Ziplining, mountain driving, surfing, & sunsets...oh my!

We finallllllllyyyy made it to our final hotel destination...through the potholes, streets only wide enough for 2 moped's & a fart, hundreds of people walking on the streets like sidewalks who expect you to dodge THEM go figure, bridges for 1, fog, rain, 90 degree turns with motorcycles flying around every corner, steep embankments which require down-shifting just to make it up the hill & more down-shifting not to fly down the side of the mountain at 60kph...and where you should really pay attention when the gps registers unpaved roads as potential detours to save time. Warning!!! Warning...it doesn't actually mean potential detour, it does means that it will invariably cause you an hour of lost time due to 20 minutes navigating up around potholes & boulders, 8 minutes deciding to keep going or turn around and 32 minutes back down to where you started from i.e. unpaved road. Ugg! However, our gps could accurately tell us where each speed bump & school zone was however, it could not warn us about the trechorous roads ahead that our little 'Betsy' could not handle. ...all part of the adventure though!

...and as I lay here happy that we made it in one piece and returned our little Betsy to her rightful owner....i.e. the people holding our credit card # for ransom ;) ...or at least until we bring her back I think about the last few days and what an adventure we've been on over the last few days.

Day 3
Mission: Don't pass out ziplining


Activities: ziplining - 8AM-10AM

By the end of the zip line tour I found myself hanging upside down at the end of it all gliding down the last zipline through the rainforest watching the small creek zoom by me and completely relaxed in the harness that seemed to be choking me into a panicked fear before then. But I definitely had a sense of accomplishment. I guess that's why it was ok for me to let go of the leather glove that was our only method of stopping from flying down those ziplines at mach 3 speed and just relax and 'let go'. However, it wasn't until that last zip line that I was finally able to let go completely. It took a few extra minutes of convincing myself that everything would be ok before I slid down the first zip line but it wasn't truly until platform #7 that I was really feeling the pressure. When I put my feet to the edge of the platform on #7 my body wouldn't go. The instructors kept telling me sit down and put your hand on the pully rope. I needed time. My breathing was panicked, my arms shaking. Fear came over me. I knew this moment would come when we set up all of our excursions. I knew my fear of heights would be tested. But my stubbornness and sense of adventure are what helped my feet finally lift off of the platform, putting all of my weight into the trust of that harness and started flying down the #7 zipline. I was terrified!!!! I shot down in record speed ~240 ft above the rainforest floor. I tried to look around and enjoy my beautiful surroundings as much as possible but I had a mission...to get to the end! Get to the end! Get to the end! I was a little shaken but nothing could have stopped me from that experience. I made it through the whole course (at my own speed not the speed the instructors were trying to convince me was ok) but it was a lot of fun! Paul did famously of course. His sense of adventure and fearlessness always impresses and pushes mine. At the highest  fastest zipline that I was freaking out on, he was trying to go as fast as possible before stopping. Sounds about right ;)

Part 2 of the day was to team back up with good ol' Betsy and make our way across to the coastline of Costa Rica! What a treck! At times we were sooo grateful to have the GPS we rented and at other times we were cursing at it in our car beacuse of the route it tried to take us on. We made it to our fabulously beatiful hotel just in time to schedule our surfing trip for the morning and to watch the AMAZING sunset from the ampitheater at the hotel. What a way to end the day!

Day 4

Mission: learn to surf

Activities: Surf lessons with  Costa Rican Surfing Champion surfer Gustavo 8AM-noon(ish)

Paul & I have both always wanted to learn to surf! Who knew it would be on our honeymoon in Costa Rica! We both learned really quickly with Gustavo, a championship surfer in his younger days, and a great instructor for us. Who would've known we would both get up on our first try! What a sense of accomplishment...quickly followed by a sense of agony. Sunscreen & salt water in your eyes do NOT mix! I struggled to get it out for the next several hours of the day. Paul on the other hand had his own battle, he dislocated his shoulder, twice, surfing! It popped back in luckily but it's still tender. Poor thing!

