Life is precious!

Can you believe this is our view at breakfast!

I am very mindful of what is going on in Haiti and have a hard time not feeling guilty about being here. Jeff planned this months ago for our anniversary and I am SO grateful I am here. I want to live in this moment because it is so amazing!

We went on our first walk on the beach. I have never seen a black sanded beach before today. Very beautiful!

How nice that someone offered to take our picture. I am really really in Costa Rica.

We have a new friend in Costa Rica. She chilled with us.
As I laid there on that chaise, I could feel the stress leaving me with each wave as it gently ebbed and flowed.
I love the sound of the ocean! I love being here with Jeff! I love this day!

Mucho Gusto!

We woke up yesterday morning, in Salt Lake City, at 4:25 am to go to the airport. We had a layover for nearly 5 hours in Atlanta and then took another flight to Liberia, Costa Rica. It was dark by the time we landed, except for the lights of the stores, restaurants, and houses along the way to the hotel. We could only hear the sounds of the ocean when we stepped out onto our balcony.
This morning, I awoke to a brightly lit room. I opened the curtains and stepped out on the balcony and THIS was my view. It took my breath away!

I will have to find out the name of this bird.

We have a balcony that wraps around two sides of our room. We have the most amazing views!

Our house is a very very fine house...

My husband knew the moment he stepped into our house that this was the house for us.
He calls it "a National Treasure" because of how unique it is.
We bought our house in 2000 from the original owners and the house was built in 1979-1980. The man was a retired chemistry professor from the university and he was a master craftsman. He had an architect design it but he built everything in the house made of wood and there is a lot of wood. Yes, that is a long skylight with doors to close but I love to keep them open.
We feel very lucky to have found this house. It has been a great house to continue to raise our four children and from which, three of them will have flown the nest (all three married in 8 months---by the way, and the third by this March 20).

I should have cleaned the house more, posting pictures and all, but that's just the way it is sometimes.
This is the front door with very cool windows above the door.
Amazing house (except when we have problems with the heating/plumbing system and sometimes we have a lot of problems---which means I have memorized the plumbers phone number---and the old industrial carpet and the ceiling tiles downstairs that are stained because of said issues with plumbing and heat and the unfinished parts of the house and the storage area that we have had problems with and the roof above the garage just got fixed but there are other roof issues and the wall board in the garage is falling apart because of the leaking issues and the old flooring in many rooms and the master bathroom tile needs replacing etc etc etc...it's not perfect but it's still a neat-o house and it's been fun to fix-up and replace things albeit at a very slow pace---that's our life---and it's ok because I still feel fortunate to live here).

Answer is...

Guess where we are going in a few days....
Happy 24 year anniversary to us!

Chalkboard.

I finished (with some help from Jeff) this chalkboard wall right before (24 hours before) the Open House. This is the side entrance to our kitchen and laundry area. I actually painted three coats of metallic paint under the chalkboard paint but it doesn't have much power. Too bad. I would have loved to have the ability to use magnets. Too bad I didn't take a before. There was a white board. Not too attractive. We can still write notes to each other. Most everyone proclaimed their love recently. Fun.
I love how it turned out!
 

Just around the house.

Have a great weekend!

Change is a constant.

I have been sick and not doing much but recuperating.

These pictures are from Chris's Birthday dinner. I LOVE to be with my family (and their spouses or soon to be spouses). I LOVE each and every one of them with all my heart....head, brain, and my mind too.

Sheyla is getting married in March.
My family is growing and changing at the speed of light.

"The art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on."   Havelock Ellis