just keep on pushing my loves over the border line

We headed to Puerto Viejo for the weekend for our visa renewal border run.  It was our first time back since our first border runs when we had just moved to Panama.  The town felt different this visit.  Perhaps it's because we feel more settled and happy in our life here in Panama.  When we first moved here, the adjustment was harder than we anticipated.  Three years ago, I think the ease of Puerto Viejo, with its first world amenities and first world appearance messed with our heads.  It said to us, "Are you sure you chose the right place in Central America to move your small family to???"  But this border run felt different.  We are so content and fulfilled by our jungle life by the sea in Bastimentos.  We are finally fully confident in our decisions of living a more unconventional life.  So, perhaps Puerto Viejo has become a little more run down and filled with a bit more shadier people since three years ago or perhaps we are clearly seeing the town for the first time, unclouded by self doubt.   We had a fun weekend but we were ready to get home and relax on our porch and swim in our front yard. There are no doubts now.  We love our little life in our little home by the sea. 

Some Dad and Woody frisbee action in the background. 

There was a good amount of wild life on our hotel grounds which was fun.  We saw quite a few of these beautiful frogs, two different sloths, and a small mammal that Woody described as "the hair of a monkey, face of a rat, and tail of a raccoon."  We looked it up. Below is a picture of it.  Pretty accurate description, Wood Man. 

Fernie knows how to vacation

I took these pictures for Oma.
 Check out those huge Old Man Palms!

Boy Bike!
Woody was super disappointed they didn't have kid bikes to rent.  The main road is pretty dangerous so Conor and I were secretly relieved. It's so much easier when it's out of your control as a parent instead of having to be a soul crushing jerk of a parent to your kid that absolutely loves to ride a bike but doesn't get to very often.  

Girl Bike!

And just a few flashbacks from our other border runs to Puerto Viejo.   Time is so noticeable with little kids!

Baby Tohi in the seat! 

Videos

Woody was talking a lot of smack about how he is the second fastest runner in the house, just barely behind Dad.  So Mom had to scold him in a good ole fashion beach foot race.  And on Mother's Day no less. ha! He did get extra points for the dive at the end.

Frances at about a year old.  I just love that little laugh.  

Woody's Taekwondo teacher taught an "anti-bully' class a few weeks ago.  He taught that not only should you stand up for yourself, but also for other kids that are getting picked on and maybe don't have the skills to defend themselves.  Woody hasn't had any bullying issues, but it hurts my heart that there are some intense and dangerous situations out there for so many innocent kids.  I know I could have used some Taekwondo skills as a kid.  

Sweet Woody does not know I'm videoing him.  His little face and voice are so sweet as he sings to Dirty Heads and chops some garlic for pizza night. 

Even if we had a regular slide, I think they would still choose the dirt hill.  Just something about getting dirty that makes everything more fun.  And Tohi's little explanation at the end on why she holds up her finger.  So funny.  

Thankful

gathering some fall leaves for a "thankful" art project 

three helpers assisting with the monkey bread.  I made "twice baked" monkey bread this year for Thanksgiving breakfast. . . those inside pieces were a bit slower to cook. haha

preparing our mini apple pies

I asked Tohi to look up and smile. 

Adorable! 

We went out to dinner for Thanksgiving this year.  We hardly ever go out.  Our kids are little and get tired and cranky and act like out of control, irrational, embarrassingly loud little humans.  (I'm mostly looking at you, Frances) so we just don't think it's worth the effort a majority of the time.  Our season is at home right now.  We love our home and our kids and everything and everyone is more relaxed and enjoyable in our home.  That being said, Thanksgiving dinner was great.  The kids were great, the food was good, and I didn't cook or clean up any dishes and for that I am very very thankful.  

My heart aches with love and gratitude for the people surrounding me in this picture.  With each passing year, the gratefulness and my awareness of the need for deep gratitude grows.  I am so thankful for my family, far and near.  I am so thankful for friends I love as if they were family.  I could not be more grateful for the health of my own body and for those that I love.  I am grateful for nature and all her beauty and life lessons.  I am grateful for my children and the unending love and affection they shower on me.  I am thankful for Conor and the beautiful, and sometimes chaotic, life we have created together.   

Nothing Really New

My phone has been tweaking out lately.  It doesn't want to charge or update (which now means almost all of my apps have stopped working but, even worse, I can't send or receive any of the new emojis.  Just the worst. haha) but it also is really low on memory storage so it says "cannot take photo" when I go to take a cute pic, a majority of the time.  It's all very irritating. Anyway, I'll get a new phone soonish, in the meantime I don't really have many photos and we have just been hangin' lately.  Swimming, fires, front yard play.  The happy usual.   

Big Kid Hair-Do

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Frances, do you need assistance??

I love when I find an example from nature that really hits home the lesson I have been trying to teach to my little nature loving boy.  He might not listen to me, but these wolves sure caught his attention.  "Ahhhh, so I shouldn't push Tohi out of the way every time we walk up the stairs and she is walking slower than me.  Got it."  

Conor lets them watch shows that I think are too scary.  It is cute when they hold each other for protection though. . . 

Look at those expressions!
Totally a kid show Conor has put on. haha

nap time

Francie caught a bad cold and Tohi was so sweet helping take care of her.  This is her rubbing eucalyptus essential oils on her so she can breathe easier.  

Frances was a trouper.  Her eyes were so swollen from coughing and sneezing and she smiled through almost all of it.  

sweet big sister rocking Frances in the hammock

some new and some old videos

While waiting for Frances to arrive in David, we use to go to this dusty park by our rental and skateboard, swing, climb trees, and occasionally do a work out.  

Oh my goodness! All three of the kids look so young and sweet and perfect.  You forget! You really do! 

Tropical Front Porch

The kids and I were sending a video to our friend, Taylor, and her two perfect little twin baby girls.  The video sums up pretty perfectly our life right now with three young kids.  Each personality trying to have their time to talk and the adorable chaos that ensues.  It makes us all laugh when we watch this video and we even quote Tohi trying to get her line out to Taylor of "I WUV YOUR BABIES!"

My cousin, Sarah, came to visit and took this next video.  We did our standard weekend plans with her.  Wizards Beach one day and build a fire and swim in front of our house the other day.  She fit right into our schedule! She took a snippet of Woody using the machete to cut some wood for the fire. 

Frances is talking a lot more lately and our two favorite things she says is "One More" and "I love you."

This was the first morning Frances said "I love you" back to me.  It made my heart burst with joy to hear her sweet little voice communicate what she has been saying with her hugs and kisses and arm rubbing.  Since then, the "I love you's" have only gotten clearer and more frequent and we all love to hear it.   

Woody loves his jiu-jitsu class. When he comes home from class, he gives us all the details of the sparring, the new moves he is learning, who tries hard and who is a good listener. The last two being two of the most important traits in jiu-jitsu and in our home.  I am also on a whats app group chat of all the parents who's kids go to the class. The teacher sends updates and pictures and occasionally videos of what is happening in class. Conor does the pick up for jiu-jitsu and he gets to watch the sparring at the end of class but I only hear the recaps over dinner.  So I was delighted to see Woody in a few of the videos the teacher sent a few weeks ago!