We're in Costa Rica! Yes, again. We're super spoiled. Tommy has already been here twice and he's not even a year and a half old yet! So here's what happened the first day...
We had gone to Kansas City the night before our flight so we wouldn't have to leave our house at 3am. Tommy decided he didn't want to sleep from 12:30-2:30 in the morning, so none of us got very much sleep. Yikes.
We left for the airport around 5 (ugh), and everything went smoothly all the way to Houston, TX. We got some lunch and caught our next flight just in time for Tommy's nap. Perfect. He slept for 2 hours, which was wonderful, because it was just about half the flight. If he had been awake the whole time, we all (like, the whole plane) would have been miserable.
Tommy was actually pretty cheerful for the rest of the flight. He seemed to understand that we couldn't really go anywhere or do anything, so he contented himself by climbing in and out of our laps over and over and over again. At least he wasn't fussy or crying.
As we neared our arrival time, Nate noticed that we were circling the same spot of land over and over again. We were in a holding pattern for some reason. Finally they announced that there was a storm in San Jose, and we were being diverted to Liberia.
Although it's only another 20 minutes away by plane, Liberia is about a 3-hour drive to San Jose. We groaned and wondered how in the world we were going to get to San Jose from there, and how we would get in touch with Nate's family. We figured we'd be stuck on a bus for 3+ hours, and that would have been a major bummer. Especially since we needed to get some real food for Tommy.
Luckily they told us we would just stay aboard the plane until the weather passed and then we'd fly back to San Jose. We weren't very excited about being stuck on the plane, but at least we would end up in the right city!
We sat in Liberia for about an hour before we took off again and headed back to San Jose. By the time we landed, we had been on that plane for almost 6 hours and were arriving 2 hours late. Yikes! Tommy was a trooper the whole time and hardly fussed at all. He's such a good traveler!
...But there's always a limit.
Other planes had been diverted to wait out the storm as well, and they had all come back around the same time as us, so the line for customs was super long. Like Disneyland on steroids. So we were even more bummed (read: annoyed, angry, frustrated, tired) that we would be stuck in that stupid line for at least an hour, with a quickly-getting-cranky toddler who we couldn't put down because he wanted to wander.
Tommy lasted almost an hour. And then he lost it. A lady behind me joked that maybe if he cried loud enough, they would let us go to the front, and almost before she finished saying it an airline employee was making his way over to get us. I was SO relieved. Tommy was so exhausted and hungry (he had little baby snacks, but those have zero substance) and I was exhausted and hungry. Then, trying to be helpful, the man who checked our passports and customs forms said, "there's a shorter line over there just for families." (waaaay the heck down at the end of the room) Um. Well. I guess that's nice to know if we ever come back again, or when traveling elsewhere we can look for such a line, but it just made me more frustrated. Because an employee had directed us into the other line without saying a thing about one for families. Seriously? Did you not see my small child? Gah!
Anyway, the guy was really nice and we got our bags, went through one last security point, and finally got to Nate's mom and the car. It was storming again, so there was lots of traffic, but Tommy was back to his usually-happy self and we finally made it home.
It has been so nice to just relax and enjoy the beautiful weather. I'll try to keep this updated so anyone who's interested can hear about our trip, but for a few days we'll be in a house on the beach (darn) and I don't think there will be Internet. Adios!
Showing posts with label Travels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travels. Show all posts
6.08.2013
6.06.2012
We Meet Again
Well hello there, blog friends!
I don’t know how all you “Mommy Bloggers” do it. I only have
one child, and I can hardly make time to sit down and type out a blog post.
It’s been 9 weeks since he was born and I’ve only written once! Perhaps its because
I only have one child- I haven’t quite figured it all out just yet. Also, he
gives me a little trouble with naptime during the day, so that’s a big part of
it. Luckily he’s napping now, and I am cramming in some cereal and a quick post
hopefully before he wakes back up.
And he’s awake.
I was just about to pour milk on my cereal. Glad I heard him
before doing that, or I’d have some soggy cheerios.
...
Ok, I think we’re safe. Keeping my fingers crossed though!
You know babies have a super power
where they know the exact most inconvenient
time to wake up and cry, like right after you put milk on your cheerios, or
right when you finish making your sandwich for lunch. Or when you really have
to pee. Luckily they can usually
wait a couple minutes.
The other day Tommy kept refusing to nap, so I tied him to
myself in a sling, hoping to get something done. After struggling with the
stupid 5 yards of fabric for 5 minutes, as soon as I got him all tied down- he
pooped. I’m telling you, they know.
Anyway! Life has been good and crazy. Since the last post,
we’ve moved to Manhattan, Kansas and
Nate has started his graduate research in Agronomy at Kansas State University.
