We traveled to Panama (the country) this past week. We had a great time and saw some interesting places. One of the pictures above is from the observation deck at Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal. In the background, you can see a massive ship getting pushed into position to squeeze through the lock.
The other pictures are from our hotel room in downtown Panama City. Thomas liked the view (there was a construction site next to our hotel) and Claire enjoyed rolling around on the carpet (we have tile floors here). It was nice to see a new place, but we were all happy to get home to Costa Rica
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
It's a Charlie Brown Christmas...
Christmas is a BIG deal here in Costa Rica. Stores began displaying Christmas supplies in October, and nearly every house was decorated with lights and trees by the middle of November. We wanted a tree for our house, however, we knew it would not last long with two chicos under 3. The only small tree I could find was this cheap, M.i.C. table topper. It's not exaclty was we were looking for, but it will get the job done... this year.
Thank for checking in on the Blog. I'm sorry I do not keep it updated more regularly. We have a no-speed internet connection.... it is like communicating with refrigerator poetry. I am thankful we can connect from home, though.
I hope all is well.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
"Haircut, please"
Thomas' hair was getting long and unwieldy. He, in fact, started asking to get his hair "cut-off". We resisted the temptation to shave his head (like Tico boys his age), and took him to the barber for a normal trim. The barber (Juan) did a great job, however, he gave Thomas distinctively George McFly style when he was finished...
In this picture, Thomas is saying, "You let them do this to my hair?" Yet, never fear, Claire came to his rescue. As with most things that are neat and orderly, she wanted to fix it for him.
This time, Thomas said "thank you" for her help...
Saturday, November 24, 2007
First Guests
Last weekend, Ali’s mom and sister came to visit us here in Costa Rica. Thomas and Claire were very excited to have these important guests in the house. We all had a great time! Ali and I were even able to break away for dinner and a movie (Inka Grill and Leones por Corderos, if you were curious). Thomas was delighted to introduce Suse and Aunt Meli to the Villas bus!
On the last night of their trip, they treated us to a night in a hotel near Heredia (the sister city of Marietta), north of San José. This picture was taken just before we left to come back to our house. As often is the case, it is hard to get a still shot of Thomas!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
I am Thankful for my Wife
This year, Thanksgiving day landed on Ali's birthday! Thomas, Claire and I are truly thankful for our mama and esposita. She is an excellent and gracious wife and mom, and a tremendous blessing to all who know her. Please pray that on this day she would know how deeply she is loved and appreciated.
Last night, some friends of ours surprised us with a little party for Ali. Here is Ali and Claire getting ready to blow out the candles. Andres and Hazel, his wife, and Georgiana are in the background.
We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving (/ Ali Day)!
Last night, some friends of ours surprised us with a little party for Ali. Here is Ali and Claire getting ready to blow out the candles. Andres and Hazel, his wife, and Georgiana are in the background.
We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving (/ Ali Day)!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Part II: October is the Cruelest (err…Rainiest) Month
It is winter in Costa Rica. In reality, there are just two seasons here: Rainy and Dry (a.k.a. summer). The tourism savvy Ticos have aptly renamed winter, the “Green Season”. It is true that is rains everyday, but this produces a verdant landscape. The rainy season stretches from May until early December. We just happened to arrive during the wettest month, October.
Now, in general, rain does not affect one’s life adversely. However, when you do not have a car, and rely on public transportation and taxis, constant precipitation is a bit of a challenge. We have had to figure out how to hold Claire and an umbrella at the same time. Thomas, though, loves to walk in the rain. He greats each approaching puddle by name (“Oh, there’s big Water”) and then quickly stomps his foot in the middle before we can grab his hand (or, get out of the way!).
We did bring a rain cover for the kids’ stroller. This works well in a normal shower. However, we were caught in an unusual downpour on our way back from the store last month. Claire was scared from the sound of the rain and cried the whole way home. I tried my best to hold an umbrella with my chin as I navigated the stroller up a flooded, potholed street. Needless to say, Ali and I were soaked when got home. Claire was dry but traumatized. Thomas was perfectly content; he had enjoyed the ride!
The upside to winter is the temperature. It normally drops into the upper 60’s at night and rarely surpasses 75 degrees during the day. In summer time it will warm up to the low to mid 80’s, yet, it is never uncomfortably hot. We live in the Central Valley and are insulated on every side by mountains. These mountains keep the San José and the valley from the intense heat and humidity of the coasts and southern zone.
