Black and White on Black and White

Camouflaged as Moo Moo is on that black and white blanket, it's hard to even see her there. I think that's what she was hoping for. You can't see it in the picture, but as soon as I walked up to her, her tail started thumping. 

Christmas Tree Advent

Growing up, my Grandma Doris Barnes would regularly make sequined felt Christmas ornaments, stockings, and other Christmas decorations for us. I loved them. I still love them. One of the things she made for us was a Christmas tree advent calendar with pockets that held an ornament for each day leading up to Christmas. I loved watching the tree fill up with ornaments and counting down to Christmas. 

Somewhere along the way, the Christmas tree advent got lost or misplaced. For many years (decades) my mom hasn't had it. It is gone. I was talking with Maureen about how much I loved that particular decoration a couple of months ago, and it occurred to me that I could probably find a kit and make one. 

So, I went looking on the internet and found a kit at Wal-Mart. I was so pleased and ordered it the same day I found it. When it arrived, I jumped right in, not really thinking that I would be able to finish it by Christmas (I think I purchased it the first week of November), but I figured I could use it next year. As I worked, however, and saw it coming together, I decided I wanted it for this year, so I stitched and sequined pretty much every evening, even if only for a short time. I listened to an audio book (or two), watched some pickleball while I worked, and little by little, I was able to finish today, December 4th. 

I had enough ornaments to get started on December 1st, and I am absolutely thrilled with the way it turned out. I am so happy I will have this Christmas tree advent this year and in years to come, reminding me of both my childhood and my Grandma Barnes.

Moody Sky

Look at those clouds in Rock Canyon!

So moody!

The Woman in Black

Several months ago, Izzy and I went to a play at the Covey Center, Daddy Long Legs, with Ashley and Lizzie Jensen. It was a romance and I'm not sure how much Izzy liked it. Ashley invited us and I had a nice time.

This month, the Covey is doing The Woman in Black, a gothic mystery that sounded like just the thing Izzy would enjoy. She loves creepy, scary stories, and I figured we could give it another go with Ashley and Lizzie. I invited them, we agreed it would be fun for Halloween, and I got tickets for this evening.

In the end, Izzy decided not to come. Kent, however, was happy to take the spare ticket and together we collected Ashley and Lizzie. The play was performed in the Covey's Black Box Theater which is small and intimate, only three rows of audience members in the round. It feels like you are on the stage. For The Woman in Black, it made it all the more creepy because the action was RIGHT next to you. This mysterious, frightening figure of a tall, gaunt, ghostly woman all in black can materialize out of the dark right next to you and it's freaky! We all loved it! Just right for October!

Called to Serve

Brandt opened his mission call today. He has been called to serve in the Iowa Iowa City Mission and begin his mission on February 17, 2025.

The anticipation of Brandt receiving a mission call has been growing and growing and growing. He began filling out his mission papers in June, but he wasn't in a tremendous hurry. He would do a section or two, then leave it for a while. I took him to the doctor in June and delivered all the necessary paperwork to the doctor. Those got lost somewhere along the way and had to be redone in early September. We went to the dentist and he forgot the paperwork for them, so he had to return to have those filled out again. I had to contact our insurance, and Brandt had to get a haircut so we could take a picture of him looking like a missionary, not Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, that could then be included in the application. Brandt does not like to be told what to do, so all the things he had to do took waaaaaaay longer than they needed to. Then he also had to meet with the bishop and the stake president who pushed the button to submit. That all game together on September 11th, and knowing that calls are delivered on Tuesdays, we anticipated his call would come on September 24th.

Brandt was scheduled to leave for California for a work gig on September 24th and I gently begged him not to go to California. He was going to be paid next to nothing, and after all the waiting and waiting and waiting, if he got his call, I really wanted him to be able to open it. He ignored my pleas and said he needed to go, so then I hoped that the call would come before he left at 11:00am. It didn't. It came an hour after he had left and was on the road.

ARRRRGH!

He spent four days in California and returned early Saturday morning, but I spent the weekend in St. George and didn't return until early afternoon today, Sunday. So today was finally the day when we learned where he was going. I told him he should open his call when he had a quiet moment on his own in California and that the rest of us could be at an "opening" later. He claimed that he waited until today.

