Pictures from the week.

We see rainbows here all the time. We haven't had a "real" rain like the deluge we would get in Jaco. I'm sure our San Jose skies do know how produce those and we will

Our little one loudly protesting time out.
This is what I got as soon as he realized he was being photographed.

Aiden, another budding photographer of ours, took this shot of Landon and I. Not too shabby. One of my FAVORITE things about our new home is this. Around the corner we have a yummy bread store. I get to practice my Spanish all the time. Today Dallin and I headed there all by ourselves. Quite nice, huh Dallin?
Their hot chocolate and "croissant with ham and cheese" inside are our favorites. I have to stay away from the croissant "figure" itivly speaking. (Anyone get that? Stay away- to keep my figure, hee, hee...he. Ahem.)

When you walk in you grab a tray and tongs then pick your selections. On the whole the bread {pan in Spanish} is pretty good. It tends to be a bit more dry than we are used to. We don't buy cookies in Costa Rica anymore because they are always "crispy" and we like chewy. The one and only cookie we bought here we thought they burnt it, but no, that is how they all are. :)These are filled with cream cheese and jam. We have yet to try these but they posed for me so well I had to take a picture. {the price is about 80 cents)
This is our favorite selection case. Soft, squishy bread found here.


I had to throw this one in. Paige made a paper version of the Mayflower for school and decided it made a great hat. Love that stance.
We don't have any decorations in this home of ours. Last week I decided it was about time we got some. I bought 11x14 sized poster board and we went at it on Family Night, creating our own art. I really liked what Dallin did here, I wish I would have stopped him. He ended up painting the entire board black. He saved it by making it his version of Starry Night.
Troy designed some sort of eyeball. I'm sure a psychologist would have a field day with him.

We attached tape to the back and hung our precious artwork. I'm hoping that in a few weeks they won't care if I start over on the other side. What do you think?
Our youngest two did their own works of art and of course I had to hang them. {watercolors of course}

We LOVE Jo...

Actually, that's Mrs. Sanservero to my kids!

Jo, ah-hem, Mrs. Sanservero, sent us a package!!!! It was just beautiful and the first package we've had mailed to us. Well not to us, but the local video rental store finally got it and we paid them the charge to have it sent into a country that doesn't handle mail.} After weeks and weeks of anticipation we got it in our HOT little hands.

What was in it you might ask?

The Friend. {lots of them!!!}

Magazines for children put out by our church once a month with great stories about choosing the right and helping others. And the best benefit for my little ones, it is appropriate for them to read during church. Church that is completely spoken in a foreign language to them. {I can hear the hallelujah coming from their little lips right now as I past them out during Sacrament meeting last week.}

Or was that from my lips as I looked down our family aisle and saw my sweet reverent angels reading so fervently?

That might have been me.

Anyway, Jo, thanks so much from us...all of us!!! That was a great treat that will continue to give for the entire year. My kids are very thankful! You are so considerate to think of us in this way!!! {Can I put any more exclamation points to show how appreciative we are?!!!!} :)

It's Family Night...

Tonight is our "service" family home evening.

{For those of you who don't know, every Monday night we make sure not to plan anything so we can be together as a family, hence the title, Family Night or Family Home Evening.} If you want a great place to get more family night ideas you can go HERE or my FAVORITE place LDS Living Magazine. I love LDS Living Magazine because they not only have great lessons, but they have a scripture, thought, object lesson, story and directions for dessert. Does it get easier than that?

So tonight we're having our "service" family night. We are making these DELISH homemade doughnuts and then delivering them to some of the families here.


I believe I have posted this before but I'm going to give you my FAMOUS {in my own mind} doughnut recipe.

First for the dough you can either buy a pre-made biscuit dough, use your favorite bread dough recipe or use mine.

Shawna's Homemade Bread Dough

in your bread machine pan add the following:
1 cup of warm water
2 teaspoons of yeast
3 tablespoons of sugar

Stir a few times and let sit for 10 minutes.

Now add
3 cups of flour
1/4 cup of oil
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Now push the dough setting on your breadmaker and in 1.5 hours, it's done.

How's that for easy?

Now flour the counter slightly and roll the dough out to about an inch think. Dip your large cup into flour and cut out the doughnut shape. Now find a smaller size to cut out the doughnut hole. (I used a lid from a container in my bathroom {which I washed thoroughly!}

Lay them out on a cookie sheet and let them rise for 15 minute in a slightly warm oven. (only if you use bread dough)

Heat oil in a small pot on your stove, about 4 inches high. My burner goes from 1-6 and I cook between 4-5) Carefully place your doughnut in the hot oil and rotate from front to back until dark golden. Then place on your cookie rack {that is on top of your cookie sheet}

Now, what makes these doughnuts so YUMMY is the topping. I got this from Pioneer Women Cooks, it's her recipes for her homemade brownie topping.


Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 3/4 cup powdered sugar
{here I add a little less powdered sugar than it calls for, you want the topping to easily adhear to the doughnut without being too watery that it doesn't stick}

Stir together then dip doughnuts into topping. Put sprinkles or chopped nuts on top if you'd like and ENJOY!!

Happy Family Night!!!!