A Little Wisdom...

“Indian wisdom says our lives are rivers. We are born somewhere small and quiet and we move toward a place we cannot see but only imagine. Along our journey, people and events flow into us, and we are created of everywhere and everyone we have passed. Each event, each person, changes us in some way. Even in times of drought we are still moving and growing, but it is during seasons of rain that we expand the most-when water flows from all directions sweeping at terrifying speed, chasing against rocks, spilling over boundaries. These are painful times, but they enable us to carry burdens we could never have thought possible.”

Lisa Wingate, 1st paragraph in her book, Tending Roses. Lets just say she had me at “hello”. The book is great. I just tried to read, “Pray, Love Eat”. I would highly NOT recommend it. It started out great! Then after the second cuss word that starts with the same sound as fun, I was done!!!! {hey, that rhymed!} Too bad, it probably would have been a great read. There’s just something about reading that word and having it go through your brain because you put it there, yucky!!!

O.K. back to the purpose of the post. I guess I’m a sucker for a good quote! Especially one that starts with “Indian wisdom says…”. Who doesn’t love Indian wisdom? Isn’t the above true? It’s the tough times in life that we “spill over our boundaries”? That’s what we must be doing right now, “spilling over our boundaries.” I do love that term. It’s prettier than the words I would have come up with. {Hee! Hee!}

I do want to be able to “carry burdens I never thought possible”, I think. 

I just received a calling Sunday. I need a calling. It will keep me from hiding from the terrible monster known as the Spanish language. Every time it comes around I hide. Oh, yeah, I’ve learned quite a few words. I can communicate, but only because I use one word and raise my voice at the end so it becomes a question. See how I hide? If I want to ask how old a child is I say, “Anos?” Now you know my secret.

In the states when I would talk to my gardener, I would tell him what I needed done. He would nod like he understood then wouldn’t do what I asked. I finally have empathy for him. I find myself nodding when people speak to me. I’ve already told them I know just a little Spanish. I guess they don’t believe how little I really know. They just keep trying to communicate. The next best thing is to nod and hope they stop talking soon so I can get away. Hopefully they aren’t saying anything important like, “please give my child CPR because she’s dying”.

Anyway, I will be 1st counselor in the Primary Presidency and secretary and nursery leader. I’m basically taking over some of the work our poor president has been doing by herself for so long. She’s amazing. I will have to give lessons in Spanish, which I think I can do, I just can’t take any questions. One of my best qualities is that I don’t mind making a fool out of myself. I don’t take myself too seriously which means I’m not afraid to mess up. It’s a rather nice quality to have. {Although if I were more of a perfectionist I would know the language better by now.} This Sunday is my first Sunday and our president will be out of town for 2 weeks. The only other counselor only speaks Spanish. I guess I’ll be “spilling over my boundaries” this Sunday.

I thought I'd throw in these recent pictures.


Paige and I made paper dolls last Wednesday. (Please do not comment on my skills as an artist. I don't claim to be one.) We had a great time. It was one of those memories I will tuck away. The one with the short hair is her. The other doll is one of her best friends, Sadie. The third is Cinderella and as you can tell, I didn't have anything to do with the creation of that one.




This is funny. Every once in a while my sweetheart spoils me with a massage. They cost about $30 for an hour with a reflexologist. Landon sat on my lap once and then the women gave him a little massage. Now he loves them. He actually falls alseep while getting them. Is he spoiled or what?



I don't have many pictures of Troy so I thought I'd throw this one in. This is his pre-teen look for the camera. He really is a sweetheart and spoils me quite often with hugs.


Another shot of the treacherous road we took a few weeks ago. It was pretty slick and steep but oh so much fun!!!!

Have You Ever...

