sisterly love!

March was a big month for visitors around here! (I know, I know, this is a little...o.k., a lot...late!)

My sister came at the beginning of the month. While she was here, we went out to celebrate my friend R.B.'s birthday:

(Side note: do you see the girls sitting behind us? I know the one on the right from teaching in Texas before moving to Costa Rica, and randomly ran into her at the restaurant. Craziness!)

Over the weekend, we went to La Fortuna to enjoy some of the activities around Volcan Arenal. While walking around, we spotted this awesome sign:
I think I need a "Broken Espanish" sign to wear around my neck at times!

In La Fortuna, we hit up Baldi Hot Springs...

...where we enjoyed views of the volcano...

...and relaxed in the thermal waters.

We also went on a zipline canopy tour...

...and almost wet our pants from the terror of the Tarzan Swing! (TMI? Sorry!)

Actually it wasn't so bad! After it was over.
No, really, it was cool!

After the zipline, we walked around La Fortuna for a while:

When we got back to San Jose, we went to see our grandmother's family's old house. This is the street where they used to live!

Amazingly, the current owner was there and let us in to look around. (Amazingly, because he is trying to sell the place and doesn't actually live there anymore...we're so lucky that he happened to be there watering the garden and was willing to let us in!) This huge rock used to be in the back yard, and there are many pictures of my great-uncles playing all over the rock when they were little. When the house was expanded, the owners at the time couldn't move or break up the rock, so they just built the rock its own room!

What a great visit!