tool to keep in contact with friends and family members. What an economical way to keep in touch. No cost involved other than your internet connection. We also purchased a device called Magic Jack. Now, I'm going to tell you all right now. I paid a minimum of $39.95 per month before taxes and fees for telephone service back in Maine. This was with the promise of caller ID and unlimited long distance. Magic Jack cost $39.95 for the purchase of it with the first year being free. After that you pay just $19.99 per year. It took literally 5 min to install and I was able to make my first test call to my mom in Florida who asked "Where are you calling from with that 305 area code?"
Nothing else is needed but your home computer and a phone. What a whopping amount of money I could have saved if I had not been too afraid to switch from AT&T and try a different company. (Don't worry, I have already taken the liberty of kicking myself.)
There are many different ways we have significantly cut down on our cost of living. We no longer have vehicles, we take the bus like most locals and the cost just cannot be compared. We can get from our home to the major city of San Jose for less than .45cents, not to mention the exercise that our bodies so desperately craved.
We hang our clothes out to dry on a line after washing which saves on electricity costs. Our cell phones are now powered by pre-paid cards with an average cost of $10 per month. We have become accustomed to eating the local food here which is very economical. (Rice and beans, fresh fruits and veggies, fresh baked bread, coconut water which seems to be all the rave in the US now, fish and unbelievable coffee.)
We have ditched the television and though we have a small flat screen sitting in our linen closet, the kids barely remember that it is there. We do love movies, always have. We used to have cable until we found out that Netflix offered instant movies online and lots of them. We ditched the cable a few weeks before we came and do not have any plans on having cable here.
When the mood strikes, we all sit around together and watch a show/movie online with our $8.99 per month membership.
If you enjoy books like I do, you can download kindle for PC from Amazon.com on your computer for free, then download a ton of free books.
Now I know that some of these money saving ideas are not possible or realistic in the US, but a few certainly are. Give one or two a try, thank me later and save a buck or two...
more to come...

I kill them every time I see them, What would you do?

What a week...
Thanksgiving came and went without much ado here. It is not celebrated and it took us several days just to find a turkey. We made do with what little traditional food we could find and gave thanks to the Lord for his provisions.
Christmas on the other hand is serious. Trees and nativity scenes are up everywhere. Banks, grocery stores and front lawns. I am told that there is much celebration to be had in the weeks leading to Christmas day. Can't wait to experience it all though I'm not sure how it will feel hanging out at the beach near Christmas time.
We have filled our house in these last couple of days with things that have made it feel more like home.
We finally have a washing machine and boy do I appreciate it. It is not a Maytag or Whirlpool or even a GE. This is a top of the line Sankey. The left side is for washing. The top is removable so that the water can fall into the bin. The right side is where you would transfer the clothes for spinning after they are clean. Sounds like a lot of work?

Try washing by hand the way I have been doing the past month and this bad boy becomes a dream come true. 

We bought sofas, beds, kitchenware and a table that our church gave us the night before Thanksgiving day. While setting up the beds last night, I thought of how sad it would be to have to leave here in 11 more months. I can't dwell on the future however, it is all in the Lord's hand. 

The children are making friends at our church and picking up the Spanish more and more. The family that owns the Panaderia down the hill asked us if we would allow our girls to hang around their 18 year old granddaughter in hopes that they could teach each other Spanish and English. We of course agreed and they spent their first day on Friday talking, laughing and taking pictures together.

 It was the cutest thing hearing them in the kitchen touching and naming all the things in the cabinets and fridge to each other. 

Tony has partnered with his brother (from another mother) in an internet cafe, which has kept him busy lately. This in turn has made it impossible for me to continue using him as my crutch in the language barrier. So the girls and I have decided that we will have to venture out on our own during the week and figure out what they are saying, no matter what. If we get lost on a bus and end up in Panama...well, at least the fare to get back won't break us. 

I wish I had more pictures to show all of the unusual yet beautiful things that we see. The other day, two big, gorgeous white horses were standing by the bus stop. They were so pretty, too bad I was too afraid to walk up to them and pet them. Enormous butterflies fly into our home daily and get trapped which provides hours of entertainment for the little kids. Birds, all colors of the rainbow hang out in  my back yard. They fly into the trees and hop from branch to branch. Hummingbirds visit me daily outside my bedroom window and lets not forget the friendly neighborhood dogs that come sniffing by my door as I cook dinner. Ha!

