This past summer...

Hey people out there, did you have an amazing summer just like me? I am having the time of my life with my family and kids. We payed off the house, decided to stay in Idaho, re-furnished our home once again and are currently having a great time, not working, being together and having fun doing anything we please. I have to say, I'm getting an itch to go back to work... As a matter of fact I want to work on my resume this week. Tomorrow we'll be leaving to Portland where Brett's band will perform. I'm excited about my trip with my hubby and the band. I took a trip with my friend Marti to Seattle, it was lots of fun, we did lots of crazy things together and had a great time. We also took Kallie to Disneyland, and met the Hydes over there. My house looks amazingly beautiful all put together... I'm so glad we stayed. Once in a while we get nostalgic and miss Costa Rica. It'll be interesting to see if we end up back there next year after our year off. Brett could decide he wants to go back and work over there. Jake and Alex are doing very well. Jake started K12 on Monday, and he is very dedicated to his studies. He is currently working for Target in Eagle rd. Alex starts Centennial high on Monday and he is very excited. Alex is 14 years old now.. gosh! my baby grew fast. Shawn is doing amazing with T-mobile, still being the top call center agent here in Boise, he will keep trying to climb the ladder with them and make a career. He is making good money and has purchased a brand new Ford Mustang... I'm happy my son is a good kid, he is and amazing son. What makes Shawn amazing are his brotherly skills... he is extremelly close to his sibblings, he takes them places almost everyday and buys them stuff they want. Shawn has learned to manage his money very well, has total control over his finances and is doing well.
Erica is not working at the moment... she is attending school full time and will be graduating as a nail technician. She is currently attending Oliver Finley Academy. My daughter looks stunning! Boys are comming out of every direction to date her, she is very popular this days which creates a small problem. She has also become very picky about whom she dates, and that's a good thing. Erica keeps loosing weigh and is looking very nice. We are so thankful for everything she does for us. She is our trusted babysitter and we apreciate her help.. I love my Erica, she and I are good friends.
I'm managing to keep my weight off and feel great about it, you ladies out there know how hard this could be for some of us.
So I will tell you, I just turned 46.... I look and feel terrific for 46, and look forward to 50 as long as I stay fit and healthy. Brett and I went downtown Boise to "explore" the dancing clubs, and we blended with the youth there very well.. We danced and had a heck of a time... we were so happy having a good time, after dancing we worked out an appetite so we shared a delicious Nathan hot dog from a street vendor. We need to do that more often.
Yesterday we went to the fair... it looks just like it did 20 years ago, nothing has changed, lol. We ate a greek gyro, churros, and finger steaks. It was fun! Anyway, I must quit writing since I have to go get ready, Brett wants to go out again.

Retired life...

I never thought I would enjoy having Brett home so much. We love being retired, doing as we please, when we please. It's so nice to have fun as a couple, go out everyday, it's like being on vacation everyday. I wonder how long this will last? We are going to Disney on Thursday with Scott and Tawni, but after we get home, will we be tired of this long vacation? Our heads are filled of choices regarding what to do with the rest of our lives. Here is our list of choices:

1. We move to Costa Rica, were we own a house free and clear, have a ton of money in the bank, where we didn't have to work but if we did we could easily start a profitable business. We could also buy a condo here in Boise so we'll have a place to stay when we come to visit. Brett has a job with HP back in CR who has offered to rehire him back in a year.. This choice will leave us very well off, no worries, peaceful life... now, the downside is our kids. Jake and Alex don't like Costa Rica, they will have to continue to do online school. Kallie loves her schooll over there, she has no problems with the move.
2. We stay here, pay off our exsisting home and all debt. Brett and Rossana will be happy here with the kids. Most likely we will get jobs and rejoin the hectic way of life here in the USA. The downside, we don't get to live in to Costa Rica where our peaceful way of life and relaxation is, our weekly trips to the beach and no stress living. The good thing is our kids will be happy attending school here.
3. We have been looking at new houses, and there are some amazing buys here in Boise.. we could buy the house of our dreams and become home owners, without a mortgage. In order to maintain the home we will have to work and say good bye to our Costa Rica dream.
4. We could sell our house, purchase a condo here in Boise, and live in it till our kids graduate from school. We could have Brett and Rossana continue to comute back and forth from Costa Rica, but that takes away the ability of being full time parent to our older boys. Brett, Rossana and Kallie will be happy in Costa Rica, the boys could go visit anytime they wanted, but since they love it here more, they will always have a place to stay here in the USA.

Choices!!! I wonder which path we will take? We are praying very hard for guidance and direction.

Our new home here in Costa Rica...

View of the front Gate of the complex. The guard house is to the left. View as you get in... our house in at the top of the hill.

Here is a view of our construction.. it'll be a little ove 1800 sq feet.

This is what the houses look like form the front entrance...

A new twist in events in the Pedersen Saga..