Have You Ever…

put your ear to your child’s chest just to appreciate that their heart is beating?


closed your eyes as you were holding your little one's hand so you can better remember how their small, chubby hand fit in yours?

stopped doing your “chores”, dropped on the floor and wrestled with your kids?


opened your eyes to watch your three year old pray to his Heavenly Father with eyes scrunched so tight and had to hold yourself back from interrupting with a huge snuggle?


changed your attitude about having a screaming child awake at 3 am and spent the next few hours cuddling and enjoying the moment much more than you would sleep?

been so mad at your pre-teen and in the middle of ranting about the error if their ways, you notice him trying his best not to laugh. You suddenly remember when your mother was doing the same to you and find it extremely funny and burst out laughing yourself?

been in an argument with your child about who loves who more that went on for over 30 minutes?

thanked Heavenly Father for each healthy child and knew what a blessing it was that their body worked?


sobbed and sobbed for another family as illness took their little one back to heaven?

had such a precious moment with your child you knew you should grab your camera to capture it, but were too selfish to leave the moment?

realized that you do have everything?

Summer Surf Camp has Started

Summer surf camp, summer surf camp, summer surf camp. Say that three times fast!

The older three started surf camp on Monday and my life keeps getting better. It goes for a month and they attend Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Can I get a hallelujah? It was a special moment for me to be adding an event to my computer calendar. I even highlighted it in purple, the color that represents an activity for the kids. In my previous life I had our events color coded so I could see in a glance who needed to be where and when. Now Im just happy to have an event on the calendar.
Here are the pictures. All three of them fell in love with surfing. Its all they talk about. I know its a little early for this relationship, its probably only a case of puppy love, but its been great for our family.


My oldest really enjoying himself in Costa Rica. I'll have to tape this to his wall to remind him he does like it here!




The two oldest "surfers" in the class.


I love this shot of Dallin running with his board. He was in a contest and determined to beat Troy. Oh, that brotherly competition.



Paige was just so stinkin' cute.



Paige again.




Younger brother hanging ten.



I love shots like these. Can you tell life is getting brighter for us? How many times have I used the word love in this post alone?

The Great Adventures of the Banagas Family...

Another Great Day…

Every Saturday we try to get out as a family and go on an outing. Last Saturday we just started driving, took a turn into the hills and kept going, and going and going!
Here are some pictures of our adventure.


The waterfall.



Please excuse Paige's hair. I started this tradition of letting the kids ride on the outside of our car while holding on. However, it was meant for short rides from our mailbox to our driveway, not up steep Costa Rican Mountainside. Troy Dallin and Paige rode about half of the way this way, the other half in the back of the car with the hatch up. What fun!!!



One of my favorite things about Costa Rica is boys in jeans and flip flops. I think that is the "coolest"!


We found this abandoned house, atleast we think it was abandoned, by the waterfall. Since my time spent with my high school buddy Nikki in Utah, I love old wooden homes.


Costa Rica has the ugliest looking cows. I'm not even sure that they are ugly enough to have character. The meat that they provide is less than great since they are so thin. I guess they do look kind of cute in this shot but that is due to the professional photographer behind teh camera. On our adventure I found these traditional "American" dairy cows. Aren't they beautiful?




Just beautiful!!!



A face only a mother could love! So cheesey!!!


The diner we ate lunch at. After we had eaten there my sweetheart says, "These are the places that "gringos" get sick from." Great honey!!!


We had been traveling for a few hours and came upon this. A huge tree in our way. Everyone just parked and waited patiently for them to use a machette to obliverate it. Everyone but my honey (waited patiently).


Finding a toucan was part of the tour! SWEET!!!


Oh how I love pictures of my sweetheart with our little ones. They grow so fast. Don't we wish we could just sweep them over the river of teenage years!?!?!

What to do, what to do...

