Open House, Open Heart...

April is almost over, I can hardly believe it. Time is FLYING by here. there is so much going on at the base and Caleb has been so busy. I have a handful of photos I want to share with you on the blog today and chat a little bit about how blessed we've been. a favoritve photo of mine of our family on vacation back when we first arrived.  Before we left God spoke to both Caleb and I about trusting and believing that this was going to be a time of blessing. As we thinned out our personal belongings, either selling them or giving them away, we did so believing and knowing that no matter where we end up now or in the future God was going to take care of our needs. when we hiked to a waterfall with baby A <3 So here we are 2 months down the road. I cant tell you a time when God has not been present- which for those of you of faith, I'm sure you are not surprised :). We have been blessed with companionship when we have been lonely, (we've made good friends here at t...

In case you are wondering.. I am still learning.  When we make a choice to do something, to love someone, to take on a new adventure, to commit to a new job or to become a parent, we are learning . It seems nearly impossible to live life's experiences and not be absorbing something at some point.  Moving to Costa Rica has not looked like I thought it would. Not at all really. In some ways that's good and in some ways its been hard. It seems that in every circumstance I am confronted with, God reminds me that this is a learning experience , an opportunity to grow.  I have a lot of thoughts running through my head and not a lot of words being typed out. All in all I am thankful that although sometimes my plans don't look like Gods plans, I am happy knowing I am in good hands.  This is short but i wanted to just share a few thoughts and a few photos.  Lots of Love, Briana 

We are days away from being in Costa Rica for one month! In some ways it has gone so quickly, but on the other hand it seems like we have been outside the states for quite awhile now! Axel turned 8 Months on the 6th! He finally has one little tooth on the bottom that is just barely showing and is army crawling! its an exciting time as he grows so quickly. He is feisty and intelligent. Everyone on the base has commented on how he is strong willed, determined, enthusiastic, and very expressive! He is always making people laugh. We took a trip with friends to their hometown Sarchi to celebrate! It is about an hour outside of San Jose.  It was BEAUTIFUL! they took us up in the Mountains right outside of town. It was really such a blessing. We were hesitant to go since Axel doesn't do well in the care (he screamed quite a bit) but it was well worth it! Some lovely pictures Caleb took. It was so serene. Such a nice break from the busy city. Our room is facing the road (whic...

I've been avoiding my blog knowing I should update it. Things have been really hard for me here In CR and I just dont want to turn this post into a sob-session or the place where I turn into a mega negative nancy. So i'm going to keep this as positive as humanly possible.. my humanly possible that is. Caleb and I have had stomach issues on and off for about 2 weeks now.Whether  it be cramping, nausea, diarrhea or vomiting - you name, we've had it. I'm so over being sick. I've had a really hard time with my gluten/dairy intolerances and have had a hard time finding enough alternatives to where i'm still getting the amount of calories I need to be nursing Axel. I'm always hungry it seems. I've lost a generous amount of weight and am not super excited about it. On the upside- we are finally getting a little more into our "positions" here on base. It has taken longer than we thought due to never feeling well. Caleb has had to help me with Axel ...

We've had so much go on in the past 2 weeks. It was a time with family and a time of transition . Unfortunately, earlier this week Caleb got food poisoning and was sick for about 2 and 1/2 days.  My Mom, Step-dad and Sister Rachel flew in a week ago today. They spent the week with us- visiting some different spots in Costa rica. We tried yummy food. Breakfast at the base! Bananas, plantain and a mango! the bananas are so tiny! This is what they call "Casado" which is their typical meal here. This was by far my favorite food yet! It was served on a banana leaf and wooden tray! Relaxed. Took Axel to the Ocean for the first time! playing in the sand of course. Went for a VERY long hike to see a beautiful waterfall. (Caleb carried Axel in his hiking back pack the whole way. it was about 8km of mountain terrain. probably one of the most difficult hikes i've ever done. It was nice to have family here because it really helped me feel more ...

I'm going to work on this post over the next couple days. Our last 2 days in Minnesota, our day of traveling and some of our first days in Costa Rica. Bare with me folks, this could get rough. Saturday 3/8 : Today is our going away/birthday party for Caleb and his Dad Kendy with the Parker Clan. We are finally all closer to being completely healthy. I am not finished packing, not ready to say goodbye, not ready for a crazy Monday/drive to the airport. Just not ready. I'm not ready to unload all our bags at the airport and say a tearful goodbye. I'm not ready to speak in Spanish, not ready for my pale skin to be exposed to the hot sun, but thankfully, today is not Monday. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." -Deuteronomy 31:8 Monday 3/10:  I survived!! I made it to Monday. We are currently on our flight to Denver. Goodbyes were hard but God is faithful. We ha...

OH. MY. WORD. 5 DAYS! I can hardly believe we are 5 days away from moving! I have Axel and I's bags packed. Caleb has all the camera and sound equipment ready to go. Now we just have to get the little last odds and ends before we leave. I think I got sick from Caleb. We are all 3 sick now. Axel is going back to the doctor tomorrow so they can listen to his lungs. I am nervous about traveling with him sick, but am praying for healing! I wanted to share a few photos we took of Axel about a week ago while in New Ulm.  We never got pictures of him in the snow so we ran out and sat him on a sled at Sheri's house. :) Can't leave Minnesota without pictures in the snow. He is sick in these pictures. Kind of crabby, boogers, has a cough, but happy. Enjoying the snowflakes and proud of sitting up by himself. I wish i could show you the wiggle he does when he sits up by himself. So precious. Such a little peanut. His (fake) grandma Sheri knit this blanket for him. She...