The other couple that went surfing with us had a few guys from the hotel follow them to get some pics so we're hoping that they follow through and send us some of the ones of us...fingers crossed. We did try to get some 'awkward' pics of each other practicing...all for everyone else's enjoyment though ;)



We spent the rest of the day looking for the best coffee 'deal' for everyone back in the states and eating MORE bueno ceviche! I think this makes 3 different versions from different restaurants we've tried! I think Paul and I could eat this for every meal if it wasn't so $$$! We've both been surprised by how expensive food is here! You can't eat a meal for less than $10-$13/per person here. It gets a little pricey when you add a couple of beers and a ceviche to your 'cena' (aka dinner). :) We've had some good food, although we've stuck to the typico food, but I've been extremely impressed with the drinks here. I think I've probably told Paul 'that's the best one 'X' I've ever had several times: everything from the tropical mixed drinks, iced tea, starbucks-like coffee, etc. Crazy-good! It's one of the best ways to experience other's culture to us...by just eating their food! Time for some more! Dinner-out!

Holy Moly Guacamole! Ceviche! & One heck of a good honeymoon beginning! :)

Day 0

Mission: Get There!

I had no idea what to expect going to a foreign country. It was my first time out of the U.S. of A. aside from Canada or Mexico. After going through customs and being picked up by our car rental guy we set out on the windy roads out of San Jose & were immediately enveloped in the deep lush rainforests of Costa Rica. The Costa Rican landscapes were absolutely beautiful as well as extremely scary! Windy, narrow roads with trucks & motorcycles coming around every bend at 50 kph. About 20 kilometers outside of San Jose where we landed we lovingly named our car 'Betsy'...our little '92 (ish) Nissan Sentra who seemed to need coaxing on the steepest of hills as Paul down-shifted to make it to the next obstacle! We were immediately immersed into a culture, a language and a way of life which is very different to our own little (BIG world of Houston, TX). This is definitely a land where everyone seems to be concerned about the wild life and preserving nature in its truest and purest of forms. Everything from our room sign saying to please 'conserve water if not using' to all of the tour guides and their true appreciation for the rainforest, waterfalls, etc. surrounding the Arenal Volcano. After helping Paul navigate the steep, twisty roads of the Costa Rican rainforest and making it to our quaint little room at the base of the Arenal volcano we both needed a drink.  We had finally made it to the hotel...it had been a long day of travel from Houston but we had made it...tired, together & in one piece. :)

Day 1

Mission: Take it all in/Immerse yourself in the Costa Rican culture

Activities: Observatory Lodge Morning Hike - 8:20AM - 11AM, Wild cat & monkey exhibit, hot springs & dinner @ The Springs Spa & Resort

What a perfect day to immerse yourself in the wild, beautiful landscape of Costa Rica. Learning about the wildlife, natural surroundings & how Costa Rica operates. We started by going on a morning hike at the observatory lodge, home to the seismograph which monitors the volcanic activity at the Arenal volcano. Despite it's inactivity for a few years now the volcano still emits gases which you can see for miles and miles on a constant basis. The hike took us deep into the lush rainforest that we had only driven through earlier and learned about the changes that have happened over the last 30 or so yrs which have shaped Costa Rica into what it is today. We had a very interactive hike including a trip down to a beautiful waterfall (Cataran), seeing a tiny little eyelash viper, 3-toed sloth & took away a much greater apprecation of the beatiful nature which surrounds us everywhere we go including the mini facial I got from the tour-guide with the mud from the rainforest floor (...of which he reminded us some of the spas in the area charge hundreds to use ;) )!

Part 2 of the day was equally as fun as we made our way over to a different resort a few hundred kilometers away for a jungle cat & monkey tour from animals who have been rescued by the resort and are awaiting a final home at a nearby santuary. We saw some osolots, puma's and a few monkeys that Paul had a hard time dragging me away from, although he was completely enthralled with taking pictures of these wild animals up close. They were mostly friendly about it (hence the picture of the osolot taking a swipe at Paul's face) >>>

...then to top it off we got to sit in the most awesome hot springs with an AMAZING view of the volcano and sip on heavenly tropical drinks & Costa Rican beer! This will be a visual and memory that will be stuck FOREVER in me! What a perfect way to spend our 6 month anniversary! =)

