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Weekend house guest

This is Zoe:

 

You've seen her before here. She was our house guest last weekend while her humans took a little trip to the place where all Georgians are required to visit at least once in the fall - the mountains.

Zoe was an awesome house guest because:

1. She's like, tiny. She fits in my lap. Unlike two other 100-pound creatures I know.

2. She comes with a wardrobe. Kind of like Barbie. (And thus the cheerleading uniform.)

3. She shares a name with my future BFF, Zooey Deschanel (okay, it's not spelled the same, but sounds the same).

4. She didn't judge us even though our house is a disaster due to certain unfinished projects. And if she did she was totally polite and didn't say anything.

Our adventure-moon

When Matthew and I got engaged in Jamaica, we had a great time relaxing and lounging around. But after about two days of lounging, we were ready to get out and do things. So when we were choosing a location for our honeymoon, we knew that, yes, we wanted some romantic destination, but romantic only gets you so far - we wanted some adventure!

After lots of browsing of the internets, we decided to go to Costa Rica. 

We picked a small bed & breakfast in Manuel Antonio, Mango Moon. It was actually recommended to us by a friend, and the couple who owned it actually moved to Costa Rica from a town about 15 minutes from our house. (I've heard that since then they've sold it to the lead singer of the band Creed. Weird.)

It was set in the mountains, just a short hike to the beach. This was the view from our balcony:

 

We spent tons of time on the balcony, listening to the rain and even getting couples massages there. Matthew usually hogged the hammock:

We went in October, which just happens to be rainy season. Lots of people choose not to go during that time because it literally rains EVERY DAY for hours on end. But do you know what that means? Naps. Lots of them. Also - great service at restaurants because you are the only one there. It also means hideously curly hair. Try to ignore that.

The service was so good at the restaurants that they did things like make little roses and grasshoppers out of plants:

We opted for an adventure package rather than a honeymoon package, which sent us on a different excursion daily, like ziplining (is that a verb?) through the forest canopy:

Yep, that's me making quite the fashion statement in the red helmet.

There was also horseback riding to some waterfalls:

Side note: riding a horse in the rain while wearing wet pants for three hours can equal major chafing. Just saying.

There was also a kayaking adventure through the mangroves (don't have a picture of that one) and lots of walking around, including a couple of trips down to the beach to check out the black sand and the loads and loads of hermit crabs.

(Please don't think that I would ever wear something like this on a normal occasion. First of all, I don't wear tennis shoes. Second of all, I was cold and wet and we bought this shirt because it was dry. This is what a medium t-shirt looks like on me. So instead, please direct your attention to the black sand.)

We also spent lots of night sipping on rum and talking to the B&B owners and staff. Jeff, one of the owners, was in a band and would make up impromptu (funny) songs. We were the only guests who stayed the whole week, but we met lots of people who stopped for one night and each had fun stories to share.

But our favorite adventures by far were those involving the Costa Rican wildlife. Each morning, we woke up to the sounds of howler monkeys calling one another. Capuchin monkeys (like Marcel on Friends!) passed over the roof of our balcony in the mornings and evenings, peeking over to see what we were having for breakfast (and by the way, the banana pancakes were to. die. for. I ate them every morning. It's no surprise the monkeys were jealous.)

The coolest creatures were in Manual Antonio National Park. We toured with an awesome guide who could spot a bird the size of my fist 200 feet away. No joke. We saw lots of sloths (which pretty much just look like giant moldy fur balls in photos, so I'll spare you), cute little squirrel monkeys and ton of birds.

Disregard this furry bald guy and check out that monkey (wow, that's a sentence I never thought I'd utter):

 

Considering that we're photographers, we really didn't take that many photos. But rain, humidity and cameras really don't mix. Most shots taken with a Canon point-and-shoot, Canon 10D or Canon 20D (we're Canon people, can you tell?).

I'd definitely suggest taking a trip to Costa Rica (we want to go back one day) if you're looking for a vacation spot. There are lots of places to visit, but Manual Antonio really was awesome. Other areas of Costa Rica are known for great surfing, scuba diving and lots of other fun activities. And if you're not too opposed to rain, I'd suggest going during rainy season to avoid crowds and touristy-tourists. Unless, of course, you're looking to lay poolside all day. That wouldn't work.