It’s going pretty well so far- he has already started writing his thesis. The
best part for me is that he’s home in the mornings when Tommy’s up, so he takes
him after I feed him to let me shower, and then he’s back early in the
afternoon so we get to have him in the evenings too. It’s SO helpful and so
nice to have his company! We always used to work at such different times that
we almost only saw each other in passing, it seemed.
It was bittersweet
to leave Virginia. Being at home with my parents was actually a lot easier than
I originally expected it to be, and I really enjoyed being with them. Plus,
they were super helpful with Tommy- my mom really is the Baby Whisperer. She
and Tommy are best buds. I’m pretty
sure he misses her. Just the other day I called her because he was in a happy,
chatty mood, and I wanted her to hear him talk. As soon as he heard her voice
he burst into tears! I like to think it’s because he misses her.
Being away from them is hard sometimes, but it’s also really
nice to be back in our own little place as our own family unit. And it’s nice
to have more than just a bedroom for all the stuff we own! We even have a
dining room for the first time! And a dishwasher. Ah, the joys of life.
And we’re only a couple hours away from my sister and my
aunts, and we’ve already visited them twice! My almost-thirteen-year-old nephew
is already 6 feet tall. I can’t get
over it.
[Tangent: On the
way to Yara’s last time, there was a small herd of ZEBRAS on the side of the road! Of course there are about a million
and a half cows all over the plains here, but all the sudden there were Zebras!
How random is that? We think maybe someone raises them for the circus? Who knows!]
Let’s see, what else is going on... Like I said, Tommy is 9
weeks old now. He had his 2-month appointment a few days ago, and his stats
are:
Height: 23.5” 71st
percentile
Weight: 12lbs
8oz, 69th percentile
Head Circumference:
37½ cm, 5th percentile.
Everyone thinks he's older than 2 months when they first meet him, because apparently he's a pretty big boy! Except for that little head- no, that’s not a typo for 50th- Tommy’s head
really is a teeny little peanut in
the 5th percentile. No giant Cloyd noggin over here! :)
He had to have two more shots and an oral vaccination too.
Poor baby screamed his little peanut
head off when they stuck him. He does not like shots. But who does??
Also, if you’ve seen the photos on Facebook, you know we
went to the annual Wiener Dog Races out here, and it was awesome! It was one of
the funniest things I’ve ever seen. Definitely going to go again next year.
Then Tommy will be able to enjoy it too!
So there’s a quick little update. I’ll try to get back to
blogging again more often!
10.08.2011
The Trip - Part Two
DAY 2
We left Jessie's around 8am. Today's destination: Olathe, Kansas to stay at my sister Yara's. I was definitely looking forward to this stop, partly because we would take a day off driving the next day and also because I would get to see a bunch of my relatives.
I had a sore throat that morning, and the last thing I wanted was a cold. Maybe it was from reading the Hunger Games to Nate while he drove yesterday?
Most of our drive that day took us through Nebraska, where I was in awe at all the corn. It just goes on and on for miles! Regardless of the sore throat, I kept reading to Nate because there was nothing else to do (yes, he drove the entire trip- I don't do moving trucks, especially with a car trailer attached).
Again, we were only a few hours away when the fun began.
Our GPS took us all the way East to where we would have to cross the Missouri River. What the GPS didn't know was that there had been major flooding that year, and just about every crossing was closed. We tried two or three different routes, trying to find another way to Olathe without going an hour or more back the way we came. Finally we stopped at a gas station where there was yet another "Road Closed" sign, and I asked the man at the counter what to do. He immediately whipped out a copy of a map and highlighted the route for us, saying it had been like this for months. We gratefully went our way once again.
We made it to Olathe around 9:00 that night. We said hi to my niece and nephew before they went to bed, and then chatted with Yara and her husband Aaron for a little while before turning in ourselves. Of course when we told them about our detours, Aaron said, "Oh yeah. Coulda told you that..." Oops.
DAY 3
The next day was our no-driving day. Yara may or may not have skipped class to spend the day with us. We drove around Clinton Lake, went to downtown Lawrence for lunch, and checked out KU's campus. Then we went back to the house for naps before the Shultz Crew came over for pizza and general merry-making.
It was really fun to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins from that side of the family, because it doesn't happen very often, and they are one heck of an entertaining bunch. There are few laughter-free moments among that crowd, and Kansas blood definitely runs in their veins. I love it.
DAY 4
We left the next day after accidentally oversleeping by an hour. Whoops! I felt a little bad, because I think everyone got up earlier than normal to see us off. Guess we should've set a back-up alarm. Fortunately starting a little late was the only incident we faced that day, and it was much less frustrating than trying to find a way across a flooded river.