We had family and friends come to his opening. We took a poll to see where he would be called and no one guessed Iowa. Not surprising as Iowa is not very flash. However, Iowa is really quite terrific for several reasons. Brandt did not care where he was sent. In his words, "The Lord will send me where I need to go, and so wherever that is, it will be great." That's the kind of person you should send to Iowa. Brandt's favorite movie growing up was Music Man, set in Iowa, so he's going to a place he already loves. But it gets better. Brandt's Grandpa George did his PhD at The University of Iowa, so Kent and family lived in Iowa City for a couple of years. Kent was baptized there. George was the branch president and was tasked with finding a location for the first chapel in Iowa City. George has told us of the tremendous sacrifice that many members made to help fund the building of the chapel. At that time, the members were expected to donate a certain portion of the building costs and George was to raise $10,000. Many of the members were students with young families, like the Barruses were at the time, and they didn't have any extra money. But they gave what they could so see the Kingdom grow in Iowa. That building is now the mission office. We were also excited to learn that Nauvoo is in Brandt's mission. He'll be able to attend the temple, plus we are hoping that he may be able to help with the theatrical performances that go on during the summer in Nauvoo. How fantastic would it be if Brandt could do sound engineering while on his mission? And then there are all the perks of being Stateside where you already speak the language, you understand the culture, all the foods you are used to are readily available, healthcare is good. And Amazon goes to Iowa. It will be wonderful!

We are so excited for Brandt to serve. It feels like a long way away, six months until he starts, but time passes quickly, there will be much to do to get him ready, and he'll be starting before we know it. He'll start home MTC on 17 February, then enter the Provo MTC on 26 February, and then fly to Iowa in early March. 

I am so grateful that Brandt continues to grow in the gospel, that he loves the Lord, that he wants to share the love of Jesus Christ with others. It will be a really hard challenge and a really wonderful opportunity for growth and gospel learning, a foundational experience for Brandt's life going forward. We rejoice is his good choices and are thrilled he will soon be Elder Barrus.

Those who came to the opening:

Grandma Sue, Eugene and Sharae with Blake, Makenna, and Collin,

Christopher and Tysen with Grifin, Crew, and Rowen

Mikayla and Guy and all their children

Mila and Vika

Brent and Brenda, Lee, Cammie, and Aaron

Brianne and Zach

Aaron, Tami, and Sam Oyler, Dan and Nancy Passmore, Will Weidner, 

Mary Atkinson and her friend from England

Brandt's friends Ruth, Nate, Lehi, Nijah, and Jewlian

plus we had family join us on Zoom

Friends and Fellow Servants

I went to a combined with activity this evening. The youth were doing a service scavenger hunt so the adults, especially the young women leaders, stayed at the church while the young people ran around. Janie Rasmussen and I wore essentially the same outfit. Carol Skeeles took our picture.

I love Janie, her example of faithful service even when the job requires much sacrifice, and her joy in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a pleasure to serve with her.

Brandt is Ordained an Elder

Bringing joy to both his parents, today Brandt was ordained an elder by Kent. We have been anticipating this priesthood progression as we have anticipated his mission paper submission, and we were all pleased that it happened. We invited Lee, Cammie, and Aaron, as well as my mom to join us. Charles Helquist needed to be with us as a stake representative, so we had him join Kent, Lee, and Aaron in the circle.

Kent gave Brandt a sweet blessing in addition to ordaining him. He mentioned how happy Grandpa George was to have his last grandson become an elder. I thought about Grandpa De who I'm certain was pleased to have Brandt be his first grandson ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood.  It made me cry thinking about those who have gone before us who I know were participating in the ordination. Kent told Brandt he is a warrior in the fight against Satan, and that the priesthood he now holds will aid him in that fight. He also counseled Brandt to use is priesthood in the service of others.

Exciting things are coming for Brandt. He meets with the Stake President this week for his mission interview, and we are hoping for a mission call by the end of the month. It has been wonderful to see him grow in the gospel and in his testimony and Kent and I are grateful he is continuing on the covenant path.

Mission Photo -- Finally!

The last thing Brandt has had to do before submitting his mission papers was to get a haircut so we could take a picture of him. For weeks he has been putting it off. He's been telling me he was going to shave his head (NOT mission appropriate so no picture until it grew back), that he was going to get a Mohawk (also NOT mission appropriate), that he was never going to get it cut. It has been frustrating. One last, small thing before papers could be submitted, and Brandt has been putting it off. 

Groan

But! he finally went to get a haircut, we were able to take a picture, and he sent the papers off to the bishop. Here's hoping we may have a mission call by the end of August.

