Burton Family

Elliot's Turns 3! (with Hand, Foot, Mouth)

2011-11-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

In Granada, Nicaragua for her 3rd B-day!

Elliot turned three on October 17th, while we were still in Nicaragua. We had discussed, in her presence, that we would pretend her birthday was the 18th because we were traveling on the 17th and it wouldn't be that fun of a day. So, the morning of the 17th we are leaving the hotel and I say, "oooooh, Elliot, your birthday is tomorrow!" and her response is, "no it's not! It's TODAY!' I guess you can't trick a 3 year old. So we celebrated with chocolate, a swim, manicure/pedicures at the Hotel Spa Granada, a visit to an active Volcano, and a trip across the boarder. It was a pretty great b-day for her!

The next day we were going to have a big party, but it got cancelled because she had a pretty bad case of Hand, Foot, Mouth. Her bestesst friend and the family still had a party though since we all had the illness comin' for us anyway. It was a wonderful night celebrating a WONDERFUL little girl!

TEN THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT ELLIOT

She laughs a lot.
She is very sensitive and caring. She loves to share.
She is extremely tough...nick named SCARFACE :)
She gives the best hugs.
She will always dance!
When she talks it lights up a room, ESPECIALLY when she talks in spanish.
She loves to help out in the kitchen, chopping, washing, and cooking.
She will go anywhere with me. She loves to be out and about.
She can swim like a champion!
She is just herself! A funny, down to earth, loving, fantastic, chunky, spunky, wild, crazy, wonderful little nugget!

Enjoying the handmade chocolate!

Mani Pedi time!

And then we chilled poolside.

Not feeling her best, but it was still a great party! (see if you can count her scars!)

Cashier's Table or mini kitchen also crafted with love by Travis.! THANK YOU!!!!!

Beautiful wood crafted gifts made by her best friends daddy, Travis.

And we wonder why we ALL got HANDFOOTMOUTH?!

Elliot with her Bestie, Ruby.

Oh, how the time flies....

Rainbow themed and on the healthier side...

Rainy Season Craft Days and Pajamas

2011-10-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

Rainy season is getting a little old, but thanks to the little libraria in Huacas we can still have craft day! This one was put on by our good friend Amy Jacobs. Another beautiful project to adorn my house! Brooklyn is pictured here in her favorite clothes, lol, pajamas!

Monkeys on the Way to School

2011-10-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

We love seeing monkeys on the way to school! They are out in full force right now, on campus, around our neighborhood, and in the trees by the beach.

Science Report on the Frog - He Did it with ZERO help from mom and dad!

2011-10-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

"Helping out, stopping the polution could bring fungus disease back and kill more frogs. Detailed research needs to be done to determine what will happen to the frogs when polution is gone. As of yet there is no captive breading progra. In the future one should be set up. This will bring the number of frogs back up. What can we do? Try to reduce emmissions, to prevent global warming further developing. Let people know about the current situation of the frog. Make the world aware!"

- Part of a sience report on the frog :)

Old School Memory

2011-10-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

My brother Owen loves to photo shop! LOL Brody was only a few weeks old. I look so tired! I miss that couch. Thanks Owen for this awesome memory!

Goodbye Monster - TEAR!

2011-10-24T12:05:00.003-07:00

Our brave little doggy. So silly, jumping and barking at the fan, playing soccer with big rocks, chasing skunks. You were always so stinky and you barely had any teeth left! You barked at everything and made us feel so safe. You were scary to everyone but us. It was your obsession with chasing little creatures that got the best of you in the end. Those darn poisonous toads, too much even for the mighty. We miss your love. We miss you Monster! We miss you so much!

A Day in Brooklyn's Class

2011-10-24T12:05:00.001-07:00

Brooklyn is in the cutest 1st grade class! I love the teacher and I love being in the adorable classroom with all the good energy of these little minds. This was an especially fun day because they were studying the world map and I got to make a cake with my new fondant recipe that rocks! Being a mom can be pretty darn fun!

I even learned a little about world geography while carving out the map, it was pretty tricky with the islands. So fun!

CAKE FONDANT

1 stick butter
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 cups powdered sugar
A dash of vanilla

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix well. If not the consistency wanted, add more powdered sugar a half cup at a time (should be texture of play do). Roll out on a powdered surface till thickness wanted. Then lay over cake. If you want colored fondant add a dash of food coloring and knead.

Submitted by: Bridger Larsen

Totally works!!!

Turtle Traffic - The Mass Arribada

2011-09-21T12:58:00.001-07:00

No Flash Photography, but supposedly red lights don't offend them in their efforts to lay over 100 ping pong size eggs. Thanks to our guide and her red light, we were able to catch this one shot!

This is an experience unlike any other! Arribada is Spanish for arrival, and these sea turtles arrive by the thousands! They arrive during the last quarter of the full moon cycle, and for 3 nights the turtle mommies come ashore to lay their eggs on this single stretch of beach called Ostional. The eggs stay nested under the sand for about 45 days and then, out pop baby turtles. From there they have to make the treacherous journey to the sea. Not all the make it to hatching. In fact, the first two nights the sea turtles lay their eggs, the locals of Ostional LEGALLY harvest the eggs. This is because, after much research, scientists discovered that the first two rounds of eggs didn't survive because other turtles were destroying the nests while digging to lay their own eggs. The income created from harvesting these eggs supports the local economy, and in turn they conserve the beaches and protect the third night of egg laying from illegal poaching, scavenging animals, and tourists. They are vigilant in their query to protect the turtles, so much so, we weren't even aloud to take flash photography. Surprisingly, the turtles aren't bothered by our presence, or even our touch!

If you can believe it, 4X4 and dirt bikes drive across this rinky-dink bridge! As you can see the river below is quite impassible. Later that evening on our way back we got to watch a tractor pull out a car that thought they could make it through. Whhhhhhaaaaaat were they thinking?! Unless your car turns into a submarine, don't try that at home!

Getting down to Ostional was half the battle for us. This grand event happens throughout the year, but the most turtle traffic occurs in the months of August through October. The rain may usher in the turtles, but it also causes rushing rivers to become completely impassible. We took the long way and left right after school. The stars alined for us and luckily we made it just before dark and in time to see the Arribada in full force! It is estimated about one thousand came ashore for that night, and at one point they had no where to go except over our feet! They were beautiful creatures, so hard at work to perpetuate their posterity. We were all thrilled to see it!

The journey home was not so lucky for us. We stopped for dinner and before we could even order, Elliot slipped and hit her head on the corner of an iron railing. She fell hard and split her forehead pretty good, enough to cause a geyser of blood from her forehead and send me into a complete panic. It's really quite embarrassing, my reaction, and at one point I might even have yelled, "somebody call a dr." She did need stitches, but we weren't able to get her medical attention that night (big surprise here), and by the next day a butterfly bandage did the trick.

Within minutes of being home from her check-up at the Dr.'s office, to make sure everything was fine, she fell down and smacked her goose egg in the EXACT same spot! Her forehead tripled in size, she had swelling between her eyes, and the bruising that ensued for the following week gave her two fully black eyes. She's just about all recovered now, the last of the purple under her eyes is barely visible for the first time today. It was a 2 + week recovery all in all, but I think even she would say it was worth it just to see those turtles!

Little Nugget Friends

2011-09-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

Ruby and Elliot. Hillarious together! They both have a passion for food, sunshine, singing, and full out play time. We share play dates every Tuesday and Thursday. You'll never guess Elliot's favorite days of the week ;)

The love to eat!

Window Art pens making face art. So cute!

Swimming time!

Red and Blue go together like Ruby and Elliot. So sweeeeet.

Wow! Fun paper bracelets. Only in Costa Rica, ha.

Decorating rainbow cookies on our make-believe cooking show.

Nothing better than beach time...

Ruffle Muffins

Halloween

Princess Lolly Pop with Princess Helvecta. Love the makeup RU!

Elliot's 3rd b-day bash. It was hampered by Elliot's horrific case of Hand Foot Mouth. When you have a best buddy, they're gonna get sick anyway, so they are by your side through thick and thin.

Earth Shake

2011-07-23T16:47:00.001-07:00

“M 5.1 5.5 2011/07/23 13:54 Depth 25.0 km COSTA RICA 07:54:19 AM at epicenter”

No Biggie - But I my first thought was, "thank goodness Tom just got back from PriceMart and we have a start on our food storage." Seriously. A little more motivation to get it stocked up with all of life's necessities in a natural disaster. That is, if we aren't under water ;)

Our Little Angel Elliot Lives On!

2011-07-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

What happens when you call 911 in Costa Rica? In our case, nothing. In response to my husbands plea, "We need an ambulance, my daughter isn't breathing," was, "The road to Surf Side is closed, so we'll have a dr. call you back in a few minutes." Lesson learned - We are our best emergency response. My friend and I are going to be hosting a First-Aid class at Country Day School in the fall so that I can be better prepared, with knowledge and resources.

This is the story as I recounted it the afternoon after it happened...

"Yesterday Elle got a little congested and she seemed to be developing a cough. We thought we would watch it for one day before taking her to the dr., as they seem to be even less informative here than they are in the states...i.e., "it's a virus so we can't give you an antibiotic. You can give her some cough medicine to ease it and run a vaporizer in her room, etc., etc." We also got 8inches of rain in less than 8 hours, bringing the total to 47 inches in 3 days!!!. It seemed as if the sky was a faucet running on full blast. Mudslides, falling trees, and bridges were giving way because the earth was so wet and heavy.

We had some friends over for dinner. They are moving soon, and at 5pm without ANY dinner planned, I just called her and said, "you have to come over and have dinner with us before you move!" We discussed Elli's cough during dinner and how it seemed to be getting worse. She went home to look for a nebulizer and steroids, but could only find the medicine. I thought we could make it through the night, no problem, until the road cleared and we could go to the dr. in the morning. When they left at 8:45pm we had a tree down in our driveway and a friend called to say the only road out of our town had a mudslide across it. I was thinking the rain was so beautiful, and all the while it was wreaking havoc. We got our kids to bed and settled in for some grown up time with a movie.

At 9:30pm I heard Elle wheezing. I ran into her room to see she had panic stricken across her face. She was kneeling up and flailing with her arms out in front of her as if she was actually trying to grab the air with her fists. She could get out a short wail of "owee" as she grabbed her throat. That was the last sound I heard from her for a few minutes. Between her bedroom and the living room, which is only a few short steps, she had turned ghostly white and her ribs and throat were laboring for breathe with no success at all. I yelled at Tom that she wasn't breathing. He said we needed to put her in the bathroom and steam it up - 911 would have been my first reaction had we been in the States, but here the turn around is so long we just had to get her some air first. By the time the shower was running her body was all white and starting to turn a shade of white I can't describe, her lips were purple, her head was thrown back, and her eyes were rolling into the back of her head. Sheer panic at that point for both Tom and I.

Not sure what happened for the next few seconds, but somehow, she was in the shower with Tom fully clothed and I had rushed out the door to call my neighbor. I know that sounds so weird not to call emergency, but I knew the road was out and I had to get her to breathe. I called my friend that had been visiting that night, and she came straight over with some nebulizer steroids, even though she had no nebulizer. While I waited for her to arrive I went back to the shower to see the purple had faded back to white and she was able to cry again. I wrapped her in a towel and went into the living room to call a local dr. and let in my neighbor who had by then arrived.

