perfect christmas

I almost cannot even believe that I was in Costa Rica just one short week ago. I don't even know where to begin with the highlights, because it was all so gloriously perfect. So, I'll call this the

"short list of Costa Rican favs"

clean sky
thick air
kind peoplemodest culturelistening to my family communicate in spanish
attempting to communicate in spanish
lush landscape
alligators over the side of the bridge
butterfly gardensterrifying rain forest canopy tour by a series of zip lines and tarzan swingsour exciting house planted on a the hill overlooking the pacific ocean
my and rachel's room with a huge canopy bed, enormous bathroom, and an exit that led right into the poolfloating in the pool at night under the stars with my niece and nephew
laughs shared over dinner
personal chefmonkeys that climbed into our open air living room
soft sand at the beachwarm ocean water
crazy ride on a banana boat through the bay
watching caroline and will make discoveries
sloths hanging on treesthe tame deer in the national park
climbing the front of a waterfallriding on a bench in the back of a pickup truck through the junglethe sunsetstres leches

parasailing

And here is the short list of some of my favorite photos.

The pics are still rollin in from the fam, so there are plenty more to come.

Jen climbing up a waterfall. This was the best excursion. I didn't think I would be able to climb up there, but

I did it.

We were trying to pose for the perfect family picture, but we may need to photoshop a different pic of Will for the Christmas letter.

This sign forgets to show a deer. Yes there was a perfect tame deer in the park, that was unfazed by humans.
I pet that deer. I thought we all were posing. We were totally stoked in this picture, and didn't realize that it would be a crazy ride. We all fell off four different times, and Rachel flew off the back.
Rachel, "I GOING TO FALL OFF!!"
Me, "YOU'RE FINE! JUST HOLD ON!"

This picture does not do our glorious bedroom justice.

The view from our room and the pool.

Gravy is so calm in this picture. I don't have a picture of me from this tarzan swing, but I know I was terrified.

Rachel stretching before our zip line adventure.

We are happy that we didn't fall to our death.

I love Christmastime. Christmas Day is usually stressful. I always feel like holidays happen too quickly. We all look forward to that ONE DAY, and then it's all over. That's not how I like it. So, I prescribe to the season.
I am so purely happy, because I have been able to spend so much time with my family. We spent my birthday, Thanksgiving, and a special early Christmas in Costa Rica together.