We went with this one

A Sizable Squash

Kent has been in charge of the garden since I began working full-time. I just don't have the time to do all the things I have to do inside the house and in the rest of the yard to be able to take care of a garden too. He does a good job, and he likes it.

 While it is easy to see when tomatoes are ripe and ready to be harvested, we have less success with the zucchini. They hide under the large leaves, grow to gargantuan proportions, and then only reveal themselves when they are enormous. Today we harvested this beauty. It was 21 inches long! I shall make zucchini rounds, dipped in panko and air fried, and served with balsamic drizzle. I'll also grate it up and make zucchini muffins. Here's to Summer and bounteous produce.

Inside Out 2

With great anticipation, we have been waiting for Inside Out 2 to come out. Today, we went to see it in the company of cousins. In this installment, the main character hits puberty and the emotions that come with puberty, anxiety, embarrassment, envy, and ennui, hit hard. It made for delightful viewing, mostly because puberty has passed for me. I appreciate wholesome movies and wish Disney didn't have an ulterior motive to brainwash our young people, especially when they are in the throes of puberty and trying to figure out their lives.

Young Women Museum Trip

Our activity for young women this evening was a trip to the Springville Art Museum. I made a scavenger hunt for the girls based on my previous trip with Brenda. We turned the girls loose and let them wander the museum on their own, but at the end gathered together and had each of the girls show us their favorite work of art and tell us why they liked it. It was fun to see what they were drawn to. I like serving with the young women in our ward, and I like serving with my advisors too. 

Hazel Davis, me, Rachel, Ashely, and Lizzie Jensen, Kate Seamons, 

Mia Thornock, Rebekah Stovall, Janie Rasmussen, Ada Bushman

Katherine Speaks in Church

I was asked to speak in church today. I spoke about our identity as children of God. Here is my talk.

Good morning. My name is Katherine DeMartini Barrus. My husband, Kent, and I have been in the ward for 21 years. I have two children, Brandt and Izzy. I'm the oldest of five children, an aunt to many nieces and nephews, a banker by profession, but more of an art lover, a PBS fan, a biker, a friend, and some other things I’ll mention during my talk. 

Of late, I have been thinking a lot about identity. Our daughter, Izzy, has just turned 16 and in very appropriate fashion for someone her age, is working to find herself and figure out who she really is. Many people of all ages are doing the same. I currently serve at the second counselor in the YW presidency and work with the youngest class of girls who I call the Yummy Waffles. Each week we meet, we are reminded of who we are as we jointly recite the young women’s theme. Today, my thoughts are going to be centered on the first sentence of the young women’s theme which contains profound truths applicable to all of us, even if we aren’t young women. Elder Renlund spoke about the young women’s theme in April 2022’s General Conference, and I am going to share some of his thoughts too.

The young women’s theme begins “I am a beloved daughter of heavenly parents, with a diving nature and eternal destiny.”  This statement contains four important truths.

First: We are beloved children. The young men’s theme begins similarly. “I am a beloved son of God.” Elder Renlund said, “Nothing you do—or do not do—can change that. God loves you because you are His spirit daughter [or son]. Sometimes we may not feel His love, but it is always there. God’s love is perfect.3 Our ability to sense that love is not.” 

In the midst of my big challenges, I have found I often doubt God’s awareness of me and what’s happening in my life. I get frustrated when things aren’t going like I had hoped and prayed they would. And when I am not being my best self, I question whether God really can love me the way I am. However, the separation I feel is driven by me, not by God. Romans 8:35, 38-39 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angles, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Elder Uchtdorf, in a conference talk from 2009 titled “The Love of God,” asks “Why does Heavenly Father Love Us?” He answers:

Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.

God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely.

He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.

I am a precious, cherished child of God, and you are too.

The second truth is that we have heavenly parents, a father and a mother. This doctrine is a unique belief among Latter-day Saints. President Oaks explained, “Our theology begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is to be like them.” We have very little information about Mother in Heaven, and Elder Renlund cautions about spiritual speculation in relation to our Heavenly Mother. But even without knowing a lot about heavenly mother, knowing I have one gives me courage, faith, and hope that I can become like Her. I have the potential to be a goddess. The seed of godhood is in me, and in you too.