Day 2

Mission: Catch a few

Activities: Fishing with Captain Ron - 6AM - noon

We got up early and met captain Ron at the fishing dock, which is less like a dock and like a low lying rock area which boats can pull up to...old Betsy wasn't getting down that steep embankment so we parked at the top and walked down. We did some top water fishing, which I wasn't used to but Paul seemed to be pretty familiar with, knowing all the lures, how to skim them across the water and lots of fishing stories to boot. Captain Ron is an American who fell in love with Costa Rica when he first visited here and decided immediately to sell everything and move, speaks to the great power of the 'island life' that everyone seems to be so connected with here. All of the restaurants, hotels, and activities are all outside.Today was no different. Getting over the fishing area proved to be a more water-based activity than we had hoped and wound up completely soaked from the perpetual rain showers that Costa Rica is known for. We top-water fished for around an hour and a half, hopping from fishing hole to fishing hole but wound up with only a few screeches from me not knowing how to fish top-water and being more scared than anything when a few fish tried to bite. We switched over to troll fishing, which seemed much more promising fishing. We caught guapote (the coveted fish in this lake), talapia & machaca. However, teh final score of the Paul vs Kali fish-off 2012 was: Final score Kali: 10, Paul 8...hey what can I say, my maiden name is Fischer ;)

...our honeymoon thus far has been packed full of adventure and fun! We've gotten to taste some great food (called 'comida typico' or typical food which I find to be a hilarious description), re-learn spanish or what we thought we knew and try to fit in in such a different world than our own. It's been an awesome adventure so far although it would mean nothing to me if it wasn't spent with the most amazing man I have ever met and continue to fall in love with each day! Life is wonderful when you have someone who you adore so much and who you can hold hands with & travel through life together with. It also helps that I am feeling better than ever after my surgery and have been extremely lucky that everything has gone amazingly well in recovery!

We have so much left to do on our trip and are very much looking forward to it all! Just thought a quick update was in order since a bunch of you were so pivotal in making this dream-come-true a real story for us. :)

Pura Vida!!

Surgery note to family & friends

Hola everyone,

Hope everyone is having a relaxing sunday. We are trying to "live" it up on the couch, watching tv and just hanging out on my last day before surgery. Paul is making me dumplings for dinner for my last 'real' meal for a few days...yum!

Surgery is a scary notion but it's what MUST be done! I've been in so much pain the last few days and popping pain pills every 12 hours or so to be in a tolerable mood for Paulie.

It's a relatively simple surgery, as surgeries go, so I'll be in and out tomorrow morning.The surgery will be done laparoscopically (try to say that one 5 times fast) so they'll only have to make a few small incisions to cut that stinkin' gallbladder out. Recovery time is quick, about 2 days, and then (according to the doc) I'll be ready for anything a few weeks after that. Thank goodness because we are going to Costa Rica with or without that gallbladder. Lol. It seems that I'll have to change my diet up for a few weeks (possibly months) in order to let my body adjust to not having an additional 'filter' for my food. It seems I'll have the most trouble with digesting fatty foods, high sugar content items & alcohol. Shouldn't be too hard of a change. Just looking forward to no more pain!   

We'll be up and at the hospital at 5AM...yippee! So needless to say it'll be a long day for us here at the St. Pierre household so please keep us in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow.

Paul will let everyone know how I'm doing...it's a husband's job, right? ;)

Love Kali

FINALLY have an answer - PAIN???

While the last several months are supposed to be like heaven, right? Just got married and finally done with the stress of the wedding. Wrong!!! I've been so emotionally upset by my health issues and not quite sure where to turn at times other than my adoring husband, family & friends. At certain moments in our lives we all have to place trust in other people. Shouldn't be too hard when one of those people has gone to school to become a specialist in a certain field, right! Again...wrong! *at least not for me right now*

I don't know how many doctors appt's I've been to over the last 5 months, seen everyone from a GP, OB/GYN & 2 gastroenterologists all with the same EXACT frustrating freaking answer. 'Nothing is wrong with you,' while I mutter in the back of my head that 'believe me...something IS wrong with me.' You don't go from being an active, healthy individual who can eat, exercise, etc. with no issues to cringing in pain and waking up to spasms which feel like a metal rod going through your body for no reason. 5 months later...it all comes down to the same thing I've thought for months. Now while I have finally uncovered the source of my pain I realize how entirely frustration my situation has been. It's a bitter sweet moment as the end is near but the journey seems too long and frustrating to forget so quickly. 