On Saturday night it dropped to an atypical low of 59 degrees. On Sunday morning at church, the Ticos were wearing winter coats and scarves. One lady even wore gloves throughout the service! Now this is hardly long sleeve shirt weather for us, but for the locals it is a deep freeze!
Unlike our friends in Georgia, we are looking forward to summer and the rainless days. The kids will be able to play more often in the small parks in our neighborhood. I know they will appreciate playing somewhere other than the “courtyard”. Thomas will miss the puddles, but I’m sure he would gladly trade his raincoat for sunshine and hours at the park.
Now, in general, rain does not affect one’s life adversely. However, when you do not have a car, and rely on public transportation and taxis, constant precipitation is a bit of a challenge. We have had to figure out how to hold Claire and an umbrella at the same time. Thomas, though, loves to walk in the rain. He greats each approaching puddle by name (“Oh, there’s big Water”) and then quickly stomps his foot in the middle before we can grab his hand (or, get out of the way!).
We did bring a rain cover for the kids’ stroller. This works well in a normal shower. However, we were caught in an unusual downpour on our way back from the store last month. Claire was scared from the sound of the rain and cried the whole way home. I tried my best to hold an umbrella with my chin as I navigated the stroller up a flooded, potholed street. Needless to say, Ali and I were soaked when got home. Claire was dry but traumatized. Thomas was perfectly content; he had enjoyed the ride!
The upside to winter is the temperature. It normally drops into the upper 60’s at night and rarely surpasses 75 degrees during the day. In summer time it will warm up to the low to mid 80’s, yet, it is never uncomfortably hot. We live in the Central Valley and are insulated on every side by mountains. These mountains keep the San José and the valley from the intense heat and humidity of the coasts and southern zone.
On Saturday night it dropped to an atypical low of 59 degrees. On Sunday morning at church, the Ticos were wearing winter coats and scarves. One lady even wore gloves throughout the service! Now this is hardly long sleeve shirt weather for us, but for the locals it is a deep freeze!
Unlike our friends in Georgia, we are looking forward to summer and the rainless days. The kids will be able to play more often in the small parks in our neighborhood. I know they will appreciate playing somewhere other than the “courtyard”. Thomas will miss the puddles, but I’m sure he would gladly trade his raincoat for sunshine and hours at the park.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Claire's Walking
Claire decided she was tired of crawling on our cold, tile floors and started walking! She actually took her first steps in September, the night Ali and I returned from our scouting trip to Costa Rica. However, she stayed on all fours until she was sure of her pedestrian skills.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
“Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”
Part I: Our House and Neighborhood
By American standards, we live in a very small house, maybe 800 feet square. There is a 6 foot by 16 foot “yard” in the back, adjacent to the cuarto de pila (laundry room) and another 50 square feet of grass beside the front gate. The major attraction for us was the large, tiled garage (which I like to call the courtyard). This is the kids’ main play area. Thomas rides laps on his tricycle at high speeds and Claire pushes around her walker (until she grows bored and moves on to Thomas’ Matchbox cars).
The house has three bedrooms and two baths (which is one of each more than we were expecting). The owner installed cabinets in the kitchen and wardrobes in the bedrooms (both rarities in Costa Rica rental homes). Thomas and Claire each have their own room (and for this, we are very thankful!). Each of bathrooms has a shower with an electric water heater. This is a heater connected to the shower itself. Water runs through electric coils before is falls from the head. Now that may seem somewhat dangerous, but it’s perfectly safe (as long as you do not touch it while the water is running).
As I’ve written before, our house is in a newer section of an established neighborhood, Villas de Ayarco. Villas is about 20 minutes from downtown San José on the main highway to Cartago (the old capitol city) and Panama. It is a working middle-class area, nearly self contained with a grocery/hardware/clothes/shoes/housewares store (Pasoca), countless corner shops (pulperías), two panaderías (bakeries) and a few restaurants.
Charging a fare of 155 colones (30 cents), the local bus winds slowly through the neighborhood, picking up passengers headed to San José. The buses stop near the center of the capitol city and then turn around after collecting the passengers on their way back to Villas. The buses are clean and great view from which to watch people and learn the area.
Every Saturday morning, the main street is closed off for the fruit and vegetable market. Everything from bananas, watermelon and green beans to exotic fruits (that I still do not know the name of), is sold by farmers from the surrounding countryside. In general, the prices are cheaper than in the stores. This morning, among other things, I purchased 10 bananas for about 29 cents!
For less of a cultural experience, HiperMas is just on the other side of the highway (about a twenty minute walk from our house). HiperMas is like Wal-Mart in Spanish. There you will find everything from ovens, to clothes, to groceries, to fresh tortillas. And just like a Wal-Mart in a small town, it is community meeting place on Saturdays and Sundays. On these days the lines are like long trains of carts, many full to overflowing with a month of food.