The third truth in the opening sentence is that we have “a divine nature.” Elder Renlund said, “This is intrinsic to who we are. It is spiritually “genetic,” inherited from our heavenly parents,16 and requires no effort on our part. This is our most important identity, regardless of how else we choose to identify ourselves. Understanding this profound truth is important for everyone but especially for individuals belonging to groups who have been historically marginalized, oppressed, or subjugated. Remember that your most important identity relates to your divine nature as a child of God.”

Some synonyms for divine are godlike, heavenly, celestial, more than human, sacred, excellent in a superhuman degree, extraordinarily good or great. That’s the nature of our souls. Aren’t those wonderful words? 

I attended a youth leadership training meeting last year and Tamara Runia had us do an activity. We all raised an arm so our hands were in the air and she said, “This is your divine nature. Elevated and worthy of God’s love.” With her other hand she said, “This is how we feel about ourselves, and that hand position fluctuates depending on our obedience, our efforts, our repentance.” Sometimes we feel better about ourselves than at other times, but our divine nature never changes.

The fourth truth is that we have an “eternal destiny.” I loved Elder Patrick Kearon’s talk in April’s conference. He spoke of God’s intent to bring us home, of his “fabulous” plan to have us return to Him. 

Our loving Father oversaw the Creation of this very earth for the express purpose of providing an opportunity for you and for me to have the stretching and refining experiences of mortality, the chance to use our God-given moral agency to choose Him, to learn and grow, to make mistakes, to repent, to love God and our neighbour, and to one day return home to Him.

He sent His precious Beloved Son to this fallen world to live the full range of the human experience, to provide an example for the rest of His children to follow, and to atone and redeem. Christ’s great atoning gift removes every roadblock of physical and spiritual death that would separate us from our eternal home.

Everything about the Father’s plan for His beloved children is designed to bring everyone home.

What do God’s messengers, His prophets, call this plan in Restoration scripture? They call it the plan of redemption, the plan of mercy, the great plan of happiness, and the plan of salvation, which is unto all, “through the blood of mine Only Begotten.”

The intent of the Father’s great plan of happiness is your happiness, right here, right now, and in the eternities. It is not to prevent your happiness and cause you instead worry and fear.

The intent of the Father’s plan of redemption is in fact your redemption, your being rescued through the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, freed from the captivity of sin and death. It is not to leave you as you are.

The intent of the Father’s plan of mercy is to extend mercy as you turn back to Him and honour your covenant of fidelity to Him. It is not to deny mercy and inflict pain and sorrow.

The intent of the Father’s plan of salvation is in fact your salvation in the celestial kingdom of glory as you receive “the testimony of Jesus” and offer your whole soul to Him. It is not to keep you out.

Both Elder Kearon and Elder Renlund point out that our return to God’s presence requires us to make choices that will qualify us to be there. We cannot openly rebel against God and Jesus Christ and expect our path to lead to them. Elder Renlund said, “To expect His blessings while not following the eternal laws upon which they are predicated is midguided, like thinking we can touch a hot stove and ‘decide’ not to be burned.” We must make and keep sacred covenants. We must repent, be clean, have faith in Christ, and change our hearts. 

Does this mean we have to sacrifice who we are or be someone different than our true selves? I don’t think so. As we look to define ourselves and to find our place in the world, looking to Christ will help us become our true selves. The 2024 Youth Theme is “I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Being a disciple of Christ means we strive to become like Him. We act and serve as he did, we are obedient to our Father’s commandments as He was. We are his representatives on the Earth as we minister to others. Alma asked “Have ye received [Christ’s] image in your countenance?” Whoever we are, whatever our struggles, inviting Christ to be a part of our lives, and remembering who we really are, children of God, will help us return to our Heavenly Father and receive all his blessings, blessings which are so tremendous we can’t even imagine how fabulous they will be. 

I know I am a beloved daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and eternal destiny. I know Christ lived and atoned for me and you so that we can return to our heavenly home. He is the good shepherd and I want to be part of his fold. I know we are led by a living prophet who speaks in God’s name. I know obedience to God’s commandments will bring blessings. I know that I am a better person, a better me, because of Christ.

Whose Line is it Anyway?

For Christmas, I got Izzy tickets to Hamilton in August. On the spirit of giving Brandt a theatrical experience too, I got him tickets to see the live improv show Whose Line is it Anyway? I gave him the option of going with me or Kent, and because I'm the favorite (wink wink), he and I went this evening. 

We started our date with dinner at 180 Tacos, chatted amiably as we drove to Salt Lake, and went to the show. 

