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}

CREATE...

This is just beautiful.

For the friends of mine who don't belong to the same church as I do, this is a talk by one of our apostles. It was directed specifically to women and our desire to "create".

I have many creative friends. This is for you! And to the friends that don't think they are "creative". This is especially for you.

Enjoy.




I told you it was a gorgeous piece. I can’t leave without talking about what that talk inspires in me.

I remember a time in my life, B.K. {before kids} when a photographer buddy of mine (Tamera Graybill) and I used to take off every Sunday late afternoon, cameras in hand, and drive. We would find the most gorgeous scenery to capture on “film”. I wasn’t the scenery type back then, I enjoyed photographing little rug rats more. I didn’t see the “challenge” in a subject that did exactly what you wanted it to.
However, it was majestic.

In the calmness of the moments before we pushed our shutter buttons a testimony of gratitude for God’s creations were born and reborn every time.

I do believe we are all born like Him, in the sense we feel joy when we create. We desire to “create” things that didn’t exist before. That can be a smile we’ve created on someone else’s face, a photograph of one of the most beautiful sunrises (like my friend Teri just captured) or a child that just arrived into a waiting family.

There is fulfillment in creating.

Tamera, I wish you were here to head out with me. I’ve decided to start our tradition again.

Bourbon Chicken...without the Bourbon!

Bourbon Chicken
adapted from Blog Chef

Ingredients:
2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons oil (for pan-frying)
cornstarch (for dusting)

Sauce:
1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ teaspoon ginger (I used ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ( I use Cheyenne pepper and 1/2 what it calls for )
¼ cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon of your favorite jam ( I use raspberry)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and if you choose lightly dust with cornstarch. Heat oil in your wok (or saucepan) and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients. Pour into wok and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with rice.

That's it!! So yummy and very, very easy! This is one of my top 10, delish. Always turns out.

Enjoy!

Would You Like Syrup with That?

Thanks Shelly! I guess I should have posted our favorite syrup recipe with the pancakes.

That is, if I didn't have 2 little guys pulling on my arms to pry me away from my computer while trying to write my last post, I might have thought of that. :)

Here is our Syrup Recipe:

Simple Maple Syrup

1 cup of boiling water
1 cup of white sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
½ teaspoon of maple flavored extract
½ teaspoon of butter flavoring

Boil water in a saucepan, add sugars and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in maple flavoring and butter. Serve warm.

Homemade Pancakes...

I've had this recipe for a few years. Cooking from scratch can save so much money {in most cases}.

The title is "Fluffy Pancakes, but no matter how many times I made them, although good, they were NEVER fluffy! I tinkered and tinkered with the recipe, adding more baking powder, more salt, then less salt. Nothing worked.

Until now! {I'm so excited} Doesn't take much for me, huh?

It was the butter! Too much.

So here it is, Shawna's Famous Fluffy Panckaes

{I can call them mine because I changed the recipe so much, RIGHT?}

2 cups of flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons of butter, melted

In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In separate small bowl melt butter. Then combine the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. If the batter seems too thick, add a little milk. You want them on the thick side...don't make them runny.

Pour batter by 1/2 cupful onto a greased hot pan. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes; cook until the second side is golden brown.


On a similar note...I've decided to start posting some of my favorite recipes. I've collected some knockouts! Watch out "Rachel Ray"!

Here in beautiful Costa Rica...I can't run to the grocery store and get everything I've been used too in the states. So I run to my computer and look up how to make it. I've made homemade marshmallows, enchilada sauce, peanut butter, frosting, cake batter, buttermilk, condensed cream of mushroom soup, butter, noodles; all with the help of the Internet. I try various recipes and then "fix" them to make them just perfect.

So now (after 11 months) you can imagine how many "from" scratch recipes I have. In the states I was spending about $1,300 a month on groceries. Don't freak out, remember I have 7 mouths to feed, 1 bum to diaper and that included my make-up, cleaning supplies, soaps, shampoos and such.

Our first 3 months here we got it down to $950 per month. Now it's at $675 per month and we are eating BETTER than we EVER have. If I could get stores here to take coupons that would be much lower, but that isn't a tradition that has made it here yet. :)

So meet me on here every Tuesday for a new recipe that you can trust is "yummy". I have about 55, so that will last us at least a year.

Horseback Riding...

the saga continues:

While my aunt and my cousin were visiting we decided that horseback riding on the beach was a must! I'm glad we did. Another "to do" on my bucket list crossed off.

My sweetie and I decided that since we couldn't pay for all of the kids to attend every adventure while our "delightful" visitors were here we would take one child on each outing. Paige chose riding the horses. Here she is with Lecosta, the owner of our stallions. {They had just fed the horse some pineapple rind)
Joanna and Paige anxiously awaiting our adventure.
And here we are, pro's! The horse that Paige and I were on was the youngest of the group BUT sure was the slowest. We tried EVERTHING we were told to do to make him speed up.
Nothing.
Paige changed his name to Molasses.

It fit!


Lecosta's help, Jose, cut pineapple for us. Yummy. You haven't had pineapple until you've had white pineapple.

See that machete he's holding? Everyman here has one of those. You will often see them walking around with one casually in their hand like it was a lolly pop.