There's really only one thing that bothers me and its the huge disgusting spiders! They are large and in charge. Someone here said that the biggest one they saw had a face! I believe them....

(The picture does not do that monster justice, it was huge)

Not a day goes by without me destroying one of these nasty critters. Tony keeps telling me that they are going to gang up on me for killing so many of their family member and I swear the other day Catia was crawling on the ground with a jacket on. I saw her from the corner of my eye and almost jumped out of my skin thinking she was a grandaddy spider coming for me. Well, I haven't stopped killing them, so I guess my luck hasn't run out yet. 

Prayer and bible study has been really important to me lately as the Lord has been revealing himself in different ways to me and my family. These people are not afraid of the gospel and talking about the Lord with neighbors and store clerks is not taboo. Everyone is not saved, but they do not deny God. As I look around I wonder how anyone can with all of the beauty that the Lord has around us. Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Just looking outside my window at the sky, the clouds and the mountains and I revel in the Lords greatness. 

Yes, man is without excuse, but we as Christians are also without excuse when it comes to spreading his word. Join me this week in making a point to speak to someone about our God. 

more to come...

Getting to know you...

So it's been almost a month here in Costa Rica and yes, I still love it. Don't get me wrong, there have been hiccups. The church that I wrote about last post supposedly started at 1pm, right...Wrong! Either the neighbor gave us the wrong information or we just didn't understand what he was saying but we were just shy of 3 hours late. Ha!
On a positive note, we absolutely adore this little Pentecostal church called "Eglesia de Guatuso". The beginning of every service (4 days a week) consists of 45 min of prayer. Yes, I said it, 45 minutes of non-stop, get on your feet or stay on your knees, kneeled at the altar or in your seat prayer! Yes!

Everyone and I mean everyone comes over and kisses you on the cheek with a "Dios Vendiga" (God bless) after service. They are very friendly, so if you are not the touchy type.... stay clear! Two nights ago we had the Pastors over for coffee and I actually got the kids to come out and sing for them in Spanish. Ok, so I paid them 100 colones each, but it was worth it. (smile)

 What a blessing it is to know that the family and fellowship of Christians can be found no matter where you set your feet... Amen!

Water is shut off here every once in a while for various reasons. We didn't know this until we turned on the faucet to have some tea and realized... oh, just like that huh? I thought, no problem. Landlord said that we have a reserve tank, that should get us through. Tony went out back to check it and yes, you guessed it, empty. Water must have been out for a while and we used up all of the reserve.
"No prob" said our friendly neighbor the next morning. He told Tony to follow him to his house and he can use all the water he wanted from his faucet out back.
"Gracias Senor! You are so kind." and hence came our water for the next 2 days.

If anyone is wondering, we do not have a washing machine as of yet. I can't really blame anyone but myself since I would never buy one brand new and used ones on craigslist seem to go pretty quickly. So, I have learned the art of handwashing. Thank goodness for a lovely, bright laundry room with a built in washing bin and a covered area for the clothes to hang. Honestly, a little bit of music in my ear and willing kids to hang the clothes makes the chore... not so bad.

There is no doubt that things are different here. Portions are much smaller at the grocery stores. I have seen just one gallon of milk since I've been here. All the rest are sold in quarts. No huge tubs of butter or half gallons of creamer. Neither are there huge boxes of laundry detergent or gallons of fabric softener.
The first time I purchased bananas at the farm stand I asked for 12. The young man behind the counter opened his eyes wide and said "doce banana?!?" I felt odd, so I explained to him that we have 8 children. He then smiled and shook his head ok. Now, they are happy to see us coming down the hill with our shopping bags.

As we become more and more familiar with the merchants here, they are eager to help us learn the language while learning a bit of English themselves. My spanish is still pretty rough, but at least now I can go out alone and not feel totally lost in translation.