Frankly I would like to punch the 1st gastroenterologist in the head right about now. After ordering an ultrasound to check for gallstones he wanted me to have a CT & endoscopy before ever talking to me about the results of any of them. Although the ultrasound came back negative I was so sure it was my gallbladder that I requested to have the doctor order another test (if such existed) to check my gallbladder functions. After a few phones calls and explanation of the amount of pain I was in the test was ordered. I had such a sense of surity that I would find out the results of such test and would be able to put the 2+ months of being unsure what was wrong with me behind me finally.

After calling and calling and leaving voice messages trying to find out the results of said test for a week I finally demanded that I speak with the doctor after getting the receptionist on the phone who told me that my test results were normal. Seriously the receptionist now has license to read medical reports? I had enough with this doctor's office and wanted to express my distention with their office protocol. The doctor gets on the phone, is short and rude to me cutting me off mid-sentence about 7 times, telling me that I should have done the tests in the order that he ordered them, I'm not the one with a medical background but he just ordered the test I requested. I finally asked him "do you care what I have to say?" The conversation on the phone was a dissemination of my frustration with not only him but the other GP & GYN doctors I had seen who dismissed my problem as 'unsolvable' because the one test they ran didn't come back with anything obvious. Ugg! So I told the gastroentrologist what I thought of him: he was rude, that I don't think the receptionist should be giving me my medical records result, that I didn't appreciate his office staff never returning the dozens of calls (through voicemail) and actual conversations, that he shouldn't treat me like my problems don't matter and that I would be going to a different doctor and would be requesting my test results from him. I was over the BS! (this all through tears in the parking lot of my office...fun day at work right???)

Within the one week that it was going to take to be seen by a family doctor who my husband and mother-in-law trust and loved I got to the point where going to the ER seemed like the only option I had. I couldn't take the pain anymore. The ER doc kicked me out of the ER telling me that they couldn't do anything for me there and referred me to a new gastro doctor (who saw me the same day...10 minutes before 5PM). Whoa! After 15 minutes of telling her my problem and expressing to her that YES! my pain is a constant 7 to 8 and has been she scheduled me for an endoscopy the next morning.

Now I have gastritis, can't eat or drink the things that I love and the pain still won't go away! Great!
...but on top of that she informed me that the rude gastro doctor did not order the correct type of test to test my gallbladder and therefore could not determine if that was the cause or not. Seriously!?! *hence me wanting to punch him in the face right now...as the realization that I would have to retake a $4300 test which may or may not be covered by insurance set upon me* I had no idea that while he was supposed to order me a test to test the functionality of my gallbladder, he did not in fact order the proper test to determine this. So the test results he gave me were 'correct' I guess although it did NOT test what it was supposed to on me. How am I NOT supposed to be upset???

After going back to my new wonderful doc who had all of my test results she let me know that everything came back negative...go figure right? Still in pain doc, I expressed!

... So a second HIDA scan (testing the gallbladder) later and 6 excrutiatingly long days of waiting for the reuslts I finally have the results back that my gallbladder is indeed bad and needs to come out! AHHHHH! This is what I've been saying for months! It's functioning at less than 1/3 of normal...no wonder it hurts!  

I'm so frustrated, overwhelmed and angry that because of the lack of 'caring' or in my words 'professionalism', 'diligence', 'due process', etc. I wouldn't have had to go through all of this and this issue could be behind me months ago. I don't know whether to let it go or scream "Don't go to these doctors...they're quacks" as loud as I can from a rooftop???

...Surgery to be scheduled. Thank god this nightmare is almost over...

The wedding has come & gone...but that special MOMENT remains!

How bittersweet that our wedding has now passed! It was amazing, wonderful, fantastic and truly magical! 

I think the most talked about event occurrence was Paul's expression as I walked down the aisle. It was quite an ordeal to keep him from seeing my dress or me in it for the last year so when it was FINALLY time to walk down the aisle to make him my husband I was excited about him seeing me. 

