Summer 2010 Vacation, Part 2: Arenal Volcano Day 1

Here are the highlights of our trip to Costa Rica! This post was a daunting task. We had eight days in paradise, and each day was amazing! We took almost 300 pictures, so weeding through for the highlights took some time. There's a lot to write about (and for you to read)! Because of that, I've split the trip into daily posts to break things up.

Day 1: Arrival and Journey to La Fortuna
We arrived in Costa Rica around 5:30 Saturday morning and caught a taxi to the public bus station in Alajuela. Costa Rica has an amazing public transportation system, but it's not centrally operated, so there are several companies driving all over the country—slightly confusing! We searched the numerous bus schedules, and eventually a friendly tico (Costa Rican) told us the next bus to La Fortuna would arrive in 10 minutes. That was 10 minutes Costa Rica time, so more like half an hour.

Eventually the bus arrived. There were no open seats, so we rode the first hour or so standing, which was quite exciting! The ride was four hours long, and thankfully we eventually got seats. During the trip we enjoyed beautiful views as the bus climbed higher on the narrow roads.

Finally we arrived in La Fortuna, the town next to the Arenal volcano. Fortuna is such a cute town! We were surprised by the number of tourists, but there was still plenty of local culture. We ate lunch and had our first authentic meal of the trip: casado! Casado ("married man's meal") is meat, rice, beans, plantains, and salad (or some combination of that) and is found everywhere in the country. I was beside myself at being back in Costa Rica and eating Costa Rican cuisine!

casado—note the volcano-shaped rice

After lunch we took a quick trip to an Internet cafe (where we spent most of our time trying to figure out how to type the "@" symbol on a Spanish keyboard), then caught a taxi to our hotel.

Our hotel was about 20 minutes away from La Fortuna, on the opposite (active) side of the volcano. The grounds were gorgeous! They had a large area of land, landscaped with beautiful tropical plants. We checked into our room and took a nap, after being awake for over 24 hours.

the view from our room

We spent the evening relaxing, scheduling our tours for the next few days, and saying over and over again, "I can't believe we're really here!" (OK, that may have been mostly me.) Our trip to Costa Rica was already proving to be an adventure!

Summer 2010 Vacation, Part 1: Faith's Lodge

We are back from two weeks of vacation, and it could not have gone better! We feel refreshed, renewed, and (at least on my part) better than I have felt in a long time. Thanks to everyone who prayed for us and this trip—it was everything that we needed it to be, and even more.

I'll try to keep this concise (ETA: I think I failed at that. Oh well, you are warned!), but I want to share all the highlights of our two weeks off! Part One was our stay at Faith's Lodge. Faith's Lodge is a nonprofit retreat center for families and couples who have lost a child, or are dealing with the terminal illness of a child. It allows couples time to relax, process, and remember and honor their child(ren).

The lodge itself was gorgeous! 12,000 square feet, 4 floors. It includes a large commercial kitchen, eating area, wraparound porch, library, craft room, "Eagle's Nest" with beautiful views, and plenty of cozy areas to sit and read or talk. The lodge is in the north woods of Wisconsin, surrounded by tall pine trees. It was also nice and quiet!

the library

our suite

While there we met 5 other couples who have lost babies. No two stories were alike, but for the first time we experienced a community of others who have truly "been there." It took a little time for everyone to warm up, but we left with new friends and the feeling that we'd known some of the couples for years, rather than days.

There were a few activities planned each day, but we were free to do as much or as little as we chose.

We created a bird house and a mosaic stone to add to the boys' garden.


We hiked the Inspiration Path.

one of the quotes posted along Inspiration Path

We canoed on the pond. We spent lots of time reading and reflecting.

There is a bridge at the lodge that is surrounded by small, heart-shaped stones. Each of the stones has been decorated and placed in memory of a child. It was actually pretty overwhelming—like stars in the sky, more and more stones stood out to us the longer we looked. We decorated a stone and placed it under a tree to honor our sons. It was a very meaningful tribute to them.




Faith's Lodge was so good in so many ways. It was also difficult in some ways. Some parts were both good and hard. It was a time of sharing, processing, and healing. We are so very thankful that a place like this exists, and that we had the opportunity to visit.

