Open House, Open Heart...

I'm having one of those days that if you asked me where I was from I'd talk about Minnesota like its the best place on earth. I'd tell you about the beautiful snow, the delicious food, my friends, my family. All the glorious things, ya know? Today I am homesick. I've noticed that when I'm homesick in my head.. there is absolutely no place like home. Which is true, in some ways. Minnesota is really one of a kind,  but I know deep down that although I miss it at times there is one truth I always try and hold on to no matter where I am. Its something that God spoke to me nearly 4 years ago when I was in Argentina. God reminded me that home is not a physical place on earth, it is in his hands . And until I go to heaven I depend on that as my truth, that no matter where I am, I am home because I am in his hands. So as much as I would love to be with my Sister(in-laws) watching the kids play and drinking lemonade, or heading to grandma and grandpas house to enjoy...

Please excuse my absence. This month went way too fast. I partially blame it on my teething 9 month old who keeps me busy. He not only keeps me busy but also blesses me with joy. a fun Video of Axel Cracking up :)   I'm going to try and do a quick recap of the month. If I go too into detail this will be the longest post I've ever posted. So we will keep things simple. I had a blessed and beautiful Mothers Day. Caleb treated me to a DELICIOUS breakfast. brussel sprouts are my favorite! bacon is a luxury here! Kind of spendy! Gluten free donuts! :) Apples and sparkling juice. I also got 2 sweet gifts, my favorite chocolates and a succulent. I have ALWAYS wanted one like this! We spent alot of the day figuring out what was wrong with Axel. around 11 he started what was a 4 day stretch of a 101 to 102 fever. Snuggles with Dad and his Lamb/Cat since he wasnt feeling well. And so the teething began. With his fever we decided to cancel our plans...

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 ...