Selvatura Zipline Keith, Nan, Melvin, Savannah and Tucker went on the Selvatura ziplines. There were 13 platforms; the last line was 1 kilometer long (3280 ft) and was high above the treetops. There was a 'tarzan swing' included, where you jump off a platform and swing for a few minutes
Monteverde Night Hike Keith, Tucker and Grandpa Knight went on a night hike in the Monteverde area to see some nocturnal creatures. Brown Jay Headlight Click Beetle Side-Striped Palm Pit Viper Orange-kneed Tarantula Nightengale Thrush
Monteverde house and Selvatura Hanging Bridges Our drive up to Monteverde looked like this; a very windy, dry, rocky road. our airb&b Really cool woodwork in this house, including this bed that has 'fractal woodburning' decorations Coatis would come to visit us in our backyard our balcony overlooked the wooded area where
Going back to La Fortuna and Volcan Arenal In La Fortuna, playing around with fallen palm fronds. Getting a picture of the volcano. We stayed a couple nights at the same house we rented in January. We went to Caño Negro and the Rio Frio near the border of Nicaragua to go on a river tour. A turtle
Family Soccer League Our house has a large, grassy, flat area -- perfect for soccer. So we bought a soccer ball today and Savannah and I challenged Tucker and Carson to a game of soccer. Savannah and I won 2 to 0, but the boys have requested a rematch. (We actually played width-wise
Ice Cream at Fortuna Park At the center of La Fortuna is the Catholic church -- Parroquia San Juan Bosco -- and Fortuna Park. Fortuna Park is a beautiful area where people tend to relax and talk. We were hopeful to find good ice cream at the nearby gelato shop, but the results were mixed. Some flavors
Kids Shopping Alone Tucker and Savannah walked to a nearby store to buy some treats. They brought their Colones (Costa Rican currency) and a cheat sheet with common shopping phrases in Spanish just in case. Pretty brave of them to handle the transaction in Spanish without their parents. Tucker bought: Pinguinos (like Hostess
Arenal Volcano National Park As we finished breakfast, six toucans flew up to our house. An amazing way to start the day. Despite the overcast, slightly rainy day, we decided to head to Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal (Arenal Volcano National Park). Clouds are almost always covering the peak of the volcano, for a few
New house in La Fortuna, Costa Rica The 'Peter Pan House' didn't suit us. We moved out early and got a different rental in northern Costa Rica near the Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna. This is us driving down our driveway, Tucker and Savannah are opening the gate for us before we go
Homeschool Study Areas The kids are adapting to the new homeschool study areas in our home near La Fortuna, Costa Rica. If you look closely, you can see Tucker studying Spanish in the covered patio: Savannah writing in the hammock:
Homeschool PE Class Goodbye Party, last day Coach Zack let Carson, Tucker and Savannah choose the sports they would be playing during the last week before the holidays, since it would be their last classes. They played dodgeball on their last day. Then coach announced that there would be a surprise: pizza, cookies and cupcakes after class.
Trunk or Treat at the Church The Church hosts a 'Trunk or Treat', where the kids can trick-or-treat at the decorated cars in the church parking lot. It was nice and quick, and the kids had a great time. We didn't have room to bring costumes, so we used costumes
Virginia City, NV Tour with Grandma and Grandpa Virginia City, NV is always a fun places to visit as a family. We started with the beautiful Catholic Church: Then took a historic guided train ride. Tucker really likes mining and minerals, so we want to take a tour of one of the mines from the 1800's.
RockCreek Family Retreat - Salamander Resort RockCreek held a family retreat last weekend at the Salamander Resort in Middleburg, VA. The Salamander Resort is an upscale hotel and resort on 340 scenic acres. It hosts many equestrian and other unique outdoor experiences. Angela and Carson participated in the Falconry course. It included an hour long class
Scout Campout Carson, Tucker, and I went on a quick camping trip in Oakton, VA, in the Scout Leaders yard. The kids prepared their own foil dinners with hamburger, carrots, and potatoes and cooked them over the fire.
Cub Scout Hike at the Gerry Connolly County Trial Tucker and Keith went for a hike with the Cub Scouts on the Gerry Connolly County Trail in Fairfax. Part of the trail runs behind our house, but we went a few miles from our house. It always amazes me that these beautiful trails are so close to home. It
Clay Sculpture by Tucker Tucker made this caterpillar with some clay, and baked it in the oven so it would harden.
Tucker's Birthday Tucker has been anxiously anticipating his birthday and it has finally arrived! This year, each of the kids is allowed to pick an experience or event, plus select a restaurant for their birthday dinner. So Tucker chose horseback riding at the Rocking S Ranch in Winchester Virginia as his experience
Horseback Riding at Rocking S Ranch, Winchester, VA We drove about an hour and a half northwest to get to Winchester, VA to visit the Rocking S Ranch. Bill owns the Rocking S Ranch and was our trail guide (and he took most of these pictures). He was very friendly and made us feel welcome. He adjusted each
Tucker's pack meeting - bottle rockets Tucker's cub scout pack had their last pack meeting before the summer. They did bottle rockets, where you pump air into a 2-liter bottle and then let it go shooting up into the air. Sometimes they would go about 50 feet high!
3-D shapes Aunt Diane sent the kids a 'summer fun pack' with a couple of 3-D shapes the boys constructed. Tucker's is the star and Carson's is the other one ( they have super complicated names for them).