We made it to Dayton, Ohio sometime in the evening and grabbed dinner and some snacks at a grocery store. We think there must have been a dog food factory nearby, because the air reeked of Kibbles. It was really weird. We checked in to the only hotel of the trip, watched a movie, and went to sleep. It was nice to have an uneventful day.
Oh, and Indiana has just as much corn as Nebraska.
DAY 5
Finally made it to the last day of our trip. I think this was the longest- not in hours, but in I'm-ready-to-be-done-driving-for-the-rest-of-my-life-ness. We were done with our book (I still had a sore throat), we were sick of eating jerky, and there wasn't much in the way of music, unless you're really into Country, which we're not. There were more than enough hills for our truck to crawl up, and we averaged about 35-40 mph on those suckers. Going downhill was fun too; the brakes on a semi in front of us were smoking.
But we did make it. We rolled into Nate's driveway around 7pm, where my parents were waiting with big hugs and hot pizza.
I'll be ok if I never have to ride in a moving truck ever again.
We left Jessie's around 8am. Today's destination: Olathe, Kansas to stay at my sister Yara's. I was definitely looking forward to this stop, partly because we would take a day off driving the next day and also because I would get to see a bunch of my relatives.
I had a sore throat that morning, and the last thing I wanted was a cold. Maybe it was from reading the Hunger Games to Nate while he drove yesterday?
Most of our drive that day took us through Nebraska, where I was in awe at all the corn. It just goes on and on for miles! Regardless of the sore throat, I kept reading to Nate because there was nothing else to do (yes, he drove the entire trip- I don't do moving trucks, especially with a car trailer attached).
Again, we were only a few hours away when the fun began.
Our GPS took us all the way East to where we would have to cross the Missouri River. What the GPS didn't know was that there had been major flooding that year, and just about every crossing was closed. We tried two or three different routes, trying to find another way to Olathe without going an hour or more back the way we came. Finally we stopped at a gas station where there was yet another "Road Closed" sign, and I asked the man at the counter what to do. He immediately whipped out a copy of a map and highlighted the route for us, saying it had been like this for months. We gratefully went our way once again.
We made it to Olathe around 9:00 that night. We said hi to my niece and nephew before they went to bed, and then chatted with Yara and her husband Aaron for a little while before turning in ourselves. Of course when we told them about our detours, Aaron said, "Oh yeah. Coulda told you that..." Oops.
DAY 3
The next day was our no-driving day. Yara may or may not have skipped class to spend the day with us. We drove around Clinton Lake, went to downtown Lawrence for lunch, and checked out KU's campus. Then we went back to the house for naps before the Shultz Crew came over for pizza and general merry-making.
It was really fun to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins from that side of the family, because it doesn't happen very often, and they are one heck of an entertaining bunch. There are few laughter-free moments among that crowd, and Kansas blood definitely runs in their veins. I love it.
DAY 4
We left the next day after accidentally oversleeping by an hour. Whoops! I felt a little bad, because I think everyone got up earlier than normal to see us off. Guess we should've set a back-up alarm. Fortunately starting a little late was the only incident we faced that day, and it was much less frustrating than trying to find a way across a flooded river.
We made it to Dayton, Ohio sometime in the evening and grabbed dinner and some snacks at a grocery store. We think there must have been a dog food factory nearby, because the air reeked of Kibbles. It was really weird. We checked in to the only hotel of the trip, watched a movie, and went to sleep. It was nice to have an uneventful day.
Oh, and Indiana has just as much corn as Nebraska.
DAY 5
Finally made it to the last day of our trip. I think this was the longest- not in hours, but in I'm-ready-to-be-done-driving-for-the-rest-of-my-life-ness. We were done with our book (I still had a sore throat), we were sick of eating jerky, and there wasn't much in the way of music, unless you're really into Country, which we're not. There were more than enough hills for our truck to crawl up, and we averaged about 35-40 mph on those suckers. Going downhill was fun too; the brakes on a semi in front of us were smoking.
But we did make it. We rolled into Nate's driveway around 7pm, where my parents were waiting with big hugs and hot pizza.
I'll be ok if I never have to ride in a moving truck ever again.
10.07.2011
The Trip - Part One
Well, I suppose it's about time I post something, considering we've been in VA for almost a month already! Here's how everything went down.
We started packing almost as soon as we decided to go, since we knew we wouldn't be sticking around for long. Ugh- packing. We've only been married for 4 years, and we already have enough stuff to fill a small moving truck?? If we had kept any of the furniture we would have had to get a ginormous monster-size truck! (Though I kind of wish we had kept our dresser... it was pretty).