The whole day of the wedding all I wanted was to hurry up and get into my dress. It's what I had waited for and dreamed of since the day I fell in love with Paul. He had become my EVERYTHING in life and I wanted to show him what that truly meant to me. 

The wait seemed endless though. Hair and makeup was a dream. To be pampered and get exactly what I want. It wasn't like me to be sitting in a salon chair 'barking' orders at someone to make me beautiful but I relished in the event because it was all for that one special moment. When hair & makeup was done it was time to go to the venue and finish the process of getting ready. 

Our photographer was amazingly helpful and I was surrounded by some of the most amazing women in my life: my sweet momma and momma-to-be, my best friend from birth, my best friend from college and my two wonderful sisters. Each one sharing in a sweet, memorable moment in the bridal sweet waiting for all of the final touches to be done to the venue. I had mistakenly counted on being able to help in those last few hours as all of the little details were being done...Oops! Can't let anyone see me in my dress. 

So I sat back, drank a glass of champagne (ok 2 or 3 ;) ) and waited...and waited! 

The moment was finally here...the girls lined up outside of the bridal sweet and I was left alone battling my thoughts! OMG, it's here! OMG, it's here! Paul is out there! We're about to get married. The word excitement doesn't begin to describe...

In those last few moments I thought about how our photographer had tried to convince us to do a first glance! Which clueless to me before the wedding really just means that you have an opportunity with your hunny before the big moment to see each other, calm down and take a few pictures. While I understood it would be the best idea when trying to get as many pics as possible of us in good light, something that we'd have forever to remember, but I fought the temptation because I wanted right before I walked down the aisle to be 'the' moment he first saw his bride! A moment in time that seemed like a lifetime in the making. Also, the reason that I fought to have 'god blessed the broken road' as our first dance song. Because God truly did bless the broken road that led me straight to Paul. No one's life is without hardship, sacrifice or a few tears but when it all lead me to this moment. With the man of my dreams waiting for me...I was there!

So I was tucked behind the bridal suite door all alone for what seemed like an eternity. My sweet papa was waiting outside that door with his arm out and waiting. I love my dad so much and to have him tell me I looked beautiful right before he walked me down the aisle was so touching and will last a lifetime with me. 

We began walking...

I walked straight to the fireplace and turned. I expected to see Paul's beautiful soft brown eyes opened wide as could be starring back at me as I rounded that corner. But he wasn't even looking at me. He had his head cocked back slightly and was looking into the sky. 

Curious I thought but I continued to walk and as I reached the two wooden steps to begin the journey into marriage (and trying not to slip and bust it in my dress) I looked up to see Paul's eye FINALLY on me, his bride! 

His eyes lit up like the fourth of July and the expression on his face is one that I will cherish for the rest of my life! It was like a child walking into the doors of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. He made me feel beautiful! 

We had joked with each other for months about that moment and he always said that he would cry when he finally got to see me in my dress. But those words meant nothing in comparison with the actual tear that rolled down his face as soon as I got up to him. I knew that he adored me and wanted to make me his wife forever, even without him saying those words. Paul and I have had several of those...'get out of my head' moments where you know what each other is thinking and you know what they are about to say even before they can get the words out. Expressions mean everything between us. So in that moment, that's all I needed was that one single tear and that one expressive 'I love you to the ends of the earth & back' glance before we said 'I do' or in Paul's case screamed 'I DO!'!

I know I am a little biased but I thought that our ceremony & reception were perfect! The venue was beautiful, the weather a dream and all of our closest family and friends surrounding us with love and lifting our love and relationship up high! We tried to incorporate all of our family members into the ceremony & reception as much as we could. 

I thought it was a wonderful moment when both of our moms shared the moment in combining sand during the ceremony as a symbol of the unity and bond between the Fischer & St. Pierre family. It was so special and touching to both Paul and I. Although it was supposed to be spices instead of sand but I didn't think the wind blowing cayenne pepper in everyone's eyes was really the right way to make them cry. Our minister later told us that this moment along with our dad's reaching out and grabbing each other's hands from across the aisle was a touching moment for her and a first as well. We truly felt our families combining together and blessing our marriage!