I’m trying so hard to get online but the stars just haven’t been aligned in my favor. Hopefully by next week I will have an “internet access” system down. Hopefully.
Things are going better for us. I have to apologize for my post last week with complaining under tones. {o.k., I was completely complaining, we all have our breaking points!}
Today has been a new day! I have a purpose now. I mentioned a little about my struggle here. Short story, shorter, I need to do something for Costa Rica. They have a bi-lingual women’s group that meets once a month to socialize and volunteer in the community. I’m going to that next Thursday. Do you think it matters that I’m not bi-lingual yet???? So much is needed in this community. Children without school uniforms can’t attend public school. High school students in the neighboring city don’t have a building to meet in so they learn outside with their desk and books minus things like a chalkboard, and a roof over their heads when it rains. This is a beautiful country but there is so much trash around. We as a family our looking for our niche; what we can help with. It already has given our life here more purpose and who doesn’t need a life with more purpose other than mother Teresa? It’s interesting to me when you focus on other’s and their needs, your needs become out of focus. My mother new this well.
I remember the former president of our church, right after he lost his wife, with a quivering bottom lip, he spoke about work being the only balm to heal many of our problems here on earth, including a broken heart. (as his was broken with the death of his wife)

It is so true. Another one of my favorite quotes is from his father. President Hinkley was a young man, serving a mission for our church at the age of 19. It was difficult and he was struggling. He wrote home to his father of his trials. His father’s return letter was only this…

“Forget yourself and get to work!”

So I will get down off of my soapbox and stop preaching to myself! I know what I need to do, forget myself and get to work! Already the horizon is glowing with possibility!
Yeah hooo!!!

My only thing to do now is pick how I'm giong to help.

The Canopy Tour

When my dad and his wife Rosie came to visit we took the best canopy tour. We, meaning Troy and I tagged along with them. Troy posted earlier a few of his “crazy” shots from zip lining. I thought I’d post a few more.


It has been different with my father married to someone other than my mom. But I have to say that change can be good. I of course miss my mother deeply, we all do. Some days it’s easier not to think of her to keep the hurt away.
But most days are filled with treasured memories. These past few years have been filled with change; my father’s marriage to Rosie, 3 new babies entered the “Krepps” family, us moving here to Costa Rica, job changes, my father traveling to Africa. Change can be good. I realize that it was probably Rosie that made it possible for my dad to come and visit us at such a special time as Paige’s baptism. I have come to have a great appreciation for the woman that has done so much good for my dad. They are a great team.

For those who haven’t met Rosie here she is, no fear!



Troy heading down pretty fast.



Proof I was there. It was $10 per person for the pictures. I only paid for Troy knowing that I would get the pictures of us together. You can close your eyes and imagine me zip lining if you'd like, but that would be weird!


This was our view. Do I need to say more?



Dad having a great time!



The four of us and our unforgettable day.

Books...

Thanks everyone for your support with our "book find". We need them here desperately!
I'm looking for

for me:
The Last Lecture ( I think that's what it's called)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
These is My Words

I thought I'd post these just incase someone was willing to let me borrow them. I can get them back to you although it may take quite awhile!

for the ninos:
Any of the Peter and the Starcatchers series. (these are great books)
any in the Crispen series
Junie B Jones
Magic Treehouse

We really will be happy with anything you'd be willing to give. And when they have gone through our family they will get donated here. (unless you mention you would like them back).

Love to all!

The Banagas Fam

This is Why my Life is so Great!!!

I hope I don't have to start every post with an apology for the lapse in attending to my blog. I am at an internet cafe just to post this. You can be assured my hands are getting a fresh coat of hand sanitizer as soon as they leave this yucky keyboard. :) Don't worry about that MaryAnn.
So I guess I've pulled you into my world if only a little bit, waiting through some inconviences that this beautiful country provides. Thanks for hanging in with me.
Until I get the web directly to my (shack) home, I will post Mondays, Wednesdays and Thurdays. We now return to our regularly published post.

This is why my life is so GREAT!!!!



When the kids aren’t feeling so good and take a mid-day nap, I get to stand and look at this…







Being here has helped my kids create their own play spaces.


Paige dressing Aiden as her knight.


Every mom needs super heroes!