On September 9th, after getting the last of everything into the truck and saying goodbye to family and friends, we went to sleep in an almost completely empty apartment. It was weird, and echo-y.
DAY 1
We woke up bright and early (why do we say that- bright? it was definitely dark) the morning of September 10th. It was 6am, about an hour earlier than planned because neither of us could sleep. I ate the last lonely little item in the fridge- a cup of yogurt- and then we carried our mattress out to the dumpster (sorry trash-man!), climbed into the truck and started the first leg of what would be a 5-day journey.
First destination: Cheyenne, Wyoming to stay at my friend Jessie's for the night. We grabbed some bagels from Einstein's, and then drove for hours... and hours... and hours. This would be the shortest day of driving. I didn't know if I could make it all the way to VA! But everything was going smoothly, until...
We were only about 3 hours away from Jessie's when we stopped for gas and lunch. I would go buy us some sandwiches while Nate filled up. As I reached to lock my door after hopping out, I thought, maybe I should leave this open. I wont be very long... But I decided that was silly because I always lock the doors, so I did, and went on my way.
I got two sandwiches and Nate met me on my way back out. He took his sandwich and said, I locked the key in the truck.
Whaaat!?
Well... that sucks. Nate never makes silly mistakes like that. But getting upset or frustrated wasn't going to help, so we called U-haul and they said they would send someone to open it and that he should arrive in about an hour. We ate our sandwiches, got a couple other snacks, and entertained ourselves with iPod games for the time being. The guy was right on time and got the door open in about 5 minutes, and we didn't even have to pay for it because we had signed up for roadside assistance when we first got the truck. Nice!
We got to Cheyenne about 3 hours later. My friend Jessie's husband is in the Air Force, and they live on base. We had to show ID to come on as visitors. Everything looked fine, until...
The guy running our info told us that although the expiration date printed on Nate's driver's license said sometime in 2013, it came up in the system as already expired- in November of 2010. Apparently there was some confusion when Nate went to get a motorcycle learner's permit waaay back then, and they didn't tell him they were changing the expiration date of his license to match the permit. He never went back to finish his motorcycle license, so he had unknowingly been driving with an expired license for almost a year. Good thing he's a good driver and never got pulled over! Thanks, DMV. Now we can't stay on base.
Except that we could. The guys were really nice and said they would put my name down as the primary person, and Nate would be secondary. And even with an expired license, they let Nate drive the truck in so I wouldn't have to. :) We thought they'd be extra careful since the next day was September 11th, but everything turned out fine.
Jessie fed us a delicious meal of slow-cooker chicken with beans on chips with cheese... it was SO tasty, especially after a long day of driving (Jess, I want your recipe). Then we just "hung out" and chatted until bedtime. Probably stayed up too late for our early start the next day, but it was worth it.
Luckily there wouldn't be so many issues over the next few days. Or so we thought.
We started packing almost as soon as we decided to go, since we knew we wouldn't be sticking around for long. Ugh- packing. We've only been married for 4 years, and we already have enough stuff to fill a small moving truck?? If we had kept any of the furniture we would have had to get a ginormous monster-size truck! (Though I kind of wish we had kept our dresser... it was pretty).
On September 9th, after getting the last of everything into the truck and saying goodbye to family and friends, we went to sleep in an almost completely empty apartment. It was weird, and echo-y.
DAY 1
We woke up bright and early (why do we say that- bright? it was definitely dark) the morning of September 10th. It was 6am, about an hour earlier than planned because neither of us could sleep. I ate the last lonely little item in the fridge- a cup of yogurt- and then we carried our mattress out to the dumpster (sorry trash-man!), climbed into the truck and started the first leg of what would be a 5-day journey.
First destination: Cheyenne, Wyoming to stay at my friend Jessie's for the night. We grabbed some bagels from Einstein's, and then drove for hours... and hours... and hours. This would be the shortest day of driving. I didn't know if I could make it all the way to VA! But everything was going smoothly, until...
We were only about 3 hours away from Jessie's when we stopped for gas and lunch. I would go buy us some sandwiches while Nate filled up. As I reached to lock my door after hopping out, I thought, maybe I should leave this open. I wont be very long... But I decided that was silly because I always lock the doors, so I did, and went on my way.
I got two sandwiches and Nate met me on my way back out. He took his sandwich and said, I locked the key in the truck.
Whaaat!?
Well... that sucks. Nate never makes silly mistakes like that. But getting upset or frustrated wasn't going to help, so we called U-haul and they said they would send someone to open it and that he should arrive in about an hour. We ate our sandwiches, got a couple other snacks, and entertained ourselves with iPod games for the time being. The guy was right on time and got the door open in about 5 minutes, and we didn't even have to pay for it because we had signed up for roadside assistance when we first got the truck. Nice!