I can't even recall the conversation with the dr. because Elliot stopped breathing again. We got the stove running with boiling water to which we added the steroids. We stood in the cold of the freezer (because we were told it shocks the airways to breathing.) We had about 5 cycles of this (stop breathing - stand over boiling water - stand in freezer - start breathing again - back to sleep.) In the meantime, Tom DID call 911. Of course, as we anticipated, there was nothing they could do because the road was out.

Out of desperation, even though it was so late, he called Dan Clegg who was a great strength to him. Tom was crying to him as he explained the situation. On about the 4th cycle of thinking she might suffocate (although after the steroid steam none were as bad as the first fit) Tom finally got a hold of an emergency dr. about 20 minutes from our house. He said for Tom to drive his Motor Bike (they are good for something!) down the beach to pick him up and he would come over with the nebulizer and a shot of steroids. Tom went out and I finally felt some hope and relief. That hope slipped away when he came back only 10 minutes later because even the beach was impassible. Little trickles had become rivers and there was no way he could make it. We were stuck with our little breathless Elli and prayer. Of course we had been praying all along! I just kept telling her that Jesus needed her to stay with us because we all love her and need her so much. She vomited between her fits, I think her abdomen was just that strained from trying to breathe. It was thick and I had to pull it out of her mouth with my finger to keep her from choking on that. Once we figured there was no help besides God and us we had the idea to boil some of the liquid steroid in a table spoon and have her breathe that directly. It worked! The steroid helped the swelling in her airways go down enough that she could breathe with great effort. It also made her cheeks turn all rosy and she had sparkles still stuck to her face from the princess dress up earlier in the day. She looked like an angel! After 15 minutes she woke up and smiled (12:45am at this point.) She said between her still labored gasps for air, "mommy - my - hair - long - like - yours?!" I was so relieved and filled with immeasurable love and gratitude for her. She grabbed my cheeks and looked at me with eyes of someone who knows that living is a gift, "mommy - (gasp) - I -(gasp) love (gasp)- you." We talked and cuddled until 3am and she finally fell into a settled sleep. She still hadto sleep sitting up because her breathing was very much still labored, but she was getting it.

In the morning when the road was clear, we took her to a highly recommended dr. When she tested her oxygen levels, even at that point when we thought we were out of the dark, they were still only at 92 (in a hospital 90 on a child will trigger an alarm) 98 is normal. The dr. administered a shot and two 20 minute doses of steroid through a nebulizer (mask over the face,) in addition to an oral steroid. By the end of a 2 hour session (with no waiting time as we were her only patients in the office) her oxygen levels were back up to 98 and she could breathe again. She is fine now and going strong, normal Elle!

I believe that the steroid my friend brought over saved Elli's little life! Had she not come over for dinner, I don't think I would have ever thought to call her for help. I don't think she could have made it all the way through the night struggling for breathe like she had been with all her might. It was as tender as a tender mercy from the Lord ever is. He is so good. She is with us. We are grateful! What a happy, strong little girl.

I Stand All Amazed

2011-07-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

I have been a little down for the last few days. Baggage. Lots and lots of baggage. The kind of baggage that is so heavy it breaks brand new luggage (attempting to bring workout equipment back to Costa Rica.) The kind of baggage that gets left behind and lost when Customs searches your bag and fails to close it back up. The baggage you have to clean and sort through when you move, for the 6th time in two years. Even with all that moving I still end up with THE PILE. You know that stupid pile, when you get to the end. There is always a shoe box worth of stuff that is just too difficult to manage and it finds a home in the ' junk drawer.' Today, as I finish unpacking my last box, I have no junk drawer. I got rid of the pile all the way to the last broken crayon.

Perhaps it is all this physical baggage I have been dealing with over the last week, or it could be the spiritual renewal I received going through an extrordinary experience with a family member last week that has caused me to reflect, but I have found myself running inventory of my emotional baggage. I decided to visit my spiritual/emotional junk drawer. The sad or negative energy that I have not been able to let go of for some reason or another and instead made a little PILE to store away in a junk drawer in my heart. I have to admit, it has been a bit painful and has made me extremely cranky.

There is one particular experience in my personal junk drawer that I have gotten out many times over the years. I have looked at it, relived it, prayed over it and still have not been able to find a place to put it, so it went back into the drawer in my heart. The spiritual experience I shared with my family member last week gave me the courage to look at it, hopefully, once and for all. I was ready to receive and give forgiveness completely so that the experience could come full circle, transforming into a process that has helped me learn and grow. The very next day I received a letter from a friend offering words about the experience that were like rain after a long droubt. It was love from a friend, and love from God. Heavenly Father answered my prayers. Of course for the process to be complete I am going to send off a letter too, one that I have written many times over but never sent. He is so acutely aware of us, it is almost unbelievable. The words come to my mind, "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. Confused at the grace that so freely he offers me...."

Norway In A Nutshell

2011-07-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

The handsome couple and the best hosts ever. Bob knew everything there was to see and do, so we didn't miss a beat! Debbie took good care of us and made sure our tummies were always full, if it wasn't for her, I may have passed out waiting for my carrot sandwich.

Many movies, books, and naps later, we finally arrive in Norway happy to see Bob and Debbie!

Our very first stop to the glass factory lends itself to some wonderful, cuddly moments.

Happy Reunion!

First night out on the town in Oslo.

The cold was quite a shock to my system!

Just the two of us for over a week. I was nervous, but it was amazing for Tom and I AND the kids, thanks to the crew of wonderful people back home looking after them!

Norway in a nutshell; I was going to give it a try but it is very much impossible! Even for the sake of blogging there were just too many great pics and experiences to leave out. So, I've subdivided it into the best moments to keep for our blog and blog book to follow. Let's begin with....

PART 1

The Oslo Pass – So You Can See it…all? 24 hours of museums, forts, parks, castles, gondolas and tricks. If you don’t eat, sleep, and definitely don’t sit down, you might just see 1/10^th of what Oslo has to offer. Good thing it doesn't get dark.

Frogner Park - 80 acres of splendid park adorned with 212 bronze and granite sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland (1869 - 1943), and thereby also known as Vigeland Sculpture Park. The artists messages are simple and beautiful, as he demonstrates the human condition from birth to death in its many forms. STUNNING.

This famous statue, The Angry Boy (Sinnataggen), has become a representation of the city of Oslo. Look familiar to any of you mamas out there?

There are hundreds of statues lining the walkways of the park, but this one was a particular favorite of mine, it's just so close to home. In the background you can see the mama holding her child in the air. Breathtaking, happy reminders of our purpose here all over the park.

In my mind this statue represents the people of Oslo always looking upwards to the sky for some sunshine! It's few and far between, but the rays are well received when they finally get through to these folks!

Feeling the love! Sometimes beauty is in the eye of the beholder, abstract and often gloomy. Gustav Vigeland created his statues so there was no room for misinterpretation. His messages were clear, beautiful, and often playful as he depicted many overlooked human conditions from new life, to the end of our journey and all that time in between.

We enjoyed a lovely picnic lunch while the sun peaked through. Ahead of us is 'The Fountain', which took Vigeland from 1906 to 1947 to complete. It depicts giant trees cradling infants and skeletons symbolizing from "death comes new life."

The center statue rising is the Monolith. It is 46ft tall and is made from one single granite slab that took 14 years and 3 artists to carve from the original clay model made by Vigeland himself. It is a figure of 121 human figures embracing and reaching together towards the divine. The message of unity and love is clear and beautiful, " together we achieve salvation."

Surrounding the Monolith is a circle of 36 sculpture groups embodying Vigeland's ever present message, " the circle of life."

Holmenkollen - World's most modern ski jump and museum celebrating Norway's long enthusiasm for the sport. Quite the view from up there, and we didn't even make it all the way to the top!

The Viking Museum - An unexpected treat. A culture where women were practically worshiped? Now who's not lovin' that!

A real life Viking ship unearthed! Norway's museum boasts the three best preserved ships of all time (the Oseberg, Gokstad, and Tune.) Didn't look very comfy inside, but it worked for them I guess. I gathered they were a crew of pretty tough people. They also used the ships as coffins, mostly for royalty, placing there revered loved one within the ship as well as all the riches, belongings, food, and animals they would need for their '"journey into the next life." THAT'S WHY we need a two year supply of food storage, it takes a long time to get to heaven by boat!

A few examples of their housing situations. Comfortable enough, but definitely no Hilton.

Lovin' the grassy roofs, Norway still has that going on today.

The Kon-Tiki Museum - In order for Bob's bragging rights of his photo with Thor Heyerdahl in the Ensign to be truly solidified, we just couldn't miss this stop. Tom was sick and we were all tired, but it was worth it! Thor Heyerdahl (1914 - 2002) to prove that early travel on balsa rafts was possible using only the currents. He finally succeeded crossing the Pacific Ocean in his reed boat, the Kon-Tiki in 1947, departing from Peru and landing 4,300 miles and 101 days later in Polynesia. "He proved that early man had mastered sailing before the saddle and wheel were invented."

One could truly spend a day in the museum admiring Thor's work represented there. It inspires me to think of how much humanity is capable if we set our minds to it!

Break time -

Taking a moment to rest our very tired feet in the bookstore after 24 hours of walking and sightseeing! Take note of Debbie's scarf, it is one of many she has acquired during her time in Norway. At the time her count was up to 5 or so, I wonder how many she's got now? Still 5 if Bob has anything to do with it!

In order to recover from the seriously delish choclate, buttery, doughy goodness, we HAD to get back to walking. yum, yum!

And....back to walking!

Gondolas and Hiking - We went straight up a mountain side to gather some breathtaking views and some really wonderful hiking. The fog rolled in and out while we were at the top, but we managed to hike around without getting lost and took in the sights of the wonderfully isolated cabins on the mountain lakes and streams above the city.

Castles, Forts, & Music, oh my! - I don't think I was the only one who was a little delirious at this stage of our sightseeing tour. The last few hour of the Oslo pass is a bit of a blur for me, consisting of the Viking night who was buried in the gondola, with a museum, under City Hall....Here are some shots of some magical moments that I can't quite place.

A welcomed opportunity to sit and listen to the orchestra rehearse. It was such a wonderful setting, highlighted by some classical music.

Beautiful Tole Art displayed on antique furniture. This museum depicted the progression of art and furniture in the home. Decorative paint started appearing on walls and furniture historically in homes once the wood burning stove allowed for better ventilation and less soot.

This is the museum's courtyard where the tole art was on display. We also enjoyed the random, but interesting, history of the knife and fork.

We stopped by city hall to see the inside, adorned with murals of Norweigan cultural history, but found the outside just as interesting. This darling family, dressed in their traditional dresses called Bunads, were there to bless their child. Many other families were there for the same purpose, and they were all dressed up in their Bunad best!

Norway's Resistance Museum - We all entered a little tired as this was one of our last stops. After a lot of reading and even a few tears on my part, we left feeling overwhelmed and grateful for the effort the small country of Norway put into the resistance. They were small in size and numbers, but great in perserverance and determination. Now I know where Bob gets it.