As you all know we are coming home to our beautiful Boise Idaho in a week from now. We look forward to be with our children and relatives and to take care of a few family issues we have regarding the kids school and extra curriculum activities (Jake's driving school and girls) lol. Anyway, Brett has been in a down mood since he found out our time here was limited, we know how much he LOVES working here. Here he is appreciated and admire for the great job he is doing, he has started this call center from scratch and made it very successful, he loves the people working under him, supervisors and managers. He has made good friends at work, and everything about leaving is making him sad. A few weeks ago he went looking for a house or condo for us to purchase, I personally wanted no part on the deal. He found one that he liked a lot. At that time there were seven condos available, and he was talking about the possibility of moving back here, once again I didn't listen. Last Saturday, I asked him to take me to see them for the first time, and the unbelievable happened... I loved the house! It was perfect! They showed us a model home, and told us that there was only one left, all the others were sold. Oh my! should we buy one or not... we prayed, we went out to dinner and discussed the issue, and the more we talked about it, the more it made sense to buy it. That same day we went over and signed the papers.. we are paying cash for it, we have a new home being built here in Costa Rica, it's in a secure neighborhood, with 24 hr guards at the gate, the complex will have a pool, a work out room, playground, and much more... it's also within walking distance to our Mormon Temple, so nice. We are planning to make Costa Rica our permanent home, with Boise being our secondary home.

Brett has been offered his job back here in six month... as a matter of fact his boss wants him back as soon as possible, but six month is the soonest he could be back with HP here in Costa Rica. We also want to open up a business here.. We have plenty of ideas, and businesses thrive here, specially American businesses. On the other hand, if we come back to Boise and want nothing to do with Costa Rica, then we have made a great investment, since the house will sell for about 30k to 40k more after is done being built. No great risk. We have decided to leave all our stuff in storage here in Costa Rica to furnish our new place that will be done being build in October. We have more adventures to come and we are thrilled. People at HP Costa Rica are super excited to have Brett back as a general manager, and I'm excited about starting a new business. We will spent the next six months in Boise having a good time with our kids, and will take a Disney trip with them for sure.

Erica is having the time of her life, her new boyfriend Chase is here, her best friend Becky is here, and they love it here... we have great week planned for them. We'll be going to Manuel Antonio tomorrow for three days and that should be a blast, beaches, scuba diving, zip lines, tropical paradise, and our favorite, banana boat rides in the beach. I'll make sure to take pictures. Here are some pictures of our new place.

Here is our Condo ... looks sad now, but after its done it'll be a beauty.

We are having the workers change that little window into a bigger one.

Monday we go pick our tile, yeah!

Pictures of Brettand Rossana and Princess E.

Pictures of Rossana and Eryka and Kallie together..

The Pedersen's girls, do we look alike??

Playa La Herradura.... Fun weekend !!!

Beautiful Ocean... see all the yatchs and boats in the background... I want one bad!!

We bought copies of movies playing at the theaters right as we speak form that guy behind that surfboard, lol

Our maid took care of Kallie... it was so nice to have Luisa watch her while Brett and I relaxed.

Luisa and Kallie.... Kallie loves Luisa, she also knows how to boss her around...

Isn't he gorgeous?? my, my, Brett is hot!!

Kallie in a HIGH CHAIR, lol, that chair was plenty high alright.. at one of the restaurants.

My Dancing Princess Kallie..

The biggest party ever!!!

I have to tell you that NO ONE does birthday parties like Costa Ricans... Our neighbor invited us to a party over at the Country Club, she is Kallie's Pediatrician, and her little girl Isabella is one of Kallie's little friend, she loves to play with Kallie. Anyway, there must have been at least 200 people at the party, and the ballons... the balloons were amazing. There was tons of food, drinks, chocolate, cookies, pizza, hot dogs, entertainment... oh my!! they went all out for Isa's 2nd birthday party. Here is some pictures:

Thank you Grammy... I love my doll!

Gloria the doll was a hit with Costa Rican people around here. They all wanted to know where I got the doll with matching outfits, most people making comments about my daughters beauty and how she should be a model.. anyway here is a picture just for you. She is a beauty, isn't she?

Easter in Costa Rica

My surfer honey...

We all know my baby is missing playing with his band... he misses his alone time and because of that he has taken up surfing... I think he is the biggest hunk ever, look at this picture.. He is a hottie!!

Check out my Slide Show!

We had a wonderful weekend.

We went on a trip to Tambor, and it was a big adventure. We started with an hour in a half drive from San Jose till we got to Puntarenas. We had to take a Ferry to take us from Puntarenas to the other side of the ocean were the resort we were staying is at, The resort is called Barcelo Tambor beach resort, all inclusive, all you can eat, all you can drink, tons of activities for the family, we tried archery, Kayacking, swiming, eating lots, drinking lots of fruity delicious non alcoholic cocktails. We sun bathed, we played in the ocean, we slept good.. it was fun! We will definetely do it again with our children. We got to see lots of new places. I have to backtrack a bit, in the Ferry we met this guy and he had found a place close to Montezuma, that we could stay for $80.00 per night. Well $80.00 beats the $350.00 we were going to pay at the resort, it was a bungalow with five beds right on the ocean... wow! we followed the guy to the place and the beach was rocky, no way our baby girl could play there, so off we went back to the resort.