¡Felices vacaciones a nosotros!

We are on vacation! Ahhhhh...... (giant sigh of relief/relaxation)

You know those stress assessment tests where you check off the events that have happened over the last year, and that determines how stressful your life is? I was thinking about some of the events that normally appear on them, and how many I would check off. Serious illness? Pregnancy? Death in the family? Check, check, check. The list goes on. Needless to say, we are more than ready for a vacation.

The way things are working out this may also be the best "progressive vacation" ever! We have had a long weekend at home to relax, pack and settle into "vacation mode." Next on the itinerary is some time at Faith's Lodge. There we hope to reflect and process some more of our experience, and relax even more. Finally, we'll be spending a week in Costa Rica, full of adventure, the beach, and oh yes, MORE relaxation! We have always wanted to visit Costa Rica together, and feel very blessed that everything has come together to make this trip a reality. From our bosses' understanding and flexibility to allow us two weeks off, to the financial side of things working out, we are very grateful.

We'll be back in a couple weeks with stories, pictures, and (hopefully) nice tans!

Anndddd... We're Back

Wow, it's been almost a full year since we last posted on our blog! So sorry to let you down, faithful readers. Things got very busy and crazy, and then things got very bad, and now things are... well, they are slowly getting better. I've wanted to resume posting for a while now, but it's taken some time to figure out what to write to summarize the last almost-year of our lives.

In short: we became parents, and suffered unimaginable loss. All on the same day.

Most of you reading know the whole story, but it didn't feel right to start blogging again without recognizing our boys, Asher & Evan. So we have created a page just to remember them and tell their story. You can find it in the links at the top of this page, or by clicking here.

I have good intentions to start blogging again regularly, so stay tuned. And please check out Jason's new blog The Grieving Father, where he shares more of our story, and provides resources for fathers affected by loss. We are beginning to heal, ever so slowly.

A Taste of Morocco

Last weekend both of my sisters were home at the same time, which hasn't happened since Christmas. So of course we took advantage of that and had some family over for a party! It was quite the celebration! Emily entertained us with pictures and souvenirs from her trip to Morocco. Theresa announced that she had been accepted into grad school, another reason for celebration. And then of course, there was the turban photo shoot...

Coffee, Somalians, and Ham Radio

In this country a 27-year-old Caucasian male doesn't very often find himself in the minority. As I settle in for an evening of design work at the local coffee shop, I glance over the top of my MacBook to find a scattered population of Somalians and a loud cluster of Ham Radio Enthusiasts.

Now, don't get me wrong. If I have to spend time working in the evenings I would much rather have an interesting group of people surrounding me than have my cat (who would like to remain anonymous) pouncing on my overpriced/light-up keyboard. Or be surrounded by thirty 27-year-old Caucasian males, who would, by the way, provide about as much creative inspiration as a dog cleaning up after a particularly disastrous defecation.

Anyway, back to the coffee shop. It all started last Tuesday. I was busy putting together some logos for a client when, for a short moment, I thought an extraterrestrial was calling home from a deep-seated, leather upholstered chair to my right. Unfortunately I was wrong, however, not completely disappointed to find an older, Spock-like gentleman picking up a frequency on his hand-held radio complete with a four foot telescopic antenna. Jackpot. Who could have dreamed there were more on the way?

And so they came. One by one they carried their trinkets, books, and love for all things wired into the center of the coffee shop. Settling in amongst "real" peers for the first time since the Tuesday before to enjoy a long evening of radio jokes and machine speak.

Now, I should pause for a moment to clarify the minority reference above. Obviously I'm not Somalian. So, that leaves the Ham Radio enthusiasts. Hopefully it is obvious that I'm not a Ham Radio Enthusiast. Even if I were, I can guarantee you would walk into this coffee shop, look at the bubbling conversation over a disemboweled radio(?) and immediately place me in another category.

Moving on.

Tuesday night, a week later, same coffee shop. I had almost entirely forgotten "the radio people". Largely due to a camping trip over the weekend and about a thousand other things on my mind. Then, as I settled into my spot for the evening next to the big window, I noticed Spock sitting in the deep-seated, leather upholstered chair to my right. Glory. Whether it was the possibility of yet another evening lost in this strange world or just the coffee...I felt my heart race a little. I waited in great expectation as my favorites from last Tuesday stumbled in.