Homeschooling is up and going. Kids are back into the swing of things and hating it! Ha! I try to tell them that they have it easy. I only require Bible study, journaling, math, literature, writing, science, history and a generous amount of Costa Rica study which can all be done in their pajamas. Younger kids spend a lot of time outdoors discovering new bugs, plants and birds. The worst has been a big black hairy spider that I dare call a tarantula. Yuck!

I'm ready to be settled so we can begin some missions work. I know that the Lord has the timing in his control and when we begin, it will be amazing!

More to come...

We have internet!

Almost 2 weeks since we've been here and internet has just arrived. We were fortunate enough to have been able to borrow our friendly neighbors wi-fi in the meantime. A few days after our arrival we took a bus down to the ICE agency to obtain internet. The agent told us that we needed a phone line, a new one, not the one we already had. We said "OK, no problem can you give us a phone line?" He replied "Sure, it will take 6 months." So with our heads hanging low, we left the office and headed back home. We eventually decided to call the landlord and ask if there was any way to get the internet sooner. He said that he had a personal friend at ICE and he would call in a favor. Less than 3 days later, we had internet. I guess it's all about who you know.... and a bit of 'Favor'   ; )

I'm surprised that I have not missed having a truck to get around. The bus rides are a trip! One evening after shopping in the city of San Jose, we were on a bus going up the mountain. The curves were sharp and the bus was taking them better than a Mazda Miata! It was pretty full and there was a passenger hanging outside the bus door, waving to various people we passed. The driver smiled the whole time and people thanked him as they got off. At times, I had to look around to see if anyone was frightened by how fast the bus was going but they all looked pretty relaxed, so I figured this must be normal. As we exited the bus there were 4 huge cows standing around the bus stop eating grass. They must have gotten out of the yard nearby...I'm not scared of cows or anything, but thought it best to cross the road and walk away slowly.
(smile)

We have befriended the local people at the panaderia (bakery), carneceria (butcher), and ferria (farmers market). We stop in and buy baguettes, bananas, plantains, chicken, eggs, etc. and chat for a while before we move on. Conversations are light since my spanish is so rough, but they are patient and kind to me and the children. Tony does well in speaking and translating for me. The local fruit and vegetables are really inexpensive. Bananas are a dozen for a little less than $.80 and Pineapples are $.50 each. The bakery sells all sorts of bread with our without cheese. We have taken a liking to the flaky pastry bread with ground beef and spices which sells for less than $.50 each.

One thing that was not expected is that it gets chilly in the mountains. There are 12 different ecosystems in Costa Rica of which we happen to be in the cooler highlands. It has been cool the past few days with all of the rain and the sun not being able to warm the house through the sunroofs in every room.
Other than needing a few extra sweaters and blankets (that we were not expecting to need), we are adjusting. It sure beats winters in Maine.

(Roses in the front yard)

We woke up this morning expecting to make it to church at about 9am. Tony walked to the church first and called to let me know that church does not start until 1pm... Yes!  I sure hope I love it, it is only a 10 minute walk down the hill. Will let you all know next blog.

More to come...

Hello Costa Rica!

We have been in Costa Rica for six days and I'm wondering when the honeymoon will be over. I love this place! The views from my hilltop home are spectacular, the people are friendly and inviting and the temperature is amazing. Our visit in Florida was great. We had a chance to see family and friends and relax a bit before our exit out of the U.S.

Or last day was a Tuesday morning and as we rushed to the airport, late as usual, all I could think of was; what in the world would we do if we missed our flight.

We arrived to the airport an hour before the plane departed. A not so nice gentlemen working for Spirit Airlines looked at us and said “You are late, you're not gonna make it!” I tried to smile while handing him all 10 of our passports and I asked if we could just hurry through check in. He asked where my husband was. I told him that Tony was dropping off the rental car and he said “Your husband is not here!?! You have 20 kids and 50 bags... You're not gonna make it!”

