Been in a bit of a funk since getting home. Guess it's just jet lag and reality crashing down at the same time.
I am trying to adjust my attitude today - been focusing on all my blessings. We are all healthy and just got back from a wonderful vacation. I have an amazing husband and 4 great kids....truly blessed!
OK so onto the trip...
We had a long day of traveling. By the time I went to sleep in Costa Rica, I had been up for more than 36 hours. My brother-in-law and I had a little contest going to see who had been up the longest {I won - but not on purpose!}. The day before he had driven to the Costa Rica border {from Panama} and then rode 2 buses to get to Nicoya.
We didn't know if they were going to be able to make it as they had just been in CR for New Year's but thankfully everything worked out and he, his wife and 2 of their boys came for the first few days of our trip {they couldn't stay very long}. It was so wonderful to see them.
My other brother-in-law and his wife came too. They live in Missouri and we all planned the trip so we could go at the same time. They have 3 adorable boys - 10, 7 and 20 months. My younger son and their boys bonded instantly.
We all stayed in my mother-in-law's house. There were 3 bedrooms for the 3 couples and then one big room with a bunch of mattresses for all the kids.
There were cousins everywhere - some of them had never even met before but they were instant friends.
It was so great being able to stay in the same house with everyone and pass the whole day together. We didn't get sick of each other once :-) And the kids didn't fight at all - amazing!
We did stay up late every night just talking....so great to see family!
We arrived mid-day on Thursday and drove about an hour from the airport to my mother-in-law's house.
We spent the rest of the day hanging out and talking. Friday we went to a local "ranch" and there is a pool there that you pay a few bucks to swim in for the day.
We all got pretty burnt - the sun is so much stronger in CR than here...closer to the equator. And apparently I did not take a single picture that day - ugh!!
The kids had a blast....I don't think my little one came out of the pool the entire day.
It was really hot there - in the 90's every day.
Saturday we rented a soccer court and all played soccer - so much fun!
A few more cousins rode the bus from a few hours away and spent the rest of the weekend with us.
The boys played basketball later in the afternoon too and then we had a big party at my mother-in-law's other house (she and her husband own a shooting range and they have the cutest cabin there that they live in).
She owns a restaurant in the center of Nicoya and is a very good business-woman (hence the multiple houses).
There were a bunch of birthdays in the family in January so that was what the party was for. We had chicharrones, yuca, roasted pork, chimichurri and a few other things - all the foods I had been dying to eat.
We took the time and took a bunch of pictures of all the family too.
{missing two siblings - they weren't able to make it}
{missing 2 spouses + 2 siblings}
I handed my camera off to a lady that was there when the time came for a picture of the entire family (there were a few - 15! - missing) but she couldn't hold it straight and ended up taking three of our feet only :-)
I stole this one from my sister-in-law's Facebook page.
Wishing now that I had paid more attention and gotten photos of each family too - kicking myself for not doing that now!
Not to worry - we have LOTS of pictures...that's it for this post though! It's taken me all day to write it.
Been cleaning, doing laundry, making black beans.....off to do more of the same!
