In the Garden

JG's sister-in-law has a great camera and is great with it! We went with her to her mother-in-law's garden and chased Caia for an hour! This is the way to take pictures of kids people, forget the studios! Never a tear, never boredom, never a fit...Caia just played and Laurie just snapped! 

(I can get you Laurie's information if you want it :) )

 

Off to School

Yes, Caia has officially started school. One week shy of her 20 month birthday, we enrolled her at the daycare at the Abraham Project (the place in which we work). She is in class with about 7 other kids between the ages of 1 and 2. She attends Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8-11. The first day, we walked in and she started crying, then I handed to her wonderful "teacher" and she screamed "MOMMMMMMMMYYYYYY" louder than I have EVER heard her scream and I turned around and walked out. Yes, it was hard; No, I didn't cry. 

We have made this decision for many reasons. 1. We want Caia to be more immersed in the community with whom we working. 2. We want her to be more immersed in the Spanish language. 3. Kyle, Ali, Thomas and Claire are moving and once they're gone, Caia won't have any friends. She and Claire have really started playing well together in recent months and Caia will be SAD to see Claire go.....though she won't realize it until Claire is not at the park, everyday! 

So, we made a decision that I never thought I would make...my kid goes to daycare. I am a stay-at-home mom and my kid still goes to daycare! But, she needs to be around kids her age and in this culture, "play dates" are pretty much non-existent.  So, off to school she goes! 

A Quick Trip

We had a quick trip to visit family (and a few friends) in May. We always have a great time and we always struggle taking Caia away from her family. She has so much fun with her cousins, playing in the grass, playing with all the toys her grandparents have to offer, and just having a lot more freedom! However, we know where we've been called and God WILL give her/us all we need to raise her away from those who love her the most. 

                                            Caia with JG's dad--granddaddy

  Caia with JG's grandfather-Roy (or Ree-Ree as Caia calls him)
     Caia with JG's step-mom, Alicia (Nana)
     Caia with my grandmother-Momo
                                 The lake water and weather were perfect! 

                               Caia and JG with my brother and his son, Luke.
       She LOVES the water!
          Playing with Luke (who is only 6 months older than Caia)
    Papa Sedg was a great catcher at the bottom of the slides
              This is heaven for Bebe-boat and babies
            My brother, Matt, his wife, Libby and Luke.
             At Chick-fil-a with Lissa and Wyatt
         Playing in tupperware with Aunt KK
                  Tony is so lucky! 
                             Wrestling with cousins, Nic (5.5 years) and Evan (7.5 years).

                                             They are so good and gentle with her!
                    Dancing a jig at the mall with the Cole girls-Mabry and Evy.
                With cousin Joshua (6.5 years old).
   Playing with Nanny-JG's mom

Flexibility

So, you just saw pictures of Caia at the beach, but I just remembered this other picture, from 14 months ago! Caia was 4 months old on her first beach trip and here she is at 18 months...and still can sleep on a lawn chair, with her knees tucked up under her, in the shade....nice! Thank you Caia for being so flexible!

A Gift

Our house is about 900 square feet, that includes the garage. It sits between (by between, I mean we share walls with) 3 houses, one of which functions as a chinese restaurant. Across the street is a grass parking lot, with a garbage dump and port-a-potty on it sitting directly in front of our house. There is also a grocery store and 2 other restaurants sitting catty-corner from us. We also sit on about 2nd gear of the bus line (buses go by every 15-20 minutes from 5 am to 11 pm, everyday).  Without air conditioning, our windows remain open 24/7 and with all that surrounds us, it tends to be noisy. One night as some men were standing in front of our house talking and fixing their car, Jonathan and I were sitting on the couch and I said to him, "If I couldn't hear life going on outside my home, I think I would feel lonely." 

After more than 5 years of living in over-populated (India) or busy (the street on which our house sits in San Jose, Costa Rica) places, I have come to not only appreciate the differences of the places I've lived, but to need some of them. During our 8 months in the States (between India and Costa Rica), Jonathan and I only lived in our own space for 3 months, and they were lonely months to me. We lived in a nice little house on a quant street near friends and I was constantly trying to get out. I didn't necessarily realize it then, but looking back I can see that I longed to be near people and I realized it wasn't the way I grew up.  It wasn't a North American trait.

I was raised in a wonderful family, in beautiful homes, in great neighborhoods. But after not only experiencing, but living in and engaging in different cultures, I have found myself more like them in this respect of needing people near me.  And I have come to understand it as a gift. God has called me to these places and made ways for me to be a part of them for extended times so He gave me this gift.  He made me like them. 

It hasn't been easy and He is still molding me to become more like my neighbors in other ways....there are certainly areas that I am not like them! But He has done this work in me and I am thankful for that gift. I am thankful to be more Costa Rican, for now.

Boards...Boards...Boards

Here is a sample of a typical work day at the Project when a team is here.  We had a team of high school seniors here this week from California and they spent the day breaking up crates and "cleaning" boards.  The wood that we use at the Abraham Project as our principle building material is donated by a local company that imports glass.  When we receive the wood it's in pretty rough shape and our teams help us prepare it by pulling out the nails and staples as well as treating it with poison, polyurethane, paint, etc.  The transformation that the wood undergoes is pretty incredible and just one very cool way that the Lord has provided for this ministry.  The space in the picture where the team is working will be the seating area/soccer field of the new multipurpose building when construction is complete.  As you can tell, there is a lot left to be done...one reason we love and appreciate all of our teams so much.  

Vacation at it's finest!

Tony and Laurie (JG's oldest brother and his wife--one of my DEAREST friends) came to visit us and spoiled us rotten! They brought birthday gifts (from them and others) and easter candy and it might have well been Christmas for Caia based on all the goods they brought her! We had so much fun with them, as we always do! We spent 2 days at the active volcano at Arenal and the clouds lifted so we could see the top smoking! Then, we spent the following 5 days at Playa Tamarindo and enjoyed relaxing and eating! Wow, as is to be expected with Tony Griffith, we ate well! We were sad to see them go but excited as we've already begun planning next year's trip to include Evan, Nic and Alex (their 3 kids)! Tony and Laurie, we love you and appreciate you so much! 

Tony and Laurie on the canopy tour (zip-line)

In the kiddie pool at Playa Tamarindo

Our view, not too shabby! 

She LOVES the water!

                                                                                                   

One night at sunset

Caia's response to "GO DAWGS!"