Decorations

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

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

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

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

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

A Year of Changes

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..."

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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.