Villas is a friendly neighborhood. People are quick to say good-day or smile. Since we do not exactly look the same as everyone else (we have not seen any other gringos around), many people have kindly asked if we were new to the neighborhood. Everyone speaks Spanish, so our language skills are continual stretched and, hopefully, expanded.
We look forward to the rest of our year here. The last two weeks have been excited and new, but not been easy. Nothing is convenient. Everything takes a longer than you expected it would. However, this is all part of living in another country and culture. It will be an adventure and this house and Villas de Ayarco will make a great home base.
Stay tuned for Part II and Part III, on Costa Rica and on the ministry we are working with.
Paz
By American standards, we live in a very small house, maybe 800 feet square. There is a 6 foot by 16 foot “yard” in the back, adjacent to the cuarto de pila (laundry room) and another 50 square feet of grass beside the front gate. The major attraction for us was the large, tiled garage (which I like to call the courtyard). This is the kids’ main play area. Thomas rides laps on his tricycle at high speeds and Claire pushes around her walker (until she grows bored and moves on to Thomas’ Matchbox cars).
The house has three bedrooms and two baths (which is one of each more than we were expecting). The owner installed cabinets in the kitchen and wardrobes in the bedrooms (both rarities in Costa Rica rental homes). Thomas and Claire each have their own room (and for this, we are very thankful!). Each of bathrooms has a shower with an electric water heater. This is a heater connected to the shower itself. Water runs through electric coils before is falls from the head. Now that may seem somewhat dangerous, but it’s perfectly safe (as long as you do not touch it while the water is running).
As I’ve written before, our house is in a newer section of an established neighborhood, Villas de Ayarco. Villas is about 20 minutes from downtown San José on the main highway to Cartago (the old capitol city) and Panama. It is a working middle-class area, nearly self contained with a grocery/hardware/clothes/shoes/housewares store (Pasoca), countless corner shops (pulperías), two panaderías (bakeries) and a few restaurants.
Charging a fare of 155 colones (30 cents), the local bus winds slowly through the neighborhood, picking up passengers headed to San José. The buses stop near the center of the capitol city and then turn around after collecting the passengers on their way back to Villas. The buses are clean and great view from which to watch people and learn the area.
Every Saturday morning, the main street is closed off for the fruit and vegetable market. Everything from bananas, watermelon and green beans to exotic fruits (that I still do not know the name of), is sold by farmers from the surrounding countryside. In general, the prices are cheaper than in the stores. This morning, among other things, I purchased 10 bananas for about 29 cents!
For less of a cultural experience, HiperMas is just on the other side of the highway (about a twenty minute walk from our house). HiperMas is like Wal-Mart in Spanish. There you will find everything from ovens, to clothes, to groceries, to fresh tortillas. And just like a Wal-Mart in a small town, it is community meeting place on Saturdays and Sundays. On these days the lines are like long trains of carts, many full to overflowing with a month of food.
Villas is a friendly neighborhood. People are quick to say good-day or smile. Since we do not exactly look the same as everyone else (we have not seen any other gringos around), many people have kindly asked if we were new to the neighborhood. Everyone speaks Spanish, so our language skills are continual stretched and, hopefully, expanded.
We look forward to the rest of our year here. The last two weeks have been excited and new, but not been easy. Nothing is convenient. Everything takes a longer than you expected it would. However, this is all part of living in another country and culture. It will be an adventure and this house and Villas de Ayarco will make a great home base.
Stay tuned for Part II and Part III, on Costa Rica and on the ministry we are working with.
Paz
Sunday, October 14, 2007
We're Here!
We've now been in Costa Rica for a little over a week. It's taken some time, but we are starting to get settled in and figure out our new neighborhood. Our house is in a new section of a established community. The house is perfect for us and our family. Thomas and Claire like it a lot and play well here. They expecially like garage (aka Courtyard). They spend most of the day playing out in this walled in area in front of the house.
Thomas has quickly taken to riding in buses and taxis. Every time we get near the front gate, he asks to "go ride in bus?". Taxis here are red and whenever we see a red car he points and shouts, "Taxi!" I think he considers "Taxi" to be the personal name of the red car (and the red car's driver), like "Thomas" and "Diesel" from the train show. Everything here is a new experience and he is soaking it all in.
We'll post more pictures at stories when we get a chance. The sun is shining outside and we better take advantage of this time. So far, the rainy season has been true its name.
