We were really blessed to be able to quickly find a good car that meets our families needs thanks in great part to the help of our friend Bernie. We know that many people spend weeks checking out cars before they find what they need. In our case, Richard and Bernie went shopping at Star Cars, and found our van right away. Bernie had bought a car there before and felt confident about their quality and prices. We have found his assessment to be accurate as far as we can tell.
The next day, we had a mechanic check out the car. The car dealership had to fix a few issues on the car, so we picked it up the day after that. All in all, it was a pretty good experience. We ended up with a 2011 Mitsubishi van for $15,000.
Cars in Costa Rica, like everything else, are really expensive because importing fees are outrageous. Importing fees are based on the features the car has too, so many cars are pretty barebones, including ours. Ours has a manual transmission, manual doors and windows, and ac only in the front. One good thing is that cars hold their value really well here, so we will likely be able to sell our van for close to the same price we paid when we leave.
When we picked up our car, it was dark, rainy, a new driving environment, and I had not driven a car with manual transmission in 15 years. I was a little nervous for sure. But, I was able to jump right back into driving and now feel comfortable driving all around.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Friends in Costa Rica
We were really lucky that Richard and David ran into Bernie Gutierrez at the Temple Visitor Center when they came to Costa Rica. His family has become great friends with our family. We have gone to their house several times, and they have also helped us get settled in so many ways. Our kids have a great time with their kids, and we even homeschool with their family one day a week so our kids can get more exposure to Spanish, and their kids can pick up some English too.
There have also been so many other people here that have welcomed us in and helped us with all the questions we have, both foreigners and local Ticos. We have really felt welcomed here in Costa Rica. It is wonderful to be surrounded by so many people we care about us and go way out of their ways to help us out.
We know that we will find many more friends. We had heard that one great thing about Costa Rica is that the people are very friendly. We have found that to be the case for sure. Overall, the people here are extremely welcoming and helpful.
Finding an Apartment
The first couple days in Costa Rica, we spent time looking at various apartment complexes to find the right place to live. We came back three times to the Condominium San Vicente in Belen because we liked the area, and the amenities were pretty awesome. Not only do they have the standard pool, and weight room, but they also have a covered sports court area where we imagined our family would spend quite a bit of time.
The problem was, they only have two bedroom condos currently available and we felt like we needed a three bedroom. I kept hoping that somehow they would magically come up with a three bedroom. In the end, we decided to get an apartment there anyway and squeeze into a two bedroom.
There were also a few other "requirements" for our home that we had to do without. I only wanted to live in an apartment with air conditioning so we would not have to open the doors and let mosquitoes in. There was an apartment with central air, but we ended up getting a different apartment because the owner was very flexible on the price and it was on the first floor and there was a yard right outside the living room that we were told the kids could play in. So, in the end, I thought I sacrificed my comfort (as a pregnant lady) for the fun of my kids.
We slept the first night on the tiles floors with a few blankets, and diapers and clothes from our luggage as padding. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it felt nice to have a place of our own.
We had to buy all our own appliances and furniture for the apartment, so the next several days we spent time finding appliances and shopping around for couches. Through a friend, we found a member of our church from Nicaragua to build everything else we needed. We grabbed some temporary items from Walmart to make due until the custom items were done, because it would take several weeks for the furniture to be finished.
After only living in the apartment for three days, I was called into the condo office. I was told that our family was too loud, and that if we did not quiet down, we would be kicked out. We were specifically told that playing on the grass outside the condo was a no-no, and that we would instead have to go to the commons area to play. We were also told our kids could not practice their musical instruments in our condo, and that our kids could not be in the hallway (they had taken a couple trips up the stairs while we were moving in appliances).
I was shocked by the confrontation. I could not believe that after just a couple days we had apparently already had three complaints against us. Especially by some apparent person who never made any effort to even meet us. But, we made adjustments to conform. We now take our kids to the commons area each day to practice and they don't play soccer outside our apartment anymore.
I have heard from other moms in the condo that none of them had ever had any complaints. There must be an ornery person in our building who is not used to kids. I personally think it is the person in the office who called me in. He is in charge of running the condo and enforcing all the rules and unfortunately, he lives in our building. There is also apparently a doctor who lives just above us who works at night and sleeps during the day.
Anyway, I guess there are lessons you learn from different experiences in your life, and I guess trying to be quieter and more aware of others around you is not the worst skill to have to work on;.