We got to Cheyenne about 3 hours later. My friend Jessie's husband is in the Air Force, and they live on base. We had to show ID to come on as visitors. Everything looked fine, until...
The guy running our info told us that although the expiration date printed on Nate's driver's license said sometime in 2013, it came up in the system as already expired- in November of 2010. Apparently there was some confusion when Nate went to get a motorcycle learner's permit waaay back then, and they didn't tell him they were changing the expiration date of his license to match the permit. He never went back to finish his motorcycle license, so he had unknowingly been driving with an expired license for almost a year. Good thing he's a good driver and never got pulled over! Thanks, DMV. Now we can't stay on base.
Except that we could. The guys were really nice and said they would put my name down as the primary person, and Nate would be secondary. And even with an expired license, they let Nate drive the truck in so I wouldn't have to. :) We thought they'd be extra careful since the next day was September 11th, but everything turned out fine.
Jessie fed us a delicious meal of slow-cooker chicken with beans on chips with cheese... it was SO tasty, especially after a long day of driving (Jess, I want your recipe). Then we just "hung out" and chatted until bedtime. Probably stayed up too late for our early start the next day, but it was worth it.
Luckily there wouldn't be so many issues over the next few days. Or so we thought.
9.05.2011
The Things I'm Looking Forward to Most
[About Moving]
Pets!
Dishwasher.
Washer and dryer in the house, for FREE.
No school (for a few months).
No 8am church.
No BYU (this category encompasses many things- I'm not a hater, I'm just so done).
And of course, most of all I'm looking forward to spending time with my parents, sister, nieces, and cousins.
5 days till we hit the road!
5 days till we hit the road!
8.31.2011
Movin' Out East!
All right, here's the story.
Nate got his Bachelor's in April, and was all set to do one more year in a post-bachelor's program for teaching. He went to his first day of classes just two days ago on Monday, and hated them. Apparently they are incredibly stupid and all you do all day is play games. Then he said he wasn't sure he really wanted to teach.
I said, "Is it just because your classes are stupid?" 'Cause if that was it, he could suck it up for a year. But he said no. He had been thinking about it for a while but figured that since he had gotten into the program he would just go ahead and do it. However, when it really came down to it, he thought he would prefer to do something more professional-science-y than just being a teacher.
So we're going to go do something else. I told him that whatever he decided was right for him, education-wise, I would be ok with. It's his education, he should do what he wants. He wants to go to Grad school to study Agronomy. Since Fall semester is starting pretty much right now everywhere, the soonest he would be able to get into a program is January. And if not then, August 2012. So we have to move.
We have to move because when he withdraws from his program (the deadline is in a week), we are no longer students, and can't stay in our student housing. So where do we go? To the cheapest place there is! Mom and Dad's house!
We're heading out to Virginia in about a week, and will stay there until we get accepted to a grad program somewhere else.
My coworkers are not too excited about it, but it's good to know I will be missed.
Life is crazy, but life is good.
Nate got his Bachelor's in April, and was all set to do one more year in a post-bachelor's program for teaching. He went to his first day of classes just two days ago on Monday, and hated them. Apparently they are incredibly stupid and all you do all day is play games. Then he said he wasn't sure he really wanted to teach.
I said, "Is it just because your classes are stupid?" 'Cause if that was it, he could suck it up for a year. But he said no. He had been thinking about it for a while but figured that since he had gotten into the program he would just go ahead and do it. However, when it really came down to it, he thought he would prefer to do something more professional-science-y than just being a teacher.
So we're going to go do something else. I told him that whatever he decided was right for him, education-wise, I would be ok with. It's his education, he should do what he wants. He wants to go to Grad school to study Agronomy. Since Fall semester is starting pretty much right now everywhere, the soonest he would be able to get into a program is January. And if not then, August 2012. So we have to move.
We have to move because when he withdraws from his program (the deadline is in a week), we are no longer students, and can't stay in our student housing. So where do we go? To the cheapest place there is! Mom and Dad's house!
We're heading out to Virginia in about a week, and will stay there until we get accepted to a grad program somewhere else.
My coworkers are not too excited about it, but it's good to know I will be missed.
Life is crazy, but life is good.
10.30.2010
Catch-up Day! Kansas
Earlier this month my cousin Megan got married, and it was a great excuse to go see my Kansas rellies. I haven't been back there in many years, and haven't seen a lot of them since.