U.S. Map Game...

Think you remember where the states reside in our beautifully designed U.S. of A.?

Check out this game I found from www.rocksinmydryer.com . The object of the game is to place the state where it belongs on the U.S. map.

Easy enough, right?

The problem is that the borders aren't outlined like our tests from 5th grade. Remember those?

I did really well with the states that were around my home state. I, of course, got Texas and Florida. But finding exactly where Delaware lives....hummm. Or South Dakota.

Enough introduction...enjoy the game !

Women's Conference...

So I've been thinking about attending Women's Conference in a few months.

Really thinking about it.

Can we afford it? I seriously "want" to go.

I really need to go.

Then I realized something. {enter my light bulb moment} I'm searching for something outside of my situation that is already available here.

Just like someone {not that I've ever done this} putting off exercising and getting in shape until they lay down BIG money for the newest gym or home equipment. Then having the home equipment break about the 3rd week! {Eh...hemm.}

Everything you need to get in shape is already within your reach. Some good tennis shoes, water and good food.

So here I am, putting off my spiritual growth, expecting something in Utah to provide that for me; when everything I need is right here within reach.

Those things are
* personal conversations with my Father in Heaven
* scriptures opened and studied more often
* serving others
* watching and/or reading spiritual messages
* and MORE personal conversations with my Father in Heaven

Now, I'm still planning on heading on over to BYU for women's conference, don't get me wrong! There is fantastic advice given.

Besides, have you ever sat in a colossal building and sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" with over 7,000 angelic women's voices testifying that same truth with you?

It's something to do before you pass from this life.

The difference is this year I'm going PREPARED. I'm not arriving on campus gasping for more spiritual oxygen, I'm bringing my tank with me and full.



That is IF I decide we can afford it. :)

Old Navy Deals....

This is a pretty good deal. It's 30% off of their NEW arrivals.

Yeah! This is where I shop for clothes in Costa Rica, good ol' www.oldnavy.com

Costa Ricans can be found wearing ON all the time. I'm not sure how they get them here but I order online and have them shipped to whomever is coming here next.

Then I wait.

But it's better than not having them. :)

And if you add Pipperlime shoes to your order, FREE shipping. {But their shipping is CHEAP anyway so try not to get sucked into that.}

The promo code to enter is NEW30 .

Enjoy!!!

I'm Thankful for...

photographs.
They are my connection to the ones I miss and love. I even get disappointed when people don't have their pictures on their Facebook profile. Carolyn, you've got to get yours uploaded. :)

I just bought a 5x7 frame the other day {10 months into our stay} so other than the one glorified print, my other photographs reside on this beautiful plate. I hope they can survive until frames arrive home for them. I have to admit I love them displayed this way...where they can be picked up and handled. It's the closest I can get to hugging the rest of my family.
To all our friends and family, "Thanks for sending us your fantastic Christmas cards!" My kids were just thrilled to open these on Christmas Eve. We love you all so much...sniff, sniff.
For my last picture {the one that lives in the frame}, I have a beautiful memory. This was taken oh, 3 or 4 years ago at women's conference. Let's see, we've got Sharla, Penny, Cindy, me, Kristin and in front, my buddy Christine. All smushed up in the middle is Christine's ADORABLE aunt, who, if it's possible, might be a tad bit sweeter than Christine. {Just a TAD though}

This was a moment in time when all the stars seemed to be aligned. We were all able to attend WC together, no one was nursing a baby, or ready to deliver {although Kristin was about 6 weeks away}. We laughed, cried, grew closer to our Heavenly Father and each other. It was a great weekend..."clap, clap, clap and a little shrill"-just for "mi amiga" Cindy.

So I'm thinking about heading over to Utah for women's conference again in May.

Anyone else going?

Day Four of Preschool...

2 little ones home with bad colds. The one thing about home schooling and living in CR is my munchkins have been so healthy.

It's been a long day and night of coughs, runny noses and sore throats. On the bright side, I've been the human blankie all day.

Love it!

It's 11:40 pm and everyone is FINALLY asleep.

Whew.

It's A NEW Day...

Our two little ones have FINALLY started preschool.

I have been homeschooling all five of them {and NOT very well I might add} How do you teach 5 kids, one with ADHD and switching between a 12 year old and a 2 year old? I know many do it, plus hold huge jobs at church, run home businesses, have dinner on the table promptly at 5:30 and have a spotless house. The only thing I do well is dinner on the table. It's my thing.
Here is our youngest taking his "pack-pack" off. They were both so thrilled this morning. {Pretty close to my level of excitement.}
I handed the camera to Troy, didn't he do such a good job here.
There are bars everywhere here in Costa Rica. Stealing just isn't really considered a bad thing. So everywhere you look you'll see bars. Even in my little guy's preschool. This is Aiden during P.E.

Last night Aiden asked me, "Mom are we really going to preschool or are you just kidding like last time?"

Ouch!

Wes and I have told the kids they were going to preschool 2 times now over these last 9 months. We've gotten them all pumped up and then backed out at the last minute. Once when the "actual" price was double what the paper said it was. The other time, we realized the money needed to pay a taxi to get the kids there everyday would be just too much.

"Yes Aiden, you are going to preschool! I'm not kidding this time!"