(Blank Stare)

He was starting to wear on my nerves! I ignored his comments and proceeded to check in with a nice young lady who tried her best to get us in the system and check in our 8 bags. (Yes 8 bags, not 20)

Thank goodness Tony arrive shortly and began helping with the bags and my anxiety. Half way through check in, the grumpy, not so nice moron who got up on the wrong side of the bed gentlemen returned and said “You have a problem. You are flying on a one way ticket and need a return flight. As I knew this may be an issue with flying into a foreign country, I had purchased bus tickets out of Costa Rica to Nicaragua. (Thank God)

I pulled them out of my backpack and gave them to him and he walked away without saying a word and I smiled with a little bit of satisfaction. : )

Minutes later the young lady had checked us in and we were literally running through the airport to get through TSA. Oh boy, was that a doozy! All ten of us removing shoes, earrings and belts. Laptops had to be removed from each backpack and placed in bins with cellphones and keys. That alone took us a good 30 minutes. After that was over, we were once again running through the airport to get to our gate with only minutes to go. As we approached the gate I could see the agents pointing towards us. They were probably wondering what happened to 10 of their passengers. Out of breath and relieved, we boarded the plane and I sat down, closed my eyes and exhaled.

We arrived in Costa Rica and the the first thing the kids commented on was the gorgeous mountains surrounding the airport. We called our Taxi driver from our last trip and he arrived promptly with 2 vehicles including a van and a 5 passenger car. The weather was pristine. We were home in about 30 minutes. I truly had forgotten how beautiful the house was. The kids ran through picking out their bedrooms and claiming bathrooms. I headed to my favorite spot which was the back windows that opens up to a panoramic view of the valley and mountains that seem to hold the clouds above in an endless embrace. We all headed out an hour later and purchased a few essentials. Tony's phone rang and it was our friend Mario (the taxi driver). He said “I feel shame. I dropped you off and realized that you all did not have beds to sleep on. I will come by later and give you blankets and mattresses” We tried to tell him that we would be ok, and that he should not worry, but he would not take no for an answer. True to his word, he and a few friends were by later that evening with blankets and mattresses. We slept that night in comfort.

(Favorite spot for morning coffee or evening tea)

Next few days were very adventurous. We explored our neighborhood by foot and by bus. We went out with 2-3 kids at a time and sometimes just Tony and I. The bus rides were a bit crowded at times but never did I see an older person or woman with child have to stand up. The younger passengers always stood up and offered their seats. My Spanish has improved these last few days and the children are beginning to explore on their own which will help them to improve.

I thank God for this opportunity and can't wait to see what more he has in store.

More to come...

Wow Lord...

What a week, sleep was irrelevant. Our work was never done. We dumped a ton of junk/not needed things until we ran out of our alloted amount of coupons. Our wonderful neighbor Barbie was gracious enough to offer us her coupons... all of them! (Gotta love good neighbors)

The wood floor refinisher showed up at 8am sharp Saturday morning. We hurried down to the family room with our television, a few laptops and our microwave. This was home... oh yes, all 10 of us...for the next two days. Things were not so bad, we sprawled around on our area rug with blankets and watched netflix shows and movies for hours. I took a few peeks at the floor in the entry way and it was beautiful, it shined like glass and was still a bit sticky to the touch.

 Later that evening we had an appointment to drop off the second to last dog to a new foster home. As I waited for my husband to load up the truck, I could of sworn I heard footsteps or rather pawsteps upstairs. Naw.... couldn't be, there is just no way the dog is running around upstairs on my new floors! (blank stare) I couldn't move, I just stood there. Tony bolted up the stairs hopping over the entryway area onto the carpeted steps. Moments later he was downstairs with Chrystal. I stood there staring at Tony, the dog and my son who was standing in the garage doorway with an empty collar in his hand, bottom jaw practically touching the floor.

Wasn't too certain if I should believe Tony when he swore to me that the floors were fine, but what choice did I have at that point. I said “Ok, lets go” and we headed out of the door. Thank the Lord that when I mustard up enough courage to walk around upstairs the next day I realized that he wasn't just trying to pacify me. The few scratches that were imprinted were minor and the floors were gorgeous.

