sounds of home

rain on our metal roof
children's giggles echoing off our concrete walls
roosters crowing as the day dawns
cows mooing as they walk past our backyard
"upe!" at our gate as a friend stops by to visit
pitter pattering of little feet on our tile floors
whirring of our pump bringing water into our house from the reserve tanks
tropical birds' songs from the orange tree in our garden
a 6 year old's voice reciting the Spanish syllables he's learning to read in school
a 3 year's old's voice singing a Spanish worship song
scrapping of an iguana's claws making its way across our roof
thump-thumping of the iguana who's found its way into our attic
motorbikes without mufflers speeding past our house
tea kettle whistling in the kitchen
a gecko chirping from its perch on the wall above our bed
metal gates clanging as neighbors come and go
taxis honking in the street
a friend's machete hacking at dead branches in our yard
announcements from the loudspeakers driving by selling everything imaginable
the gentle, flowing sound of Spanish on our porch during Bible studies and classes

These once unfamiliar noises have become the (mostly) sweet sounds of home.

It's good to be home.

first day of school: lessons learned

 

After homeschooling for the first trimester of the school year (which goes from mid-February to mid-December here), the kids started going to school when we returned to Costa Rica last month.  They now both go to a private bilingual school that Timmy started going to a couple of years ago.  This year, Timmy started prepatoria (Costa Rican kindergarten) and Tabitha started pre-kinder (preschool) for the first time.  The only one who cried on the first day of school was Mommy! 
And, it turns out, Mommy had the biggest lesson to learn that day.

Such a big boy now!

My baby is going to school!?

Ready to do this new adventure... together!

When we were walking up to Timmy's classroom, his classmates saw him and started cheering and clapping, calling out, "Timo! Timo! Timo!"  It did my heart good to see how loved he is by the kids in his class.  Tabitha's class meets every day, but we made the decision to only send her three days a week this year, and we're both enjoying having special Mommy-daughter time on the mornings that Timmy goes to school without her.

I have to admit -- I did more than just a little crying after dropping the kids off.  I did a.lot.of.crying.  Like go home and completely lose it and sob and sob and sob.  Looking back, I'm embarrassed (sorry, Dan!), but I also understand that the emotions had as much to do with all of the emotions of returning to life in Costa Rica as it did with the kids going to school.  Sending them to school was just a reminder of how our decision to live and minister in Costa Rica changes so many of our life's decisions.  I really loved homeschooling Timmy for the first part of kindergarten, and I think it's likely we would homeschool if we lived in the States.  Here, though, we feel strongly that our kids need to gain fluency in Spanish to be able to be fully part of our community and that the best way to do that, for now and for our family, is for them to attend a local school.  We have seen Timmy's Spanish progress so well from going to school and we are excited to see that continue and for Tabitha to follow.  Homeschooling may still be in our future, but, for now, (which is really all I need to know right now!), they are attending school to learn Spanish.  We are grateful to have such a great school to send them to here.  But, still, it was hard for me as I wrestled with how our decision to live here affects our decision on how to educate our kids.  And, as I got more and more emotional (i.e. not thinking rationally), I even got to the point of crying because maybe if we lived in the States, we could more easily have another baby.  Like I said, it was definitely a low point...

walking into school: when I started tearing up

As I calmed down on that first day of school, I was reminded of something I've had to learn over and over again as a missionary wife and mom... I cannot compare my life here to what I think my life would be if we lived in the States.  That's not our life.  This - living and working in Costa Rica - is our life, for now and for as long as God wants us here.  So, we make the decisions that work best for our family and for the life and ministry God has placed us in.  Comparing and contrasting with what life in States looks like (or, really, what I think it might look like!) does nothing but make me lose the joy that I can have in this amazing life God has given us in Costa Rica.  And, I love this life!  How cool is it that our kids get to grow up learning a second language and being part of this beautiful culture? 

The kids may have learned some new Spanish words and some new letters on the first day of school, but it was Mommy who learned the most important lesson of the day.

Easter flowers

 

We moved into our current house in January 2011.  We love the front garden and throughout our first year here, we were surprised by different flowers that bloomed at different times.  Our favorites have always been what the kids call the "Easter flowers."  They bloom every year around Easter time, so it's become a tradition to take photos of the kids in their Easter outfits with these flowers every year.  This Easter, we were in the States and I was sad thinking about our special flowers blooming without us.  But, when we returned to Costa Rica, they hadn't bloomed yet!  They waited for us!

So, while it's not in their Easter outfits, we still have 2014 photos of the kids with our favorite flowers!  I was so grateful for this special little blessing.  And, even though their bloom is gone for this year, sweet Tabitha is still thanking God for the Easter flowers every night during our family devotion time.