There were lots of laughter and dancing at the reception, getting to see some old friends and meet & greet some new family & friends. It was a wonderful night filled with such joy and happiness! I don't think a year + of planning could of prepared Paul and I for how amazing that night truly was! Memories fill our hearts as we reminisce of that night we became man & wife!

We haven't even been able to see ALL of the pictures yet but we are waiting extremely impatiently! So excited to see them all! I KNOW we missed a ton of the little details that my mom worked so hard to create for us! At least we have these few for now =)

Dakota: seizure (#3) :(

Our sweet Dakota, our yellow lab, who's normally so full of energy and wants to play every second of the day started out our morning yesterday flopping around on the floor having a pretty intense seizure. It was devastating for Paul and I to watch our sweet puppy fighting against it for those long couple of minutes. While Dakota was fighting against the seizure, I was fighting back tears looking into my sweet puppies face trying to talk sweetly to him to help him pull out of it.

Although...we thought our sweet Kotaman's seizure was a one time only occurrence...here I am trying to do research to figure out why he may be experiencing these seizures again...with the 1st one on 10/26/2010, another one in between caused most likely by a thunderstorm and the last and worst one yesterday 02/12/2011. It may be diet, it may be genetic or it may be triggered by something environmental...basically no one has answers about why these are happening. Even the vet visit we took him to the last time he went through this seems to be no help in this situation, all blood work points to a very healthy pup. ***no help at all

They can give him anti-seizure medication if it gets progressively worse...a path we may be heading down unfortunately. Aside from that it seems we have very limited options except to be anxious and worried about Kotaman!  We are probably going to buy some dinovite and/or Omega 3 fatty acid supplements to start with and hopefully with a little better diet we won't ever have to experience another one of these again.

Although...I guess this is the same story my scared parents got when they would rush either my sister, myself or both of us to the ER with Grand Mal seizures when we were babies...Seizures are no joke! I'm lucky enough to have only had a few in my life that were triggered by environmental factors with the last one when I was 6 mo. old. I'm hoping that Dakota's are in our past as well!

Sincerely,
This scared but proud puppy parent

The Wedding Planning...thus far

Well with our wedding less than 9 months away there is still a laundry list of to-do's! And while I loathe laundry I haven't pulled my hair out and have managed to enjoy most of the process thus far...

I never knew that it could be so labor-intensive and stressful to plan out your special day. To consider so many things...who to put on the guest list, colors, flower choices, when, how, where...so much planning! But for Paul and I this is a 'Celebration of our Love', cheesy or not ;), and we love that we get to share these moments with our family and close friends!

Scrambling my eggs currently:

• picking a caterer

• picking colors (although I think it's going to be purple..with a hint of red)
• taking engagement pictures (although we've finally scheduled a session for Mar 12th...yay)
• sharing in the adventure with those around us
• continuing to live your own life
• make sure you save money while still having fun

AHH! Oh yeah and my personal goal of studying for the CPA exam...let's see how much more we can jam-pack into a year! Maybe I should just go stand behind a donkey and speed up the end result a bit! ;)

I went to the Austin Bridal Extravaganza a few weekends ago. The whole experience was pretty intense...lots of vendors, lots of "we have the best deals" but overall it was great to share the experience with my mom, older sister and best friend thinking and talking about the BIG day! I did think it was hilarious to watch grown women screaming at the top of their lungs during the 'fashion show' like they were at a Ricky Martin concert though.

I guess that's what makes me the happiest about the whole experience is just that you get to involve so many different people in your life and share the experience with them! We all forget too soon in this crazy, hectic world we live in how valuable our relationships with others are sometimes. Planning has brought me close to so many people. Like our relationship in general I am grateful for the experience! & trying desperately not to turn into a BRIDEZILLA in the process! Uggg...I can't stand those women!

I'm sure this wedding planning will throw a lot more ups and downs at us...but we've got fly-swatters in hand and ready to attack! ;)

P.S. Any money saving tips...bring 'em! I'm all for more money in our pockets at the end of this for a honeymoon! Wahoo!