You can't see it that well, but this sign is over the door when you leave. It states, "Five years of occupation at end." The intensity of these words is lost in a single photo, but after feeling their struggle, if only for a short while, it brought tears to my eyes.

Forsvaret">

They did not give up, and they would not give in. They stood for what was right, even through the bitterness of work camps, unemployment, and separation from their loved ones. My favorite example of their pride in truthfulness; 500 teachers refused to teach the Nazi curriculum. "We cannot in good conscious teach what we know to be unconscionable before God." Every last teacher was shipped to a work camp, they would not back down. Impressive to say the least. Truly one of my personal favorite moments of the whole trip.

Next Up - Tunnels, chocolate, Bergen, and more....

Part 2 - Bergen

Where quaint is an understatement.

Notice the lovely summer weather? 18 hours of sunshine doesn't make up for the 18 hours of 'sunshine'!

One of our favorite things about Bergen is the sea food and market on the harbor. One thing we didn't like, is for the same price you could feed a family for a week in Costa Rica. One plate of seafood pictured above = $50.

Debbie sampling whale....

Debbie wondering why she sampled whale.

Sitting down to freshly smoked salmon at the market.

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I hate chocolate. Every time we stopped for treats it was such a drag. ;)

A little street shopping. Tom totally should have bought this, 5th grade would have gotten a kick out of it.

Day Trip from Bergen; Voss, Flom, and the Naeroyfjorden

We took a cruise on the Naeroyfjorden, the narrowest Fjord in the world.

The views were breathtaking 360 degrees and a hundred different shades of green. We were lucky to have a nice sunny day for the experience.

We took a minute on the cruise to have a quick lunch, which happens also to be the name of our candy bar of choice - KVIKK LUNSJ

The narrowest fjord in the world.

And I'm enjoying my $10 cup o noodle. I was unaware that in Norway they use gold flakes as flavor enhancers as opposed to MSG. You can totally taste the difference.

Norway is a land of many water falls.

At the narrowest part of the fjord, these two ships could pass side by side, with the land as close on our side as it was on theirs.

There were several small villages on the hillsides that were only accessible by boat. That's Pura Vida.

Debbie is embracing the local fashion by working on her scarf collection. Bob, undaunted by the price of food because he is satisfied with only one meal a day, is worried that the scarf collection will soon be taking over the mission budget.

On the way home from Bergen we stopped in Flam. We had some sunshine and actually saw someone take a dip. They must have been visiting from the North Pole. Tom was skipping rocks and his record was 16.

Chinese food in Norway.

Bergen 'Hop On Hop Off' City Bus

Great Grandma Burton's Home in Bergen. She left Norway as a young girl.

Up the gondola in Bergen.

View from the top.

2 Great Things About Norway:

1 – The major source of nutrition on our trip: Chocolate.

2 – Most common form of transportation: Our feet (which thankfully counters the effects of the chocolate.)

PART 3 - There and Back Again; What You'll See Driving Through Norway.

The breathtaking landscape of central and southern Norway is covered in cliffs, fijords, forests, waterfalls, and quaint countryside. Connecting the sleepy little fairy tale villages nestled in the mountains surrounded by clear lakes and streams, are roads dotted with tunnels carved strait through the mountain side. On such a journey, driving between the towering cliffs and the blue fijords, one will find colorful Norweigan homes and old Stave churches as picturesque as a postcard. With the sun shining brilliantly over the grassy, lush meadows or with a cool low mist draped over the water like a blanket, in all it’s forms Norway conjures in me a feeling of reverence and intrigue.

Grassy roofs is green living at it's best.

Land of the Troll

With Norway's diverse landscape, it is no wonder that story tellers of old have had fantastical visions and spread tall tales of a mysterious creature who lives at the top of the tallest mountains, resides behind a great waterfall, or lurks in the deepest, darkest of forests. He is a troll, and depictions of him can be found everywhere in Norway. Photo opportunity statues can be found around nearly every corner, and calendars, mini statues, postcards, and posters can be purchased for tourists to take home and remember the landscape of Norway that lends itself so well to such a tall tale.

flowers

Rain – Rain in Nor-Way, wearing coats long past May……..But it does explain the grassy roofs and perfectly rain kissed flowers.

Part 4 - Road Trip

Four gas station hot dogs and cokes which leave the body starving for real nutrition: $60. Filling the 12 gallon tank of our VW Polo for a 12 hour round trip driving tour: $144. One day supply of the world's best chocolate: $50. Marveling at the unrivaled beauty of Norway with really good company: PRICELESS.

Leaving from Bergen on our 1 day, marathon road trip.

We counted every tunnel we passed through, some several miles long. We didn't pass through one tunnel twice and our tally for the day was 62!

Coming down out of the mountains to this breathtaking view. We couldn't capture the scene in it's entirety with a camera, but from our view to the right there was a beautiful waterfall, and to the left of the valley a large cliff with another, smaller waterfall.

Once we dropped into the valley, the view looking back from where we came.

And we were warmly greeted!

Debbie started it with the crackers!

They looooved her!

Debbie found her new calling in life as The Goat Whisperer

mwah, cute!

We stopped in this little town to do some bike riding and enjoy it's wonderful energy.

Debbie in front of the darling stave church of Balestrand.

I was so happy to get my legs moving!

The following pics are all scenes from our bike ride....

We road through town along the fjord.

Back in the car and enjoying some chocolate.

Fairies and tunnels are necessary for getting around this water locked country.

Part 5 - Everything Else

Not a smell I get to enjoy very often in Costa Rica.

The glass factory on our first day

These guys are working with blistering hot glass, moving around in a synchronized dance from station to station to heat it, shape it, and cool it. Not one speck of protective eye wear, gloves, long pants, etc... Can anyone say workman's comp?

After a long nap and a shower, we are enjoying the beautiful Oslo view from Bob and Debbie's apartment on our first day. This is the 9pm sun, which looks the same at midnight, were it not for the clouds, it appears even brighter. That was a trip.

Tom and I made the treacherous hike to the top of Pulpit Rock. Check it out! Ominously close to the edge of a cliff thousands of feet....ok, so it's just a few feet up. We didn't have time to make it to the famous cliff, but we thought we could pretend. I think we got the poses just right.

We took this one for the kids.

Getting dressed up was half the fun of Norway. In Costa Rica, the second I put on clothes I'm glistening with sweat...it's not attractive. Lindsay loaned me all her clothes so I could be 'in style', still didn't come close to the high fashion streets of Oslo. It's no joke.

Just had to grab a shot of one of the many darling homes. They all have the most fabulous variety of trinkets lining their windowsills. I think they must offer a mandatory course for all home owners....decorating your windowsill 101.

This is a green car. Just drive, park, plug, and go!

Tom took this picture and then said I look like a "cougar" because of my wrinkles!!!

Relaxing

Relaxing. Park benches, walkways, parks, and endless days make for a lot of it.

These little shabby chic flower shops are EVERYWHERE, so I had to snap one. They sell fresh flowers, candles, baskets, and little ornaments. They are so cute!

This photo was taken at around 11pm.

We HEART Norway!!!!

Ice Cream

2011-05-05T14:54:00.002-07:00

I remember being a child, and wishing my parents would just be cool enough to remember what it was like to be a kid. Every once in a while, they did. Like the time my dad gave us chocolate cake and ice cream for breakfast. Staying up extra late for no particular reason, or sleeping in the backyard on a school night. Stuff like that. So I guess sometimes they did remember pretty well what it was like to be a kid.

Last night, after the kids were all in bed with their teeth brushed and in pj's, prayers and everything, we were cuddled together reading books. I got up and told Brooklyn it was time for sleep, and she whispered something in Tom's ear, something he thought was rather cute and funny. He whispered something back and they both started laughing hysterically. Tom lepped up and said, "we are going to get ice cream, who is coming?!" Of course we were all in shock, and it was so ridiculous and spontaneous that even I went along with it. The kids thought it was the best thing EVER! Way to go crazy dad! Thanks for remembering what it's like to be a kid. :)

A Cloud with a Silver Lining - also known to me as the tender mercies of the Lord

2011-03-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

How I Feel Today

Car accident in a rental. $1,000 deductible. Accident the fault of a 17 year old (18 to be licensed in Costa Rica) driving a vehicle two years expired on it's registration. Needless to say, no insurance. We are going to drive it a few more weeks until we get up the guts to pay the overpriced bill, and therein lies the silver lining....air conditioning and music for 2 weeks. In the midst of the blistering heat, I'll take it! Even if it is a little overpriced :)

Life is Like a Cupcake...I can never get enough

2011-03-27T18:15:00.001-07:00

It could be the everlasting sunshine of dry season, the rush of friends and family that have come to visit, the plethora of new vocabulary my 2 year old pronounces with such enthusiasm each day, or just the sheer joy of inhaling and exhaling, but right now, I just feel like I can't get enough.

During my pregnancy with Brooklyn, I seriously consumed 2 dozen confetti cupcakes in one sitting, with frosting! I include the fact that it was during my pregnancy, but anyone who knows me, knows that anything which includes flour, sugar, and frosting in the same serving will disappear entirely as fast as it is set out in front of me. And even after one of those binge sessions, I am still left craving more. Such is life. I can't get enough, but even if I tried, I couldn't squeeze in one more bite. Perhaps if the calendar started dishing out more than 24 hours in a day, or more than 7 days in a week, I could relish in each moment a little longer. The sun invigorates me, my children make me laugh and smother me with loves and kisses, and my husband and I are enjoying our 10th year together. I feel grateful for the sweetness that I am experiencing in my life right now, and I give thanks to the Hands that have given me these gifts.

No Smoke and Mirrors - Our First Trip to the Dentist

2011-03-14T21:21:00.003-07:00

No TV. No laughing gas. No posters or goody bags. No waiting room with kids stuff. Just a chair, some pretty scary looking equipment in plain sight of my eight year old, and a very well trained and wonderful dentist who walked him through his tooth extraction.....He was very brave. Enough said.

Confessions of a Sugarholic - my road to rehab

2011-03-03T11:48:00.001-08:00

This stinks! I love sugar. Sugar is bad for my body. It tastes really good. My mouth says 'yes!' but my body says, 'ouch.' From what I've read, eating excess amounts of sugar is about as good for you as standing in front of a moving mac truck, it just kills you a little slower. I know, I know, if your breathing, then you are at risk for cancer. BUT, truth be told we do have the power to extend our life and the quality of our life, God grant it. So, I'm getting on the wagon, and they aren't serving any cupcakes! At least, I WANT to get on the wagon. This might be a little rough.....

Driftwood Forts in Playa Grande

2011-02-22T09:31:00.003-08:00

This is not a year round event, but the unusual amount of driftwood on the beach called out to Tom...FORT. A definite kid at heart. Tom's Burton Lumber background gave him an edge in selecting just the right variety of building material. :)

The thatched roof gave the kiddos a little shade from the pure blue skies. Well thought out design.

Brody

I added the sheet to really bring the outdoors in by accentuating the colors of the day, lol. Actually, it was just a little extra shade.

Elle

Enjoyed by all!

Go Brody!

