Pura Vida; it means life is good.

Day 1: Thank you to the inventor of sleeping pills. Ashlee and I both took one on our red-eye and we actually slept a little on the packed plane. However, that didn't stop me from doing the unthinkable - actually laying down to sleep on the airport floor while waiting for the three other girls to fly in. I blame the sleeping pill; they last longer than a five hour flight.

Day 2: We found a taxi to our hostel. Stashed our luggage and then started walking, trying to find the bus stop so that we could go see the Poas volcano. Three hours later, we stepped off the bus, into rain. This was our first refresher course in science = It rains in the rain forrest. Like good tourists, we marched ourselves immediately up to the gift shop, bought ponchos, and then decided to go find that volcano.

But we never did. It was just white clouds the entire day shrouding the volcano. At least it was ethereal. Our only option then was to take a picture with the picture of the volcano. And wait inside for hours eating cup o' noodles to warm us. Oh my. How American.

That was not the end of being American in Costa Rica. As we walked back to our hostel, we kept scanning the street for a typical Costa Rican restaurant. Unfortunately, all we were finding were KFCs, McDonalds, and even Taco Bell. Finally, we gave in to our roots and ate at Pizza Hut. We were so depressed though that we decided we could not stay in San Jose one more day. (Plus, our white water rafting was canceled due to high rain volumes which we were witnesses to). Paula, the most helpful hostel owner, connected us with Lands in Love. That name alone sold us.

Day 3: We woke up bright and early which was a struggle coming off our red-eye flight the night before. When we got to Lands in Love, the guides were helping us into our harnesses while it was raining. All of us were looking around questioningly, wondering if we were really going to repel when it was raining. Totally newbies. Of course you could repel waterfalls when it was wet - it was a water-based activity. I loved it, despite the guides swinging me into the waterfall four times. Since we are used to the melted snow water in Utah, we apprehensively eyed the waterfall. But it was warm. Thank you rainforest! Even more than the canyoneering, I liked the guide Jose who was 26 and studying to become an English professor. Unfortunately, there are more than a million Joses in Costa Rica.

Afterward, we were dropped off in La Fortuna where we were staying in a "cabina." It was rustic. Or more appropriate, moist. And I would say gross. It only continued to get grosser, while our clothes continued to get wetter and smellier.

The stairs leading to the top of the canopy where we started zip-lining.

Day 4: Today's adventure was zip-lining above the tops of the trees in the rainforest. It was breath-taking. I've never seen so much green. Once, I didn't quite make it to the other side and had to flip around and then pull myself to the end of the cable. Being suspended in air while pulling yourself on a rope is an extreme ab workout.

                   

 

Where we finally swam across

After the zip lining, we joined another family from the excursion to hike to the waterfall. We discovered that we were on the more remote side of the falls. Across the water was the more popular location and a calmer swimming pool. Plus, it was close to our cabin whereas our hike had taken about 40 minutes. Naturally, we wanted to get to the other side. An hour and a half later, after we had stared at the rapids between us endlessly and I had attempted to cross multiple times, the young boy in the other family made it halfway across and tossed our bags (and iphones) to safety. Then we all swam in the deeper section to the calm side. Although this was not part of the excursion, it was my favorite part of the day. The water was refreshing and I loved the thrill of navigating the rapids.

From there, we went straight to Baldi Hot Springs and relaxed for several hours in a hot springs. We just laid in different positions and places but didn't leave that pool, except for the delicious dinner and a strawberry daiquiri.

Day 5: By this point, I could no longer stand being in cabin. Kellie affectionally nicknamed the bathroom a "hell-hole" and that was not an exaggeration. So I gladly joined Kellie on a spontaneous adventure. We boarded a bus that morning bound for Tilaran. From there we transferred to Canas and finally arrived in Puntarenas. At one point on the bus I searched for my inhaler because the bus had stopped and I felt like I couldn't breathe - that's how hot Costa Rica is. It takes your breath away. We can't complain too much about the bus ride though because we met so many helpful people. One cute man was also going to Puntarenas and would always shake his finger 'no' when a bus pulled up but wasn't going to our city. When it did finally get there, he personally sought us out and saved seats for us on the bus.

 
We found a 'fancy' hotel; my only requirement was that it have air conditioning. For about an hour and half after getting there, we turned the air conditioning down as low as it could go and just laid there. Finally we were ready to head to the beach. Puntarenas is clearly not a tourist destination. We were the only non-latinos there and got quite a few stares. We were both loving the complete cultural immersion though. I felt like I was back in Mexico; it was Spanish all around me. The town was having a festival which we embraced by getting local food from the vendors and eating on the beach. 

Day 6: After coming from the moist, moldy cabinas, all we wanted to do was be by the ocean and that's all we did in the morning. We sat on the beach and read. It was ideal. Until 12. When we had to board our bus (which was always an ordeal because no schedules were posted).