The problem was, they only have two bedroom condos currently available and we felt like we needed a three bedroom. I kept hoping that somehow they would magically come up with a three bedroom. In the end, we decided to get an apartment there anyway and squeeze into a two bedroom.
There were also a few other "requirements" for our home that we had to do without. I only wanted to live in an apartment with air conditioning so we would not have to open the doors and let mosquitoes in. There was an apartment with central air, but we ended up getting a different apartment because the owner was very flexible on the price and it was on the first floor and there was a yard right outside the living room that we were told the kids could play in. So, in the end, I thought I sacrificed my comfort (as a pregnant lady) for the fun of my kids.
We slept the first night on the tiles floors with a few blankets, and diapers and clothes from our luggage as padding. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it felt nice to have a place of our own.
We had to buy all our own appliances and furniture for the apartment, so the next several days we spent time finding appliances and shopping around for couches. Through a friend, we found a member of our church from Nicaragua to build everything else we needed. We grabbed some temporary items from Walmart to make due until the custom items were done, because it would take several weeks for the furniture to be finished.
After only living in the apartment for three days, I was called into the condo office. I was told that our family was too loud, and that if we did not quiet down, we would be kicked out. We were specifically told that playing on the grass outside the condo was a no-no, and that we would instead have to go to the commons area to play. We were also told our kids could not practice their musical instruments in our condo, and that our kids could not be in the hallway (they had taken a couple trips up the stairs while we were moving in appliances).
I was shocked by the confrontation. I could not believe that after just a couple days we had apparently already had three complaints against us. Especially by some apparent person who never made any effort to even meet us. But, we made adjustments to conform. We now take our kids to the commons area each day to practice and they don't play soccer outside our apartment anymore.
I have heard from other moms in the condo that none of them had ever had any complaints. There must be an ornery person in our building who is not used to kids. I personally think it is the person in the office who called me in. He is in charge of running the condo and enforcing all the rules and unfortunately, he lives in our building. There is also apparently a doctor who lives just above us who works at night and sleeps during the day.
Anyway, I guess there are lessons you learn from different experiences in your life, and I guess trying to be quieter and more aware of others around you is not the worst skill to have to work on;.
Flying to Costa Rica
Even though Richard and my brother took four suitcases to Costa Rica before we traveled as a family. We ended up with 23 items to keep track of in the airport. This included several suitcases and musical instruments, three carseats, a stroller, computer bags, backpacks, etc. Add that on top of 5 kids and it is a wonder we made it with everything we needed!
Leading up to our trip, it seemed like Stephen was having the hardest time adjusting to the move. He kept telling us that he "was going home". We did not think he would have the hardest time before we left, but apparently he was really attached to the house he knew, his friends, his family in Utah, his baseball team, and school.
On the day we flew, it was apparent that Ezra was also really nervous about flying to a different country. Then, when we were about to land in San Jose, the other boys were telling him that we were in Costa Rica, and he started emphatically yelling, "We aren't in Costa Rica!" It was apparent that he was scared to be there. Poor little guy!
Leading up to our trip, it seemed like Stephen was having the hardest time adjusting to the move. He kept telling us that he "was going home". We did not think he would have the hardest time before we left, but apparently he was really attached to the house he knew, his friends, his family in Utah, his baseball team, and school.
On the day we flew, it was apparent that Ezra was also really nervous about flying to a different country. Then, when we were about to land in San Jose, the other boys were telling him that we were in Costa Rica, and he started emphatically yelling, "We aren't in Costa Rica!" It was apparent that he was scared to be there. Poor little guy!
Friday, September 30, 2016
Pre Costa Rica Travels: Back to Texas
We headed back to Texas for my Granny's funeral. We also decided to stay an extra month so I would be well outside of the first trimester when we left. We hoped in the meantime that we would be able to spend some more time with family and give my grandpa some company after the loss of his wife.
It was not easy being in Texas again. I felt like we had been grounded. After more than a month on the road, I was ready to be settled, not to live in more temporary conditions. Under different circumstances, it would have been more exciting, but instead, it was a difficult experiences for me.