Thank Heaven for 7 11

Free slurpies at 7-11. Yep, today is the 7th month and the 11th day. 7-11 gives away free slurpies, or sometimes I've had to pay a penny, it just depends on the store. The slurpies are small but so yummy. I remember the few times we got these as kids. What a treat!!! I never get them for my kids except on July 11th. I always forget. So enjoy one for us!!!

We Have Moved...

Here is Landon sound asleep for the first few hours of our move. {Thank heavens!}


AGAIN!!!! We did know this move would be coming up and that our stay in Rusti's back house was temporary. But our deluge brought our move out date closer. It seemed like such a waste to move our stuff back into our back house digs and then move out a few weeks later.

So I need to decide how much I tell you about our move. Do I tell you that when Wes first brought me to our new place that I went bolistic, threw a tantrum and said comments like, "There is no way I'm moving our family into THIS!!!!" and "You can move into this roach infested box put I'm not!!!" {which was a complete shock to him because I'm usually so easy going} Or do I spin it and say It's a cozy home with an eco friendly design? I'm not sure which way to go.

So back to the "paradigm shift" concept. Here it is 3 weeks after our new place and I first met and I'm basicly pleased to be here. We have our own space. We have three bedrooms 1 bathroom and a bathroom under construction. Oh isn't construction fun! {said in a highly sarcastic tone} When I calmed down, a few days later, I told my sweetheart that having 2 bathrooms to 7 people was a necessity. I should have mentioned hot water, no cockroaches and a oven/stovetop that actually heated our food as a necessity. Oh well, I'll remember next time.


Here is the bathroom construction, until I made them knock out the right wall so that we didn't have to climb over the toilet to reach the tub.

The other thing that I've been thinking about as of lately is CONTENTMENT.

I have been pretty content with things in my life. I'm pleased that I have 5 healthy children. I know what a blessing that is. I was happy with our little home in Utah.
I enjoyed the yard in our quaint home in Riverside. Our place in Corona was a dream home for me and I loved it there. Then with our move back to Riverside, I got to be with my closest and dearest friends again. I have felt so content with life.

But here in beautiful Costa Rica, my world has been rocked. I decided to move here so don't I get to decide the trials I will and will not go through? Isn't that how it goes??? I didn't get the memo that it wasn't my choice! When we moved into Rusti's back house it was less than 1/4 the size of our place in Riverside, but I was content. The flood wasn't on my list of acceptable trials, but we survived and I was content. Our last move has been a little more tricky for me to keep my "content" card up in the air. I have come to the conclusion that being content isn't difficult when you are headed upwards in "temporal" things, but when you are headed downwards, {spiraling downward miles at a time} it can be tough!

Until today, I was reading about a high school just a few cities over where they are meeting outside because the school is uninhabitable. They have many problems including a septic tank that is leaking and a foundation that won't hold out much longer. Oh, and after my hissy fit over the house, Wes took me out looking for something more "North American" and we only found homes in much more of a dire state than ours. So, here I sit, content, typing away on my MAC in a place that I can't believe we could ever call home, and I'm happy. I've had another paradigm shift.


This is before we painted it. The black shading on the yellow wall is actually mold.

This is after a fresh coat of "tan" paint. No mold yet! My next job, to paint the front door red! Who doesn't like a red door?

So now I make it a game to think of ways to put a spin on things about our new place. Would you like to hear a few?

1. My electric bill will be so much smaller since we don't have water to heat.
2. I can sweep my entire house in under 5 minutes.
3. Nothing can ever get lost in my cupboards because I don't have any.
4. Nature is so close, it's really, really, really close.
5. I never need to put on a nature CD to relax, it's like the outdoors is inside.

It's interesting, these words have been going through my head all day today. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!" A wise saying by our president Kennedy. I need to think about what I can do for this country and not be expecting this country to do things for me. Then I know we will get along so much better. We might even become the best of friends.




This is our house after it was painted.