Just Hanging Around

Well, the countdown shows just a little over 6 weeks and we can honestly say we are ready to graduate! Unfortunately there have been a few delays in our process of leaving and there is a possiblity that we will find ourselves "hanging around" for a little while. We are hoping to receive more answers in the next week concerning our next field of service, so we would ask that each of you would pray for us as we seek God's direction in where we should go. We know that He has a plan for us and we want to be sensitive to His will.

So if any of you have any suggestions for us as we take another look at South America, feel free to give us a comment and tell us what you think. PS, if anyone knows of a good home for a cute little hamster named "Nacho Libre" please let us know. He's just kind of "hanging around" too!

School's Out For Summer

Well, the kids had their last day of school on Friday and we had a cultural day for our classes as well. As you'll see from the video the kids had a talent show and we had fun playing carnival games for our cultural day. For the record, I won 5 of the 7 games I played and Ken won 3 of the 7, but he would tell you he won the ring toss and that was of course the hardest game to win. He has the paper ribbon to prove it!

The King of Spanglish

Our youngest son, Caedmon, has been afforded the benefit of more than 5 hours a day of Spanish-only day care during our 11 months here in Costa Rica. While our other two children have been in regular American-style classes with only an hour each day of Spanish instruction; Cade's teachers are all Ticas, and have cared for and taught him every day while we have been in language school.

As a result he has learned much from his "maestras" and fellow Ticos. He seems to easily understand cartoons in Spanish and when asked a question in Spanish he usually responds appropriately. However, at age 3, assimilating what he has learned into everyday conversation has been quite entertaining. He has a propensity for throwing Spanish words into his mostly English lexicon.
There is the usual mix of the Spanish in his sentences like, "I want más leche, Mamá." (more milk) and "Look, una mariposa!" (a butterfly). The other day he was counting and said, "Uno, dos, tres, four, five, six..." Just this evening he got liquid soap on his toothbrush and reacted with "That's just huacala!" (gross). Last night I cut my hair very short leaving the normal 1/16" guard off of my trimmers. He rubbed my head and told me my head looked like a "bola" (bola = ball).
We had been told that children are like sponges when it comes to learning a new language, and it seems that little Cade has developed his own little special combination of the two. I guess it's his destiny to be the King of Spanglish.

That's Where the Party's At

Here is a collection of photos from Cade's birthday and from our trip to La Cumbre in the mountains. Disfrútelas.