I was not disappointed. Nor was I unprepared. Knowing the great conversation that was about to take place, I slowly slid a piece of paper and pen out of my bag prepared to write down anything. Things were moving too fast, multiple conversations at once...books, drawings, bags of things I'm convinced were stolen from the CIA. And so, for the next half hour or so I obtained the following list of conversation topics. They are all accurate to the best of my ability, and have only been generalized minimally to fit in this post.
---
Terabytes

Radio panels

Cars

Incandescent light bulbs

Solar cells

Wind mills

BBQ

Colonoscopies

Cash for clunkers

Oil drilling

Terabytes
---

It was at this point that I decided to give up my little mission of recording their entire conversation, and focus my attention as much as I could back to my work. Their conversation peeked my interest only once more when they started discussing all the flaws of Adobe software products (which, I'm convinced, was for my benefit only). So, we'll see what's in store for me next Tuesday if I choose to visit the coffee shop. I'm sure, whatever I experience, there'll be Coffee, Somalians, and Ham Radio.

The Banister

In the summer of 1999 I attended Missouri Boy's State. Basically it was nine days of mock state government (city mayors to the governor). 1000 of Missouri's "finest" high school senior boys attended with mild to moderate levels of enthusiasm. By the end of the week, it was commonly known across campus that the theme had changed from "A Week To Change A Lifetime" to "A Week That Lasts A Lifetime".

One of the more memorable daily events (aside from morning Reveille) was the speaker each night. We heard speeches from known politicians such as Mel Carnahan, Jim Talent, and John Ashcroft. They all said the same thing. And I remember Ashcroft saying it specifically, "In life (dramatic pause) you will face many challenges...". They would then go on to list said challenges and present various "life solutions" such as education, hard work, etc.

Now, I've experienced ten years of life since that week that lasted a lifetime, and I've been through a lot. I've graduated from high school, attended, endured, and graduated from Truman; dated, become engaged, gotten my first job, traveled the country, gotten married, moved ten times, gotten a second job, and I've bought a house—which leads me at long last to the banister.

It is possible that I have learned more about life through the long and arduous installation of our balcony banister (see below) than I did through all of the a fore-mentioned life events combined. Truman prepared me for a lot, but they sure as heck didn't tell me how incredibly frustrating newel posts can be.

I am pleased with the finished product, but just pleased. I now have two more railings to go, and will tackle them as soon as I feel sufficient levels of sanity are at hand.

So, Mr. Ashcroft, whether it be the Bush Administration or balusters and newel posts, you were right. We will face many challenges. Thanks for the inspiration to push through.


If you couldn't tell from the tone...this was posted by Jason.

Nintendo Wii/iPod Nano Giveaway at Christian PF!

I recently discovered the blog Christian PF (Personal Finance), which is full of tips and advice about personal finance. This site seems like a great resource for anyone who wants to use their income wisely. The About page says it best:

To put it simply, I don’t think that God put us on this earth to amass wheelbarrows full of cash to bathe ourselves in. I believe there is a much better and higher purpose for our money: to build God’s Kingdom and help others.

If you're interested in learning how to be a better steward of your money, check it out!

And of course, be sure to enter the Ninetendo Wii/iPod Nano Giveaway in honor of two years of Christian PF. Happy Friday!

Big Sky Country

A few weeks ago we traveled to Red Lodge, Montana, for a spring getaway. It was great! We spent a lot of time driving around, just looking out the window at the amazing views. Montana is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and my photos can't do it justice. It was truly breathtaking.





Among the highlights of our trip:

• A self-guided tour of the area led us to a pottery studio in a little town. The studio itself was basically a two-room shed next to a creek. A reclusive potter's paradise! The artists' work was gorgeous, and it was fun to find such a neat place so hidden away.





• We stumbled upon a little place called Prairie Dog Town State Park. The name says it all. Prairie dogs everywhere!