Day 7: We were heading for Manuel Antonio around 11:00 am but I couldn't bear to be in the cabin in the morning. Instead, I stood outside the cabin and took a walk in the rain, then convinced the girls to leave early for the airport. When we got to Manuel Antonio, I reverted to my eight-year-old self on Christmas day; our condo was beautiful and we had a washer and dryer. I may have done a happy dance. We dropped off our suitcases and then headed out for lunch and the beach.

Day 8: We walked through the rainforest to the private beach in a secluded cove by our condo. For a while, I just floated in the water. It feels peaceful to have your head surrounded by water, hearing nothing but the ocean and just being still. Be still and know that I am God.

 

 



When Kellie and I got restless we decided to explore the rocks on the right side of our cove. They were volcanic and surprisingly rough. On the way back, we decided to go mermaid style and swim over the rocks that curved through the water back to the beach. However, an ocean has waves. And those waves are powerful. We were fighting quite un-ladylike to stay on the rocks as the waves washed over us. But we resourceful women were not overpowered; we came up with a strategy. We Kellie found "nodules" to hold on to. Except that a powerful wave pushed her AND her nodule. Eventually we made it back, with some new scrapes.

In the afternoon, Kellie's adventurous spirit came out again and talked me into taking surfing lessons. Dante picked us up, and Jesse and Chris went out into the waves with us. With their pushing and directions of when to stand up, we both were surfing in no time. It was thrilling. I need synonyms for that.

Day 9: It was so great that Kellie and I decided to rent boards the next day and surf again. I only had a slight interruption, two actually. Both called Montezuma's Revenge. Kellie described the feeling well: 'urgent.' So urgent that I couldn't wait the seven minutes for a restaurant to open and opted to use the trees instead. Surfing was significantly harder this day because we were trying to time the waves on our own. Out of about four hours trying to surf, I rode in on some waves at least four times. Trust me, I was proud of that. Later that evening Kellie and I sweated profusely as we walkted to the grocery store. It was worth it though so we could treat the girls to pozookie and a click flick.

Day 10: Kellie and I were ready to enjoy our last day of relaxing and we gave it 100% effort. We slept in, watched a chick flick, donned our bathing suits, and laid by the pool all day until the shuttle picked us up to head back to San Jose. I'm finally ready to work a little now. That's what laying around does for you.

The Littles

I've decided that being an aunt is euphoric.

Three weeks at home wasn't enough with the littles. Just an hour after they left I would be missing them and couldn't wait to see them the next day. Here is why:

Sundays are typically wonderful. But if that Sunday also includes cuddling with this handsome dude until he falls asleep on you, then I never want Sunday to end.  

I've decided that I like swimming a whole lot more when these two are hanging on me, jumping to me, and wanting to 'swim' together. 

Casey always used to win the 'most fun' award in Olivia's book. But since he's at little occupied in Brazil at the moment, I can take over piggyback rides and temporarily claim that crown. Ahh it feels good. 

They provide an excuse to go to the zoo. 

Heaven. This is the definition. He was excited to see all the animals. I was excited to hold him while he pointed at the animals. 

Not being able to get a flight out of Ohio isn't bad when your she *bakes* you cupcakes for your birthday...And Channing ends up eating them. You get the joy of the treat without the calories. Perfect present. 

And papa buys glow-in-the-dark mustaches. For the 4th. How that relates to celebrating our nation? We will find a way because we love wearing them. 

So I actually wasn't there for this one. I was already back in Utah, but this is the face I got to see each day. 

Hearts Shall Turn

Recently, several general authorities have been encouraging us to get to know our ancestors. As I've been reading stories of individuals who struggled and triumphed through their faith in God, I realized that I wanted to learn about my own ancestors who did the same.

Last summer I had read Grandma Myers' short life story and felt strengthened by her. She expressed that she had always desired to go to the temple, although she didn't not live close to one and for years there was not even a church in Northern Ohio.

After talking with my mom, we decided to make a photo book of my grandparents and great-grandparents, that would focus on their character and conversion to the gospel so that I could try to live up to their legacies.

Malachi got it right, but then again don't the prophets always? Because I have felt my heart turning. When I was at home in Ohio this summer, we spent time asking my grandparents about their family and sorting through pictures. We even went to the family history library. Once upon a time I would have politely excused myself from going but now I am loving learning about my family.

And the promises are coming true. One night toward the end of my trip home, my mom said that maybe Deborah Pickering Norman and other relatives who were steadfast Saints, although the church was not around their home, were helping Casey know how to start the church in Jaru, a small town that had baptized members but no established church. Then she shook her head and admitted it was a crazy thought but she couldn't help but wonder if our relatives who lived in similar circumstances were helping Casey.

As I looked up at my mom, my eyes filled with tears. I felt the Spirit wrap around me and tell me "Yes! They are helping you!" It was real. I know that my ancestors are our ministering angels helping my family, even me.

I know my Grandma and Grandpa Davis are supporting me. My heart has turned even more to my "fathers."

Just Call Me 'Martha Stewart'

Google and Pinterest are my new best friends.

