Spring Has Sprung at The Acre of Nature

The first signs of Spring have arrived on our Acre of Nature. This is the beginning of what I have been waiting for. The stillness of the Earth on the property during the winter has had me in suspense as to what would awaken when the weather warmed. It's still very early, but we have our first daffodil, among other flowers and young plants just emerging from the ground. The soil near the wetlands are soggy and still. I just know there is so much that will come to life over the next few weeks.

Cinderella: Our First Broadway Show

We saw Cinderella on Broadway!!! A first Broadway show for Esperanza and I. A local homeschool mama organizes group discount prices for local events and activities for homeschool families, these plays being one of them. I secured some tickets for us a few weeks in advance after planning it out with our friend Jonna. On the evening of, all three of us got dressed up and drove downtown Portland to The Keller Auditorium to see Cinderella. The performance combined the classic and original tale of Cinderella with the perfect amount of modernized twists and surprises. It was fantastic!! I really wish they allowed photography in the auditorium, but they don't, so I tried my best to follow the rules. I got one sneaky shot of the stage, and a few of us after the performance.

Alphabet Rocks

We collected rocks around the house, inside and out as well as while out on a walk so we could paint the alphabet on them with acrylics for Ezra. They turned out super cool. After they were done, Esperanza and Ezra took them outside to play with them. She was teaching him the letters and then they were using sidewalk chalk to write the letter.  

Hanging With Hannah

The kids love it when their cousin Hannah comes over to stay the night. She loves playing with them just as much as they love playing with her too. She enjoys doing crafts, coloring, playing games, doing fun worksheets and just like Esperanza, she loves listening to Michael Jackson.

I'm Knitting Socks!

My current goal for knitting is to learn how to knit socks. There is an intimidating point in knitting socks where the knitter must 'turning the heal'. For many, including myself, that technique has prevented me from even attempting to knit socks. Jonna is of course the best teacher and said she would help me, and assured me that is isn't that hard. So I started on the first sock. And she was right, turning the heal was not that difficult. But it was a little tricky. I can't wait to wear them.

Surprise! Mary is Pregnant

We have another Gill-Raymond baby on the way! Mary is expecting her first baby the end of August. This is a surprise to all of us, especially Mary. Though she has always wanted to have the opportunity to be a mama, she hadn't planned on getting pregnant right now, and actually thought she couldn't get pregnant at all. Apparently she is fertile, and very much pregnant. She came over the other day and while she was here, a local homeschool mama midwife friend of mine, Katherine, offered to swing by with her doppler to listen to the babies heart beat. It was a big moment for Mary, the first time hearing the heart beat of a human being growing inside of you...that's big! Katherine found babies heartbeat the moment the doppler touched Mary's belly. The heartbeat sounds strong and healthy. A happy and emotional moment for us. 

It's a long road ahead for Mary and baby as they both grow and prepare themselves for what lies ahead. And I get to be an aunt to another awesome little person.

Costa Rica - Day 4 - Manuel Antonio

Costa Rica - Day 4

January 14th, 2014

Manuel Antonio

After our morning breakfast with the monkeys and iguana's, we decided our days adventure would be spent in Manuel Antonio's National Park. We packed snacks, swim suits, towels, water and drove the down the road to the park. We chose to save a fortune and take skip the guided tour. It was a good call, we saw the animals and flora without anyone having to point it out to us. There was one time we were behind a guided tour with a guide who had a big telescope looking at what we heard were bats. They were tiny spots high up in a tree. Probably vampire bats! The kids got excited about that. We saw 3 types of monkeys; the howler monkey, the spider monkey and the Capuchin Monkey. The last is the type of monkey that we sew daily all over the hotel grounds we stayed at. We also saw several big and creepy spiders, a dead crab and various other species along our walk. 

We took a trail that led us to one of the beaches in the park. It was crowded, with people and Capuchin monkeys. We were hot and the water felt good. The ocean waves were stronger and not as easy or safe for the kids to play in this bay than at the beach near our hotel. It was fun and adventurous. 

We left the park and strolled the streets outside the gates, looking at merchandise stands and small store fronts selling arts and crafts, clothes and other items. We bought a few things then went and had dinner at a place on the ocean. The food was good and the sun was going down. With ice cream cones in hand, we watched the sun set on the beach. 

To end the evening, the kids took a quick dip in the pool.