Feliz Navidad y Ano Nuevo!

To all of you we miss so much,
Please make a snow angel in our honor or better yet a little ski. Happy Holidays!
Love,
Gina, Terry, Jorja, Carter and Lindsay

We are off to Houston tomorrow for two weeks of Christmas vacation with my sissy Aunty Suzy, Uncle Todd and Grandma from Edmonton. Missing snow (maybe grandma will pack some) and a "real" Christmas but looking forward to getting back to a civilization!

Turtle Pics Finally!

Here's a few pics of our turtle visit courtesy of a friend.

Carter's Surfing Debut On the web

"Surfing Nosara" publishes the best surfing pics of the day. Here is Carter!

Desfile de Boyeros/Ox Cart Parade

Some local Tico Culture!!! Festival of "Virgin Mary" this weekend (as far as I understand anyways). Ticos and some gringos gathered at the local hardware store for free food, drinks and even free beer at 10am (now that is a religious holiday!) Oxen got dressed up in their very best to pull carts with their favorite saints and a few select people around to visit the local churches. Now that's a parade we have never seen before!

Mel Gibson Beach

Last weekend went to a beach about 45 minutes away. It has a name but I only know it as "Mel Gibson beach" as he apparently owns all the land around it. Rumor has it he has sold it to "Lady Ga Ga" so Terry is currently fantasizing about saving her when she falls of her surf board and then becoming her best friend! Or I will have Mel Gibson's next love child (ha ha, he is too crazy for me!)
It was super beautiful and different from the beaches on this side of the country. Water clear and Carribean like. The drive in was quite exciting (the pictures do not do it justice!) You may call it a road but after making it 4x4ing through the mud bog we went nearly sideways, then through some deep deep ruts which were more paths then a road and voila there we were.
Between "parking" and the ocean was a river to wade through. Kids loved riding their "surf boat" (that's our neighbor Rain) and Lindsay crawled around forever exploring in the shallow part. Enjoyed a picnic of fresh cheese, bread and avocado from the local market and had to leave too soon for naps. Stopped for gelato on the way home, yum!
After a serious car wash (there are a couple guys who wash and vacuum your car for $6) we were back home and as good as new! Yes, that last pic is our look of relief when we actually made it back out!

Here is our other princess!

Lindsay practicing for the pageant circuit!

In preparation for our trip to Houston at Christmas Lindsay is getting in some practice. As you can see she has some work to do as this was the best picture I could get (it was nap time but neverless a true princess could push through it, ha ha!)

The locust have arrived...gross!

This is about the size of my hand!

Rincon de la Vieja Trip

During a 4 day school break for American thanksgiving, we took our first road trip in Costa Rica to Rincon de la Vieja. This is a dormant volcano/national park about 3.5 hours north. Very exciting to get back on some paved roads for awhile and drive more then 40 km/hr! True to form, Terry decided we had lot's of gas and did not stop in Liberia (the last gas station before driving into never never land) but luckily (for him!) we did not run out.
We got our own little one room cabin amongst the mountain tops which were really beautiful. It was rather chilly,rainy,windy the first 2 days but a nice change in weather. Tried to get rid of our "Costa Rica Coughs" with the natural steam room (literally over a bubbling brook) but we still have them. Tried out the "too hot, too cold, just right pools" (just like goldilocks). Lasted about 5 minutes in the chilly swimming pool just long enough to order a pina colada at the pool bar. Terry and I enjoyed the mud but the kids refused to get dirty and freaked out when we just tried to put it on their legs. Not sure how they became clean freaks!
Had our horseback riding and zipline adventure canceled the first day due to high winds and skitish horses but managed to do it the day we left. No, Lindsay did not zipline but managed an hour on a horse which was pretty impressive!
Visited Playa Hermosa, a volcanic beach on the way back. Nice to stay at a hotel right on the water without big waves but trade off was the beach had a lot more garbage and the water was not as clean as Nosara. We did find lot's of "pipas" which are young coconuts. Pipa water is nature's gatorade and Terry cracked then open on a rock (becoming caveman, errrghh!)
Great to see another part of Costa Rica but no matter where we go we usually have the place to ourselves, curious not more touristos!

Carter's "Best Afternoon Ever"

My horse was named "Pinto" but I think he should have been named "Go Go" because he liked to get in front of the pack and would like to go fast. We had fun crossing the river and riding up/down hills and getting a little snack of grass. I went on "Pinto" all by myself. He was a very good horse. After we stopped at a little forest and hiked to two waterfalls. One was big and one was small. It was very grassy.
We took our horses to the top of the zipline. It was 1.5 km and 13 towers. I liked the different types of ziplines. The first one was very scary (mommy was nervous too!) since it was so high so I went with a guide. After that, I went by myself it was still super high, but I wasn't scared anymore. On the last one, the guide set me up to go upside down. I didn't want to let go with two hands so I only let go with one.
The hotel was very nice, there was mud bathes, big pools, nice food and a wet bar. The pina coladas were very decorated and delicious. I think our cabin was very small.
Hugs and kisses, Carter

My Horseback and Zipline Adventure by Jorja

I liked steering the horse with the ranes. I held a green one. I liked to go fast and I also loved going across the river. I liked going up the hills and down. At one part my horse did not know where it was going (tee hee!) I loved the waterfalls going down.
I liked ziplining all by myself. I held my arms like an airplane. When I went with a guide I held my hands down low. I liked to go "FAST" and I held on the tightest that's because I am smaller.