The Truth About Snakes and Machetes

2011-02-22T09:30:00.002-08:00

News Flash: I am afraid of snakes. I thought they didn't bother me at all, until I found one slithering over the picture frame resting on my nightstand. I was just minding my own business, and WHAM, there he was. Looking so innocent. I had no idea if he (or she for that matter) was a pesky garden snake, or a real life '1 step' and your dead snake. I thought I was scared, oh no, you should have seen Reyna, our maid. She was out of her mind with terror. My first mistake was giving her the machete. I thought she would confidently approach the teeny creature and rid it of it's precious little head. I mean, she's a local and these guys are everywhere. No, no. Instead she proceeded to scream at the snake, and believe me, if screaming scared them at all, this snake would have died of fear. She proceeded to wildly hack up everything in sight, including my picture frame. She broke the glass on it completely with the machete, her aim was horrendous. I had to take over, "look Reyna, I want to get rid of the snake, but my picture frames are a precious commodity. It's not like there is an IKEA around every corner here!" I retrieved the machete, and sent her onto a chair to hide. I wielded the weapon with the grace of a Costa Rican lawn mower, approached the snake and chopped off it's head in one foul swoop. It sounds pretty brave until you see how pitiful and small the snake was. Posting pics kind of ruins the story, or at least it makes me look as lame as the poor little snake!

New Years at Guacamaya - Glamping (glamorous camping)

2011-02-22T09:28:00.001-08:00

Relaxing, rejuvenating, hilarious, adventurous, new, fun, exciting, delicious, creepy, amazing, glamorous, and wonderful are just a few of the many adjectives I could use to describe one of the most fantastic weeks of my life! Thanks to our friends Martyn and Debi, for the invite that started off the New Year right!

Relaxing - Because it is a completely private beach where we enjoyed total solitude and serenity in one of the most picturesque back drops you could imagine, while 'camping' in 5 star safari tents fully equipped with electricity, air conditioning, pedestal bathtubs, down comforters, and so much more. Hammocks - enough said.
Rejuvenating - Because everyone took turns cooking amazing food, and NOBODY had to clean it up! The beach came with it's own staff. I took a daily hot bath overlooking the ocean, or showered in a private outdoor shower surrounded by foliage and flowers. B to the E - autiful.
Hilarious - Because we were surrounded by good friends and lots of kiddos, which always makes for a few good laughs! Add a few fireworks, bonfires, motor bikes, tractors, horses, kayaks, paddle boards, Manta Rays as big as a bus, gigantic Tuna fish that are paralyzed by the 'cold' water, and lice...well, there was more than one hilarious moment!
Adventurous - In every way. Catching the paralyzed Tuna fish by hand. Paddling with theManta rays (even one as big as a BUS), turtles, jelly fish, and general sea life. Making the biggest bonfires known to my children, surprised a plane didn't think we were signalling! Illegal fireworks, and the scars to prove it. Bio luminescent Dino flagellates - Night swimming in the glowing surf. Jet Skiing. Killing a few scorpions fall under the adventure category for sure, especially if you are Amy and you are terrified of the small, dangerous creatures. Of course, there isn't much out there more adventurous than Yoga on a Paddle Board. Namaste.
New - The whole week was filled with a bunch of firsts. Elle riding away with the love of her life on a horse. Actually feeling good when I run. Being the first one awake and making breakfast (that's a biggie). Watching a sunset on a paddle board. Saying 'Hello' to a sea turtle on my kayak. Paddling through thousands of Jelly Fish. Eating too much - LOL, that's not a first, but the food was amazing!
Fun - because I didn't want the week to end. Family, friends, good food, sunshine, and nature's best playground. Couldn't ask for more.
Exciting - Jake would say the most exciting part of his trip was when the dirt bike broke down in Flamingo while he was buying our lice treatment shampoo, and he hitched a ride back with 'save the day Christian'. That sounds pretty darn exciting! Brody would say - riding on a big tractor/digger to collect massive amounts of wood for the biggest bonfire ever. Elle would say - Riding down the beach on a horse. Brooklyn would say -riding down the beach on Daddy's moto. I would say - definitely the seat turtle being an inch from my paddle. Tom would say - that I can't say ;)
Delicious - Because we ate the most gourmet and indulgent food the entire trip, which is part of why Martyn coined the term 'glamping'. Turkey, Tuna, Ribbbbbbbbs, Lobster,mmmmmmmmmmm. Fresh fruit smoothies, and homemade desserts, all overlooking the ocean. Seriously people.
Creepy - Because it goes without saying that LICE is pretty much the creepiest thing that could ever be! Anybody with hair had it, but Brooklyn and I had it worst. We had unknowingly had it for a few weeks, eek. Thanks to Reyna, one of the property's care takers, for picking them out of our hair one by one. Yuck! Thousands of Hermit Crabs could fall under the category of creepy or adventurous, but with the numbers they were traveling in...I'm going with creepy.
Glamourous - Because when I was washing out the lice, I was doing it in my private outdoor shower, surrounded by beautiful foliage and listening to the waves. Also, because when I laid my tired head down at night, I enjoyed the comfort of a down pillow and soft clean sheets. Not the usual 'comforts' of camping.
Amazing - The experience over all was so enjoyable. Thanks to our great friends Martyn and Debi, Jake and Amy, and all the kids and crew for such a great week!!!
Wonderful - So much so, that I'll never forget!

Guacamaya Beach

We brought in 2011 with great friends!

We can see you Jake!

Favorite play spot for the kiddos = quite a few bonked heads and a couple of good wind-knocked-out-of-you's.

Fully Equipped with all the luxuries of home....not my home, but the home I envision in my dreams, lol.

The inside of our tent...hence Martyn coined the term, "glamping." Well done Martyn.

View from 'tent' patio...

Moto on the Beach

Brooklyn and Jake and unknown in back, out for a paddle.

Those are the wing tips of a Manta ray. There were dozens of them, although I never saw the one 'as big as a bus'.

(to the tune of the old Foldger's Coffee Commerical) The best part of waking up....is paddling with the scary sea life that might eat you or sting you or be as big as a bus...

Lip Sync and Dancing to bring in 2011~ She's her mother's daughter.

Part of the personal fireworks display provided by Jake and Martyn, no expenses spared. Also very illegal, yahoo!

Happy New Year! While we didn't actually stay up for the moment 2010 ended and 2011 began, I woke up in 2011 in one of the most spectacular settings on earth. Feliz Ano Nuevo!

The guys after they came back in from their sunset paddle. Laughing because they are lying? Or just in shock.

"We saw a Manta ray that was so big, it was as big as a bus!"

Check out the goose egg on her forehead....she's always got one as an accessory.

Everything you need...

Our gracious hosts, Martyn and Debi. We love you guys!

Elle loves Ticos, and they love her! Here she is getting her surprise ride, which she loved.

Guys on there way back in from collecting wood for the bonfire. Guys just love toys.

Tom and Brody

Lice treatment number 1, only 4 more to follow!

We tricked the kids into the lice treatment with a 'spa day' theme. Elle really went with it.

The Tuna that was caught with bare hands...

This is Elle as she watches Tom and Martyn carry the fish out of the water. She looks slightly bewildered.

Then the cleaning. Boys like doing gross stuff. Girls like watching it....

The girls watching the Tuna get dissected.

The were disgusted.

Bracing each other out of pure shock, but they couldn't stop watching!

Coming in off the jetski with the fish.

Nothing like a little zen to start your day...

Hermit crabs by the thousands, you could hear the buggers!

yummy!

2010-12-16T18:47:00.000-08:00

HALLOWEEN - PURA MUERTE!

2010-11-17T21:28:00.001-08:00

We all had an instrument, although they aren't all pictured here. Brooklyn was on the mic, and I had a spooky keyboard, Tom had an additional guitar adorned with skulls and cross bones and other spooky stuff. None of us had our costume shoes on yet, the paint was still drying. They really completed the ensemble!

Elle in Character.

Still in character.

Winners of the Costume Contests - hooray!

Jello eating contest!

Elle, who was only two and 2 weeks, got really into character. She loved the accessories and posing for the cameras!

Elle's first real trick-or-treat. She was pretty freaked out by her own dad, it was hilarious.

Brooklyn was really pumped on the crazy hair, but she still wanted to look 'pretty.'

Halloween is definitely one of my favorite holidays. I love to dress up and I love to eat candy, so it really makes sense. My kids are totally into the idea of group costumes, so we were going for that this year. We thought about our costumes for many months leading up to the big day. Becoming Allice (mad hatter, allice, queen of hearts, the cat, and the pig), but it was so expensive. Lazy Town, but nobody here knows the tv show, so we would have just looked stupid. Your typical food group costumes; fruit salad, milk and cereal, rice and beans.... Nothing seemed right, and we were taking it real serious like. One day Brody was jammin' out on his air guitar and it came to us, Punk Rock Band! It's been done before, of course, so we really developed the 'dead' punk rock band theme. We named ourselves "Pura Muerte" which means, "Pure Death." It's a play on the famous Costa Rica saying, "Pura Vida" which means, "the Pure Life." With the help of my great, great friends, we developed our band logo, made t-shirts, and had to get super creative on the accessories, which included lots of electrical tape, paint, metal fan strings, safety pins, chain link...you get the picture. We won some pretty cool prizes, and had a great time. It is a fabulous way to have family fun and a little spooky bonding. In total we went to the CDS Halloween Party, trick-or-treating with great friends, and Witches Rock Haunted House and Trick-or-Treat. A total of 3 days of dressing up and good times. Can't wait to see what we come up with next year!

Dia de la Independencia ~ Septiembre 15!

2010-09-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

Traditional Girl's Dance Dress

No bombs, no guns, no bloody battle..a simple letter from Spain arriving by ship and then horseback, to grant the people of Costa Rica their request for independence. Today, the peaceful achievement is remembered with several days of traditional celebrations,including, music, dancing, lantern lighting, torch passing, parades, and of course, good food.

Country Day School took full advantage of the cultural educational opportunity, by putting together an assembly of traditional dance, costumes, and music as the story of independence was narrated in Spanish. The children had been preparing dances since the school year started, and a few local public schools attended and participated in the event as well.

After the traditional celebrations, the day was left for the kids to enjoy a variety of fair-like activities on campus, including, a bouncy 'water' castle (ie- they stuck a hose on it), frog races (for real!), face painting, guitar hero, skateboarding, a cake walk, musical chairs, etc...Brooklyn sat and watched/helped Miss Lizzy do the face paintings, while Brody didn't even make it to that section as he was trying afternoon for winning treats at the musical chair station. If I call it appreciation for music will it make me feel better??? :) It was a day to remember!

The Matapalo Band was playing and all of the girls got up to dance in their beeeeautiful dresses! Brody joined in as well of course, but where I was I couldn't snap shot.

Elli comes with to all of the school functions, and she loves all the attention she gets from the big girls!

Brooklyn with part of her class.

Brody with 1st and 2nd grade - he's back left corner :)

A woman from our church made this dress for Brooklyn in just a few hours!

Face Painting Fun

Of course she wasn't going to miss out!!!!!

The boys danced with scarves and wore the typical hats, a little less fancy than the girl's stuff, and I wasn't hearing any complaints!

She's finally happy, so needless to say, SO ARE WE! An update on Brooklyn.

2010-09-13T21:43:00.002-07:00

My happy girl!