Why I didn't blog last week

Last week I took a trip to the beach, where I expected to blog every day. Or at least once. Obviously, that didn't happen. Is this story starting to sound familiar? 

Yeah, me + blogging on vacation = not gonna happen. I always have good intentions, but who am I kidding? I can't even blog regularly when I'm at home.

Instead, I spent lots of time with these two little people and their mama:

And these two little people:

My parents' cats, Bob:

and Morgan. She doesn't always look that mad - only when I'm around.

Side note: I've found Morgan's kitty twin - Simply Seleta's Pom pom. Seriously, take a look.

We left the guys at home (except Lane, of course) and hung out at my parents' house to cat sit while they were on a little trip of their own.

We took naps (although not that frequently. I'm looking at you, Lane):

Did yoga (okay, so only Lane did that):

And played on the beach (but just for a little while. Have you ever tried to brave the beach with a four-month-old and a two-year-old?)

There was also an incident with a tent. The details are kind of fuzzy, as it was a traumatic situation, but it went a little something like this: Katie and I decided to set up a tent under which we could get out of the sun/Lane could nap. We didn't consider exactly how we'd set it up. Basically, Katie held Lane while I tried to put the tent up by myself. And I put it together the wrong way (and I do remember uttering the words "who needs directions?" at one point during setup). And the wind was strong. And there was a gust. And then the next thing I remember is using my weight to keep a tent from blowing down the beach while holding an infant and yelling for Katie, who was in the water with Kara (and out of earshot). People stared. Didn't get up to help, but stared nonetheless. Katie eventually came to the rescue (sort of) and, during her tent wrangling, waved at the staring people (and may or may not have flashed a mean look their way). The man decided then might be a good time to offer his assistance in the form of advice on how better to set up our tent. BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHY KATIE WAVED AT HIM. We didn't use the tent again.

I also took Lane's three-month photos and some fun beach pics, so to see more photos, check out my photography blog.

Despite a few bumps in the road/sand, we had a great trip. Katie and I laughed nearly the whole time (even a few times when I think most people would have cried) and I fell more in love with two little people. (The kids, not the cats. The cats have a litter box - enough said.)

Today I'm lovin'...

These super cute Anamalz. They're beautifully constructed, like something I would display on a shelf, but bendy and kid-friendly.

They're constructed of sustainable materials (organic maple wood and textiles) from Australia. Criche! They even have a wombat!

These would make a super gift for younger kids. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm getting the farm animals set for Kara's second birthday later this month - I think they're perfect for a two-year-old (if not, Matthew says he'll take them). Shh, Katie, don't tell. 

My favorites are the wild animals (Matthew likes the dinosaurs - such a boy!), but since Kara's a farm girl, I'll stick with those.

You can't buy them straight from Anamalz, but I googled them and found tons of sites selling them.

Apparently, you can "play" online with these animals (sort of like Webkinz, maybe?) which I don't love. But their unique construction and the whole sustainability thing makes up for it.

The Anamalz website in itself is pretty impressive, with animated Anamalz running around and themed music. Typically, I'm not a fan of music on a website. (Sorry if your blog has background music - just a personal preference). But the music on this site is just funny enough for me to like it. I think it's that I don't like music unless it actually adds something to a site, and in this case, it does. Coincidentally, you can also buy the music - presumably wherever you can buy Anamalz.

Observations of DC, day whatever

So I'm pretty certain you've all been holding your breath waiting for the final post from my DC trip. 

Good thing I'm being sarcastic, because if I wasn't you'd all be dead. I figure you're probably all over the whole DC thing by now (I am), but I decided to share some photos anyway. Because I took the trip. I took the pictures. And I went to the ZOO!

On our last days in DC we did some major walking, toured the American History Museum, saw just about every monument, walked some more, went to the National Zoo, rode the Metro and returned to the airport. Where we walked some more. 