We (dad, Cait, niece TJ and myself) crashed at my sister Yara's house, and got to hang out with her two awesome kids. I was so impressed with them! I can't believe Niece and Nephew have gotten so big. They are smart, and funny, and fun to be around. And good-looking!
We mostly just hung out- which was wonderful. We went to shule with them, and I really enjoyed it. I learned that there is actually more common ground between Judaism and Mormonism than I ever realized!
We went to Z's softball game. It was freezing cold, but it was fun to watch and cheer for her.
TJ liked to pick the flowers in the grass.
Her hair is crazy 'cause she lost a ponytail.
TJ decided she loved the book, "The Ugly Truckling" and wanted it read about 1,000 times. I was happy to oblige her.
Megan's wedding was beautiful, as was she. It was outside by a pretty lake, and geese (who mate for life!) flew overhead as they said their vows. Can't get more perfect than that!
Then we all partied. Yara and I rocked out with Aunt Jennie (above), and it was great fun.
The next day we had brunch with all the rellies. Aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, etc. It was fun- especially teaching the old-fogies how to play Catchphrase. I think I laugh harder with these people than with anyone else!
Our last day in Kansas my dad and I went driving around Lawrence, where he grew up. I love hearing all the stories from when he was a young troublemaker- Something different about growing up back then, when kids actually did cool-but-harmless pranks, like carrying the principal's car up the stairs of the school to put it on the roof (though that one was my grandfather), or putting an outhouse over the school's lion statue (dad's friends).
Another story: one time my Papa and Nana got in a bad car accident, breaking Papa's neck and Nana's leg. She walked about a mile back to the farmhouse on it to get help. Pretty awesome, huh?
This is the one-room schoolhouse my dad went to for a year. The wheelchair ramp to the left is a modern addition, of course...
Lawrence is so pretty, and I want to live there. Perhaps someday...
We (dad, Cait, niece TJ and myself) crashed at my sister Yara's house, and got to hang out with her two awesome kids. I was so impressed with them! I can't believe Niece and Nephew have gotten so big. They are smart, and funny, and fun to be around. And good-looking!
We mostly just hung out- which was wonderful. We went to shule with them, and I really enjoyed it. I learned that there is actually more common ground between Judaism and Mormonism than I ever realized!
We went to Z's softball game. It was freezing cold, but it was fun to watch and cheer for her.
TJ liked to pick the flowers in the grass.
Her hair is crazy 'cause she lost a ponytail.
Megan's wedding was beautiful, as was she. It was outside by a pretty lake, and geese (who mate for life!) flew overhead as they said their vows. Can't get more perfect than that!
Then we all partied. Yara and I rocked out with Aunt Jennie (above), and it was great fun.
The next day we had brunch with all the rellies. Aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, etc. It was fun- especially teaching the old-fogies how to play Catchphrase. I think I laugh harder with these people than with anyone else!
Our last day in Kansas my dad and I went driving around Lawrence, where he grew up. I love hearing all the stories from when he was a young troublemaker- Something different about growing up back then, when kids actually did cool-but-harmless pranks, like carrying the principal's car up the stairs of the school to put it on the roof (though that one was my grandfather), or putting an outhouse over the school's lion statue (dad's friends).
Another story: one time my Papa and Nana got in a bad car accident, breaking Papa's neck and Nana's leg. She walked about a mile back to the farmhouse on it to get help. Pretty awesome, huh?
This is the one-room schoolhouse my dad went to for a year. The wheelchair ramp to the left is a modern addition, of course...
Lawrence is so pretty, and I want to live there. Perhaps someday...
6.28.2010
Pura Vida, Week Two
Sunday, June 13-
Went to church again. Helped my suegra (mother-in-law) teach a lesson to the young women, in Spanish. Celebrated the suegra's birthday with delicious vegan cake. Relaxed.
Monday, June 14-
Mostly just relaxed all day, I think...
Tuesday, June 15-
Nate's helicopter ride! The Bishop of his parent's ward has his own helicopter, and Nate (who was the top flight student at his military school back in the day- bet some of you didn't know he can fly!) was super excited to go. They ended up only having one seat, so I stayed home. Nate loved it. Rainstorm hit and they had to land at a random airport and catch a taxi for an hour-long drive home.
Wednesday, June 16-
Went to Manuel Antonio National Park with Nate and the suegra. Hiked through some jungle, then down along the beaches. Saw monkeys, sloths, toucans, lots of iguanas, a snake, and a raccoon... Swung on a vine. Came home and relaxed. Awesome day.
Thursday, June 17-
Ran wedding errands, made flower arrangements. Read, relaxed, watched movies.
Friday, June 18-
A mostly lazy day, I think. Finished getting flowers ready, stayed up late decorating the cake with Leah.