After one year in Costa Rica, Brooklyn has achieved piece of mind, contentment, and general happiness. Thanks mostly to her lovely new kindergarten teacher, Miss Lizzie, who has created a welcoming, structured classroom, fully equipped with almost ready-to-hatch baby chicks! The incubator has been the talk of the school, and the kids have been counting backward to hatch date. It has created as much excitement as Christmas, so well done Miss Wizzie (as many of her little kinder students call her.)

Brooklyn's early to bed, early to rise schedule is really working for her. Aside from the wonderful education she is getting at Country Day School, which includes gardening, p.e., art, and Spanish as part of the curriculum, she has a full line up of extra curricular activities. She takes ceramic art on Monday, and exhibits almost as much love for art as her big brother Brody does. She does hip hop twice a week, once with me and the Country Day Cheer Squad, and once from a wonderful teacher at the local 8 count dance studio. Next year she'll be old enough for surf club, that is if she can handle the 'stickiness' by then! She has at least one play date a week, swims every day, looks forward immensely to lunch and snack, and has a great little following of 5th grade fans. She is an amazing big sister, and treats Elle with lots of love and kindness. She's the one responsible for teaching Elle how to swim due to her zeal for the sport, but also her patience to teach her. And the cherry on top is she is FINALLY speaking Spanish with a little bit of confidence and frequency.

I am so pleased that she has taken a liking to it here now, and while she misses her cousins from home, she is making lots of new friends from all over the world. She still brings a little bit of sass to our home, which cracks me up. I know she will grow into a very strong, self-motivated, unwaivering woman, as she already, frequently, single handedly gets all the kids on the playground to line up out of sheer fear of hearing her yell. Where does she get that from??? (heheheheh) A feared woman.....it could be worse.

I started as an EGG! - The Egg Hatching Countdown begins.....

Working in the garden at school is a weekly part of the curriculum...is this heaven? Nope, it's Costa Rica!

Gettin' Dirty

At Bear Lake with her bestest cousins!

Dear AutoMercado

2010-07-18T19:50:00.001-07:00

Why do I miss you so? Let me count the ways...

because I know all the faces of your employees and they know me, because sometimes I give them rides to work when they are hitch hiking.
because although your things are twice the price, your small selection, cleanliness, and simpleness make shopping effortless.
because when I have to put $20 of groceries back at the end because I ran out of cash, I'm not embarrassed because you live the 'pura vida.'
because you have no 'holiday' or 'seasonal' isle. Those are just code for, "we always have something you think you HAVE to have, even though you don't, and you'll buy it anyway, because that was commercialism is all about, convincing the consumer that their life will be better if they make the purchase and add the item to their ever growing pile of other holiday and seasonal items....

I love you Auto! You make living in Costa great!

The Past is Part of the Present and the Future (even if the pictures aren't there to prove it.)

2010-07-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

Do you ever keep replaying a moment in your head, over and over, in hopes that somehow, insodoing, you will be able to change the events of the past? Well, I do. I have been doing it for the past week, trying to change the fact that on our trip from San Jose, Costa Rica, to SLC, UT, we lost over a thousand precious pics. Somehow between our hotel and the check in desk at the airport, our laptop was 'misplaced' - meaning somebody nabbed it- and years of photos were lost. I am grateful for my blog, which has preserved many of my favorite moments over the last year, and I feel like it's not just a hobby, but a real blessing in my life! Thanks to all our loved ones who have snapped shots over the last few years, and are letting us rumage through the computers and photo albums to scan, copy, and attempt to retreive these little moments in time. In the end, searching for pictures, has been a fun experience, and we have found many pictures we didn't even know existed. I am grateful for my beautiful family, and realize that while pictures are fun, they are only reminders of our past, but our past will always live within us, even if the pictures aren't there to prove it ;)

The Amazing Race

2010-06-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

My dad warned Tom at our wedding, "Tom, Caralee can be a hippie, but she can also wear a dress." He knows me too well. I'll never turn down a five star, but I can go hard core with a hand shovel and a doggy bag if you know what I mean. When it comes to camping with my kids, I'm a little schitzophrenic. I want to camp in the spots that are remote, beautiful, and a little adventurous, but I want to take ALL MY CONVENIENCES with me. 'Cause there is nothing like dealing with an 15 month old, when your both going on just a little bit of sleep and half fully tummies. This point brings me to my story.

Three months ago when my sister, Chandra, came to visit Costa Rica, I decided to take her camping. She loves to camp, and will pretty much never turn it down. So, in my little Kia, we packed 2 adults, 6 kids, two tents, a couple of large coolers, a few surfboards, a bunch of beach towels and toys, all the needed kitchen supplies, bug spray and sunscreen, changes of clothes, baby bottles, diapers and wipes, matresses, the porta crib, well...you get the picture (I don't think it's even legal.) Of course we chose a really remote camping spot that you could really only get to by either A) Trekking down the beach for 20 minutes with all of the stuff or B) Parking across what appeared to be just a little stream and hiking the stuff into the spot via the knee high water. The stream had to be crossed at two points, with a sand bar in between. We went for option B, thinking that walking through the water would be the more refreshing choice. I put Elle on my back in Baby Ergo (the best investment I have ever made), and the kids camped out on the shore line with their sand toys while my sister and I played conveyor belt; I unloaded the car and walked the goods across the stream at the first point and passed them to her. She would then walk them across the stream at second point and drop them on the shore. She got the harder leg of the journey of course, as she is often times referred to as an 'ox' or 'pack horse' with her 3 boys and 1 girl in tow on the most incredible undertakings.

All was going as planned, at first. I am not brilliant at times, thats for sure, and I neglected to put two very important facts together. Fact one, the stream was coming in off the ocean. (and if you are a surfer or beach bum, or know anything about the ocean and I mean ANYTHING, you probably know the second fact and where this story is heading.) Fact two, the ocean has two tides. It's just not rocket science.

We arrived at the turn of the low tide, when the stream was just a stream. But we packed A LOT of stuff, and it was just my sister and I and 6 little kiddos. So, by the time we finished unpacking, we were both wading across shoulder deep water with the goods above our heads, I being determined not to let my down pillow get damp at all. We finished unpacking just in the nick of time. Seriously, our last load was the surfboards, and I paddled them all the way across, the sand bar having disappeared minutes before.

The whole experience was completely entertaining, and a full body workout. The fact that we thought the whole experience was just great, must mean she and I are destined to compete in the Amazing Race or something. Tommy, my hubby, was a little less delighted when he swam across the river to take the car to get some more ice, and quickly realized it was trapped on the highest spot until low tide again. I guess the remote little path I drove in on, was actually the high tide river bed...eeek. Next time I'll do a little more research on the spot we choose.

All and all it was a lot of fun. The weather was hot and sunny, we had shade for our tents, we ate yummy yummy food, enjoyed scary stories around a campfire that was just for looks cause it was far to hot to get near, and got a relatively good night's sleep. Yes I said, a good night's sleep....all that work for just one night! It was totally worth it. The next day we had plenty of sunshine, played on the beach, and packed up the car all over again...this time during low tide.

The Kia was a little overloaded, I just haaaaaad to take my Tiki torches filled with Citronella to keep the mozzis away...hey, it worked!

Clark and Brody were excited to go, and so got in the car a little prematurely. Brody has fully adapted to the climate here, but Clarky (on right and very grumpy) was a little overheated. WATER!

You can see Elle's white leg hanging from my back. Yep, she hung out back there for the entire 1.5 hours of unpacking. She was 15 months at the time, but has always been keen for adventure.

Elle liked trudging through the water, it was quite refreshing. I was worried she would get a sea salt rash on those chunky thies, but they were just fine.

Here is Kate and Elle. Elle is airing out those thies :)

It was an amazing sunset

Notice no one is actually sitting in front of the campfire...it was totally just for the visual effect.

Baby Yoga

2010-06-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Elle was minding her own business, eating her steak and rice. I became occupied for only a few moments and when I turned back around she was literally doing downward facing dog on the tray of her highchair. Of course I had to ask her to reproduce the pose for the purpose of recording the moment, or no one would have believed me! Elle was only 16 months at the time.

The stuff nightmare's are made of.....

2010-06-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

This bug was found on the floor at the foot of Brooklyn's bed. It is a very poisonous centipede. Also found in the picture are Brooklyn's bright pink panties. I am just glad he was next to them and not INSIDE of them, because....eeek! The bite on these is just as sore as a scorpion, or so I hear......

Primaria de Santa Cruz - Fiesta de Nadando

2010-06-07T19:59:00.003-07:00

We had a church primary party at our house last week. A member of our ward, graciously donated the funds to have the kids transported in an air conditioned van from Santa Cruz to our home, about a one hour drive. We BBQ'd, played with water balloons, and of course we swam. None of the kids actually knew how to swim...NONE OF THEM. Which leads me to my next venture...non-profit organization to help low income families enjoy the beauties and activities of Costa Rica that people travel from all over the world to see. We will be looking for families who wish to sponsor children and families down here to experience or learn to swim, surf, 4 X, participate in local art workshops, play and instrument, zip line, raft, etc.....These kids need some opportunity. We will be starting with swimming lessons in August, it's free and easy, and....well, it's a start.

Tommy on the grill....love you babe!

This girl loves to swim...just taken a break I guess.

None of the kids ages 3 - 14 actually knew how to swim. Good thing the pool is shallow. Brooklyn was giving swim lessons by the end though, and they were making some progress.

Elle (18 months) sitting next to her primary companion of 3 years! What a fatty eh?

That Aint No Cookie

2010-06-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

This short story contains a man, dog poop, a kitchen spatula and an angry wife. It might not be suitable for all audiences, as it contains mildly explicit language....Our dog Monster left us a 'surprise' on our patio while we were out. When we came home my hubby said, "I'll clean that up." Moments later I walked onto the patio and shuddered at the sight of my husband scooping up the smelly doggy 'treat' with my KITCHEN SPATULA. No joke. "What the hell are you doing???" I shrieked! "What? (he replied oh so innocently) I'm just cleaning this mess up." I watched in horror (I'm a little OCD) as he then proceeded to launch the load from the spatula into the trees, hose off the spatula, and then bring the spatula inside to "disinfect" it with some dish soap and the kitchen sponge. OH NO HE DI'N'T! (said with three snaps and a whip of the head.) I relieved him of his duties at that point, and got the whole situation under control. I have been laughing spontaneously since then...MEN! (Said to myself out of the pure hope that my husband isn't the only man who would pull this stunt off.) Thanks for letting me share the story babe, your are the best, love ya!

33 drafts, no joke

2010-05-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

So it isn't that I haven't been writing, it's just that it takes so dang long to upload a picture! I have all sorts of half entries just waiting for pictures and then they'll be up. Seriously, I have 33 posts in draft mode, that's just a bit ridiculous. I'd like to get them updated, so does anyone have any ideas about how to upload pics faster and in albums instead of just 5 at a time??? I promise to stay on top of it from here on out, but it might take me a year to catch up on the past 33....

Happy New Year - Camping on the Beach

2010-01-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

Talk about a good site...free too. Dry season, so trees are bare, but it was nice and hot!

(You can see why I would have thoughts of Tsunami!)

After our busiest Christmas EVER, we decided to recover on New Year's by camping on the beach with our friends William and Kenya. We camped at Playa Minas, which is normally quite pristine, but it turns out to be a favorite local camping spot during the holidays. If you go any other time of year you'll most likely be one of two people on the beach, but even with the loads of people it was just what we needed.