Once back at the resort we had a great time here is the slide show for you to see.

Another great week...

Last week I tried golfing for the first time ever, I actually didn't mind it, it was good for me to get out and socialize with the girls. I came down with a cold and a UTI.. darn! I never get those, but my friend Susan who is a nurse back in the US told me exactly what to do, I went to the pharmacy and ask for this antibiotic that treats UTI and it only cost me $10.00, and today I feel good again, my cold is even gone. Yesterday we went to church and I received a calling as a teacher in the Primary organization, I'm so happy, finally have a calling at church, I have Kallie in my list, wild girl Kallie, who can't seat still for a minute, so that'll be fun, just when I was trying to get away from her, lol. Yesterday during Relief Society they had chocolate treats for all the sisters, she grabbed one and ran away, then a few minutes later she was back in the room asking for more... all this while a class was being held, she didn't care, she wanted more. At home she saw the quads playing outside and she ran outside on her diapers to play with them, she didn't care if she was naked, poor daddy, had to go out and chase after her. We hired a handyman to hang our pictures, and do they look nice! My house is so pretty! :) Alex skateboarded while we met some of the neighbors, my next door neighbor whose house will be done being built in June came by to introduce herself, her name is Patricia from Colombia, very nice lady.
What is it with Costa Rica woman and their big assets? Gosh, I'm even impressed with their beautiful breast.. going to the mall last Saturday was an experience now that they wear skimpy shirts for the summer, and they like to show them off, gosh they were blessed with a good top. My poor hubby and Alex, I feel so sorry for them and all they have to endure walking through the mall and just torturing their minds with all those views of big breast.. and to make it worse, they are not ugly, lol. Even I appreciate some natural beauty, natural??? did I say that? I guess I'll never know if they are real or not, lol. Some women here are just gorgeous, drop of dead gorgeous, but once you've seen one, you've seen them all, at least that's how I look at it. To make it worse, we go to church on Sunday, and this lady is breastfeeding her child during Sacrament meeting, what the heck?? I guess it wasn't the first time I've seen this, but during sacrament meeting, common, give me a break, now, that wasn't a pretty view, lol.
Kallie is getting potty trained today, man, she is three in a half and still wearing diapers, and has a binky.. waz up with that? She clinged like a monkey to her daddy this morning and didn't want to let go... she won't stay in her bed at night either, could it be the last child syndrome, where the parents let the kids get away with murder, which is easy to do because she is so darn cute.

January in a nut shell...

Wow! January came and went so darn fast... it was a very tense month for us since uncertainty ran our lives. Staying in Boise one week, going back to Costa Rica the next... every weekend in January we made a trip to United Airlines to change the date of our flight, each time costing as high as $100.00 per person... Finally we returned to Costa Rica and it was the right thing to do. Costa Rica is BEAUTIFUL this time of year... can we say PERFECT weather.. it's the most perfect weather I have ever experience, with the sun coming up early in the morning, staying bright and shining till 5 PM, no humidity since it doesn't rain anymore, light breeze and everything looks radiant and beautiful. Oh my gosh! I can not imagine not living here now. Even Brett keeps saying he loves it so much he would consider staying, and now I understand what he means. Family, the time to come to visit Costa Rica is definetly between January and August.... this country is beautiful!!! I have been enjoying the yummy fruit for breakfast every morning.. we have pineapple, bananas, papayas, and mangos everyday. Fot dinner eat the fresh produce and make lots of homemade salads, and I'm keeking my weight off.
OUR SHIPMENT ARRIVED!!! and everything was pretty much intact but one lamp, and that's incredible! The movers came and put everything together for us, including Kallie's Barbie jeep. SO nice to have htem do all the work. Our house feels and loooks a lot more like home since we have our things here now. I've been a busy bee lately... the girls and the neighbors keep me busy. We meet a new neighbor with cuadruplets, yes four kids, all born the same day, they are adorable and the are all three, same age as Kallie. Kallie was in heaven playing with them. We still had all of Kallies toys in the garage, and the played for a good two ours while the momies talked. The mom of the quads, is from Puerto Rico, and the dad from Peru. He works for Conair and they have a gorgeus home too.
I miss my Jake!!! we had to leave him behind at home since he was doing good attending Cenntennial high school. we'll see how long that will last, lol. Kallie want breakfast, I got to go and feed my baby, I will write more later.

NEW YEAR...NEW BLOG

I will start the New Year with a brand new blog template... 2007 should be a fun year for my family and I so keep coming back to check us out. Brett will be arriving from Costa Rica today, he couldn't stay away for long, lol. I had to change my tickets and we'll be flying back on the 21st.. anyway, Happy New Years everyone, please know you can come and visit us anytime while in Costa Rica, we love having company.