(I’m a bit tardy to the thankful party because of computer issues. But I thought it was better to be a bit late than to miss out entirely.)
I love Sundays and thinking about all the things I’m thankful for. And although I have many blessing in my life, here are this week’s top ten:
1) During my Costa Rican vacation, there were no frantic or emergency-related calls from home. As the mother of Lindsey, this hasn’t always been the case. Usually some crisis occurs when we travel. But not this time, I’m grateful her life was filled with peace and harmony while I was out of the country.
2) The place we rented in Samara (near the beach) had a troupe of vocal holler monkeys that announced each visit to our backyard. (When I first heard them, my initial thoughts were that a sick or hurt dog was nearby.) I’m thankful that the troupe included daddies and mommies and babies (oh my!). I feel so lucky!
3) For the many walks on Samara and/or Carillo beach every single day.
4) For the ice-cold beer, fresh chips, salsa, and guacamole we enjoyed at beachfront restaurants while watching puppies playing in the surf, wild horses trotting by, and the sand crabs chasing each other.
5) For the incredible Costa Rica sunsets. Our final night’s was the very best. A fantastic farewell to fifteen days in the Central American heat.
6) That I didn’t get stung by a Costa Rican scorpion Sunday morning. We’d been traveling with another couple—my husband’s college friend and his lovely wife. Preparing for the trip home, Dani piled a stack of clothes in her room that she planned to wear home. When she separated them, something stung her middle finger. Dani yanked the clothing hard and a brown scorpion fell to the floor. Fortunately, Costa Rican scorpions hurt (often worse than a bee sting) but are not deadly. I’m also incredibly grateful we didn’t have to end our holiday at a local hospital worrying about our friend.
7) That although this was the end of the rainy season in this region of Costa Rica, we had more sunshine than we did rain.
8) For the hike through the jungle with Álvaro from Samara Trails. His grandfather owns several hundred acres of land that has been turned into a private refuge. We spent two hours climbing jungle trails learning about the local flora and fauna. Holler monkeys and butterflies and birds also showed themselves during the hike. In the middle of the tour, Alvarro stopped at an incredible viewpoint overlooking Samara Bay and feed us fresh pineapple and watermelon. I’m thankful for that experience.
9) That although I repeatedly asked (anyone who’d listen and understood English) about seeing sloths during our trip, I was told over and over that we were in the wrong region. I wanted my husband to see one firsthand because the last time I’d visited Costa Rica (with friends) we saw a sloth and her baby at Manuel Antonio Park. Álvaro from Samara Trails said he has lived in Costa Rica his entire life and he’s never seen a mama and baby. I thought seeing one was a regular occurrence for tourists and didn’t realize how lucky I was. Now I’m grateful I had that experience. And I ended up seeing hundreds of sloths in the most unexpected place. The airport. They were stuffed, but at this point I didn’t care. They were adorable.
10) That today would have been my favorite grandmother’s birthday. If she were still alive, she would’ve turned 102. I miss her and all that great “life advice” she regularly handed out. Happy birthday, Grandma. Wish you were still here, but I’m so thankful I had you around for so many precious years. It was great being your favorite grandchild.
My first book will be coming out September 26, 2017. If you are interested in learning more about Loving Lindsey: Raising a Daughter with Special Needs, please click here.
