THE BAILEY CASA

First Haircut

2009-05-27T13:30:00.005-04:00

Claire has had plenty of haircuts in two and half years. However, they have all been performed at home, by me (Kyle) or by her Mimi (Bailey). We took her to San Jose for her first cut and style. She had a great time and loves her new look.

When it rains...

2009-05-27T13:25:00.003-04:00

Two Happy Kids

2009-04-28T16:08:00.000-04:00

Without Further Delay

2009-04-28T15:31:00.002-04:00

Okay, it's been a long time since we last updated the blog. We thought about just deleting our account, but we'll keep it for a while longer. Since we posted the webpage (web.me.com/casabailey), I have had little motivation to keep this up.

There is not much new here. This has proved to be a nice and long summer. We have had more sunny days in the last four months, than all of the previous two years (including language school) we've spent in Costa Rica combined. Although it is sometimes fairly warm (and always very dusty), I cannot complain. The last rainy season was especially brutal. It rained virtually every day and we endured weeks without an appearance from the sun. Our house was so saturated that water seeped through the walls. I think I developed an allergy to our wet house and sneezed for seven months. So... I'm not really looking forward to the end of the dry season.

In other news, we are leaving Costa Rica in the coming months. Knowing that God was leading us to go seminary, we have planned this move for nearly a year. After many months of researching and visiting schools (and praying), we have decided to attend Beeson Divinity School at Samford University. Through God's grace and provision, we have a house to live in there rent-free through a job with the school. We will miss Costa Rica and our friends and community here, but we are confident this is the right move for us. With the clock ticking until we leave, I guess we need to start stockpiling Lizano sauce and coffee to take back with us!

Drop us a line if you get a chance. It is always good to hear from friends.

Decorations

2008-12-22T10:36:00.009-05:00

Okay, for all of you who saw our Charlie Brown Christmas tree last year...

...we have a major upgrade this season in decorations...

Now that might not look like a big change, but those are real lights! Special thanks goes to Mimi and Papa for the tree.

More Dancing from Claire

2008-12-04T19:44:00.005-05:00

Okay, Claire is much better. This is a video of her dancing at a the wedding we came home for. Where did she learn this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1rry0Tla4Y

Claire is better

2008-11-12T10:48:00.002-05:00

Thanks for praying for Claire. Although she still has some fever, she is much better. Pray for continued health for her and for our family. Thank you!

Pray for Claire

2008-11-09T21:17:00.003-05:00

Ali took this picture two days ago...

Our little girl has been sick, off and on, for a month. This week she had an ear infection, congestion, a cough, and an on-going fever. Her ears are better, but she still has the fever. Pray for her complete healing, so she can enjoy this week with Ali's family.

Thank you!

Landslide

2008-10-14T19:04:00.005-04:00

The Inter-American Highway begins in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and passes through Central America before its terminus in Panama. In Costa Rica, this "highway" (really a two lane road) crosses the highest mountain range in the country as it winds from San Jose to the southern frontier. This section of the Inter-American is notoriously dangerous and travelers are often subject to delays due to car accidents and landslides.

As a result of heavy rains, one such landslide happened a few days ago. This landslide completely closed traffic through the mountain range. Some friends of ours were on a bus, returning from a short vacation in Panama. Their bus and countless other cars, trucks and buses are still stranded south of this natural roadblock. What was supposed to be a 3 day trip, is now on day 9, and counting.

Now, pretend that I-75 was ONLY road that connected south Georgia and Florida to Atlanta. If there was a landslide that blocked traffic on I-75 in, say, Cordele, can you imagine being stuck there for a week while workers tries to clear and repair the highway?

A Couple of Recent Pictures

2008-10-10T00:18:00.006-04:00

A Year of Changes

2008-10-08T15:50:00.010-04:00

Sunday marked the 1 year anniversary of our arrival in Costa Rica. Over the year, it's been amazing to see how much the kids have grown. In October of last year, Claire was still such a baby. She could not yet walk and just had a little bit of hair. See for yourself...

Thomas has grown, also. The transformation physically and mentally from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 is incredible.

More later on our year in another country with little kids...

"I Always..."

2008-10-05T11:25:00.006-04:00

I don’t know about general rules that I live my life by but I do have some “I always…” statements. Hope you enjoy this rare glimpse into my strange life. Ali

I always look at my children sleeping before I go to bed.

I always subconsciously cross my big toe on both feet over the toe next to it and slightly wiggle them off and on with rhyme but without reason when I’m sitting down.