Thomas has quickly taken to riding in buses and taxis. Every time we get near the front gate, he asks to "go ride in bus?". Taxis here are red and whenever we see a red car he points and shouts, "Taxi!" I think he considers "Taxi" to be the personal name of the red car (and the red car's driver), like "Thomas" and "Diesel" from the train show. Everything here is a new experience and he is soaking it all in.
We'll post more pictures at stories when we get a chance. The sun is shining outside and we better take advantage of this time. So far, the rainy season has been true its name.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Coffee
Coffee (or, "Foffee", as Thomas calls it) is a national treasure of Costa Rica. Coffee farming and exportation has played a major role in the history of the country. Though much 
of the original coffee land has been replaced by homes and roads and sprawl, there are still countless hectacres of active plantations. These farms are mostly on the mountain side in the highlands of Costa Rica.
I learned to drink coffee in 9th or 10th grade. These were days before the fame of Starbucks and coffee shops. The only places to get coffee, around here at least, were country cooking (a.k.a. "kountry kooking") restaraunts, usually between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m. One of these places was "Vittles" on Whitlock. For $4 you were served an unhealthy amount of food, with all the coffee you could drink.
Vittles was regular meeting location for a Bible study group I was in with my youth pastor (Tom Tanner). Now Tom was (and is) a big coffee drinker, but the real pressure to try coffee came from the atmosphere of Vittles, not from him. You just don't go to a place like that and order milk or orange juice like it's the your middle school cafeteria. You drink coffee, regular and black.
Coffee did not become a daily part of my life until college. By this time, Seattle had shared its little coffee house trend with this rest of the country. Coffee houses were popping up all over, especially around university campuses. For this reason, and because of the late and odd hours that ever college kid lives, coffee and caffeine became a major study and survival aid.
However, it was not until my first trip to Costa Rica that truly discovered coffee. In the "Grano de Oro" (Grain of Gold, as they call the coffee fruit), my eyes opened to true hot beverage perfection. When Ali and I returned to Costa Rica for our honeymoon, we were both hooked.
Now, this, of course, is not the reason we are moving to Costa Rica. The "Grano de Oro" did not influence our interpretation of God's will for our lives. However, this is an added bonus! We could have been called to countless other, non-coffee drinking countries (and one day soon we may be). But for now, for this season, we are very thankful to moving the land that produces the finest coffee in the world. Gracias a Dios!
of the original coffee land has been replaced by homes and roads and sprawl, there are still countless hectacres of active plantations. These farms are mostly on the mountain side in the highlands of Costa Rica.I learned to drink coffee in 9th or 10th grade. These were days before the fame of Starbucks and coffee shops. The only places to get coffee, around here at least, were country cooking (a.k.a. "kountry kooking") restaraunts, usually between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m. One of these places was "Vittles" on Whitlock. For $4 you were served an unhealthy amount of food, with all the coffee you could drink.
Vittles was regular meeting location for a Bible study group I was in with my youth pastor (Tom Tanner). Now Tom was (and is) a big coffee drinker, but the real pressure to try coffee came from the atmosphere of Vittles, not from him. You just don't go to a place like that and order milk or orange juice like it's the your middle school cafeteria. You drink coffee, regular and black.
Coffee did not become a daily part of my life until college. By this time, Seattle had shared its little coffee house trend with this rest of the country. Coffee houses were popping up all over, especially around university campuses. For this reason, and because of the late and odd hours that ever college kid lives, coffee and caffeine became a major study and survival aid.
However, it was not until my first trip to Costa Rica that truly discovered coffee. In the "Grano de Oro" (Grain of Gold, as they call the coffee fruit), my eyes opened to true hot beverage perfection. When Ali and I returned to Costa Rica for our honeymoon, we were both hooked.
Now, this, of course, is not the reason we are moving to Costa Rica. The "Grano de Oro" did not influence our interpretation of God's will for our lives. However, this is an added bonus! We could have been called to countless other, non-coffee drinking countries (and one day soon we may be). But for now, for this season, we are very thankful to moving the land that produces the finest coffee in the world. Gracias a Dios!
Top Ten Things I'll Miss About America / Marietta
In no particular order...
10. Family and friends
9. Smooth roads without potholes
8. Convenience of Kroger (1 mile from our house)
7. Convenience of a car (to drive 1 mile to Kroger)
6. Family Dinner Night
5. The Worship and Teaching at RiverStone Church
4. Our neighbors on Hope Street
3. Autumn (the season)
2. Our House (the only house our kids have ever known!)
1. The World Series!
Once again, this is not in order of importance...