And somewhere in there Matthew corrected a complete stranger on the street when she mistakenly told her child that a man walking in front of us was carrying a french horn. "It's a tuba," he said, mouth full of hot dog. BECAUSE THAT CHILD'S LIFE WOULDN'T BE THE SAME IF HE NEVER KNEW THE TRUTH.

Matthew didn't actually intend on her hearing him (he has that disease that causes him to say things much louder than he thinks he's saying them - there are several names for it - when I talk to him about it I call it SHUT THE HECK UP!). Luckily, the woman thought it was funny. 

The highlight of my whole trip may have been seeing this:

It's Carrie Bradshaw's computer! And if anyone bursts my bubble by telling me that it's not the actual computer that Sarah Jessica Parker typed on, that it's not the same computer that Aidan control-alt-deleted to its death, it may ruin my whole trip. So don't do it.

I actually started singing the chorus to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle song when I saw this - 

Turtles in a half shell, turtle power!

Did I mention that I went as Oscar the Grouch for Halloween when I was two?

And then as Dorothy when I was three? (The actual shoes weren't as sparkly as I expected.)

In an unrelated note, I went as Teddy Ruxpin when I was four. But that does make a nice segue into the ZOO! Where I saw my favorite animal EVER, otters!

And fighting monkeys/gorillas - playing, I think:

And I'm pretty sure I made this bird fall in love with me. Or maybe want to attack me. Either way, we were separated by a barrier, but he showed a distinct interest in me and the bird noise I was making at him. See him leaning in, going "how you doin'?":

And some more pretty birds and animals (The birds were easiest to photograph because you could get close to most of them without a barrier. If you're planning a trip to the zoo, take a long lens!)

I'll be uploading more DC photos to flickr as I get them edited if you want to take a look.

The fleeting fish

Since the fish that we "inherited" with our house bit the algae late last year, our pond has been sitting in our back yard with no real purpose but to collect leaves. So, the way we saw it, we had two options: fill in the pond with dirt or get more fish.

Enter our five new pets:

I bet you'll never guess which one I named Freckles. The orange one. Just kidding.

Actually, Freckles is the only one with a name. And since they were released into their new home last weekend, we've yet to catch more than a quick glimpse of them, which makes it very hard to assign them names. I guess going from a clean aquarium to a somewhat murky pond could be a little terrifying, but if they don't show their little fishy faces soon, these are the names I'm considering:

Cam O. Flage (showing my Georgia roots)

Few

Far Between (as in the how frequently we see them)

Hermit the Fish

Freckles

Funny bunnies. And funnier people.

After a long day of mini photo sessions at my house, I returned the bunnies to their home last night. I'm pretty sure they leapt toward their owners when they realized they were home. And away from small children.

I'm so tired and extremely sore from all the crouching, bending, chasing and staying up until 1 a.m.-ing. Just imagine how the bunnies felt. My stomach's also a little sore from all the laughing I did. Some of my favorite quotes of the day:

"Is that a bunny up your dress or are you just happy to see me?" - hilarious dad, when a bunny suddenly found itself under the dress of a small child

"Is it ALWAYS this cold here?" - Spencer, 6, who lives just 20 minutes away.

"Are these the type of bunnies you eat or the type you have as pets?" Ali, 6. I think we know what she's having for dinner at her house tonight.

To view some of the photos from the sessions, click here.

Our weekend house guests

Two 10-week-old New Zealand show bunnies. That's right, I said show bunnies.

I'm doing Easter photo sessions this weekend, so I'm renting bunnies from the sweet people at Double Bridges Farm in Winder, Georgia. They breed bunnies and actually take them to bunny shows. I think these little guys (actually, guy and gal) are probably too young to be "shown" yet, but I imagine they'll be prize winners one day. 

What exactly happens at a bunny show anyway? I can just imagine these two jumping through little tiny rings or twirling around in circles atop a tiny bunny balance beam. 

They two don't have names, but I imagine the children who will be taking photos with them will want to know names. Any {kid friendly} suggestions?

By the way, Matthew has been given the title "Bunny Wrangler" for the weekend. But I think he's afraid of them.