• Our last full day in Montana, we (randomly) drove to Cody, Wyoming and visited the Buffalo Bill Museum. We were expecting a tourist trap, but it ended up being a really impressive museum (five museums in one, actually). We probably appreciated the aesthetics of the museums more than the content, but again, a fun surprise.





• The biggest highlight of the trip a was our two-day visit to Yellowstone National Park. WOW. Refer to all of my flowery language above about the beautiful landscape, and multiply that by ten. We only saw about a quarter of the park, but the variety of scenery in that area alone was amazing. Hot springs, valleys, mountains, forests, prairies... not to mention the animals! We waited on a lot of buffalo to cross the road, and saw all kinds of deer-like grazing creatures.










Jason got up close and personal with a bear!





This elk was nice enough to walk through the Roosevelt Arch into Yellowstone, so I could get this great photo.




Yay for Montana!

Sorry for the Delay....

New posts coming soon, I promise! Our internet has been acting up. But I hope very soon to post pics of our vacation, plus news of the latest house projects. Maybe even a post from Jason, if I can convince him! Stay tuned!

Woo.... New Design

After having this blog for several years, I've finally actually done something about they way it looks! Hurrah! It's a work in progress, so more changes to come.... Hope you like it!

Wordless Wednesday

Avoid Pesticides in Your Produce

I've been learning a lot about food lately, much of it courtesy the book The Omnivore's Dilemma. What I've been learning has been causing me to reexamine many of my shopping and eating habits.

This convenient little list from the Environmental Working Group highlights produce containing the highest (The Dirty Dozen) and lowest (The Clean 15) levels of pesticides. Organic produce can be expensive, so I appreciate anything that helps me decide whether the extra cost is worth it. Topping the Dirty Dozen list are peaches, apples, pears, and celery. Some of the lowest in pesticides are onions, avocados, and sweet corn.

You can download the list here (you have to enter your email address): Shopper's Guide to Pesticides

Chocolate, Tea Bags, and Tampons

Lately I’ve been receiving unsolicited advice from a lot of unlikely sources. There seems to be a trend lately to Dove Promise-ize your product, so that your consumers not only get their intended purchase, but also a little bonus wisdom for their day! It’s sort of strange. Do the makers of my tea think that I have so little personal direction that I’m searching at every turn, including on the paper tag of my tea bag? According to Jason, it’s a marketing ploy by companies to turn their product into an “experience.”

Here are some examples of the wisdom I’ve received lately:

• “Be a good listener to your friends.” Received via a Dove Promise
Dove Promises are probably the inventors of “let’s put happy sayings on our stuff,” after fortune cookies, but they used to be promises. You know, inspirational, motivational, warm fuzzies? Something like “Friends are the true joy of life,” or “You deserve this fifth piece of chocolate.” But my last Dove Promise was a little preachy for my chocolate tastes. Maybe it was because it was an Almond Dove Promise, not regular-type. Instead of a warm fuzzy, now I’m just paranoid that I’m not listening well enough.

• “It’s not life that matters, but the courage that we bring to it.” Received via Yogi Green Tea
OK, I don’t even know what that means. Maybe that’s why I’m not a yogi. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure life does, in fact, matter.

• “No distractions, just pure concentration.” Received via a Playtex Sport tampon
No, I am not kidding. Apparently this particular box of tampons was created to help sporty girls (which I am not, but they were on sale) get psyched for a game, or practice, or something. However, given the situation where one is actually reading a tampon wrapper (aka in the bathroom), this just struck me as completely hilarious. I actually giggled aloud, so good thing I was in a private restroom. Other wonderful bits of wisdom that sent me into hysterics included “You’ve got the power!,” “Focus on the goal,” and “I’m on your team.” Um, what?

Have you had any similar experiences? A famous quotation on your butter? Sound advice on your toilet paper? Perhaps tips for success on a bottle of shampoo? I’d love to hear any “wisdom” you’ve found in unexpected places!

Update: The Greatest Clock Ever

In case you missed it, I received the world's most amazing and multi-talented alarm clock as a birthday gift from Jason.