We had a delicious bbq, a huge bonfire, and enjoyed a full moon. The sound of the waves lapping up on the beach only a few feet away from us was quite musical....until it was time to sleep. When I closed my eyes I found it actually gave me a little anxiety. I had a flash back of a tsunami nightmare I once had. Visions of my family clinging to a large tree, and the feeling of a life size wave crashing over me and then......well, I think that's enough details. I kept looking up all night long, to make sure the ocean hadn't receded and there was, indeed, a gigantic wave coming towards us. After all was said and done, the whole scene proved to be a fantastic backdrop for camping and to bring in the new year. (I must admit, I do miss my mountains. I'll have to fill up on them when I come home for July.) Elle was in heaven of course, she is my tom boy. Not afraid of dirt or sand, or of being sticky. In fact, I do believe sand is her favorite substance in the whole world. Needless to say, she had a blast! Brody and Brooklyn didn't actually complain of the sand at all either, quite a transformation from our recent trip to Mexico where neither of them would even set foot on the white sand beach! Brody caught a fish. I think he was the only one. But he put it back, it must have gazed at him just right, appealing to his softer side. Who am I kidding? Brody only has 'the softer side.' I love him for it!

All in all, it was a great way to spend a night and a full day. We'll do it again for sure. When we come home from our state side trip in August, I'll be bringing all my high tech camping gear back with me. But for now....tico style!

This fish wasn't dead, and rest assured, it is living out the remainder of it's long life in the big, blue ocean. Check out Brooklyn's face!

Brody yawning and enjoying the view.

Brooklyn loves camping....and pj's. URG!

Elle enjoying the heat of the fire, barefoot and almost naked. As usual.

This pic is just for the Burtons....I told you my kids were capable of enjoying the sand. I guess in Mexico they just wanted to take advantage of the pool.

Check out the local girls....they couldn't get enough of Brooklyn. Do you think she has their attention??? Do you think she was loving it??

The waves at high tide are fast and surprisingly strong, even after they've broken. The water comes up all the way to the tree line.

My stud man caught a fish!

The Quiltmaker's Gift

2009-12-27T21:54:00.001-08:00

For any of you who have had the chance to read the children's book, "The Quiltmaker's Gift", you will understand why this posting is thus titled. If you haven't had the chance to read it, get your hands on it as soon as possible. It is a wonderful story about a wealthy King's journey to find true happiness. This Christmas, my family experienced that much sought after 'true spirit of Christmas.' It has been the best Christmas of my adult life, and one that will be remembered for years to come. With the generous donations from friends and family in Utah, we had the unique opportunity to buy, prepare, and disperse packages to many needful families in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Your wholehearted donations, however little or large, made a difference in the lives of others. You brought laughter, surprise, and delight to children. You gave father's relief and mother's hope. You gave a night to remember to our entire branch and investigators, a Christmas meal that will not be forgotten. Pictures weren't always appropriate, but we did our best to snap a few. We hope that you will be able to experience the joy that you brought to the lives of others. Merry Christmas!

Some families were in need of toys and clothes, as they were able, at the time, to provide sufficient food for their needs. Other families, were needful of food packages, as economic hardship has also found it's way to Costa Rica, and work can be difficult to find.

This is an example of a 4 year old girl's gift pack complete with doll, sparkle glue, markers, candy, coloring book, and crown. Every gift pack was a little different, depending on the age and need of the child. Other girls packs also included Barbies, dress-up purses, stickers, and tea sets. The boys gift packs included things like play dough, markers, coloring books, an airplane or helicopter, stuffed animals, soccer balls, remote control cars, and Legos. We also put together clothing packages for families that were especially needful of clothing. We bought clothes specifically for the age and gender of each child. We worked really hard to get the best bang for your buck, and with the Lord guiding us, we made the money go quite a long way.

All together, your donations purchased clothing and/or toys for 50 children, funded several LARGE food bundles for multiple families, purchased a hearing aid for an elderly woman, and provided an unforgettable Fiesta de Navidad for 140 people. Your donations also purchased some gifts for the teenagers including, purses, soccer balls, and watches. Many of the women also received care packages that included dish cloths, body spray, and bracelets. We were also able to purchase some kitchen supplies. Over all, your donations touched the lives of about 200 people this Christmas!

All it took to bring pure delight to this little boy, was this tube of play dough. His excitement alone was enough for me to feel Christmas all year long!

This is a home 'community' for a family made up of about 25 people. A mother with her five children and their spouses, who between them each have about 4 children, live 'together' here. They were the recipients of toys, clothes, and large bags of rice. When I say 'large', we're talking food storage portions. We laughed because one large bag of rice, is about enough to feed the whole lot for a single day. As an indicator of the kind of people they are, on Christmas day when we arrived, it was difficult to find anyone at all. The women were all out back, working together on laundry, their children by their sides. All the men and boys over age 10 were out working for the day. It didn't matter that it was Christmas, because without resources to take you more than one day at a time, it's a another day to work.

After 6 hours of delivering presents, we decided to take a break for food. This was our Christmas dinner and then off we went for another 5 hours. We left our house on Christmas morning at 10am, and returned at 9pm. It was a long day for the kids, but Brody said, 'the best Christmas present is really just to be together.' True that Brody, true that.

THE PAN - A Very Important Part of Your Donations

Tom and I were shopping at the Maxi Bodega, purchasing food, gifts, and trying to put a dent into our huge list! I passed the kitchen isle, and picked up some dishcloths. They came in large packs of 10, and so I thought they would make a good gift for some needful sisters. I passed by the rack of pots and pans hanging on the wall, and thought, 'I should get a pan.' And so I asked Tom if he thought it would be a good idea. He said, 'how would we even know who to give it to?'I thought he made a good point, and so we moved on to another isle. Again we passed the pots and pans on the way to get a pillow. Once again, I though distinctly, 'I should get a pan.' However, Tom and I had already discussed why it might not be a good idea, and I felt very responsible for spending the donations as accurately as possible. After approximately 2 hours roaming the store, we headed at last, with two jammed packed carts, to the check out stand. We passed, one last time, the pans. This time, I felt as if someone was yelling at me, 'Goodness Gracious! There is a sister who needs that pan, so put it in your cart!' I immediately picked up that pan and put it in my cart.

On Christmas Day, when it was time to deliver the packages, I still did not know who the pan was for. I just told Heavenly Father, 'I know this pan is for someone, so please let me give it to the right sister!' The kids and I were wrapping and packing when Tom came in and said he was taking a run to deliver some stuff to a sister nearby. He said, 'who did you decide the pan was for?' I answered, 'I still don't know, but it's in that lady's box.' I pointed to a box that was scheduled for a later delivery. However, Tom decided that he would take it to the sister he was visiting right then. I told him, 'you better have this right, because Heavenly Father has someone in mind for that pan.' He was pretty certain it was the right decision. Of course, when he delivered the pan, the sister exclaimed (this is the translated version) , 'I have been needing a pan for so long. I could not afford it, and I don't have one. I have really wanted one. Thank you, thank you!' I was relieved and humbled once again. How could he think of a pan? He has so much to think of, so many prayers to answer, and yet, he made sure this sister got her pan. It was all of you, your donations and your prayers, her prayers, the spirit speaking to me and my husband, and this sister got her pan! What a lot to put together, for such a seemingly simple petition. Heavenly Father loves us!

This is Tom delivering a toy/clothing package to a needful family. Their names were given to us by members, but they were completely taken aback by Tom's arrival. The gifts were very unexpected and appreciated. Believe it or not, a family of 6 lives in this home, made up of 4 boys ages 6 - 17, and their parents.

This is an example of one of the 'food only' packages. This family had many other needs, but food was the priority. A single mother, undergoing treatment for breast cancer, is raising 4 children, all under the age of 11. She lives off of the kindness of others. Once again, she is not a member of our branch, but a friend of a member. We are grateful to all the members of our branch, who gave us recommendations of families truly in need. I feel humbled, and am going to make an effort NOT to use the words, "I NEED......" I never go long enough without something for it to become a need, and not a luxury.

At the end of the night, Brody was still feeling the spirit of giving. We had bought some extra chips, cookies, and soda to pass out to kids just hanging around. Brody handed out the treats, and then acted like a robot to make the kids laugh. A few more neighborhood girls (around 6 or 7) saw the commotion and came down to get some treats as well. When we drove away Brody stuck his head out the window and as he waved he said, 'Adios Princesas!' (Bye princesses) It was a good way to end the night.

The look on her face says it all!

As the wealthy King in the 'Quiltmaker's Gift', completes his long journey of giving all that he owns away, he is found looking poor and in need himself. He responds to the quiltmaker, "I am not poor. I may look poor, but in truth my heart is full to bursting, filled with memories of all the happiness I've given and received. I'm the richest man I know." I hope we can all keep this Costa Rican Christmas experience and the joy it brought, in our hearts and minds throughout the year. For the King, his gifts were only the beginning of his journey, and from then on he could always be found, "searching out the poor and downhearted, never happier than when he was giving something away." Let us continue to look for opportunities this year to give of ourselves....our time, our talents, and our resources. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am personally humbled and blessed by your generosity. May you all have a Happy New Year!

Elle's First Steps - September 26th, 2009

2009-11-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

Don't mind my super loud-high pitched voice...."venga, bueno!"...I sound even worse in Spanish!!!

Selling Tacos - October 2009

2009-11-01T10:13:00.001-08:00

Just off the beach, selling Tacos out of the back of the truck.

The Young Men's decided the way they would raise money for camp would be to sell tacos...lots of work grocery shopping, chopping and bbqing, and in the end...well, let's just say if it was the "Apprentice," they might not have won the challenge, but they probably wouldn't have been fired either. The tacos were AMAZING! I bought two :) Brody hung out with Tom the whole time, and overall, I think it was a successful experience.

Ryan Baughman's Visit to Costa Rica - October 2009

2009-11-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

Surfing, does the body good!

A rare pic. of the two of us together....I'm not actually yelling at Tom, but I think he is ignoring me :)

Tom's Cousin, Ryan Baughman...yes ladies, he is single. Eat your heart out!

He wasn't even trying for this perfect 'rose in mouth' pose, it just comes naturally. Tom kept on calling Ryan and his friends, "the male model entourage," it's obvious why :)

Waves like this keep me under a little longer than I like, I get completely claustrophobic with all that water on top of me...yikes!

After only a few tries, Ryan is practically a professional at paddle boarding.

Part 1

Part 2

Jason had a great camera, thanks for the pics!

Tom scoping out the waves, he's relaxed and happy when he's in the water.

Had to add this pic...it says to me, "Cool Water Cologne", yes ladies, he is single too.

Perfect Sunset, on a perfect day.

The Male Model Entourage!

Having friends and family visit is what makes living in Costa Rica so enjoyable. Life has managed to find us here, and we get really busy, going days and lately even weeks, without going to the beach :( However, when we have visitors, everything goes on hold and we enjoy this place as if we were on vacation too! Ryan was accompanied by his single friends, Brad and Jason, who didn't seem bothered to have an old married couple joining them everywhere. We went surfing a bunch, went out to eat, and had them over for our famous fish tacos. We had a lot of sunshine and just a little bit of rain. A little rain is good, as it makes for good pics! It was so super fun, and visitors like that are welcome any time! Ryan also brought us a new camera, since ours got murdered in Nicaragua. Thanks Ryan!