While at home for the past three weeks, I decided spontaneously that I wanted to make a quilted blanket and wood pallet signs. All it took was about half an hour of googling and pintresting and voila...here are my creations. 

Actually, that's all I did, but then my grandparents and Dad came to the rescue. Poor Grandma and Grandpa Miller unsuspectingly got roped into my blanket-making dream. Without any forewarning, I showed up at their house with my fabric in hand, ready to use Grandma's machine. They then had to spend hours helping me to make up for my naivete that I could simply sit down and sew. Not only did they help me pin the fabric together, they helped me figure out how to create the lines I would quilt, moved the sewing machine to a better space, solved the conundrum of how to cut the blanket to make up for my mismatched fabrics, and taught me how to make the binding, then stitched all of the binding on. 

That's my grandparents for you and why they deserve the 'grandparents of the year' award. Who else would not grumble when someone showed up at your house and made you do all the work for HER project? Who else would devote 100% attention to someone else's work? And on top of it, treat that person to lunch? The answer could only be Bob and Rosalyn Miller. 

Although it was therapeutic to sew, Martha Stewart's instructional video should have included a side note that said "only possible if you have selfless grandparents who will help you." 

My blanket is my new family heirloom because I'm grateful it will always remind me of them. How I love them. 

My dad is just like them. When I wanted to make a wood sign, it became his project too. He drove me around the city looking for my wood pallet. Then he broke it all apart, taught me to use a saw, found a sander for me, and helped me nail it all together. 

Pinterest made me think that I could be a big girl and "Do It Myself," but like all things in my life, I needed my family.

With them, here's what we made. We are on a roll. Maybe one day, I'll be making "DIY" tutorials. With Grandma, Grandpa, and Daddy-O of course.

My Farewell to Pity Parties

About a week ago today, I was showering in my childhood bathroom, still decorated with a bright pink and orange shower curtain, when it hit me: I am immeasurably blessed.

You would think that 27 and 9/10 years wouldn't have passed without me recognizing that, right? They haven't completely. I have always known that I lead a charmed life and had an idyllic childhood. But last week I profoundly FELT it.

It may have been Elizabeth Smart's memoir that prompted it all. I still remember the day that Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped to endure nine months of repeated rapes. Before reading her memoir though, I hadn't know that the terrible rapings were accompanied by starvation, psychological abuse, horrendous battles with guilt, and depravation of every kind imaginable. Although Elizabeth kept the memoir vague and classy, it opened my eyes to the fact that I have not experienced true suffering. Even Elizabeth Smart, who has, ended her memoir saying that she has been alive for approximately 307 months. 298 of them have been remarkably blessed. 9 of them were unimaginably horrible, but she chooses to focus on the 298 great months. I realized that my heartbreaks have given me months of sadness, despair, discouragement, and ache. Yet the majority of my months too have been blissfully blessed. And suddenly, in the shower of all places, I felt the beauty of those months fill me.

Then, I read Unbroken, the autobiography of Louie Zamperini, my new crush. He was 97 when he passed away only a few days ago but his story changed my life. He survived literally inexpressible pain. His plane crashed, leaving him stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 47 days, only to be captured by the Japanese and endure two years of terrible abuse as a prisoner of war.

Both he and Elizabeth Smart have something in common. They experienced intense pain and unjust abuse yet they did not blame God. In fact, Elizabeth helped me realize that not always do we suffer because God wants us to endure this trial, because He is testing us. People have agency and He cannot, nor will He, take away their agency. Thus, not everything is the will of God. Also, He does not always rescue us immediately from our pain. Elizabeth was nearly saved several times, yet she was not. She had to endure nine long months of abduction. Likewise, Louie's situation only get worse and worse for years before rescue. Even when he returned home, his PTSD was so intense and undiagnosed that he struggled with alcoholism and almost destroyed his marriage.

Surprisingly, both look back on their experience and say that God was with them every step of the way; He never abandoned them.

Their surety of His companionship made me reflect on my decade of dating. I saw that Heavenly Father has always "come to me." The pain has not been completely erased but He has given me miracles and countless tender mercies to show me that He is aware of me. He has worked miracles in my life similar to those Louie and Elizabeth experienced. And they were in life threatening situations - I just was sad about a break up. Not even close to necessitating the saving grace of God, but the fact is that He did reach out to me with tender mercies like He did for them as well. I realized that I need to be more grateful for His aid.

I am blessed, especially because I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I would give up all in my life to have my testimony and relationship with God.

I am blessed to have a loving family. I do not need anything else besides the gospel and my family. These past three weeks that I spent at home reminded me how lucky I am to have the support and friendship of my family. They make me happy.

But that is not where it ends. Heavenly Father has blessed me in my career and with friends. He has given me opportunities to grow.

That day in the shower I decided to be done with pity parties. Life does hurt sometimes but God is always with me and helps me. I am blessed, even in my struggles.

To Him, I am forever grateful that He loves me enough to stretch me and guide me. To Him, I promise that I will stop throwing those pity parties. To Him, I plead for the enabling power of the Atonement to help me "be grateful in any circumstance."