Saturday, June 19-
Spencer & Ann's wedding day. Got ready for the reception by setting up tables, putting out flowers, hanging up tiny lanterns, etc. Then to the temple, then lots of pictures. Piled 15 people into two cars. Reception! Delicious comida típica de Costa Rica (authentic Costa Rican food)- chiles rellenos, papusas, gallo pinto, jamaica, tamarindo, and a plantain stuffed with sweet dough and fried. Then we ate some of our tasty cake, and the happy couple left. Watched movies the rest of the night and got ready to leave.
Sunday, June 20-
Left the Dorsey house at 5:00am, flew back to Utah.
Overall-
The trip was so much fun, and so rejuvenating! It was nice to get away for a while and spend time with family. I loved the 75-degree (year-round) weather, and loved that I was able to be outdoors for the majority of those two weeks! So much better than being cooped up in a tiny little cinderblock apartment. And guess what? Nate and I are pretty much planning to go live there after he graduates in December. Why not have our own little adventure while we can! We both want to improve our Spanish, too. Nate would work somewhere doing environmental something-or-other, and I could work at the art museums and/or teach English. Costa Rica I miss you!
Went to church again. Helped my suegra (mother-in-law) teach a lesson to the young women, in Spanish. Celebrated the suegra's birthday with delicious vegan cake. Relaxed.
Mostly just relaxed all day, I think...
Tuesday, June 15-
Nate's helicopter ride! The Bishop of his parent's ward has his own helicopter, and Nate (who was the top flight student at his military school back in the day- bet some of you didn't know he can fly!) was super excited to go. They ended up only having one seat, so I stayed home. Nate loved it. Rainstorm hit and they had to land at a random airport and catch a taxi for an hour-long drive home.
Went to Manuel Antonio National Park with Nate and the suegra. Hiked through some jungle, then down along the beaches. Saw monkeys, sloths, toucans, lots of iguanas, a snake, and a raccoon... Swung on a vine. Came home and relaxed. Awesome day.
Thursday, June 17-
Ran wedding errands, made flower arrangements. Read, relaxed, watched movies.
A mostly lazy day, I think. Finished getting flowers ready, stayed up late decorating the cake with Leah.
Spencer & Ann's wedding day. Got ready for the reception by setting up tables, putting out flowers, hanging up tiny lanterns, etc. Then to the temple, then lots of pictures. Piled 15 people into two cars. Reception! Delicious comida típica de Costa Rica (authentic Costa Rican food)- chiles rellenos, papusas, gallo pinto, jamaica, tamarindo, and a plantain stuffed with sweet dough and fried. Then we ate some of our tasty cake, and the happy couple left. Watched movies the rest of the night and got ready to leave.
Sunday, June 20-
Left the Dorsey house at 5:00am, flew back to Utah.
Overall-
The trip was so much fun, and so rejuvenating! It was nice to get away for a while and spend time with family. I loved the 75-degree (year-round) weather, and loved that I was able to be outdoors for the majority of those two weeks! So much better than being cooped up in a tiny little cinderblock apartment. And guess what? Nate and I are pretty much planning to go live there after he graduates in December. Why not have our own little adventure while we can! We both want to improve our Spanish, too. Nate would work somewhere doing environmental something-or-other, and I could work at the art museums and/or teach English. Costa Rica I miss you!
6.22.2010
Pura Vida, Week One
Saturday, June 5-
Visited Uncle Scott on the way to the airport, ate a tasty lunch of hamburgers. To the airport; flew to Denver. Sat in the Denver airport from 5pm till 12am. Flight to Costa Rica from 12am till 5am. No sleep that night.
Sunday, June 6- Arrived in San José, Costa Rica at approximately 5:20am. Explored the house and yard. Ate a big breakfast of omelets, mangoes, fried plantains, and OJ. It was a very yellow meal. Went back to sleep from 7-11am. Woken by a super intense thunderstorm; was so disoriented I thought the noise was someone driving on the roof. Went to church, understood about 50% of what was said. Loved that the spirit was the same. Relaxed the rest of the day.
Monday, June 7-Took a tour of Escazú/San José area, learned that driving out there is extremely frightening. Went swimming, relaxed. Enjoyed being lazy.
Tuesday, June 8-
Went way up in the mountains in Quitirrisi to watch Sara teach childrens how to play the recorder. Learned that the ominous, yucky birthday candle smell is the burning trash of the locals. Then went to la Universidad para la Paz (University of Peace, run by the UN), and wandered around their "garden," aka the jungle.