10. Family and friends
9. Smooth roads without potholes
8. Convenience of Kroger (1 mile from our house)
7. Convenience of a car (to drive 1 mile to Kroger)
6. Family Dinner Night
5. The Worship and Teaching at RiverStone Church
4. Our neighbors on Hope Street
3. Autumn (the season)
2. Our House (the only house our kids have ever known!)
1. The World Series!
Once again, this is not in order of importance...
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Recent News
Cousin Graham was in town earlier this month with his parents, Steven and Allison, and sister Georgia. This marked the beginning of the celebration of Claire's first birthday. We shared meals at the Bailey house (Mimi and Papa Bailey), and had Claire's first cake on Saturday night. Graham is four and LOVES to play baseball (a.k.a. Wiffle Ball) outside with the men. I think he could play non-stop for hours. Luckily for the adults, the severe heat gave us a good excuse to cut the games short! He also plays great with Thomas and Thomas thoroughly enjoys himself when Graham is in town.As I mentioned, it was Claire's birthday last week. We had cake before her birthday with the Steven Baileys and April (sister), Shannon (brother in law) and Daniel (nephew). As she does with any other food, Claire devoured her cake.
She also had her first experience with spaghetti on the same night, which was a bit more messy...
In other news... we are busily packing up our things, preparing to leave for Costa Rica in October. We have boxed up and given away many things, but there is still much left. We have even found a few wedding presents, still in the box, that it may be time to part with.Please join us in prayer that God would continue to prepare our hearts and prepare the way before us in Costa Rica.
Friday, August 10, 2007
It's hard to get pictures of...
...Thomas! Looking through our pictures to add to the blog, I've realized that pictures of Claire outnumber shots of Thomas by about 5 to 1. At first I thought maybe we had been neglecting our eldest, but then I figured it out. Thomas can run, and stays in motion for most of the day! Don't get me wrong, Claire is a highly mobile crawler, yet even so, she's much easier to capture with the camera.
Alas, we will keep trying with Thomas. Most of what we have is blurred, or of the back of his head. I think this is the best we have over the last few weeks:
Eventually, Thomas does slow down. Usually he will stop for a Thomas the Tank Engine or Hillsong United DVD. He will sit and rest until he is ready to go again.
So, sorry Thomas. I hope you don't look back our pictures over this year and think we had forgotten you!
Friday, August 3, 2007
October!
The Bailey family is getting ready to move! We have begun the long process of sorting and packing, deciding what goes, what stays, and what we'll give away. You'd be amazed at what you can accumulate with a couple of kids!
We will be in the States for another two months, packing and spending time with friends and family. Pray for us as we prepare to take this step of faith!
We will be in the States for another two months, packing and spending time with friends and family. Pray for us as we prepare to take this step of faith!
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Basket of Joy
Here's another shot of the kids (and "Melmo") playing together. Claire always wants to be with her brother (I think that will last for a while). This picture was taken before Thomas got his "summer" haircut. He has been asking for months for this, saying, "Daddy. Hair off." (I've given him a few haircuts in his young life). This trim has saved Thomas some of the pain of having his hair pulled by his sister...
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Thomas and Claire playing
Thomas "discovered" playing with his sister could fun a couple of months ago. Once Claire started crawling, he decided he would pay her some attention. We are praying for a lifetime of friendship (and self entertainment!).
Current News
Hey all,
Greetings from Marietta. We are going to try our hand at blogging. We'd like to keep our friends and family updated on the news from the Bailey House.
As many of you know, we are getting ready to leave for Costa Rica at the beginning of the year (2008). Costa Rica has always held a special place in our hearts and God has openned up an opportunity to work with a local ministry there. We will post more later on where we will be and what we will be doing.
It is an exciting time, but also filled with some anxiety. Ali and I have spent much time out of the country, yet this will be the first time with two kids! We are praying that God will continue to prepare our hearts and prepare Thomas and Claire for living in new place.
Nos vemos!
Greetings from Marietta. We are going to try our hand at blogging. We'd like to keep our friends and family updated on the news from the Bailey House.
As many of you know, we are getting ready to leave for Costa Rica at the beginning of the year (2008). Costa Rica has always held a special place in our hearts and God has openned up an opportunity to work with a local ministry there. We will post more later on where we will be and what we will be doing.
It is an exciting time, but also filled with some anxiety. Ali and I have spent much time out of the country, yet this will be the first time with two kids! We are praying that God will continue to prepare our hearts and prepare Thomas and Claire for living in new place.
Nos vemos!
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