By Monday morning the house was rent-ready. We headed out on our way to the car rental agency trying to figure out how we could save some of the whopping $350 plus dollars it was going to cost us to rent a one way van to the Boston airport. When I arrived at the ticket counter, I began to explain to the clerk that the amount for the van was pretty pricey. But as I had no choice in the matter I handed him my credit card. Tony walked up behind me and said “Wait...hold on.” and handed me the cellphone he was speaking on. Tonya Adams, one of my wonderful friends exclaimed “Hey, we just bought a 20 passenger van!” I asked “What?” This was unreal, earlier I had asked God to provide a way for us to conserve the amount of money that we had. She answered “Yeah, We just bought it today, we will take you to the airport tomorrow.” Words can't explain... my heart was full. So I promptly asked for my credit card back and we headed home. Not only did they offer to drive us a little over two hours to the airport the next day, but came over later that night with dinner for us. We had an awesome time and God once again proved that he was paving the way. 

A young man that we have loved on and ministered to since he was 14 years old showed up at the house that night also. We had not been in touch with him and he had no idea that we were leaving. We were privileged to meet his 4 day old daughter and pray over her. God has been doing awesome things and has shown his love through his people and his spirit. I reminded myself of his grace and mercy as I noticed that there was an error on our bank account an hour before we left the house, he showed up again and after a few phone calls and some prayer it was fixed. 

I type these words on the plane that will take us to Florida before we head to Costa Rica next week. I am at peace because God shows up on time, every time.

What are you crying about?

In Less than 10 days I will be leaving everyone I know in Maine behind. In less than 10 day I will be trusting the home that I love to the care of a stranger. I have to tell you... I'm a little stressed out....

Yes, I know that the Lord will take care of us. Yes, I know that things will all work out for good for those that love him and are called according to his purpose. But...

We have painted, packed, stored and thrown out and it still looks like I have at least a months worth of work to do. Every room that looks done is quickly demolished by the Jackson Clan. The garage needs a good hose down. The backyard needs a good raking and the wooden window sills and railings needs a good polishing.

So, where did I end up on a Sunday night? In the corner of my bathroom where no one could see me (unless they came all the way in), on the toilette (lid closed), facing the corner.

I just wanted to cry, not because I was sad, angry, panicked or annoyed. I just needed to cry. It felt great, I muffled my sounds and let it out...(sigh).

Unfortunately my loving, caring, compassionate but always looking for a reason to laugh at me husband walked all the way in. He asked “Are you crying?” I cleared my throat and answered in a very nonchalant kind of way... “No...”

“Yes, you are... Why are you crying?”

“I'm not...”

“Marj!”

“I'm not crying! I'll be out in a minute”

Now that he was pretty sure that no one had died, he came right over and proceeded to struggle with me so that I would let him stare me in the eyes. I fought through laughter to try and get him to leave. Didn't work, I was a ball of mush with red eyes and a runny nose and was now laughing and

play-fighting with DH. He couldn't help but try to “fix” my anxieties. “Don't worry” he says. “I got this, I will handle it, you just relax”

Yeah, well who's going to finish all of the laundry and match all of the socks?!?

Good grief, can a girl just cry for a good hour or two? Sheesh...

I am anxious for this season in the move to be over. I am ready to be living in Costa Rica not worrying if the house will be ready before we leave. I am ready to be done with the transfer of the care of our dogs to their new owners, knowing that they are happy and secure.

Will these things ease all of my worries? Probably not, but they would sure help!

I will cast all of my cares upon the Lord who gives me strength!

Moral of the story... Cry if you want to cry, let the snot run, look in the mirror and laugh at yourself then cry some more.... just lock the door!

More to come...

Can't stop thinking about Costa Rica!

My first trip to Costa Rica was amazing. Here I am in another country with beautiful people speaking absolutely no English! Ok, ok, we met a few Tico's that spoke English but they were travelers. Thank goodness for our wonderful friends who joined us on this trip. They added to the experience.
Our host at the villa was an older German man named Heinz who no doubt enjoyed spending time just hanging out with us. He rode around with us for probably 11 hours one day.
We drove to the beach house in Playa Avellanas that I swore would be the perfect house. Turned out to be... not so great. I was very disappointed, It wasn't a total loss for Heinz who found a particular plant that he managed to convince the owner to let him cut a branch for transporting.  I had hoped that we would reside in Guanacaste, near the Pacific Ocean but God must not of wanted that for us. While walking around that property all I could think of was praying night after night that God would close that door if it was not his will. That he did.
By day 4 we finally decided on the first home we saw with the wonderful view. This home is in Patarra, less than an hour from San Jose. One draw back... it is totally unfurnished... can a sister borrow a mattress?