I always laugh at commercials where people either fall down, get hit in the head with something, or both. It gets me every time.

I always count while I pee…it’s true. I’ve done it since childhood. I cannot explain. (okay, I might have to delete this one…tmi.)

When eating in a restaurant, after factoring in being left handed and being able to sit next to Claire so she can eat off of my plate, I always sit in the seat where I will be least likely shot in the back. I am a strategist.

I always save the best bite for last. Always- whether it is a bite of cake with the most icing, dorito with the most cheese, or part of the pancake with the most syrup and butter on it.

I always get internally irritated when someone takes a bite off my plate and they choose what I had deemed from the beginning the best bite. I just don’t know where to go from that point especially since I always eat the second to the best bite first.

I always have the ability and desire within me to sleep for fourteen hours a day- but I rarely get the chance- which is probably good.

I always feel better no matter what happens when Kyle tells me “Everything is going to be okay” whether or not it really is going to be.

The Project

2008-09-27T17:26:00.020-04:00

The ministry we work with in Costa Rica is called the Abraham Project. Facilitated by the Lighthouse Community Church, this community outreach ministry has five main functions: 1) Homes for at-risk and abandoned children, 2) Daycare center for children of working families, 3) Job skills training center, 4) Multi-purpose Building for church services and evangelistic outreach, and 5) Consultation offices where professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc.) will donate their service to members of the surrounding marginal areas. The consultation offices will be housed in the Multi-purpose Building, which is currently under construction.

The Abraham Project is a debt-free ministry and trusts God for financial and material provision. One way God has provided over the years is through an ongoing donation of scrap lumber. This wood is used in shipping crates for an international glass company. At one time, all of this wood was discarded after the glass was imported. However, the project director convinced the company to donate these used crates to the ministry, instead of sending them to the landfill. This donation has saved the project tens of thousands of dollars. The following pictures give an example of how this scrap wood is reused at the project.

The wood is delivered to the project as used packaging crates. These crates are disassembled, and the nails, screws, and staples are pulled from the wood.

The lumber is sorted, sized, planed and sanded. This wood is used in every stage of construction, from form boards to finish carpentry. Right now, for the construction of the Multi-purpose Building, the workers are piecing together massive ceiling trusses.

These trussed are then installed, by hand, to make the roof structure for office section of this new building.

This lumber has been used in each of the current buildings on the Abraham Project property (children's homes, daycare, life-skill workshops, and cafeteria, now used as a church building). Through a donation of a company's trash, God has given the project a resource to build a center to reach and transform the community.

General Rules

2008-09-24T21:59:00.002-04:00

I was on a long walk today and I saw something that made me think. In the window of a video store, there was a poster for a movie starring Larry the Cable Guy. I thought, "As a general rule, I don't watch movies with Larry the Cable Guy." That phrase, "as a general rule," stuck in my head and I began to wonder what other "general rules" I live by. The following is a non-exhaustive list, and not in any particular order, but these are just a few things that came to mind:

- As a general rule... I do not watch movies starring Larry the Cable Guy.

- As a general rule... I do not read newspapers with red titles (international joke).

- As a general rule... I do not spend time alone with members of the opposite sex who are not my wife or daughter.

- As a general rule... I do not listen to or watch anything with Barbara Streisand.

- As a general rule... I do not vote for politicians who support Abortion Rights.

- As a general rule... I do not read magazines about celebrities.

- As a general rule... I do not agree with the positions of the ACLU.

- As a general rule... I do not read paperback books from the grocery store.

- As a general rule... I do not eat food in bed.

- As a general rule... I do not like fluorescent lights.

Does anyone else have a list of "General Rules"?

Claire is Two!

2008-09-09T17:55:00.006-04:00

Our baby girl is two years old! She is now officially and little girl, not a baby. We had a small party and Claire was thrilled with her cake and gifts. Her big present was a tricycle...

..., but her favorite gift was a new baby doll. We call her Maria Jose. Here, Claire is feeding her "baby":

Claire LOVES babies, and walks around the house rocking her toy babies. Not only Maria Jose gets this special attention. She will also wrap Barney or Elmo in a blanket and pretend to rock them to sleep.

Claire is a beautiful girl, full of energy and life. She loves to laugh. She loves to dance (more on that in another post). She loves to play with her brother. She is my delight.

Happy Birthday, Nadia Claire. It's been a wonderful two years!

