Okay, now that the apologies and explanations are out of the way, I can really start "Blogging!" Yes friends, it's the simple things that get me so excited!
"Casa Sonrisa" you ask? Well, glad you did...and for those who didn't ask and who know me well, you know I'll tell you the story anyway! I figured what better way to know how we came to be as we begin "Round 2" of this Blogging thing!
For those who can't seem to remember back to their high school Spanish class days, here's a refresher: "Casa Sonrisa" loosely translated means "House of Smiles." Five years ago, Jeff and I had the amazing opportunity to vacation in Costa Rica with family. In Costa Rica, life is simple. It's slow, it's intentional and it's full of joyful peace. As you pass through the neigborhoods in the small towns, each house is identified by a name. Literally, a name carved into a wooden sign that hangs at the entrance to each home. When neighbors refer to each other, it's not by a last name but by the chosen name that identifies each family to all who pass by. How wonderful...how could we get one of these names for our home too?? For the remainder of our vacation, we thought long and hard about how we wanted to be known and how we wanted others to refer to our family. With Christ being the source of joy and "smiles" in our marriage, we prayed that soon we'd be able to share that same happiness with children in our own home. And so it was decided - "Casa Sonrisa." House of Smiles. Smiles for the past, present and the future. Smiles in the good times and in the bad. Smiles in the times of plenty and in the times of need. Smiles in sickness and in health. It's what we commited to in our marriage ceremony three years earlier and as we prepared ourselves for starting a family, we knew it was what we needed to commit to for our future as well.
For those who can't seem to remember back to their high school Spanish class days, here's a refresher: "Casa Sonrisa" loosely translated means "House of Smiles." Five years ago, Jeff and I had the amazing opportunity to vacation in Costa Rica with family. In Costa Rica, life is simple. It's slow, it's intentional and it's full of joyful peace. As you pass through the neigborhoods in the small towns, each house is identified by a name. Literally, a name carved into a wooden sign that hangs at the entrance to each home. When neighbors refer to each other, it's not by a last name but by the chosen name that identifies each family to all who pass by. How wonderful...how could we get one of these names for our home too?? For the remainder of our vacation, we thought long and hard about how we wanted to be known and how we wanted others to refer to our family. With Christ being the source of joy and "smiles" in our marriage, we prayed that soon we'd be able to share that same happiness with children in our own home. And so it was decided - "Casa Sonrisa." House of Smiles. Smiles for the past, present and the future. Smiles in the good times and in the bad. Smiles in the times of plenty and in the times of need. Smiles in sickness and in health. It's what we commited to in our marriage ceremony three years earlier and as we prepared ourselves for starting a family, we knew it was what we needed to commit to for our future as well.
We took off one afternoon looking for a local artist who could sculpt those two words into a simple piece of wood for us. We would eventually take home and post at the entrance of our house this "promise" to live our lives seeking the joy and peace that only Christ's love can bring in all circumstances. It is a reminder to us be joyful in all things and to live our lives according to the purposes for which Christ has called us. And now as we prepare for the arrival of our third child, it is our daily prayer that our home is a place where love, laughter and smiles resound through all we do. Welcome to Casa Sonrisa...come along and smile with us!
Welcome back to the blog world!! I'm sure Nikki & Juston will love being able to check out your blog for updates instead of checking ours to get your updates!!
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