Tom's Big # 30!

2009-10-09T09:35:00.001-07:00

30 and looking GOOOOOD!

Kacee and I on the way to Marbella

Alvaro's beach front property complete with shower

(Kacee and ALvaro)

Playa Marbellas

Just a glimpse of the food

Grillin with the homies

Hermana Pina is one bad A

I told Elle to "blend" :)

Tom's birthday is September 28th. This year, that happened to be the day that our passports needed to be renewed, and so we would be exiting the country to Nicaragua. We decided to celebrate the big numero 30 on the 26th. We started the day by heading out for a surf session at Play Marbella, with our friends Kacee and Alvaro. We took the back roads, and got the chance to put our KIA to the test. She didn't pull through for us like we had hoped. The river was pretty deep, and at one point the water rushed as deep as the engine. The good news; we didn't get stuck in the water, but we did get stuck coming out onto the muddy hill on the other side. Just as Alvaro was setting up the tow, so that his actual 4X4 could toe us out, a kind passerby helped us push the car out of the rut just enough that we were finally able to make it up the hill. It was such a picturesque moment...Little burgendy "intercooler" KIA, stuck somewhere she had no business being, saved by old, toothless, shirtless, happy, tico gentleman, who probably sees a scene like that all too often. Once we crossed the river, we passed by several people on bikes and scooters going the direction we had just come. I guess they just pick up their transportation and trudge across chest deep water, probably still more effective than our KIA.

The beach at Marbella was stunning! Black sand and clear skies. We said a prayer before getting in, thanks to Alvaro who is part of the Christian Surfriders Group, and started into the waves. Tom and Alvaro were out in no time, however Kacee and I had no such luck. The waves were the largest and most powerful ones I have been in to date, and after 20 minutes of attempting to get beyond the break, we gave up and laid out. Tom didn't have a very successful session himself, I guess there was a very unusual riptide, which made feel better about my own failed attempt. Alvaro happens to be a professional surfer, and so even the riptide didn't prevent him from cutting through the waves all day long. I really enjoyed spending some girl time with a gringa, and we chatted in English as we soaked up the sun. We topped off the afternoon with a outdoor shower on Alvaro's beach front property. Sooooooo tropical!

Next we headed to the grocery store for Tom's official b-day gift...$$$$ worth of food for the dinner party we planned. We were expecting about 30 mouthes to feed, and we picked up all the goods needed to get the job done. We grilled sausage, pork chops, fillets, and some other kind of beef, in addition to a rotisseri chicken, rice and beans, a 10 avocado quac dip, chips, a 12 tomato bowl of pico de gallo, pineapple, tortillas, all the taco toppings like cabbage, cilantro, lime, and onion, as well as, ranch and cilantro ranch, and a large veggie platter. The food was DEMOLISHED like I have never seen before :) It was awesome. We are grateful for our friends here in Costa, HAPPY B-DAY TOM :)

BOB AND DEBBIE, COME ON DOWN...YOUR THE NEXT CONTESTANT ON ' PURA VIDA LIFE!'

2009-10-04T15:17:00.000-07:00

The following pics are in no particular order, what a great 1o days!

Brody and Brooklyn have become really good friends, truly :)

Taking pics all the time down here, so they are getting great at posing!

Pool at our condo

Condo roof top overlooking Playa Tamarindo

Bob and Debbie took a day trip to Arenal Hot Springs...JEALOUS!

Enjoying the music of Mexico....in Costa :)

Weekly trip to the Mandarina juice bar.

It's a bird, it's a plane...no wait, it's Bob actually caught on camera smiling!

I think it was the goodness of a tropical Mandarina smoothie that induced this spontaneous smile:)

Happy Grandparents

Debbie took the kids on a treasure hunt!

Just after Tom got set apart, excited member in the middle :)

Waterfall

Brooklyn was sad because the water was too cold :(

Debbie jumped off the dock into freezing Lake Tahoe last summer...no such luck today.

50 different shades of green

Happily wrapped up in a towel

Go Bob!

"This is ffffffrrrrreeeeezzzzzzing!"

Soooooo CUTE!

Hiking to the Waterfall...an adventure in itself!

Debbie enjoying the luxury of our KIA :)

Playa Avellanas, good surf session and great sunset!

This is how they do swings

On our way out on the town!

Playa Tamarindo - right in front of our condo

Soaking up the shade!

The anticipation was more than Brody and Brooklyn could bare, they awaited the arrival of Grandma and Grandpa Burton as though it was Christmas and Santa was on his way! Funny thing is, the next morning when the kids woke up they thought Santa had come. There were so many gifts for the kids from Bob and Debbie and Carol and Dave, we couldn't resist pulling out the palm tree and surrounding it with all the lovely surprises. :) Special thanks to Shauna for picking me up the cutest gym shorts ever, and Chandra for sending down the book and skirt, mom for making multiple stops to get my long list, and Bob and Debbie for carting it all down here!

We wanted to show Bob and Deb a good time, so we took them to a waterfall, to yummy resteraunts, to the gym, to church on Sunday where Tom got called, sustained, and set apart as the new Branch President...to the beach, shopping....

It was a total surprise when they extended him the call, but a tender mercy that Bob and Debbie were in town. Bob is currently serving at the end of his 5th year as Bishop of his ward in Bountiful, and so he was a really great support for Tom while the shock settled in.

The fun didn't stop there. The same day Tom received the call, we arrived home from church looking forward to a Sunday nap. When I entered I was greeted by a mini flood in the condo. Immediately I was fearful that I was reliving the St. George incident, (when Brody washed his hands in the master bath tap and left it running, consequently th e entire bathroom and room below were flooded.) To my great relief a pipe under the master bathtub had broken and the entire tub and separated from the base and was floating on a great deal of water. It sounds bad, I know, but it is so much better than footing a $$$ bill for a little hand wash. It looked like an earthquake had occurred in their... Bob was visiting, but even his bathroom breaks weren't capable of this kind of destruction. A few hours later the mess was cleaned up,a and two days later we could use the tub again. It was no big deal, but it did put a little damper on the day. ( I couldn't resist :))

Bob made his daily run to Langosta Beach for an illegal dip in the Barcelo Pool. (I'm going to have to ask my Branch President about swimming in hotel pools when not a guest...Tom?)

Debbie made us yummy banana bread, and took the kids on a treasure hunt. Now they are making regular requests for a treasure hunt, which is just code for "shopping."

I asked Brody and Brooklyn what their favorite part of having Grandma and Grandpa here was and they said, "The Monkey Park, swimming, and Mandarina (for smoothies)." I am trying to keep up with their smoothie appetite by making them at home, but there is something special about the blue chairs, tropical presentation, and the vita-mix, that make Mandarina the preference by a long shot. I would like a Vita-mix for my birthday. Perhaps with the new blender, a few pineapple stems, clear cups, and a straw, I can save some serious $$$.

Brody and Brooklyn had a lovely time swimming, reading, and having treats with their grandparents. Good food, good friends, good times! Their company and generosity made the week one we will remember forever! We were sad when they left, but we are looking forward to another visit after Christmas. Next up on the 'Pura Vida Life'....Ryan Baughman, come on down!

A SPECIAL PART OF THIS ADVENTURE....

2009-10-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

Yoga On The Beach

I have had the opportunity to try many new things since arriving in Costa Rica. Surfing, Spanish, homemade tortillas, gallo pinto, arroz con pollo....and teaching Yoga. It has been so fun and challenging and I have enjoyed every minute. I teach Ashtanga Yoga, and had the opportunity to take some classes at the Nosara Yoga Institute on one of our weekend trips. I am hoping to go there for a teacher training next year. For now, I am enjoying the many physical and mental benefits of a regular yoga practice.

And The First Contestant on 'Pura Vida Life' is....Owen Dellinger!

2009-10-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

Pirates Cove

Playa Langosta - The sky looks ominous, but we actually had sun all day :)

Owen Sipping on a coconut!

Look at these boys' tan lines, and this was the beginning of his trip!

Owen was our first visitor from the U.S! We had a great time...beach, gym, BBQ, repeat! I had so much fun with my big brother. It is rare that I get to have him to myself, and I really enjoyed it. He is always brining lots of laughter, good food, and good discussions. He also helped me get my Pura Vida Personal Training going. We went and did some Yoga on the beach and he got some pretty cool pics. Thanks Owees, we all hope to see you soon!

Next up...Bob and Debbie, come on down, you are the next contests on...Pura Vida Life!

It's Been So Long...So Very Long! (if you know what movie that is from, you are probably Cindi :))

2009-09-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a blog for a very long time, but a very lot has happened! Get ready for one very long paragraph!

Mid August I returned home to Utah to teach a cheer camp, and move High Altitude Kid's facility to a new location. The trip to the airport could be an entry all in itself, but to paraphrase...

pretty sunset

accident on a single lane road makes for a very long drive
dinosaur park rest stop results in a very fearful Brooklyn

hilarious hotel with cold shower produces an angry mommy moment

safe departure and flight home

The business trip to Utah included...

Work, work, work, more work, did I say work, and then I did some work, and then there was work to be done....you get the picture.
Brooklyn getting to see friends and family. She was reassured that everyone was still there as we left them. I think she had been experiencing some anxiety that they were all gone forever. :(

Cafe Rio
I had the chance to see my little sister Cindi and her new baby Rowen, who is an adorable miniature Jordan. (not that Jordan isn't adorable:)) We didn't have much time to go out, but just spending some time together was very nice.

My Uncle Leon and Aunty Liz were visiting from South Africa. We got to hang out, eat yummy South African treats, catch up on all the family back home, and look at wedding pictures. I felt blessed to have a chance to reconnect with my South African roots!
I went to the Balloon Festival in Eden with my family and Liz and Leon. The world's largest hot air balloon was set in motion in the form of the energizer bunny.

Carl's Jr.
Did Sunday dinner and a little last minute shopping with Lindsay and Debbie. We made it to my favorite ice cream stop in Bountiful, and I got to hear in person the exciting announcement that Lindsay is expecting! Congratulations :)

At Grandma Debbie's

At the end of my trip I left a tearful sister and business partner, once again, but this time not because she was going to miss me, because there was so much work ahead. As it turns out, there is much more work than we could have ever imagined when Tom and I planned this adventure...hang in there girl, your amazing, I love you!!!

I made the trip with Brooklyn and Elliot, a full day of traveling, both ways, and not one temper trantrum or melt down! The way home was a red eye, with a 3 hour layover in Denver. Everything was closed, so we just rode the train back and forth between terminals. Brooklyn said it felt like the Tower of Terror ride in Disneyland. We were glad to have something to pass the time. Elliot and Brooklyn slept the entire last leg of the flight, but sleep evaded me. At one point, I found myself trying to get comfortable on the FLOOR! I must have been really desperate.