I left the morning of day 4 and Tony stayed behind to sign the lease. I got on a plane with Catia and made my way back to the US and couldn't shake Costa Rica off of my mind. Is that normal?
I was really sad to leave the country and this was after meeting just a few people. Before we boarded the plane to head to Ft Lauderdale, we were held up in security. Not because of anything in our bags or person. But because the security guards took literally 20 minutes to hold and play with my daughter. They took turns holding her and playing with her. All this with our language barrier. We arrived in Portland at about 4am after our horribly long layover in New York.
On the home front, we were able to find a renter that I believe God has given a divine appt with us and secure a deposit. I truly believe that the Lord is in this and will do exceedingly great things!  We are scheduled to depart Maine on October 19th and move into our new home before November 1st. I can't even imagine what the Lord has in store...
More to come...

Hard to understand friendliness...

So, I sat down certain that I was going to write about mishaps on our way to Costa Rica. Sure that I was going to tell you about missing the bus to the airport, paying an outrageous amount for my luggage... that did not fly free, asking for a glass of water on the plane and being told to pay $3 and getting lost in the airport where no one spoke English. How do you say...."Where's my husband?"

But, Today We were picked up at the airport by the owner of a beautiful little bed and breakfast who spent his day talking to us and giving us all sorts of advice about moving here.

 After relaxing a bit, we were picked up by the owner of the first house on the agenda....stop... I'm from Brooklyn and have lived many years in Miami. This young man drove us clear across town, spent a generous amount of time showing us the property and the neighborhood. Before we left, he asked if we would all like to grab dinner, which sounded wonderful to our hungry bellies. We then drove to an open/patio style restaurant and we ate and laughed for hours. By the time he brought us back to the Bed and Breakfast, we still hadn't told him if we wanted the house or not but it was like we were the best of friends, hugging and kissing cheeks. Kind of weird, but kind of nice. 

Tomorrow we will be driving to Playa Avellanas to see the second home on the agenda. It is 4 hours away and the owner of the bed and breakfast has offered to take us for a very small fee... What can I say? Pura Vida!

More to come... 

And away we go!....Well, not quite yet.

It was always my intention to begin school as late as possible this year but my overzealous children had other plans. They were up bright and early on Monday morning Aug 30th and sat waiting at the kitchen table. Who are these children?!? Unfortunately for them, I had a final bible study class scheduled that morning and had to leave. Didn't deter them in the least, they were waiting (not patiently I may add) and ready to begin at 2:00 in the afternoon. I still didn't have my act together. Schedules were not made, books not picked up at the library and my laptop charger had died 2 night before hand. Great! Well, Next best thing! We dumped the 4 bags full of school supplies on the kitchen table and divided them up. Passed out the Teaching Textbooks math, Apologia science, Tapestry of Grace (history,geography and literature) and a sprinkling of other grammar and spelling books . We then talked about what our year will look like, traveling through Central America and learning a new language. I ask them to pick the one thing that they were interested in the most and write it down. They would then learn as much as they could about it, along with other subjects and then be ready to present or teach it to their siblings at the end of the year. In the next two weeks we will be picking out a place to call home in Costa Rica. In the next two weeks Tony's job will officially end. In the next two weeks I will be watching and waiting for God to do amazing things!
More to come...