Well, on the flight back from Denver last weekend, I was perusing the SkyMall catalog. I love to see the latest completely unnecessary, yet so tempting products available to me while I fly. And nestled in between the adult-sized footie pajamas and the in-car seat belt for dogs was MY CLOCK!! So now I can pretend that I am one of those people who actually buys stuff from the SkyMall catalog.

Feed your addiction

If you are a design nerd like I am, or a lover of type and fonts, you will LOVE this game. Test your knowledge of fonts, and perhaps discover a few new ones. It is super-addictive, let me tell you. Spending my time at work playing a font game is work-related research, right? Just kidding. ;-)

Deep Font Challenge

I'm off to swoosh down the slopes in Keystone this weekend, wahoo! Have a wonderful weekend!
b

Mocha the Menace

Stuff the Cat Has Eaten (that he shouldn’t)
Whole wheat bread
Store-brand oreo cookie
Honey-wheat bagel
Marshmallow Mateys
Granola
Oatmeal banana cookies

Last night was the most recent in a string of carbohydrate binges, stealthily carried out in the dark of night by our cat. It was partially our fault for forgetting Mocha's penchant for baked goods. We left a plate of cookies on the counter, covered in plastic wrap. Jason was the lucky one to discover the mess this morning.

Mocha has never torn through more than plastic wrap, but I'm afraid he'll turn into something like the psychotic squirrels at my friend Christi's house, that chewed through tupperware to get at some cookies. Bread items really seem to bring out some kind of obsession in him. Clearly we can't keep anything on the counter anymore!

This is exactly the kind of thing that I find hilarious and annoying at the same time. I like having a cat that does weird stuff like playing fetch, falling off the bed, and eating cookies. Jason maybe doesn't appreciate it quite as much. ;-)

My New Ride

Last weekend we bought a new car! On Valentine's Day we went to the Walser Hyundai dealership, where we found this cute, zippy Elantra, almost new! It's fun to drive, nice interior, love the color. It has an iPod jack, which is state-of-the-art technology for someone who's been driving a car from 1998. It also has 6 airbags, and is VERY SAFE, for any moms out there. :-)

And now it's snowing for the first time in several weeks, so looks like I get to test out the tires on the way home. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Surprise, you've been eating mercury!

Last week, a study was released showing measurable amounts of mercury in many of the foods that you and I eat every day. The study tested over 50 foods made with high fructose corn syrup. Mercury is toxic in any amount, and especially dangerous for children and babies.

The worst part? The FDA knew about this for years, and did nothing. While Americans have been slowly poisoning themselves with trace amounts of mercury in their Coke or PopTart, some people have been sitting idly by. This is completely unacceptable.

I meant to write a full post on this, but I can already feel my blood boiling, so I will let you read another very well-written post over at Small Notebook:
Mercury Discovered in High Fructose Corn Syrup at Small Notebook

Also, you can read the full report of the study here: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

I would encourage you to contact your elected officials to let them know that you want something to be done about this issue. In the meantime, perhaps we should all eat a bit less (or no) high fructose corn syrup.

R.I.P., Camry

For those who have not yet heard, I had a little “incident” the Friday before last, in which I slid into the back of a truck with my car. I am totally fine, and was probably only going 15-20 miles per hour at the time—just fast enough to completely derail the rest of my (and Jason’s) afternoon. The truck I hit was virtually undamaged. I spent the next hour or so chatting with a 16-year-old gas station attendant, and using the store’s phone as my personal office (of all the days to forget my cell!). The 16-year-old gas station attendant was pretty good company, as he regaled me with stories of his “huge/sweet/awesome Chevy truck” and all the tickets he’s gotten for reckless driving. I think he was trying to make me feel better?

Anyways, long story short, the damage was just enough to total my Camry. Being that it’s a 1998 model, the cost of the parts to fix it exceeded the value of the car itself. And so, on Friday afternoon, I said goodbye to my wonderful car. It’s going to the salvage yard in the sky. I’ll miss that car...tear....

On a brighter note, I was able to get a much better deal with the insurance company than originally offered, and we’re pretty satisfied with the outcome. And so, we will be shopping for a new (used) car in the very new future. Woo! We may simply get a newer Camry, or we might branch out. Some other options we’ve thought about are the Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, Hyundai Sonata, and Honda Accord. Any recommendations?