Hola! We have been waiting since Monday for them to come set up our internet...so we haven't had too much access. Once we have it in our home I hope to be better about posting! But here I am and welcome to the grand tour of the Harmon casita. We love it! The back of our house faces the road, so as you walk from the road you come around to walk up onto our porch then into the door and you see this. Next to the door are some double doors that also open if you want. You look to the left and you have our kitchen. Tons of counter and cupboard space compared to Baity Hill!! Beyond the kitchen is the little laundry room. Here you see all our clothes nicely hung after the first time I did the laundry... and waited two days for the them to dry and then noticed they were stinky :) Now we have a clothes line to hang them outside and I am much happier :) Then you look to the right and see this nice familiy room. A little couch, couple of chairs, desk and a book shelf. PLUS a white board on the wall to write up our Spanish words! Directly up the stairs is our bathroom with a sink and shower... and warm water for the first one who showers, or for no one if we have done some laundry already :) On the right side is the kid's room and on the left side is our room. All the floors are tile (which is easier to clean up after meal messes than carpet!) and with this nice weather our windows are open day and night. Costa Rica just finished with the rainy season (where it rains every day!) and now the dry season is brought in with about a month of breeze and sunshine. Then in February it gets a lot hotter. But the major humidity shouldn't set in until late summer. So we timed this just right! We are at the end of a cul de sac with the playground right next door :) and have some GREAT neighbors! Just a five minute walk up the hill is the main campus with an exercise room, the pool, and the buildings where Robbie will have classes starting next week. The campus is all gated in with security guards in several places, so we feel so safe.

I just want to quickly say how incredible Jesika has been since arriving in Costa Rica. She has learned how to make delicious (and nutritious) meals with very different resources. She made Christmas memorable for everyone, despite being thousands of miles away from family and friends and a bazillion things going on for weeks beforehand. She is full of faith. She is determined to learn Spanish (writing down words she hears during the day and looking them up at night). The list goes on. She's beautiful...she's sweet...and she's mine, all mine! I love it!

Wow. Wow wow wow pretty much sums it up so far. As of December 22nd our home is here in Costa Rica. While I admit it hasn't all been a perfect happy vacation in paradise, there are some definite perks: The weather is perfect...cool in the evenings and sunny with a touch of humidity in the day time. We're surrounded by gorgeous greenery with bright beautiful flowers. We have a pool up the street, a nice little house all to ourseves with a playground literaly next door, and Robbie doesn't start school for another week still!! Bree LOVES getting to wear dresses and skirts any time she wants without leggings underneath :) I will be happy when Gabe starts walking though since all of the floors everywhere are tile...not super clean for a crawling child. Yes we have found all sorts of fun surprises in his mouth! But I think with all of the craziness of having a Christmas Dance concert with the four dance classes I taught all last semester, being in charge of our ward's Christmas activity, moving out of our apartment and putting all of our stuff in storage and saying good-bye to people and a place we have loved living for almost four years, oh ya and preparing for Christmas, I didn't get to properly prepare myself for this trip... let's just say there have been lots of surprises. Having been on a mission I was prepared to be discouraged about not knowing the language...but I knew I would hate not being able to speak and that I am going to learn, so that bit of frustration was to be expected. BUT, there are a few other things that have thrown me for a loop: Like our clothes take two days to dry (on a line) and if they aren't drying in direct sunlight they start to stink...it gets light at 5:30 AM and so both my kids are up then no matter how late we but them in bed...our legs are covered with mosquito bites...big red ants everywhere, especially in the grass... I can't find whole wheat pasta or flour anywhere :( ... and while we are grateful to have a stove I didn't think about how long it takes to make food, and warm things up without a microwave! :) All week I have just been waiting to go to church, knowing that with all of the unfamiliar, crazy transitions into a new culture at least I could go to church and feel that same familiar spirit, even if I couldn't understand what they were saying. I failed to remember however, that I have an 11 month old son, who can't sit still and won't stay in Sacrament meeting, Sunday School or Relief Society or Priesthood for more than about ten minutes!! (this was the age that with Bree I seriously questioned why I even went to church!!) Ah yes, and the halls in the churches in Costa Rica are tile and echo his sounds nice and loud. Robbie took him out during Sacrament meeting so during Sunday school it was my turn. I walked outside with him and almost broke down. The worse part about all of these "new things" was that it was causing me to have little to no patience with my children...and I really don't like that feeling. I wanted more that anything to pick up a phone and call someone...my mom, my dad, my sisters or brothers, in-laws, friends...ANYONE! But as has happened two other distinct times in my life when I have felt utterly alone and completely helpless, I knew that my Heavenly Father wanted me to talk to him. He wanted me to reach deep inside and let him help me grow from this experience. I plead with him to help me and asked forgiveness of my bad attitude. I hate even admitting all of this...because I feel like I am usually an optimistic person ready to take on any challenge life throws. But I know that the only way to learn and grow is through trials and challenging things. So I should be grateful right :) I came home and wrote down ways that I could overcome the little difficulties I was facing and goals for learning Spanish. I KNOW that I am going to learn so much here in these three months and that it's going to fly by and I'm going to love it. I'd better take advantage cause I'll never have this chance again! So, Pura Vida baby in Costa Rica :) Bring it on.

And don't worry, I will post pictures soon! This place is amazing!!