It was hard to find a one month rental in Boerne. We finally rented a 500 square foot cabin/trailer in for $2,500. The second day their, Richard was attacked by two dogs on the property and had a chunk bit out of his calf. We talked to the owners who assured us they would keep the dogs locked up for the remainder of our stay. They were not locked up however, and came close to attacking me with three kids another time. I yelled for help and the owners called them off. A third time, they were loose around our cabin without anyone else around, and we decided we would have to move to protect our kids.
We stayed with my Grandpa for a week, and then my brother. During this time, we squeezed in a quick trip to Corpus Christi to visit my sister, and Richard and my brother David flew to Costa Rica for 4 days to leave luggage down there and tour some houses we were considering living in.
Finally on September 28, we were ready to try again to fly to Costa Rica.
Pre Costa Rica Travels: Disaster in Louisiana
After leaving Texas, we headed to Florida to see Richard's family. On the way, we had a big surprise. Severe weather in Louisiana forced us to pull over for the night. Had we realized how severe the weather was, we would not have stopped. We tried to "boondock" in an LDS church parking lot next the LSU, but the road we drove on to get there had a small river running through it, there was a big lake next to the parking lot, and Google Maps told us that we were not far from the Mississippi on the other side. We decided that it would not be wise to stay the night there, so we headed down the road to the next church parking lot.
We got off the highway in Denham Springs and headed towards a stake center. The entire road we were driving on was a river. The only way we knew where we "should" be driving was because there were mailboxes lining the road on either side. The water was not very deep, but when we came to the cross section of the road the church was on, and saw it was called Riverton Avenue, we decided against staying there as well.
We chose to head back towards the highway and found a Bass Pro Shop parking lot to stop in. We intended to leave early the next day, but we were just so tired. When we woke up around 9am, we saw that it was still raining and that there was standing water many places in the raised parking lot we were in. We tried to leave the parking lot the way we had come in, but the water was too high, and we did not see any other cars in that direction. We tried another way, but again, the water looked dangerously high. There were however some vehicles braving the flood waters. We sat and watched for a few minutes as a couple trucks pushed their way through. Finally, we saw a small car make it and decided that maybe we better press forward. Driven by the desire to reach our destination more than by anything else, we pulled onto the street and carefully drugged our way forward.
We made it to the highway, but could only inch our way forward for hours. Eventually we came to a stop. Richard and Maylee hopped out of the RV and went more than a mile to the front of the line of cars to see what the trouble was. We found out that there was a river running across Highway 12 in front of us, and there was also a river running across the highway behind us. We were stuck on the road with a few thousand other people, mostly travelers passing through like ourselves.
Being stuck on the road for an undetermined amount of time was not easy, but we felt blessed that at least we had beds to sleep in, a toilet, food, and water. We were able to share our resources with those around us who were not so fortunate. Richard and the kids passed out canned goods and other supplies to our I-12 neighbors, we helped a few women who were grateful to be able to use our bathroom, and we invited a mother with a small child in to play with some toys because he was having a hard time without a safe place to play.
During our 30 hours on the highway, we also gave out a Book of Mormon to one man and donated an extra phone charger to an elderly couple who was then able to call a friend for help and get to a nearby home. The wife had just had knee surgery and was having a difficult time on the hot highway. We feel that we were stuck on the road for a reason. We were able to bless the lives of others and learn some lessons ourselves.
When we first came to a stop on the highway, we were told that we might be there for days. We were told that it was supposed to rain for two more days. I am certain there were collective prayers from people all over offered in behalf of ourselves and the people of Louisiana, because the rain stopped, and did not come back for more than a sprinkle while we sat on the highway. Because of that, we were able to leave Monday morning instead of Tuesday or Wednesday.
After this circumstance was over we later learned that Denham Springs was the area hit worst by the flooding. Had we stayed in the Bass Pro Shop parking lot even 30 more minutes, we would have lost everything with us because we would not have been able to leave. We probably would have had to be rescued. The Bass Pro Shop was completely flooded up to the roof, and the stake center down the street was also destroyed. We visited the area week and a half later and saw the devastation left behind. It was a sobering experience for our family.
Pre Costa Rica Travels: Florida
We were able to visit Richard's sister Traci and her husband Jason in Florida. We also spent time with Great-Grandma Robbins and her daughter Aunt Carol while in Tallahassee. We visited some extended family in the Ocala area and visited the grave sites of family members.
