Costa Rica for FREE!

Well about 2 1/2 weeks ago on a Wednesday we found out that Logan's lumber company that he is using takes 15 builders on a trip each year.  For some reason one of the builders had to back out last minute and they called Logan and told him he was next on the list.  The catch was that the trip left the next Tuesday.....which was 5 days away!  Logan was telling the guy probably not since we have 4 kids and that would be a lot to figure out in so little time.  He asked where the trip was going and the guy said "COSTA RICA!".  So Costa Rica for FREE???!?!?!  Logan said, "Can I call you back in the morning?" :)  Well that night we called his parents and they miraculously didn't have anything going on that next week either so we scrambled to get everything together and we made it work!!!  I was a bit anxious to leave Lucy but she did fine.  So Tuesday morning we got on a plane VERY early in the morning and headed to Costa Rica!!!!  His parents came and stayed at our house and my parents helped....team effort :)

The first day was a very long day.  We actually got up at 2:30am and to get to the airport in time for a 6am flight.  During the week they don't have direct flights so we got to go through Miami (that makes sense doesn't it :) and then onto Costa Rica.  When flew into Liberia and then took a bus to our resort in Guanacaste.  It was a pretty long drive on a very rural, bumpy road.  Logan was not feeling that great by the time we got there so we were very glad to get to our room and relax.  We had a dinner with everyone else on the trip that first night.  It was great to meet the other builders and their spouses.  We made some good friends with another couple that is from Granbury.

The first day we hung out on the beach and relaxed.

I have always wanted to try scuba diving.  So it was available at our resort.  We basically got a 10 minute lesson in the swimming pool and I thought it was pretty cool so we paid our $$ and went out from the beach on a 30 minute dive.  It was a bit terrifying.  We swam for awhile and then when we got out a ways it was time to go down to the bottom.  There were so many things to remember that I panicked a bit.  You push a button to deflate your vest and I started going down and just freaked out.  I started trying to swim up and I couldn't!  I was scared a lot.  The guide with us pushed my button and it made my vest inflate and got me up quick.  You are supposed to be popping your ears as you go down while pushing your button and all this stuff.  It was just a bit to me.  Finally he basically just forced me down and I somehow managed to be ok.  About 5 minutes into it I was freezing.  My mask was a bit foggy and I didn't really care what I was seeing around me. I just kept saying to myself "breathe in, breathe out".  I was shivering I was so cold...even though I had a wetsuit on.  We did see some fish...nothing spectacular that I can remember.  We finally finished and came up.  I don't think I'll ever do it again but I can check it off my list I guess.  I found out later that day in the U.S. you have to go through a 3 week course to get certified!!!!  Oh my.....and we learned in 10 minutes in a swimming pool.  I'm glad we survived :)

Dinner with our new friends at the Italian restaurant.  It was yummy and very fun!

The next day we bought a day-long excursion trip from a guy on the beach (yes, safe I know :).  It was a blast.  A guy named Alex picked us up from our resort and took us all day.  Our resort was brand new and about 90 minutes from anything else.  So we had a pretty long drive to go do some other things.  We stopped a long the way and saw some pretty sites.

The first thing we did at the Buena Vista location was horseback ride.  We weren't too excited about this part but it was fun and a great laugh.  Of course since we were the ones from Texas everyone thought we'd be naturals :).  Logan hasn't actually ever ridden a horse...which I didn't even know.  It was hilarious to see his long legs on a horse.  We rode through the rain forest area and saw some monkeys and different wildlife.

After the horses we hiked for about an hour or so through the rain forest.  We saw a beautiful waterfall and walked on some hanging bridges.  Our guide, Alex, was with us the entire time and taught us a lot about the things around us.

After our hike we got to the hot springs area.  First you go in this sauna type room that is heated from the volcanic rocks.  You stay in there about 5 minutes or so and then go plaster yourself with the mud.  You let that dry for awhile.  Do you like our picture???

Then you get rinsed off and then go relax in the hot spring pools.  Logan thought this part was going to be lame but it was really relaxing and fun.  It was raining a little bit so it really couldn't get any more relaxing to swim in the hot pools with rain hitting your face as you are listening to the sounds of Costa Rica wildlife around you!!!

