COSTA RICA

So for those of you who remember- we planned on going to Costa Rica last New Years but missed our flight by 24 hours. Here is the link to last year's blog about it. http://mikidees.blogspot.com/2008/01/costa-rica-we-have-been-planning-to.html We actually made it this year. And it was awesome!

The night before we got a little scare. I picked Lily up by her arm and her elbow dislocated. So here I am at the ER 2 hours before we were supposed to leave thinking. It is happening again we won't make it and it is ALL MY FAULT! The doctor popped her little arm back into place and every thing turned out okay but I learned

NEVER PICK YOU KIDS UP BY ONLY THEIR ARMS!!!!!!!!

When we got our boarding passes we were SO excited because we were actually going this year. My dear friend Mandy came and was awesome enough to watch Jensen, Lily and Brooklyn, Celeste's daughter, for us. And it was a good thing too.

We flew from midnight till 5 am then drove two hours to a volcano and then 6 hours after that. The kids would have gone crazy! The Volcano was pretty awesome. I'll have Dave, the resident Geologist tell you more about it.

And Costa Rica is in the middle of the Jungle. So it is pretty cool to see things you don't normally get to see. Like plants with leaves that are bigger than I am! We walked out on crocodile bride. And WOW just sitting there was a swarm of crocs! In the wild! It was awesome.

We went to a reptile zoo. It was so much fun there were awesome snakes and a kimono dragon.

The dragon's really smart. She is as smart as a dog or a pig and responds to her name. But also has over 50 killer bacteria in it's mouth.
A huge turtle eating.

And Dave and I being turtles.

Two male lizards that hung out by our pool and fought all day long. ZIP LINE through the jungle!

During our Zip line tour our guide pointed out the leaf cutter ants. They were awesome. They have quantity control ants who reject the leaves that won't grow the fungus that they eat.

He then brought us to the ant hill, which was literally an entire hillside. And he banged on the side. Big huge solider ants came crawling out. He explained that the ants don't bite but instead they pinch. And their heads, after they had been removed from their body, were used as stitches. He asked for a volunteer. And really would it be me if I didn't volunteer? So I HAD A SOLIDER ANT BITE ME! :)

A cool little waterfall we walked to.

Dave and I and Celeste and Brad drove on an ATV tour. I LOVE DRIVING ATVS! On our ATV ride. Went to a waterfall. and of course 30 seconds after arriving I slipped down some rocks landed in the water and cut up my hand! I have come to a conclusion. I know I am klutzy and so when I fall I'm not disappointed.
Mom and Dave and I rode horses through the jungle. It was so beautiful! I hadn't rode horses for such a long time before. I was sore for three days afterwards.

We rode horses to this amazing waterfall. The tour guide swam out there with a rope and climbed up through the rushing water and tied off a rope to have us to climb up. It took a little gathering of courage. But it was so much fun. Watch the red shorts.


Touching Tucan Sam:)