Wednesday, June 9-
Woke up way too freakin' early, drove to Esterillos beach. Arrived by 6:30 am. Played in the water. Made friends with a random, cute dog. Buried said dog in the sand and made him look like a turtle. Played in the water. Saw wild horses. Lunch. Rain. Played in the water. Home, relaxed.
Thursday, June 10-
Lazy day at home. Went swimming, watched movies, read, napped, ate fruit.
Friday, June 11-
Went to Poás Volcano. Hiked through the cloud forest. Decided Costa Rica looks and feels like Jurassic Park. Stopped by a souvenir shop belonging to this really cool hippie man who's all about Peace and Love.
Saturday, June 12-
Went to the Multiplaza mall that's literally right behind the Dorsey's backyard. It's one of the biggest in the world. Shopped for birthday presents for Nate's mom, settled on an awesome little fondue set! Relaxed.
Visited Uncle Scott on the way to the airport, ate a tasty lunch of hamburgers. To the airport; flew to Denver. Sat in the Denver airport from 5pm till 12am. Flight to Costa Rica from 12am till 5am. No sleep that night.
Sunday, June 6- Arrived in San José, Costa Rica at approximately 5:20am. Explored the house and yard. Ate a big breakfast of omelets, mangoes, fried plantains, and OJ. It was a very yellow meal. Went back to sleep from 7-11am. Woken by a super intense thunderstorm; was so disoriented I thought the noise was someone driving on the roof. Went to church, understood about 50% of what was said. Loved that the spirit was the same. Relaxed the rest of the day.
Monday, June 7-Took a tour of Escazú/San José area, learned that driving out there is extremely frightening. Went swimming, relaxed. Enjoyed being lazy.
Tuesday, June 8-Went way up in the mountains in Quitirrisi to watch Sara teach childrens how to play the recorder. Learned that the ominous, yucky birthday candle smell is the burning trash of the locals. Then went to la Universidad para la Paz (University of Peace, run by the UN), and wandered around their "garden," aka the jungle.
Wednesday, June 9-Woke up way too freakin' early, drove to Esterillos beach. Arrived by 6:30 am. Played in the water. Made friends with a random, cute dog. Buried said dog in the sand and made him look like a turtle. Played in the water. Saw wild horses. Lunch. Rain. Played in the water. Home, relaxed.
Thursday, June 10-Lazy day at home. Went swimming, watched movies, read, napped, ate fruit.
Friday, June 11-
Went to Poás Volcano. Hiked through the cloud forest. Decided Costa Rica looks and feels like Jurassic Park. Stopped by a souvenir shop belonging to this really cool hippie man who's all about Peace and Love.
Saturday, June 12-Went to the Multiplaza mall that's literally right behind the Dorsey's backyard. It's one of the biggest in the world. Shopped for birthday presents for Nate's mom, settled on an awesome little fondue set! Relaxed.
6.14.2010
The Wisdom of Anne Frank
"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature, and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of Nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know then that there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles."
6.29.2009
Trip to the Desert
Last Wednesday at o-dark thirty, Nate and I headed out on a lonnnnnnnnng drive to Tucson, Arizona. We were both a little grumpy at first, but a short stop to enjoy some nature at Red Rock Canyon between Panguitch and Kanab cheered us both up.
Look how pretty!
Awesome gnarly tree.
So, feeling happy again, and grateful for the wonderful world we live in, we hit the road once more and drove the last 8 or so hours from there to Tucson. Most of the drive was fine, but the last couple hours seemed to take FOREVER. At least we enjoyed the pretty views.
Our first evening there consisted of some swimming, a tasty dinner, mingling with the families, and of course, playing with the new baby, Traci Jane! She is so stinkin' adorable...
With Aunt Beth or Aunt "B" as Cait has started calling me.
Even Nate [who thinks pretty much all babies look like aliens] admitted that TJ is a very cute baby, and said that he is excited for when we will have our own (someday in the fairly distant future). Look how cute they are together!
The main reason we went was to be there for little TJ's blessing. Here she is in her beautiful gown with her mommy and two namesakes, Grandmas Tracey and Jayne.
Nate also went on a couple of bike rides, since we both just got brand new bikes the day before we left! Then we had a little desert photoshoot to show off our nice new wheels.
Check out the gigantic cactus! Tucson is like a Wile E. Coyote cartoon in real life.
Later in the week we went to the De Grazia Museum, which was really fun. I was able to see all sorts of stuff that I learned about in my modern art class in his works, so that was pretty cool.
So, Tucson was lots of fun, even though it was blazing hot. Seeing little TJ kinda made me want to have a baby, but at the same time not really, at least not until I'm done with school (about 1 year, unless I get my masters). The drive back was really long and tedious, but we stopped at Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon Dam, and then at Red Rock Canyon again. More pictures:
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