Then we had an authentic Costa Rican lunch at the lodge.  I love their food.....black beans, rice, fruits, vegetables, and lots of yummy coffee!!!!

After lunch we put on all the gear and went and did the zip lines through the rain forest.  

Logan did one superman style :)

At some point we got to the tarzan swing.  This was probably one of the scariest things I've done.  I'm not really afraid of heights but I wouldn't say I enjoy them.  I don't like free falling and that is basically what this was.  I'm glad I went first because if I would've watched Logan I probably wouldn't have done it after him.  Basically you jump off this platform that is way up in the air and eventually the rope catches you after you have free fallen and you swing really high.  I basically hyperventilate when I am free falling.  The video of me doing it is pretty ridiculous.

Logan of course talked a big talk of how brave he was but he did say it was a little scary :)

The last thing we did was a huge waterslide.  Think Schlitterbahn but Costa Rica style which means a bit unsafe :).  The water was FREEZING that rushed up behind you and pushed you down.  You fly down the slide and go side to side so fast that you feel like you are going to come over the side.  We survived thankfully and actually did it twice.  

We got back to our hotel and meet friends for dinner that night.

The last full day we basically just relaxed.  We snorkled for a little while but I of course got cold quick so I ended up just looking for cool shells for the boys on the beach.

We went walking on the beach and noticed that we could walk way around out to this point.  We kept walking along the shore and saw some beautiful views.  We sorta went camera happy but it was so fun and so beautiful!!!

The sun was starting to set while we were there and it was honestly breathtaking.  Seeing God's creation all around you with nothing man made in your sight is pretty cool.  We sat there for a long time basically in silence just marveling at all of it.  We decided it was the most beautiful place on earth that we have seen.  We saw mountains, sunset, waves crashing on the rocks, pelicans flying around swooping down to get fish, beaches, and beautiful clouds and colors in the sky all at once.

For the last night the lumber company had a dinner for all of us on the beach.  It was great food and really fun.  They had entertainment for us of fire dancers.  They were pretty amazing to watch.

Then a band played music for awhile.  Not many were dancing but then they played George Strait so Logan of course got us up to 2 step.  We were the only ones but something about 2 stepping on the beach was pretty fun :)

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I'm a dork but this was our room.....we were about to leave :(

This is gross but this is what their packages of cigarettes look like in CR.  They put pictures of people with lung cancer and throat cancer on them.  Maybe it deters some people from smoking!!!!

This is on the plane on the way home.  Do you notice the photo bombers in the picture???  That was our friends Brian and Heather that we got to know so well on the trip.  About 15 minutes into the flight we had a pretty bad scare.  Brian wasn't feeling very good and all of a sudden Heather noticed that Brian was slumped over in his seat.  It was really scary and all happened so fast but he had basically gotten very dehydrated and passed out.  Logan went running up the aisle of the plane to get doctors and I was holding Heather's hand praying for Brian.  They had him in the floor with about 3 doctors and nurses around him in the matter of a few seconds.  It was a crazy trip home but thankfully he was ok.  They actually started an IV on the plane to get fluids in him quicker because his blood pressure was still so low.  While the flight attendants were tending to him Logan actually was asked to guard the cockpit.  That is his new claim to fame :).  After that he got to sit in the jump seat too.  He thinks he has quite the story.  I was able to sit with Heather the entire flight (because Brian was laying on all the seats behind us) and talk and try to comfort her.  The paramedics were waiting for us in Dallas when we landed to check Brian over and make sure he was ok.  Thankfully he was released and everything is ok!!!  Thank you Lord!

We got home to these cutie pies and I was so glad.  Even though it was a really really good trip with Logan I missed my babies.  We sure enjoyed the few days to ourselves and just having fun with each other.  Sometimes I forget how much we need that every now and then!!!  We got them a hammock in CR and they have loved playing on it.  It's our little piece of CR now in our backyard :) 

So thank you to Henson Lumber for a really fun trip!!!  We were so grateful for a last minute surprise like that.  And also a huge thank you to Mimi, Pawpaw, Grams and Pops for making it even possible for us to go!!!!  I think everyone did ok while we were gone but were definitely glad we were back :)