~Costa Rica: Going Home~

 Our last day of Costa Rica was mostly spent at the villa talking about missions, swimming in the pool, cleaning up the house, wash and packing clothes, and polishing off the last of the tropical fruit.  Still we had one more adventure to go on before we were ready to say goodbye to the sun.  We had heard of a waterfall hike not far from our villa so we drove inland, asking for directions until we reached a house in the hills where we parked the car and paid the owner for allowing us to walk through their property.  

With kids in tow and Havianas on my feet we headed out across mucky cow pastures, streams, slick rocks, and muddy slippery uneven jungle ground.  Nick and Erin both had flipflops on too, and we quickly learned this was not our wisest choice.  Nick had Cordy in the front pack and I was carrying the big camera case backpack, adding to our lack of balance.  I believe my brothers had the older to kids on their shoulders once they realized how "unmarked" and "natural" our trail was.  At a certain point we realized we were better off to just go barefoot, which lead to lots of laughing on my part as I didn't always know what mushy muck was squishing between my toes.  (I tend to use laughter as a coping mechanism when I feel awkward.  I figure it's better than crying.)  Oh, and did I mention that the sun was going down?  

So yes, we were on an unmarked trail through the Costa Rican wilderness with no shoes in twilight.  We finally arrived at the waterfalls and marveled at the beauty!  Ryan, Nick, Robert, and my dad climbed up to the second and third tier and I grabbed my camera to take so pictures... but my battery was dead!!!!  I could believe I carried that stupid backpack all that way shoeless only to haul it back out without ANY PICTURES!  

After a few minutes Erin and I headed back to the car ever so slowly through the mud and muck, laughed all the way as it began to rain and the sun went down.  I kept laughing, but felt a twinge of sadness as I realized it was the last time I would see the sun in Costa Rica.  

After days and days of happy sun, fresh tropical smells, warm breezes, and salty sandy beaches, and lots of family bonding it was time to go home. The next morning long before the sun came up we loaded into our 12 passenger van and headed back to the airport.  

I did my very best not to cry when we said goodbye to Erin and Ryan, who would be flying out the next day.  Then I did my very best to not cry as we quickly said goodbye to my brothers and parents in Denver so they could run to make their connecting flight to Salt Lake.  Then I did my very best not to cry when I realized that our flight to Omaha was cancelled due to a blizzard.  While Nick stood in line for TWO HOURS I did my best not to cry as the kids fought, refused to watch a movie on the dvd player, and Cordy had a nasty blow-out.  When Nick told me we would have to stay in Denver over night without any luggage I did my best not to cry as I counted how many diapers I had left and kicked myself for not packing extra clothes for anyone but Cordy.  Then as the kids fought over happy meal toys in the airport, refusing to eat their food, and people looked at us like we were from outerspace I did my very best not to cry in my PandaExpress.  When we missed our shuttle to the airport FOUR TIMES because Nick had the wrong hotel name and it was well below freezing outside and we had nothing but t-shirts and light hoodies and the kids were melting with exhaustion and Lyssa fell asleep in my lap right inside the door I finally broke down and cried and cried and cried.  After that night I decided I couldn't cry anymore.  I just had to do whatever it took to get home.

The next morning as we put back on our dirty clothes and rode the shuttle back to the airport in negative 20 I didn't cry.  When we went through the crazy long lines in security with the kids (for the third time in two days) and they acted like toxic midgets I didn't cry.  When they fought over Jamba Juice straws and accidentally spilled their smoothies all food court I didn't cry.  When the luggage carousel stopped in Omaha and none of our luggage was on it I did not cry.  When we finally found all our luggage and Nick left me to go chip his way into our frozen car and the toxic midgets started screaming and fighting and running around in circles I didn't cry.  When everyone was howling and whining for food the car ride home from Omaha I didn't cry. When I got home and our driveway was knee deep in snow I didn't cry.  

The bright side to it all was that the trip home was so horrendous that we weren't so sad about coming home.  If it had been an easy trip we would have arrived home heavy hearted.  As it was, we were so glad to be home we didn't have any time to feel sad about having to say goodbye to the warm sun or our wonderful family.  

You may be asking yourself "After going through all that coming home with three kids in tow was it worth it?  Would you do it again?"  

Yes. 

I would do it all over again in a heartbeat if I could go back to Costa Rica.  

It was a truly amazing vacation, and one we will likely not forget any time soon. 

(Alec talks about it almost every day and even plays "Going to Costa Rica" with his friends!)

Thank you so much, Mom and Dad!

We love you more than a Costa Rican vacation. :-)