You know you're a missionary...

... that's been living in the tropics for almost 3 years when...

- you feel like you're leaving home when you come back to your parents' house,

- you realize you don't have any socks or closed toed shoes to pack,

- you only have two long sleeved shirts to pack,

- you know all the clothes you are packing are worn out and out of style and suddenly (sadly) that matters to you when it usually doesn't,

- you're in the airport in Dallas and are happy that the cashier at McDonald's can talk to you in Spanish,

- you're freezing when you arrive in Kansas' spring weather (and you are shocked to see everyone walking around in short sleeves!),

- you have reverse culture shock as you walk three blocks through town (Where are all the people!?  Why is it so quiet!?  Is this other pedestrian seriously waiting for the crosswalk light to change before crossing the street when there are NO cars coming?  Wait - do I HAVE to cross at a crosswalk?  Oh my, HUNDREDS of Costa Ricans would have crossed the street in the time we've been waiting for that walking figure to light up!!!),

- you keep forgetting that you can flush the toilet paper and that you can actually get hot water out of the tap,

- your 3 year old keeps whispering to you when you're out in public, "Why are you speaking English to them?" and talks to you in Spanish when you are home alone with him,

- your 5 month old usually cries when a light-haired, blue-eyed person speaks to her in English, but lights up when someone speaks to her in Spanish,

- even though it's wonderful to be back "home", you think about your other home in Costa Rica every day...


Yes, we are back in Kansas for a few weeks while I deal with and recover from some health issues.  The kids and I came up here first (and can I just say international travel with a baby and a 3 year old is quite the adventure?!), and Dan joined us a few days before Easter.  Tomorrow, I will have a surgery to repair a couple of hernias.  We are praying for a successful surgery and a smooth, easy recovery.  We have been told to expect a two week recovery and, God willing, we will be heading back to Costa Rica as soon as that two week time is up!

orange races

When you have more oranges ready to eat or make juice from in your front yard than you or your friends can use, racing them down the driveway is a very fun activity for a Saturday family day at home.

Each person chooses in orange, rolls it down our steep driveway, and the orange that hits the gate first, wins!  It's always especially amusing when someone's orange is disqualified because it goes through the gate and rolls down the street. 

Good, simple fun here in Costa Rica!



Photo Friday: precious Tabitha

Here's our precious almost 5 month old Tica in her Kansan sunflower dress!

(Tica = Costa Rican... Tabitha is officially a Costa Rican citizen since she was born here... She's never even been to the Sunflower State!)