Back in school and Entering the Second Half!

Greetings from our abode in Costa Rica, it’s a cosa rica! (A beautiful thing).

We are now into the second half of our stay, but still quite in the middle of things. While the first months had a lot of settling in, and the last months will have some preparing to go home (July 1), now we are solidly in the swing of things.

We enjoy our neighbors and our classes. Two calves have just been born in our backyard!

The orange flowering trees have given way to the pink flowering trees! Grass fires have broken out here and there. The mangoes are ripening all over town. Plants are showing signs of thirst as we have about 6 more weeks of dry season, which began in December. It is exciting to be in a tropical place long enough to experience the changes in seasons, though in terms of temperature, the changes are subtle!

The two calves recently born right next to our house, bringing frequent delight, especially for Cora and her friends.

One of the multiple flowering trees on the hill right above our house.

In February, aside from classes and work, we had an lovely, adventurous visit with Fran and Darren, Devin’s stepmom and her husband. We went rafting and horseback riding, a first for most of us, at least in past 20+ years! Driving through the mountains in the fog also proved an adventure!

Getting away for a little date near our house!

We are slowly learning more about where we are and enjoy the small town connections. We’ve stopped saying as much “we live by Apartamentos de Atenas” and more “we live at Don Eugenio’s house,” since long time community members mostly all know each other.

Backtrails discovery hike learning Tico (Costa Rican) slang

A fun Costa Rican slang we’ve learned is “taco,” to mean scared or uncertain, as in tengo taco or me da taco. Our friend Eva explained it’s a “taco de temor” (a taco of fear).

As we settle into our second half, we are also trying to be intentional with rhythms and relationships — including prioritizing plans with friends, inviting people over, and continuing to lean into activities and friendships at church and school. We are also trying to maintain (and enjoy) an overall slower family rhythm than we had in the US, including weekly (when possible) family bible studies and home movie nights.

Cora has been practicing the words and hand motions for songs the kids perform weekly at church. (The youth group remains active too, but we have fewer pictures!)