Missing Home and Shadow the Wonder Dog

I'm sure there are many factors to why I feel a little homesick.  Some of the major ones include our neighbors right next door.  They are 2 single guys just trying out their luck in Jaco.  As you can imagine they LOVE all the annoying things that crazy single guys love.  Staying up til 4am almost every night, smoking pot and drinking until they are plastered on the common porch we all share, letting their starved for attention dog bark excessively all night because they don't notice cause they are to drunk or high, waking our landlord and her 2 kids up at 1am to get into the gate cause they can't find their keys, saying every word under the moon in front of the kids including the big F bomb even after we have asked to please watch their mouths in front of the kids.  All these lovely traits about our next door neighbors have left Jeff, Gentry, and I getting far less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep a night and we are all pretty drained from the lack of sleep!  So I know the lack of sleep contributes to part of unstableness.  7 days until we move into our new place where other families live!

I also know taking on watching Katherine adds stress to life cause I have been out of fit throwing stage for a while, and I'm not really fan of this stage, even if I'm a huge fan of the kiddo.  Yesterday we went to swim at Courtney's pool (my friend from the States that we moved down here with).  We were there about 10 minutes and Katherine decided she would not let it go that she didn't have her floaties and started crying and whining...and crying and whining...and crying and whining.  Finally we had to pull the plug on our pool trip and I took the screaming, no really SCREAMING 3 year old out of the pool and started walking home with her.  The boys stayed cause Jeff was on his way.  The entire, no really the ENTIRE way home she was screaming and kicking while I had to try and wrangle her flailing body so I wouldn't drop her.  She kept screaming "ayudarme por favor" at the top of her lungs.  As I walked through the local neighborhood, people literally were walking out of their houses to see what in the world was going on.  I'm sure it crossed some of their minds that this mean white woman was stealing a child from Costa Rica!  It was quite the walk home.  After we were home she continued the screaming frenzy for about another 20 minutes, it was at this point she was calming enough that I busted out google translation and laid down the law with the little one.  I don't think she could believe her ears cause I was actually speaking her language and setting some rules!  It was freakin awesome.  Afterwards I just kept thinking to myself...I'm pretty bad ass :)  Even though I really don't mind keeping her, I know the change of life is definitely adding to me missing the normalcy of life.  

We also found out today that Natey Rae's dog Shadow died today ;(  If you know Nate and you know Shadow you know how deeply sad that is for him.  Shadow had been sick for a while but the vet told them yesterday that he had an infection in his intestines that even if they tried to treat it, he would die.  Poor puppy didn't make through the day today :(  I got an email from my dad telling us they took him into the vet and it was all over.  I set in my bed and cried, G was already asleep so we will breach that topic in the morning.  Obviously I know it was just a dog, and life will go on, but man does it hurt!!  I haven't talked to my sweet baby brother yet, but gotta get myself together before I can do that!

All these things started to take a toll this weekend as I was longing for familiar things.  It was SuperBowl Sunday weekend and I kept thinking we should be planning a party, shopping for game day foods, wearing jackets; but instead we were sweating since 8am, having a plate of rice and beans at a local Taco Bar, contemplating where we would watch the game if we did at all.  It wasn't even about the game, it was about feeling something familiar.  Jeff asked a couple of times what do you want to do (we all know how I am about rash decisions in the first place) and after about the 3rd time he asked I just started crying.  I even said the words out loud "I just want to go home".  Jeff held me for a while as I let it out.  I don't really want to go home, but I certainly miss the familiar things of home, and at times it makes me sad.  Most days are good, but there are definitely times I wonder why in the heck I live countries away the familiar life and family I love so much!!!  

Especially now with Nate losing Shadow.  I don't know that I would make the 10 hour drive from Colorado to NM, but I know for a fact I would consider it!   I love that kid like he's my own and my heart just breaks thinking about him being sad.  Wish there something I could do, wish I could give him a hug, wish I could see his sweet face in person and tell him it is going to be okay, wish I could just be home with him.  

Don't worry dad, before you go and think I have lost my marbles and head down on the next flight to help your baby girl pack and head home, let me assure you I am okay.  It's hard and there are things about being so far away that I HATE!  There is also 90% of this experience that I LOVE! It's just that the 10% of things I miss so much include my family, friends, and community that we dearly love, so they kinda make a bigger impact me.  

After my cry fest on Sunday, Jeff was determined to make me feel a little more at home and like Super Bowl Sunday.  He ordered Pizza Hut pizza, got some Coca Cola, invited Courtney and Justin over to hang down at Kathia's house with her and the kids, and sent G and I off to the store to try and find something to bake for dessert. Sadly the closest grocery store had nothing even remotely close to familiar baked goodies so we settled on ice cream. On the way there, G asked "Why are you so sad?"  I told him I was just missing being back at home.  He sweetly replied "Me too mom, sometimes I really miss my friends and our house, but it's okay we can go back in a little bit"  His innocent answer somewhat calmed my tears cause he's right, this is only a season and what a great adventure we are on.  It might be hard to be so far away from our family and friends but our time here will pass quickly and soon enough we will be missing our life here in Costa Rica.  Until then I am so glad we are here, with moments of tears thinking of all the ones we love and left behind.  Especially you my sweet Natey Rae, I love you sweet boy and wish nothing more than to give you a big hug and make your tears go away.  I love you like crazy, and all the way to Heaven!  

Here are a couple of videos of Shadow the dog who was seriously addicted to chasing a ball!

Molly's first friend!

Even though not your typical Super Bowl Sunday brunch, it was actually really good!

G got the french toast, although he didn't get his meal for 25 minutes after we got ours! It was gone in about 4 minutes flat!

So glad to have good friends here!

Enjoying ice cream during half time instead of something warm!

Hanging out at Kathia's with familiar faces