I'm so impressed with people who can improv. They are so clever and quick thinking. The four men who performed were hilarious and had us all in stitches. The show was off-color in parts, and I even had to have Brandt explain something to me. I hope he didn't mind whispering in my ear what I was ignorant about. He didn't seem embarrassed. The sound quality was terrible: there were moments we couldn't hear those on stage at all. Brandt could have done a better job mixing the show. But apart from that, we had a terrific time and laughed and laughed.

We had pretty good tickets!

A Sleepover

Mila has been pestering Bryan about having a sleepover with Izzy. We decided that today would be the day and Bryan brought the girls to me after work. We had dinner together and then the girls all went upstairs for talking, make overs, and general silliness. As it started to get dark, Kent helped them pitch a tent in the backyard, and get all settled for the night. They watched a movie and then all hunkered down in the tent for what we hoped would be sleeping. Moo Moo wanted to join them, but she was made to stay in the house.

They all slept very late, even in the tent, and all emerged hungry. We had waffles for breakfast then did chores. We had to do some shopping to do and took the girls to run around. While Izzy didn't come, I swam with all Bryan's kids in the afternoon. I think everyone was happy with the time together.

Birthday Lunch with Cora

Cora had a birthday on the first. She has turned nine. She has been patiently waiting for her birthday to roll around so we could go to lunch. It's hard to be the last one in the family to celebrate your birthday in the year, but she made it. We went to McDonald's and had a pleasant time chatting. I love this nine-year-old!

Izzy is Sixteen!

It's Izzy's birthday. Sixteen! I love to celebrate our girl, although we didn't do much of that this year. Izzy wasn't in the mood to really party. Sixteen is big and I think she was feeling that. She told me she doesn't want to be an adult and have to do all the grown-up things, and she feels old and anxious about the future. I can certainly relate to the general worry about life but would have liked to have at least taken her to lunch. 

Izzy spent most of the day at the computer. No lunch date, no dinner out. She is planning a birthday party with April North in a few days, so I guess she'll party then. 

I'm honor of the day, here are sixteen things I love about Izzy.

1. Izzy is creative. 
2. Izzy likes to clean. Not so much our space, but in general (wink).
3. Izzy is dramatic. She gets that from Kent (wink).
4. Izzy is thoughtful about other people and thinks about what they might like and how to make them feel better. 
5. Izzy is responsible for herself and her "stuff."
6. Izzy laughs heartily from her gut. It's real laughter. 
7. Izzy loves the dog and will bathe her. 
8. Izzy works hard on her healing. 
9. Izzy likes all sorts of people. 
10. Sometimes Izzy will sit on the bed with me and share things. I love these moments. 
11. Izzy likes to sing and is regularly humming or singing softly.
12. I love Izzy's cheeky smile. 
13. I love Izzy's big plans. Very little with Izzy is small-time.
14. I love it when Izzy will try something new. I like watching her face as she thinks about whether or not she likes it. 
15. I love how Izzy tells stories passionately. 
16. I love that Izzy came to our family and is our daughter.

A Furry Bedfellow

Moo Moo missed us while we were away. She was ecstatic to see us upon our return from Costa Rica, and since our return, she has hardly left our side. Tonight, I came up for bed and found her snuggled up close to Kent, enjoying a pet. We have a good dog!

Saturday Selfies

When my kids were younger, I would often find pictures of them, particularly Brandt, on my phone. Today, I opened the phone and discovered pictures of Freya. She and her sisters were over to play for a little bit until we went swimming at Grandma Sue's. Not only did I find many selfies, I also found some video. In the video she says, "So, we're going swimming. (snort snort) We have a babysitter because  . . . . we need a babysitter." 

I love this girl! And we had a great time swimming.

Traffic Control

Today is the Utah Valley Marathon. Brandt was enlisted by the officers who run his Explorers troop to help with traffic control. He was posted by the shops at Riverwoods so on my way to Costco, I drive by to take a picture. I parked badly and leapt out of the car, trying to be out of the way of the runners and the passing cars. As I came towards Brandt, an officer who was working with him began to come towards me, probably to tell me to move. I called out, "I'm just here to take a picture of the Explorer. I'll be gone in a moment." Brandt, unlike many teenagers, is not embarrassed by his parents, so he posed while I snapped a pic or two. Here's to doing one's civic duty.