I finally arrived home to my gorgeous, and even thinner, husband whom I missed very much. Of course he and Brody had two weeks of male bonding, but he reassured me I too was missed. The two of them really took advantage of their time together. They went to a movie in Liberia, where Brody was completely indulged and ate treats until he actually vomited. We usually only save that kind of a binge for Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, but I think being on vacation from mommy is equal to one of those holidays, as far as eating habits go. They spent a few days at the beach, Brody graduated from Kindergarted (again), and they went to a volcano and hot springs. Sounds pretty rough! It was the longest Tom and I have ever been apart, and we have no plans to be separated from one another for that long ever again! I was also greeted at the airport by my brother Owen, which brings me to my next point....Our first visitor!

This Week In the Life of the Burtons

2009-08-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

School, the beach, surfing, dinner parties, exercise....TRANTULAS!!!!!!!

Property that was developed for building, but now stands vacant as protected area. BEAUTIFUL spot right on the beach of Playa Grande.

Brooklyn and Brandon dancing at William's birthday dinner. Notice Brooklyn's sweaty face :)

BBQ pork for an army, that's how they do it here, tons of meat.

This Tarantula walked right out onto the dance floor for a Salsa lesson. He's lucky Elle wasn't crawling near him, or I would have made him Tarantula Salsa!

Biggest Spider I have ever seen out of a tank! This particular one doesn't bite, but his pee is poisonous. On your skin, it will only burn, but if it lands in an open wound....get yourself to the hospital!

Enjoying a Sunday Mango :)

Friends for Dinner

2009-07-27T20:56:00.001-07:00

Our Little Church Building

Our Friends - William and Kenya

We are enjoying making friends here in Costa Rica. We invited William and Kenya over for dinner on Sunday, and they graciously accepted our invitation. We had a lovely time. Most conversation was in Spanish, but Kenya speaks English fluently and so we were also able to enjoy conversation. They love to work out, and so Kenya had lots of questions about form and what exercises were best for her. Tom went and worked out with them this morning, so soon he will be as buff as William :)

I am studying very hard, every day. I make more progress with my Spanish on Sundays than any other day. Yo estudio para dos horas todos los dias. Yo aprendo mucho! Yo necesito practicar mas. Manana! Hasta Luego mi amigos y amigas :)

First Day of School - EDUCARTE

2009-07-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Uniforms - they tried to make them uni-sex, but ????

Brooklyn's class combined with another class for 30 min. of English Lessons

Educarte Campus

First Day of School! Uniforms, a swimming pool, an outdoor lunchroom, and Spanish are just a few of the many things my children will experience at Educarte, a primary private school here in Costa Rica. Although Brody’s shorts are something from the Stockton to Malone early days, we are glad to be saving time on laundry. Hopefully his legs will get a little, much needed, sunshine. Children from all over the world, attend here. Italy, Argentina, Germany, U.S., Costa Rica, Venezuela, and France, are just a few of the many countries represented. Classes are taught in half Spanish and half English, and most children can understand Spanish entirely within 3 months of attending. I am so excited for Brody and Brooklyn, and secretly wish I could sit in on all of their classes! Swimming lessons are part of the curriculum and take place every Monday. SWEET! Supplies are a little scant, nothing like what we have access to here in the states. My mom would be delighted with all the wall space and empty shelves! When Bob and Debbie come to visit, we will be needing them to bring a suitcase full of supplies for the new first grade teacher…. When we came down here for Tom to work on his Master’s Degree, we were counting on a lot of volunteer experience, and just praying he could find a job. Well, Educarte is not only the new home for our children, but it is also Tom’s new place of employment!!! They have hired him to teach 1st grade English. :) Last night, when he was preparing for his lesson, we were doing a run through on the corn starch experiment. (If you have never done it you are in for quite a treat! Just put 2 cups corn starch with 1 cup water, mix and play! It is a really neat experiment.) He was a joyful kid, and I knew that my oldschool hubby was back, just like our college days. Days filled with learning and fun, and hard work, (if you were around for the UPS era you know what I mean,) when he was most happy and energetic and made a room light up. From experience some of us may question Tom's abillity to teach - Lindsay with snowboarding, and me with Spanish - rest assured his impatience is limited to the two of us. :) He was born to teach, and his enthusiasm has a real effect on people. One of the owners and director of the school said to me, “I knew I wanted him to work here right when I met him!” I am so happy that he gets the opportunity to do what makes him happy. We are truly blessed. As for me, 7:30 am to 2:00 pm with an empty house? I have Elle all to myself, and although she might miss the noisy mornings, I am really looking forward to having quiet time to focus on our business back at home. There is a lot to do, and this will be the first time EVER that I will have silence when I sit down at the computer or take a business phone call. Hooray! Not to mention, I’m sure I will make it out to the pool for a little R & R :) I also got a job at the gym, teaching spinning and beginning Yoga. One of the teachers is leaving October 1st, and my timing could not have been better. I will start when she leaves. Instructors make $10/hour, which is still more than my hubby makes, so I will have to get some P.T. clients to make ends really meet. We are all praying for a successful fall at HAF.

Overall, I know that God is directing our path here, just as He did at home. I see His hand in all things, and I hope that we can repay our debt by serving others. There is a lot of opportunity down here, and I hope we can make some sort of a positive difference. Thanks for all the support back home, we miss you and we couldn’t have done it without you! Happy 24th y'all!

Seven Things I Hate About You

2009-07-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Catarata (Waterfall)

2009-07-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

This is the first of many waterfalls we plan to visit in Costa Rica. If you are planning to visit us, you will definately enjoy the experience of swimming under this waterfall. It is beautiful, free, close, has an easy approach, and has an awesome sandy beach...you could spend the whole day here! We can't wait to share it with all of you :)

PLAYA GRANDE

2009-07-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

Playa Grande, is the beach directly to the North of Tamarindo. It has a bigger wave than Tamarindo, so naturally Tom had to get on it. It was a wonderful beach for the kids to play on. They ran up and down the beach collecting sea shells, and only stopped to eat muffins and apples. Elle takes naps quite nicely on the beach with the soothing sounds of the ocean. Tom and I both thought we got stung by Jelly Fish, but they were actually tiny bites of the Sea Lice. Invisible little buggers that bite you, it burns like the dickens, but fades quickly. A small sacrifice to enjoy the natural beauties of this Country!

LOOKING DOWN THE BEACH TO THE SOUTH

LOOKING DOWN THE BEACH TO THE NORTH

BROOKLYN ENJOYING THE SHALLOW WATER

BEGGING FOR MORE FOOD, HE ACTUALLY EATS HERE!

ELLE TAKING A NAP UNDER OUR UMBRELLA...ELLA, ELLA, ELLA, AY, AY. UNER MY UMBRELLA, ELLA, ELLA, ELLA, AY :)

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA TEMPLE

2009-07-11T15:42:00.001-07:00

Tom went to the San Jose, Costa Rica Temple this morning with 16 other members of the Santa Cruz Branch. They met at the Santa Cruz Meetinghouse at 4am, which meant that Tom had to leave our home at 3am! That is some dedication for you. Next time I complain about having to go to an early meeting, well....'early' has a new meaning for me now. The people here are pretty awesome, and Tom seems to be feeling right at home in the mission field. In the two weeks we've been here he's attended the Temple, offered to go on splits and volunteered to teach English classes with the missionairies, not to mention we showed up for church when the ocean was calling :) I think he is trying to get called to the available position of Branch President! All joking aside, it is a unique experience to live somewhere where just getting to church requires a sacrafice on the part of the members. I will try not to take it for granted any more.

LITTLE LIZARD

2009-07-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

OUR NEIGHBORS FOUND THIS LIZARD IN THEIR BATHROOM. BRODY LOVED IT AND WANTED TO KEEP IT, BUT THIS PIC WILL HAVE TO DO AS A MOMENTO TO THE DARLING LITTLE THING!

2009-07-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

I was leaving the room with Elle and said out loud, "I think it's time to get ready for night-night," and Elle said, "Goodnight" and waved enthusiastically. The kids and I were very taken aback, and made her do it about 100 times before we got out the camera. This was about 1/2 the enthusiasm that she put into the first couple of "goodnights," but still a good show. We have been doing it since she was born, as my parents can verify, but didn't really realize she was taking it all in! :)

Rain "Showers"

2009-07-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

We left for a nice afternoon walk in moderate sunshine, stopped to get a picture by the monkey trees, had a lovely drink of coconut milk and mango/strawberry smoothie, and then headed for home. We got caught in a big rain "shower", truly....if I had only had my shampoo and conditioner!

Brody - Mr. Outgoing

2009-07-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

Brody makes friends with everyone in two seconds flat, language barrier no problem. Got to love Mr. Outgoing :)

TROPICAL TREATS

2009-07-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

We love to enjoy the treats of Costa Rica. Coconut water and smoothies being our favorite so far!

Sunday Church

2009-07-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

I will post pics next week of our cute, little church, but today I forgot my camera. Our tiny building had only 4 parking spaces, and when we pulled up late (because it was nearly an hour drive), the chapel doors were open, so EVERYONE could see us piling out of the car. We had to walk through chapel where Sunday School was going to get our kids to "primary". Their Jr. Primary officially doubling in size with our appearance. Brody looked up at me through watery eyes and said, "mom this can't be my class!" I sat with them for a few moments while they listened to their lesson in Spanish, but when the teacher got out the leggos, my kids hit the floor with the other two children to communicate in the univeral language of "play time." Brody doesn't get the privledge of leggos in our ward at home, teachers have far to many resources to let the 7 year olds play during class time. Tom and I then joined the Sunday school class where they were discussing how to stay active and committed to the gospel. They currently have no branch President, and so the Missionairies are busy filling in those shoes. The ward has approximately 500 hundred members, but only 40 or so are active...including the primary! We then split up for Preisthood and Relief Society, the men and young men going outside and the Relief Society meeting once again in the chapel. Every time there is a new meeting, we all picked up our chairs and kind of switched directions to mix things up a little. There were 4 other member women in relief society, including the teacher. Plus there was myself and another visitor, so 6 of us in total. I of course only understood a little, but I did understand the topic of 'testimony' that we were discussing. I was greatful they asked me to get up and share mine. The primary all combined for the second half so that they would have some voices for music time. I could hear there spanish voices throughout my class, wondering how Brody and Brooklyn were enjoying the experience. It was difficult for any of us to sing on key, seeing as there was no piano, but there was a tape player they used to sing along to during sacrament. It was so meek, and the people were soooo humble, not even knowing what they are missing. I was reflecting on the huge ammont of people, our soft seats and bright lighting, our organ AND pianos, the Bishop's office, and classrooms, and parking lot.....Tom was LOVING it! He signed up for ward Temple day on Saturday, (meaning he will leave our house at 3am to be at the church by 4am, the time they leave for the Temple), and offered to go on splits with missionaries. I was out of my comfort zone for sure and it was wonderful! It was a little scary, and lonely, and I couldn't understand, but everyone was absolutely amazing and lovely with kisses and handshakes and smiles. The Lord's spirit was prescent and the people were etified by it, including myself. Can't wait to go back next week!!!!!

Brush with Death

2009-07-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

Elle's stroller went for a ride the other day, the driver was Brooklyn....and she doesn't have a license to drive! Off the steps, over the 5 ft. ledge and onto her face she went. She was buckled in which saved her life, and angels were watching over her moderately safe landing, compared to what could have been. A bloody, fat lip is all she ended up with...and a mother half scared out of her mind!