We stopped by Granddad Robbins gave at the Florida National Cemetery. The played some violin tunes for him there and then we cleaned his headstone. We also went down to the Florida Keys to see the house and church Granddad Robbins build while serving in the military there. We tried to swim at the beach in the Florida Keys, but Spencer and Maylee immediately got stung by jelly fish and that scared us off.
We headed up to Fort Lauderdale which is where we were supposed to fly to Costa Rica from, but our plans were changed for us. The day before we were supposed to board the plane, and hours before we planned to drop off the RV to a dealership, we got a call from my parents saying that my Granny had passed away.
The time of the phone call seemed strangely significant for two reasons. The night before her passing, Maylee prayed that a miracle would happen for Granny. I had not heard her pray with that lauguage for Granny before. When we found out about her passing, we felt that a miracle had taken place for her. She no longer had to suffer with a weak boy and dementia. As much as we would miss her, we were grateful that she was free from the constant pain she had suffered from. Also, the night before her passing, Richard and I talked about how we actually were really starting to be concerned with the Zika virus present in Central America even though we had not previously been. We prayed that night for a sign that if we needed to be more cautious and potentially even delay our trip until I was out of the first trimester, to please let us know what to do. We felt, that the sad news of the passing of my Granny was actually an answer to our prayers and a message to us that we needed to wait to move in order to better protect our little baby.
I love my Granny very much. I have wonderful memories of growing up only a mile from her house. I spent my childhood constantly at her house. She was always very thoughtful of others. Sometimes I would help her do work around her house, and she would make me fancy salads or ham sandwiches on homemade wheat bread because she knew how much I loved them. My Granny was a fun granny. She always had treats and a candy stash, and she loved to play games. She owned jaw-dropping contraptions like a snow cone machine and giant blowup pools for her grandkids to enjoy.
Richard and I lived with my grandparents the first two months of our marriage. We would stay up late playing 42 with them, we took temple trips to Houston with them, and we would eat at Golden Coral every Friday with them. We later took them on a cruise to Alaska with us and were able to spend a fun week with them on that vacation. These are just a few of the wonderful memories I have of my Granny. I am blessed to be her granddaughter, and I am honored that I was asked to make her funeral program for her.
We stopped by Granddad Robbins gave at the Florida National Cemetery. The played some violin tunes for him there and then we cleaned his headstone. We also went down to the Florida Keys to see the house and church Granddad Robbins build while serving in the military there. We tried to swim at the beach in the Florida Keys, but Spencer and Maylee immediately got stung by jelly fish and that scared us off.
We headed up to Fort Lauderdale which is where we were supposed to fly to Costa Rica from, but our plans were changed for us. The day before we were supposed to board the plane, and hours before we planned to drop off the RV to a dealership, we got a call from my parents saying that my Granny had passed away.
The time of the phone call seemed strangely significant for two reasons. The night before her passing, Maylee prayed that a miracle would happen for Granny. I had not heard her pray with that lauguage for Granny before. When we found out about her passing, we felt that a miracle had taken place for her. She no longer had to suffer with a weak boy and dementia. As much as we would miss her, we were grateful that she was free from the constant pain she had suffered from. Also, the night before her passing, Richard and I talked about how we actually were really starting to be concerned with the Zika virus present in Central America even though we had not previously been. We prayed that night for a sign that if we needed to be more cautious and potentially even delay our trip until I was out of the first trimester, to please let us know what to do. We felt, that the sad news of the passing of my Granny was actually an answer to our prayers and a message to us that we needed to wait to move in order to better protect our little baby.
I love my Granny very much. I have wonderful memories of growing up only a mile from her house. I spent my childhood constantly at her house. She was always very thoughtful of others. Sometimes I would help her do work around her house, and she would make me fancy salads or ham sandwiches on homemade wheat bread because she knew how much I loved them. My Granny was a fun granny. She always had treats and a candy stash, and she loved to play games. She owned jaw-dropping contraptions like a snow cone machine and giant blowup pools for her grandkids to enjoy.
Richard and I lived with my grandparents the first two months of our marriage. We would stay up late playing 42 with them, we took temple trips to Houston with them, and we would eat at Golden Coral every Friday with them. We later took them on a cruise to Alaska with us and were able to spend a fun week with them on that vacation. These are just a few of the wonderful memories I have of my Granny. I am blessed to be her granddaughter, and I am honored that I was asked to make her funeral program for her.
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