Normal Saturday

2008-08-09T18:58:00.004-04:00

It's raining in San Jose this afternoon. This is an every day occurrence here for about 8 months a year, but this is a hard driving rain that is seeping through the exterior concrete block wall of our house (see below).
Fortunately, this is living room/kitchen wall and there is a house connected to the other side of the house. It would be rather disconcerting to have water coming through our bedroom wall!

*******

In other domestic news, two weeks ago, the power went out in half of our house. Our landlord and an electrician (well, two electricians) came on Saturday to check it out. The first guy inspected the wiring, inside and out, but couldn't find the problem. Later in the afternoon, the owner returned with another electrician. He pulled off the meter and found this:

A wire from the power service line had shorted out and melted the terminal and back of the meter. They do not know when it happened, but kept saying (to each other) that it could have been worse. We were without electricity for a few hours until the power company could come and replace the service wires and the meter. Around 7:30pm, the lights were back on, and were conspicuously brighter than before. To say the least, we are were all very thankful to have power again and everything working (and that our house did not catch fire!!).

Have a nice day!

2008-07-22T10:19:00.008-04:00

My good friend Amy Norris says that God speaks to her best through nature. I think I have finally grasped what she is talking about. Even though it was 6:30 at night as I was preparing chicken fajitas and cutting up chile dulce, the Lord was clearly saying, "Have a nice day.":-). After Kyle took a picture, I considered putting it on e-bay until I realized the fajitas just wouldn't be the same without it.

Home Again / Top Ten

2008-07-09T12:37:00.007-04:00

After nearly a month in the States, we are back home at our little house in Costa Rica. It was rather dusty, but everything was just as we left it.

The kids were happy to be home. Out in the garage, Thomas cleared a construction site in the rock garden for his "backhoes".

As always, Claire, a typical little sister, prefers to play with Thomas' toys. She's been practicing riding his tricycle while he is busy in other places. She cannot quite pedal, yet, but she can get around.

We went to the US to renew my passport. I expected it to take 3 weeks. It was back in 3 days! However, we made the most of our time there. I've compiled a non-exhaustive top ten list of the highlights of our trip. With the exception of #1, these are not necessarily in order of importance.

1. Father's Day Gift - Braves game and night in Atlanta with Ali

2. "Vacation" in Thomasville

3. Vacation from the kids in Marietta

4. Dinner with the Norris' and Kingsfields

5. Three Sundays at RiverStone

6. Good Food! (Woodvalley, Kiosko, Thaicoon, Casa Grande, La Parrilla, French Bakery, etc.)

7. Aquarium with kids and Ali's family

8. Having a car / Not getting rained on every day!

9. Time with family and friends

10. All around "In-Flight Trivia" champ on flight back to SJO (unfortunately there is no prize for this!)

Back in the States

2008-06-22T13:41:00.004-04:00

We are in Georgia for a few weeks. The kids are having a great time with their grandparents. We are enjoying seeing friends and the freedom of having a car (thanks Suse!).

We had a great week in South Georgia at Ali's parents' house. Ali's family really takes care of the kids. It was like a vacation for me and Ali. It was nice to sleep later than Thomas and Claire.

While we were there, the kids got their first motorized riding toys. Thomas got a tractor and Claire a pink four wheeler. Thomas was a natural on the tractor!

We'll be around for another week. We would love to hear from you while we are in town. We are at my parents' house in Marietta.

Dancing Kids

2008-05-28T18:13:00.002-04:00

The first video on the left is of Claire and Thomas. I could not easily isolate their video, so I cannot vouch for any other clip that might show up on that bar. Sorry!

The Internet

2008-05-28T18:07:00.002-04:00

After eight months of waiting, our cable modem was finally installed yesterday! This was a big day in the Bailey house. We all talked to my parents on video Skype. The kids were excited to SEE Mimi and Papa, Uncle Shannon and Aunt April, and, of course, the dogs! We are looking forward to easier communication with our friends and family back home.

Random News and Quotes

2008-05-01T11:46:00.001-04:00

Okay, I know it has been quite some time since our last post. The family is all doing well here in Costa Rica. Here is some recent news and quotes:

- Thomas and Claire are going to "school" (the daycare at the project) three mornings a week. At first, they both cried and cried when we left them, but now they both like going.

-Claire is in the 6 month to two year class and eats the food at daycare. We told her it was time to go to school and she said, "See babies! Eat rice and beans!" That girl loves babies and to eat Costa Rican food.

-Thomas likes school once he gets there. During their walk to the project on Monday, he tried to convince Ali that school was closed that day.