Wrapping up the summer

Well, the inevitable is coming. School! Unlike those who send their kids to public or private school, that word means something totally different to a homeschooling mom. School means; Late night planning, early morning motivations, reading out loud, family bible study,watching the dog chew on math blocks,  math lessons, reading lessons, disciplining the young ones, checking up on the older ones, changing the baby/toddler, stopping for lunch, history lessons, handwriting, grammar, more disciplining, watching the house turn into a forest of scattered papers..... wait, that may all just be my house. I'm certain that your home runs as smooth as a well oiled machine. Your kids sit quietly at the table and complete all of their work in a timely manner. The dog plays happily outside and never steals the toddlers snack and most of all the house is immaculate by the time dad gets home and he raves of how much you've accomplished.  If that's the case, I'll gladly trade mine for yours. (smile) Just kidding. I love these rugrats that the Lord has entrusted to me and it is a joy to teach them.... is what I tell myself daily... (smile) As we prepare to embark on this adventure to Central America I can only imagine what the Lord will teach us. If we did nothing but love on everyone we came into contact with (and a little math on the side) I will feel accomplished. We will be going down for our first visit in a few weeks to find a home, I trust that the Lord will lead us to the exact place he wants us to spend this year. My prayer is that through the difficult times and the wonderful times of homeschooling we can all know that God is in total control. If all else fails, it doesn't matter where you begin, just begin!
More to come...

Benjamin Button

After two whole years of relentless and shameful begging for candy, my 3 year old Benjamin Button had a nicely embedded cavity between two back teeth. (Don't worry, I take full responsibility). If you knew this little boy, you would know why we call him Benjamin Button. He must of been born 83 years old and has been going in reverse ever since.
One afternoon my little ol' man asked to go to the dentist because his tooth hurt, I took him the next day. Unfortunately for both of us the dentist was 83 years old and well after drilling, tears and a faulty filling that fell out a few weeks later...he came back to me and asked to go back and get his teeth fixed.
I found a wonderful 'Just for Kids' dentist and made the appointment and today was the day.
After breakfast, baths and even a smart hair cut, we were off with 5 other children in tow. Benji was confident as he climbed into the dentist's chair and asked for the mini flat screen television to be turned on. I asked the dentist for silver fillings this time and he offered silver caps. I asked Benjamin if I should stay in the room with him and he said "That's ok" in his 'don't worry about me' kind of way.
Forty Five minutes later, he walks out with the nurse and she is all smiles... "He did so great!"
He smiles and shows me his two silver caps which I quickly snap a pic of with my camera and forward to DH. I show him the pic and he narrows his eyebrows and say "OUCH!"

His new nickname... Megatron.
Thanks to my impeccable timing abilities, I chose this day to take a few more passport pictures, including Benjamin's.  We drive for about half an hour and arrive at the photo center. Everyone hops out of the car and and I inspect faces. When I get to Benjamin I notice that he had been chewing on his numb lip and it is red and swollen! Great!
Well, you can imagine how the picture looked, maybe the photo guy thought his lips were naturally like that. Hope the border patrols don't notice... (sigh)
More to come...

Are you ready for an adventure?

It's Sunday evening and I have just finished reading an awesome book about Global Education. I close this 200 somewhat pages of total awesomeness, sit it on my nightstand and think to myself... We're moving out of the country! I look over to my husband peacefully asleep beside me and  wonder how I'm going to convince him to do just that. Well, lucky for me it didn't take much convincing. After praying that night, next morning and afternoon, I pick DH up from work the next day, give him my spiel and he whole heartedly agrees!
 It's been about 2 months since that conversation and life has been a whirlwind! Who does that?!? Right?!? Well, I guess we do! Ha!
Where are we going you may wonder, well the choice that made the most sense to us was Costa Rica. We have 8 beautiful, intelligent children and can't wait to see them immersed in another country, culture and language. My oldest is 17 and will be leaving for college or the military Fall of 2011, so this was just the perfect time for us.
Got question marks above your head? Well here are some answers:
Q:What about work?
A: Covered, Hubby's company went under, got bought out and the new owners let  go of the entire division. No problem! We knew it was coming 6 months ago.Thank God for our home business that can be managed from away.
Q:How safe is Costa Rica? How about medical care.
A: CR has great medical care and how safe is America... really?
Q: Will you continue to homeschool?
A: Most definitely!  My kids have never been to school. This is a hands on way to learn geography, science, math, Spanish and History! Totally exciting!
Q:What about your house, belongings.
A: House is going to be rented out for a year minimum and the bulk of our belongings sold to the highest bidder. No use of carrying more than what we can carry...literally!
Q: What about church?
A: Missions! Nicaragua is on the northern border of CR and the 2nd poorest country in the western hemisphere after Haiti.
And for those who think "Well, you all are just crazy!" Well, obviously!
More to come...