Costa Rica, Day 4

Today is Sunday, and even though we are away from home, we still believe in keeping the sabbath day holy. There is a small ward/branch in Quepos which is about 45 minutes from where we are staying. It is in the direction of Manuel Antonio National Park which I had both heard and read about. When I asked Kent what would be an appropriate activity for us to do on a Sunday in Costa Rica, he agreed that wandering around a national park looking at God's creations was acceptable. 

So, we headed south. Izzy chose not to come with us because she did not want to go to church. Given all the interesting things that we saw after church, I felt an hour sitting in a meeting, even if you didn't understand anything said, was worth the rest of the day. She didn't. 

The church building was very small. We drove right past it trying to find it. Brandt was the one to see it. A senior missionary conducted the meeting. We downloaded songs in Spanish and tried to sing along. We did okay with the opening song, and the sacrament hymn, neither of which were too fast. The intermediary hymn was Battle Hymn of the Republic, which was very difficult to sing in Spanish. The tempo is lively, so we had a hard time trying to figure out the Spanish to the quick tempo. We were okay when we got to Glory, Glory Hallelujah. 

There were three speakers, a youth speaker, a sister missionary, and a young father who brought up his son to stand next to him while he spoke. I was able to understand bits and pieces, some words that were similar to those in French, but we largely spent the hour not understanding. We chose not to stay for Relief Society and Priesthood. 

Dave had told me not to bother to get a guide at any of the places that we went. He said if we went to Manuel Antonio, just follow a tour group along, and when they saw something, look at what they were looking at. I had purchased some small binoculars just for said purpose. When we arrived, however, we were ushered off the road by a very enthusiastic and forceful man who asked if we were going to Manuel Antonio. When I said yes, he asked if we had tickets. I told him we did not, so he said come right here and we can buy them, he would get them for us. We forked over what seemed like an awful lot of money, were ushered into a parking spot along the beach between two palm trees, and told our guide would be with us shortly. 

None of these people had anything to do with Manuel Antonio National Park. Officially. They did get us tickets, and they did get us a guide, and they probably fleeced us. But by the end of the whole experience, it was fine. We saw amazing things we would not have seen without a guide, and while we almost certainly paid more than we needed to, I suppose we can afford it. I hate to be taken advantage of, but it is our first time in Costa Rica, so I suppose that's going to happen. 

We saw some really amazing creatures in the national park. When I came to Costa Rica, I really wanted to see a sloth. We saw three, and one of them up close. It had come down out of a tree to poop and was only a few feet away from us. I was amazed! We saw a hummingbird nesting, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, these wonderful, blue-bodied crabs with bright orange legs, a snake, and various lizards. Our guide had a telescope that allowed us to see all of the creatures up close, and to take pictures through the telescope, and he had lots to tell us about the animals. 

We were a group of ten people, but William, our guide, only seemed to remember our names. We would come to an animal, and he would immediately say," Katie, Katie, get me your camera.”

These brightly colored crabs live in burrows on the forest floor and eat the rotting vegetation. We saw them all over.

A basilisk knows as a Jesus lizard.

They are able to run across water for a significant distance before sinking

due to the large surface area of their feet.

These capuchin monkeys were right next to a walkway. They balanced on railing right behind us, so close I worried one would jump into our arms. They were so cute and mischievous. One reached into a woman's bag and pulled out a bag of hair elastics, then darted away into the trees to try and open it, very likely hoping it was something delicious to eat.

This black spiny-tailed iguana strolled across the path we were walking on.

One of the three sloths we saw.

The second sloth.

This is the one that was on the ground right under the walkway.

We could have touched it, but didn't.

Howler monkeys

\

We would have walked right past this nesting hummingbird without a guide.

Its nest was under the huge leaves of a huge bush/tree.

It was tiny!

The snake as seen through the telescope.

The beach we looked at.

We did not get in the water.

A wild hermit crab

Another capuchin monkey

I saw this one while looking for raccoons.

Another sloth!

We returned to the house, getting back about 4:00 in the afternoon. We read, we napped, we watched another torrential downpour. The weather here has been very accommodating. The days have been lovely, and the evenings have been wet. It has rained everyday we've been here, but never at a time when any of our activities were interrupted. I've been grateful. 

After the rain we drove into Esterillos. We are staying in Esterillos Oeste, and Esterillos is about 15 minutes south. We went to have dinner at an Italian restaurant. We sat outside, enjoyed the cool air that came after the rain, and ate delicious food while talking and laughing. It was a lovely end to the day.