-Thomas and Ali took the bus to HiperMas this week. They sat down next to a little girl and her mom. The girl exclaimed, "It's Tomas!" Ali recognized her from school, and asked Thomas, "Is that girl in your class?" He responded, "No mama, she's on the bus." Thinking he misunderstood the question, Ali asked him again. Thomas was more emphatic this time, "Mama, no, she's on the bus!"

-Thomas and I were outside (in the garage) playing basketball. I made a shot and Thomas told me, "Good job Daddy! Give me a five!" Oh, they grow up so fast.

The guard on our neighborhood has three street dogs that he has adopted. The largest dog is a female with a sagging stomach. Ali asked me if I thought the dog was pregnant. I told her, no, but she has definitely has had puppies a time or two. She thought for a moment and asked, "Is that what you think when you look at me?"

Thanks for checking in on us. We would love to hear from you.

Home Again, Home Again

2008-03-28T08:48:00.000-04:00

After a trip to see family and friends, we have been back in Costa Rica for just over a week. We all had a great time in States (State, really - Georgia). The kids loved seeing their grandparents and toys that did not make the journey here. Ali and I enjoyed having a car again and the freedom to go to Kroger (or, nowhere) at any hour.

We were all excited to get back, though. There is nothing like sleeping in you own bed. The kids were overjoyed to see the toys that did make the trip and were content to play in the garage (err, courtyard) for hours.

I will post a few pictures when I have the time and patience to wait them to upload!

In the States

2008-03-04T15:58:00.002-05:00

We are in the States for short visit. It just so happened that Thomas' birthday and the Kingdom Expansion Conference were on the same week. Thomas was thankful for his 2nd and 3rd birthday parties (at the Bailey's and at the Burford's), and Ali and I were thankful to be here for the conference! We will be around for another two weeks (in S.GA and Marietta).

Thirty-three

2008-01-23T22:11:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Costa Rica! I apologize that it has been nearly a month since our last update. Thanks for checking in on us.

Ali’s parents were here for the week of Christmas. We all had a great time, especially the kids. They loved having the grandparents around. They also loved all of their gifts (thank you family!). It was sad to see them go, but hopefully they can come back.

The season has changed here and it is now officially verano (a.k.a. summer). During this transition we had a week of high winds. The wind battered our house and metal roof throughout the day and night (particularly at night), causing some minor damage. After a few days wind and sporadic power outages, the power went out for good on Thursday around 3:00 pm. At our house, no electricity means no cooking and no hot showers and no coffee! On Friday morning, no power. Friday at lunch, no power. After 24 hours, Ali called a taxi and took the kids to a hotel in the city. I came home from the project and was about to leave to join the family downtown, when I heard a shout of joy from a neighbor’s house… the lights were back! We stayed at the hotel anyway, though. I considered it an early birthday present.

My birthday came and went quietly last week. I am 33. At least two people commented that now I am the same age of Jesus… when he died! Thanks. However, it did make me think of how Jesus lived his life…fully surrendered to the Father and abiding in his love. Even though I don’t really know what this looks like (or were it will take us), I want to live this way.

Well, that is enough for now. Next time, if you are lucky, I’ll share some Thomas /potty-training stories.

Nos vemos pronto.

Panama

2007-12-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

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

It's a Charlie Brown Christmas...

2007-12-10T08:54:00.000-05:00

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.

"Haircut, please"

2007-11-29T09:32:00.000-05:00

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...

First Guests

2007-11-24T20:12:00.000-05:00

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!

I am Thankful for my Wife

2007-11-22T10:59:00.000-05:00

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)!

Part II: October is the Cruelest (err…Rainiest) Month

2007-11-14T08:48:00.000-05:00

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.

Claire's Walking

2007-11-08T09:08:00.000-05:00

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.

“Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”

2007-10-20T16:35:00.000-04:00

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

We're Here!

2007-10-14T09:45:00.000-04:00

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.

Coffee

2007-09-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

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!

Top Ten Things I'll Miss About America / Marietta

2007-09-23T21:12:00.000-04:00

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...

Recent News

2007-08-22T11:31:00.000-04:00

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.

It's hard to get pictures of...

2007-08-10T11:09:00.000-04:00

...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!

October!

2007-08-03T14:59:00.000-04:00

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!

Basket of Joy

2007-06-09T10:24:00.000-04:00

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...

Thomas and Claire playing

2007-05-26T09:56:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-26T09:41:00.000-04:00

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!